When I know it’s safe, I’ll send for you…..

Folks,

Mysef and my beautiful girlfriend are off to Italy, Ireland and the UK for the next month. We leave tomorrow. So I’m afraid that I’ll have to leave you without a July Edition of Borrowed Beats. I had planned to have one ready to go, and just press a button on July 1, but alas I ran out of time. If it’s not one thing, it’s your mother!

In the meantime (Helmet?), I’ll point you towards the greatest ‘heads up’ yet. Check this out!

So take care boys and girls, and try not to miss me too much!

G

Manafactur - Flambitres
Bleeping space-music, laid back rock drumming, sophisticated bass playing, Jazz, virtuoso trumpet babble, modernistic electronics, blended into a cinematic soundscape. Manufactur, a Swiss 4 piece manages to navigate this Jazz Electro crossover safely around the cliffs of the cliché. Manufactur are never, ever lounge.

Monotony and free flow, repetition and action in perpetual change. Dominik Burkhalter’s distinct, complex drumming grooves and thumps in along in steady dialogue with Oli Kuster’s electronic noodling, while bassplayer Urban Lienert is drawing dots and dashes between them.

‘Cliché’ sounds like it came from the pen of Laurent Garnier,  the bass lines pulls you onward  and is punctuated by dissonant cymbal crashes. Keys and brass form a call and response with discordant beauty. ‘Funn Manzini’ is a post rock like a triumphant scene from Donnie Darko – it makes you want to turn and walk away with a knowing smile on your face.

“Flambitres” is full of dense and multi-layered songs that require countless listens (preferably with headphones on some of those) and manage to find the right balance between experiment and convention.

THINK: Tord Gustavson Trio meets Laurent Garnier
READ: Thier hompage or myspace
BUY: Flambitres from their label Rent-a-dog

Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity

‘Friend Opportunity’ is Deerhoof’s tenth album and was released on January 23, 2007. Based in San Francisco, this three piece is fronted by Satomi Matsuzaki, who moved from Tokyo in 1996. Deerhoof are a noise rock / electro rock/ indie rock band famed for their unconventional song structures and lyrics. Despite the fact that none of its member had formal musical training, their music is incredibly accomplished.
The album opens with the riff heavy, catchy ‘The Perfect Me’, which fuses radio friendly rock with unexpected time changes, strangely emotive moments all tied together with fierce drumming.

+81 is the quintessential Deerhoof track. It best describes what deerhoof are about. It starts with a fanfare, briefly turns into a military march before introducing you to the improbable vocal style of Matsuzaki. Her voise is just so ‘japanese’ that it sounds put on – it wavers with weakness, and is doubled and trippled throughout the track to lend some strength. But two minutes in you don’t notice. The production of this track is amazing, with hand claps, low range beeps and moments of silence all used with minimal brilliance.
Ten seconds of guitar at around 1.10 seconds in takes the track in a different direction again, yet it never sounds confused. Its inspired. And that’s Deerhoof.

THINK: A relevant japanese pixies without the ego
READ: Deerhoof’s homepage or myspace. Greg Saunier’s Blog.
WATCH: The Perfect me clip
LISTEN: Deerhoof perform live on KEXP, or check out their mp3’s
BUY: Friend Opportunity at inSound

After many failed attempts to embed the vid without stuffing up my template,

I have to resort to linking to this instead. Trust me and check it out!