New Horizons
SCXLVR – s/t
Golden Oldies
The Cramps – Big Beat from Badsville
Although there’s no doubt that Lux and Ivy
lost a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ whenever they went from a two guitar/no bass
band into a conventional beat combo, they still made fun and rocking records
well worthy of your attention, as demonstrated by numbers like ‘Cramps Stomp’
and ‘Sheena’s in a Goth Gang’ which kick like a mule.
Brian Eno – Music for Airports
One of the first albums to be marketed as
ambient, this gorgeously hypnotic LP is less about soundtracking life in an
airport but more about tapping into the transcendental aspect of air travel
while also providing a chilled out, ethereal backdrop to those waiting in a
departure lounge. Easily dismissed by some as muzak, but those with a finely
tuned ear will get it.
Death Grips – The Money Store
It’s hard to overstate the impact this
album had upon its release. Blending hip hop, industrial, trap, rave, ragga and
punk into a mass ball of incoherent (and yet, undeniably exciting) rage that
influenced the likes of Kanye West and David Bowie. In particular, ‘System
Blower’ and ‘Hustle Bones’ still make me feel I can punch glass and not feel a
thing.
Martin Denny – Exotica
Although often dismissed as background
music, exotica has proven to have had a durable influence on music through the
use of sound effects, evocative melodies and off-kilter Latin rhythms. Although
not the first exotica LP (which was ‘Ritual of the Savage’ by Les Baxter), this
1957 release gave the genre its name and visual aesthetics. Great music as
well.
⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist.
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