PRESS
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Angels of Light | We Were Alive ! | Review
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forcedrapture.comraw aural force and sonic beauty"We Were Alive!" is a collection of 10 visceral hymns performed live by The Angels of Light in 2001 in Toronto. In them, Michael Gira and his musicians manage to find and fashion a perfect balance between raw aural force and sonic beauty, something that he has pursued for 20 years. Although there is obviously pleasure and a sense of joy in the earlier Swans releases, you had to cut through several layers of skin, fat and muscle to find them, often your own. "Filth", "Cop", "Young God", "Greed", "Holy Money", "Public Castration is a Good Idea", "Real Love", "Children of God" and "Kill the Child" are probably best experienced when you’re completely pissed off or depressed. The words and sounds contained in these albums seem to focus all negative emotion and turn it into an invigorating, life-affirming force. It isn’t a matter of feeling a "connection" with a group who’s voiced an opinion you happen to share, as much as it is experiencing how well their careful use of words, rhythms and repetitions are used to convey intense ideas, sensations and emotions. While very physical music, early Swans is also very intelligent music. The......
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Angels of Light | We Were Alive ! | Review
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forcedrapture.comraw aural force and sonic beauty"We Were Alive!" is a collection of 10 visceral hymns performed live by The Angels of Light in 2001 in Toronto. In them, Michael Gira and his musicians manage to find and fashion a perfect balance between raw aural force and sonic beauty, something that he has pursued for 20 years. Although there is obviously pleasure and a sense of joy in the earlier Swans releases, you had to cut through several layers of skin, fat and muscle to find them, often your own. "Filth", "Cop", "Young God", "Greed", "Holy Money", "Public Castration is a Good Idea", "Real Love", "Children of God" and "Kill the Child" are probably best experienced when you’re completely pissed off or depressed. The words and sounds contained in these albums seem to focus all negative emotion and turn it into an invigorating, life-affirming force. It isn’t a matter of feeling a "connection" with a group who’s voiced an opinion you happen to share, as much as it is experiencing how well their careful use of words, rhythms and repetitions are used to convey intense ideas, sensations and emotions. While very physical music, early Swans is also very intelligent music. The......
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Larsen | Rever | Review
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Rockerilla #262 | Maurizio MarinoDavvvero strane le circostanze che portano M. Gira a produrre il disco dei torinesi Larsen.chiamato in Italia a coronamento di uno strano "rituale2 ideato dalla band, che prevedeva la spedizione alla volta degli States, ogni primo e ventunesimo giorno del mese per un anno intero, di un cd contenente demo ed abbozzi di canzoni, Gira giunge a Torino nel 2001 e viene invitato a trattenersi per 21 giorni, giusto il tempo di realizzare l'album. Nel tempo trascorso in Italia, Gira ammette di non aver mai visto i volti dei componenti della band e di aver effettuato le registrazioni davanti a uno schermo che celava le loro reali fattezze (che i nostri si siano ispirati ai residents? ndr). Risultao di questa collaborazione quantomeno atipica è "Rever": lavoro dall'essenza onirica e claustrofobica capace di far convivere noise e folk apocalittico in una galleria di quadri dalla bellezza scura e inquieta (citiamo per tutte "Radial" "Mentre" "Akin") Senz'altro una delle produzioni piu' memorabili della storia della Young God...
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Larsen | Rever | Review
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Rockerilla #262 | Maurizio MarinoDavvvero strane le circostanze che portano M. Gira a produrre il disco dei torinesi Larsen.chiamato in Italia a coronamento di uno strano "rituale2 ideato dalla band, che prevedeva la spedizione alla volta degli States, ogni primo e ventunesimo giorno del mese per un anno intero, di un cd contenente demo ed abbozzi di canzoni, Gira giunge a Torino nel 2001 e viene invitato a trattenersi per 21 giorni, giusto il tempo di realizzare l'album. Nel tempo trascorso in Italia, Gira ammette di non aver mai visto i volti dei componenti della band e di aver effettuato le registrazioni davanti a uno schermo che celava le loro reali fattezze (che i nostri si siano ispirati ai residents? ndr). Risultao di questa collaborazione quantomeno atipica è "Rever": lavoro dall'essenza onirica e claustrofobica capace di far convivere noise e folk apocalittico in una galleria di quadri dalla bellezza scura e inquieta (citiamo per tutte "Radial" "Mentre" "Akin") Senz'altro una delle produzioni piu' memorabili della storia della Young God...
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Michael Gira + The Birdwatcher + Devendra Banhart | Live at Tonic | Review
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forcedrapture.comYou can’t keep your eyes off of Devendra Banhartat Tonic, NYC, May 26, 2002 After only a few seconds of beginning his set with an a cappella tune, the audience’s attention was solely his. What is immediately noticeable about Mr. Banhart’s is his unique voice. Playful and quietly passionate, it often instinctually launches into an instantly appealing, trembling, quirky falsetto. What could easily be used as a gimmick is instead employed by this idiosyncratic troubadour as a genuine means to create good songs. The lyrics that the voice rattles off are really odd stream-of-conscious rhyming sentences that always seem to revolve around lungs, seas, salt, birds, parents and more strange stuff that caused several audience members to smile, arch their eyebrows, and scratch their heads throughout his "performance". Banhart’s hectic guitar strumming gives him the impression of being a lean, elongated, hummingbird. His simple, enjoyable melodies provide an emotional environment and enhancement for his weird lyrics, everything eventually coming together as a surreal yet very direct form of storytelling that is extremely enjoyable and satisfying. I believe his entire "performance" was improvised. If so, then that makes it all the more impressive. He occasionally injects the word "Okay" when he......