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	<title>themilkfactory &#187; Planet Mu</title>
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		<title>ORIOL: Night And Day (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2010/07/oriol-night-and-day-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2010/07/oriol-night-and-day-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 00:18:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>themilkman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oriol]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=3483</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Oriol is not one to conceive electronic music as a cold and sterile medium, and his debut ablum is a sizzling melting pot of funky grooves, jazz fusion, electro disco and classic techno]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Oriol: Night And Day" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ziq2751.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-3483];player=img;"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3487" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="Oriol: Night And Day" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/ziq2751-150x150.jpg" alt="Oriol: Night And Day" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p><strong>ORIOL<br />
Night And Day<br />
ZIQ275<br />
Planet Mu 2010<br />
11 Tracks. 43mins15secs</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> Amazon UK: <strong><a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003LZ38Q4?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B003LZ38Q4" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003LZ38PU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B003LZ38PU" target="_blank">LP</a> </strong>US: <strong><a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LZ38Q4?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003LZ38Q4" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LZ38PU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003LZ38PU" target="_blank">LP</a> | <a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UEXUNW?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003UEXUNW" target="_blank">DLD</a></strong> Boomkat: <strong><a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/cds/314721-oriol-night-day" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/vinyl/314722-oriol-night-day" target="_blank">LP</a></strong></p>
<p>Born in Barcelona and now sharing his time between Cambridge and London, Oriol Singhji is not one to conceive electronic music as a cold and sterile medium. His debut album, <em>Night And Day</em>, on Planet Mu, is a sizzling melting pot of funky grooves, jazz fusion, electro disco and classic techno with discreet touches of dubstep sprinkled over to give his music just enough of a contemporary edge. It is doubtful that Oriol was even born when the 1980s, and even more so the seventies, were in full swing, but he captures the spirit of it all and cleverly avoids making it all sound cheesy or dated. His tracks are chunky cuts of euphoric electronic music, rooted somewhere between Detroit and Chicago, and drenched in Floridian sunshine, and the whole thing has a shamelessly feel-good factor heard all too rarely on electronic records. <span id="more-3483"></span></p>
<p>There have been plenty of artists who have happily trampled over the ghosts of the seventies and eighties in the last couple of years, most doing so in rather crude and inelegant fashion, dully copying what they might at one point or another have heard by digging in their parents’ record collection without actually understanding the first thing about it all. <em>Night And Day</em> denotes a very different approach. Dazzling with rich effervescent synth sounds and funky grooves and beats, these are not there just for show, but actually serve the purpose of giving the record a true identity, away from fads and hypes. And it works all absolutely admirably. Right from the aptly titled <em>Joy FM</em>, with its rather bucolic intro, clean synth lines and playful melody, Oriol sets the mood for the next forty-or-so minutes, and never veers far from this template. Whether it is through the vocal brushes of <em>Spiral</em>, the delightful seventies-infused <em>Jam</em> or <em>Coconut Coast</em> or the quirky electro slants of <em>Memories</em>, <em>Flux</em> or <em>LW</em>, Singhji puts together tracks which could easily pass for forgotten pieces of memorabilia, yet feel surprisingly modern and fresh.</p>
<p>This is really the tour de force of this album. Oriol crams so much into the eleven tracks collected here that it could have all ended up sounding self-indulgent, with little or no direction of sort. Instead, <em>Night And Day</em> is a triumphant collection of playful cuts which, while undeniably owing to the last four decades, feels perfectly relevant today. On <em>Memories</em> for instance, Oriol layers fusion-type synth lines, breathy vocals and light drum’n’bass, a combination which, minus the vocal brushes, also infuses much of the title track. Later, he accentuates the dreamy character of his music on <em>Flux</em> and <em>Coconut Coast</em> by building light and airy sound forms into refined melodies, while, following the smooth and beat-less <em>Fantasy For N</em>, the man concludes with two rather lush eighties-infused pieces, the slightly anthemic <em>LW</em> making way for the much smoother <em>5 Bars</em>.</p>
<p><em>Night And Day</em> is as fun a record as you’re likely to hear all year. Oriol’s confident and faithful approach makes this record stand out from the rest, and its scope already gives it something of a classic touch. This is a record designed for the summer, and it is likely to take its sunshine mood deep into next winter.</p>
<p><strong>4.5/5</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> <a title="Oriol (MySpace)" href="http://www.myspace.com/oriolmusic" target="_blank">Oriol (MySpace)</a> | <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet.mu/" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> Amazon UK: <strong><a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003LZ38Q4?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B003LZ38Q4" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003LZ38PU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B003LZ38PU" target="_blank">LP</a> </strong>US: <strong><a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LZ38Q4?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003LZ38Q4" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LZ38PU?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003LZ38PU" target="_blank">LP</a> | <a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UEXUNW?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003UEXUNW" target="_blank">DLD</a></strong> Boomkat: <strong><a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/cds/314721-oriol-night-day" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/vinyl/314722-oriol-night-day" target="_blank">LP</a></strong></p>
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		<title>ITAL TEK: Midnight Colour (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2010/06/ital-tek-midnight-colour-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2010/06/ital-tek-midnight-colour-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:05:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>themilkman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ital Tek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=3456</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Brighton-based Ital Tek returns with a second helping of textured dubstep in album form, but this time, the mood is much more subdued and evocative. This is urban lifestyle in the sun. ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Ital Tek: Midnight Colour" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ziq272.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-3456];player=img;"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-3457" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="Ital Tek: Midnight Colour" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/ziq272-150x148.jpg" alt="Ital Tek: Midnight Colour" width="150" height="148" /></a></p>
<p><strong>ITAL TEK<br />
Midnight Colour<br />
ZIQ272<br />
Planet Mu 2010<br />
13 Tracks. 51mins45secs</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> Amazon UK: <strong><a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003IXAOKW?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B003IXAOKW" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003IXAOL6?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B003IXAOL6" target="_blank">LP</a> | DLD</strong> US: <strong><a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IXAOKW?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003IXAOKW" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IXAOL6?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003IXAOL6" target="_blank">LP</a> | <a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P50R50?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003P50R50" target="_blank">DLD</a></strong> Boomkat: <strong><a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/cds/305051-ital-tek-midnight-colour" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/vinyl/305058-ital-tek-midnight-colour" target="_blank">LP</a> |  <a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/downloads/309778-ital-tek-midnight-colour" target="_blank">DLD</a></strong> iTunes: <a title="iTunes" href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/midnight-colour/id373530755" target="_self"><strong>DLD</strong></a></p>
<p>Dubstep and garage may have originated from London, but both genres have long since expended outside the boundaries of the British capital to be re-interpreted by music producers across the land and beyond. One such artist is Brighton-based Alan Myson, who, under the Ital Tek banner, has been refining a particular form of dubstep through various EPs and a debut album, <a title="ITAL TEK: Cyclical (Planet Mu)" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/07/ital-tek-cyclical-planet-mu/" target="_self"><em>Cyclical</em></a>, released primarily on Planet Mu.</p>
<p>Two years on from <em>Cyclical</em>, <em>Midnight Colour</em> continues Ital Tek’s sonic exploration, yet it denotes quite a substantial change of tone. By assembling much smoother soundscapes together and placing them over gentler beats, Myson steps into a much more nuanced and refined universe.<span id="more-3456"></span> The structure which provided the basic frame for most of Myson’s outputs until now is still present here, from the heavy bass and angular beats to the melodic brushes, but it is very on these that Myson focuses here, bringing fragments that were scattered all over his previous records to the surface and exploiting their evocative potential much further by developing them into more consistent units. While this change of tone may not quite be evident from the first couple of tracks, <em>Moonbow</em> begins to reveal the much subtler and more nuanced side as Myson pushes the melodic aspect of his music to the forefront and smoothes the harsh edges of his urban grooves slightly to create a beautifully haunting piece.</p>
<p>From this point on, Myson distils a wide array of exquisite hues which brings his pieces to life in much more sophisticated and elegant fashion. There is an underwater quality to some of the tracks collected here, from the peaceful <em>Satellite</em> or soulful <em>Black And White</em> to the sparkling groove of <em>Moment In Blue</em>, while tracks such as <em>Moonbow</em>, <em>Subgiant</em>, <em>Infinite</em> or the dreamy <em>Restless Tundra</em>, which features the vocal talents of songstress Anneka, who also recently collaborated with Starkey, appear much earthier and textured, linking back to the origins of the genre whilst looking out to more open and atmospheric forms.</p>
<p>Even when he toughens his beats and sounds up, and he does so quite regularly here, Myson retains much of the moody ambience that characterises this record. Album opener <em>Neon Arc</em> for instance is a pretty incisive piece which doesn’t quite initially make the more subdued tone of this record apparent, and later on <em>Babel</em> or <em>Heliopause</em> wear their urban heritage on their sleeves, although the latter at times echoes the haunting melody of Burial’s <em>Distant Lights</em>.</p>
<p>Planet Mu has over the years evolved into a hot cauldron of urban electronic music suited perfectly to Ital Tek’s original take on dubstep. What Alan Myson does here, while still very much infused with dubstep flavours, hints at wider musical forms and may well be the signal that he is about to embark on an much more ambitious journey. As a stand-alone project, <em>Midnight Colour</em> is a beautifully executed slice of modern electronic music.</p>
<p><strong>4.4/5</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> <a title="Ital Tek (MySpace)" href="http://www.myspace.com/italtekmusic" target="_blank">Ital Tek (MySpace)</a> | <a title="Planet Mu" href="www.planet.mu" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> Amazon UK: <strong><a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003IXAOKW?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B003IXAOKW" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003IXAOL6?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B003IXAOL6" target="_blank">LP</a> | DLD</strong> US: <strong><a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IXAOKW?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003IXAOKW" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003IXAOL6?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003IXAOL6" target="_blank">LP</a> | <a title="Amazon.com" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003P50R50?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactor-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;creativeASIN=B003P50R50" target="_blank">DLD</a></strong> Boomkat: <strong><a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/cds/305051-ital-tek-midnight-colour" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/vinyl/305058-ital-tek-midnight-colour" target="_blank">LP</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://boomkat.com/downloads/309778-ital-tek-midnight-colour" target="_blank">DLD</a></strong> iTunes: <a title="iTunes" href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/midnight-colour/id373530755" target="_self"><strong>DLD</strong></a></p>
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		<item>
		<title>LUKE VIBERT: We Hear You (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/07/luke-vibert-we-hear-you-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/07/luke-vibert-we-hear-you-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:09:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>themilkman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Luke Vibert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=2334</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Luke Vibert returns to Planet Mu for his latest assortment of beats and grooves, once again bundled into on hell of a record.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Luke Vibert: We Hear You" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/ziq240.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-2334];player=img;"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-2335" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="Luke Vibert: We Hear You" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/ziq240-150x150.jpg" alt="Luke Vibert: We Hear You" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p><strong>LUKE VIBERT<br />
We Hear You<br />
ZIQ240<br />
Planet Mu 2009<br />
14 Tracks. 65mins40secs</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> CD: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002G3DTRA?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B002G3DTRA" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=215299" target="_blank">Boomkat</a> LP: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002G3DTY8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B002G3DTY8" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=215300" target="_blank">Boomkat</a></p>
<p>Lord Vibert is back, once again on Planet Mu, which seems to have become a semi permanent home for his eclectic blend of electronic music. One of the forefathers of modern electronica, and a long-time friend of Richard D. James, Tom Jenkinson or Planet Mu boss Mike Paradinas, Vibert’s back catalogue spans more genres than these three put together. Ambient, hip-hop, drum’n’bass, library music, acid or funky disco have all been part of his diet, whether he recorded as Wagon Christ, Plug, Kerrier District, Amen Andrews or under his own name, and these are still constant elements of his sound, over fifteen years on from his first releases.<span id="more-2334"></span></p>
<p>As has been the case throughout Vibert’s career, <em>We Hear You</em> is a widely diverse and spirited album, on which he not only summons some old friends, hip hop beats, disco house and acid squelches propping up the bulk of this collection, but he also brings in some more contemporary flavours by sprinkling flakes of dubstep and 2 step over tracks such as <em>Belief File</em>, <em>De-pimp Act</em>, <em>Dive And Lie Wrecked</em> or vinyl-only <em>Electrophy</em> for instance, giving this record some sharp outlines. Vibert is a wicked and agile playground master with an insatiable thirst for mixing old and new sounds and grooves, and <em>We Hear You</em> is fuelled with moments of thrilling fun (<em>De-pimp Act</em>, <em>Batting For England</em>, <em>Pretty Old Acid Music</em>, <em>Porn Shirtwee</em>), juicy slices of jittery dance floor oddities (<em>Hot Sick</em>, <em>Square Footage</em>, <em>House Stabs</em>) and healthy portions of twisted grooves (<em>Belief File</em>, <em>We Hear You</em>, <em>Dive And Lie Wrecked</em>, <em>Electrophy</em> or closing piece <em>Arrogance</em>), all bundled together with no apparent regard for consistency or homogeneity.</p>
<p>Like with many of Vibert’s records, it is difficult to grasp this one all at once, but the man never veers far from his usual themes here, and a few listens help piecing this jolly mess back together. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Vibert has retained every bit of the naivety and innocence that was present in his music over a decade ago, and while this could have well rendered him out of touch, it instead gives his work an edge, charm and sense of fun that is rather all too rare in electronic music these days. While he undoubtedly is serious about his records and career, Vibert never actually takes himself too seriously, and is not afraid of showing it. The result can be heard all over <em>We Hear You</em>. This is a rare gem, an electronic record with tons of soul and attitude, but entirely devoid of pretention, a thoroughly enjoyable musical experience from an artist who keeps bettering with age.</p>
<p><strong>4.5/5</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet-mu.com/" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> CD: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002G3DTRA?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B002G3DTRA" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=215299" target="_blank">Boomkat</a> LP: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002G3DTY8?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B002G3DTY8" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a title="Boomkat" href="http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=215300" target="_blank">Boomkat</a></p>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>LEGION OF TWO: Riffs (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/06/legion-of-two-riffs-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/06/legion-of-two-riffs-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:47:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>themilkman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Legion Of Two]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=2181</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Combining dark electronic matter and live drums, Legion Of Two’s debut album exists somewhere between industrial and death metal]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Legion Of Two: Riffs" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ziq234.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-2181];player=img;"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-2182" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="Legion Of Two: Riffs" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ziq234-150x150.jpg" alt="Legion Of Two: Riffs" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p><strong>LEGION OF TWO<br />
Riffs<br />
ZIQ234<br />
Planet Mu 2009<br />
09 Tracks. 65mins23secs</strong></p>
<p><img title="Icon: arrow" src="../wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002APNC3K?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B002APNC3K" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002BO2718?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B002BO2718" target="_blank">LP</a></p>
<p>On one side is Alan O’Boyle, a Dubliner best known on these shores as Decal, under which name he has released music on Planet Mu, Trama Industries, Leaf, Ultramack and his own Decal-Artifact imprint. On the other is David Lacey, a Dublin-based drummer and percussionist with over twenty years experience. Together, they are Legion Of Two, an unlikely combination of dark brooding electronics and live drums who have found in the currently hyper-active Planet Mu a home for their debut album, <em>Riffs</em>.</p>
<p>Finding their natural playground somewhere at the confine of industrial and death metal, Legion Of Two play with various shades of dark and doom throughout and fuel their music with seismic moments of tension, which radiate into heavy discharges of distortion and noise.<span id="more-2181"></span> Right from the opening sequence of <em>(Intro) Starbound</em>, where cymbals, noise and drums are tightly intertwined, until a much more heavy handed cluster of guitar/noise abrasion comes in, the pair define and assert the scope of the record and continue to do so, with various demonstrations of strength, throughout. At times, the balance clearly leans toward comatose robotic electro, spiced up by Lacey’s drums (<em>And Now We Wait</em>, <em>Palace (Dub)</em>, <em>Cast Out Your Demons</em>), while at others, it is predominantly vitriolic rock forms that prevail (<em>Starbound</em>, <em>Turning Point</em>). In between these extremes, O’Boyle and Lacey sporadically settle for marginally more sophisticated chunks of contaminated dub, as they do on <em>Legion Of Two</em>, <em>Handling Noise</em> or <em>It Really Does Take Time</em>.</p>
<p>Occasionally, <em>Riffs</em> crosses through moments of relative calm, as in the second half of <em>Palace (Dub)</em> for instance, where the grit and noise retreat to let a gentler ambient motif for a moment, while on <em>(Interlude) ABC</em>, Legion Of Two devise a surprisingly light and playful piece, based on a fat rave-infused electro synth sound which, placed in a context miles away from sweaty dance floors, takes on a totally different feel.</p>
<p>The combination of heavily processed sounds, noise and live drums gives this album, and Legion Of Two, a totally unique identity, which reaches far beyond the realms of either electronic music or death metal. Despite its sombre undertones and heavy mood swings, <em>Riffs</em> proves to be an unexpectedly fascinating and memorable record.</p>
<p><strong>4.6/4</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> <a title="Legion Of Two (MySpace)" href="http://www.myspace.com/thelegionoftwo" target="_blank">Legion Of Two (MySpace)</a> | <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet-mu.com/" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002APNC3K?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B002APNC3K" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002BO2718?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B002BO2718" target="_blank">LP</a></p>
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		<title>BOXCUTTER: Arecibo Message (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/05/boxcutter-arecibo-message-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/05/boxcutter-arecibo-message-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2009 23:40:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>themilkman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boxcutter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=2017</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With his third album as Boxcutter, Barry Lynn takes a new approach to create an interesting dubstep hybrid.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Boxcutter: Arecibo Message" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/ziq225cd.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-2017];player=img;"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-2018" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="Boxcutter: Arecibo Message" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/ziq225cd-150x150.jpg" alt="Boxcutter: Arecibo Message" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p><strong>BOXCUTTER<br />
Arecibo Message<br />
ZIQ225CD<br />
Planet Mu 2009<br />
13 Tracks. 49mins07secs</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001UREJX6?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B001UREJX6" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001UREJXG?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B001UREJXG" target="_blank">LP</a> | <a title="iTunes" href="http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p=23708&amp;a=151554&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2FWebObjects%2FMZStore.woa%2Fwa%2FviewAlbum%3Fi%3D309660572%26id%3D309660467%26s%3D143444%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D2003" target="_blank"> iTunes</a></p>
<p>In the four years since he first burst onto the grime/dubstep scene, Barry Lynn as established Boxcutter as a force to be reckoned with, yet, in recent years, his sound has progressively become more eclectic and rounded, while still retaining much of the caustic streaks that got him noticed in the first place. Hailing from Lurgan, county Armagh in Northern Ireland, Lynn published a first EP on London-based Hotflush Records, one of the first imprints to heavily promote dubstep, in 2005, before moving to Planet Mu the following year. He has since delivered two albums under the Boxcutter banner, and a third one under his birth name, as well as contributed tracks for a number of compilations released by the label.</p>
<p>With his latest Boxcutter slice, Lynn continues to explore much wider sonic grounds and adapt his approach to fit with this expanded horizon. <span id="more-2017"></span>While <em>Arecibo Message</em>, named after a message beamed into space to celebrate the remodelling of the Arecibo radio telescope, Puerto Rico, in 1974, still provides a hefty dose of urban grooves and gritty electronics, Lynn adopts a resolutely more nuanced tone here, cutting his digital sequencing with analogue synths and effects and pushing into richer soundscapes and occasionally moving close to injecting progressive improvisations. This process often gives his tracks a much greater depth, as demonstrated on <em>Mya Rave</em>, <em>Arecibo Message</em> or <em>Old School Astronomy</em> for instance, while tracks such as <em>Free House Acid</em>, <em>Lamp Post Funk</em> or <em>Kab 28</em> appear to be fuelled by an energizing element of freedom.</p>
<p>The album also features <em>A Familiar Sound</em>, a track originally featured on the EP Boxcutter released with Northern Irish outfit Kinnego Flux earlier this year. Here again, there is an element of fluidity sipping in which, combined with the duo’s funky tone and clean cut vocals, gives the piece a dimension all of its own, while on the closing <em>A Cosmic Parent</em>, the funk component is combined with gentle jazz overtones far removed from the electronic textures of previous releases, hinting at richer and more varied playgrounds still.</p>
<p>With his third Boxcutter album, Barry Lynn has given his original sound a new space to fill, and while he continues to expand on his urban template, his approach now sets his work on a different path. More ambitious and mature, without losing its identity, <em>Arecibo Message</em> is a convincing demonstration of why Boxcutter has become one of Planet Mu’s most consistent acts.</p>
<p><strong>4/5 </strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> <a title="Boxcutter (MySpace)" href="http://www.myspace.com/barrylynnmusic" target="_blank">Boxcutter (MySpace)</a> | <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet-mu.com/" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001UREJX6?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B001UREJX6" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001UREJXG?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B001UREJXG" target="_blank">LP</a> | <a title="iTunes" href="http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p=23708&amp;a=151554&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2FWebObjects%2FMZStore.woa%2Fwa%2FviewAlbum%3Fi%3D309660572%26id%3D309660467%26s%3D143444%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D2003" target="_blank"> iTunes</a></p>
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		<title>SYNTHEME: Lasers &#8216;N&#8217; Shit (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/03/syntheme-lasers-n-shit-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2009/03/syntheme-lasers-n-shit-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:06:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David Abravanel</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Syntheme]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=1781</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A fresh blast of syrupy acid disco - and no, Richard D. James and Luke Vibert do not appear to be involved.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Syntheme: Lasers 'N' Shit" rel="lightbox" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ziq213.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-1783" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="Syntheme: Lasers 'N' Shit" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ziq213-150x150.jpg" alt="Syntheme: Lasers 'N' Shit" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p><strong>SYNTHEME<br />
Lasers ‘N’ Shit<br />
ZIQ213<br />
Planet Mu 2009<br />
20 Tracks. 62mins46secs</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001OPUWUI?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B001OPUWUI" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001OPUWVM?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B001OPUWVM" target="_blank">LP</a></p>
<p>At this point, it’s become standard to assume that any new classic-sounding acid act is, in fact, Richard D. James in disguise. The online chatter about the true identity of Syntheme, coupled with the fact that the latest release under the moniker, <em>Lasers ‘N’ Shit</em>, is an engagingly funky course of acid disco, has done little to quell such suspicions. (And how about those track titles – <em>Thraqqwa</em>? <em>Eqxq</em>? More suggestive evidence). In all likelihood, however, Planet Mu is telling the truth in simply stating &#8216;Syntheme is Louise Wood from outta Brighton&#8217;. After all, this Louise Wood has performed live numerous times as Syntheme; RDJ never went so far as to hire actors to perform as The Tuss.</p>
<p>So, assuming that we’ve got the debut full-length form the 24-year-old Wood on our hands, let’s get down to business: this owns.<span id="more-1781"></span> <em>Lasers</em> is a refreshing slap from the Planet Mu camp, moving away from the breakcore and demented dubstep for which the label is known, and instead embracing the kind of squelch-funk last seen in such pure iteration on the second of Luke Vibert’s Kerrier District releases. In the current climate, it’s not hard to find young guns who fetishized disco (hello, entire roster of Kitsune), but said acts have an unfortunate tendency towards style over substance (hello again, Kitsune). There are no ridiculous fashion statements from Syntheme, and while her MySpace page embraces the Day-Glo color shock look popular with &#8216;nu rave&#8217;, <em>Lasers</em> is a bullshit-free zone.</p>
<p>It’s not until the third track, <em>Red</em>, that one truly realizes the extent of Wood’s programming prowess. This kind of acid is deceptively simple – the very act of knowing how to tweak the filters on a 303 or apt emulator brings you halfway there – but the creative perspiration required for the curveball percolation on <em>Red</em> is something else entirely. The majority of the tracks on <em>Lasers</em> work like this; the thematic acid line comes crashing in within the first thirty seconds, temporarily takes over, then exits in around three minutes to allow for the next onslaught. As for the lasers promised in the title? Those descending frequency bombs are plonked about everywhere, but check <em>Csiris</em> for the most beautifully frantic cascade of gradually deranged synth percussion.</p>
<p><em>Lasers</em> features twenty tracks of raw acid, a daunting task on paper, but it’s to Wood’s credit as an artist (and sequencer) that I never once felt compelled to skip ahead. In addition to her acid chops, Wood’s an adept selector of panting disco vocals. Dig those vocalized cuts on <em>Mimtro</em>, sexy but odd enough to suggest Wood’s intentions lie to the left of pure dance floor fodder. <em>Xwc</em>, meanwhile, features a deep male voice breathing out what sounds like &#8216;push it&#8217; on repeat, letting off steam over a sweaty electro workout. Wood is also prone to scale things back from the 4/4 kick pound at points, such as on the mysterious minor chords of <em>144a Acacia Overdrive</em> or <em>FabaceaeCPea</em>’s detuned analog screech and sequenced cymbal and snare rushes (with a vocal sample that, unbelievably, sounds like its gibberish title).</p>
<p>As with all modern acts utilizing vintage analog technology to get at the sounds of classic disco, Syntheme is bound to raise a few eyebrows among the more unabashedly progressive connoisseurs of Planet Mu’s dystopic futurist techno and breaks. In truth, <em>Lasers ‘N’ Shit</em> sounds like something Aphex Twin or Luke Vibert might have cooked up a decade ago, but with grooves this slick it’s a non-issue. Wood’s mined the past to match her own creative zeal, which is something to shut up and think (and/or dance) about.</p>
<p><strong>4.2/5</strong></p>
<p><strong><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /></strong> <a title="Syntheme (MySpace)" href="www.myspace.com/syntheme" target="_blank">Syntheme (MySpace)</a> | <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet-mu.com" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001OPUWUI?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B001OPUWUI" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001OPUWVM?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=19450&amp;creativeASIN=B001OPUWVM" target="_blank">LP</a></p>
<p><iframe name="bleepPlayer" id="bleepPlayer" width="341" height="141" src="http://www.bleep.com/player/?/ZIQ213/156746/maxiplus/FFFFFF/575757/ADA68A" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
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		<title>ITAL TEK: Cyclical (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/07/ital-tek-cyclical-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/07/ital-tek-cyclical-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:07:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert Rowlands</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ital Tek]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=732</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[iTAL tEK might well have chosen a daft name for himself, but the music here suggests he is a man who means serious business.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/italtek_cyclical.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-732];player=img;" title="Ital Tek: Cyclical"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-741" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="Ital Tek: Cyclical" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/italtek_cyclical-150x150.jpg" alt="Ital Tek: Cyclical" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p><strong><span><span>ITAL TEK</span></span><br />
Cyclical<br />
ZIQ203 CD<br />
Planet Mu 2008<br />
11 Tracks. 55 mins 33 secs</strong></p>
<p>iTAL tEK might well have chosen a daft name for himself, but the music here suggests he is a man who means serious business. The doleful atmospherics of <em>Cyclical</em> are undercarried by many of the same rhythms as the staples of the dubstep sound, but that is largely where the similarity with that work ends. Where others might veer towards rude boy dance hall bass-bins, Alan Myson, the man behind iTAL tEK, is working in a different direction entirely. Infusing his tracks with a depth often rare to the genre, he manages to lift his music well above the basic common denominators of the scene.</p>
<p>Burial might have won the garlands for this kind of sad-eyed examination of urban desolation already, but too often dubstep has found itself rooted in the sound of the club, leaving little to take away when the kick wears off.<span id="more-732"></span> Planet Mu have done as much as anyone to develop the scene, but the sort of reflectiveness that <em>Cyclical </em>allows for here has been frustratingly rare in the scene’s infancy. Whether dubsteppers themselves will embrace this will be seen soon enough, but Myson is right to give it a go. No music can survive successfully for very long when it relies on DJ culture to maintain it, so albums like <em>Cyclical </em>could well mark an important turning point in dubstep’s growth as a form.</p>
<p><em>Tokyo Freeze </em>is a case in point for that argument, with the stop-start cadence of the dubstep school used as a starting point for a study in low-key melancholy whose distant emotional sense creeps insidiously into the track. Augmented by atmospheric sighs, flickering piano brings delicacy to the brooding beat. Elsewhere, <em>Still Shores </em>is a perfect mix of woebegone introspectiveness and gorgeous, limpid beauty. And, after a couple of darker, bass-inflected drivers, there is time for a half-hidden nod at a Radiohead masterpiece as bookender <em>Deep Pools </em>emerges from the mix. It might play <em>Pyramid Song</em>’s plangent central piano motif in reverse, but few could fail to spot the reference &#8211; or the cleverness with which he rearranges it.</p>
<p>The homage is telling in what it reveals about Myson’s musical tastes. Yet it also points to what might be the crucial pull here for fans. Dubstep’s grimy urban ethos is what has made it what it is &#8211; but, with albums like <em>Cyclical</em>, it might also be developing that rare and necessary thing: a heart.</p>
<p><strong>4.2/5</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> <a title="Ital Tek (MySpace)" href="http://www.myspace.com/italtekmusic" target="_blank">Ital Tek (MySpace)</a> | <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet-mu.com" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00186NC8C?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B00186NC8C" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="iTunes" href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=281367786&amp;s=143444" target="_blank">iTunes</a></p>
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		<title>VENETIAN SNARES: Detrimentalist (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/06/venetian-snares-detrimentalist-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/06/venetian-snares-detrimentalist-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:59:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert Rowlands</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Venetian Snares]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=731</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Planet Mu slyly refer to this as Funk's 332nd official studio album - a wry jest at the sheer profusion of Snares material available.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/vs_detrimentalist.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-731];player=img;" title="Venetian Snares: Detrimentalist"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-734" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="Venetian Snares: Detrimentalist" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/vs_detrimentalist-150x150.jpg" alt="Venetian Snares: Detrimentalist" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
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<p><strong>VENETIAN SNARES<br />
Detrimentalist<br />
ZIQ211CD<br />
Planet Mu 2008<br />
10 Tracks. 51mins27secs</strong></p>
<p>One thing that Aaron Funk, the prolific Canadian musician behind Venetian Snares, cannot be accused of is boring the listener. Since first taking on the sometimes staid world of electronica in the late nineties with a battering ram, he has gleefully been launching assault after assault with his reconstructed drum ‘n&#8217; bass sounds. <em>Detrimentalist</em>, like the many albums to have come before it, barely takes time out to breathe, such is the manic wellspring of energy at the core of the record. And whilst the dizzying aural barrage will deter the tender, there is a delightfully over the top vivacity at work in his music that at the very least ensures attention.<span id="more-731"></span></p>
<p>Planet Mu slyly refer to this as Funk&#8217;s 332<sup>nd</sup> official studio album &#8211; a wry jest at the sheer profusion of Snares material available. And many people probably could get through a novel in the time it takes to read his discography. But the fear with Venetian Snares is always whether the almost obscene prodigiousness of his output comes at the expense of the quality of the music. This is not an issue here, however, and if anything his prolific nature is a sign of how much good material he still has on offer.</p>
<p>The sound of <em>Detrimentalist</em> follows the familiar template of hell-for-leather drum rolls and tongue-in-cheek rave revivalism. It&#8217;s a sort of musical compendium, in under an hour, of the rarer end of the electronic music spectrum. And, frankly, the music does much to remind us of what is missing from so much electronica today. Like Squarepusher, Funk picks up on the sheer, relentless energy of early rave music and smashes it up into something else. Tracks like the mind-bending <em>Circle Pit</em> might not win many prizes for subtlety, but they manage to capture the dimly remembered potency of nights spent circling the M25 in pursuit of a warehouse. <em>Flash Forward </em>and <em>Bebikukorica Nigiri </em>have a similar bravura, but weave in <em>Drukqs-</em>esque fragments of dazzling melody. And like Aphex, Funk is not above having a laugh, as track titles like <em>Poo Yourself Jason</em> indicate.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s hard not to wonder at times whether Funk ever feels like taking a rest from the insane intensity of high BPM counts and retro rave tunes. And a day will surely come when the niche he has carved for himself becomes unsustainable. But if he can still produce records of such breathless dynamism after a decade in the business, he must be doing something right, so good luck to the man.</p>
<p><strong>4.2/5</strong></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet-mu.com" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00195HV66?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B00195HV66" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="iTunes" href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=282735250&amp;s=143444" target="_blank">iTunes</a></p>
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		<title>MRS JYNX: The Standoffish Cat (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/06/mrs-jynx-the-standoffish-cat-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/06/mrs-jynx-the-standoffish-cat-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:40:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert Rowlands</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mrs Jynx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/?p=696</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The debut album from Mrs Jynx is by no means the first, and will be far from the final effort to make its way onto shelves in the record shops. But it simply feels like a record from a different time.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/mrsjynx_cat.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-696];player=img;" title="mrsjynx_cat"><img class="alignnone size-thumbnail wp-image-699" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 0px;" title="mrsjynx_cat" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/mrsjynx_cat-150x150.jpg" alt="Mrs Jynx: The Standoffish Cat" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span>MRS JYNX<br />
The Standoffish Cat<br />
ZIQ207 CD<br />
Planet Mu 2008<br />
13 tracks. 58mins27secs</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>IDM, electronica, ambient techno – everyone has their own name for the music that shaped the electronic music scene of the 1990s. Everyone too has their own list of the heroes who dominated the scene, whether it be Aphex Twin, Autechre, Black Dog or one of countless other artists to have come to prominence in that era. Yet everyone also has their own theory about when IDM fell apart, and when the scene’s death was officially confirmed. For some, it was the slipshod meanderings of Aphex Twin’s <em><a title="APHEX TWIN: Drukqs (Warp Records)" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/reviews/aphextwin_drukqs.htm" target="_blank">Drukqs</a> </em>that drove the nail into the coffin, proving that Richard D. James, the movement’s leading voice, had finally lost his way. For others, it was the recondite nature of Autechre’s <a title="AUTECHRE: Confield (Warp Records)" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/reviews/autechre_confield.htm" target="_blank"><em>Confield</em></a> that proved electronic music had lost its pulse and drifted into the obscure realms of academia. But whatever the moment, whatever the cause, few now would dispute that IDM as we once knew it is a dead movement.</span><span id="more-696"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>Of course, time has proved that Aphex Twin is still more than capable of fresh ideas, and others from the movement have continued to produce good work. But it is the sound as much as anything that has changed now. The IDM that characterised the sound of Warp Records for many years has long since been superseded, overtaken by advances in equipment, in thinking, in taste. Even a brief listen to an album like Fennesz’s <a title="FENNESZ: Venice (Touch)" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/reviews/fennesz_venice.htm" target="_blank"><em>Venice</em></a> makes much of the work of the IDM era seem dull, tame, dated.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>So it is a continued surprise to hear the tropes of the movement played out again and again on new releases. This, the debut album from Mrs Jynx is by no means the first, and will be far from the final effort to make its way onto shelves in the record shops. But it simply feels like a record from a different time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span>This is perhaps not something Hannah Davidson, the driving force behind Mrs Jynx, should be held responsible for. After all, like many who listen to electronic music today, she must have grown up with records by the likes of u-ziq and Aphex Twin, and <em>The Standoffish Cat</em> evokes very well the mood of the times in which those artists came into the spotlight. And as homage, it works very well. But there is nothing new here that can let us see the record as anything much more than that. This is not to say that much on this album is not of merit. Although it sticks too often to a rather flat, almost lifeless ambience, there are many shrewd moments, the doleful <em>Time Missed </em>and <em>Dusty</em> among them. And there is a subtlety and finish to most of the record that puts it above much else on the stands today. However, this feels too much like music out of its time, music that too often has been given to us before. Many will disagree fervently with this verdict. Many too will dispute the prognosis on IDM. But times change, and music changes with them. The same old thing can never be enough.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>3/5</span></span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> <a title="Mrs Jynx (MySpace)" href="http://www.myspace.com/mrsjynx" target="_blank">Mrs Jynx (MySpace)</a> | <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet-mu.com/" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5" title="Icon: arrow" src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="" width="12" height="12" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00186NC8M?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B00186NC8M" target="_blank">CD</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
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		<title>MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO: Autoimmune (Planet Mu)</title>
		<link>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/05/meat-beat-manifesto-autoimmune-planet-mu/</link>
		<comments>http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/05/meat-beat-manifesto-autoimmune-planet-mu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 23:55:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Robert Rowlands</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meat Beat Manifesto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planet Mu]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/2008/05/meat-beat-manifesto-autoimmune-planet-mu/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After ten albums and more than twenty years spent riding the choppy waves of contemporary music, Meat Beat Manifesto have somehow remained on the outskirts of things while like-minded artists have lapped up the applause.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a title="Meat Beat Manifesto: Autoimmune" href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/mbm_autoimmune.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-653];player=img;"><img src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/mbm_autoimmune.thumbnail.jpg" border="1" alt="Meat Beat Manifesto: Autoimmune" hspace="0" vspace="0" /></a></p>
<p><strong>MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO<br />
Autoimmune<br />
ZIQ202CD<br />
Planet Mu 2008<br />
10 Tracks. 50mins38secs</strong></p>
<p>Meat Beat Manifesto have been on the music scene long enough now for the term veteran to seem almost painfully apt. Yet after ten albums and more than twenty years spent riding the choppy waves of contemporary music, they have somehow remained on the outskirts of things while like-minded artists have lapped up the applause. One need only think of what happened to Orbital after the brown album to see the vastly different trajectories the two superficially quite similar bands have taken in the last decade and a half. Indeed, while the Hartnoll brothers were almost instantly deified following their first appearance at Glastonbury in 1994, MBM moved to Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records and promptly slid out of view. But several records have followed since, and while the Orbital bandwagon has long since shuddered to a halt, Jack Dangers remains, his status assured through longevity as much as anything else.<span id="more-653"></span></p>
<p><em>Autoimmune</em> finds him in a typically restless mood, flitting intermittently between techno, dub, breakbeat and, perhaps most surprisingly, dubstep. Yet when one thinks of Planet Mu’s increasing associations with the dubstep scene, it perhaps shouldn’t raise too many eyebrows to see Dangers experimenting with the form here. The label has moved beyond its early incarnation as a slightly quirky younger brother to Aphex Twin’s Rephlex stable and is now one of the most high-profile record labels putting out dubstep records today. Thus, in theory at least, <em>Autoimmune</em> slots neatly into the broad and accommodating musical policy of the label.</p>
<p>When we learn from Dangers, however, that his intention here is to intertwine dubstep with his earlier techno-inflected sound, the pigeonholing seems less appropriate. And so the music that results is more an all-encompassing attempt to swallow up several musical genres in one audacious mouthful than anything else. This has its advantages, in that it allows the album to go off in different directions, often at the same time. Tracks as varied as the spacey, glitchy techno of <em>Guns ‘n’ Lovers</em> and the ragga rhythms of <em>I Hold The Mic!</em> show off the success of such an approach. But they also water down the album’s central thrust. What at times looks certain to turn into a deep, dark examination of dubstep mechanics falls away before any momentum can be genuinely sustained. This leaves excellent stand-alone tracks like <em>Hellfire</em> looking a little lost, and gives the album’s overall structure a ragged, confused feel. Which is a shame, because there is almost a very good album here. The notoriously eclectic Dangers might not be one to admit it, but his own magpie aesthetic could now and again do with being very gently kicked into touch.</p>
<p>Yet with so many artists from the scene’s early days now too rich or too musically adrift to retain any relevance, it’s refreshing to see a man in his forties continuing to tap into the sound of today without seeming decades out of date.</p>
<p><strong>3.5/5</strong></p>
<p><img src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" /> <a title="Meat Beat Manifesto" href="http://www.meatbeatmanifesto.com/" target="_blank">Meat Beat Manifesto</a> | <a title="Planet Mu" href="http://www.planet-mu.com" target="_blank">Planet Mu</a><br />
<img src="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/st/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/icon_arrow.gif" alt="Icon: arrow" /> Buy: <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0015LBJ12?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B0015LBJ12" target="_blank">CD</a> | <a title="Amazon.co.uk" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0013POLRE?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=themilkfactory&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1634&amp;creative=6738&amp;creativeASIN=B0013POLRE" target="_blank">LP</a></p>
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