March 2005

.Malaria! : Compiled 1981-84 (Moabit Music).
I spent years not knowing much about this band (hence not fully understanding how important they were) and about the same amount of years actually finding a cd. I have to catch up now! 'could not find a better excuse to press repeat every 16 songs. Malaria!, it grows on you like a disease, take you by suprise. Takes you beyond the unexpected and way beyond the expected, thru the raw-dical post-punk wave of "How do you Like My New Dog?", "Geh duschen" or "Zarah". All of them should be classics in everybody's record collection. Of course "Kaltes, Klares Wasser" is on the album too. "If you have not heard this version you have never heard anything" someone told me once. I remembered being irritated (after I really had felt like a tiny piece of pooh for some long minutes) by this common statement of pretentious pop culture expert who's more into showing off than sharing. Jerks really are exasparating. This collection of track is dark, gutty, bouncy and, like the band itself. impossible to pin down to one genre. Expect the unexpected, even in the more 80s New Wave sounds of "You You", and experience Malaria!'s authentic sincerity. The record as a whole is a histoical witness of the importance of this band, of the impact they had. You'll recognize Malaria!'s style among thousands: Bettina Koster's dark, low voice, the sax, on top of the synths and keys, the efficient, simple drumming, the unpolished way of playing that make the band accessible and so inspirational. Achtung, Achtung! Aural abuse is advized and recommended. You deserve them, they'll save you! Spread the word, it's never too late... B. Koster has been seen playing with Vanishing, keep your eyes open, watch your back and make sure you don't miss them.

.The Je ne Sais Quoi : We Make Beginnings (Coalition).
Here come the charming crew, with undeniable indie emopop power and talent and a Je ne Sais Quoi d'originalité. I was not expecting this at all.From what I had heard before I heard them, they were using keys (organ?), which they do, they have male/female vocals, whichthey also do, they are Swedish, which is indeed, their nationality. For some strange reason that I am unable to explain, I was imagining some kind of Revlon ) act and it's not. In fact, they are a storm at sea, with incendiary guitar leads, kickassbass, complex melodies, intricate arrangements... and all this going so straight forward to your ears from their guts, it sounds almost minimalistic (especially on the guitar-free track like "Live Transmission", filled with breathing, and a drum machine). Somehow, they remind me a little bit of Pretty Girls Make Graves, tragically human: "We need disasters if we want to feel alive"

.The Sharp Ease : Going Modern (Soft Sop).
Fun pop rock with effects. Their "Advantage": vocals. You'll recognized them among a million bands, with heart and, soul and a dash of self-irony, a twist of self-confidence. A nice recipe indeed! They are tight and have little firecracker like "I Demand", leaving sparkles in yr brain.

.Kit Builders : Wake Up (Shado Electro).
Super dancy-eable (sometimes dreamy) dark to lighter electro tracks filled with tasty references ("Going Out", "Wake Up," "Superfast Service"). The whole work is perfectly synthesized (not sure what I mean here, but cannot explain better) with experimentalist electro and the most representative track on the subject is characterized by complex narrative and simple, repetitive vocals. It's called "Slyder", by the way.The influences are mainly 80s electro, but they also borrow from the Adult family or some techno cousin of Crossover... and some more electrobscure artists that I cannot name now. probably because I am not so good at "electro", or something. It is linked with the impression I have everytime I go to an "electro" record store: "the only thing u know is that u know nothing" the person behind the counter says. Well, they do not usually REALLY say that but I am good at reading mind, and yes, I am paranoid. For Kit building: read the instructions, follow the dots... I think they have systematically, meticulously, written quite a few of them, adding vocals that overlap samples and beats, turning into them, being overlapped in return. They can take you to uncharted wonderlands of their own. Small details make big dreams... I'll let you think about that ;-)

> go to the ups and downs archives section