Rudresh Mahanthappa - Gamak

A well dominated saxophone is a beautiful thing. It can strike with force or subtlety, it can follow a melody or create one. My favorite use of the sax is a bit more sporadic, there's nothing like plain old Jazz for me.

Here we have Rudresh Mahanthappa, whom on his latest album has reached the far corners of what the instrument can do when handled professionally. I can only imagine the awe circling a room when his band plays live, so for now I'll settle on my own experiences with a studio production.

Grooveshark | Buy

To some, it might start a bit chaotic, repetitive, or just distracting. If that's ever the case, keep listening. It falls into a different kind of mess where disorder becomes crisp and  tranquility becomes that odd place you're scared to go but have to anyway.

And then we've got the whole band turning this into one amazing piece. Just a hint of funk for this track, and diverse enough cultural influences to make an album's worth of anywhere-music.

Buy: CD | mp3

This is Jazz. Often fast, sometimes slow, and constantly tricking your mind to think one thing before it actually performs another. It's not the simple stuff with a few instruments lugging around performing solos, it's what you get when two or more people want to stand out at the same time and make it work.

Obviously sax fans should give this one a listen, but if you like to hear diverse subtleties in the background of a finely played Jazz album, you really shouldn't miss out. The talent is expressed so well here that it's impossible to appreciate it fully in a single listen.

Here's a free stream, give it a try.

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

Dear Daft Punk,

Wow. As a fan anticipating a new album for years, this was not what I was expecting. Where many artists and bands have rushed their work, you took your time. Where many have fallen into the pits of commercial monotony, you have prevailed. It was everything I could have wanted from you guys; you had fun. It shows.

Thank you.

— D4

Hesitant as I may be to write on such huge artists, I'll risk making Pitchfork's mistake and write about this one. Only because I heard it and got more out of it than expected. Give a track (that isn't Get Lucky) a listen and see if it fits for you too.

Grooveshark | Buy

Not my favorite track on the album, but I heard it and knew how catchy it could be after a few listens. Julian Casablancas is featured on this one, but with the occasional amazing artist popping through at random it's hard to do the album an injustice.

 Daft Punk's production is slick quality all throughout. From miniature movie-score-epic intros the amazing endings, from Paul Williams to Giorgio Moroder, the duo have found ways to work their production around their biggest idols and influences. It's the kind of thing you can only wish you'd been around to have witnessed.

Buy: CD | mp3 | Vinyl

I don't know if this was made for everyone. I think RAM was made for them, and for the fans who've been kind enough to follow. I just don't think the average radio surfing listener would be okay with an 8 or 9 minute track, despite the amazing talents invested in it.

This all being said, it's an amazing Dance album. The finished product has influences dating at least back to the 60s. It's those details, Daft Punk's well defined style, and their eagerness to bring something new and fun to the table that this album relies on to move forward. It's no Discovery, but it's one great release and it definitely deserves a listen.

Arc in Round - Arc in Round

It's been a while since I've felt just fine with finding a gem late, and the only reason it's okay this time is because the gem has a few cloudy spots. For me, Arc in Round's Krautrock-Shoegaze combination is the kind of beautiful you have to admire from a distance.

It might be a bit noisy for some, but others might find that the relaxed vocals balance things out nice enough to continue the listen. Give it a try.

Bandcamp

It starts quick, maybe too quick. It maintains a harsh, monotonous, and overpowering sound for far too long. It's when you let it take over and let the details pass through that you realize the effort put into the piece. It's not easy to get into for many, but it's great work.

Just when it starts to be too much, it tones down a few notches and goes on it's way. It bombards you with synchronized sounds and pulls back right before putting you off your appetite. Or maybe it turned you off early on, suit yourself.

Buy/Stream @ Bandcamp

You see how the artwork is colorfully chaotic between two bars of plain old white? That's a damn good way to describe the album. It's confined to its own sound, but the sound goes all over the place. It'd be a fair assumption to think most of these tracks were made up in completely different moods and put together at random.

You can expect relaxed near-psychedelic vocals throughout the album, and you can expect constant noise and overshadowed talent to different degrees. The album has its fair share of good tracks, they just cater to a very specific selection of emotions.

I'd say it's worth the stream for a few cool free downloads and to submerge yourself in an ocean of Krautrock waves. If today's track wasn't appealing at all, it might be wise to just stay away.