jrawcliffe has written the following articles:
First things first – a little history. Pay attention please: “Funk upon a time, In the days of the Funkapus, the concept of specially-designed Afronauts, capable of funkatizing galaxies was first laid on man-child, but was later repossessed and placed among the secrets of the pyramids until a more positive at»
Following a series of positive live reviews in 2001, unsigned band Moco have been announced as support for The Charlatans at their London Astoria gig on the 11th February. The Manchester four-piece were offered the slot after The Charlatans heard their debut release, the ‘Another Day, No Dol»
For the last twelve months The Cooper Temple Clause have been building an army of admirers. Signing up recruits on a series of nationwide tours, they now find themselves with sufficient ammunition to begin in earnest their war on flimsy plastic pop, and insipid half-baked rock. It won’t be easy, but as a»
Repackaging ‘rare’ cuts from influential artists and overlooked genres has become a lucrative operation of late. The people at the Soul Jazz label have virtually built their reputations around the idea, releasing near-faultless volumes of roots, funk and the legendary ‘Dynamite’ series. Not to be outdone, Warner»
Tom Jenkinson has an over-active brain. His ‘Go Plastic’ LP, released earlier this year, was a peerless harmonisation of mind and machinery, which showcased more concepts in 50 minutes than some of his imitators have so far managed over the course of their entire careers. So to round off 2001 – a»
It all really kicked off with that 'distinctive' video. While the ‘Alright’ promo film may have seemed like a good idea at the time, it ensured, tragically, that Supergrass will ultimately be remembered by most people as a bunch of cheeky young tykes who rode chopper bikes, and wore T-shirts with their n»
Legend has it that Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were writing songs together within a day of meeting each other. Informed by a mutual passion for literature and jazz, the duo were not exactly average pop star material. As it turned out, their music was even less conventional than their approach to maki»
They won the World Cup. They snatched the European Championship. But it’s not just in football where the French rule the roost. It seems their electronic music scene is currently all-conquering. With both critics and public justifiably still slavering over new album releases from Daft Punk and Air»
Tense, nervous headache? In need of relaxation? Then dim the lights, kick back, caress your goatee beard and treat yourself to a Jazz massage. ‘Totally Wired…’ pulls together thirteen tracks by artists on the Acid Jazz roster. These range from the soulful (Arnold Blair’s ‘Trying To Get Next To You’»
Scandinavia has a reputation as a hotbed of musical talent. Look at the remarkable successes of Aqua and Whigfield for example. The latest in the line of exports from the Nordic nations is Brothomstates, aka 23-year-old Finn, Lassi Nikko, who, just like his aforementioned compatriots, make»
Pop and classical music have a history together. Thanks mainly to the music industry's cynical 'niche' marketing tactics, barely a year goes by without some lame artist attempting to marry the two genres, usually with hideous results. Whenever a new act comes along who claims to be 'classically trained' and inte»
There are two ways to deal with the music on this record – “You either react with your body or feel totally threatened by it.” That’s what Justin Broadrick and Kevin Martin reckon anyway, and they should know – they are Techno Animal, and they want to deaden your head by giving you temporary ‘bass»
A debut release from a brand new Warp artist is always a greatly anticipated thing. Brothomstates is the name under which Finland’s Lassi Nikko produces the sort of mashed-up electronica which will sit nicely in the stable alongside the new Squarepusher and Autechre LPs and the forthcoming »
It’s probably fair to say that quite a few of today’s music-making whippersnappers owe this old timer a drink or two. Less lenient souls may even suggest that DJ Shadow, Lauryn Hill, Dr Dre, Mos Def, and the many others who have recycled moments from his sumptuous back catalogue, owe Dav»
This was never going to be straightforward. Simian simply don’t ‘do’ conventional. Unless, that is, you consider holding journalists hostage, and replacing traditional tours with a series of gigs dubiously called 'The Church Of Simian', to be routine practices for a band making their first tentati»
