myspace.com/atelecine
aTelecine's double albums, A Cassette Tape Culture (Phase Two) and A Cassette Tape Culture (Phase Three) were made available in May, but I finally got around to finish listening to it. Thirty ambient, industry, noise songs, these were very difficult albums to get through, compared to the typical pop albums I review.
So, to give you a little background on why I requested to review this band: I was initially drawn to it because Sasha Grey is a band member. Grey, as you know, is a former pornographic actress. What's interesting about her, especially if you see how she handles herself on G4TV or read up on her interviews, she's definitely not shy about her work. Some adult stars try and hide or downplay their adult industry involvement, but Sasha Grey is definitely not afraid to tell you who she is. In fact, she'll probably yell it into a loudspeaker.
So, it had to happen, she left the adult industry around late April, in favor of acting, modeling, and now making music. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as she took her name from her two big influences: KMFDM for Sascha Konietzko and Oscar Wilde for The Picture of Dorian Gray. On the music side (KMFDM), she's doing this kind of weird noise industrial music since the 90s - certainly not pop, certainly not music to dance to. On the literal side, she did just released a book called Neü Sex (although admittedly looks more like a photo book).
Anyway, aTelecine's A Cassette Tape Culture albums are not really my cup of tea. There are no constant structure, the music/noise sounds very improvised and can end under a minute ("Friday Night In A Small Town") or lasts a lifetime ("Stockton_Modesto_Skate Park_Meth Head_23 Bucks Left (A Linter Mix)"). In some cases, there are deafening silence, nearly two minutes of dead air on "Ice Removal And Meditation". Perhaps my headphones weren't sensitive enough to pick up whatever it was, or my review copy of A Cassette Tape Culture (Phase Three) is broken. Sometime their songs are unnaturally ugly ("Stepfather, Meth Heads (RX Demo)"), sometime it's beautiful (thought "Sky Then Trees Then Birds Then Nothing (Stand Mix)" sounded great, at least the first eight minutes). It's really hard to put aTelecine in a nice little jar, however if you like experimental industrial music, you'll probably enjoy aTelecine.
I know it's only July, but the band's been busy. Already they have a third album under their belt, it is called The Falcon and The Pod and it will be out August 9th (digital copies available July 23rd). It's the first of a trilogy of albums, with Sounds that Gods Fear and Are you Attracted to Wounded Animals to follow. They are selling a boxset of the trilogy as a subscription, which costs $88, but it does come with bonus 7" and LPs in a "Special Box". Also, it's limited to 300 sets. Regular LP will costs $23. Details of the pre-order are listed on Pendu Sound.
tracilords.com
Traci Lords was notorious for appearing in a pornographic when she was 16 years old. When the authorities found out, they had thousands of VHS (and Betamax?) destroyed and had her arrested. I didn't know anything in the mid-eighties, but what I did know was that Traci Lords was a young porno actress, just by notoriety.
She does have a new album coming out, which I actually don't have any details. Last October, Lords revealed that she has a single "Pretty" coming out via twitter. I haven't kept up, but I am assuming the single and album were delayed.
I have her 1995 album, 1,000 Fires, featuring her hit single, "Control". I think the song capture the tone and techno of that time period, I do hear a bit of Madonna's "Erotica" and even Mortal Kombat in the song. Lords provides a sexy, whispering vocals over a techno beat. The song is definitely design to get you moving on the dance floor.
Trivia: Did you know that Traci Lords sings on "Little Baby Nothing" by Manic Street Preachers?
www.spitchild.com
Spitchild are from Germany, and they self-described themselves as "glamour rock that makes your mama hot" from their song, "The Future Of Entertainment". Already, it's pretty cheesy, even though they seem quite hardcore serious about it the theme and image they're putting across from their porno-themed album is called Sunday Morning Pornshow.
The intro song, "Gang Bang Hotel Chain" sets the tone for the album: and excuse the pun, but an all-you-can-eat orgy at a hotel. The songs aren't 70s disco (when porn was at the height of its popularity), but Spitchild's music is of your rock variety, but with a strong emphasis on piano (a la Ben Folds). The piano plays an important role, giving us inspirational on "Got a Dream", frantic on "Animal Game-Animal Pain", and even silly manscaping your ass on "Nuggets of Gold".
The best song here is the title track, "Sunday Morning Pornshow", with a guest vocals by Lu (no last name is given, but that's probably all for the best as she sings the adult actress' part of the song). I am assuming that they recycled her vocals on the outro song, "Pornshow Theme".
If you don't mind a tongue in cheek "Power Poser Porn Piano" style of music, go ahead and give Sunday Morning Pornshow a listen to at spitchild.bandcamp.com.
ELEKTRISK GØNNER
elektriskgonner.com
Possibly the breast video in the world.
Elektrisk Gønner's official music video for "UknowhatIwant" is nothing more than a boobs audition. So many boobs that you quickly forget that it's actually a music video. And not that I've watched and re-winded... but I believe some boobs were recycled to stretch out the video to fit the song.
Anyway, the song song is catchy, repeating "you know what I want" over and over. I don't know who the girl singer on the song is, that detail wasn't given to me.
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