Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013 | 07:02
Towering Inferno - Kaddish
i follow 'Sound Museum' with one of my favorite, and most difficult, albums: Towering Inferno's 'Kaddish'.
i bought this album because of their Gary Numan cover on the 'Random' compilation, but this sounds almost nothing like that. for one, it's not new wave or electro-punk. for this release the duo has employed a wide cast of musicians and vocalists to perform a tribute to jewish suffering in the holocaust and european pogroms.
to paraphrase wikipedia, kaddish is a jewish prayer in praise of god that is usually said in mourning, to show that even in times of sorrow god is great. the album draws from versions of kaddish, but adds other texts and samples to weave a larger story, one with more sorrow than i would expect from a praise of god. it's a powerful, moving album that weaves through audio collage, chamber music, and industrial grind. parts sound ecstatic, others threatening, and in the end it is a cathartic journey to acceptance.
Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013 | 06:53
Towa Tei - Sound Museum
what do i do with a fun but insubstantial album like Towa Tei's 'Sound Museum'? i suppose that's ideal for ripping and passing along. he was the dj in Dee-Lite, and this has a similar light-hearted vibe. i think i'd prefer it if he'd focused on the music, making the melodies stronger and more engaging, and ditched the vocal guests. the cover of "Private Eyes" plays it so safe and smooth it makes the original sound threatening.
