Yesterday I made a “Mother’s Day Mix” on muxtape by selecting songs that has one of the words “mother, mom, mama” in it. In classic undomondo fashion forgot to post it though!.

Here’s the link to the mix.

BTW If you didn’t know Muxtape is a very cool new service with simple design & function and big fonts. There is a slight linearity in the mix but it’s OK to start with any song, genres range from jazz (Frode Gjerstad Trio, Andrew Hill, Zakarya) to minimal techno (Aril Brikha) and to world music (Trilok Gurtu).

Ågren, Storløkken, Björkenheim, Dunn

Another exciting release from our favourite Norwegian contemporaries Rune Grammofon sees an incredible roster of improvisers get together for a special project. Curated by writer and film-maker Philip Mullarkey to record and play live as part of an art/film project entitled [Box] the quartet includes none other than Trevor Dunn of Fantômas, Marc Ribot, Electric Masada, Mr. Bungle fame on bass, Zappa drummer Morgan Ågren, Supersilent electronic wiz Ståle Storløkken on keys who also worked with Audun Kleive and Terje Isungset, and Raoul Björkenheim from Scorch Trio on guitar.

There were a few guidelines for [Box]. The musicians would have to meet and perform together for the first time in June 2007. No music would be scored prior to their meeting. No discussion on musical direction etc. would be entered into beforehand. Check.

Now, listening to the packaged release it totally beats me how they have managed to sound this tight without any focal point as there are some moments where it’s impossible to believe that everything is improvised, so complex and frentic. An unholy mixture of rock, jazz and electronics, “Studio 1″ clocks over 40 minutes featuring 6 untitled tracks. Unlike most of the improv scene output, it’s actually listenable (yes yes!) yet still managing to create a dark and otherworldly authentic sound without any regard to conventional song formats. Just check out the improv jam on “Untitled 7″!

Box - Untitled 11
Box - Untitled 7

OvO - Live at Eli’s Mile High Club in Oakland, CA

I’ve been neglecting our youtube feed for some time (a month to be exact) yet I’ve bookmarked lots of videos in the meantime. I’m not posting them all at the same time though because I want you guys to watch & digest!. So today I have selected a bunch of live performances from Rapeman and Shellac, which will be performing in Istanbul on May 15. A short clip of a cheerful Steve Albini explaining what “Fake Italian” is, Tuxedomoon, Milano’s OvO which I’ve discovered thanks to this video and some noise in the form of John Zorn, Pigs in the Ground and a Merzbow documentary. I used to post a lot of handpicked shit, so make sure you go back and watch them if you have time to burn.

OvO - Mammut

Can’t remember where I read about Steve Lehman’s 2007 effort, might be on Allaboutjazz or Downtown, but I was intrigued to see this 28 year old (same age as me!) saxophonist named on top of best album charts. After hunting down his “On Meaning” album on Pi Recordings, which is home to the who’s who of avantgarde artists such as Rudresh Mahanthappa, Marc Ribot, Muhal Richard Abrams and Art Ensemble of Chicago. I am extremely happy to have heeded the call. Having Anthony Braxton and Jackie McLean as mentors and collaborating with diverse artists such as Me’Shell NdegéOcello and pianist Vijay Iyer, Lehman’s compositional skills have become his tour-de-force. Unfortunately I’m still a layman when it comes to academic jazz analysis so I can never say things like :

For “Analog Moment” different asymmetric groupings of repeated notes by trumpet and saxophone counterweave through repeated notes on vibraphone, against a warm bass pulse and fluttering drum’n’ bass, to create a naturally undulating matrix.

.. but I can assure you I haven’t been this excited by a contemporary jazz album — which is intellectual yet still easy listening and memorable at the same time — for so long. In depth reviews on Bagatellen and Allaboutjazz.

Steve Lehman - Analog Moment
Steve Lehman - Open Music
Steve Lehman - Check this out

We’re already fans of the German spoken word / electronica artist Antye Greie Fuchs aka AGF. I thnik I’ve already mentioned her collabs with Vladislav Delay and Zavoloka. She’s released a new album on her own label in February, composed of her own voice and electronic transformations. Earlabs review.

Chinese avantgardista Douglas Lee has some unclassifiable stuff with roots in Chinese music. Improv & Noise & manipulation and everything you want with the greatest songtitles like Believe In Something You Think Is False, Just Sitting Around Noticing What Your Mind Is Doing and Just Pray Dude, Fuck Skepticism, Fuck God, Fuck Religion, Just Get Down With The Real. 2 more songs here. The bearded Philadelphians Pattern is Movement is down to a duo from a trio, but their strange progpop stuff is rocking on. Check out their new one on Hometapes. with Last but not least is Aficionado, a ten piece progressive rock outfit from Albany, NY. Expect all kinds of chaotic eclecticism, weird choral work, epic (or cheesy depending on how you see it) melodies a la YES, a flutist and lots of time changes.

AGF - Cognitive Moducles Party
Douglas Lee - Just Sitting Around Noticing What Your Mind Is Doing
Pattern Is Movement - Right Away
Aficionado - Magnified
Aficionado - The Cellar

The Time Of The Assassins - 70 Days & 70 Nights

Last week I spent some time to cover some promo albums we got and clear that inbox. After few days though it’s still full, so here’s another post with email submissions. Beware though I won’t be checking new stuff that’s sent to us for at least a month from now on. Simply because I don’t have the time, if anyone wants to help us checking out and reviewing some of the new stuff sent to us by PR crews and artists don’t hesitate to send an email. I can really use some help now that error101’s not touching her blogging gloves.

Here’s a quick rundown: We start off with Lightning Head alter ego of Bigga Bush from Rockers Hi-Fi. A massive afrobeat inspired dance tune which is going to be released as the debut single of his own label on May 27. Grillo is Matteo Grilli from Italy, with his debut jazzy beats and glitch hop album on Beatpick. Austin,TX native Rae Davis’s Antipop debut is highly impressive. Here’s the opener “Yesterday’s History”, laidback blunted beats with trumpet licks and strings. Singer-songwriter Alan Wilkis has a lighthearted pop / electronica album which reminded me of Victor Lams. This cheerful and catchy tune has a lovely moog solo. Whatfor is, ’60s-brand pop written by Michael Sienkowski from Madison, WI. His debut album will be released in May, not exactly my cup o’ tea but it’s a good tune.

Part 2 in a few hours..

Lightning Head - Ilu Baje
Grillo - Smite Not And Bite
Rae Davis - Yesterday’s History
Alan Wilkis - It’s been great
Whatfor - I want a girl

Soulphiction aka Jackmate aka Michael Baumann has a new album out on the indisposable Berlin label Sonar Kollektiv. How they manage to be both prolific and quality is beyond me, but I have to say they’re holding the standard for cool electronic dance scene nowadays. Baumann is a prolific artist like Sonar; I think he’s more famous under the dancefloor oriented Jackmate moniker yet his Soulphiction stuff (alongside Manmade Science) sounds better for me. “Do you overstand!?” has 14 tracks and it’s the perfect sequel to 2006’s “State Of Euphoria”. This one goes even further in ditching the glitchy minimal beats for more organic sounds and laidback stuff, moving away from the dancefloor to stripped down but soulful ways of Moodymann or Theo Parrish. The Detroit influence is much more evident in some more experimental tracks like “Velveteens“, and there’s much much more than simple 4/4 dance music; taking from jazz & hiphop as well making this a quality leftfield longplayer. Fear not though! even the laidback ones are gonna make you shake your hips. Best electronic/dance album of the year yet!?.

Soulphiction - Ghana Wadada
Soulphiction - Touch From The Past

Medeski, Martin, Wood & Ribot - Crosstown Traffic

Hi kids, yesterday was a national holiday in Turkey. The kids holiday where every year kids from all over the world come to Turkey and do their nation’s folkloric dance etc. Meanwhile rest of the kids are bored to death by extralong speeches from tutors, and not-so creative poetry and drama. However things are a little bit changing in the last years, as more NGOs step up to design actual fun for the kids. I was going to put this online yesterday for the kids but I forgot. Anyways, here’s a few songs from Brooklyn’s jazz/funk stalwarts Medeski, Martin and Wood. Their new one “Let’s go everywhere” is actually a kiddie album so what better present for the kids today!. This is an album to “introduce children to jazz without making it too heady, to make it actually fun.” Don’t cringe when you hear this sentence because it’s not a soulless self-righteous “teaching jazz to kids” project, it’s a lovely album with lighthearted songs, cheerful lyrics and good jamming like we’re used to from MMW.

Serious critics with no sense of humour might mark this off as wacky, but it’s actually a great deal of fun for everyone. Provided that you wanna listen to songs about pocket lint, pirates, planes and trains.

Head over to Allaboutjazz or DaSLOB’s blog for in depth reviews.

Medeski Martin & Wood - Hickory Dickory Duck
Medeski Martin & Wood - The Squalb
Medeski Martin & Wood - On an Airplane

* http://www.pornosoundtracks.com Forbidden Ensemble presents Pornosoundtracks, 11 tracks of seventies sleaze porngroove. You can stream, buy or download torrent. A great business model, let’s see if it works. Check ‘em out on Myspace.

* Have you heard of muxtape, a simple new method to make quick playlists/mixtapes and stream. Big fan of the site design as well. Some cool muxtapes to start with are, What we found in March from Gang of Four’s Dave Allen, and Two minutes and 42 Seconds, the ultimate 2:42 minute song mix. Here’s the accompanying text explaining why 2:42 minutes is the optimum length for a pop song. It also plays on the Iphone.

* Short and to the point Wired article, “Five Reasons MP3 Blogs could be the next record Labels“, something we’ve always been thinking if we only had more time.

* Last.fm has Analog for Architecture, an 2006 DVD compilation freely available. My picks :

* Sturgell on MOG reports, Norwegian Viking metal band Helheim celebrated the release of its brand new studio album by performing at a public kindergarten performing acoustic versions and telling tales of Norse mythology.

* I know I’m not really the hipster kid who is on point with the news, but indie shrine Pitchfork now has their own TV. Featuring some cool content from No Age,Dan Deacon, HEALTH,Liars, Jamie Lidell and more.

* Bit old but Vice Kills Jamaica, a 30 minute series on VBS.TV

* Checkout Diesler’s Bi-monthly Podcast Adventures. April issue has Haggis Horns, Erykah Badu, Jazzinvaders, Mark de Clive-Lowe and more.