Music reviews published on Hybridlab.org

Links to a bunch of music reviews I wrote for Hybridlab.org have expired, so here's a selection of the work...

We Yes You No, Music Review

We Yes You No are a wide-eyed baby of the No Wave tradition, umbilical cord still attached. It is hard to fathom that the band are in fact a four-piece. We Yes You No look beyond the poverty of conventional instrumentation, createing a surprisingly rich, deep and intricately woven soundscape that is all their own.

The track ‘Dream in Motion’ is exemplary of We Yes You No’s avant-garde tendencies. ‘Dream in Motion’ circles around a musical motif with the line ‘I love you just the way you are’, taking the fragment through a process of rhythmical distortion and morphing - think John Cage and the minimalist scene. Surprisingly, ‘Dream in Motion’ has a joyously harmonic chorus, making the track both musically challenging and blissful on the ears. Another beauty of a tune, ‘Obsessed’, uses dissonant keyboard riffs to create an eerie ambience offset by interludes of chaotic sound, almost white noise.

We Yes You No take their music seriously, but this is not to say that they can’t do tongue-in-cheek. The message behind ‘Apocalypse Pocket Edition’ (‘the end is nigh my friend’) may be dour but it is delivered with such saccharine vocals that the song mocks its own nihilism. There is a flavour of whimsical romanticism to We Yes You No, especially notable in their lyrical opulence -‘It’s the ice rink that she rules, no matter that it should have been the desert pool’. Like Mercury Rev and the blue-sky sound of Joy Zipper, We Yes You No are about more than beating out a tune or even making a statement. Their sound is concerned with invoking atmosphere.

We Yes You No are pulling at the edges, corners and windows of the music scene. With the spookily evocative bent of Blonde Redhead and the kitsch flavour that we have come to except from Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips, We Yes You No are a razor-sharp act with enviable musical integrity.

www.myspace.com/weyesyouno

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Bev Lee Harling, Featured Artist




Bev Lee Harling is an unstoppable force of musical activity. Her soulful intimate vocal style, song writing prowess, and diverse instrumental talents have left her in demand from all corners of the industry.

Classically trained as a violinist, Bev switched direction mid way through her studies to jazz voice. Since embarking on her career, she has graced a colourful array of bands and projects, playing fiddle for an Argentinian Tango group, singing in a jazz septet, holding the occasional rooftop concert and even receiving a track commission in October last year from Myla, a sexy lingerie brand patronised by Kate Moss and her ilk. Bev is touring, as we speak, with darlings of the goth-alternative scene, The Medieval Baebes.

Clearly, there are many doors open to this exceptional musician. Bevs’ career roots itself in her self-penned music where her expressive, velvety voice really comes into its own. Jazz, blues and global influences are woven together with a subtle fluency that enlivens the soul and tweaks at the heartstrings. In 2006 she released a five-track EP, Impossible Human, and has since collaborated with the eccentric Rogall and The Electric Circus Sideshow as well as Berlin-based band Ye Solar.

The musical world is certainly reaping the benefits of Bev’s multi-tasking talents. Her parents once described their daughter as a ‘rudderless boat’. I wouldn’t be so sure about ‘rudderless’. Bev Lee Harling’s sound certainly leads the listener into deep waters, doing so with strength and fervent direction.

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New Black Light Machine, Featured Band

Mates from college, New Black Light Machine began in 2006 as a three-piece and completed their line up last March with Matthew Lane on keys. The band describe their playing style as ‘fast and loose’ and gigs focus on intense energy above technical perfection. ‘We’d rather play a good song loosely than a bad song tight’ remarks vocalist Russell McNally. It’s Russell that provides a raw edge to the band’s live performances, delivering his self-penned harrowing lyrics with a monotone intensity that recalls Mark E. Smith of The Fall.

New Black Light Machine are a daring outfit with direction. So where are they hoping to take their sound? The band have established a definitive face on the East London circuit and are now in a position to break out into the wider London-based scene. We wish them luck in their bid to conquer the capital. New Black Machine may not deliver air-brushed music but their fast and loose approach is getting them the attention they deserve.

www.myspace/newblacklightmachine