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August 26, 2011

Album Review:
Johan Agebjörn - The Mountain Lake
Johan Agebjörn - Casablanca Nights



Sweden's Johan Agebjörn released two very different albums concurrently in 2011, The Mountain Lake and Casablanca Nights, nearly matching the audacity of Stephen Merritt's 69 Love Songs from ten years earlier.    Mountain Lake starts with purposeful keyboards then gradually becomes a quietly yearning ambient, almost meditative, soundtrack.    On Agebjörn's Casablanca Nights, he switches gears into some determined dance-floor blends like that of Royksopp and Goldfrapp with guest vocalists and first-run remixes.    Johan places the highlight tracks in the 2, 4, and 6 slots with, respectively, Last Day of Summer, Watch the World Go By, and the modern encapsulation of the Abba-esque Alice with its purposeful English pronunciations.    The remainder of the Agebjörn's Casablanca Nights album is overshadowed by these three overwhelmingly sublime tracks.

FREE Download of Johan Agebjorn & Le Prix - Watch The World Go By (Young Galaxy Remix)
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Johan Agebjorn & Le Prix - Watch The World Go By (Young Galaxy Remix) by LE PRIX

FREE Download of Wolfram - Fireworks (Johan Agebjorn Remix)
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Wolfram - Fireworks (Johan Agebjorn Remix) by vertaliot

FREE Download of DW - Nine Lives (Johan Agebjörn & Le Prix Remix)
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DW - Nine Lives (Johan Agebjörn & Le Prix Remix) by LE PRIX

FREE Download of Johan Agebjörn & Le Prix feat. Lake Heartbeat - Watch The World Go By (Skatebård Extended Remix)
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Johan Agebjörn & Le Prix feat. Lake Heartbeat - Watch The World Go By (Skatebård Extended Remix) by Skatebård

FREE Download of Fireworks (Johan Agebjorn Remix)
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Fireworks (Johan Agebjorn Remix) by leo MOralez

Johan Agebjörn - Watch the World Go By (Casablanca Nights)


Johan Agebjörn - The Last Day of Summer (Casablanca Nights)


Johan Agebjörn - Alice (Casablanca Nights)


Johan Agebjörn - Swimming Through the Blue Lagoon (The Mountain Lake)


Johan Agebjörn - Spiral Staircase (The Mountain Lake)


Johan Agebjörn - Siberian Train - Steve Moore Remix (The Mountain Lake)





1. 8ths (Intro Edit) - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
2. The Last Day of Summer [with Ercola & Queen of Hearts] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
3. This Case Is Closed (Remix) [with Friday Bridge] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
4. Watch the World Go By [with Le Prix & Lake Heartbeat] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
5. Casablanca Nights [with Lovelock & Sally Shapiro] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
6. Alice [with Fred Ventura, Le Prix & Sally Shapiro] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
7. Spacer Woman From Mars [with Sally Shapiro] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
8. So Fine All The Time [with Legowelt & Wolfram] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
9. Le Noir Et Le Blanc Sur Le Plano [with Sally Shapiro] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
10. Memories of Satie [with CFCF] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)
11. Stranger (Chill Remix) [with Halftone] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Casablanca Nights)

1. Spacer Woman from Mars (Ambient Mix) [with Sally Shapiro] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
2. Amylium Casparium [with NeonCoil] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
3. Underworld Mumble 1 - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
4. The Stones Are Blasted - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
5. Spiral Staircase - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
6. Underworld Mumble 2 - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
7. Swimming Through the Blue Lagoon (Original Casio MT-52 Instrumental) - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
8. Zero Gravitation - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
9. Take Me Home [with Sylwia van der Wonderland] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
10. The Chameleon (Johan Agebjörn Remix Edit) [with Glass Candy] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
11. Last Tram to Comet Square - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
12. Love Ray [with Lisa Barra] - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)
13. Siberian Train (Steve Moore Remix) - Johan Agebjörn - (Album: Mountain Lake)

August 24, 2011

Album Review
Little Dragon - Ritual Union

I didn't begin the year tasked with finding four quite terrific new albums from my homeland of Sweden.    Yet it happened with Lykke Li's Wounded Rhymes, PB & J's Gimme Some, Those Dancing Days' Daydreams and Nightmares, and now with Little Dragon's Ritual Union.    Little Dragon assures itself significance in modern pop with urgent R&B vocals piled upon fresh synth work and spacey rhythms on their third LP.    Stereolab meets Broadcast with the thickly layered beats and quirk like that of Mux Mool or Dabrye.    The evolutionary tracks: Please Turn and Shuffle a Dream.

FREE DOWNLOADS of Seconds, Seconds (Instrumental), Seconds (Syd The Kyd remix) from Little Dragon website

Little Dragon - Ritual Union (Kontur & b0wler Refocus)
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Little Dragon - Ritual Union (Kontur & b0wler Refocus) by Kontur

Little Dragon - Ritual Union (Irrelevant Remix)
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Little Dragon - Ritual Union (Irrelevant Remix) by irrelevantsounds

Little Dragon - Ritual Union (Cook's Hardcore Ritual Remix)
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Little Dragon - Ritual Union (Cook's Hardcore Ritual Remix) by Steve Clouded Vision (DJ)

Twice, Little Dragon Second Edit
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Twice, Little Dragon Second Edit by Josh Fernandez 3

Little Dragon - Fortune (Bluntspeakers Remix)
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Little Dragon - Fortune (Bluntspeakers Remix) by bluntsports

Little Dragon - Please Turn


Little Dragon - Shuffle a Dream


Little Dragon - Little Man


Little Dragon - Nightlight




1. Ritual Union - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
2. Little Man - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
3. Brush the Heat - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
4. Shuffle a Dream - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
5. Please Turn - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
6. Crystalfilm - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
7. Precious - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
8. Nightlight - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
9. Summertearz - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
10. When I Go Out - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)
11. Seconds - Little Dragon - (Album: Ritual Union)

August 12, 2011

Album Review
Thievery Corporation - Culture of Fear

About 15 years ago, Thievery Corporation began as remixers and producers on Sounds from the Thievery Hi-Fi, then Abductions & Reconstructions, and then their foundation work on Mirror Conspiracy.    Their creative peak, The Richest Man in Babylon, proved that their sound had transcended into sophisticated global funk with a social conscience.    The Cosmic Game released with their musical recipe intact, but then Radio Retaliation brought forth a political frustration to the surface and it seemed as though TC's song structures were, quite frankly, becoming a bit tiresome.    However, on their newest album Culture of Fear, it is clear that the pair are still in tune with the frightening scope of political power from the very few across our blue planet, though Rob and Eric have matured this message with some broadening of their signature "Thievery Corporation" beats into something a little more refreshing, while retaining their love of syncopating middle-eastern touches and vocal work from their regular cohorts.    With song tracks entitled Web of Deception, Tower 7, False Flag Dub, and hushed lyrics such as "Can you say I'm free?" or "Take my soul. I don't need it anymore," it delivers a clear message, but the unforced delivery is a telling sign for Rob and Eric's future as prognosticators for both funk and freedom.

FREE DOWNLOAD of Blasting Through The City (Kelly Dean Dubstep Bootleg) FREE DOWNLOAD
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Thievery Corporation - Blasting Through The City (Kelly Dean Dubstep Bootleg) FREE DOWNLOAD by Kelly Dean

FREE DOWNLOAD of Friday Night Kinda Swing by Afrolicious (produced by TC's Rob Garza
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THURSDAY NIGHT KINDA SWING by afrolicious

Thievery Corporation - Take My Soul


Thievery Corporation - Is It Over?


Thievery Corporation - Free


Thievery Corporation - Safar (The Journey)




Culture of Fear [Vinyl LP]


1. Web of Deception - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
2. Culture of Fear - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
3. Take My Soul - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
4. Light Flares - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
5. Stargazer - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
6. Where It All Starts - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
7. Tower Seven - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
8. Is It Over? - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
9. False Flag Dub - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
10. Safar (The Journey) - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
11. Fragements - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
12. Overstand - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
13. Free - Thievery Corporation - (Album: Culture of Fear)
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