THE MICK 555777 The Class Of 2011 ...people like to bemoan the state of music, reminding any affable furniture around them that things were much better when they were young. (This only confuses furniture, who have no concept of age.) The truth is that everything changes and evolves. Everything can be of interest, and a year that saw as many great records as the ones decorating this cover qualifies as a vintage experience. There are plenty more exciting concoctions inside, so if you missed any of these noirish beauties during 2011 prepare yourself for an illuminating journey. EDITORIAL VOMIT will be short and to the point here. It’s been three steps forward, eighty five enormous steps back in the lfie of Mercer during the past two and a bit years, for reasons too laborious to go into. While I would, ideally, have liked to have completed this round-up of last year’s great artistic works during January I haven’t. It’s as simple as that. I hope there are many records here you have yet to encounter and that this little collection may prove highly useful. There’s certainly some real delights here because last year saw variety and genuine beauty, as well as bewildering surprises. I go now. MY TOP THIRTY ALBUMS OF 2011 1. FEAR INCORPORATED Sawney’s Cave (Plastic Frog) 2. MARK SINNIS The Undertaker In My Rearview Mirror (9th Recordings) 3. THE GHOST EFFECT TGE (Breakdown Records) 4. THE SPIRITUAL BAT Cruel Machine (Danse Macabre) 5. NOSFERATU Wonderland (Dark Fortune Records) 6. VENUS FLY TRAP Nemesis (Big Blue Records) 7. THE MiLLiPEDE ENGiNE Bye Bye … We’re Melting (Hot Skull) 8. GRAVETOWN Red River (Manster) 9. CHRISTINE PLAYS VIOLA Innocent Awareness (Afmusic) 10. VENDEMMIAN One In A Million (Echozone ) 11. INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRY Dreams Never End (Wave Records) 12. PLASTIC PEOPLE Pink Narcisius (Own Label) 13. 23 TRUBLION 23 Chants Et Danses Au Temps De Graffen Walder (Le Cluricaun) 14. ISOLATION/DIVISION Sotto Voce (Own Label) 15. THE DANSE SOCIETY Change Of Skin (Society Records) 16. SEVENTH HARMONIC Garden Of Dilmun (Out Of Line) 17. GAE BOLG La Nef Des Fous 1 (Le Cluricaun) 18. LOS CARNICEROS DEL NORTE Santa Sangre (Gordiscos) 19. LOTUS FEED A Different Place (Afmusic) 20. THE HIRAM KEY Amerikafka (Spiral Staircase Records ) 21. THE EMPIRE HIDEOUS The Time Has Come (Hideous Productions ) 22. THE DAUGHTERS OF BRISTOL Holts Summit (Magnolia Recordings) 23. ACTION DIRECTE The Red Album (Oktober) 24. CRIMSON MUDDLE Nocturne (Manic Depression) 25. PEELING GREY The World’s Not Sorry (PG) 26. EVERY SILVER LINING HAS A CLOUD E.S.L.H.A.C. (Projekt) 27. GROOVING IN GREEN Post Traumatic Stress (Inquisition ) 28. PLASTIQUE NOIR Affects (Wave Records) 29. ARS PHOENIX Hanging Fire (FDO Recordings) 30. ROSE LAND Au Mont Des Soupirs (Frozen Wing) BEST EP: ANGELS OF LIBERTY Monster In Me (Secret Sin Records) BEST REMASTERED CD: ATARAXIA Saphir (Twilight) BEST COMPILATIONS: 1. VARIOUS ARTISTS Another Gift From Goth(Strobelight Essentials) 2. THE DANSE SOCIETY Demos Vol. 1 (Dark Entries ) 3. Q4U Best Of (Wave Records) The music is far from bland, despite keeping to simple enough templates. It becomes woozier, doomier, grander. At times it reminds me of early movies of the Egyptian era, where a pharaoh’s tomb is being opened, or sealed. It also tilts sideways into a vengeful Celtic feel. It has a refreshingly warm glow and that’s the brave move, as it could have been all isolation and jangling nerves. ‘C XVII’ is a charming indie ballard, which then moves into the darkly swooping ‘C XVIII’ with a portentous synth atmosphere, bleeps and clanking. With recurring motifs, shifts between optimism and shadowy tensions the album drifts impressively on. Stolid bass tones underpin the gases synth mood, but nothing ever gets dour, as sunnier guitar impregnates the gloom. Things get strange during ‘C XX’ with a stand-up piano, gentle sonic scrying and some abrupt timing accompanied by Twin Peaksy twanginess. The closing track has the roughest edge to it, seemingly advancing towards the unguarded listener, a timely spot of melodrama to set us up for the final segment of the trilogy. I don’t actually like traditional sci-fi so the story aspect doesn’t interest me at all. The music however has a superb sense of setting and mood and is consistent in its ability to transport you, bathing you in a cordial sense of abstract 17 PYGMIES intrigue. Their most potent work, I should say. CII: SECOND SON Trakwerx www.trakwerk.com www.myspace.com/17pygmies So here we are again then, with a delightfully artistic package www.facebook.com/pages/17-Pygmies/203624375710 of wax-sealed delicacies to unfold, and the second in their star- kissed trilogy with Robert and Isobel waking on a distant planet. It starts cool and lovely, with the blissful ambient ‘Celestina XII’ and as the title run identically with a different numeral, the album ends with ‘Celestina XXII’, so singling out individual tracks become pointless. It’s about the flow, beginning with a simple synth wash and tiny, discreetly decorative notes on top. Gentle guitar can be easily absorbed or to underpin the vocals of Meg Maryatt, the one easily identifiable contribution, beyond Dirk Doucette’s drumming. Elsewhere Jeff Brenneman, Dirk and Jackson Del Ray complete the hazy picture. Their guest Heather Lockie is also strong on her cello It’s also about the story, which comes inside the package, telling of adventurers landing on a planet with two suns and making a rather large leap of the imagination by thinking this could be the second son mentioned in the bible. They find a robot reading poetry, who happens to belong to a commune, of robots who once travelled through space themselves. This isn’t their only source of compatible interests. A robot named Herod 23 TRUBLION 23 breaks the neck of Captain Mora to prove they cannot harm CHANTS ET DANSES AU TEMPS DE GRAFFEN one another, as killing here is a sin. They mistrust this robot WALDER who they believe once massacred some family members, Le Cluricaun justifiable cause for concern. Herod protests his/its innocence, and can prove it. Mora survives, despite discomfort. Their own We may as well start with the artwork as I mentioned a rude ship’s robot representative turns up in neck snappy mood but image on the free CDr which comes with the first 46 copies. soon all is well, they find their ship and are all set to take off Well, this time around our mad hero is outdoors, with a penis when they become aware of other old adversaries. The story shaped vegetable balanced on his lap, as he sups from a can of will no doubt conclude in the final part. HG Wells must be beer, with a jester hat on. Does he, in this guise, feel he is a turning in his library card because, like most sci-fi, it’s pretty modern day equivalent of the man who his songs presumably bland. revolve around? The rest of the beautiful digipak has 14th century imagery, or modern illustrations mimicking people- creature hybrids, plus one lovely owl. Please don’t think for one moment that while this artist may ‘Le Canard et le Ménisque de Saint-Eustache’ has a gentler, appear to be a celestial idiot savant, or that we’re talking still beauty and there is also a gloriously wilting grandeur luxurious avant-garde lunacy, because that implies something about ‘L’Oiseau de Malheur Deuxième Partie’ which sees us flimsy, something flakey. These are audaciously imaginative out with a curious dignity that twitches demurely, hinting at tracks, sleek and provocative, merging a histo4riucal pomp emotional agony, but I wouldn’t really know. I do know that as with a shady modern spirit. It is highly unusual, highly it builds it achieves a midway feel between the madly quixotic distinctive, with this label appearing to be a natural home for and the mimsy majesty sounds bustling out of this record. the turbo-charged sounds of time travel. The new and the old There is also a gracious extra track with a studious churchy circle, pass through each other, and circle some more. Very quality that trips happily into a swaying semi-pop saunter, odd, but immaculately conceived. Putting the mad in madrigal, female vocals sighing behind the slippery male voice. That’s possibly, but there is such adventure here! followed, finally, by a spoken bit involving nocturnal splutters and a bell. Bit weird, but what do you expect? ‘La Balade de Fanette et Fanou’ tumbles gaily, pipes piquant, vocals magical, then we drop down to a swarthier ‘Le Seigneur It probably goes against logic saying it, but this is a more des Mouches’ with weary, inspired vocal blurs, over the mature record that his earlier work. Easier to get into, harder simplest guitar sensitivity and the mellow mutation is at once a to forget. relaxing experience but the casual vocal character is fascinating, as with the subtle brass impinging it again suggests www.facebook.com/pages/23-Trublion-23/ a spaghetti western theme somehow materialising on the fields 133275696720243 of Agincourt. www.lecluricaun.com ‘L’Oiseau de Malheur’ maintains that light, airy feel, with strange clomping percussion as the vocals really reach out to ensure control. ‘La Ballade des Enculés’ is weirder, slurred and slender in its sunny charm, but there’s so much going on here, from the capering pipes, to the supremely basic acoustic, and the smothered vocal turbulence. Through a glass eye, darkly… ‘Le Sorcier des Bois du Ponant’ is a fine example of the weirdness factor.