The White Noise Revisited Podcast

Following years of daydreaming, months of planning, weeks in the making and several hours of brow-furrowing techno frustration* to get it up here and (fingers crossed) working properly, I am proud to present the first ever podcast from The White Noise Revisited. We start not with a bang, but with a molten ball of dissonant fuzz, and a theme that is close to our hearts - white noise - delivering a 78-minute sonic excursion into the realms of white noise in all its various forms. Well, I say we, but I just selected a few songs - my talented accomplice Feedle made it sound amazing, mashing the songs together, and incorporating additional frequencies and bursts of noise. Hopefully this will be the first of many. Stay tuned...

If you click on the link below, it should open iTunes and instantly start downloading. Let me know if you encounter any problems...

Click: The White Noise Revisited Podcast »

The White Noise Revisited Podcast 01:
White Noise Does White Noise

Pavement Intro
Feedle: Keep Driving (Unreleased, 2006)
Fuck Buttons: Sweet Love for Planet Earth (ATP, 2008)
Chris Clark: A Laugh With Hills (Warp Records, 2001)
Deerhunter: Lake Somerset (Kranky, 2007)
Autolux: Sugarless (Full Time Hobby, 2005)
Pan Sonic: Sãrmays (Blast First, 1999)
Ride: European Son (Imaginary Records, 1990)
Flying Saucer Attack: Outdoor Miner (Domino, 1995)
Blur: Essex Dogs (Parlophone, 1997)
Sand: Terminus (Satellite, 1999)
Mogwai: Like Herod - BBC Session (PIAS, 2005)
Spacemen 3: Suicide - Live (Fire Records, 1988)

Devised & compiled by Joe White Noise & Feedle
All mixing, tweaking and additional frequencies by Feedle
A TWNR Podcast 2008: all songs belong to the artists

* Extra special thanks to Jnr. D from Lazy.fm for helping me with all things techy - do yourself a favour and go and check out the Radio.Lazy podcasts over on his site. They're awesome - the latest is a Serge Gainsbourg Soundclash!

Joe White Noise.

The Song Remains The Same

The Black Angels - Never/Ever

The Black Angels return with their second album, 'Directions To See A Ghost', and pick things up pretty much where they left off with 2006's 'Passover'. The Texans deliver another collection of doom-laden drone'n'roll gems, with Alex Maas's disconnected preacher's yowl holding court over a solid wall of distorted guitars and Stephanie Bailey's motorik, tribal drumming. The reference points (13th Floor Elevators, VU, Spacemen 3) hold steady, and thankfully, they are still angry and politically charged (the Iraq war is still a major influence on the band’s lyrics), and it is this seething discontent that drives the majority of the album. A couple of years of solid gigging has served them well, and even though their shtick hasn't changed all that much (nor would you want it to), there is an increased depth and complexity to their sound - the production is more robust and their use of sitars (particularly on 'Deer-Ree-Shee') adds some mystical Eastern flavour.

The album's centre piece is the sprawling epic 'Never/Ever', which recalls the psychedelic majesty of the Doors (namely 'The End' and 'Not To Touch The Earth'), with Kyle Hunt's dance-on-your-grave keyboards aping Ray Manzarek, amid the scuzzy guitars. 'Science Killer' sounds like Clinic on mogadon - in fact, I'm sure if you bought the album on vinyl and played it at 45rpm it would sound just like Clinic. Both bands are adept at recreating authentic 1960s vibes, and Maas's vocals aren't a million miles away from Clinic's Ade Blackburn. Much as I love the Angels, even I must draw the line at the over indulgence of 16-minute album closer, 'Snake In The Grass' - there's far better songs they could have riffed on into infinity - but thankfully, things are tighter elsewhere with recent single, 'Doves', the closest the Black Angels will ever get to being radio-friendly. I wonder how long it will be before these armageddon-prediciting survivalists down guitars and head to the wilderness to live in caves Manson-family style, so best make the most of them while you can.

'Directions To See A Ghost' is released in the UK by Light In The Attic Records on May 12th 08. Pre-order the album now from Norman Records
The Black Angels MySpace - the band are embarking on an extensive tour of the UK, starting at ATP Festival on May 10th 08 - check here for full tour listings...
The Black Angels website
Light In The Attic Records website

Joe.

Globe Alone

Atlas Sound - Recent Bedroom
Atlas Sound - Let The Blind Lead Those That Can See But Cannot Feel

Despite originally being released on Kranky in the US earlier this year, Atlas Sound's 'Let The Blind Lead Those That Can See But Cannot Feel' has finally found its spiritual home, with this European release on 4AD. You see, Atlas Sound (the name the 25-year-old Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox has used for his solo recordings since he was at school) and 4AD are such a perfect fit it feels like it was destiny label and artist would end up together. Combining shimmering Cocteau's-esque ambient dream pop with the singular vision of Kurt Ralske's Ultra Vivid Scene (like Ralkse, Cox is responsible for every sound you hear), 'Let The Blind...' could well be the archetypal 4AD album.

As with the ubiquitous Panda Bear, to understand the experience of listening to Atlas Sound you need to first imagine yourself, stoned, immaculate, sprawled in a field at a music festival, listening to a band playing in another field, far, far away. The songs drift in and out of focus, carried in the breeze with the dandelion seeds, as Cox delivers his vocals in a sleepy reverie, like a man singing himself out of a coma. The textured nu-gaze of 'Recent Bedroom' finds the guitars at their most prominent, but most of the time the electronics take centre stage, as on the title track's warm, enveloping opiatetronica, which recalls Casino Versus Japan. 'River Card' and 'Atizan' are bittersweet dark pop songs in the vein of the aforementioned Ralske's UVS, 'Winter Vacation' and 'Scraping Past' marry tranquilised Detroit techno with snatches of looped, treated guitars, and 'Small Horror' sounds like 'Loveless' on the moon. 'Let The Blind...' is a truly wonderful thing; the perfect soundtrack to daydream the summer away.

Check out the Deerhunter blog - there is a brand new free Atlas Sound EP to download, plus loads of free MP3s, videos and various goodies!
Buy the 4AD version of 'Let The Blind Lead Those That Can See But Cannot Feel' from Norman Records, featuring a bonus CD of exclusive material.
Atlas Sound MySpace - check here for live dates - Atlas Sound are embarking on a European tour as guests of Animal Collective during May, and also appears at the Stag & Dagger festival in Shoreditch, London on 15th May 08.
Comprehensive Wikipedia entry, featuring everything you could ever possibly want to know about 'Let The Blind...'
Atlas Sound at 4AD website
Brilliant review of the Kranky release at Pitchfork

Joe.