Idjah Hadidjah Jugala Jaipongan
Jaipongan Music Of West Java + Reworks

EM Records: ...How can we explain the power of music? How can songs delivered in a language which we don't understand move us so? This collection contains the very best songs from Hongthong Dao-udon, one of the great Thai singers of the "third generation" of Molam singers, one of the artists who succeeded in fusing Molam with Luk Thung, thus triggering a new generation of singers; in fact she was the first to sing both genres from the beginning of her career, considering herself to be situated happily between the two styles. But none of this matters, finally, to the listener. This is music, not musicology, and Hongthong Dao-udon sings to us, not the pedants. Her career was brief, and these songs from the late 70s and early 80s are her very best, showcasing her rich vibrato, her masterful control, and the undeniable emotional power of her voice, carrying us from joy and whimsy to melancholy and desolation. Produced mainly by Doi Inthanon, a legendary independent producer, these songs were very popular in Thailand, and it is easy to hear why, with strong melodies, impeccable swing, interesting arrangements, and of course her thrilling voice. Available on CD and vinyl, with two songs previously unavailable on CD, as well as her first recording and her biggest hits, this is essential.What is “luk thung”?A musical genre whose name means ‘country person’s song’ or ‘children of the field’. The name became established in the latter half of the 1960s and now has the status of a national genre of popular song unique to Thailand. The lyrics of luk thung songs deal mainly with the rural idyll, comparisons between the city and the countryside, life in the big city and current affairs. There are certain typical traits to the music, but no official musical form.What is “Molam”?"mo" is an artist and "lam" is a kind of performance art where the artist tells a story using tonal inflexions. In other words, the term molam refers to both the singer and art form. Molam pieces are not strictly speaking "songs".

boomkat: ...‘F.T.N.W.O.’ (eff the new world order) first landed in 2012 as Sherard Ingram’s only album under the DJ Stingray 313 alias. It effectively, aesthetically, works as a follow-up to his preceding pair of Urban Tribe albums for Rephlex 2006-2007, and laid the ground for his superb NRSB-11 album with ex-Drexciyan Gerald Donald. It remains a masterclass in proper Detroit electro futurism, pushing the faster templates of jit in line with his Afro-futurist, sci-fi-skooled inspirations for a definitive record of darkside Motor City club intrigue with a wickedly pulpy narrative. Opening to scene-setting samples of George Bush and TV evangelists in Evil Agenda’, the album plays thru a noirish graphic novel allegory of electro from the OG source, channelling Drexicyan mythos and hydroelectric principles in muscular, yet tautly minimalist, constructions that have become Stingray’s hallmark of production. With shark-eyed tension the album swims from the underwater shadow-boxing of ‘Dark Arts’ to a killer cybernoir finale in ‘Remote Viewing’, taking in warehouse-shudder pulses on ‘Denial of Service’ and the hyper-rictus machine chatter of ‘No Knock’ beside cut-scenes such as ‘Lead From the Shadows’ that perfectly set up the classic electro ping-pong of ‘Reverse Engineering’ and nexx level 313 depths of ‘Image Search’.

Avon Terror Corps: ...Since 2019, a dark cloud has loomed over our region, as many have feared the return of the most weaponised duo in Avon.A trail of scorched chambers in their wake, their witnesses still fail to rub the imprints from their retina, drown the wailing from their heads and scrape a metallic taste from their mouths.But finally, our iron tongued padre, Franco Franco, and his crypto-bard, Kinlaw, throw down their second slab, 'Mega Dopo Mega'.Charging straight over the top into 'Com'èèè??', 'CGI World' shells down on us with a white-hot salvo. Round after round, our ringmaster spits cybernated venom as his consort thrashes us with relentless, barbed sonics.Pausing just briefly on 'Tetsuo 2019' to heave up a lung full of filings - they press on into data driven mania and cyber-chotic battle cries.By 'Distretto Nono', their probe lifts off - before exiting in a cacophony of AI laughter, beamed straight from the shell.They're back, and this time it's personal...'