Blogarhythms

I guess I was a bit more inspired by the merger of mythology and music in Monday’s post than I realized. One doesn’t have to be Joseph Campbell to recognize the influence of primeval myths on human society, especially the arts. And searching for good music to listen to can often feel like a quest for some legendary relic. Which is why I opted to pull out a couple albums that connect, tenuously at least, my youthful obsession with folklore, myths & legends and my current music nerdery this morning.

First I laid a hand on I’ve Got My Eye On You, the new DFA Records full-length from Syclops, a project not only named after a mythic beast, but shrouded in it’s own mysterious mythology. Promoted as a band comprised of members Sven Kortehisto, Hanna Sarakari and Jukka Kantonen, it’s believed by some that the entire thing might be a sole product of producer Maurice Fulton’s mind and talent. A groundbreaking House DJ and producer who contributed to early hits by Crystal Waters and Ultra Naté, established himself as a prolific knob-turner under a host of aliases, and formed experimental Dance-Punk duo Mu with his wife, it’s easy to believe the Syclops facade is just another way for Fulton to make music and remain out of the spotlight himself.

Several labels, including Fulton’s own Bubbletease Communications, have issued 12” singles bearing the Syclops moniker going as far back as 2001. I’ve Got My Eye On You collects the tunes from those sides, save the oldest, and adds a few new selections to boot. At the album’s core is the rhythmic pulse of Electronic Dance music, but it’s enveloped in the stylistic trappings of avant-garde Electronica, Jazz and IDM. Tracks like “NR17,” a slice of minimal Techno accented by hand-drums, and “5 Out,” an atmospheric old-school House beat with a jazzy breakdown, sound the most like traditional “Dance Music.” “The Fly,” “Nelson’s Back,” “Naoka F’s,” “The E-Ticket,” “A Lovely Sunday” mix live drums and acoustic piano with Fulton’s synths and effects, betrying influences as diverse as Free-Jazz, Krautrock, New Wave, Glitch and Detroit Hip-Hop. But my favorites are “Mom, The Video Broke,” a buzzy live Broken Beat tune, and the motorik Electro of the first single “Where’s Jason’s K.”

Syclops “Where’s Jason’s K”

As far as music nerdery goes, there’s not much better an example of it than the movie Hi Fidelity. My favorite scene from the movie (that didn’t have Lisa Bonet in it) has always been the one where John Cusak says “I’m now going to sell five copies of The Beta Band’s Three EP’s” then plays their “Dry the Rain” for his customers. It romanticizes my philosophy on music fandom, DJing and blogging; I give people a taste of something I think they should hear and then hope they’ll take action to hear more. Besides, I’ve always liked The Beta Band, especially “Dry the Rain.” As such, Beta Band founder Steve Mason’s new album as Black Affair, titled Pleasure Pressure Point, would have to be something I give folks a sample of.

The Beta Band were eclectic to say the least, dabbling in samples, breaks and even the odd dance beat, but I was surprised Black Affair is a straightforward Dance-Pop project. Rooted in ’80s Club music and New Wave/Synthpop, Pleasure Pressure Point is a decadent and flamboyant endeavor occupying a space between records released by Hercules and Love Affair and Neon Neon earlier this year. It’s like New Order, the Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, The Human League and Yazoo blended with the Electro-Funk, Boogie, Club-friendly Pop, Post-Disco, Electro and Freestyle of the time under the aegis of the New York club elite. And the reverberating synth-bass bounce, claps and crystalline synths of “It’s Real,” the retro programming, video-game melodies and Post-Punk bass of “Mute Me,” the snappy snares, low-end growl and vocoded chorus of “Sweet” and the cheesy drum-machine and neo-Quiet-Storm atmosphere of the Erlend Øye-ish slow-jam “Will She Come” are just as irresistible as anything from that era.

Black Affair “It’s Real”