Clive Onion Presents Week 6

Whilst still in computer limbo, I have managed to type words in the spaces between real life to cobble together the long awaited Week 6 post. I know you will all be coming in off the ledge, wiping the sweat from your collective brows and kneeling in prayer to the small shrine of the Onion in your front room. Just as well it all happened really as I now have gig fun to report on as well as the usual couple of recommendations. What’s more, the day of payment has finally arrived and dark January is but a fleeting memory despite the fact that we are actually still in January.

As ever, you can listen along to reading the wonderful words by clicking on THE SENSE EXPANDING PLAYLIST and hearing a little something from each of today’s hallowed guests. As ever, you can purchase any of the music on offer by clicking on the lovely pictures although two things today have nothing to buy as yet, but that just means that you are getting cutting edge journalism. Well, the edge is slightly dull, but you could cut if you really tried. I digress. Lets play Clive Onion!

First up is a long awaited return from the embracing witchcraft providers that are Efterklang. The new album, Magic Chairs is due out in a couple of weeks and on the playlist you can find the first peek at material from it with the delight that is Modern Drift.

Immediately when this tune starts you know that you are in for a soulful, reflective experience, the mood swelling piano clearly marking out this territory. What differs from the norm in this kind of track is the Efterklang treatment of adding layers that you are not sure should be there and gently building the song up and dropping it away like a gentle sea against an aural wall. Though I have already developed a deep love for this track, it is a massive departure from the last album Parades which I strongly recommend you get your hands on should you not already have it. This song is structured in a more traditional fashion, which is not exactly an Efterklang trademark and it gives me the impression that the rest of Magic Chairs may follow suit.

Parades, which I have been revisiting this week is one of the most difficult albums to get into that I have ever had the great fortune to try. It is a quest, crafted by demons. Though I have pretty wide ranging musical tastes, much of which is on the random side, it took me a good few listens to get Parades. Well, I still don’t ‘get’ it, but I love it to death. It is pretty much the soundtrack to the war of the gods, which of course only exists in my mind and perhaps anyone else who has heard this masterpiece. Such drama and pomp and grandeur is cleverly constructed that it gets your blood pumping and your mind reeling. Normally I am looking at the real world while listening to music and sometimes the music clicks with what I see before me. Not Parades. Its vision remains solely in the realms of imagination. It is so deeply layered and arranged in such a fashion that your brain is constantly struggling to keep up with what is going on in your earholes. Honestly, sounds like madness in mp3 format and it is indeed, but I cannot recommend it enough. Magic Chairs, please hurry to me!

Next is a follow up from the last post. I have managed to track down the smoking remains of Duo Infernale. Ok, so I make that sound a bit more dramatic than it is, no smoking ruins and as far as tracking down, really Electrolytegot in touch with me, so I have not exactly done a Batman on this.

There is nothing available to purchase yet, but if you click on the picture it will take you to the amazing Soundcloud which I am becoming a major fan of. Digressing again, they had the FourTet album up a week before it came out, which I hope to get my grubby hands on for next weeks business. Anyway, Electrolyte. Ray of Light is the first tune to rise from the ashes of Duo Infernale and is getting a release on Med School/Hospital, home of the worlds greatest Drum n Bass, later this year.

Strangely and joyously enough, Ray of Light has many of the hallmarks that made Duo Infernale so good. There is the same sense of space in the track, which is something I always totally appreciated about them, the baseline has that fat reverberous squelch that swoops in and out and the hook is totally infectious. Listening to the Soundcloud version rather than the Myspace one you will get to appreciate the beautiful breakdown, one that whilst walking would stop you in your tracks to have a good look around, before the well constructed buildup pulls you right back in. Genuinely excited to hear these tunes and cant wait for more in the future.

Ok, so to finish off Dark January, I escaped my lair and went out to see Chew Lips the other night. I also managed to grab their album, Unicorn the day before and I shall have a few words to say about both.

Having had them floating about in my head since Week 2, I have been looking forward to both the release and the gig and to be fair I have not been disappointed by either. Surprised, but in no way disappointed. First off, Unicorn. From being quite addicted to their tracks on myspace, involving some manner of in-house dancing when meant to be writing blog posts, it was a bit odd to get Unicorn and not find the two main tunes on it. Both Salt Air and Solo have been omitted which at first made me a bit wary, being that they are both storming uptempo fiascos. However, brave move and a totally justified one.

The album plays like an album, not a collection of good songs. It has a definite start, middle and end to it and you are guided through it in the most understated way. The focus, production wise, are Tigg’s vocals or so it would seem at first. She is the vehicle that the band seem to be being promoted under and rightly so, her voice traveling straight to the pleasure centre of your brain. The music behind the voice though is so well produced and mixed that it flows along quite the thing without you really focusing on it, until suddenly you have been drawn in by a song, not by the up-front vocal but by a delicious hook bubbling away in the background. I love it. It has legs, rather than just being a couple of good songs propped up by other padding. Many albums in this sort of genre tend not to go much past the singles, but Unicorn definitely will and with the great press it has been getting, Chew Lips are definitely destined for VG Gold Star-ness, if not utter greatness.

As a live act Chew Lips brought undiluted love for what they are doing and really this is all that you could possibly ask for in a live performance. The sound was incredible and like the album showed that they have worked hard to make everything work just right. Everything was hitting your ears at perfect levels, though in contrast to the album, the music, the rhythmic merry go round synths and the subtle but beautifully toned bass were a more in your face, like they had been let out for the evening and this really worked for me. I loved this feeling that the album is an album and the live show is a full on club experience. Not being much of a scenester, it was a bit mental to be surrounded by the full on 80s business, but after a few songs and the blocking of all but the experience from my senses, I felt like I was spending an amazing evening lost in Heaven 17 the computer game. Being my first true musical love, this is high compliment. They are still on the road for a few weeks yet and it really is a chance to go and see a great talent before they go MASSIVE.

The last wee bit is just a nod to the first support band for Chew Lips. By some bizarre twist of fate I actually managed to catch the support, perhaps a first for me. Fair enough, I only caught the last song of Midnight Lion but it stuck in my head enough to want to mention it on here.

A super melodramatic power pop 2 piece that seemed to have a great attitude backed up with heartfelt, passionate music. All Greatness Stands Firm was luckily the track that I caught and it kept my pint from my lips for all of its 4 minutes of splendor. A track of well tamed power, self assured musicianship and the balance of drama, emotion and another beautiful breakdown that made an instant and massive impression on my half drunk brain. A song screamed from a stormy sea cliff top, definitely one for the future and more than certainly a band that I will keep my beady wee eyes on.

Another week, another triumph of the human fingers. In next weeks ideal world I will have a new laptop and you will notice a smoother pattern to my words because of this. Or, perhaps it will be the same old rubbish. You decide. Cheers.