Milestones Part I: Radio

From a young age, I was always influenced by music, being stimulated by my father’s ever-growing collection, and eventually forming my own interests which sometimes deviated from what my parents found acceptable. Nevertheless, I remember the nostalgia from days of sporting a cd mix or album in my jog-proof Walkman on the way to school. Music still had that feature of physicality and gentle handling that made the experience all the more rewarding, and I doubt today’s generation will ever feel that simple pleasure of having a few CDs or CD wallet where your precious few choices mattered and made the soundtrack of your day. The only way future kids and young adults could discover the pleasure of handling music would be to discover vinyl records or invest in their own stereo cabinets, but I divulge. The point I am trying to make is that music has been ingrained in my being since I was very young, and if not for a chance presentation during one of my first general elective courses at the University of Connecticut, I may have never become a longtime radio host and DJ in February of 2008.

Aphex Twin - Collapse EP Review

Aphex Twin - Collapse Review

Few electronic musicians can make music sound so utterly alien and beautiful simultaneously. For this reason, and for the sheer complexity and magnitude of the electronic landscapes willed into sonic existence, this balance of contrast exhibited by an artist such as Aphex Twin simply has no equal. Aphex Twin is Richard D. James, a man who’s been embroiled in the creation of computer music since the early 1980’s. His music often falls into one of two categories: pretty melodic ambience, or abrasive aural assault, and sometimes a combination of the two. After James’s more than decade-long hiatus as Aphex Twin, his reemergence with 2014’s Syro, a collection of some of his best work produced during this period, earned him his first Grammy award for best electronic/dance album. Since his revival, Aphex Twin has arguably released some of his most exciting music after decades of growth, to be experienced and discovered by new generations. James followed up Syro with his 2016 EP, Cheetah, which featured tracks using the rare, eponymous synthesizer and contained some of his most accessible, beat-driven work. His music and energy continues to morph on his 2018 EP, Collapse.

The Prodigy - No Tourists Review

When one considers the varying degrees and sub genres of electronic music and mainstream EDM nowadays, it’s hard not to remember one of the style’s most famous originators, The Prodigy. With early hits with undoubted club energy and aggressive poise, such as "Smack My Bitch Up" and "Firestarter", there’s certainly a style of hardcore acid synth rave which The Prodigy made their own, and which still sounds good to this day, even when considering that their first album was released over a quarter century ago. As music evolved and became more diverse electronically over the decades, The Prodigy have kept with the times and evolved their sound, keeping it current, even into the later 2010’s.

Update: Crimson Sky Kindle, Paperback, and Original Soundtrack OUT NOW!

Update: Crimson Sky Kindle, Paperback, and Original Soundtrack Release

My debut in literature is out now, a horror novella called Crimson Sky! It's a short story that became expanded into a novella, which is the length between a short story and a full-length novel. To coincide with my Kindle and paperback's release is the Crimson Sky Original Soundtrack produced under my musical alias, DJ Dark Flow.

Alice In Chains - Rainer Fog Review

As a group that has shown perseverance and evolution through its tumultuous beginnings and tragic loss, Alice In Chains has become a shining example of an act who's show can, and must, go on. Jerry Cantrell, original founding member and songwriter of the group, learned to find his voice after the tragic overdose of legendary vocalist Layne Staley left him with no other choice but to step in and become the lead. Of course, all wouldn't have been as easily possible without enlisting the help of close friend and co-vocalist William DuVall. Through this questionable decision to continue on without their chief vocalist Staley, Alice In Chains have been able to grow into a healthy, heavy, and critically acclaimed second act in their career, first with the release of their 2009 comeback album Black Gives Way To Blue, and then in 2013 with The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. The loss of Staley can be felt, but the alchemy between Cantrell and DuVall created a new future for a band that was originally thought to never be able to get back on its feet. Now, with an equal split of albums through two generations of Seattle's defining grunge and alternative metal band, Rainier Fog is another step in the right direction for Alice In Chains, despite falling for some of the cliches of an aggressive band getting older, and some thematic material getting recycled.

Gorillaz - The Now Now Review

In terms of an all-encompassing artistic package, few bands come close to the audio-visual experience that is the Gorillaz. The only group that immediately comes to mind who truly comes close to or possibly exceeds in their musical and visual cohesion may be an act such as Tool, but not many bands show as much complete dedication to their visual aesthetic as Gorillaz, a co-collaboration between British singer-songwriter Damon Albarn and comic artist Jamie Hewlett. These two members have worked in tandem with each other to birth a mythology of virtual cartoon band members to go along with their albums, singles, and music videos. These four members, named Murdoc, Russel, 2-D, and Noodle, broke through the rock, electronic, and hip-pop mainstream consciousness with their storied music videos and live, projected stage presence with Albarn and his backing band. Just a year after releasing their feature-stuffed, colorful, and somewhat polarizing album Humanz, their legacy continues with their spontaneously released follow up, The Now Now.

Nine Inch Nails - Bad Witch & the EP trilogy Review

Nine Inch Nails - Bad Witch and the EP trilogy Review

Prelude

After Nine Inch Nails's last studio album, 2013's Hesitation Marks, underpinning an even more polished and poised electronic-industrial Trent Reznor, expectations were reasonably high for his eventual follow-up album. However, Reznor had been neck deep in scoring feature films and television shows with multiple time collaborator and director David Fincher, and the eye-opening documentaries Before The Flood and The Vietnam War, essentially fulfilling his lifelong dream of writing musical scores for films, and winning a Grammy while at it. No one could blame Reznor for being so ambitious, but it seemed almost impossible to imagine how he could fit Nine Inch Nails into such a tight schedule. Nevertheless, Reznor announced that 2016 would see new NIN material, and so anticipation ramped up. That same year, Reznor's longtime collaborator, Atticus Ross, was announced as the first official member to join Nine Inch Nails (Reznor would always use repeated and dedicated touring musicians to help him fully realize his primarily solo musical visions on stage). During the final month of the year, Reznor and Ross made good on their promise, finally announcing Not The Actual Events, the first EP in a series of three planned releases to comprise of an EP trilogy to be released right before the end of the year. Although this is a review of their final release of the three, Bad Witch, this is also a retrospective look at all three releases, and how the trilogy fits together as a whole, starting with Not The Actual Events.

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 - Black Times Review

Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 - Black Times Review

As a fan of the always captivating genre of Afrobeat (African funk, soul, and jazz) and the legendary leader of the social-musical-political movement in said genre, Fela Kuti, I was delighted to learn that his music has lived on in his two musical sons, Femi, and Seun, Kuti. As I confess to not being fully aware of these brothers' catalogues since I was always obsessively digging into Fela's discography, I was filled with joy and wonderment to listen to Seun's brand new 2018 album, Black Times, released in the beginning of March, and notably felt stunned when listening to the uncanny continuation of Fela's legacy. Seun continues to carry the torch with Fela's original live band, Egypt 80, formally known as Nigeria '70, then Africa '70, in what can only be described as a bombastic celebration of revolution and humanity personified through Afrobeat music.

Anywhere - Anywhere II Review

As a fan of experimental and psychedelic rock, and of bands that push boundaries beyond what is normally accepted such as The Mars Volta, I was extremely pleased to discover that their frontman, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, became involved in a new project, including former musicians from grunge rock bands Nirvana and The Melvins, a band called Anywhere in 2012. Listening to their exclusive record store day limited pressing of their debut self-titled album, Anywhere sounded like a mix between tribal music, world, progressive rock, and transcendentalism, with Eastern European musical influences and a feeling like they travelled to the top of a Tibetan retreat to channel their music. Maybe it's this eclectic mix that gave them their name, as it sounds like the music itself originates from a multitude of places.

A Perfect Circle - Eat The Elephant Review

Almost a decade and a half has passed since the last release of a full-length proper studio album by A Perfect Circle, not counting their anti-war cover album eMotive, released in late 2004. One might ask themselves then, if too much time has transpired to give reason for releasing a third studio album, given A Perfect Circle's short timetable in the first place. It's this and other concerns which give Eat The Elephant a lukewarm return for the band, for it functions as a welcome back album that covers time-tested familiar ground, but also chooses to deviate, sometimes heavily, into newer, uncertain waters.