a r t i s t : Mattin
t i t l e : Song Book
d a t e : 2005
l a b e l : w.m.o/r
g e n r e : Folk
r l s. d a t e : April/2006
t r a c k s : 22
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 57,0 MB
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http://www.bagatellen.com/archives/reviews/001112.html
An artist with a reputation for investigating the extremes of
noise, both quiet and ultra-loud, releases a set of 22 songs,
energetically and (happily) ôunprofessionallyö sung and
furiously strummed out, for the most part, on acoustic guitar.
Roughly recorded (ômono with the incorporated microphone of a
pismo portable computerö), with significant background hiss
and hum (which sounds excellent, I must say) as well as the
occasionally audible, abrupt on/off switch clicks recalling
the spoken word pieces from ôTrout Mask Replicaö, ôsong bookö
has homespun charms aplenty. Aside from a few in English, the
songs are belted out in Spanish and one makes the initial
unavoidable comparison with Arto LindsayÆs Brazilian cantos
and, in a sense, with Eugene ChadbourneÆs anarcho-Americana.
But if thereÆs irony to be found here, and IÆm not certain
there is, itÆs of a different sort than that employed by those
two. I could be totally wrong, but I get a feeling of real
commitment here, of a kind of punk updating of Spanish
song-form and I find it generally quite effective and
affecting. Knowing as little as I do about that genreùwhich is
to say, nothingùitÆs entirely possible that Mattin could be
snickering behind the scenes, but I donÆt hear it. Two of the
tracks use a harmonium or reed organ of some kind (it actually
sounds very much like a Chromolodeon!), creating a nice break
in the guitar/voice onslaught. If anything, thereÆs something
of a sameness that creeps in after so many tracks, though not
an unpleasant one. A different world from, for example, his
new project with Dion Workman, ôS3ö, but one I found to be a
kick to listen to.
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01-Reirse Para Verte Llorar [02:05]
02-Nation Of Sensations [02:32]
03-Bilbao [02:22]
04-Anticipar [02:04]
05-Entre Residuos De Sida [02:34]
06-Aguantranto [02:03]
07-Tu Etica Apesta [01:42]
08-Como Angel Exterminador [03:05]
09-Dulce Passion Muerta [02:11]
10-Encuadro Alargo [03:39]
11-Volver A Creer [02:03]
12-Nos Entenderiamos [02:24]
13-Matame Bien [02:32]
14-Soy Alguien [02:39]
15-Let Me Your Leg Baby [02:42]
16-Entre El Bello Y El Dolor [02:27]
17-Stooges Idiotas [02:05]
18-Losebasurea [02:25]
19-Simpatia [03:50]
20-Tu Huesos Se Corren [01:14]
21-Me Encontraste [03:07]
22-Cancionesturbia [09:19]
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61:04 min