MOJO APRIL 2011 REVIEWS: PAPERCUTS FADING PARADE, COCOON WHERE THE OCEANS END

San Francisco and France. The Papercuts is a highlight of the year so far.

REVIEW - LE PRINCE MIIAOU: FILL THE BLANK WITH YOUR OWN EMPTINESS

Great album.

Review here: Rockfort Le Prince Miiaou Fill The Blank With Your Own Emptiness

On the previous album: Le Prince Miiaou Safety First

Here’s an abstract image from last night’s Paris show.

REVIEW – TALLINN MUSIC WEEK 2011

A real eye opener, this was great and generated a lot to think about.

Review here: The Arts Desk at Tallinn Music Week

Here’s a few more pics, with Finland's Murmansk too as they were so good. Above: Murmansk (Jelena Rudi) Above: Väljasõit Rohelisse (Tõnu Tunnel)

Above: Mari Pokinen (Renee Altrov)

Above: UMA ( Tõnu Tunnel)

RIP SOUND QUALITY?

I felt this needed saying.

The Arts Desk Opinion Sound Quality RIP?

REVIEW - POLY STYRENE: GENERATION INDIGO

Really enjoyable album.

Review here: The Arts Desk Poly Styrene Generation Indigo

But here's the distant past, sounding better than ever. Filmed at Shad Thames near and in Derek Jarman's warehouse.

OBITUARY - JET HARRIS

Very depressing.

Read here: Jet Harris, the original Shadow RIP - The Arts Desk

MINIMAL COMPACT ON RPM INTERNATIONAL - RAGING AND DANCING – THE ANTHOLOGY

Minimal Compact’s “Statik Dancin’” was dance-inflected post punk that revelled in the band’s Israeli origins. Back in 1981 there was no such thing as world music, but Minimal Compact infused their music with the feel of their home country, even though they were based in Belgium and signed to Brussels’ Crammed Discs. Still a dance floor filler, “Statik Dancin'” is timeless, yet still a classic of the era.

Raging and Dancing is the first career spanning Minimal Compact anthology. Band-approved with liner notes that include an interview with founder member Samy Birnbach, it takes them from 1981 to 1987, when the band called it a day after issuing their meaning-laden overhaul of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”.

Along the way, they worked with members of Wire, Tuxedomoon, John Fryer (producer of The Cocteau Twins and M/A/R/R/S). Their covers were designed by luminaries like Neville Brody and Eno/David Sylvian designer Russell Mills. Their “When I Go” featured on the soundtrack to Wim Wenders' Wings Of Desire. Minimal Compact were integral to the era.

Minimal Compact were post-punk at its most exotic and danceable. Raging and Dancing is the definitive collection. Release date is the last week of April.

Here’s the tracklist:

1. Statik Dancin’ (12’ EP, CRAM015, 1981)

2. To Get Inside (12’ EP, CRAM015, 1981)

3. Babylonian Tower (One By One, CRAM021, 1982)

4. Cold Life (One By One, CRAM021, 1982)

5. Morpheus Secrets (One By One, CRAM021, 1982)

6. Next One Is Real (Deadly Weapons, CRAM030, 1984)

7. The Well (Deadly Weapons, CRAM030, 1984)

8. Not Knowing (Deadly Weapons, CRAM030, 1984)

9.My Will (single, CRAM11457/Raging Souls, CRAM042, 1985)

10. When I Go (Raging Souls, CRAM042, 1985)

11. Sananat (single, CRAM11457/Raging Souls, CRAM042, 1985)

12. Ararat (Lowlands Flight, MTM10, 1987)

13. Low Flight (Lowlands Flight, MTM10, 1987)

14. Late Night (Fuck Your Dreams, This Is Heaven soundtrack, CRAM 048, album released 1990, film released 1986)

15. Everything Is Wonder (Immigrants Songs 12”, CRAM050/The Figure One Cuts, CRAM055, 1987)

16. New Clear Twist (Immigrants Songs 12”, CRAM050/The Figure One Cuts, CRAM055, 1987)

17. Immigrant Song (Immigrants Songs 12”, CRAM050/The Figure One Cuts, CRAM055, 1987)

ARNAUD FLEURENT-DIDIER – FIRST UK SHOW/PREMIERE SPECTACLE EN GRANDE-BRETAGNE

About time too: The Arts Desk First UK Show For Arnaud Fleurent-Didier

REVIEW - THE VACCINES: WHAT DID YOU EXPECT FROM THE VACCINES?

Impossible to see why there's so much behind this.

Review here: The Arts Desk The Vaccines What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

JOENSUU 1685 AND BRAD LANER ON SPLENDOUR RECORDS

Finland’s Joensuu 1685 are one of the world’s best live bands. Release-wise they aren’t wildly prolific. After their download/single version of Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” in September 2009, little has been heard. So it’s pretty exciting something new is coming out.

Norway’s Splendour Records (home of Harry’s Gym) is issuing a vinyl mini album (500 copies) with Joensuu 1685 on one side, Brad Laner on the other. It comes out 12 April (download from 14 March).

Brad Laner’s familiar from Medicine and more, and his three cuts are fuzzy, psychedelic, noisy but poppy. Just how poppy is demonstrated by his wind-tunnel version of Chicago’s “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day”. It’s sandwiched between “Hero Seed” and “Fountain Climber”.

On the other side is Joensuu 1685’s “Lost Highway”. It's an extraordinary thing: just short of 17 minutes, it takes their post Spacemen 3/Neu leanings to somewhere entirely new. Incredibly powerful, it’s devotional, hymn like, hypnotic. As Joensuu 1685 become more minimal, they become more powerful. “Lost Highway” was recorded in a north Finland cabin and sets a new benchmark for the band and this type of music.

Splendour are here: Splendour

Thanks to Tim Dunham and Jonas Verwijnen.

REVIEW – LES OLIVENSTEINS

More of this kind of stuff please.

Review here: Les Olivensteins Rockfort

REVIEW – ROBYN: THE ROUNDHOUSE, LONDON

Wasn’t sure how this might work live, and what my reaction might be.

It was great though.

Review here: The Arts Desk Robyn The Roundhouse