Michael Nolledo, Author at ALARM

The Groove Seeker: Calibro 35’s Ritornano Quelli Di…

On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

Calibro 35: Ritornano Quelli Di… (Ghost/Nublu, 7/13/2010)

Calibro 35: “Death Comes at Midnight”

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During the 1970s, the Italian film industry produced approximately 250 films that fell under the Italian cop sub-genre poliziotteschi. The films were ultra-violent takeoffs of American cop and mafia movies such as The Godfather, The French Connection, and Dirty Harry. Always brutal and sometimes filled with nonsensical violence, poliziotteschi films had it all: car and motorcycle chases, political corruption, mafia wars, heists, shootouts, tough rogue cops, and not to mention properly trimmed mustaches.

To match the over-the-top action, films began replacing traditional orchestrated scores with driving sounds that drew influence from rock, funk, and jazz. A close listen beyond the double-machine-gun-toting criminals and the occasional poor dubbing job reveals the swankiest music ever set to film.

World in Stereo: Copal’s Into the Shadow Garden

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Copal: Into the Shadow Garden (self-released, 11/4/2010)

Copal: “Roots”
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A profound understanding of past worlds and global traditions are required to make music like Copal does. The New York City-based music collective specializes in old-world sounds with careful modern flourishes, drawing influences from a wide variety of ancient societies. Copal’s debut album, Into the Shadow Garden, has a meditative sophistication; it’s a string- and percussion-driven album that recalls a time when these instruments alone were used to express a musical ambiance and atmosphere.

The Groove Seeker: Thunderball’s 12 Mile High

On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

Thunderball: 12 Mile High (ESL Music, 11/9/2010)

Thunderball: “Make Your Move”

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Thievery Corporation’s Eighteenth Street Lounge Music record label has been releasing downtempo and electronic music since its establishment in 1996. As one of the label’s original artists, Thunderball has been on the cusp of the genre, its music known for its cinematic quality and global sound. From Bristol-style drum and bass, 1970s blaxploitation soundtracks, and Afro-dub, to funky Bollywood sitars, lounge-centric jazz riffs, and futuristic synth lines, making it sound cohesive is a feat in itself. 12 Mile High, Thunderball’s fourth full-length recording, is yet another musical journey through the group’s signature sound.

World in Stereo: AfroCubism

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

AfroCubism: s/t (World Circuit / Nonesuch, 11/2/2010)

AfroCubism: “Jarabi”

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It was 1996 when British producer Nick Gold and American guitarist Ry Cooder arrived in Havana, intending to make a certain record that placed Malian and Cuban musicians together to explore the roots of Afro-Cuban music. But as passport and visa problems stranded the West African musicians in Paris, Gold and Cooder made the decision to move on and revamp the project because the studio in Havana was already booked.

The Groove Seeker: Qwel & Maker’s Owl

On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

Qwel & Maker: Owl (Galapagos4, 9/14/10)

Qwel & Maker: “Letting Life Pass By”

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Although Chicago’s underground hip-hop scene has roads that point back separately to both MC Qwel and DJ Maker, their partnership has helped them reach audiences beyond the confines of the city’s gridded streets.

Qwel gained an underground following starting in Chicago’s south-side neighborhood of Hyde Park as a founding member of the Typical Cats in the late ’90s. Between periods of work on Typical Cats material, he has released several projects that enlist fellow artists at Galapagos4, the indie label that has put out nearly 20 Qwel releases since 2001. That expansive list becomes larger with Qwel and Maker’s third record together, Owl.

World in Stereo: Raga Bop Trio

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Raga Bop Trio: s/t (Abstract Logix, 7/20/10)

Raga Bop Trio: “Tug of War”

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Carnatic and Hindustani music, the classical music forms of North and South India, provide the base for the Raga Bop Trio. Saxophonist George Brooks is an established fixture in the Indian fusion scene as a devout student and purveyor of Hindustani music. He has collaborated with India’s most respected artists and his deep understanding of raga is a vital element to the trio’s melodic force. Guitarist Prasanna brings an avant-garde approach to the table by taking the ornamentations and tones found in South Indian Carnatic music and transferring them to the electric guitar. While he is able to mimic the subtle microtones of the sitar, he is also able to incorporate within them modern shape-shifting technology, demonstrated by his 2006 Carnatic/rock tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ganesha Land.

The Groove Seeker: Andreya Triana’s Lost Where I Belong

On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

Andreya Triana: Lost Where I Belong (Ninja Tune, 9/7/2010)

Andreya Triana: “Far Closer”

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With her debut release, Lost Where I Belong, soul singer Andreya Triana transitions from being a go-to featured guest vocalist to a full fledged solo artist.

The Brighton-based songstress has been favored by left-field producers and beat-makers such as Flying Lotus and Mr. Scruff, offering a distinct voice that points back to the deep and sensuous tone of Nina Simone. Under the production supervision of fellow Ninja Tune multi-instrumentalist and overall groove peddler Simon Green, a.k.a. Bonobo, Lost Where I Belong places Triana’s soul and folk-inflected vocal-jazz style under a well-deserved spotlight.

World in Stereo: Huun Huur Tu’s Ancestors Call

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Huun Huur Tu: Ancestors Call (World Village, 10/12/2010)

Huun Huur Tu: “Chyraa-Khoor (Yellow Pacer)”
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Obtaining music from a tiny, remote place like the Republic of Tuva is similar to possessing some sort of mysterious artifact. For Huun Huur Tu’s latest offering, Ancestors Call, the sentiment holds true as the four folk traditionalists have reintroduced to the world an art form from one of the least-known regions in Siberia. Collecting the group’s most-admired songs, the quartet has redefined the music that it pioneered more than 15 years ago, reworking these original pieces with a 20^th Century approach to composition and rhythm.

The Groove Seeker: Argotec’s Wherewithal

On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

Argotec: Wherewithal (5/8/2010)

Argotec: “What You Now Know”

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Argotec, the New York-based duo of Alex Argot and Defpotec (Richard Courage), shows an impressive array of influences with its self-released debut record, Wherewithal, cementing elements of drum-and-bass, glitch, electronic, and rock into the realm of hip hop. The partnership — Argot supplying rhymes and Defpotec handling production — has created a distinct and developed sound, channeling old-school Aesop Rock verses in a cut-and-paste Flying Lotus aesthetic with dash of screamo vocals. With smart lyrics that demand listeners to think critically about social consciousness, Wherewithal aims to broaden audiences’ horizon both musically and mentally.

World in Stereo: Peña

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Peña: s/t (Secret Stash Records, 10/12/2010)

Peña: “Tarumbero”
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It is one thing to travel and experience world cultures other than your own, but it’s another thing to record and share your findings on an album. In March of 2010, Cory Wong and Eric Foss of Minneapolis-based independent record label Secret Stash began planning a dream project that sought to discover and examine the roots of Afro-Peruvian music. Though Secret Stash Records specializes in releasing and cataloging rare grooves from all over the world, this project carves out a different place in the catalog.

Peña — a two-disc CD/DVD collection that comes in an actual secret-stash-esque wooden case — is not a compilation of rediscovered tunes, but instead is a journey through Afro-Peruvian music from a rotating cast of some of the best local musicians in the genre.

The Groove Seeker: Garage a Trois’ Power Patriot

On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

Garage a Trois: Power Patriot (The Royal Potato Family, 10/26/09)

Garage a Trois: “Rescue Spreaders”
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Garage a Trois is the improvised groove child of saxophonist Skerik, drummer Stanton Moore, and 8-string guitarist Charlie Hunter. The trio made a grand debut in 1999 with Mysteryfunk, a raw EP of completely improvised recordings, foregoing interest in post-production effects and multi-tracking. In 2002, percussionist and vibraphonist Mike Dillon was added to the mix, giving the group a new tonal texture, and the band began rooting its music in powerful repetitions à la Critters Buggin, Skerik and Dillon’s former band. The departure of Hunter in 2007 led to a temporary void that was filled by rotating musicians, most notably John Medeski. Soon after, jam keyboardist Marco Benevento was chosen to permanently fill Hunter’s place.

World in Stereo: Rahim AlHaj’s Little Earth

Each week, World in Stereo examines classic and modern world music while striving for a greater appreciation of other cultures.

Rahim AlHaj: Little Earth (UR Music, 9/28/10)

Rahim AlHaj: “Morning in Hyattsville”
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If you’ve ever dabbled in Arabic music, whether realizing or not, you have probably come across the short-necked Arabian lute known formerly as the oud. If you’ve never explored the musical styling, however, the recordings of Rahim AlHaj may be the place to start. Hailed as one of Iraq’s most paramount composers and an esteemed oud musician, AlHaj studied under Munir Bashir, perhaps one of the most quintessential innovators and players of the oud, at the Institute of Music in Baghdad.