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Dusted Features
Every Friday, Dusted Magazine publishes a series of music-related lists compiled by our favorite artists. This week: Sir Richard Bishop and Yuka Honda.
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Listed: Sir Richard Bishop + Yuka Honda
Sir Richard Bishop
Sir Richard Bishop, rare occult bookseller by day, is best known to Dusted readers as 1/3 of Seattle psychons The Sun City Girls, in which he plays guitar. Beyond these somewhat parallel paths, Bishop has forged a name for himself both as one of the operators of Eastern archival label Sublime Frequencies (of which there is no shortage of coverage in this publication), as well as occasionally forging out on his own Bishop. His recent solo album, Improvika (Locust), is Bishop's follow up to his part on Locust's Wooden Guitar collection, and his second full-length following his debut on John Fahey's Revenant label. Improvika is out now.
1. Albery Ayler – Holy Ghost (Revenant, 2004)
This massive box set is overwhelming to say the least. The Lord of the Tenor like you’ve never heard him before. 9 CDs of unreleased mayhem. If you play them loud enough, the ast River will drain itself in minutes. Also has a hardcover book in color, lots of artifacts to play with, and comes in an ornate box that you can curl up and sleep in. Holy Shit!
2. www.whatreallyhappened.com
For those who are on a need to know basis, go here and keep going back. Pass it along, you’ll be accused of all sorts of things. We all know there’s no need for ABCNNBCBS and the Fox hunt ended long ago, though we can always go back for a quick falafel if we get hungry for laughs. So sit back, have some coffee……relax!
3. William Shatner – Has Been (Shout! Factory, 2004)
He’s back. Where have you been, Will? Seems he HAS BEEN everywhere as of late. This CD makes me laugh for days. This is probably his best work since his dual role in White Comanche. Many will probably give this a pass, but I just can’t get behind that!
4. David Gordon White - Kiss Of The Yogini (University of Chicago Press, 2003)
How many occultists do we have in the crowd tonight? Any self-proclaimed left-hand path sex magicians blindly strutting their stuff to impress us with their make believe whimsies? For those of you have forever been heaping praise on the “Masters” and floating down the murky waters of the Crowleyean, O.T.O. stream…well, here’s your paddle. I want you to take it and endlessly bash yourself over the head with it. You'll be doing all of us a great favor. Finally, a scholarly work on the ritual use and consumption of sexual fluids, as practiced by our South Indian adepts since Medieval times. It’s always best to go to the source. Drink up, Shriners!
5. The Wicker Man DVD Box Set (Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2001)
For some reason this will always be one of my favorite films. This box has both versions, the best being the 99 minute unrated version. Extras include interviews with Lord Summerisle and Howie, the Christian Copper himself, plus a great look at the bizarre circumstances that plagued the film during its making and marketing. Final Score - Heathens: 1, Christians: ZIP. Bring Him Up, Oak!!!
6. Secret Chiefs 3 (Web of Mimicry)
Book of Horizons (2004) and basically, everything else they’ve ever recorded. I can’t explain any of it. But, do yourself a favor and see them play live. I don’t care how you do it, make them play……at gunpoint if necessary. It will blow your fucking mind!
7. Djangofest
A series of festivals throughout the United States celebrating the music and legacy of Monsieur Reinhardt. Based on the annual festival in Samois, France where Django is buried, these multi-day events feature many of the finest gypsy guitarists as well as those of the Caucasian persuasion, in the world today. So far there are Djangofests in Chicago, NY, San Francisco, Whidbey Island, WA, and Sellersville, PA, with Los Angeles and possibly other locations on the horizon. Warning: they’re can be a lot of really irritating guitar geeks at these festivals…. You just have to deal with it!
8. Beatles Anthology DVDBEATLES ANTHOLOGY DVD – okay, old news here but, even if you cover yourself in cranberry sauce and realize that Paul really IS dead, this 5 DVD set is still by far the best music documentary ever. The direction, the filming, the editing, the whole production…and the music ain’t bad either. No need for a narrator here…it’s all in the boy’s own words. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, this band is going to be huge someday….if they live long enough. Ain’t that right, Harold?
9. Marcel Khalife (Al Mayadine Quartet) - Jadal (Nagam Records, 1996)
Khalife is Lebanon’s modern master of the Oud. This two disc set, featuring two oud players, bass and tambourine is a remarkable work of high art; free expression in Arabic music, familiar yet uncharted. The finger work is amazing with classical overtones mingling with various gypsy stylings, creating possibilities for the oud that had previously been overlooked. Seek it out.
10. Sublime Frequencies (the Label)
Anything and everything. Well hell, I just can't say enough about this fine conglomerate. Sure, it’s a shameless plug, but certainly not an unenlightened one!
Yuka Honda
When Yuka Honda collaborated with Boredoms/OOIOO luminary Yoshimi P-We on last year's Ipecac release, Flower With No Color (billed as Yoshimi & Yuka), it was a coming-full-circle of sorts for two very different bands who, during the mid-90s, may have found themselves on similar paths. But while Yoshimi's Boredoms never really stood a chance in the mainstream (Lollapalooza notwithstanding), Yuka's Cibo Matto (of which she was one of two members) achieved a nice amount of mainstream popularity. Cibo Matto's off-kilter style combined giddy samples with peppy broken English to create a pleasingly unique blend of unlikely sources. Since Cibo Matto's break-up, its two members have chosen decidedly different directions, and Honda's is clearly towards the more experimental. Her new album, Eucademix was recently released on the ever-esoteric Tzadik label (run by the equally esoteric John Zorn).
1. Talking Heads - Remain In Light
My favorite favorite favorite album of all time. I also adore My Life in the Bush Of Ghosts and Tom Tom Club. SO MUCH!
2. Earth, Wind, and Fire - Spirit
I really couldn't decide which album from Earth Wind & Fire I should pick for this list. I picked this one because this was the first album I bought of theirs and although I'm not too big on some of the songs here, I love the songs called "Imagination" and "Spirit" so much it makes up for the whole album. Of course I love their songs like "Fantasy" and "Shining Star", but my most favorite musical moment is at the end of "Can't Hide Love", when they do a choir section with 'ah,,, ah,,, ah,,' and sing the most divine melody and chord changes. I think they are gods.
3. Ornette Coleman - Virgin Beauty
The coolest music ever. Jerry Garcia plays guitar on many of the songs. If I had to pick only one album to listen to for the rest of my life, I would pick this one.
4. Neil Young - After The Gold Rush
How many lonely nights have I spent, playing this album, singing along... it lights a fire in my heart.
5. Tom Ze - The Best of Tom Ze
One of the most soulful, inventive musicians. It gives you a hope for the future.
6. Kool Keith - Sex Style
It's a kind of album that you can never listen to on your first date. By your 20th date, you realize you both love this album and you smirk, but maybe it's still embarrassing to listen to it together. It's got dope dope the dopest tracks and rhyming. Don't play it when you are driving with your mama.
7. Yellow Magic Orchestra - Technodelic
Yellow Magic Orchestra is the coolest Japanese band ever, period. I just rented their Best album (yes, you can rent CDs in japan), and was astounded how thier music still sounds ecstatically hip today, although some of them were written more than 20 years ago. Incredible. Their earlier albums often incorporated fake radio show called "The Snake Man Show", with a DJ who sounds kind of like Wolfman Jack and did lots of short surrealistic comedy. It was cool as hell.
8. Sandi & Sunsetz - Heat Wave
Harry Hosono of YMO (Yellow Magic Orchestra) produced this cool band called Sandi & Sunsetz. Sandi is Hawaiian-Japanese, who has the voice of a goddess. I have also never seen a Japanese woman who has such a beautiful voluptuous shape. They became more famous later and had a hit song in Australia but this album is my favorite. Awesome music.
9. Serge Gainsbourg - I Love Serge Remix
Don't we all love Serge? This one also turned out to be my favorite remix album of all time. I am 100% certain if Serge were still alive he would have been all over it. Some of the remixes took the songs to the whole new dimension. Very inspiring.
10. Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame
So romantic. So grand. It makes me feel like I'm drifting on the wild ocean on my raft on which i stand on, feeling brave and strong.
By Dusted Magazine
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