Rock / Indie Recommendations October 2011

Review: German producer Apparat joins the venerable Mute stable with The Devil's Walk, his fourth studio album. The ten tracks on offer represent an intriguing stylistic shift for the producer, these days known as much for his role in sub-bass bothering trio Moderat as his solo endeavours. He has broadened his sound from a solo electronic endeavour to incorporate densely layered live instrumentation, although his knack for subtly euphoric jangling melodies remains. Each sonic exploration on The Devil's Walk ranges is breathtakingly delicate, from the spine-tingling rain drops and plaintive vocals on previously released single "Black Water" to the heavy, almost funereal mood on "Goodbye". Elsewhere there are excursions into post-dubstep territory ("Candil De La Calle"), richly melodic soundscapes ("Escapes") and strangely uplifting moments ("A Bang In The Void"). All in all, a masterful opus.

Review: Deluxe reissue of the glorious Innerspeaker from West Australian band Tame Impala's with the rich, earthy blend of psychedelia and bluesy rock of the eleven track album complemented by a bonus CD featuring remixes from Erol Alkan and Pilooski and tracks from long deleted single releases. In truth, Innerspeaker sounds like a love letter to 1969, but that's no bad thing; there's no dead wood whatsoever in the first eight tracks, with the extended solos and other self indulgent vices usually linked to psychedelic music eschewed in favour of catchy hooks. Mixed by Flaming Lips collaborator Dave Fridmann, tracks like "Desire Be, Desire Go" exude an instant familiarity, while "Lucidity" and "Solitude Is Bliss" offer the album's strongest lyrical moments. Their links to dance music are also apparent - and demonstrated fully on the second disc which not only features the aforementioned remixes along with efforts from Mickey Moonlight and fellow Perth raised production outfit Canyons but also the bands glorious cover of Blue Boy's "Remember Me".