Musical Impressions of 2012: #2 Elyas Khan
It's the second day of my countdown. For those who read this the first time: I have asked some of my favourite artists of this year to write me a list with their favourite albums. I tried to reach artists and bands from different countries, genres, ages and backgrounds. With the second musician I have someone who is someone I adore for his music and beyond. It is the musician I have seen very often, probably I haven't seen anyone more often in concert in my life: Elyas Khan. This year I have seen him on his own, with his drummer Romain and with Sxip Shirey and Romain as the force of nature that Gentlemen & Assassins is. There will be more words about him in my own list, so now read on and enjoy his list.
Best of 2012 music by Elyas Khan
I jotted down artists in the order that they came to mind. I find listing a top ten nearly impossible: it's mostly done for marketing music anyway and that is not my intention here. This article is more a series of impressions that certain recorded music and artists had on me this year…Some I mention may not have even been released this year but were artists that I listened to frequently.
I was turned onto Alt J by a drummer friend of mine from London. These young musicians from Cambridge England seem like informed, educated people: they delve into musical forms both from within and without their immediate surroundings. Their sound resonates the influence of a culturally diverse population …like Vampire Weekend before them this means taping into vocal, rhythmic and melodic aspects African music combined with the now almost ubiquitous Asian flavor in Britain. Make no mistake though these lads are British through and through. I find them much more interesting than Vampire Weekend and I hope they continue to really explore and dig deep in the future. Great promise.
Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean seem cut from the same cloth.…Good songs all pretty much vibing on a heavy R&B, hip hop angle with a confessional, humble, story telling lilt lyrically. … Makes for an easeful yet grooving listening experience…I hope they get to mature with broader perspectives on the human experience and even more experimentation musically.
Tom Waits, Bad As Me is another solid record by the old bard. He's got great grooves and sticky licks going on as usual and there are some wonderful lines to the stories in there: "Everybody knows umbrellas cost more than the rain".
Ramshackle recording environments with stellar musicianship and state of the art engineering. I'm a sucker for this stuff.
Dr John http://elyaskhan.tumblr.com/post/32727798746/been-really-feeling-the-new-dr-john-record
Must say I was happily surprised by this one. The newly found sheen of production by Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) has done wonders for the representation of this New Orleans legend. So much good stuff working here: Ethiopique influences, fat ass funk lines, the horn section kills it with that Baritone sax, political uprightness, social commentary…This is a sampler's wet dream
Bobby Womack. "The Bravest Man in the Universe" His voice was the best thing at the Gorillaz gig I went to in Berlin. This record digs deep and discovers the heart of the man. Only tiny bit of critisism is that it could have done without the stoner fiddling with gadgety sounds and gone more for a richer atitiude in parts. That being said I'll be listening to this record for some to come.
Liane La Havas has a lovely, rich voice and interesting arrangements that capture the attention immediately. These are pretty much relationship songs but perhaps it's the crystal clear tone of her voice and the silky, languid vibrato that gets me. She has the Zadie Smith (author of White Teeth) vibe of London with a carefully cultivated and trained persona built to impress. I smell a major diva in the making. I've been asked to by several people to cover her stuff, they mention similarities.
I just hope she roughs it up a bit in future, such is my own personal taste.
Odd future/Tyler the Creator/DeathGrips/Earl Sweatshirt. Four artists that I have rudely lumped together. At the same time I'm sure these guys couldn't give a fuck anyways. They are smack in the face brilliant, truly nasty and get the fuck out my face irritating. I like all sides.
Siriusmo Doctor Beak's Rantanplant (2012) The most interesting music in Berlin for my taste. Visual artist and mind blowing electronic musician/producer. Next level beats indeed.
Conny Bauer The single best soloist I have seen in this country. Great Trombone master from the former DDR.
http://elyaskhan.tumblr.com/post/36670461112/saw-the-amazing-trombone-innovator-player-conny
Budzillus. Because they are my friends and I want to shamelessly promote their music even though I think it's shit. Just kidding my homies.
http://www.budzillus.de/news.html
Gentlemen & Assassins: ditto except for the shit part…it's a one off unique collectors item…a time capsule for me.
I had the idea and a booked a tour was booked before we even had a name or songs. Managing to recruit great New York Composer Sxip Shirey and legendary Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione was a stroke of very good fortune. We made two six country tours and this record.
http://gentlemenassassins.bandcamp.com
Grizzly Bear "Shields"…feels like a real, full album not just a collection of singles. There are bands like Johnny Society that imbue this very particular American pathos and vocalization though I feel this band is emotionally evocative, inventive and rememberable in a way that is very rare.
Anything by Deerhoof or new film score by Mark Mothersbaugh for a Wes Anderson film is always welcome.
Arvo Pärt: I love watching this clip of him working on arrangements for "My heart is in the highlands".
http://elyaskhan.tumblr.com/post/36874662470/an-extraordinary-document-of-creation-and
My favorite rao free styler of the year is Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire hands down
Why rap?…Stories..I want stories.
Ratatat: Anything they produce I'll be listening to.
Ratatat has incredible production value and actual musicianship. Their last two efforts were recorded at Old Soul in Catskill, New York. A place dear to my heart and where I made two Nervous Cabaret records.
The XX just trips me back to my clove smoking mopey days, waiting in line for all ages shows, scribbling away my first attempts at being an artist in my note book…In the same way that The Cocteau Twins did except that was 25 years ago when this genre of music in pop was first created. Interpol's1st record has the same effect for me also.
Godspeed you Black Emperor-Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Animal Collective - Centipede HZ
Diplo: I'm a big fan. I really like this song by one of his projects Major Lazer. It features the alluring voice of Dirty Projectors memberAmber.
Tuneyards…I will listen to anything by her. Brilliant. What a voice.
(Editor's note: Today, 21. December 2012, Elyas and Romain Vicente will play at the Trans Glam Christmas Bash, Südblock, Berlin. I can just highly recommend them over and over again. For further information: https://www.facebook.com/events/515531555137778/)
# 1 Luke Joseph Barham (Stagecoach)
