The Rubber Room column is a weekly look at recent and notable releases that don’t fall into the rubric of traditional reviewed material—namely 7”’s, 12”’s, 3” CDs, EPs, cassette-only, DVDs and MP3-only releases.

Antony and the Johnsons
Just One Star (B-side to “Hope There’s Someone”)
[Rough Trade, 2005]

Just a voice and piano. Of course we all know pianos sound relatively the same, but with Antony it’s like we’ve all got a ringside seat to one of the great dramatic voices of our time. Treacle thick and feminine with a made-of-steel housewife heart standing at the window with tear striped cheeks (that Brett Anderson tried to capture lyrically and vocally with a little success) channeling it into this minute-and-a-half gem just pours out emptiness and strength. In the wrong hands this would sink lifeboats and curdle milk, but here it’s one voice in the void, wanting love.
[Scott McKeating]

Feathers
Absolute Noon
[Hometapes, 2005]

The seeming aesthetic of the modest Hometapes label is beginning to come into focus: low-key ambi-pop mixed with gorgeous packaging. Can’t complain about that, even if it seems to be a little like Chicago in the height of its post-rock days. So it’s no surprise that the latest group on the label, Feathers, enlists John McEntire for production and instrumental help. The whole thing bops like a millennial “jazz” project that’s just unpretentious enough never to be remember past its initial listen. While Hometapes artists, like Paul Duncan for example, tend to stick uncomfortably in your craw for weeks at a time, this is the first (small) misstep in an otherwise unimpeachable catalogue.
[Todd Burns]

Sistema
Colores En Capsulas EP
[Factor City, 2005]

After only appearing on the label for a remix of an early Vicknoise track, Sistema (aka Manel Ruiz Lens) emerges for his first proper release for Factor City. The four tracks contained within hew closely to the label’s trance-italo-house aesthetic. While none of the offerings here tend to knock you down, there is a level of quality present that’s very comforting for fans interested to see new face’s on the label. “Costa Azul” works moody synth pads against one another, crafting an extremely melodic and low-key rejoined to its ebullient partner on the A-side, “Magenta.” On the flip, “Blanco” turns to electro for its main inspiration, featuring a dizzying array of melodic patterns—the aural equivalent of a strobe light going on for much of its length, while the EP closer, “Black Session ‘94” revels in sonar pings and empty spaces.
[Todd Burns]

Donnacha Costello
Mustard
[Minimise, 2004]

Despite the shocking resemblance to piss yellow, Costello’s latest entrant to the color series is surprisingly not a stale rehash of the ultra-minimalism that has typified, uh, Minimise’s previous 12”’s. Instead, both sides here actually seem to be the most potent melodic products of the bunch thus far, rearing back to unleash furious sequenced oscillations and syncopated muted snares. It may be the series’ first move towards producing tracks for the highlights of sets, rather than enjoyable segues to more recognizable fare.
[Todd Burns]

Metro Area
Metro Area 6
[Environ, 2005]

“Honey Circuit” doesn’t so much blow your mind as much as it rearranges it. Yes, it’s Metro Area. But it’s Metro Area getting out of their comfort zone just enough to make you realize that they’re hardly a one-trick pony. The sonic elements are much the same: hand-claps, flute, glistening upward-reaching synth fills, wordless vocal oohs, etc. etc. But there’s more going on this time and, at times, the structure seems almost too busy (like they’ve gone prog or something), but it’s probable that you’ll be jacking too hard to care. “Rhythm Reel #6” corrects the failings of “Honey Circuit” by taking everything unnecessary out and leaving what is essentially a DJ tool—albeit a wholly hypnotic one. “Things Fall” gets back to basics for the group, featuring a popping horn line and those R&B synths making love to the woodblock and funky guitar line that plays underneath.
[Todd Burns]

Nid and Sancy
Talk To The Machine
[Surprise, 2005]

Electroclash always seemed like a silly name to me. What exactly was it clashing with? Passion? You probably wouldn’t ever have reason to call Nid and Sancy electroclash, if the unfortunate genre tag hadn’t sprung up, but if we must, we must. Luckily, the duo infuse their songs with a healthy does of attitude missing from the New York spawned movement. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re from Belgium. Either way, songs like “No Fuck All” and “So Where’s Your Acid Brother” roil with a fierceness that mixes the best of electro and digital hardcore’s ridiculous sloganeering—a genre slowly taking form under the gaze of artists like T. Raumschmiere. Highly recommended.
[Todd Burns]