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.

The Once and Future Herds
Lion-Colored Hills
[Pseudoarcana, 2005]

Yet another incarnation of the Jewelled Antler Collective, the Once and Future Herds brings together Glenn Donaldson, Donovan Quinn, and Loren Chasse. It seems too easy to say that OaFH sounds like the Skygreen Leopards (Quinn and Donaldson) darkened by the drone of Thuja or Blithe Sons (of which Chasse is a seminal member). And luckily, that is too easy an analysis, though the sunshine drawls of “Locust Parade” do call the Skygreen Leopards to mind. The tone of the recording varies from said summer bliss to the slow accidental death-plucks of “Who will Weep for the Sparrow?” but the spirit of sincerity, reverence, and wisdom that infuses most Jewelled Antler projects stays intact throughout. A wonderful release—catch it while you can.
[Bryan Berge]

The Drift
Streets b/w Nozomi 12"
[Temporary Residence, 2005]

This 12-inch is supposed to be a teaser from the forthcoming full-length due out in the fall, and it sort of has it right. The first half of "Streets" is its own flirtation, pulling you in without giving it away until finally you're released for the final minutes. "Nozomi" incites you less, but evokes more emotion. The guitar voicings here are so beautiful that you forget whether you're supposed to be calling this dub or jazz or post-rock or what. Both tracks close in on the ten-minute mark, but you'll never know it, unless you stop to consider how much exquisite sound you've heard.
[Justin Cober-Lake]

Mobius Band
City Vs. Country
[Ghostly, 2005]

Mobius Band has obviously listened to the best of its contemporaries, drawing ideas about guitar sounds and songs structures from Broken Social Scene while nodding to the Postal Service's glitch-pop techniques. They've also taken lessons from the '80s in how to construct dance-rock (with no attention paid to current retro-post-punkers or whatever they are). Emotional but based on craft, the five tracks on this EP probably won't make you jump around, love the guitar, or watch The O.C., but they will let you connect to any of those moods by residing in an intersection of all three. Hurry up, full-length.
[Justin Cober-Lake]

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Beatz By The Pound
[a weekly look into the world of electronic musics]

It’s hardly ignorance that’s kept Stylus from covering the latest LP’s that Kompakt has had to offer. The Stylus microhouse braintrust has been talking about them, just not writing about them specifically. But, then again, the records are hardly the most interesting thing going on right now, so I’d say we’ve been steering clear for good reason. Except for Superpitcher. Which I’ll talk about a bit later. But first:

Justus Köhncke
Doppelleben
[Kompakt, 2005]

One of the greatest EPs that Kompakt has ever put out. Bear in mind, though, that if you put on Was Ist Musik on the stereo after two years of not listening to it that it make you believe that you missed something incredibly important in the interim. Which is a long way of saying that this record will undoubtedly work in the same fashion. Open to all styles (but mostly Force Tracks’ Digital Disco), the record floats effortlessly back and forth, showcasing Köhncke’s obvious aptitude at making incredibly powerful three-song statements and too schizophrenic to make an album-long one. Why bother when it’s this good? I’m not sure. I’ll be sure to wait two years to find out.

Ferenc
Fraximal
[Kompakt, 2005]

Based on the strength of two-and-a-half Kompakt 12”’s, the Spanish duo Ferenc somehow convinced Mayer and friends to release this full-on acid album. Unlike Köhncke’s album, I don’t see this one growing too much (perhaps because everything sounds so similar in tone). Luckily, there are gems to be found in the rough: “Nitsa Is 11,” the only previously released track on the record “France,” and the hard-hitting “Neng” immediately come to mind. It’s the mediocre, or worse, tracks that drag the whole thing down to a disappointing level, echoing more the group’s work for Pornflake than their previous highlights on Kompakt.

Markus Güntner
1981
[Kompakt, 2005]

There are some huge differences between 1981 and In Moll. Problem is: the best moments on the record are when Güntner relies on old tricks. That’s why “Jellyfish” and “Hi-Jacked” are great, but should have been saved for a pseudonym and a double-sided schaffel-tastic 12” elsewhere and they should have been replaced with the hazy ambience that we come to expect from Güntner’s Kompakt work. If there were ever a time for thanks-for-not-fucking-with-the-formula criticism (the rest of the time), though, this is it. There’s something to be said for the Namlookian ideal of slow-moving ambient innovations that Güntner is undergoing. I just wish he’d adhere to Pete’s release schedule. Or maybe not.

Various Artists (Mixed By Damian Lazarus)
Crosstown Rebels Present Rebel Futurism Session Two
[Crosstown Rebels, 2005]

I’ll be honest: Superpitcher’s Today? Not really that great, in my opinion. A definition of microgoth? OK. Sounds like a pretty poorly mixed and boring genre to me. I’d much rather listen to electro-goth, I guess, if the most recent mix by Damian Lazarus is any indication. Crucially, it doesn’t allow the intensity to falter, has a better selection of tracks, and climaxes with the Michael Mayer mix of “Happiness,” rather than the moody Lawrence version. In the end, it all comes down to taste: do you a DJ mix that is the most tasteful and emotional of the year or do you want one that bangs? I’ll take the one that does both, instead of just one.

Various Artists (Mixed By Triple R)
Flashback
[MBF, 2005]

Flashback is mixed, but barely. For nearly each track, it has that eight bar mix that any four-four joint can have—irregardless of whether it actually makes sense. It’s excusable, though, because presumably what Riley is really trying to do here is to showcase the label’s track in full as much as possible—to get people to buy the vinyl 12”’s from whence they came. After hearing this, I’ll be buying the following: Toro’s “Phantom Drive” (both tracks feature here), anything involving Break 3000, and most especially the forthcoming Daso 12”. You should too.
[Todd Burns]