Blevin Blectum's Plutonian TechnoJazz And Brigid Mae Power's Aching Tim Buckley Cover
Blevin Blacktum, Gentle Death (Afresymegol) (Deathbomb Arc)
Omni was a science, sci-fi, and paranormal magazine that thrived in print from 1978 to 1995. Created by Penthouse editor Bob Guccione, the magazine undoubtedly captured the imagination of Blevin Blackum (aka Bevin Kelly). Music Producer.-Electronics in Seattle, now based in Point Arena, California.
As Kelly told me in a 2018 Stranger video, he was influenced by science fiction writers like Ursula K. LeGuin, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, and JG Ballard. He also played in a Carl Sagan tribute band called Sagan which is amazing. The title of his new album OMNII (out July 28 on cassette and digital) reveals his intentions. The results are as scientifically based as one would expect from this pioneering musician. Day job in Amazon's consumer robotics division.
Blevin Blekum, the ghost of OMNII's mysterious atmosphere game Romana, takes you into strange realms. Vermillion Sand Storm's sweeping motion results in a smooth glide through an inky void, occasionally interrupted by the starship's laser beams. If he were still alive, Stanley Kubrick would have liked it. Almost Gothic destiny enshrouds the ominous space of "Venus Velvet (Beyond Nevermind"), whose organ hum sounds like a misguided homage to Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."
The truly disturbing "Eternal Children's Choir at X-Day Celebration on Planet X" showcases BB's incredible ability to handle distorted vocals. On "Nocturn (Planetfall Edit, Psaltriparus Minimus Maximus Mix)" an abstract interior transforms into a low-gravity techno excursion reminiscent of Kraftwerk's LSD-era Tour de France soundtracks .
But the highlight of the album is "Soft Death (Afresymegol)", which packs a lot of excitement and inventiveness into its three minutes and variety. Featuring some of the sharpest xylophone patterns I've ever heard, self-healing rhythms of weird shakes, and the most brutal beats of Blevin Blackum, this is the greatest track Aphex Twin has ever released: techno-plutonic jazz at its finest. Make no mistake: "Soft Death" is up for song of the year.
On OMNII, Kelly abandons her weirder tendencies and focuses on the louder, more exciting and otherworldly tones of her career. It's a shame Kosmos was canceled because those songs would make a great soundtrack.
Brigid May Power, "I Must Have Been Blind" (Fire Records)
Since releasing her chilled-out, self-titled LP on legendary Tompkins Square label in 2016, Irish singer-songwriter Brigid May Power has graced radio waves with her stylish folk music. Across more than five studio albums, Power's vocals have conveyed deep emotion, be it theater or theatrics. Joke In that way, she resembles folk-soul misfits like Julie Driscoll (aka Julie Tippetts) and Linda Perhax.
So it only makes sense that Power would cover Tim Buckley's great ballad "I Must Have Been Blind" on their new album Dream from the Deep Well . The original version appears on Jeff Dad's album Blue Afternoon (1969) and captures the folk-jazz icon in humble, thoughtful form, methodical melody caressed by subtle vibraphones, brush/hammer and cymbals, and bone acoustics. Guitar melodies Tim's lyrics express his regret over a relationship that didn't live up to its potential because he ruined it for certain reasons. The song should appeal to anyone who has experienced the romantic road.
In Power's rendition of "I Must Have Been Blind," piano and violin replace guitar and vibration as the main melodic elements, but the star of the performance is the vocals. One could say that the power is closely linked to the delicate confusion at the heart of the song. Normally I would consider it sacrilegious for another artist to attempt to cover one of Tim Buckley's favorite compositions, but Damned Power fits TB's profound vision. Respect!
"I Must Be Blind" is one of the highlights of A Beautifully Realized Dream From a Deep Well . "Coming Down" takes on the bright lights of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" to poetically speak about the struggle to reconcile motherhood and a music career. Power pays homage to its heritage with tributes to "I Know Who Is Sick" and "Down by the Glenside," a traditional 1920s Irish song and Irish Republican standard, respectively. "Maybe It's Just Lightning" shows Star Mazie's subtle frustration, but Power's vocals have more tonality than Hope Sandoval's. The Waterford Song has flourishes and some of Power's most emotional songs. The elegant "I'll Wait Outside For You" features beautiful guitar sighs and an even gentler gravity of power. But nothing beats "I Must Be Blind" in this delightful reimagining of traditional 21st-century truths.
