Cristal, Re-Ups (side A)

2008's Re-Ups is an incredibly sparse, slight listen.  The simple textures exist often in isolation.  Sounds often evolve slowly over an extended period of time before being replaced.  Most of the sounds fall in the noise side of the palette, with little tonal information or reference, though a high-pitched tone does occasionally emerge.  These tones stand out from the midrange frequencies that the noisier sounds occupy.  While the palette and style remains relatively consistent, there are separate tracks spread across the two sides, with titles that are identified in black-on-black print inside the nice gatefold and also on the back of the obi-strip.  The music seems to have been carefully composed—while the palette resembles the quiet improvised music of recent years, the structure feels much more purposeful.  Labradford bassist Bobby Donne is a member of Cristal, but the music here is far more extreme in its austerity than even Labradford's quietest moments.

Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, Dead Death, Death Dead (side A)

Apart from having a funny and creative name, Blue Sabbath Black Cheer don't particularly differentiate themselves from other noise bands of the mid-'00s.  Their heaviness reminds me of Sunn O))), as does their use of death metal-influenced fonts and a lot of black in the packaging.  The dark, layered drones with noise and vocals peeking out owe a debt to groups like Double Leopards and Yellow Swans, though Blue Sabbath Black Cheer are definitely more aggressive and willfully punishing than either.  The screaming hardcore-like vocals come to the foreground more than many of the group's contemporaries would have placed them.  While 2006's Dead Death, Death Dead does not feel particularly innovative for its era, it is tasteful and well-executed.  The bass-heavy mastering job is quite competent, if obviously stylized, and the black-on-black printing of the cover taxidermy photograph came out great.

Ash Ra Tempel, Join Inn (side A)

In 1973 when Ash Ra Tempel recorded Join Inn, founding member Klaus Schulze had re-joined the group.  Join Inn includes two side-long tracks that sound like two different bands.  Side B, "Jeseits" features Schulze on organ, and his personality comes to the foreground.  While Rosi Mueller contributes vocals here, they play a secondary role to the ongoing drones.  Surprisingly, Schulze drums on side A's "Freak'n'Roll".  Coupled with Göttsching's guitar, the extended instrumental borrows more actively from the palette and vocabulary of rock music.  The trashy-sounding drums provide propulsion that's unexpected for Schulze, and Göttsching's guitar weaves in and out of their rhythm.  The prominent dynamic shifts are preserved nicely and give the piece a sense of structure.  The mastering of my 1997 reissue is a bit treble-heavy and weak in midrange, but sounds good overall and captures the dynamics of "Freak'n'Roll" nicely.  The packaging looks good too, though I'm assuming the glossy cover is a departure from the original texture.

This Kind of Punishment, In the Same Room / 5 by 4 (sides C and D)

This double vinyl reissue, from 1993, combines the final two This Kind of Punishment releases.  1985's 5 by 4 was an EP, followed by the full-length In the Same Room in 1987.  5 by 4, which fills sides C and D at 45 RPM, is the group's most diverse and least representative work.  This Kind of Punishment focused on songs that coupled raw, slightly noisy arrangements with dark, post-punk melodies.  The music generally had a bit of a sad feel, especially from the Jefferies brothers' rich baritone vocals.  5 by 4 stretches the group's ideas out to extremes, as opposed to their usual experiments with combining them.  One song feels like recited poetry over a soundscape—it reminds me of the Shadow Ring's work a decade later.  The opening "Mr. Tic Toc" is far more aggressive than the group's usual fare, so it bears a closer resemblance to contemporaries like Australia's SPK.  Other songs feature more 60s informed melodies that Graham Jefferies relied on more when he started the Cakekitchen.  Little attention was paid to the mastering of these lo-fi recordings, so the track volumes vary drastically.  The packaging of the reissue is impressive, with a gatefold of really thick cardboard that's glossy on all sides (including the back that only faces the record).

The Temptations, Cloud Nine (side A)

I thoroughly enjoy the story of this record.  While, for example, the Monkees sought creative control to write their own songs, the Temptations merely asked Norman Whitfield to change the group's style.  Otis Williams apparently suggested Sly & the Family Stone as a reference, and Whitfield reluctantly came back with the classics "Cloud Nine" and "Runaway Child, Running Wild".  The story feels almost as implausible as the songs are memorable.  Side B of the album is unfortunately a last gasp at the old formula, and not a particularly effective one, especially with David Ruffin gone.  1969's Cloud Nine reflects a group in transition, but the startling arrangements hint at the lush psychedelic soul that would carry the Temptations for several years to follow.  Its cover design too feels a bit forced, with the group superimposed upon an oil projection reminiscent of rock bands' light shows, but it again hints at the distinctive fusion of styles that first appears here.

Sam Esh & Hard Black Thing, Montezuma Baby Duck (side A)

1994's Montezuma Baby Duck is divided into two very different sides, both of which spotlight the idiosyncratic personality of Sam Esh.  On side A, he plays in a shambling but plodding rock band, whose notable member is Columbus stalwart Mike "Rep" Hummel.  The only remote comparison for this quartet is Philemon Arthur & the Dung, who also play a vaguely blues/garage tinged mess, with simple songs that plod along until they stop.  Where Philemon Arthur seem to be singing in Swedish (or at least something that sounds a bit like it to my naïve ears), Sam Esh's lyrics distinctly reside in a language known only to him.  The trumpet differentiates the group's instrumentation from a typical rock ensemble, and the recording is generally clean—only the loud cymbal crashes red-line into transistor distortion.  Side B features Esh rambling solo through instrumental guitar passages and solo vocal/spoken word excursions.  While the liner notes claim to be part of a comedy album, his use of language remains as odd as in the rock songs.  The packaging of some copies, including mine, contains some handmade parts, like a glued-on photograph and hand-coloring on the insert.

Alex Neilson & Richard Youngs, Electric Lotus (side A)

While Richard Youngs's work is incredibly diverse, it tends to lean toward introspection and self-effacing tendencies.  The LP of 2007's Electric Lotus is extroverted and brash.  It feels almost like a sequel to Snyder and Thompson's 1973 classic Daily Dance, with heavy guitars and continuously propulsive drums.  The guitars infrequently form layers—it's hard to tell if overdubs were used, but my best guess is just a looping pedal.  Everything sounds primitive and clean, which is surprising when many of Youngs's albums draw attention to their lo-fi construction.  Side A features several shorter pieces, while one track fills all of side B.  The hastily drawn cartoon on the cover hints at the chaos inside, but in some ways it would fit better with one of Youngs's more primitive constructions.  The album came with a bonus CD of shakuhachi / drum duets, but I bought my copy used and it was missing the bonus disc.