Triptaka - Second War

I've got a movie screenplay running around in my head. The story's not entirely developed, but it involves two warring factions of vampire clans, a Romeo and Juliet story, young, hip and incredibly dark. The film will slice through dark, misty city streets, deep into smoky underground clubs and sex shops, twist through rancid drug houses, brutal street fights, violent sex scenes and death.

It may take me a while to get the script complete, but one thing that's ready is the soundtrack. I got the good people of Triptaka to thank for that.

Blending the industrial crunch of NIN with the progressive experimentalism of Tool, throwing in some odd touches of God Lives Underwater, the dramatic tension of Rammstein, and a hint of Linkin Park, Triptaka manage to transcend their influences, creating a dark, grinding industrial prog that's just screaming out to be used in my film.

Here's how it goes down. The movie starts off in the bowels of an underground bar, cigarette smoke billowing from darkly painted female lips. Strobe lights flash in incongruous sequences while the first pounding bass chord of Triptaka's lead song "Suspended," belts out through the sound system. By the time the heavily distorted guitar rips through the mix, bodies fill the dance floor, undulating in the delirious electro beat the music creates. The chorus soars, flying on the breathy with just a hint of gruffness vocals of Graeme Cornies. James Chapple keeps the partiers entranced with thick synth fills while guitarist Dave Kelly lays on the thick slabs of distortion.

"Lost and Leading," sets the stage for my sex scene, a throbbing, pulsing song that bleeds sensuality. Across a throbbing, sporadic bass line, our male and female leads melt their bodies together, twisting to the raw sexuality of the beat. Candles flicker. Bodies coat with sweat. "Second War," shoots us into the first chase scene, a raw, pounding, polyrthymic explosion of computerized drums, sci-fi synths and spasms of massively distorted guitar. Our hero, loses the girl, screaming in anguish as the chorus blasts in "I wanted to take it all/Oh, God, I need it all." Dark, fierce and heavy.

"Tamed," is a song of rebellion, our hero fighting back against the forces conspiring to destroy his life pounded out against an incessant double drum line and guitar crunch, before the beautifully performed bass breakdown. After the slower, lament of "Mother," the story rips back into it's most violent fight scene with " Slow Burn." After intro strains of synth and scattered guitar, the passion roars in, riding on the back of the ripping guitar chords and pounding drums. This song will accompany our hero as the races through the City, dipping in and out of darkened alleys and misty streets, searching for the gang that's captured his love. This song is a ripper, building in intensity, the drumming growing more fierce, the guitars angrier as it reaches the blast of a chorus. "You feel so fucking right/You see no other side."

All of which leads to possibly the best track, "Falling Down," a Tool-esque slab of distorted guitar. The perfect song for our final fight scene, leading to the death of our hero's love, cradling her lifeless yet still beautiful body in his arms to the somber "Don't You Think it's Time You Let Go?"

Now if all that seems a bit much, check out this album. Just listen to the songs on the flashplayer below. These guys have created an aural film, a sweeping, powerful, incredibly dark and deeply visual musical journey. And one thing I gotta say; I rarely ever mention production or packaging in a review unless they're terrible. Here, it's just the opposite. The album is so perfectly produced and the artwork and CD insert so professionally done, you'd never know this was a self-produced project. The sound is full, lush and heavy, never thin or tinny which would have ruined the whole album. It is just a beautifully created package. For all you unsigned bands that read the Ripple, I'm including the recording/art links below because this is how your product is supposed to look and sound.

Take notice, world, Triptaka have arrived soon to come to a movie theater near you. Now, I can't wait for their next CD (hopefully on a major label), me and the Triptaka boys got another film to write.

--Racer



www.myspace.com/triptaka
www.music.download.com/triptaka

Recording: http://www.voodoohighwaymusic.com/
Artwork: http://www.inersouster.blogspot.com/
CD design: JesseFrankling@2dogsONEbone

Attic of Love - Being You

I don’t remember too much about 1997. Not that I was inebriated beyond all belief or anything. It’s just that I’m getting old and having a harder time remembering some of the little things. I do know that my wife and I started going out in ’97. Shit . . . if I forgot that, well . . . I don’t want to go into it. The other thing that stands out in 1997 is the debut album from Attic of Love called Being You. What? You never heard of it? Shocking.

I know. You’re thinking, “Attic of Love. What are they? Some sort of peace loving acoustic hippy outfit?” The short answer to that is, no. The somewhat longer answer goes something like this. Attic of Love are a four piece rock band that embraces the harder edged post-grunge grit of bands like Candlebox and Tool and mixes it with the ‘60’s psychedelic progressive rock of Jethro Tull. Loud and abrasive, but tempered with the strong song dynamics, a sense of melody, and outstanding composition. Oh right, and there’s a lot of flute playing going on here. Don’t worry. It’s a whole lot cooler than you think.

You can get a great feel for what this album is about from the first minute of the disc. “Stealing Einstein’s Brain” opens with Michael Speziali bashing the hell out of his drums. Seconds later, a smoldering guitar riff provided by Andrew Gillings with bass accompaniment from Michael Sutfin create a bitchin’ wall of bluesy alt-metal groove. Mere seconds after that, the first strains of the flute pierce the classic rock soundings. And, immediately after that, and once he’s caught his breath, the buttery smooth, Ian Anderson-esque vocals of Andrew Tisbert begins telling us of a plot to swipe the preserved brain of Albert Einstein from some dude’s bookshelf. Guitar solos, for the most part, are replaced by Tisbert’s flute prowess, and in so many ways, he works the solos better than most guitarists would handle the parts. Check out the flute work at the 4:12 mark of “Einstein’s Brain,” and you’ll get a taste of some Tull influence. Very cool!

Second track, “Cripples in Love,” starts off with acoustic guitars before the band unleashes a wave of melodic groove over the melody. Commendable bass work and impassioned vocals drive this tune. “Hold My Family” is a dark lyrical tune that describes the American foster system and how families are torn apart. The imagery is vivid and the music, in the vein of Tool, compliments the lyrics perfectly. The opening of “Corpse” has a jazzy quality to it, and in many ways, may be the best track on the album. Again, the bass work is phenomenal as it rhythmically noodles over Gillings’ clean toned strumming. Tisbert’s vocal approach on the whole song is so filled with emotion that you’d swear that this is the most important thing that he’s ever sung.

Listening to Being You kind of pisses me off because this album was ten times better than anything on the air in 1997. Didn’t Re-Load come out in ’97? Here we are again with a quality musical offering that got swept under the rug. Attic of Love deserved a hell of a lot more attention than they received for this work. Listen to the title track and get blown away. This song has Iron Maiden written all over it. Instead of dual guitar harmonies, the flute plays the role of the second guitar. The instrumental break in the middle of the tune is out of this world. Flute solo, guitar solo, bass notes weaving in and out of the jam. Epic and sprawling, this tune makes me want to pick up my guitar and write a concerto!

Other stand out tracks are the Tool inspired “Klorox,” and the lyrically brilliant “Cambodia.” The latter track is not for the weak of stomach because Tisbert can paint a as grisly a picture as there is. But, sometimes we need to be reminded of the ugly reality of hate. It’s dark, my friends. All in all, Being You is a tuneful offering. Music that’s full of rock, littered with compassion, a little sprinkling of sentimentality, and lyrically uber-intelligent. Basically, it’s an album with so much depth that you’ll need scuba gear to grasp the full weight of it.

You can find a copy of the disc by following the links listed below, and you’ll want to do that versus the way I found my copy. Me? Oh, I found mine by thumbing through a quarter mile of haphazardly tossed CD’s with the ole Racer. In fact, that was the music run where after hearing the same click-click-click of plastic CD cases for nearly four hours, I flipped out and started break dancing on the cold concrete floor. Now, I don’t want any Waveriders to have to go to such extremes, so take the easy route. Contact the band and asked real nice-like on how you too can acquire this gem for your collection. - Pope JTE




myspace.com/atticoflove

The video isn't from Being You, but should give you a great idea of what this band is all about!

The Morning Stars - You Can't Change the World

Okay, let's get this out of the way up front.

When you have a band fronted by a pair of extremely talented brothers who happen to have a fixation with insanely infectious Beatles melodies and shimmering sixties pop, comparisons to Oasis have to come to mind. Add to that mix, the fact that their nasally inflected lead vocals have more than a passing similarity to one Gallagher brother and the comparisons simply can't be avoided.

So let's get it out of the way.

The Morning Stars are what Oasis should have become if they hadn't been swallowed into the bottomless dark pit of old mother Ego.

Now, let's set another thing straight. These brothers, Mars and Micheal Ivie, along with Donn Dixon on drums, come from Canada not England, and the three of them combine to create perfectly crafted shimmering pop songs, laced with a touch of underground attitude, a spice of shoegazing polyrhythms and a splash of post-punk mood and texture. The end creation is a captivating, wholly engaging album of dreamy, jangling Britrock pop that still hides a darker underbelly.

"Hearts for the Living," starts off the Morning Stars debut album, a smattering of street noise and random dialog before the big burst of sparkling sixties pop blasts through. From the intensely melodic verses to the soaring, so sweet it sticks-to-the-underside-of-your-mouth chorus, this is the feel-good hit of the summer, one that I guarantee will be bursting from the Ripple convertible Ghia as the Pope and I make our daily pilgrimage to the beach this season. It's a shame the world isn't singing this song right now. Drop the mp3 into Iraq and maybe, just maybe, sanity would be restored as the warriors decide that it's just time to lighten up and dance.

"Wrong," flows next, the best Mamas and Papas song they never wrote. Over a textured guitar riff, the brothers flow through an effortless pop gem. This is Raspberries pop, the early Beatles cleaned and buffed to a sparkling shine. Then, lest you think these boys are simply the next bunch of retro-rockers, "You Can't Change the World," opens up the can on a whole new group of the Morning Stars influences, echoing in shades of the Velvets with a hint of the postpunk underground, a smattering of Siouxie. Make no mistake this is modern pop/rock and its sobering in its beauty. A later track, "Don't Waste Time," builds on this darker vibe, building on a galloping Joy Division-era bass line before the boys soar off into their own world of shimmering guitar, melody and layered vocals.

"Steal My Love," roars over a big beat and stuttering riff, glistening guitars on top, elevating the song to the realm of the sublime. "Waiting at Your Door," throws the influences back, way back. I hear tones of the Everly Brothers in the vocal harmony and even a hint of Simon and Garfunkel in structure, before "All Coming Down," takes everything you've heard and throws it away. Forget the retro-pop, this is neo-psychedelic Stone Roses shoegazing, swirling, whirling, can't stop my ass from grooving, Britrock. Drop in a nasty The Godfathers guitar riff and we've found the highlight of the album.

In the end, the Ivie brothers mixture of their odd assortment of influences creates a sound far greater than the sum of it's individual parts. This is a glistening, timeless pop gem. And to top it all off, the boys want you to have it for free. Yes, that's right, free. Simply head over to last.fm and you'll find the whole album available as a free download. Now, we at the Ripple love free music as much as the next guy, but we also know that if we want artists to keep creating we have to support them. So, pop on over to the Morning Stars page, download one or two tracks, and if you dig what these guys are laying down, pick up the album over at Amazon or CDbaby. We've included some links to make it even easier for you.

You never know, you just may have found your theme album for the summer.

--Racer

http://www.myspace.com/themorningstars

buy from amazon here: You Can't Change The World

buy from CD baby here:

This video is a sampler of different songs and melodies from the album

Trettioariga Kriget – Elden Av Ar

I still haven’t learned to read or write in Swedish. It’s on my “to do” list. Why? Coz’, man . . . one of the coolest bands in all the world hails from the sleepy resort town of Saltsjobaden, just outside of Stockholm. And, all of their lyrics are sung in Swedish. I can guess at what they’re trying to tell me through verse and chorus, but I’m only taking a stab in the dark. Though it does help that chief lyricist Olle Thornvall explains (in English) the theme of the album in the liner notes, I still feel like I’m not grasping the full experience of the music. Hence . . . I need to learn to read and write in Swedish. Saviche? Mmm mmm, good.

Anyway . . . let’s put that little tidbit aside for the time being. As important as it is to what sets Trettioariga Kriget apart from the rest of the European prog rock acts, singing the lyrics in their native tongue is not what defines them. What truly defines this band is the sprawling epics that they pen, full of seamless time and mood changes, instrumental virtuosity, and elaborate soundscapes. In short, they’re a thinking man’s band that touches the soul.

In the early seventies, the members of Trettioariga Kriget got together and recorded several albums before playing their last show in 1981. Years later, the guys realized that a fire for creating music still flowed through them. Remember, these are musicians that we’re talking about. Those creative juices don’t just dry up and disappear. That longing to create is as addictive as loving that girl that you know is all sorts of bad for you. Long story short, TK got back together and released a new album in 2004. Translated as “The Fire of Years”, Elden Av Ar loosely tells the tale of the members of Trettioariga Kriget returning to their creative breeding ground of youth and exploring what made them musicians in the first place.

Bassist, Stefan Fredin, and drummer, Dag Lundquist, introduce us to “Ljuset.” Guitarist Christer Akerberg enters the tune by strategically dropping chords over the rhythm before shifting to an awesome clean picked run. Softly and subtly, keyboardist Mats Lindberg begins to co-mingle with the others. By this time, one can tell that these guys have known each other for a long time by the way they weave around each other without getting in the way of music. The instruments build on top of one another until the song drops into the main theme of the tune. Eventually, we have the opportunity to greet vocalist Robert Zima. His crisp and hearty voice croons over a quieted verse before soaring through the chorus. Shadows of light and dark drift across the landscape of “Ljuset.” One moment rocking out, the next, an acoustic passage brimming with melody. The vocal harmonies at the break are a great touch, as is the clean toned guitar outro.

The third track, “Lang Historia,” follows a similar formula as the disc opener. Always looking to do things a little out of the ordinary, TK aren’t afraid to throw in eyebrow raising effects and instruments. Note Stefan’s use of the wah pedal on his bass, primarily during the intro. It’s an ear catching attack on the four string and compliments the other instruments impeccably. The way this sucker builds is monumental, but more impressive is how it flows into this almost somber melody. And, that’s one of those amazing qualities that these guys bring to their brand of songwriting. Seamless transitions. Almost effortlessly shifting from one mood to another as if it were just another day in the office. Lovin’ it!

The use of acoustic guitars was something that I forgot about until I revisited this disc. They’re all over the place, and they work brilliantly to capture the moodiness of the various tracks. Listen to Christer’s attack on “Night Flight” and his strumming rhythm of “Lang Historia.” Both songs highlight a different approach to the instrument with differing results. “Night Flight” is a much more light hearted sounding tune, while “Lang Historia” is a much more brooding epic. In the vein of the acoustic guitars, “Mote” and “Molnbudet” show even more stylistic variance. “Molnbudet” is a beautiful ballad with just Robert singing at his passionate best, and Christer making me jealous with those mad six string skills. He quite possibly is one of my favorite guitarists to listen to. He brings such class to the instrument and his phrasing is understated. Yeah . . . he’s a hero.

The title track is a solid rocker. With it’s quiet build up, it lulls the listener to a state of complacency before bursting with a rich array of cosmic sounds. Though not as proggy as “Ljuset” or “Lang Historia”, “Elden Av Ar” still adheres to the characteristics of the genre by offering up a non-standard approach to the songwriting. The piano in the second verse is just one of the nuances that TK bring to forefront of this tune. I can’t tell who brings more passion to their performance on this track. One moment we have Robert belting out the vocals as if his life depended on this performance. Then we have Dag again, doing that which Dag does. Stefan . . . Christer . . . I can’t decide. I defer to you, Waverider.

The album closes with another stunning tune in “Gnistor.” Much like “Elden Av Ar,” every member of the band shines with this performance. And damn, what a moving tune. The melody kills me every time I hear it. Yeah . . . I definitely gotta’ learn this language. I know I’m missing something very important here! I mean, nobody can put together such an emotionally evocative performance without having something important going on. I gotta’ go check if the Learning Annex has a crash course on foreign languages that I can enroll in tonight! - Pope JTE

www.myspace.com/trettioarigakriget

trettioarigakriget.com

mellotronen.com