― chaki (chaki), Sunday, 2 February 2003 11:19 (twenty-one years ago) link
I was just gonna suggest Praxis' Transmutations, as that was the first Bill Laswell album I ever got sooo many years ago, and listened to it from beginning to end almost every day for the last 3 years of high school. Bad-ass album.
Didn't Laswell produce the Tabla Beat Science album? That thing is KILLER!
He also has a couple ambient albums he did with Talvin Singh that are really stunning, albeit in a listen-to-this-late-at-night-with-headphones-on kinda way.
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Sunday, 2 February 2003 16:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 2 February 2003 18:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― chaki (chaki), Sunday, 2 February 2003 18:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
(i tht i'd discovered a mysterious contrary phenomena)
― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 2 February 2003 19:00 (twenty-one years ago) link
― chaki (chaki), Sunday, 2 February 2003 19:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
well I mentioned this above and its not that he is 'lame'. The piece consisted of one constantly repeating bassline and there were other things but they were all so non-substantial that the only thing I could keep my ears fixed on was that constantly repeating bassline.
I like things that change a bit over time and yet don't, on the whole, but the way this was played out in a way that there didn't seem to be much change. The whole thing in the 'dulled' my mind into a coma (I'm not sure this bit makes much sense but I won't change it).
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 2 February 2003 20:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Monday, 2 May 2005 01:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― Stormy Davis (diamond), Monday, 2 May 2005 02:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Monday, 2 May 2005 02:05 (eighteen years ago) link
The problem with his stuff is poor editing and his weird sense of production and quite often his very bass tone, which quite often has me wondering if he's just stubborn about his lame outdated "sound" or if he really think that sounds great.
― Leon Snodgrass (Eleventy-Twelve), Monday, 2 May 2005 02:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― Leon Snodgrass (Eleventy-Twelve), Monday, 2 May 2005 02:18 (eighteen years ago) link
As for his other productions, he's got moments on the Mick Jagger solo album and PiL's "Album."
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 2 May 2005 03:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Monday, 2 May 2005 04:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 2 May 2005 12:15 (eighteen years ago) link
Second the recommendations for Pain Killer. Just get the four-CD box; the two EPs are on Disc 1, Disc 2 is the killer part of Execution Ground (the sucky ambient remix version is Disc 3), and Disc 4 is smokin' live stuff from Japan, with guest vocals from Eye.
Also, check out Praxis's Transmutation Live if you can find it - it was on Douglas, and now it's out of print, but there's some mind-roasting interaction between Buckethead and the whole Invisibl Skratch Piklz on it.
― pdf (Phil Freeman), Monday, 2 May 2005 12:25 (eighteen years ago) link
James Blood Ulmer - America: Do You Remember the Love? (1986) - Ronald Shannon Jackson sounds great on this
― todd (todd), Monday, 2 May 2005 13:33 (eighteen years ago) link
As others have mentioned, Laswell's bass playing leaves a lot to be desired. Its not the tone (which is timeless), its that strangely for someone with so influenced by dub, funk, and africa, BL rarely plays a supple groove. There's no syncopation, no bounce, just on the ledger plod.
But do check out his production work with OTHER bassists. My personal faves are Automation: Dub Terror Exhaust, (apt title, w/ Wobble on woofers, and a contender for loudest bass on record ever), and his production of Jamaican rhythm section Sly & Robbie on Rhythm Killers, the great lost 80's funk symphony.
BL's lasting contribution to my personal contribution is his impeccable taste in releasing non-Western musics. Gnawa Music of Marrakesh, Talip Ozkan, Samulnori, etc all opened up hitherto unheard genres for me (and make Stern's Music a tidy sum at my expense).
― sombrehombre, Monday, 27 March 2006 17:28 (eighteen years ago) link
BL's lasting contribution to my personal collection is his impeccable taste in releasing non-Western musics. Gnawa Music of Marrakesh, Talip Ozkan, Samulnori, etc all opened up hitherto unheard genres for me (and make Stern's Music a tidy sum at my expense).
― sombrehombre, Monday, 27 March 2006 17:30 (eighteen years ago) link
― pdf (Phil Freeman), Monday, 27 March 2006 18:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:59 (eighteen years ago) link
I have purchased maybe 20 Laswell-related discs and these are the 3 that I listen to on a regular basis.
― harshaw (jube), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:23 (eighteen years ago) link
Buckethead + Invisibl Skratch Piklz = screaming metal madness w/crazy turntable noise antics. Brilliant. I swear.
― pdf (Phil Freeman), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― sleeve (sleeve), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― caspar (caspar), Monday, 27 March 2006 22:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dominique (dleone), Monday, 27 March 2006 23:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:06 (eighteen years ago) link
This strikes me as hilariously accurate.
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― Christopher Costello (CGC), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 03:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― shredding repis on the gnar gnar rad (chaki), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 03:47 (eighteen years ago) link
hey this record with Milford Graves (The Stone) is pretty cool!
― sold out in presale (sleeve), Saturday, 23 February 2019 20:49 (five years ago) link
For those that rip on his bass playing, "This is the Picture(Excellent Birds)" by Gabriel/Anderson is pretty awesome. At the time I liked his playing on the trip-hoppy '90s Material albums, too. Pure, This is How it Feels ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dw19PW8RzE
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 23 February 2019 20:59 (five years ago) link
Shit, I mean the Golden Palominos. Same diff.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 23 February 2019 21:03 (five years ago) link
The new one, Against Empire, just blew me away. I haven't listened to his work much over the past 20 years or so.
― akm, Saturday, 25 April 2020 05:13 (three years ago) link
His Bandcamp page is impressive.
― EvR, Saturday, 25 April 2020 12:09 (three years ago) link
lol wow i thought my bandcamp was ridiculous. now i feel better. thanks bill laswell!
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Sunday, 26 April 2020 00:09 (three years ago) link
Bill Laswell: bass, effectsPharoah Sanders: saxophonePeter Apfelbaum: saxophone, flute, keyboardsHerbie Hancock: electric pianoJerry Marotta: drumsChad Smith: drumsHideo Yamaki: drumsSatoyasu Shomura: drumsAdam Rudolph: percussion
... huh
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Sunday, 26 April 2020 00:26 (three years ago) link
now THAT sounds like a funky record !!
― budo jeru, Sunday, 26 April 2020 00:30 (three years ago) link
Only one drummer per track, though.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 26 April 2020 01:23 (three years ago) link
Bought a bunch of his stuff off Bandcamp last night: all five volumes of the Sacred System dub series (different personnel and moods on each one, so I'm not sure what's supposed to tie them together) and the two Automaton releases — Dub Terror Exhaust, mentioned way upthread, has more bass than anything I've ever heard in my life. I feel like if I had a subwoofer it would bounce things off shelves in my apartment. The second Automaton disc, Jihad, is more ambient — two 25-minute tracks with lots of violin and percussion and sound effects.
I also noticed that if you become a subscriber for $22 a month he gives you a shit-ton of exclusives, among them two never-officially-released Last Exit shows. One is the widely bootlegged Moers Festival performance where they were joined by Diamanda Gálas and Billy Bang, and the other is from Allentown, PA; all the tracks are untitled, and I think some of it may have wound up on Cassette Recordings '87. I might join for one month, download those, and cancel...
― but also fuck you (unperson), Wednesday, 19 May 2021 12:57 (two years ago) link
Good plan. Some of the mighty bandcamp stash is under his name, a bunch more is here: https://modtechnologies.bandcamp.com/music (both with that same stupid picture of him)
― dow, Wednesday, 19 May 2021 16:33 (two years ago) link
I signed up for the Bandcamp subscription and have so far downloaded the two Last Exit shows, plus a live gig from 2018 with Ravi Coltrane on sax and Hideo Yamaki on drums. The Allentown gig is phenomenal so far, not all wall-to-wall blare at all, some surprisingly tender moments from Brötzmann. Plus, when I went looking for more information on it, I turned up this interview with Sharrock and Jackson from a local paper, previewing the gig! A really good little piece; I haven't come across many interviews with either man over the years.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 3 July 2021 13:24 (two years ago) link
Yeah, might have to sign up and get that--and this: https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/track/the-sprawl And this collection of early Material---no credits, but hopefully w Sharrock: https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/access-beginnings And somewhere in there is a live Material set I hadn't seen before,that does incl. Sharrock (maybe rec. in New Jersey?)
― dow, Sunday, 4 July 2021 17:24 (two years ago) link
Dammit, I give up--please link the Last Exit Allentown, unperson---I see all their others (except the one w Galas and Bang, but I've got the bootleg of that)
― dow, Sunday, 4 July 2021 17:55 (two years ago) link
Here's the link to Allentown:
https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/allentown
And here's an early Material set (1981) with Derek Bailey, Sonny Sharrock, Fred Frith, John Zorn, and Charles Noyes:
https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/the-kitchen-nyc
― but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 4 July 2021 19:16 (two years ago) link
Great, thanks! I forgot about the page where he shows you alll the stuff you get by subscribing, incl. exclusives. Looks like Montreux 1983 was the Sharrock-era Material I was thinking of. Looks like the one w Bailey etc is what I already have as legit download, released ca. 2007(if not, it's the same line-up and year)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8qex2ODYnM
― dow, Sunday, 4 July 2021 20:19 (two years ago) link
So is everything he released on Axiom on the Bandcamp site? I just noticed that some Axiom stuff is on Spotify, but not all of it. Was yearning to hear Ritual Beating System, but it looks like I have to find my copy.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 4 July 2021 20:38 (two years ago) link
This one! https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/ritual-beating-system
― dow, Sunday, 4 July 2021 20:47 (two years ago) link
Meant that w a question mark, but it's the only RBS I know of.
― dow, Sunday, 4 July 2021 20:48 (two years ago) link
Yeah, that one. I know I have a digital copy of it to listen to, but I was hoping I could just stream it on Spotify. But it's not in there. (Still, another fave from that era, Material's Third Power, is!)
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 4 July 2021 21:50 (two years ago) link
his first album baselines is sick af!
― kurt schwitterz, Monday, 5 July 2021 05:35 (two years ago) link
Just got another subscriber exclusive: a 2002 concert as Material featuring Pharoah Sanders, Amina Claudine Myers, Hamid Drake, violinist Lili Haydn, and percussionists Karsh Kale and Aiyb Dieng. Might be good, might be sleepy "world fusion" kludge, but with that lineup I'm gonna at least give it a shot.
https://billlaswell.bandcamp.com/album/frankfurt
― but also fuck you (unperson), Tuesday, 27 July 2021 17:40 (two years ago) link
I #actually like Gigi's "illuminated audio" which i believe is a laswell vibe
― xheugy eddy (D-40), Tuesday, 27 July 2021 19:14 (two years ago) link
Yeah, he produced it (and they were married at the time; I believe they have a kid together, but I could be wrong about that).
― but also fuck you (unperson), Tuesday, 27 July 2021 20:10 (two years ago) link
I like this darkish ambient album he did with tetsu inoue on FAX: https://www.discogs.com/Cymatic-Scan-Cymatic-Scan/release/134772
― brimstead, Tuesday, 27 July 2021 20:40 (two years ago) link
The latest subscriber exclusive on Bandcamp is a Praxis show from the Knitting Factory in NYC that featured a shit-ton of guest vocalists: Antipop Consortium, Nature Boy Jim Kelly (a pseudonym for one of the dudes from New Kingdom), Sussan Deyhim, Liu Sola, and to introduce the show, Rammellzee. I was there; he came onstage in full junkyard samurai/gundam armor. It was amazing.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Wednesday, 1 September 2021 01:07 (two years ago) link
Rammellzee. I was there; he came onstage in full junkyard samurai/gundam armor. It was amazing.
as in like the cover for his album !?
https://www.discogs.com/Rammellzee-Bi-Conicals-Of-The-Rammellzee/release/247455
― mark e, Wednesday, 1 September 2021 07:44 (two years ago) link
Yeah, it was something like this one. Unbelievable to see in person.
https://superradnow.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/rammellzee.jpg
― but also fuck you (unperson), Wednesday, 1 September 2021 11:04 (two years ago) link
well i never.i had always assumed the cover of that album was a (toy) model type of thing.guess not.need to dig out the album again.did not get into it when i first heard it, then gave it a few spins last year, and really really enjoyed it.think once i realised it was an noice/beats/experimental album as opposed to straight up hip hop (which i expected when i picked it up), then the whole vibe of it hit home a lot more.
― mark e, Wednesday, 1 September 2021 11:45 (two years ago) link
Noteworthy, and sad to see
https://www.gofundme.com/f/emergency-please-help-bill-laswell
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 8 June 2022 20:19 (one year ago) link
The good news is that he is just about at his goal, and after just 2 days.
― henry s, Wednesday, 8 June 2022 20:44 (one year ago) link
Jeebus. Well, if there was any doubt the dude put every penny he ever made back into making and recording music for and with others ...
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 8 June 2022 21:08 (one year ago) link
Thought someone would mention Hashisheen: The End of Law
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 8 June 2022 21:37 (one year ago) link
Lots of familiar names on the list of donors.
― Antifa Sandwich Artist (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 9 June 2022 02:35 (one year ago) link
A really interesting subscriber-only release just went up: an hour-long rehearsal recording from 1997 with Derek Bailey on guitar, Laswell on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, and DJ Disk on turntables. They played at some festival in Frankfurt, and this is from the day before, or something.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 18 June 2022 18:32 (one year ago) link
Most recent "guy can't catch a break" update:
We hope you have started the new year full of joy and happiness. Thank you for supporting Bill Laswell. He is sending his regards to you for 2023.Bill was hospitalized in December 2022 with a severe blood infection on top of what he's already been dealing with (diabetes and high blood pressure). This infection caused his heart to malfunction. After 3 rounds of electric shocks to set the heartbeat correct, he was rushed to the emergency room and was admitted to the ICU for an extended period of time. We were told that if we hadn't called 911, he likely would have died. Bill doesn't remember any of it. He is now out of the hospital, his infection is cured... however he still has to be monitored and periodically examined. He started working again a couple of days ago while trying to recover at the same time.Bill had lost some recording projects due to hospitalization and has again fallen behind on the studio rent. He would need to come up with a couple of month's rent as soon as possible in order to avoid an eviction process starting. At this moment, he really needs to keep the studio for work on some more recordings. Bill feels very bad asking again but really needs your help. Thank you very much for being there for him.
Bill was hospitalized in December 2022 with a severe blood infection on top of what he's already been dealing with (diabetes and high blood pressure). This infection caused his heart to malfunction. After 3 rounds of electric shocks to set the heartbeat correct, he was rushed to the emergency room and was admitted to the ICU for an extended period of time. We were told that if we hadn't called 911, he likely would have died. Bill doesn't remember any of it. He is now out of the hospital, his infection is cured... however he still has to be monitored and periodically examined. He started working again a couple of days ago while trying to recover at the same time.
Bill had lost some recording projects due to hospitalization and has again fallen behind on the studio rent. He would need to come up with a couple of month's rent as soon as possible in order to avoid an eviction process starting. At this moment, he really needs to keep the studio for work on some more recordings. Bill feels very bad asking again but really needs your help. Thank you very much for being there for him.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 20 January 2023 14:56 (one year ago) link
Credit the GoFundMe with regular updates, but man, it's been nothing but bad news since the original ask.
Bill is back in the hospital from the rehab. They needed to check his wounds. He is still on antibiotics, it has to be continued for a couple of weeks. Also, his wounds are still in healing process. He still needs wound vac. The hospital is trying to get the home care service for him, it's been taking time. Till they could fix that, he has to stay at the hospital. We weren't expected Bill's hospitalization would go long time like this. He would not be able to work yet and it is hitting him a lot. One thing we were told, was that he is getting better. He is tired and depressed being in the bed, but always talking about how he is grateful about your donation. wanted to send big thank you to all of you for supporting him and being there for him.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 April 2023 13:58 (eleven months ago) link
More bad news since the first GoFundMe. Sounds like he's going to lose his studio, and his recovery remains slow at best, costing him work...
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 16 July 2023 09:00 (eight months ago) link