Steve Gilmore Reviews: 2004!! (The Stevie's) :)
 
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steve gilmore
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Joined: 23 Apr 2002
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PostPosted: 02 Dec 2004 08:52 pm    Post subject: Steve Gilmore Reviews: 2004!! (The Stevie's) :)

As I enter my third year of reviewing at Soundclick I pause to take a look back at the past year, and what a year it's been for me, and for all the musicians I have had the pleasure to listen to this year. However, before we start gazing into the navel of 2004 let's see what happened to those artists I was championing this time last year. Top of that list was - of course - the incredible talent of Nad Sylvan. He's had another very good year, mostly in tandem with colleague Bonamici (who I also picked as a star turn at the end of 2003). Both these guys have had an excellent year, individually and collectively and show no signs of slowing at all.

Silvertrain too have gone from strength to strength this year, gathering listeners by the sackload - especially after the release of their first CD during the summer of 2004. A CD, btw, that I heartily endorse; as packed to the brim with hits as you could wish for.

Out of the other artists I picked for big things in 2004, several have since disappeared (I wonder why Confused ) but Rey Valera and Mike-K are still around and active and (along with Thomas Dobson (aka ranch) have formed one heck of a group in Soundclique - expect bigger and bigger things from this great collaborative effort. dcallen, Latmat, Starting Over and many others are still around and giving great value for no money with their extremely worthy 2004 releases. So, all told, not a bad effort at picking winners eh?

But wot, o wot of the class of 2004?

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Now before we start let me just say this is a highly personal view of what Soundclick offers, based on my own bias and predjudice. I likes wot I likes, ya know? However, I've also discovered that over the years, a lot of people tend to agree with my choices - so nrrr ;P

First some categories:

HOT (in no particular order) - Magnu, Refrag, Burp, Jim-n-Lisa, Deggsy, Steve Ison, Project Overseer, Fahrenheit 451, Prash, Stompp, Taylor Jordan, Natalie Brown, Ty Kaufman Group, Xanthe, Authist/Dub One

RISING - Angels Rock, Big Ship, Andy F, Adam Fielding, Power Of The Gods, Opal Tonic, Alderman, Sharma Kay, CP and the FON, Melv, Inder Nirwan, Syrin, Incidental Fusion, ManHood

LEFT FIELD WORTHIES - Station For Imitation, Guanoman, rolls, Fear 2 Stop, Pilesar (aka Mandible)

Phew eh? Wink

Comments and Rationalisations

Magnu - an artist I seem to have known forever, and a good friend too. Although he went off into the wilderness there for a while, Magnu is back in strength this year and has released some killer stuff

Refrag - What can I say about NZ's finest? Beloved by all who have had the novel experience of having their brains rearranged Refrag stylee, this artist is truly extraordinary. In every single way there is...

Burp (aka Emetrics) - Like Refrag this artist treads his own highly original and distinctive path, in the process delivering some of the most startling music to be found anywhere.

Jim-n-Lisa - for my money - as you will see - one of THE top finds this year. An artist that is deceptive, the more you look, the more you find.

Deggsy and Steve Ison - Both long standing favourites of mine that ALWAYS issue the very finest tracks to be heard anywhere. Makers of music that the rest of the world could sorely do with rather than the pap they are fed daily...

Project Overseer - The other big suprise of my year is this artist and the amazing 'Gathering' clan idea - an idea that should be pursued by all of us. Strength in numbers, ya know?

Authist/Dub One - see above Wink

Fahrenheit 451, Stompp, Adam Fielding, Opal Tonic, Inder Nirwan, Syrin and Incidental Fusion - bless you people for re-invigorating this reviewers love for the electronica world. All have released some knockout tracks this year.

Part 2 follows
steve gilmore
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Joined: 23 Apr 2002
Posts: 2632
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PostPosted: 02 Dec 2004 08:54 pm    Post subject:

Taylor Jordan, Natalie Brown, Xanthe, Sharma Kay and Diane Jessurun - Diva's all. Some of the best female voices around and well worthy of the time it takes to track 'em down

and thanks lastly to every left field worthy for making life that much more interesting Wink

TRACKS OF THE YEAR

And now for the surprises....

Burp - gnomewasonceanenterainer
Awesome track, don't let it's title fool you. One of Burp's best tracks yet...

Jim-n-Lisa/Burp - Just Kidding
This very unexpected collaboration almost led to this being my ultimate track of 2004. Utterly brilliant.

Jim-n-Lisa - Your Scientists Brain
A very unlikely name but an utterly beguiling track which shows this artist progressing at light speed

Hash n Brain - West Coast Hindi
This highly infectious blend of hip hop and bhangra is just to die for. A hit if there were any justice in this cruel, cruel world.

Stompp - In Cold Blood
Singlehandedly rescued me from the 'electronica' is crap camp. A great example of modern electronica

Silvertrain - The One To Blame CD
You can't really choose between such awesome guitar pop tracks so I didn't even try. The whole CD is as fine as it gets.

Fahrenheit 451/Inder Nirwan - Skyscapes
F451 is the other electronic artist who has helped to restore my faith in the genre and his work with Inder on this track is breathtaking

Mandible - Acaka Fracka
When I first heard this I didn't believe my ears. I still don't even though this has become more and more familiar to me. Definitely the most bizarre track of the year but strangely enough, one of the most musically interesting too.

Project Overseer - The Gathering
An absolutely drop-down-dead gorgeous track that introduced me to this immensely talented artist, and as I have mentioned before, his gathering clan

Ty Kaufman Group - Why
This track has over the past couple of months confirmed a) my love of rock and B) what a class lead guitarist Mr Kaufman is. Live music IS the best, and the Ty Kaufman Group threaten to deliver their high quality rock in your hometown soon.

Refrag - All Over You
The master at his very, very best. Well, until the next one Very Happy

Big Ship - Camera
A pop masterpiece from a most unexpected quarter. This track confirmed Big Ship's increasingly sure touch with their material. A classic.

and now the big guns (ta da!!!)....

Artist of the Year 2004

Damn this was a hard, hard choice - there are sooooo many great artists around. Almost everybody who is on the HOT list or my tracks of the year could qualify. So I set myself to really thinking about it because I found myself coming back to the same two names; Burp and Jim-n-Lisa. Why? I base my judgement here not only in the musical material these people are delivering, but on their promise for the future. Finally, on that basis, I just had to come to the conclusion that my Artist Of The Year just had to be...........(cue:pregnant pause)

Jim-n-Lisa!!!

Soundclick Person Of The Year

This is a more widely based salute and one I feel fits only one person this year. He's a Soundclick Mod and a pillar of this place who has recently branched out into a whole new - and very wonderful - direction. As well as having his own music, and an SC station as one of my Stations Of The Year, Mike-K (Mike Kohlgraf) has recently started broadcasting an INCREDIBLE radio show over at www.songplanet.com called Saturday Night Rocks, every Saturday night as it happens. I have caught every single one of these shows since he started and chatted with a great many people in the SP chatroom while the show is going on. Mike's show is destined for big things so remember you read it here first. One of THE places to be on Saturday night for some time to come, so don't be a stranger and get into that stream!!

Three HUGE thumbups to Mike-K whose actions really do speak louder than words.

Part three follows[/i:d0c

Last edited by steve gilmore on 02 Dec 2004 09:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
steve gilmore
SoundClick Guru


Joined: 23 Apr 2002
Posts: 2632
Location: United Kingdom
Status:

PostPosted: 02 Dec 2004 08:56 pm    Post subject:

Best Soundclick Station

Three choices for this really; Flavour Of The Genres (for it's HUGE range of quality material), PFTW's Top Ten Station (for its very novel concept) and Acousticism (because it highlights an area much neglected)

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As I said at the beginning, a highly personal look at what this year has offered us music fans. I hope, somewhere amongst these names, you will find some favourites of your own.

To ALL the artists who have submitted tracks to me over the past year I would like to say a heartfelt thanks for trusting me with your creations - I've loved every single second of it...

So, who's up for Best Artist 2005 eh?

Start lining up here....

Steve Gilmore
Soundclick * Songplanet * MP3 Unsigned * Acid Planet * Vitamin C