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MUSIC: BEST OF 2006

MATMOS

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MATMOS

1 Scott Walker, The Drift (4AD) Harsh, aesthetically conservative times call for strong medicine, and Walker’s ghostly, epic return to the studio offers a thick and sticky ichor indeed. Demanding and “untimely” in the best possible way.

2 Always‚ Cruising and Gross Bodily Odour (Chapter Music) This Australian one-man band’s percussive chanting (with delay effects) on fun topics like bear pride and toilet sex will get you off in a hurry.

3 Brightblack Morning Light, Brightblack Morning Light (Matador Records) A psychedelic riverside tepee that binds together solid planks of harmony singing, Rhodes piano lines, and shuffling drums. Dreamy and drop-dead funky, this is great American music.

4 Comebacks This was the year in which we saw Nurse with Wound in San Francisco, Emperor in Los Angeles, and Os Mutantes in Chicago, living legends of noise, black metal, and psych, respectively. Each of them played with total conviction and fearsome stamina.

5 Kurt Weisman, More Is More (Mad Monk Records) Weisman’s solo seven-inch is a portable vortex of helium-voiced psych-folk laced with deeply disorienting electronic editing. Super fucked up and great.

6 Planningtorock, Have It All (Chicks on Speed) Boasting Brecht/Weill-esque arrangements largely built from her multitracked voice, Janine Rostron’s songs are gravelly, brave, and sparse yet huge in a way that could call up a Laurie Anderson/Jennifer Herrema mind meld—except that she is doing her own thing.

7 Wasteland, All Versus All (Transparent) Frosty sheets of digital noise stretched taut across a fathoms-deep dubstep skeleton—this is face-melting, industrial-strength sound design from London’s DJ Scud and New York’s I-Sound. The cure for timid electronic music.

8 The Creel Pone reissue label Pieter Christophssen and Keith Fullerton Whitman’s cottage industry rereleases ultraobscure musique concrète and electronic oddities from the ’60s in teensy handmade editions. This Wunderkammer of bygone freak-outs awaits the curious.

9 YouTube YouTube sidled up and ruined all productive activity forever by making it possible to snack endlessly on analog-synth demonstration videos, that James Brown/Prince/MJ ’80s superjam footage, last night’s Deerhoof show, you name it.

10 Zeena Parkins, Necklace (Tzadik) Long associated with howling distortion on her trademark electric harp, Parkins offers a pair of poised, ravishing string quartets and new pieces for acoustic harp, demonstrating her considerable compositional firepower.

Matmos is Drew Daniel and M. C. Schmidt. They make electronic music and live in San Francisco, where Schmidt teaches video art at the San Francisco Art Institute. Their most recent recording, The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast, was released in 2006 by Matador Records.

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Cover, left to right, from top left: Martin Kippenberger, 7. Preis (7th Prize), 1987, oil on canvas, 70 3/8 x 59 1/16". Pawel Althamer, Fairy Tale (detail), 2006. Installation view, Pferdeställe des Postfuhrants (Post Office Stables), Augustrasse, Berlin. Photocopy of a reproduction of David Hammons, Higher Goals, 1986. From “David Hammons: The Unauthorized Retrospective,” Triple Candie, New York, 2006. Mike Kelley, Heartthrob Split, 2005, mixed media with video projection and photographs, dimensions variable. Installation view, Gagosian Gallery, New York, 2006. Park Chan-wook, Lady Vengeance, 2005, still from a color film in 35 mm, 112 minutes. Lee Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae). Students reenacting Allan Kaprow’s Household, 1964, as part of the exhibition “Allan Kaprow: Art as Life,” Haus der Kunst, Munich, 2006. Piotr Uklanski, Summer Love, 2006, still from a color film in 35 mm, 93 minutes. The Stranger (Karel Roden). Tacita Dean, Kodak, 2006, still from a black-and-white and color film in 16 mm, 44 minutes. Hannah Höch, The Beautiful Girl, 1919, photomontage and collage, 13 3/4 x 11 1/2". Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno, Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, 2006, still from a color video, 90 minutes. Gustav Klimt, Adele Bloch-Bauer II, 1912, oil on canvas, 74 3/4 x 47 1/4". Ashley Bickerton, Green Reflecting Head Sam No. 2, 2006, printed paper with steel pins, 49 x 39". Maureen Gallace, Cape Cod, Winter, 2004, oil on panel, 11 x 14". View of “Isa Genzken,” 2006, Wiener Secession, Vienna. Brice Marden, Lethykos (for Tonto), 1976, oil and beeswax on canvas, four panels, overall 84 x 72". Poul Kjærholm, PK O, laminated wood chair, 1950–51. Lee Lozano, Ream, 1964, oil on canvas, 72 x 96". Yves Klein, Untitled monogold (MG 17), 1960, gold leaf on board, 78 3/8 x 60 1/4". From Blue monochrome, monogold, and monopink, “triptych,” 1960. Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Climates, 2006, still from a color film in 35 mm transferred from video, 97 minutes. Isa (Nuri Bilge Ceylan). Sigmar Polke, Untitled, 2006, artificial resin on polyester fiber, 46 x 54". James Benning, Casting a Glance, 2006–, strip from an unfinished color film in 16 mm, approx. 90 minutes. Invitation for “Jürgen Klauke: Works from the Early ’70s,” Ritter/Zamet, London, 2006. View of Herzog & de Meuron, “Perception Restrained,” 2006, Museum of Modern Art, New York. Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Natural Grace (detail), 1984–85, color photograph, 16 x 12". From the series “Stiller Nachmittag” (Quiet Afternoon), 1984–85. Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Parc Central, 2006, still from a color video, 50 minutes. Nate Lowman, Oops Maxima (Peach), 2005, silk screen on canvas, 30 x 30". Tony Oursler, Spaced, 2006, fiberglass sculpture, DVD, DVD player, Plus U7-132 XGA DLP digital projector, 50 x 67 x 27". Damien Hirst, Ira Dei (The Wrath of God), 2005, acrylic, metal, shark, and formaldehyde solution, 78 x 108 x 36". Cerith Wyn Evans, Please pay attention motherfucker, 2006. Installation view, Institute of Contemporary Art, London. Photo: Danny Birchall. Sofia Coppola, Marie Antoinette, 2006, still from a color film in 35 mm, 123 minutes. Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst). Robert Rauschenberg, Charlene (detail), 1954, oil, charcoal, paper, fabric, newspaper, wood, plastic, mirror, and metal on four Homasote panels mounted on wood with electric light, 89 x 112 x 3 1/2". Mel Bochner, Money/Obscene, 2006, oil on velvet, 74 x 47". Adam McEwen, Dresden (Phosphorbrandbombe), 2006, phosphorescent paint and chewing gum on canvas, 90 x 70". Christopher Williams, Rollerstacker, R-136MR, Manufacturer: The Kaynar Company, Los Angeles, CA, 90054. Date of production: 1975. Vancouver, BC, April 6, 2005 (NR. 1, 2 & 3), 2005 (detail), triptych, color photographs, each 16 x 20". Joan Jonas, The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things, 2005. Performance view, Dia:Beacon, Beacon, NY. Cameron Jamie, Kranky Klaus, 2002–2003, still from a color video, 26 minutes. Seth Price, Untitled Film, Right, 2006, still from a color film in 16 mm, 14 minutes. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez addressing the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters, New York, September 20, 2006. Photo: AP/Julie Jacobson. View of Thomas Hirschhorn, “Superficial Engagement,” 2006, Gladstone Gallery, New York.
Cover, left to right, from top left: Martin Kippenberger, 7. Preis (7th Prize), 1987, oil on canvas, 70 3/8 x 59 1/16". Pawel Althamer, Fairy Tale (detail), 2006. Installation view, Pferdeställe des Postfuhrants (Post Office Stables), Augustrasse, Berlin. Photocopy of a reproduction of David Hammons, Higher Goals, 1986. From “David Hammons: The Unauthorized Retrospective,” Triple Candie, New York, 2006. Mike Kelley, Heartthrob Split, 2005, mixed media with video projection and photographs, dimensions variable. Installation view, Gagosian Gallery, New York, 2006. Park Chan-wook, Lady Vengeance, 2005, still from a color film in 35 mm, 112 minutes. Lee Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae). Students reenacting Allan Kaprow’s Household, 1964, as part of the exhibition “Allan Kaprow: Art as Life,” Haus der Kunst, Munich, 2006. Piotr Uklanski, Summer Love, 2006, still from a color film in 35 mm, 93 minutes. The Stranger (Karel Roden). Tacita Dean, Kodak, 2006, still from a black-and-white and color film in 16 mm, 44 minutes. Hannah Höch, The Beautiful Girl, 1919, photomontage and collage, 13 3/4 x 11 1/2". Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno, Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, 2006, still from a color video, 90 minutes. Gustav Klimt, Adele Bloch-Bauer II, 1912, oil on canvas, 74 3/4 x 47 1/4". Ashley Bickerton, Green Reflecting Head Sam No. 2, 2006, printed paper with steel pins, 49 x 39". Maureen Gallace, Cape Cod, Winter, 2004, oil on panel, 11 x 14". View of “Isa Genzken,” 2006, Wiener Secession, Vienna. Brice Marden, Lethykos (for Tonto), 1976, oil and beeswax on canvas, four panels, overall 84 x 72". Poul Kjærholm, PK O, laminated wood chair, 1950–51. Lee Lozano, Ream, 1964, oil on canvas, 72 x 96". Yves Klein, Untitled monogold (MG 17), 1960, gold leaf on board, 78 3/8 x 60 1/4". From Blue monochrome, monogold, and monopink, “triptych,” 1960. Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Climates, 2006, still from a color film in 35 mm transferred from video, 97 minutes. Isa (Nuri Bilge Ceylan). Sigmar Polke, Untitled, 2006, artificial resin on polyester fiber, 46 x 54". James Benning, Casting a Glance, 2006–, strip from an unfinished color film in 16 mm, approx. 90 minutes. Invitation for “Jürgen Klauke: Works from the Early ’70s,” Ritter/Zamet, London, 2006. View of Herzog & de Meuron, “Perception Restrained,” 2006, Museum of Modern Art, New York. Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Natural Grace (detail), 1984–85, color photograph, 16 x 12". From the series “Stiller Nachmittag” (Quiet Afternoon), 1984–85. Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Parc Central, 2006, still from a color video, 50 minutes. Nate Lowman, Oops Maxima (Peach), 2005, silk screen on canvas, 30 x 30". Tony Oursler, Spaced, 2006, fiberglass sculpture, DVD, DVD player, Plus U7-132 XGA DLP digital projector, 50 x 67 x 27". Damien Hirst, Ira Dei (The Wrath of God), 2005, acrylic, metal, shark, and formaldehyde solution, 78 x 108 x 36". Cerith Wyn Evans, Please pay attention motherfucker, 2006. Installation view, Institute of Contemporary Art, London. Photo: Danny Birchall. Sofia Coppola, Marie Antoinette, 2006, still from a color film in 35 mm, 123 minutes. Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst). Robert Rauschenberg, Charlene (detail), 1954, oil, charcoal, paper, fabric, newspaper, wood, plastic, mirror, and metal on four Homasote panels mounted on wood with electric light, 89 x 112 x 3 1/2". Mel Bochner, Money/Obscene, 2006, oil on velvet, 74 x 47". Adam McEwen, Dresden (Phosphorbrandbombe), 2006, phosphorescent paint and chewing gum on canvas, 90 x 70". Christopher Williams, Rollerstacker, R-136MR, Manufacturer: The Kaynar Company, Los Angeles, CA, 90054. Date of production: 1975. Vancouver, BC, April 6, 2005 (NR. 1, 2 & 3), 2005 (detail), triptych, color photographs, each 16 x 20". Joan Jonas, The Shape, the Scent, the Feel of Things, 2005. Performance view, Dia:Beacon, Beacon, NY. Cameron Jamie, Kranky Klaus, 2002–2003, still from a color video, 26 minutes. Seth Price, Untitled Film, Right, 2006, still from a color film in 16 mm, 14 minutes. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez addressing the 61st session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters, New York, September 20, 2006. Photo: AP/Julie Jacobson. View of Thomas Hirschhorn, “Superficial Engagement,” 2006, Gladstone Gallery, New York.
DECEMBER 2006
VOL. 45, NO. 4
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