May 1, 2013

RhoDeo 1317 Aetix

Hello, well tonight's game proved once more why football is such an unpredictable game. Dortmund wasted a string of chances to finish off Real Madrid and in the end had to fear for missing the final, they would have become  a laughing stock for loosing out there tonight. I'm wondering how many Bayern players will be allowed on the pitch tomorrow, surely the UEFA can't expect Messi alone to clear away the mess from last week.

Meanwhile Aetix continues with females in the lead, and today's artist's first performance on stage in London was when she was a pre-teen. She sang in Benjamin Britten's opera, Noye's Fludde (Noah's Flood), at the Royal Albert Hall. Preceding this, the first time she had trod the boards was at the age of three as an Orange Jelly Baby on the Southend Bandstand. The things that come from exposure at a young age....N'Joy

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A performer whose enigmatic and experimental work reflected the strong influence of biblical mysticism and Middle Eastern musical textures, Danielle Dax was born in Southend, England. She made her musical debut in 1979 as the keyboardist in the seven-piece Amy Turtle & the Crossroads; the group disbanded after only one performance, but it brought Dax -- who took to the stage clad in nothing more than a knit cap and lab coat -- to the attention of Karl Blake, who asked her to design the cover for an EP by his Surrey University-based band the Lemon Kittens. Within a week, Dax was a full member of the group; neither she nor Blake actually played music, but they managed to release two highly experimental LPs, 1980's We Buy a Hammer for Daddy and 1982's The Big Dentist, while also establishing a reputation for their notorious live sets, in which they frequently performed sans clothes.

Upon the Lemon Kittens' 1982 split, Blake formed the Shock-Headed Peters, while Dax mounted a solo career. She debuted a year later with Pop-Eyes, a true solo effort for which she wrote and performed every song alone, even handling mixing and production duties and distributing the record through her own Awesome label. While her heavy makeup and colossal hair aligned her with the thriving "Batcave" scene, she steadfastly avoided easy pigeonholing, even making the leap into film with appearances in Neil Jordan's adult fable The Company of Wolves; she also appeared in Chimera, a film by Holly Woodlawn, the photographer whose work adorned many of Dax's record covers. After reuniting with Karl Blake, Dax returned in 1984 with the Jesus Egg That Wept EP, which also featured the first appearance of guitarist/keyboardist David Knight, who subsequently became a frequent collaborator.

After recruiting a live band, Dax emerged as a significant concert draw; a series of singles including 1985's "Yummer Yummer Man," 1986's "Where the Flies Are," 1988's "Cat-House," and 1989's "White Knuckle Ride" -- each slightly more commercial than the last -- also established her as a force on the independent charts, and after the success of 1987's Inky Bloaters LP, she signed to Sire. After 1988's Dark Adapted Eye, a compilation of previous work, she resurfaced in 1990 with Blast the Human Flower, an attempt at mainstream success heralded by a misguided cover of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." When the record bombed, Dax and Sire went their separate ways, and she spent the next several years in seclusion, returning only in 1995 with a new label, Biter of Thorpe.

Her last two album releases were in 1995 and consisted of a career retrospective double-album entitled Comatose Non-Reaction: The Thwarted Pop Career of Danielle Dax and an EP of new avant-garde and almost completely instrumental material called Timber Tongue (both on her own Biter Of Thorpe label). Dax's career in the music business then went on indefinite hiatus and is often referred to as a 'retirement'.

Since 1996, she has worked in interior design and has appeared several times on the BBC interior design show Homefront, where she won their Designer of the Year Award. She is also a qualified garden designer and has worked on numerous projects in that field.

According to her official MySpace page (maintained by long-time friend and former bandmate, Karl Blake), she has done spoken-word performances of her old material in the United Kingdom and in mainland Europe, with backing music written especially for these by herself and long-term musical collaborator David Knight. There is also some talk of new material being written.

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"Today's not the same as before/Starting with a clean slate/Promises of new rewards." This seems an appropriate beginning to Danielle Dax's first solo record, which comes on the heels of a two-album stint with experimental pop group the Lemon Kittens. Certainly, Dax makes the most of this particular tabula rasa. Self-written, produced, and performed, the idiosyncratic Pop-Eyes truly lives up to its promise. Perhaps most impressive here is the way that Dax puts odd musical bedfellows -- from Middle Eastern percussion to doo wop vocals -- next to each other in combinations that should clash, but instead complement each other nicely. Particularly rewarding are the Arabic-flavored "Bed Caves" and absurd yet eerie "Here Come the Harvest Buns."



Danielle Dax - Pop-Eyes (flac 202mb)

01 Bed Caves 3:12
02 Everyone Squeaks Gently 3:33
03 The Wheeled Wagon 5:49
04 The Stone Guest 1:57
05 Here Come The Harvest Buns 2:58
06 The Shamemen 3:42
07 Kernow 4:14
08 Numb Companions 3:57
09 Tower Of Lies 2:48
10 Cutting The Last Sheaf 3:11

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Many have declared this to be Danielle Dax's very best album. Whilst 'Pop Eyes' was a minimalist affair, 'Jesus Egg That Wept' boasts more well-rounded and full-bodied productions. But it's just as equally as strange and ethereal as 'Pop Eyes' - which is certainly no criticism as this is what makes Dax's work so unique and intriguing. Cutting edge experimental music at its very best - and most arty. 'Evil Honky Stomp', a scathing song about black slavery and white supremacy, sounds so jolly when it first kicks in, but the lyrics tell a dark tale. Beguiling and brilliant! 'Pariah' is even better! Opening with a wave of keyboards, this haunting track is one of Dax's most definitive recordings, and captures a compelling vocal performance, which sways from high and soprano-like to a low, almost menacing sound. The eclectic genius that is Danielle Dax is also shown on 'Fortune Cheats'. A startling mixture here, beginning with a range of light, tinkling instruments which sets a macabre tone and dark atmosphere, entwined with a stomping Northern-Soul-like beat and doo-wop sounds. What should be an odd blending, makes for a riveting listen, while the lyrics depict a story of a woman who murders her cheating boyfriend!



Danielle Dax - Jesus Egg That Wept Back In Flac (137mb)

01 Evil Honkey Stomp 4:42
02 Pariah 3:46
03 Fortune Cheats 4:35
04 Hammerheads 3:36
05 Ostrich 4:01
06 The Spoil Factor 4:00

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Recorded: 1st December 1985, 1st transmission: 14th January 1986.
Bass, Percussion – Ian Sturgess
Drums – Martyn Watts
Engineer – Peter Watts
Guitar – Steve Reeves
Synthesizer – David Knight
Vocals, Synthesizer – Danielle Dax
Producer – Barry Andrews



Danielle Dax - The BBC Sessions (flac 85mb)

01 Fizzing Human Bomb 3:39
02 Pariah 3:36
03 Ostrich 3:57
04 Numb Companions 3:20

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Dax's third solo album, Inky Bloaters is the most accessible (up to that point) she had done. "Brimstone in a Barren Land" is a classic psych nugget up there with "Third Stone from the Sun" and "Tomorrow Never Knows," in terms of memorable quality. Personally, I think her track is superior. She is extremely talented and plays many instruments, although she records with one or two others. The only knock against her is that she sometimes relies too heavily on middle eastern or industrial or goth musical styles (which can pigeon-hole her, if unfairly), while at other times, she gets the blend just right.
After a nearly hermetic approach on her first two albums, Dax opened things up a bit on Inky Bloaters by recording with a band and sharing songwriting credits with David Knight. The resulting sound is "bigger" and more commercial than her previous work, with many songs taking on the traits of the guitar-driven dance-pop that ruled the airwaves in the '80s. The funky "Big Hollow Man" takes a page from Prince, while "Flashback" could almost be a Blondie single. While undeniably catchy, more conventional arrangements date some of this material in a way that her earlier idiosyncratic efforts avoided. Still, on the best tracks (like the sitar-infused "Where the Flies Are"), Dax's voice remains distinctive.



Danielle Dax - Inky Bloaters (flac  269mb)

01 Flashback 4:23
02 Funtime 3:27
03 Inky Bloaters 3:31
04 Sleep Has No Property 4:31
05 Bad Miss 'M' 2:46
06 Big Hollow Man 5:20
07 Brimstone in a Barren Land 4:32
08 Where the Flies Are 3:20
09 Born to Be Bad 2:58
10 Fizzing Human-Bomb 3:45
11 Yummer-Yummer Man (bonus) 3:25

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While her albums had largely been experimental affairs, by 1987 Danielle Dax began making more accessible music - not necessarily commercial, but certainly records that really SHOULD have cracked the mainstream. Following her excellent 'Inky Bloaters' album, which again scored hot reviews from the music press (yet commercial stations like Radio 1, which could really make or break a record in terms of commercial success, continued to shun her apart from the odd late-night airings by more open-minded DJs) and another of her concerts being televised (this time in Japan), she unexpectedly signed to major record label, Sire, in 1988, after years of recording independently. The subject of this review, 'Dark Adapted Eye', was a compilation released to help break her through in America. Although not gaining widespread commerical recognition, she again amassed a cult following in the States through this release. In effect, it contains every track featured on her third solo album 'Inky Bloaters' (1987) bar 'Born To Be Bad' and a selection of offerings from her earlier experimental solo work.

Yes, this music is strange and unearthly, and is often labelled "arty", but it was something new and fresh and Dax was way ahead of her time. Following this compilation, she released one major label studio project 'Blast The Human Flower' in 1990, which was again well-received but didn't do much in the commercial world. Sadly a debilitating illness resulted in her not being able to fulfill her contractual obligation to produce another album for Sire Records, and she was eventually dropped from the label. She re-surfaced in 1995 with an EP of experimental music, 'Timber Tongue', which saw her career come full circle. The same year she retired from the music scene once and for all, marking this with a compilation which she tellingly titled 'Comatose Non Reaction: The Thwarted Pop Career of Danielle Dax'. A crying shame. Since then she's worked in interior design and was awarded the Designer of the Year Award by the BBC after taking part in the interior design show Homefront. She now concentrates on her art work in addition to interior design and has confirmed that she (sadly) has no plans to return to the music scene. However, when a short list of innovative, cutting-edge underground music artists of the 80s is drawn up, you can be sure Danielle Dax will be near the top! I live in hope that one day her music will be re-discovered on a wider level as she has been cited by many artists as having been a major influence, a unique, multi-talented genius! Remastered and expanded in 2008



Danielle Dax - Dark Adapted Eye (flac  440mb)
 
01 Cat-House 3:32
02 Big Hollow Man 4:47
03 White Knuckle Ride 2:55
04 When I Was Young 3:49
05 Yummer Yummer Man 3:26
06 Fizzing Human Bomb 3:43
07 Whistling For His Love 3:31
08 Flashback 4:20
09 Inky Bloaters 3:33
10 Brimstone In A Barren Land 4:29
11 Bad Miss 'M' 2:45
12 Touch Piggy's Eyes 4:08
Bonus
13 House-Cat 3:31
14 Bed Caves 3:09
15 Sleep Has No Property 4:32
16 Hammerheads 3:12
17 Pariah 3:45
18 Where The Flies Are 3:14
19 Funtime 3:19

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This is another interesting outing from Danielle Dax, a woman who's shown a talent for absorbing more than a few world music influences into her quirky brand of smoky pop. Here she picks up on the Beatles' Indian classical influences with her cover of Lennon/McCartney's "Tomorrow Never Knows," a Turkish dervish music in the hypnotic, swirling "Bayou," and melodic power pop in "The Id Parade," the sarcastic opening track. It doesn't always work quite as well as it should, with some numbers, like "Big Blue '82'," falling short of the mark and never quite gelling, and others not quite developing beyond a few good ideas and a nifty rhythmic pulse, as happens on "King Crack."

The nice side is that Stephen Street's production keeps things filled out, giving Dax's very pretty voice plenty of room to work (especially on the beautiful "Daisy," a story of tragedy framed in a light, sweet musical landscape) while filling the gaps in some of the songs with interesting instrumental work. Check out "Dead Man's Chill," with its mix of chugging rhythm guitars, stomping drums (the drum machine work on this album is superb, by the way) and biting lead guitar. When the songs are on target and developed, the result is terrific, sharp material. Check out "Jehovah's Precious Stone" and the magnificent "16 Candles," the closing tale of a lover's tragic devotion. In summary, an excellent shot across the bow -- there's a lot of good music here, and some not so good, but it's worth checking out.



Danielle Dax - Blast The Human Flower  (flac 354mb)

01 The ID Parade 3:50
02 Tomorrow Never Knows 5:15
03 Big Blue '82' 4:16
04 Bayou 4:08
05 King Crack 2:10
06 Daisy 3:55
07 Dead Man's Chill 4:42
08 The Living And Their Stillborn 5:10
09 Jehovah's Precious Stone 5:07
10 16 Candles 5:36
 bo-nus 11 Tomorrow Never Knows [KSDS Mix] 5:03 12 Tomorrow Never Knows [Lunar Mix] 4:23

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13 comments:

  1. please moooorrre dd

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  2. Many thanks for this excellent post. I too would greatly appreciate any more Dax/Blake-related goodness, especially Lemon Kittens, who I haven't heard in a very long time. Always loved the heck out of 'em.

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  3. Hello,alas I don't have anymore Dax as for the Kittens I checked an old partition(pre 2004) and there they were their complete discography. Lemon Kittens Discography @mp3 151mb in case you are in need to hear them.

    Rho

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  4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  5. Any chance you could repost Danielle's BBC Sessions and if you have the remasters of her first 3 albums on Biter Of Thorpe and/or Timber Tongue Ep, That would be great.
    Chhers

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  6. Thanks for the re-up of the BBC Sessions, Rho!

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  7. Thanks for these reups. A really interesting talent.

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  8. hi
    can you please re-up the "BBC session" in FLAC (if it's a real flac only, not a mp3 reconverted into FLAC like some do) ?
    thank you, I shall keep a eye open

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  9. RE request

    hi
    can you please re-up the "BBC session" in FLAC (if it's a real flac only, not a mp3 reconverted into FLAC like some do) ?
    thank you, I shall keep a eye open

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  10. it's been 1 month I requested a re-up and nothing happens
    if you don't want to do it, let it know by deleting my comments
    I' wasting my time and i'm now tired of checking the link every day.

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  11. Well Anon I simply don't have it and Danielle Dax is a somewhat obscure artist who's more obscure releases tend to disappear from the digital realm forever rather quickly. That said some of my visitors have it, so tell you what I will ask for it in your anon name for it

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  13. hello unknown, this page has been re upped feb 2020, so i will delete your request, furthermore i don't do low q versions, its easy enough to create one yourself.

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