Hello, there's a huge storm brewing that will unleash everything that isn't stuck, come monday morning the world will look different outside all over north western Europe, an odd thing however the storm is called Ciara, but Sabine in Germany. Not that it matters much it will flatten forests anyway and cause black outs, floods and all kind of mayhem. The emergency services will have one heck of a day in front of them great men and women will risk their lives to save the day. Great respect is due.
Today's artist is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter, originally from Bristol, England and now based in France, who plays dark folk music. He also produced and recorded electronic music under the name The Third Eye Foundation.. .......N-Joy
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Guitarist, vocalist, and electronic musician Matt Elliott has been making dark, haunting, and sometimes apocalyptic music since the mid-'90s. He began playing with several space rock bands from his native Bristol, England, including Flying Saucer Attack, AMP, and Movietone. In 1996, he began releasing a torrent of albums and EPs under his groundbreaking Third Eye Foundation project. The Foundation blended claustrophobic jungle and hip-hop breakbeats with noisy collages of guitars and found samples, resulting in some of the most jarring, unsettling electronic music of its time. 3EF and V/Vm shared the first installment of FatCat's lauded Split Series in 1997. The project released four well-regarded albums on Domino (in the U.K.) and Merge (in the United States), which also issued the 2001 collection I Poo Poo on Your Juju, compiling remixes for Blonde Redhead, Tarwater, Yann Tiersen, and others.
Matt Elliott's work as the Third Eye Foundation melds layers of droning noise with clattering drums and harrowing samples, resulting in disturbing yet captivating reflections of a life plagued by fear and hopelessness. Elliott originated from Bristol, England, and his work has combined influences from the city's space rock, drum'n'bass, and trip-hop scenes. He'll often combine supremely fast, chopped-to-smithereens breaks with other drums or samples that are heavily slowed down or stretched out, producing an extremely disorienting effect. Following a burst of activity resulting in several acclaimed albums, singles, and remixes from 1996 to the beginning of the 21st century, Elliott put the Foundation on hold and focused on writing downcast, experimental folk-influenced songs under his own name, but he's revived the project on occasion.
During the early '90s, Elliott played in a group called the Secret Garden along with Richard Walker, who left in 1992 and founded the experimental group Amp. Elliott contributed to early releases by Amp and Flying Saucer Attack, two groups from Bristol that blended harsh noise with ethereal elements, and were often referred to as space rock. Semtex, the Third Eye Foundation's debut full-length, appeared on Linda's Strange Vacation in 1996, and pushed these elements further, with vocals and guitars by Debbie Parsons (aka Foehn) trapped under a maelstrom of relentless distorted drums. Three other singles appeared during the same year, including an unrelated EP on Domino that also bore the title Semtex, and featured overdriven breakbeats similar to the work Alec Empire was producing at the time. Another release, In Version, featured remixes of tracks by Amp, Flying Saucer Attack, and Crescent.
In 1997, 3EF shared a split 12" with V/Vm, kicking off FatCat Records' split series. The Foundation remained with Domino in the U.K., while signing to Merge in the United States for second full-length Ghost, which appeared in 1997, as did the Sound of Violence EP. Pan Odyssey, a collaborative EP with Bump & Grind, was released by Sub Rosa in 1998. Shortly following the Fear of a Wack Planet single, the full-length You Guys Kill Me appeared by the end of the year. Little Lost Soul, a slightly more restrained full-length, was released in 2000, and 3EF's remixes for artists including Yann Tiersen, Tarwater, and Blonde Redhead were rounded up on 2001's I Poo Poo on Your Juju.
In 2003, Elliott began releasing music under his own name, drifting away from electronic music and closer to dark, dreamlike experimental indie folk. He also moved to France and began recording for the Ici d'Ailleurs label. A 2004 mix CD, OuMuPo 1, was credited to the Third Eye Foundation, but the project was put on ice until the politically motivated full-length The Dark was released in 2010. Following three more albums credited to Matt Elliott, the Third Eye Foundation returned in 2018 with the dub-influenced full-length Wake the Dead.
The Mess We Made
The Mess We Made, Elliott's debut solo album under his own name, was released in 2003. The name change also marked the shift in his work from electronic music to dark, dreamlike experimental folk. Following the album, he moved to France and signed with French label Ici D'Ailleurs. His subsequent albums were far more influenced by chansons and Eastern European music, but they continued the dark themes of his previous work, as evidenced by titles such as Drinking Songs and Failing Songs. In 2009, Elliott participated in This Immortal Coil, a tribute to Coil's Jhonn Balance that also included contributions from Tiersen, DAAU, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy. The project's full-length The Dark Age of Love was issued by Ici D'Ailleurs. Elliott also toured with Tiersen that year, opening for the composer as well as playing in his band. In 2010, Elliott made a surprising return to the Third Eye Foundation moniker for the release of the politically motivated The Dark. He returned to his given name in 2012 for The Broken Man. Only Myocardial Infarction Can Break Your Heart followed in 2013, and The Calm Before arrived three years later.
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This would be Matt Elliott's lone outing that really bears that much resemblance to his former bands. The feedback drenched guitar assault of Flying Saucer Attack is the main form of sound here, however, Mr Elliott decided to add vaguely electronic beats to the proceedings and tone down the noise to just above "hypnoticly ambient" (they have settings like that on amps now, you should really check it out.). So the result is something intriguing if not frequently enjoyable. See, while the main pattern of each song is interesting and even in some cases catchy, thats really all each song amounts to. Thus we are left with a repeating motif of feedback, percussion and occasional intruders in the mix. This leads to something that would work insanely well as background music yet the minute you tune in for a more involved listen you wind up bored shitless. Right? Well actually, it's not as boring as you'd imagine. Heck I'd go as far as to say that it deserves a deeper listen, that way the seeming endless repetition reveals itself to be more evocative than it has any right to be. At least on the first side. Side 2 is nowhere near as effective, terrible and beautiful at the same time.
The Third Eye Foundation - Semtex (flac 311mb)
01 Sleep 7:03
02 Still-Life 11:24
03 Dreams on His Fingers 5:45
04 Next of Kin 6:06
05 Once When I Was an Indian 12:29
06 Rain 5:23
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Excellent moody, ethereal yet monolithic experimental electronic music from the mind of Matt Elliot. Brilliant tunes that shift from ethereal (What To Do But Cry), to atmospheric (Corpses As Bedmates, Ghosts...) to dark monolithic textures (The Star's Gone Out) to sorrowful (Donald Crowhurst).
Lush, morbid, expansive, dark electronica instrumentals that sound like nothing else in music. It's a shame this style didn't catch on, too, because despite having a penchant for sampling Metal Machine Music, the sounds here are both addictive and repulsive, having the strange effect of making you come back to listen to it again and again whether you want to or not. It's almost like decayed music: you can hear the rust, the creaks and screeches that make you cringe, but there's a beauty in it, as well. Really one of the best records in it's genre.
The Third Eye Foundation - Ghost (flac 271mb)
01 What to Do but Cry? 6:59
02 Corpses as Bedmates 8:52
03 The Star's Gone Out 6:05
04 The Out Sound From Way In 5:57
05 I've Seen the Light and It's Dark 8:01
06 Ghosts... 7:21
07 Donald Crowhurst 4:18
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If it's not the samples themselves but what you do with them, You Guys Kill Me gets extra points for effort. The beats and effects Matt Elliott concocted aren't incredibly original (there's the sewing-machine Brazilian bossa shuffle and the downbeat from Boogie Down Productions' "Bridge Is Over," along with various effects including howling dogs, dark crackly strings and metallic), but the slice-and-dice production, along with creative processing, transforms them into revelatory darkside symphonies. Elliott sounds as though he's Ed Rush's indie-rockin' sibling, fooling around with big brother's equipment and crafting a very twisted version of post-rock tech-step reminiscent of Amon Tobin as well as Rome. Strangely, it works.
The Third Eye Foundation - You Guys Kill Me ( flac 260mb)
01Galaxy of Scars 6:56
02 For All the Brothers and Sisters 4:14
03 There's a Fight at the End of the Tunnel 4:40
04 An Even Harder Shade of Dark 8:35
05 Lions Writing the Bible 1:59
06 No Dove No Covenant 4:55
07 I'm Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired 4:40
08 That Would Be Exhibiting the Same Weak Traits 6:07
09 In Bristol With a Pistol 3:03
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Little Lost Soul is the Third Eye Foundation's first album of the 21st century and the most consistent to date. TEF uses the drum'n'bass elements of u-ziq and Squarepusher but leaves the trip-over-yourself aspects behind. Combined with swelling synths and angelic vocals, this album is a ride through the dark side of a genre appropriately labeled "drill'n'bass." The percussion is meticulously constructed; each beat is placed for a purpose and new rhythms are exposed upon repeated listens. Vague tinges of jazz are also present, mostly in the tappy snare drum and fretless upright bass sounds. All parts combine and build chaotically, most notably halfway through the album on "Half a Tiger." Little Lost Soul does have its calmer moments, too, where strings and slower trip-hoppish beats gel into a truly melodic package, as in "Lost." A clever use of dynamics and note placement, along with a knowledge of when not to play, prove Matt Elliot's progress as a modern electronic composer. In the end, Little Lost Soul is what many electronic albums aren't. It is tasteful.
The Third Eye Foundation - Little Lost Soul (flac 257mb)
01 I've Lost That Loving Feline 4:31
02 What Is It With You 4:22
03 Stone Cold Said So 6:07
04 Half a Tiger 7:10
05 Lost 10:55
06 Are You Still a Cliché? 1:57
07 Goddamit You've Got to Be Kind 8:40
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
I Poo Poo on Your Juju -- surely a more meaningful or attractive title could have been generated? -- assembled hard-to-find Third Eye Foundation remixes, along with one new track. To its credit, it doesn't sound like an odds-and-ends collection of reworkings, but strong enough to hold up on its own merits. The Third Eye Foundation, the project of Matt Elliott, has sometimes been portrayed as a drum'n'bass act. But actually this would be more aptly characterized as intelligent and eclectic electronica, only sometimes using drum'n'bass elements. It's a diverse grouping, including a treatment of a work by French composer Yann Tiersen and a remix of a cover of Jonathan Richman's "When I Dance." It's best when it crafts hauntingly attractive yet somewhat disquieting moods with its blend of misty and wobbly textures, as on the Tiersen piece. The ones employing more common electronic percussive elements are less distinctive, and the range is wide enough that it may be hard to find many listeners who like everything here. Throughout, Elliott is adept at painting upon or adding a wealth of sounds -- jungle noises, electronic tones, classical piano, spooky special effects, a female voice, wavering bell rings -- into his craft. Dark, elemental and startlingly beautiful, these eight tracks, stark, Nyman-ish piano, hum and static, swelling string, syncopated, distressed beats, otherworldly voices and myriad alien noises are merged in a contrastingly sheer/muted world, which owes much to the depth and space of good dub.
The Third Eye Foundation - I Poo Poo On Your Juju (flac 283mb)
01 Yann Tiersen - La Dispute (3rd Eye Foundation Remix) 6:30
02 Tarwater - To Describe You (3rd Eye Foundation Remix) 4:46
03 Urchin - Snuffed Candles (3rd Eye Foundation Remix) 7:57
04 The Remote Viewer - All Of The WCKW Want To Be Abstract (3ef Version) 5:43
05 Matt Elliott Vs. Chris Morris - Push Off My Wire 5:42
06 Blonde Redhead - Four Damaged Lemons 5:08
07 Faultline - Mute (3rd Eye Foundation Remix) 6:25
08 Glänta Vs. Third Eye Foundation - When I Dance 7:55
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Today's artist is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter, originally from Bristol, England and now based in France, who plays dark folk music. He also produced and recorded electronic music under the name The Third Eye Foundation.. .......N-Joy
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Guitarist, vocalist, and electronic musician Matt Elliott has been making dark, haunting, and sometimes apocalyptic music since the mid-'90s. He began playing with several space rock bands from his native Bristol, England, including Flying Saucer Attack, AMP, and Movietone. In 1996, he began releasing a torrent of albums and EPs under his groundbreaking Third Eye Foundation project. The Foundation blended claustrophobic jungle and hip-hop breakbeats with noisy collages of guitars and found samples, resulting in some of the most jarring, unsettling electronic music of its time. 3EF and V/Vm shared the first installment of FatCat's lauded Split Series in 1997. The project released four well-regarded albums on Domino (in the U.K.) and Merge (in the United States), which also issued the 2001 collection I Poo Poo on Your Juju, compiling remixes for Blonde Redhead, Tarwater, Yann Tiersen, and others.
Matt Elliott's work as the Third Eye Foundation melds layers of droning noise with clattering drums and harrowing samples, resulting in disturbing yet captivating reflections of a life plagued by fear and hopelessness. Elliott originated from Bristol, England, and his work has combined influences from the city's space rock, drum'n'bass, and trip-hop scenes. He'll often combine supremely fast, chopped-to-smithereens breaks with other drums or samples that are heavily slowed down or stretched out, producing an extremely disorienting effect. Following a burst of activity resulting in several acclaimed albums, singles, and remixes from 1996 to the beginning of the 21st century, Elliott put the Foundation on hold and focused on writing downcast, experimental folk-influenced songs under his own name, but he's revived the project on occasion.
During the early '90s, Elliott played in a group called the Secret Garden along with Richard Walker, who left in 1992 and founded the experimental group Amp. Elliott contributed to early releases by Amp and Flying Saucer Attack, two groups from Bristol that blended harsh noise with ethereal elements, and were often referred to as space rock. Semtex, the Third Eye Foundation's debut full-length, appeared on Linda's Strange Vacation in 1996, and pushed these elements further, with vocals and guitars by Debbie Parsons (aka Foehn) trapped under a maelstrom of relentless distorted drums. Three other singles appeared during the same year, including an unrelated EP on Domino that also bore the title Semtex, and featured overdriven breakbeats similar to the work Alec Empire was producing at the time. Another release, In Version, featured remixes of tracks by Amp, Flying Saucer Attack, and Crescent.
In 1997, 3EF shared a split 12" with V/Vm, kicking off FatCat Records' split series. The Foundation remained with Domino in the U.K., while signing to Merge in the United States for second full-length Ghost, which appeared in 1997, as did the Sound of Violence EP. Pan Odyssey, a collaborative EP with Bump & Grind, was released by Sub Rosa in 1998. Shortly following the Fear of a Wack Planet single, the full-length You Guys Kill Me appeared by the end of the year. Little Lost Soul, a slightly more restrained full-length, was released in 2000, and 3EF's remixes for artists including Yann Tiersen, Tarwater, and Blonde Redhead were rounded up on 2001's I Poo Poo on Your Juju.
In 2003, Elliott began releasing music under his own name, drifting away from electronic music and closer to dark, dreamlike experimental indie folk. He also moved to France and began recording for the Ici d'Ailleurs label. A 2004 mix CD, OuMuPo 1, was credited to the Third Eye Foundation, but the project was put on ice until the politically motivated full-length The Dark was released in 2010. Following three more albums credited to Matt Elliott, the Third Eye Foundation returned in 2018 with the dub-influenced full-length Wake the Dead.
The Mess We Made
The Mess We Made, Elliott's debut solo album under his own name, was released in 2003. The name change also marked the shift in his work from electronic music to dark, dreamlike experimental folk. Following the album, he moved to France and signed with French label Ici D'Ailleurs. His subsequent albums were far more influenced by chansons and Eastern European music, but they continued the dark themes of his previous work, as evidenced by titles such as Drinking Songs and Failing Songs. In 2009, Elliott participated in This Immortal Coil, a tribute to Coil's Jhonn Balance that also included contributions from Tiersen, DAAU, and Bonnie "Prince" Billy. The project's full-length The Dark Age of Love was issued by Ici D'Ailleurs. Elliott also toured with Tiersen that year, opening for the composer as well as playing in his band. In 2010, Elliott made a surprising return to the Third Eye Foundation moniker for the release of the politically motivated The Dark. He returned to his given name in 2012 for The Broken Man. Only Myocardial Infarction Can Break Your Heart followed in 2013, and The Calm Before arrived three years later.
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
This would be Matt Elliott's lone outing that really bears that much resemblance to his former bands. The feedback drenched guitar assault of Flying Saucer Attack is the main form of sound here, however, Mr Elliott decided to add vaguely electronic beats to the proceedings and tone down the noise to just above "hypnoticly ambient" (they have settings like that on amps now, you should really check it out.). So the result is something intriguing if not frequently enjoyable. See, while the main pattern of each song is interesting and even in some cases catchy, thats really all each song amounts to. Thus we are left with a repeating motif of feedback, percussion and occasional intruders in the mix. This leads to something that would work insanely well as background music yet the minute you tune in for a more involved listen you wind up bored shitless. Right? Well actually, it's not as boring as you'd imagine. Heck I'd go as far as to say that it deserves a deeper listen, that way the seeming endless repetition reveals itself to be more evocative than it has any right to be. At least on the first side. Side 2 is nowhere near as effective, terrible and beautiful at the same time.
The Third Eye Foundation - Semtex (flac 311mb)
01 Sleep 7:03
02 Still-Life 11:24
03 Dreams on His Fingers 5:45
04 Next of Kin 6:06
05 Once When I Was an Indian 12:29
06 Rain 5:23
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Excellent moody, ethereal yet monolithic experimental electronic music from the mind of Matt Elliot. Brilliant tunes that shift from ethereal (What To Do But Cry), to atmospheric (Corpses As Bedmates, Ghosts...) to dark monolithic textures (The Star's Gone Out) to sorrowful (Donald Crowhurst).
Lush, morbid, expansive, dark electronica instrumentals that sound like nothing else in music. It's a shame this style didn't catch on, too, because despite having a penchant for sampling Metal Machine Music, the sounds here are both addictive and repulsive, having the strange effect of making you come back to listen to it again and again whether you want to or not. It's almost like decayed music: you can hear the rust, the creaks and screeches that make you cringe, but there's a beauty in it, as well. Really one of the best records in it's genre.
The Third Eye Foundation - Ghost (flac 271mb)
01 What to Do but Cry? 6:59
02 Corpses as Bedmates 8:52
03 The Star's Gone Out 6:05
04 The Out Sound From Way In 5:57
05 I've Seen the Light and It's Dark 8:01
06 Ghosts... 7:21
07 Donald Crowhurst 4:18
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
If it's not the samples themselves but what you do with them, You Guys Kill Me gets extra points for effort. The beats and effects Matt Elliott concocted aren't incredibly original (there's the sewing-machine Brazilian bossa shuffle and the downbeat from Boogie Down Productions' "Bridge Is Over," along with various effects including howling dogs, dark crackly strings and metallic), but the slice-and-dice production, along with creative processing, transforms them into revelatory darkside symphonies. Elliott sounds as though he's Ed Rush's indie-rockin' sibling, fooling around with big brother's equipment and crafting a very twisted version of post-rock tech-step reminiscent of Amon Tobin as well as Rome. Strangely, it works.
The Third Eye Foundation - You Guys Kill Me ( flac 260mb)
01Galaxy of Scars 6:56
02 For All the Brothers and Sisters 4:14
03 There's a Fight at the End of the Tunnel 4:40
04 An Even Harder Shade of Dark 8:35
05 Lions Writing the Bible 1:59
06 No Dove No Covenant 4:55
07 I'm Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired 4:40
08 That Would Be Exhibiting the Same Weak Traits 6:07
09 In Bristol With a Pistol 3:03
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
Little Lost Soul is the Third Eye Foundation's first album of the 21st century and the most consistent to date. TEF uses the drum'n'bass elements of u-ziq and Squarepusher but leaves the trip-over-yourself aspects behind. Combined with swelling synths and angelic vocals, this album is a ride through the dark side of a genre appropriately labeled "drill'n'bass." The percussion is meticulously constructed; each beat is placed for a purpose and new rhythms are exposed upon repeated listens. Vague tinges of jazz are also present, mostly in the tappy snare drum and fretless upright bass sounds. All parts combine and build chaotically, most notably halfway through the album on "Half a Tiger." Little Lost Soul does have its calmer moments, too, where strings and slower trip-hoppish beats gel into a truly melodic package, as in "Lost." A clever use of dynamics and note placement, along with a knowledge of when not to play, prove Matt Elliot's progress as a modern electronic composer. In the end, Little Lost Soul is what many electronic albums aren't. It is tasteful.
The Third Eye Foundation - Little Lost Soul (flac 257mb)
01 I've Lost That Loving Feline 4:31
02 What Is It With You 4:22
03 Stone Cold Said So 6:07
04 Half a Tiger 7:10
05 Lost 10:55
06 Are You Still a Cliché? 1:57
07 Goddamit You've Got to Be Kind 8:40
xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx
I Poo Poo on Your Juju -- surely a more meaningful or attractive title could have been generated? -- assembled hard-to-find Third Eye Foundation remixes, along with one new track. To its credit, it doesn't sound like an odds-and-ends collection of reworkings, but strong enough to hold up on its own merits. The Third Eye Foundation, the project of Matt Elliott, has sometimes been portrayed as a drum'n'bass act. But actually this would be more aptly characterized as intelligent and eclectic electronica, only sometimes using drum'n'bass elements. It's a diverse grouping, including a treatment of a work by French composer Yann Tiersen and a remix of a cover of Jonathan Richman's "When I Dance." It's best when it crafts hauntingly attractive yet somewhat disquieting moods with its blend of misty and wobbly textures, as on the Tiersen piece. The ones employing more common electronic percussive elements are less distinctive, and the range is wide enough that it may be hard to find many listeners who like everything here. Throughout, Elliott is adept at painting upon or adding a wealth of sounds -- jungle noises, electronic tones, classical piano, spooky special effects, a female voice, wavering bell rings -- into his craft. Dark, elemental and startlingly beautiful, these eight tracks, stark, Nyman-ish piano, hum and static, swelling string, syncopated, distressed beats, otherworldly voices and myriad alien noises are merged in a contrastingly sheer/muted world, which owes much to the depth and space of good dub.
The Third Eye Foundation - I Poo Poo On Your Juju (flac 283mb)
01 Yann Tiersen - La Dispute (3rd Eye Foundation Remix) 6:30
02 Tarwater - To Describe You (3rd Eye Foundation Remix) 4:46
03 Urchin - Snuffed Candles (3rd Eye Foundation Remix) 7:57
04 The Remote Viewer - All Of The WCKW Want To Be Abstract (3ef Version) 5:43
05 Matt Elliott Vs. Chris Morris - Push Off My Wire 5:42
06 Blonde Redhead - Four Damaged Lemons 5:08
07 Faultline - Mute (3rd Eye Foundation Remix) 6:25
08 Glänta Vs. Third Eye Foundation - When I Dance 7:55
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Greetings Rho
ReplyDeleteMatt's pretty great, isn't he? Thank you for introducing him to me (along with so much else.) The link to 'You Guys' seems to be non-functional, at least for me. Could be some weirdness on my side, thought I'd let you know. Have a good 2020 (yourself and everybody.)
Rich E