Let’s face it, Taylor Swift deserves our respect. Even if her brand of pop isn’t your thing, not many critics will argue against her sincerity, […]
Haunting the Metropolis: “Hand. Cannot. Erase.” by Steven Wilson (Kscope, 2015)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk The drama unfolds in Metropolis, a major Montreal venue. After ninety minutes’ worth of scene-setting recorded ambient music, the five […]
Ornette Coleman, avant garde jazz pioneer, dead at 85
Sad news this morning. Less than a year after his longtime bassist Charlie Haden passed away, jazz giant Ornette Coleman has died. He was 85. […]
Science Fiction Double Feature: “Black Noise” (reissue) and “Transformation” by FM (2014, 2015; Convexe)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk Part One: Maple Leaf Escape Craft For me, Part One of the FM story unfolded over FM radio. In 1980 […]
Tyran Grillo completes ECM Reviews site with 1330th disc review
This is too remarkable not to report. Cast your eyes on ecmreviews.com With several years effort, a singular vision, and support from ECM Records, Mr.Grillo […]
Marco Polo’s Film Music Discoveries
Album review by Neil Hobkirk We all have favourite film music. Whether absorbed during a movie or savoured separately as an isolated score, the music […]
New Tricks Revisited: Deep Purple’s “Purpendicular” (reissue; HNE, 2014)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk Purpendicular opens with a sound unfamiliar from previous Deep Purple albums: a buzzing, harmonics-drunk note frenzy lasting just a few […]
Serene Footfalls: “La vie commence ici” by Marianne Trudel (Justin Time, 2014)
Album review by Neil Hobkirk The three times I’ve seen Marianne Trudel perform in person, she’s radiated rapture. Alert at the piano, she looked possessed […]
Music Server Part II: Two great budget DAC’s go head to head
Part II: The DAC shoot-out (Cambridge Audio Azur DAC Magic Plus vs. Musical Paradise MP-D1) by Mark Morris Equipment used: Musical Paradise MP-D1 DAC […]
Putting together a Music Server, Part I
by Mark Morris Equipment used: Home-built PC Cambridge Audio DAC Magic Plus ACER T232HL 23” touch-screen monitor Sonic Frontiers Line 2 tube pre-amplifier Sonic Frontiers […]