electro-music.com   Dedicated to experimental electro-acoustic
and electronic music
 
    Front Page  |  Radio
 |  Media  |  Forum  |  Wiki  |  Links
Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
 FAQFAQ   CalendarCalendar   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   LinksLinks
 RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in  Chat RoomChat Room 
go to the radio page Live at electro-music.com radio 1 Please visit the chat
poster
 Forum index » Reviews, Editorials and Commentary » Reviews, Reports and Interviews
Residue - Amy X Neuburg
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Page 1 of 1 [7 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
Author Message
mosc
Site Admin


Joined: Jan 31, 2003
Posts: 18195
Location: Durham, NC
Audio files: 211
G2 patch files: 60

PostPosted: Wed Mar 17, 2004 4:42 pm    Post subject: Residue - Amy X Neuburg Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Amy X Neuburg - Residue
Electro-Diva extraordinaire Amy X Neuburg's new release, Residue, on Other Minds Records is marvelous. If you only buy one CD this year, get this one. Residue is a breakthrough recording.

I first heard of Amy from Tim Thompson, a member of the electro-music.com forums, via email. He said, "Great/catchy/accessible/deep composition, stunning vocals, terrific use of technology (but all serving the music). A 1-woman show, complex compositions are constructed completely live (she loops/layers her voice and plays/triggers things with drum pads)." Tim is sometimes prone to understatement.

Amy X Neuburg is a classically trained vocalist (Oberlin Conservatory), a composer, an electronic musician, a poet, and an entertainer. Her music covers a tremendous range of styles, from medieval religious chant through Kurt Weil cabaret singing, pop, rock, avant garde, sound text poetry, opera, African tribal singing, and electronic (ambient, beat, noise - everything). Her music is very experimental, but always under total control. The result is, like Tim said, accessible. She is satirical, profound, humorous and sexy too. Oh yes, Amy's voice is magnificent, a full-range masterfully controlled musical instrument.

Electro-Diva Amy X Neuburg in Manhattan
While Residue was produced in her studio, these recordings are of compositions she performs live. I've seen her perform many of the songs in New York City; she dazzles her audiences. As I've said before, Amy X Neuburg is a star, a brilliant one. (See our reviews of her recent performances - click here and here.

Amy has a relatively small but sophisticated setup. She has a digital mixer with effects, a looper, a sample-based synthesizer, some drum controllers, some foot switches, and a few other miscellaneous gadgets. There is no external computer. Somehow the entire performance is stored as a series of presets which control all the equipment. As she goes through each piece, the drum controller changes function, sometimes as a loop controller - sometimes as a sample trigger - sometimes it even changes reverb parameters. Everything is very tightly planned, down to the beat. She performs by hitting the percussion controller with drum sticks and singing into a boom mic. (Sometimes she takes the mic off the boom and sings like a popular vocalist.) Her music is very tightly structured and the electronics change function instantly for whatever musical purpose she wants; sometimes several times in rapid succession during a piece - sometimes on every beat.

It's very difficult to describe Neuburg's music. In no special order I think of Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, John Lennon, Renee Flemming, Robert Ashley, and Laurie Anderson, but with electronic music like nobody else. The songs on Residue combine the most mundane every-day aspects of live, like brushing your teeth, with the most profound.

If you are a musician, consider Residue a must-have CD; Amy is a musician's musician. That said, I think just about everyone would like Residue. Amy should be playing for huge houses. She deserves to be at Carnegie Hall. The kids should see and hear her on MTV.

We are very proud offer Residue at the electro-music.com store. Go ahead, click through. There are some nice mp3 samples to enjoy.

Amy X Neuburg makes her home in Oakland, California. You can visit her web site here: http://www.isproductions.com/amy

(copyright 2004 by Howard Moscovitz)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address
Tim Walters



Joined: Feb 04, 2003
Posts: 5
Location: SF, CA

PostPosted: Tue Mar 23, 2004 5:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I second that emotion! Residue is terrific, and so are her earlier albums with backing band MEN.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
zynthetix



Joined: Jun 12, 2003
Posts: 838
Location: nyc
Audio files: 10
G2 patch files: 13

PostPosted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Amy's live performance in New York was my first exposure to her music. It definetly made an excellent first impression. I promptly bought her album "Residue", and all of her older albums by "Amy X. Neuberg and the Men" after her performance . I thoroughly enjoy all of these albums, but her solo works on Residue stick out the most in my mind and ears. I listened to Residue almost non-stop for a week after the concert, and it has been standing the test of time, as I still listen to it frequently weeks later. I am not getting sick of this album, unlike many other albums I have purchased.

Residue features a wide variety of musical styles, from warm and whimsical to dark and seething, all with vivid emotion. Amy is a true master of her voice as she uses it in many captivating styles to accompany her colorful instrumental and electronic backdrops. Artistic spoken word poetry is also used, showing even further depth from her spectrum of talents. She could easily rival any past or present female pop vocalists, all while retaining a uniqueness that I've never heard from anyone else.

I can't praise the album "Residue" and Amy X. Neuberg enough. I SINCERELY suggest anyone to give her a listen, whether your interests reside in electronic music, vocals, or true use of music as art.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
tjt



Joined: Apr 05, 2003
Posts: 32
Location: San Jose, California

PostPosted: Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Tim Walters wrote:
I second that emotion! Residue is terrific, and so are her earlier albums with backing band MEN.

And if you like Amy's music, there's a good chance you'll also like the
music of Herb Heinz (one of the MEN) on his just-released album "Another".
It's similarly composed with constantly-changing, unique, accessible,
clearly-defined melodies, and percussive synth sounds. Very inventive.
You can find audio samples here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/heinz .
Amy and Herb had a joint CD release party recently in Oakland, it was a fun show.

...Tim...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
seraph
Editor
Editor


Joined: Jun 21, 2003
Posts: 12398
Location: Firenze, Italy
Audio files: 33
G2 patch files: 2

PostPosted: Wed May 05, 2004 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I may be the only Italian having heard "Residue". I received it yesterday from Howard....wow Shocked my first impression is that she definetely does not aim to please the average pop listener and that's already something in a very homogenized music world. It's very original stuff, for sure, but before saying anything else I'll go back to listen to it. Very Happy
_________________
homepage - blog - forum - youtube

Quote:
Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Otso



Joined: Nov 01, 2003
Posts: 11
Location: Helsinki, Finland

PostPosted: Fri May 14, 2004 2:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

tjt wrote:

And if you like Amy's music, there's a good chance you'll also like the
music of Herb Heinz (one of the MEN) on his just-released album "Another". ...Tim...


I'll second that! Both albums are masterpieces IMO.

Otso
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
seraph
Editor
Editor


Joined: Jun 21, 2003
Posts: 12398
Location: Firenze, Italy
Audio files: 33
G2 patch files: 2

PostPosted: Fri May 21, 2004 12:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I have had this CD for a few weeks now and I have to say that it took me a while to appreciate it. She's great Exclamation Certainly her music is not easy listening but once you get it it's very enjoyable (maybe I am little slow Shocked )
All hail her "fuzzy muse".......and by the way:
vov is a frightening liqueur indeed (nothing bad never happens to it) Very Happy

_________________
homepage - blog - forum - youtube

Quote:
Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Page 1 of 1 [7 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
 Forum index » Reviews, Editorials and Commentary » Reviews, Reports and Interviews
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Copyright © 2003 through 2009 by electro-music.com - Conditions Of Use