Yamaha RGX A2

I've started doing some guitar repair work so I'm going to be doing some non-Harmony Central format reviews of the guitars that work on. I have just finished replacing the cylindrical style jack and sorting out one of the recessed knobs on a Yamaha RGX A2 and I'll talk about that guitar for a while.

Launched in 2006 the RGX A2 is Yamaha's attempt to create an innovative and futuristic guitar that "shatters the concept" of conventional guitar building listing their Alternative Internal Resonance system (A.I.R. for short), an LED pickup selection indicator and the bizarre choice of a cylindrical output jack that only Yamaha and Ibanez appear to employ in their guitars.

A.I.R. is a system used only in the RGX A2 and it's bass counterpart, the RBX4 A2, that claims to increase the resonance of lightweight guitars by spreading vibrations throughout the whole body of the guitar using "sound tubes". The absence of the system in any Yamaha guitars since the RGX and RBX suggests that the so-called "tonal revolution" of A.I.R. failed to spread to the consumer. After a while of playing the guitar it's easy to see why; you don't notice it. The RGX makes the same tonal sacrifice of other very lightweight guitars and A.I.R. makes little difference to that. I was not aware that the guitar used a design different to conventional guitar designs until I looked up the specifications on the internet so it appears to be no more than a marketing gimmick.

The other supposedly innovative feature of the RGX A2, the LED pickup selection indicator, is made essential by the inclusion of a 3-way rotary switch as the method of pickup selection. Although the LEDs are an attractive feature (see picture) their purpose ends there. The rotary switch is made fiddly by the stylishly recessed knobs and the guitar would be served better by a simple Les Paul style toggle switch.

Despite the gimmicks this guitar plays reasonably well and compares favourably to other Yamaha guitars in the price range (about £300 new), although it's nothing to rave about, it's a decent guitar. The £300 RRP puts it perilously close to the cheaper MIM Fender Strats and some of the better Epiphone Les Pauls, one a lighter weight and brighter guitar, the other a heavier and more tonally sound guitar than the Yamaha RGX A2. The RGX A2 is a compromise that is not strictly necessary and it's pseudo-futuristic gimmicks don't save it from being a less than sensational piece of kit.

Tortoise

Beacons of Ancestorship
"Post-everything" legends Tortoise have been quiet in recent years, their last release being a collaboration with the ceaselessly prolific Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. After 3 years in exile Tortoise are back with a new album entitled 'Beacons of Ancestorship'.

As the last notes of the dancy, angular 'High Class Jim Came Floatin' In' make way for the more familiar and jazz infused sound of 'Prepare Your Coffin' it is clear that the new Tortoise record is going to make for a diverse and captivating listen.

Beacons of Ancestorship is littered with glitchy electronic passages that wouldn't sound out of place on an Aphex Twin album but the songs also elaborate on the sound pursued by Tortoise on previous ventures. Effortless shifts in time and tempo flaunt the proficiency of the band as musicians without allowed the complexity to affect the fluid feel of their songs (a problem encountered by many of their imitators).

The Variety of musical styles detailed within the album is aweinspiring. From the frantic noise-rock of 'Yinxianghechengqi' to the twisted electronica of 'Monument Six One Thousand', Tortoise cover all the bases and do so with not only breath-taking quality but also a finely tuned sense of humour. 8.5/10

Supersonic Festival 2008

I should win some kind of prize for latest review possible but here is my review of 2008's Supersonic Festival:

Supersonic Festival is an annual music festival organised by Capsule who work hard to organise and promote alternative music gigs in Birmingham. Although I'm not native to Brum I know the place well and went to Supersonic last year and so I knew what to expect (to an extent!). Supersonic is, unlike many other festivals, held in the city. Digbeth high street to be exact, and it's contained within the Custard Factory and some of the surrounding buildings. The atmosphere was fantastic and as always the majority of people there were friendly. Supersonic last year went without any organisational hiccups and this year was no different; flawless timing and organisation was evident all throughout the festival. I'm just going to give a quick summary and a rating of all the bands I saw over the 3 days that the festival lasted because I haven't time to write a proper review for each band.

Friday
Cutting Pink With Knives are apparently a joke band but seemingly aren't actually funny. When a joke band isn't funny you have to ask yourself "What is the point?". Distinct lack of any substance in musical terms and the order of the day seemed to be playing synth laden grindcore over a drum machine. The only slight redemption, and the only reason I haven't given them 1/10, was that it was their last gig so I'll never have the misfortune of seeing them again. 2/10

After a little bit of stage hopping I ended up watching Drumize who but on a brilliant show and played a great set of progressive, metal influenced, electronic music and make the most of their dual drummer format. A very pleasant surprise. 7/10

Rolo Tomassi were next to grace the outside stage and, having heard no end of hype regarding them, I was very much looking forward to seeing them live. They play what is often described as "Casio-core" and is almost a breed between a more progressive sounding version of old Dillinger Escape plan and a 10-year old making youtube videos on a very bad keyboard. Maybe I've missed the point but the rest of the band have enough talent to do without the monophonic dirge of the keyboards. I really loved their set but only found the keyboards irritating and they often seemed to dominate the sound. I must admit to having a soft spot for their vocalist *ahem*. 6/10

Next up on the outside stage was PCM. PCM are hailed as the "dark lords of Drum 'n' Bass" however they didn't really do anything for me. Their 'press play and stand there looking unimpressed' routine was enough to encourage me to leave after 15 minutes of their set. 4/10

After realising my disinterest in PCM I then moved to the Factory Club stage and witnessed the spectacle that is Bogulta. Bogulta are a Japanese two-piece band who seem intent on creating as much noise as is possible with a bass guitar and a drum kit. Their amazing set brought to mind a more frantic, disorientated (in a good way) manifestation of Death from Above 1979 and had me wanting to dance very badly however I decided to spare those around me the embarrassment. 8/10

Dalek are a band that I've been recommended time and time again and after buying an album of theirs, that I haven't subsequently got into, I decided that my final effort to give Dalek a fair hearing would be to see how they sounded live. I wasn't utterly convinced. I appreciate that they're trying to create hip-hop with a different sound and message to more mainstream hip-hop acts but, since I have no real interest in any hip-hop artists that I've heard, I have no benchmark from which to judge Dalek. I was left unconvinced. 5/10

Saturday
Cath and Phil Tyler opened up the proceedings on Saturday with a set of honest country ballads full of soul and creativity. Their marital onstage banter added a lighter edge to their otherwise melancholy show. It's the presence of acts like Cath and Phil Tyler playing at the same festival as bands like Kikuri and Gravetemple that, for me, really sets Supersonic apart from many other music festivals. 7/10

Next, on the most modest stage at Supersonic, was Alexander Tucker. Alex Tucker makes music centred around looping cello, guitar and vocal samples and was joined by a band including ,but not limited to, two men sporting bizarre wind instruments that make slightly irritating noises throughout the entire set. Alex Tucker et al were absolutely spellbinding at points but sometimes it felt like the songs were going nowhere and I felt like the music was too crowded to have the impact it could have had were the arrangement more minimal. 6/10

The Courtesy Group had my attention for about 10 minutes before a merchandise shopping spree was due and thus didn't have my full attention. Their heavily The Fall-inspired post-punk didn't do anything for me and the forced-sounding ramblings of the front man didn't take long to irritate. 4/10

The next band I witnessed were dressed like Spinal Tap and played extravagant psychedelic-rock with a hard edge. Although a clearly talented band, Guapo failed to inspire me at all because their music seemed to be entirely devoid of any soul or feeling and I grew quickly tired of their sound. If I were rating bands simply on their virtuosity then Guapo would come top, however, I felt that their talent was sorely misused. 4/10

After what seemed like hours of gear being shuffled around Joe Preston took to the stage in the form of Thrones. Consisting solely of the former-Melvins and former-Earth member who is currently doing the rounds with rock legends Harvey Milk, Thrones is truly a sight to behold. Beginning the set with a slab of dense ambient drone, Joe Preston played a destructive set of his trademark distorted, bass driven sludge songs. Although the performance was plagued by technical issues and cut short due to delays in the schedule Thrones pulled through in brilliantly humble style. 8/10

It was going to take something special to follow Thrones and a repeat of Oxbow's performance at Supersonic last year would have been pleasant enough but experiencing Oxbow as a full band is another kettle of fish altogether. The intensity that pours from the stage is abundant and front man Eugene Robinson has a formidable stage presence that left me feeling slightly uncomfortable. Robinson has often said that Oxbow's stage show originates from allowing the song's to dictate his actions and I couldn't help but think that the multitude of photographers were something missing the point of Oxbow's theatrics by snapping Eugene at his most dramatic. 9/10

Fuck Buttons were a band that I'd loved last year at Supersonic and I was excited about seeing them. They had a tough act to follow, in the form of Oxbow, and unfortunately were shown up by many of the bands playing earlier in the day. There was a distinct lack of intimacy and energy on the largest stage at Supersonic and Fuck Buttons' electronica drones didn't compete, musically, with many of the bands I'd seen on the day. 5/10

Sunday
Transitional played a frighteningly tight set of post-rock inspired industrial metal and seemed to, with little effort at all, create slabs of dense atmospheric drones while maintaining some real direction to their songs. I look forward to hearing more from this band as they oozed with potential and were one of my most pleasant surprises at Supersonic this year. 8/10

Next up were Orthodox who seem to have shot themselves in the foot somewhat by choosing "Orthodox" as their band name when their music is about as orthodox as doom gets. Despite being nothing original they played a set of nice enough songs full of riffs that paid some serious homage to Black Sabbath as well as more modern doom bands. 6/10

Earth are a band so surrounded by hype that it's difficult not to have very high expectations of them. The Drone legends who've recently taken a dive into more sparse and psychedelic territory with their most recent albums make up for the disappointment of Asva and then some. Spacey, heavily compressed guitars swirl around the largest stage at Supersonic complimented by retro sounding electric organs, trombone and minimal drums. Their set comprised mainly of tracks of The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull and HEX but Earth could have been playing anything and it would have sounded excellent. You get the impression that they are a band that are back for good and will overshadow anything that they had previously made in any other incarnation. 9/10

I headed over to the Outside Stage to witness the last 30 uninspiring minutes of Red Sparowes performance. Behind the long pretentious song titles and over-enthusiastic fanboys Red Sparowes are really just a post-rock band. The songs sound uninspired and formulaic and there seems to be little cohesion between sections of songs, just jumping from one riff to another. They are almost saved by a solid bass player that is also proficient at slide guitar but that and the excellent visuals aren't quite enough to make them stand out. 4/10

Kikuri are really indescribable so I'm not even going to try. It was very loud and very good and until about a week ago I thought that Keiji Heino was a woman but apparently he's male. Masami Akita and Keiji Heino would probably be something to behold on their own but together it's amazing, I had an urge to dance and lie down at the same time. 9/10

Although I'm still unsure of the membership of Gravetemple (it contains Sunn O))) members, a drummer and others) I am sure of the intensity of their music. The performance was riven with a dark atmosphere that even the high velocity, chaotic, black-metal inspired drumming failed to shatter. Gravetemple created a haunting wall of sound that could be felt aswell as heard, eerie vocals echoed around the main stage at Briminghams Custard Factory and, for me, Supersonic Festival came to a close. 10/10

Capguns

Night
Capguns are one of a kind. Not only because of their phenomenal music but also because they are from North Wales and actually good at something. I don't mean to sound cruel but google "famous North Walians" and it'll prove my point. After browsing for 5 minutes the most noteworthy candidate for status as the most famous North Walian ever to exist appeared to be a footballer for Wrexham Football Club. The reason for this void of talent is that Sheep, in North Wales, out-number people 10 to 1 and the human population is comparable to that of Sheffield.

These factors, irrelevant though they may be, make it all the more amazing that North Wales has produced such an amazing band who appear to have honed their technique so beautifully and gained some serious kudos on the nationwide music scene. Another thing that never ceases to amaze me is how well-versed the band are in a live situation; after witnessing them live twice now, I've been left in awe after their performance. The reason for this review is that I've recently been given a copy of Capguns forthcoming studio offering, Night, and I've been blown away by its quality.

The feel is of a band that is totally comfortable with their sound and have set out to create a selection of great songs that give you a cross-section of themselves in order to expose you to a little bit of each element of their sound. If I were asked to compare them to any other bands I would probably put them somewhere between atmospheric-metal veterans ISIS and instrumental post-rock band Explosions in the Sky. Layers of atmospheric, delay ridden guitar blend with chord based bass playing to create a mood of gentle anaesthesia only to have it riven by crushing, metal-tinged, riffs of mammoth proportions. Closer Atlas (Flow) provides a great end to a really impressive EP and displays the kind of thing that Capguns excel at.

I've heard plenty of bands that employ a similar style to Capguns but this band seem to pull it off with spectacular aplomb. There is a future in music for Capguns, I'm sure of it. 8/10

Nadja

Desire in Uneasiness
The new studio effort from American Drone/Doom /Shoegaze duo "Nadja" clocks in at 62 minutes and isn't a moment too long. Not much has changed in the core Nadja sound and I'd struggle to pick out one thing that really sets this CD apart from anything else that they've recorded but it is by far their best work. I can't think of any way to describe the improvement other than that they've "got better" in much the same way, although in a totally different musical style, as At the Drive-in "got better" between In/Casino/Out and Relationship of Command. Desire in Uneasiness is a name that is totally detached from the sound of the album; the overall feel is one of comfort and I feel like Nadja are finally getting to terms with their sound and beginning to concentrate more on individual songs.

I first heard Nadja about a year ago and, although I fell in love with their sound, I think that most of the time that I've spent listening to them has been used thinking about what potential, to write a truly breathtaking album, they have; with Desire in Uneasiness they haven't quite made that album but they are certainly heading in the right direction. Everything about the album, the sweeping synths, the lush, rich production and the heavy drones, screams "progression" to me. The production is a lot less dense than most previous Nadja albums and maintains the insistent heaviness of their sound while giving the individual pieces some space to breathe. The inclusion of some quiet songs, the sublime "Affective Fields" for example, helps put the heaviness of the other pieces in context and is a very welcome addition to the album. My one criticism is that in achieving a "loose" sound for the album they seem to have gone a bit far at points with some drum parts being slightly out of time; this can only improve in the future and if this dynamic duo continues to improve at the rate they are doing we will be in for something special with the next Nadja studio album.

Throughout the entire album there is something refreshingly new about the music that I can't quite pin down but it's in the nature of Nadja that they're difficult to pin down. 7.5/10

Buy it here