Ariel Bitran
Sort By: Post Date | Title | Publish Date
Sexy Shlohmo
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Mar 06, 2013 • 4 comments

Shlohmo! I had a Hebrew School teacher who went by Shlohmo. He smelled like fish skins and wore square, camel-toned, thick-rimmed glasses. Random gray strands of hair dangled from his chin as he tortured us with lessons on silent vowels and morality. His neck bounced when he talked, and he wore his armpit sweat stains like badges of honor. Not sexy, right?

That's why I'm always surprised to hear very sexy music from electronic beat maker Shlohmo.

Continue Reading >
Logitech|UE 900 Noise-Isolating Earphones
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Mar 01, 2013 • 4 comments
I remember my first real encounter with the Logitech|UE 900s noise-isolating earphones ($399.99). I broke them out riding the B35 to catch the Q to someplace I don’t remember.The UE 900s’ braided cables unraveled gracefully as I lifted them from their burnished black carrying case.
Continue Reading >
Nick Drake's Mama.
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Feb 28, 2013 • 10 comments
I would be ashamed of myself if I did not share this with you.
Continue Reading >
Remix: Soft Pink Truth do "Aetheric Vehicle" by Matmos
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Feb 22, 2013 • 3 comments

Have you heard enough about Matmos from the Stereophile boys yet? Probably. Truth be told, upon first listen I didn't really like their new record The Marriage of True Minds. I found it aimless (I prefer music with intent), but I'll let Stephen tell you how he grew to love it in our upcoming April issue. Meanwhile, this remix has me thinking I should give the record another listen.

Continue Reading >
Cats and Audio
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Feb 20, 2013 • 21 comments
No, this will not be another monologue where I profess my undying love for Larry, our house cat, the furry little monster with a taste for human flesh and a weird fascination with the refrigerator. Larry is a music lover too. Ever since he was a kitten, we surrounded him with the sounds of Yes, Flying Lotus, and Dvorak, and now his long legs fumble into any room where music is playing. Larry will then sprawl himself out, close his eyes, and listen along.

Alright. I've broken my promise already by talking too much about Larry.

Continue Reading >
Released Today: Lady Lamb the Beekeeper’s Ripely Pine
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Feb 19, 2013 • 3 comments
On her debut album Ripely Pine, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper delivers a wandering collection of fantastical folk-pop songs with whimsical lyrics about love enveloped by orchestral arrangements rewarding the listener with an assortment of tones and a praise-worthy use of space.
Continue Reading >
Stream: Krieg Und Frieden by Apparat
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Feb 15, 2013 • 0 comments
It opens in a field or maybe an orchestra house. Pastoral and slow-moving strings set the stage. Written as a musical accompaniment to Sebastian Hartmann’s theater adaptation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Apparat’s Krieg Und Frieden is desolate yet tinged with reflection and hope, like Wyeth’s Christina’s World or the ending to a Kurosawa film. Harmonies in continuous ascent intersect with subdued blasts of air and dirt. The occasional soulful vocal provides a lyrical back-story to the desolation: “Deserted hopes / Deserted eyes / Deserted souls / Deserted lies,” and then an alternative, “Turn a light on, Turn a light on.” Like Tolstoy’s work, the listener is never sure if the music is about suffering or the triumph within the pain.
Continue Reading >
X-Men in High Fidelity #2: Break on Through
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Feb 14, 2013 • 4 comments
In the second installation of this series, the Beast invites Wolverine to his listening room.
Continue Reading >
Afrobeat Eric
Sweepstakes
Ariel Bitran • Feb 13, 2013 • 1 comments
Stereophile.com participant Eric Schneck of Brooklyn, New York (that's right, Brooklyn...watchu lookin' at) is the lucky winner of the Fela Kuti Box Set Sweepstakes.
Continue Reading >
Live at the Lab: Gem Trails "Adobada" Lathe Cut EP
Ariel Bitran
Ariel Bitran • Feb 11, 2013 • 1 comments
I'm running sound at a new DIY venue in Brooklyn called The LAB, and I snag some weird stuff. Here's a sample…

*******

Trevor Peterson arrived with a guitar and a bevy of pedals and samplers. With the help of adaptable computer music softwares like Ableton and Logic and popular hardware like the Roland SP-404SX or the Akai APC40, the combinations of technologies passing through the Lab morphs constantly.

Continue Reading >
Site Map / Direct Links
Loudspeakers Amplification Digital Sources Analog Sources Accessories Featured Music Columns Features Show Reports Show Reports Recommended
Components Blogs Latest News Community 		Shop Resources Subscriptions