Digitization Finds #09 — Three Album Recommendations with a Brief Description

I’ve continued digitizing our music collection, uploading 20+ albums to the Internet Archive in the process. Many, many more are planned. Click here to check out what’s been added thus far!

Asheron’s Call 2: Legions Pre-Order Promo CD (composer: Geoff Scott)

This is one of the more rare albums of the collection. It was only available for select pre-orders of the Asheron’s Call 2 expansion “Legions”. Obtaining an original copy will require significant effort and possibly a decent amount of cash. There’s now a copy of it on archive.org at least!

As a soundtrack, Geoff Scott’s compositions are exceptionally well-crafted, utilizing sounds expected from the species and landmarks each song is titled after. The drumming of the Tumerok and the industrial sounds of the Lugians evoke the correct imagery. If this ranking was based purely on appropriateness and quality of this music as a soundtrack for Asheron’s Call 2, it would be near the top of our rankings.

As a standalone album of instrumental tracks, it’s still quite good despite many of the tracks sounding a bit too similar. “Haunted” and “Shadow Kingdom” stand out as beautiful classical pieces, and “Tumerok” with it’s hand-drumming is an interesting listen. Many of the tracks are very minimalist ambient pieces which aren’t necessarily of low quality but will likely become stale after a few listens. The tracks themselves are fairly short as well.

It’s one of my favorite video game soundtracks, but definitely needed more to make it to the top of an album recommendation list.

44 Leningrad — Klub Livestream 2022–01–22

An unofficial concert recording is all that I’ve found of my 44 Leningrad collection thus far. It seems appropriate given the recent military conflict in that part of the world to showcase some of the arts. Admittedly, this is Potsdam, Germany band but they started off as one of the earliest post-Soviet punk rock acts in 1990, branding their music as Russian speed folk.

The quality of the recording is quite good from start-to-finish, with many memorable songs, plenty of according, and an appearance by the balalaika. Vocals and each instrument is clearly recorded. The set list includes a variety of tracks, none of which are below average.

This band seems to lose something in the process of recording. Definitely a band to go see live if they are in your area. This bootleg recording is a distant second, but still acceptable, alternative.

Atari Teenage Riot — Burn Berlin Burn (2007)

I’m usually not the biggest fan of compilation albums, especially in the form of greatest hits albums lacking any sort of coherent theme, sensible track ordering, etc. “Burn, Berlin, Burn!” by Atari Teenage Riot is an exception. It’s an album I often recommend to those new to Atari Teenage Riot.

All of your expected well-known Atari Teenage Riot tracks are here. “Start the Riot”, “Sick to Death”, “Delete Yourself”, “Deutschland (Has Gotta Die !)”, and “Destroy 2000 Years of Culture” stand out as tracks I remember from my early teenage years. The remaining tracks stick to the formula of drum machine, lots of distortion, and punk-inspired vocals, creating a unique sound that resembles a protest to not only public policy of the time but to the music of the time as well.

ATR’s digital hardcore sound has aged surprisingly better than expected, or perhaps the current sociopolitical climate makes such an album appropriate in 2022. “Resist the future” should have been taken more seriously by the mainstream public, it seems.

Definitely a recommended album, especially if you don’t mind a bit of chaos and harsh noise in your music!

Ranking the First 25:

1. Tori Amos — “Little Earthquakes” (1992)
2. Tom Waits — “Real Gone”(2004)
3. The Polyphonic Spree — “Live from Austin TX” (2004)
4. Boards of Canada — “Music Has the Right to Children” (1998)
5. Bjork — “Post” (1995)
6. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — “Murder Ballads” (1996)
7. Sufjan Stevens — “Illinois” (2005)
8. MF Doom — “MM..Food” (2004)
9. Aesop Rock — “Labor Days” (2001)
10. Kahil El’Zabar & David Murray — “Spirit Groove” (2020)
11. Warren Zevon — “Excitable Boy” (1978)
12. GZA — “Liquid Swords” (1995)
13. Leonard Cohen — “You Want it Darker” (2016)
14. Stereolab — “Emperor Tomato Ketchup” (1996)
15. Sunny Day Real Estate-”How It Feels to Be Something On” (1998)
16. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds — “Ghosteen” (2019)
17. LCD Soundsystem — “Sound of Silver” (2007)
18. Atari Teenage Riot — “Burn, Berlin, Burn” (1997)
19. Architecture in Helsinki — “Fingers Crossed” (2004)
20. Godspeed You! Black Emperor — “G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!” (2021)
21. Yann Tiersen — “Kerber” (2021)
22. Skalpel — “Skalpel” (2004)
23. Asheron’s Call 2: Legions Preorder Promo CD (2005)
24. 44 Leningrad — Klub Livestream 2022–01–22 (2022)
25. Mogwai’s “As The Love Continues” (2021)