The Winds Buffeteth!

Nothing like record snowfalls, sub-zero temperatures, and deadly driving conditions to bring the holiday shopping craze to West Michigan. Rock on, retail ritalin! But we here at the Underground are always in good spirits, and it’s nothing like a bit of Percy Faith & His Orchestra to get us in the mood for jolly days and fireside nights. Awwwwwwww...

The Windy Waves of Wonder...

At long last, one of Sloth’s many dreams came true when he, Steph and James traveled in late August to one of the Wonders of the World: Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, located on the pinky nail of Michigan’s lower peninsula (that’s the northwest edge, for those of you who don’t have built-in maps on your hands). Steph relaxed, sprawled in the sand, and read a book as Sloth and James trudged, crawled, and rolled one or two miles to great Lake Michigan itself. Sloth took advantage of the crystal-clear water (when compared to the Grand River) and took a dive while James skipped stones and played. A hearty luncheon and one of the most spectacular sunsets awaited their triumphant return. James was apparently unaware that the sun melted into Lake Michigan at dusk, but now he knows better, eh?

Emmylou Harris & Buddy Miller LIVE...

Sloth, Steph, and friends arrived plesantly chilled to the Calvin College Fine Arts Center to watch the “willow” of sultry folk sing sweetly before a VERY entertained crowd in October. Sloth was almost more impressed with Buddy Miller, who maybe comes up to Sloth’s chin but can play his axe like the thing has a soul unto itself. Buddy and Emmylou dueted on several pieces, and the INCREDIBLE musicians from the Harris project band Spyboy accompanied both. An amazing night that left one ready to love the world - and Emmylou, of course - unconditionally.

The Golden Age of the Brou-Ha-Ha Shines On!

Although we’re not throwing our splendid shindigs every couple months as we used to do, the Sloth Underground proudly sponsors great Halloween bashes for all to attend (a tradition now for... well... a year or two at least). After several weeks of solid weekend D.J. work for Sloth (see page 2), he topped it off with a good wall-shakin’ romp (which, coincidentally, our next door neighbor claims “she couldn’t hear”) the weekend after the ghouls came out. Leather, wigs, silly giddiness, psychadelic light systems, and (of course) Sloth Bread abounded in plentiful amounts. So how was the place sparklingly clean by noon the next day? Only Sloth really knows...

The Underground’s Planned Re-location Stalled...

The idea was cool, but recent changes at Sloth’s workplace (Old Kent Mortgage... or do we mean Fifth Third Bancorp? Who knows what it’ll be next) and repairs to our automobiles have put a severe dent in our plans. Since at the present time we’re essentially throwing our money away, we don’t plan on renting a townhouse forever, so watch THE UNDERGROUND for updates on our search for a permanent home!

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A Bushel of a Good Time...

On a cool Saturday morning, Sloth and James were able to take a tour of the Boz Family Farm, located right in the heart of the Forest Hills area in SE Grand Rapids. The family-run joint features two seperate fields, each totaling two to three dozen acres. Every fall the Box Farm sells pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and organic art... and this year they were chosen by Collins Elementary as the location of a school-sponsored pumpkin sale! James got to go on a hayride around the east side of the farm and purchased a honey bear full of Michigan honey. Sloth picked up several pumpkins and an excellent indian corn fixture for the front porch (still hanging there, defying the snow drifts!). Both were warmed by hot cider and cinnamon donuts. Lots of fun for everyone!

James the Tiger Opens His Mouth and... well... meows...

Placing his Soccer trophy from last year on the shelf (temporarily, I’m assuming), James has picked up the mantle of the Boy Scouts of America instead for the Fall and Winter 2000-2001. He was proudly ranked 3rd in his “den” for the sale of Christmas Wreaths and got to learn about how firemen fight fires and just how their trucks work. (Sloth was particularly impressed with the Rescue Unit’s super-nifty heat-sensitive camera, which works on the same principle as infrared. Not bad for $20,000...) In 2001 James will also be able to go camping with the area’s cub scouts pack and maybe even take a stab at horseback riding. Whoa! Better put air in that soccer ball before it’s too late...

The Sloth Underground Production Studio.

Parties, Receptions, and Professional Production Galore!

This past summer and fall brought Sloth a new (and record) wave of D.J. work including a company party, three wedding receptions, numerous professional CD transfers, and more audio production for the Gerald R. Ford Museum. Sloth has already begged his unmarried friends to keep up the trend so he can quit his daytime job and get paid to party, but we think fate unfortunately has different plans. Keep in mind, gentle listeners: The Sloth can be bought (and goes cheap). Do you or your company need someone who 1) can both spin and entertain, and 2) has a good taste in music? Contact the Underground.

The Sloth Underground.
3662 Ridgeway Rd. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
(616)977-0969 voice
slothwerks_productions@yahoo.com
www.geocities.com/slothwerks_productions/Werks.html

P.S. Anyone got pictures of Sloth in action at the weddings? Please consider contacting us... we have no proof besides the empty beverage containers!

The End of Sloth Live.

For the first time in five or six years, Sloth no longer has a live show available for public consumption. Plans for a studio CD are still underway but are VERY long in the making. A possible ambient electronica collaboration with Eric Newton is a future possibility, but negotiations are tenative at best. Live bootlegs for the show at Arco Iris have yet to be released. We shall see what 2001 brings...

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Pass On a Bit o’ the Sloth!

Yes, you too can show your friends that it IS possible to have electronic media and STILL spend $50 three times a year releasing a paper-printed newsletter that keeps the U. S. Postal Service in business. Wish you could read THE UNDERGROUND anywhere? Check it out at www.geocities.com/slothwerks_productions/Newsletter.html.

Holiday Tidings From the Sloth...

Yes... it’s become a tradition that Sloth write a little “feel good” poem about the beauty and splendour of this season. However, the past few years have been sarcastic and dark, if anything. Unfortunately, this trend will continue! But at least this isn’t a song about Prince, eh?

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NEW MUSIC NEW MUSIC NEW MUSIC

Groove Armada Back To Mine - These DJ artists have their own LP of original work available, but for a bit of the old school tossed in with the new, their DJ mix is extremely entertaining. Their style is much less flashy than DJ Andy Smith (reviewed in Newsletter #24) with almost non-existent turntable “scratching”... instead, they let the music hit you. This sampling runs the gambit from Barry White (of course) to A Tribe Called Quest to Tears For Fears. BEAUTIFUL!

Sade Lovers Rock - The newest offering from Sade is her first studio album since Love Deluxe in 1992 (!!!). From the sound of things on her band’s solo effort Sweetback (1996) and Maxwell’s Embrya (released in 1998 and featuring the entire band of Sade), I was expecting some swell trip-hop rhythms and jazz. Nothing like Ms. Sade Adu to turn the tables: the album is virtually devoid of Matthewman’s sultry saxophone, and instead relies on Sade’s voice and surprisingly acoustic instrumentation to carry the tunes. It took several listens to get used to the change, but as usual the music is infectious and again, Sade proves that she knows more about love, heartbreak, and the depressing state of affairs worldwide than anyone else on the planet. Billy Holiday, THANK YOU for being reborn.

Medeski Martin & Wood Combustication Remix EP- I delayed purchasing this one for many, many years, but at long last I possess the CD that features the dissonant, original, and funky sounds of this trio of Blue Note jazz artists, coupled with my favorite hip-hop/trip-hop remixers: Guru (Gang Starr / Jazzmatazz), Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto / Butter 08), Bill Laswell (Axiom Records / Material), and DJ Logic. Instead of your usual boring stripped-down remixes, MM&W really allow the remixers’ individual styles to shine, and what we end up with are six completely new songs which just happen to sample riffs from the Combustication LP. EXCELLENT!

U2 All That You Can’t Leave Behind - An ironic title for U2’s first ever break-away album from Island Records, home to the Dublin quartet since 1979. Interestingly, they chose Interscope Records (Snoop Doggy Dog, Nine Inch Nails) to release their 2000 album, which is oddly acoustic in nature (a departure from their electronica-oriented 1997 release Pop). “Old School” U2 fans will enjoy cuts such as “Walk On” and “When I Look At The World”, which smite of the band’s American tour-influenced Rattle & Rum (1987), but I found it difficult to really bite into this one, despite collaborations from the usual Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and original producer/mix-master Steve Lillywhite.

Talvin Singh OK - An interesting, original, and uneven effort from the Indian remixing and producing genius responsible for string arrangements and tablas for Bjork and sometime collaborator with virtually every underground electronica artist in India. Talvin dabbles in Indian classical music, trance, drum n’ bass... virtually everything going on in the world of electronic music and beyond. A fascinating mesh of global fusion, but for a glimpse of the man right at home in the production chair, check out his complication entitled Anokha: Soundz of the Asian Underground.

Moby Songs 1993-1998 - A very good overview of Moby’s astoundingly varied work from the 1990’s. The compilation centers on Moby’s more recent releases, such as the eclectic I Like To Score (1997) and the breakthrough LP Everything Is Wrong (1995), and tends to avoid his dabbling in electronica thrash-punk (Animal Rights, 1996) and old school techno/trance music (1992’s Moby and 1993’s compilation Early Underground). If you are wondering about that guy modeling the Calvin Klein jeans with no shirt on and haven’t bothered picking up 1999’s surprise smash Play, it’s time to get going.

Bjork Selmasongs - Bjork’s soundtrack for her recent film Dancing in the Dark is short, haunting, and strange. Most tracks were written by Bjork and writing partner Sjon (from 1997’s musically-accelerated Homogenic) and feature full orchestral score, recorded in London. Certain cuts (“Scatterheart”, “In The Musicals”) are the logical conclusion of her last string-heavy LP release, while other cuts (“I’ve Seen It All”, “107 Steps”) tred completely new ground. “Cvalda” may actually remind some of her old pals, The Sugarcubes, with its heedless head-bopping romp. This ain’t no Debut, kids... Bjork is out there to record music never heard - or seen - before. Watch out!

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