Amoeba berkeley Staff

Helvi Leiviskä: Orchestral Works Vol.1 (CD)

Dalia Stasevska / Lahti
Listening to Finnish composer Helvi Leiviskä 3 compositions on this high quality disc (SACD Hybrid) was a brand new experience for me. Not only have I never heard of this composer before but was unfamiliar with Dalia Stasevska, the conductor on this disc leading the Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Wow! The opening, "Sinfonia brevis", is a gorgeous one movement piece that is so rich with sonorous phrasing. It's almost as if the sounds coming from the Lahti Symphony serve as atmospheric elements that tend to immerse us within a whole new ambience of existence. Breathtaking to say the least. Orchestral Suite No. 2 is nearly in the same vein but with more of a linear progression. Bursts of dramatic energy keep us on our toes. The final composition, "Symphony No.2" is more dissonant but Miss Leiviskä's tendency to present this piece with both dense and grandiloquent phrasing makes for a spectacular experience. Kudos to Miss Stasevska and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra for presenting us with such a rich and florid palette. If you enjoy listening to sounds that are chock full of rich colors that tend to carry on a life of its own, I highly suggest purchasing this disc. Both you and your stereo will absolutely love it! Read more

Ysaÿe: Six Sonatas for Violin Solo (CD)

Hilary Hahn
The gush and flow of contrasting moods that float throughout these 15 movements are an impassioned ride for the listener to consume. Hilary Hahn's lustrous yet glowing tones achieves to help us hone in to her ecstatic as well as unflappable phrasings. This epic composition (Six Sonatas for Solo Violin) from the Belgian virtuoso violinist and composer, Eugène Ysaÿe, is a must listen for anyone of you who are interested in skilled and flamboyant playing. One can't do better than choosing to hear Hilary Hahn perform Ysaÿe's masterpiece. Easily one of my favorite recordings in 2023, a year that was not at all kind to me. I promise that you will be profoundly moved. Read more

Liszt: Transcendental Etudes (CD)

Haochen Zhang
In all likelihood, the Transcendental Etudes composed by Franz Liszt is one of the most difficult and challenging compositions to perform on the piano. But the breathtaking speediness from the young Chinese pianist, Haochen Zhang, has shown us in this recording, that a hasty tempo does not need to sound like a blur. Every blazing note that Mr. Zhang compresses, in segments where the rapidity of pace is required, is as clear and distinct as humanly possible. But the movement that really hooked me was the slower third track; "Paysage. Poco adagio." proving that Mr. Zhang's strength lies in his remarkable dynamic range. It is so difficult, in just about any facet of a specific discipline, to be able to change speeds on a dime while still being able to maintain significant meaning. This is why Haochen Zhang is so successful in this demanding composition from Liszt for Mr. Zhang's playing never wavers from the gist of each fascinating passage that is presented to us (and there are a ton of 'em). If you, dear reader, were ever intimidated by listening to this challenging piece, I have the perfect antidote; listen to this recording. Haochen Zhang will not only help you appreciate the Transcendental etudes but will make you love it even more. Read more

Dante (CD)

Thomas Adès / Los Angeles
This was the most entertaining piece of music I've heard in all of 2023. If one can envision a composition of music that could be thrilling, moving, exciting, colorful as well as theatrical then "Dante", written by Thomas Adès, the leading living composer of today; would easily satisfy those desires.  Frankly, I'm a bit baffled why this performance isn't noted more.   The numerous colorful phrases which Adès borrows are not cliched.  The first disc ("Inferno") is divided into 13 segments lasting between 2 to 5 minutes each.  We obviously know the story (the poet's journey into hell and back up to heaven) but the drive getting to these places is quite a captivating experience for our ears to follow. The opening of the seventh track, "The Suicides - the bleeding trees" begins with the thunderous pounding timpani serving to jolt the listener into focus mode. How Adès unveils personalities for each instrument is all in the delivery and is a huge part of the fascination we have for this piece. The shorter 2nd chapter entitled "Purgatorio" borrows heavily from sephardic tradition and is used as a break from the horrors of hell. There are isolated segments (track 5) of chanting interspersed with a beautiful arrangement of strings and done with such exquisite finesse. Track 6 opens with a distant trumpet recalling a lovely aria possibly borrowed from Berlioz's "Faust '' which is then repeated by a cantor and then by the bassoons, and then the orchestra but all done with an alluring delivery.  It ends with a 26 minute finale "Paradiso" which propels the listener into a magical world of sound and color. So just lean back on a comfy sofa and allow Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic take you away from the doldrums of your day. Read more
E. Lit
Amoeba Berkeley
Music and movies / Movies and music

Wino From Another Planet, Product Type: (LP)

Wino Willy, Product Title:
I've generally been a fan of the releases from MarQ Spekt's Grilchy Party imprint, but this album from New Orleans producer Wino Willy surprised me in a major way and far exceeded my expectations. Wino Willy has been quietly crafting quality albums for a bunch of modern rap talent over the last year, with solid full length collaborations with Him Lo, Pro Dillinger, Daniel Son, Rahiem Supreme and Maze Overlay amongst others. This solo offering from Wino Willy is his most definitive statement as a producer to date, and highlights his spacey and jazzy production while pairing it with a nice variety of ill MCs. Along for the ride are billy woods, Da Buze Bruvaz, Fatboi Sharif and Gabe 'Nandez to name only a few. While all of the MCs hold their own over Willy's beats, I was especially excited to hear new verses from MarQ Spekt, who's been MIA on the mic for many years. I was very impressed with how well Wino Willy managed to cater his production to the diverse cast of rappers here, with beats ranging from traditional to abstract without sacrificing the sequencing or flow of the album. Top quality product and looking forward to more releases from Wino Willy in 2024. Read more

Mother's Day (1980), Product Type:

, Product Title:
In my tenure at Amoeba Berkeley, I had the pleasure of working with an awesome guy named Bruce Anderson. Bruce had worked at a movie theater for many years prior to his time at Amoeba, and we used to bond over our mutual love of B-movies and backwoods horror. Bruce's favorite of all time was "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but the other two movies that he'd often talk to me about at length were "Mother's Day" and "The Unseen." I'm not generally not a huge fan of Troma movies, but I definitely side with Bruce on "Mother's Day," which dishes out an exceptional mix of twisted horror and black comedy while poking fun at the slasher genre before slashers even became popular. This gorgeous 4K from Vinegar Syndrome really gives this movie the treatment it deserves, with outstanding picture quality and audio accompanied by an abundance of special features. Bruce is no longer with us, but every time I throw this disc on, I can only imagine how excited he would have been about it. Read more

Monster Squad (1987), Product Type:

, Product Title:
Unlike 98% of horror movie fans, I was not a kid that grew up watching "The Monster Squad". And as far as Fred Dekker's movies go, I've always considered myself a bigger fan of "Night of the Creeps" than this one. I decided to revisit "The Monster Squad" last year when Kino reissued it on 4K, however, and found myself enjoying it a lot more than I remember. It's clearly a kid's movie, complete with a "PG-13" rating, but it has spooky creature effects and profanity that would probably merit an "R" in 2024. What really sealed the deal for me were the amazing documentaries included in this release, which feature interviews with the most of the kid actors in the movie, who reflect upon it as adults. Great work on the restoration and packaging as well. Read more

Spider Labyrinth (1988), Product Type:

, Product Title:
I had somehow never seen "Spider Labyrinth" prior to this release, though I'd heard that it was one of the great unsung Italian horror movies of the late 80's. The movie pretty much blew me away, with tremendous atmosphere reminiscent of Dario Argento mixed with elements of Lovecraftian horror. I was also stunned by the picture quality on this restoration from Severin, which truly restores this gem to something that likely looks better than when it was first released in theaters. Definitely a worthy blind buy for Italian horror aficionados. Read more

Punk Rock B-Boy, Product Type: (CD)

Buck 65, Product Title:
Buck 65's return to form in the last few years has been a major inspiration to me, and his series of home run projects continues with this album. "Punk Rock B-Boy" is not as focused an album as his "Super Dope" project from last year, but the free-flowing feel of the songs on display here is creative and full of fun nods to old school hip hop. The drums are once again immaculate, with eccentric breakbeats that could only be the product of serious record digging. The sampling throughout is a breath of fresh air as well, with some cool lo-fi blues samples and traditional funk riffs keeping the tempo of the album upbeat. Buck's oddball raps are loaded with wit and character, with songs bemoaning sugar addiction, odes to digging at record stores, and traditional rap braggadocio delivered with that signature Buck 65 weirdness. And to top everything off, Buck released this album back-to-back with a full collaborative album with doseone & Jel, "North American Adonis", which ranks highly amongst my favorites of 2023 as well. The man simply can't be stopped. Read more

Wino From Another Planet (LP)

Wino Willy
I've generally been a fan of the releases from MarQ Spekt's Grilchy Party imprint, but this album from New Orleans producer Wino Willy surprised me in a major way and far exceeded my expectations. Wino Willy has been quietly crafting quality albums for a bunch of modern rap talent over the last year, with solid full length collaborations with Him Lo, Pro Dillinger, Daniel Son, Rahiem Supreme and Maze Overlay amongst others. This solo offering from Wino Willy is his most definitive statement as a producer to date, and highlights his spacey and jazzy production while pairing it with a nice variety of ill MCs. Along for the ride are billy woods, Da Buze Bruvaz, Fatboi Sharif and Gabe 'Nandez to name only a few. While all of the MCs hold their own over Willy's beats, I was especially excited to hear new verses from MarQ Spekt, who's been MIA on the mic for many years. I was very impressed with how well Wino Willy managed to cater his production to the diverse cast of rappers here, with beats ranging from traditional to abstract without sacrificing the sequencing or flow of the album. Top quality product and looking forward to more releases from Wino Willy in 2024. Read more

Mother's Day (1980)

In my tenure at Amoeba Berkeley, I had the pleasure of working with an awesome guy named Bruce Anderson. Bruce had worked at a movie theater for many years prior to his time at Amoeba, and we used to bond over our mutual love of B-movies and backwoods horror. Bruce's favorite of all time was "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but the other two movies that he'd often talk to me about at length were "Mother's Day" and "The Unseen." I'm not generally not a huge fan of Troma movies, but I definitely side with Bruce on "Mother's Day," which dishes out an exceptional mix of twisted horror and black comedy while poking fun at the slasher genre before slashers even became popular. This gorgeous 4K from Vinegar Syndrome really gives this movie the treatment it deserves, with outstanding picture quality and audio accompanied by an abundance of special features. Bruce is no longer with us, but every time I throw this disc on, I can only imagine how excited he would have been about it. Read more

Monster Squad (1987)

Unlike 98% of horror movie fans, I was not a kid that grew up watching "The Monster Squad". And as far as Fred Dekker's movies go, I've always considered myself a bigger fan of "Night of the Creeps" than this one. I decided to revisit "The Monster Squad" last year when Kino reissued it on 4K, however, and found myself enjoying it a lot more than I remember. It's clearly a kid's movie, complete with a "PG-13" rating, but it has spooky creature effects and profanity that would probably merit an "R" in 2024. What really sealed the deal for me were the amazing documentaries included in this release, which feature interviews with the most of the kid actors in the movie, who reflect upon it as adults. Great work on the restoration and packaging as well. Read more

Spider Labyrinth (1988)

I had somehow never seen "Spider Labyrinth" prior to this release, though I'd heard that it was one of the great unsung Italian horror movies of the late 80's. The movie pretty much blew me away, with tremendous atmosphere reminiscent of Dario Argento mixed with elements of Lovecraftian horror. I was also stunned by the picture quality on this restoration from Severin, which truly restores this gem to something that likely looks better than when it was first released in theaters. Definitely a worthy blind buy for Italian horror aficionados. Read more

Punk Rock B-Boy (CD)

Buck 65
Buck 65's return to form in the last few years has been a major inspiration to me, and his series of home run projects continues with this album. "Punk Rock B-Boy" is not as focused an album as his "Super Dope" project from last year, but the free-flowing feel of the songs on display here is creative and full of fun nods to old school hip hop. The drums are once again immaculate, with eccentric breakbeats that could only be the product of serious record digging. The sampling throughout is a breath of fresh air as well, with some cool lo-fi blues samples and traditional funk riffs keeping the tempo of the album upbeat. Buck's oddball raps are loaded with wit and character, with songs bemoaning sugar addiction, odes to digging at record stores, and traditional rap braggadocio delivered with that signature Buck 65 weirdness. And to top everything off, Buck released this album back-to-back with a full collaborative album with doseone & Jel, "North American Adonis", which ranks highly amongst my favorites of 2023 as well. The man simply can't be stopped. Read more