Interview: Digits' Alt Altman // Joys of dot matrix

Alt Altman, the electronic artist behind the wonderful Digits album Hold It Close, joined me today from Toronto for an interview. Played "Saturation" and "Warrant for Your Love" from his album, accordingly. I love how Alt's promo photos in no way prepare you for danceable electronics. I'm sorry, need to get at your mailbox? Spot of tea?

My general distaste for everything Belle 'n' Sebastian may be waning as Stuart Murdoch's 'God Help the Girl' project is actually pretty wonderful, see "Funny Little Frog". More pop of the Scottish persuasion with The Pastels' "About You", be it with the Japanese group Tenniscoats helping them at it.

This Gary Numan tribute record Random (Beggars Banquet, 1997) is something of a Britpop hidden gems compilation. Rarities from Bis, Kenickie, Dubstar, proto-Gorillaz electronic Damon Albarn, plus Saint Etienne. I like how more than a decade on Damon pleases the masses on Parlophone, then fucks off to Beggars for his weirder output (as that Monkey record on XL from last year attests to). Link to the album over at trusty RYM.

CFUV is on a new music lull given our trusty 20 year old dot matrix printer (that's been good for printing labels for CDs as we need them, as opposed to sheets of the things) isn't particularly compatible with new computers. At all. While this nonsense gets sorted out I'll just play the live Ladytron thing over and over and over again. (Actually, they sorted the printer thing out. Hence Sunset and The xx records.)

Play (available after the show):

Songs:

• Sleeper - "Factor 41" - The It Girl
• Digits - "Saturation" and "Warrant for Your Love" ft. Rebbecca Applebaum - Hold It Close
• Ladytron - "Discotraxx" - Live at London Astoria 16.07.08
• Damon Albarn + Matt Sharp - "We Have a Technical" - Random [Beggars compilation]
• Serge Gainsbourg + Bridget Bardot - "La javanaise" - Bonnie and Clyde 
• God Help the Girl - "Funny Little Frog" - [single]
• The Pastels / Tenniscoats - "About You" - Two Sunsets
• Sunset - "Fishtown" - Gold Dissolves to Gray
• The xx - "Islands" - s/t
• Chet - "The Clement" - Chelsea Silver, Please Come Home (Sadly the Chet song got cut off due to a power outage.)
  

Comix:

• James Robinson's Starman -- the first two volumes. I had no idea it was going to be so amazing, given my prior knowledge of Robinson is from the so-bad-its-good Cry for Justice mini that's going on. The crossroads between a deep sense of continuity, innovation, and all things geek culture. Of course, drawn by rock star Tony Harris (Ex Machina). Plus vol. 2 contains some earlier work by JH Williams III -- a visionary who still takes the time to respond to each of his fans' banal comments. Omnibus 3 to be purchased.
• Cerebus. Again, my knowing a celebrated creator (here, Dave Sim) from his current output (Glamourpuss) is shattered upon going through what they're actually known for. Be it less so, given Glamourpuss is so awesome. Literary, gorgeous art, and sensibly anti-feminist. Kitchener's finest.

Now for this week's comic purchases, with at-the-register annotations by the self-styled Eisner-nominated cartoonist Gareth Gaudin (Legends Comics was at the last SDCC nominated for best comic shop. So, Eisner-nominated cartoonist in the same manner Ben Affleck is an Oscar-winning actor).

• Phonogram 2.5 -- "Yes, should be exciting."
  
• Batman and Robin -- [Nods. Hardly anything needs to be said about a Grant Morrison comic.]
• Batman/Doc Savage Special -- Gareth slips me a copy on the sly whilst his compatriot Lloyd goes on about how Diamond missed their order for the issue.
• Red Robin -- "Ugh, Geoff. You're killing me."
• Starman Omnibus 3 -- "Ooh, Starman." Pronounced 'Starmin'.
• S.W.O.R.D. #1, featuring Team Phonogram. "Ah, the new S-WORD. Very clever way to tell us how shit it's going to be."