兰州拉面 Lanzhou Lamian, Your First Muslim Noodles

This being my first food related post I thought I'd introduce you to a Western Chinese culinary artform. This isn't strictly a review, but I thought it would be of interest to food lovers out there. I've recently been living in Hangzhou, China, a city fairly near Shanghai. My experience was pretty good and I discovered many things to be fond of. One of my favourite things was something we all came to know simply as 'Muslim Noodles'. These are small cafes where noodles are served at high speed to hungry people ready to slurp and burp their ways through a steaming bowl of fresh Chinese fodder. They are something equivalent to a working mens' cafe in the UK, which I guess doesn't sound particularly special. Well, these places probably don't seem very special to most Chinese people because they are just cheapo lunch establishments designed to fill a gap in a small time frame and for a minimal financial outlay. However, for me they are places of wonder, establishments that are the workplace of skilled artisans weaving dough related magic.

 

Now, picture yourself in China, quite confused as you don't really understand anything and people keep staring at you like you're either a celebrity or some sort of leper. As you walk down the street you will see an unremarkable looking noodle joint (millions of these in China, apparently Chinese people are quite keen on noodles) with green signage that has the characters for Lanzhou Lamian (兰州拉面 -pronounced “lan joe la me en”). There might be an inordinate amount of steam emanating from it, depending on where their cauldrons are. You will walk in and realise to your delight that there are (usually) pictures of some of the most popular dishes, so that if you are still at the pointing furiously and saying “Jigga! Ee ger Jigga!” (“This! One of this!”) stage of your Chinese you will not have to take a chance and point at some Chinese characters hoping that you won't receive, just for example, a spicy duck's head (very popular, but perhaps not that filling or appetizing even to the more adventurous westerner). So, you will then point at one that looks pretty inoffensive, the good news is it probably is (inoffensive, that is) and will not contain any snails, heads, spiders or the various other things that can make China somewhat exciting place to eat in.

The most-likely skull cap adorned youngster will then scream a drawl of Mandarin that even the most devoted learner of Chinese will have difficulty deciphering. It will basically be the first word of what you ordered followed by a meaningless shout, but from this unlikely cacophonous beginning will come delicious things. If you're lucky you'll be able to see the noodle chef at work, he will pull a lump of formless dough from a big bag and begin to pull it into a long stretch of flowery sinew, he will then fold it and spin it in order to make a thick plait. He will continue to work it like this for a while and then suddenly transmogrify it into long strands with his fingers. At this point you'll realise that he's actually making your noodles to order, all of which takes about one and a half minutes. He then chucks them all into the steaming cauldron, puts it with soup or simply fries it with whatever you desire, if you can speak Chinese you can just list some ingredients and they'll generally make it to order. Not the place to go if you're a fan of pork and beer, mind, but you can't beat it for freshness.

Now, take a moment to think how much this would be worth in the UK, imagine someone making your noodles to your personal order and then creating a delicious fresh dish. Worth a bit, I think. 

Well, be prepared for the wallet shattering bill of 7-15 yuan (about 70p-£1.50). If there's anyone in the UK who's a Lanzhou lamian noodle extrodinaire I think they're missing a trick by not opening a place. If there is, where the hell is? I miss my noodles! A word of warning for the faint of heart: they will present you with a frighteningly mountainous steaming Everest of noodles that will keep you full for a good eight hours, even if, just for example, you had to teach small Chinese children English for a good portion of that. You will be fit to bursting after this meal and ready for another onslaught of the famous Chinese work ethic! Thank you Muzzer's.

That's the description for now. I'll put up a review of some of my favourite branches, dishes and a little more information about them in a bit.

Here's some guy doing what I just described:

Review of the 'Slacking' EP by Spare

Artist: Spare

Release: Slacking EP

Label: Well Rounded Records (Well Rounded individual)

Format: 5 track 12”/digi

Release date: TBC

This EP sees Spare’s first release on Well Rounded Records. You could be forgiven for not having heard of Spare before as the artist is relatively elusive beyond a hunt on Soundcloud or Myspace. The release delivers a varied and highly original take on the current garage, breakbeat and dubstep tinged sounds pervading dance music. Spare is from Nottinghamshire, but the record label is based in Brighton and has delivered a pretty mixed bag itself, it often delivers an adventurous and experimental take on modern dance music, putting out releases that are clearly influenced by house, techno and garage, but that are refreshingly original and genre bridging in a music scene that can at times be formulaic and unimaginative.

                       

This release certainly sticks to this ethos and delivers five tracks with highly distinctive flavours, to the extent that they could all happily belong in different sub-genres of dance music. The first track, “Slacking”, delivers a mood reminiscent of a dubstep track, but a little less defined. It has a muffled, thunderous beat and a creepy, subtle synth line to accompany it. It doesn’t go anywhere too quickly, as the track name would suggest, but it is an innovative take on a dubstep rhythm whilst delivering something that is much less definable. “This Weekend” again holds true to its name and delivers what I’d call a garage track. It has a really strong two step beat that breaks down into a heavy four-four section and delivers a garage feel with modern production values. This one is definitely a track to work the club dance floors. 

“Makin’ Em Seen” brings a bit of a surprise, it’s a much more techy track and delivers a hard, complex electro beat. The beat is relentless and over-laid with a driving vocal sample, it’s certainly very different from the other tracks. “Kankle” is another great garagey track, with a shuffled feel and a massive bass line-definitely one for all the bass junkies out there. It’s well put together and provides another strong dance floor track. “Spare Room Offense” has a really strong beat, displaying cut up breaks and synth stabs reminiscent of an old skool hardcore track. Unfortunately, the track’s production lacks the cohesion of the others’ on this release, and it definitely isn’t my favourite. Having said this, it continues to experiment with genres and this is always welcome.    

Dance music and, to a lesser extent, music in general does well either to create definition or to entirely escape definition through its pure innovation. This release does the latter and provides a welcome challenge to those wishing to pigeon hole it. Spare should be applauded for avoiding sticking to one genre by giving an innovative mixture of styles, whilst also providing some really fresh, dancable beats. I hope to hear more from this artist in the near future. 

Originally written for Now Then Magazine:

http://nowthenmagazine.com/  

Review of 'Reeling Skullways' by Bass Clef

Artist: Bass Clef

Title: Reeling Skullways

Label: Punch Drunk Music, UK.

Format: CD/LP/Digital

Release: 30.04.12                          

Bass Clef (Ralph Cumbers) brings us a varied journey through the sounds of jacking analogue techno and melodic ambience with this release. It was a pleasant surprise for me as I’ve not heard much of this artist before and, whilst being reminiscent of lots of things, has a fairly individual style. It causes the kind of analogue hypnosis I always enjoy from the less full on side of techno. It is a release that techno lovers and acid and analogue lovers can certainly find something to fulfil their needs. It certainly has an insistent beat to it and is seemingly devoid of samples. Bass Clef gives us a consistent jacking funk combined with a mellow ambience, peppered with some great acid lines and analogue dirt. The album is a good builder and definitely speaks to the techno head within me.

                        

The release opens with a synthy, ambient intro track and then goes straight into the second track that consists initially of a bare beat, giving us a taste of things to come. The track “Hackney-Chicago-Jupiter” is very aptly named, it has a really jacking Chicago acid sound, somewhere in between acid house and analogue techno. There are harsh snare hits interspersed with floating synths at points, there is nothing gradual about the sounds, they hit you with a jack that moves your body. The record continues to build up to “Stenaline Metranil Solar Flare” (great names on this release), where there is a very well placed synth and slow broken beat interlude that provides a good contrast to the build up so far. It then returns to a slightly less intense jack and “A Rail is a Road and a Road is a River” takes the meandering feel of the record to its fullest extent. It’ll be a little over long for some listeners, although if you persevere you will be rewarded with some lush sonic landscapes. “Ghost Kicks the Spiral” is one of my favourites as it provides a really unique sound. It has a melodious ambience and is imbued with a real mournfulness, it also contrasts effectively with this generally jacking release.

                     

The sound of Bass Clef is perhaps not the most original, but it does what it does very well, it’s very well put together record whose contrasts work really well. The most interesting tracks are certainly the more ambient ones and I found them very emotive at times. It is a solid and well made release, although it doesn’t break too many boundaries. It is a very good listen if you enjoy analogue explorations, a bit of melodious ambience and some jacking funk, too. 

Originally written for Now Then Magazine:

http://nowthenmagazine.com/   

Review of Synesthesia #3 on Senseless Records

Lenkemz / Poirier / Walter Ego

Synesthesia #3 Tactioception (Touch)

Senseless Records

Release date: July 9^th 2012

This is the latest release in the “Synethesia” series from Senseless records. This record label has always impressed me with its open minded take on modern bass music. Senseless records tends to supply very danceable music that is often not by the numbers and almost always has an interesting quirk to it, and this release continues in this vein.

                             

Lenkemz comes in with an extremely grimey assault. “Hotline Riddim” is characterised by tough techy beats and a two step flavour, certainly a track for urban grime and harder breakbeat fans. “Murder Micz” features the same instrumental (riddim) overlaid by the breathless non-stop vocals of Dialect, delivering rough and grimey lyrics at top speed. It’s not for the faint hearted, but I love the relentless dark style, delivering a fearless two step barrage. I generally dislike the term “urban music”, but I think this track encapsulates what people are driving at when they use the term: it stands up for itself and takes no prisoners.

                        The three tracks by Poirier are very varied and show a really impressive artistic flexibility on his part. “Festival” is certainly one for all those soca music lovers out there and those who like bumping to bouncy four-four breaks. Poirier’s other tracks are quite different. “Ladrillo Por Ladrillo” has an upbeat feel that really works with the Latino sounding lyrics of Boogat. These are quite varied and there are some silky vocal melodies laid over a pared down punching beat. It’s essentially a reggaeton track at the slower end of the genre, with a surprisingly melodious feel to it-a welcome slice of Latin rhythm. “What” brings us lyrics in a ragga style from Face T. This track is much more for those dubstep and grime fans out there and has a distinctly dancehall rhythm provided by the interplay between lyrics and instrumental. 

We are provided with a track from our very own Steel City by Walter Ego, who I hadn’t heard of before. I wasn’t disappointed as I was treated to the most inventive track on this release, laying down a crunked up style with percussion and creepy vocal samples flying from all sorts of unexpected directions, all backed by a ravey synth line. If vocals are your thing stay clear, because the only thing close to a vocal in this is a really weird pitch shifting and down right creepy sample. I hope to hear more from Walter Ego, as this track is really interesting and displays a lot of inventive potential.

                       

I’m used to a high level of variation and artistic integrity from Senseless Records and they’ve certainly stuck to their guns, giving us some great dance floor tracks whilst keeping the release varied and fresh. Everything from the interesting cover art to the breadth of Bass music and fresh artists demonstrates an admirable will to keep breaking boundaries. This is an interesting release all around and a welcome look in for a Sheffield artist who shows great promise.

Originally written for Now Then Magazine:

http://nowthenmagazine.com/            

Review of 'Libre Kult (Book 1 Ov 3)' by The Black Dog

Artist: The Black Dog

Release: Libre Kult (Book 1 Ov 3)

Label: Dust Science

This release from The Black Dog (currently Ken Dowdie, Martin Dust and Richard Dust) on Dust Science sees one of Sheffield’s Intelligent Dance Music pioneers return with a typically well sculpted double A side. Sculpted is certainly the word for the ambient soundscapes that appear on this record, although those who are fans of their previous album, “Music For Real Airports”, should be prepared for a thoroughly more techno oriented sound.

On the A side “Black Chamber Order” opens with a gentle ambience reminiscent of an Orbital track or some of the tracks from “Music for Real Airports”. The track then builds up with a minimal techno kick drum and an atmospheric bass line. This is all overlaid by rich synth textures with that characteristic simultaneous depth out of seemingly simple production. The subtlety of production and the work that has obviously gone into melding it all together is particularly impressive. Techno fans will be pleased to here a clacking bass kick/hi-hat combination giving the track a sound more characteristic of early The Black Dog releases, giving the track a pleasing techy ebb and flow.

“Bass Mantra” on the AA side certainly lives up to its name. The intro opens with a minimal rhythmical synth stab building a rolling tension with the promise of a hard edged minimal beat. A layer of exciting and edgy bass builds the tension further, the kick and hi-hat then introduce themselves, creating a pleasingly throbbing track. This one is most certainly on the techno side of the group’s releases and continually grows and shrinks in an even more rhythmical style than the A side. The synths and percussion give a moody character to the track and a much more heads down style with a rolling rhythm whilst preserving that hypnotic drift so characteristic of the group’s work over the years. This is definitely a set-builder of a track and is certainly the track on this release most suited to DJs and techno fans.      

This release shows a welcome return to the techno style that can be recognised as far back as their earliest releases in 1989 and 1990. For those who are keen on a dance floor style with the tight minimal production of The Black Dog this is a winner. Although both tracks are similar in style they are sufficiently different to form a strong double A side, more suited to techno fans than those who may have been expecting something like “Music For Real Airports”. As usual, The Black Dog don’t shy away from experimenting with their sound and we are treated to an atmospheric release full of promise for the dance floor. 

Originally written for Now Then Magazine:

http://nowthenmagazine.com/

Here are four music reviews I wrote for Now Then Magazine of Sheffield, UK. I will be adding more food and music related content soon.