Musicbox III

Before going into the third installment of musicbox, I want to talk about Tamasha International TV. As you know by now I don't own a TV. I don't like the shallow stupidifying programs they shove down your throat. Anyway, but sometimes I watch some of these LA Iranian TVs online (via IRMTV), you know, just for laughs.

Now, I can't bear watching any of them for more than a few minutes. It's amusing for a short while after that the absolute amateur standards just get on your nerves. Among them Tapesh seemed to be slightly better. Fewer carpet sales and SOME decent "shows", other than just someone sitting in front of an ugly background manualy answering calls.

Anyway, but now I've just discovered Tamasha (thanks to Vandad), and I'm really excited. There's this show called Deev Show (stealing your fame, Deev?) And it is an ACTUAL show ! These guys obviously have money, and they have real sets, costumes, VERY good filming, editing, the standard is MUCH MUCH higher than anything else I've seen on Iranian TVs. I'm really excited ... the hosts have a VERY good sense of humor and make fun (tastefully) of other cliche'ed shows, and it's just very refreshing. And GREAT acting. And is it just me or some of the Iranian music videos are actually beginning to look decent? (Siavash, Sepideh, and some others). Anything not made by Koji. I think Koji, alone and single-handedly, is responsible for the absolute disgrace and CRAP which the Iranian music video industry is.

Now, musicbox. This week's feature is The Dining Rooms. An Italian ambient-downbeat band. If there's a course on music styles somewhere, the music of the Dining Rooms would be the perfect definition of ambient and downbeat.

Stefano Ghittoni and Cesare Malfatti form the Milan-based downbeat group the Dining Rooms. Both came of age playing for numerous bands in the city's alternative/punk scene before switching over to producer-based trip-hop and the breezy updated lounge of the Dining Rooms. [from allmusic]

Ambient, in its purest form, is all about repetitions. The trick is to come up with a tune fresh enough that wouldn't drive the listener nuts after five or six loops. And Dining Rooms do that to perfection. I could listen to Sei Tu or Mr. Dupont (from their second album, Numero Deux) for hours without getting tired. Sei Tu has something about it which is magical. New layers are added in each iteration so subtly that it prevents you from getting bored, without even being conscious about it.

Their third album Tre, has fewer tracks that stand out. Most tracks are very ordinary, but it still is not a bad overall compilation, and certainly makes for a listenable, smooth and chilled background music for those evenings when you just want to kick back.

Resources:
- BBC review of Tre