Filmore Mescalito Holmes
Encyclopedia
Alan Ranta is a Canadian music journalist. Ranta is known for tersely-written capsule reviews, and a focus on "bringing North American attention to electronic sounds."
early on in 2004 under the name "Filmore Mescalito Holmes", and became a staff writer shortly after that. In 2007, he started writing for PopMatters
, though he still sends the odd article to TMT
. As of May 2009, he stopped writing under "Filmore Mescalito Holmes" to use his real name. In June 2010, Ranta was hired to write for Exclaim!
, primarily contributing electronic, experimental, and concert reviews to Canada's only national music magazine.
Alan voted in the Village Voice Pazz & Jop
poll in 2009 and 2010. He was a member of the Polaris Music Prize
jury in 2010 and 2011.
, Bill Hicks
, and Lester Bangs
as personal inspirations.
He has expressed a love for a wide range of music: classical, breaks, glitch, downtempo, illbient
, instrumental hip-hop, and psychedelia. he has stated that his favorite artists include Olivier Messiaen
, Pierre Boulez
, Tipper
, Venetian Snares
, Portishead, DJ Wally, Odd Nosdam
, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and Erik Satie
.
Biography
Ranta started contributing to Tiny Mix TapesTiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
early on in 2004 under the name "Filmore Mescalito Holmes", and became a staff writer shortly after that. In 2007, he started writing for PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, though he still sends the odd article to TMT
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
. As of May 2009, he stopped writing under "Filmore Mescalito Holmes" to use his real name. In June 2010, Ranta was hired to write for Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
, primarily contributing electronic, experimental, and concert reviews to Canada's only national music magazine.
Alan voted in the Village Voice Pazz & Jop
Pazz & Jop
The Pazz & Jop critics' poll is a poll of music critics run by The Village Voice newspaper. It is compiled every year from the top ten lists of hundreds of music critics...
poll in 2009 and 2010. He was a member of the Polaris Music Prize
Polaris Music Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label...
jury in 2010 and 2011.
Style & Tastes
Ranta lists the work of George CarlinGeorge Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
, Bill Hicks
Bill Hicks
William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, and musician. His material largely consisted of general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy, and personal issues. Hicks' material was often controversial and steeped in dark comedy...
, and Lester Bangs
Lester Bangs
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, author and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock 'n' roll criticism....
as personal inspirations.
He has expressed a love for a wide range of music: classical, breaks, glitch, downtempo, illbient
Illbient
Illbient is a term allegedly coined by DJ Olive to describe the iconoclastic music being produced by a community of artists based in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York in 1994...
, instrumental hip-hop, and psychedelia. he has stated that his favorite artists include Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
, Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
, Tipper
Tipper
Tipper is a British composer and producer specializing in electronic music that ranges from Ambient, through Trip Hop, to uptempo Nuskool Breakbeat...
, Venetian Snares
Venetian Snares
Venetian Snares is the main performing alias of Canadian electronic musician Aaron Funk .From Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Funk is known for making electronic music often in odd numbered time signatures...
, Portishead, DJ Wally, Odd Nosdam
Odd Nosdam
Odd Nosdam is a musician, DJ, artist, and co-founder and ex-art director of record label/collective Anticon.Nosdam was first noticed for the drone and warped pop of his former group cLOUDDEAD ; he has worked closely with Mike Patton on his Peeping Tom project and remixed tracks by a variety of...
, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and Erik Satie
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
.