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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 527
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week 21
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Vital Weekly, the webcast: as an experiment
for the time being, we offering a weekly webcast, freely to download.
This can be regarded as the audio-supplement to Vital Weekly.
Presented as a radioprogramm with excerpts of just some of the
CDs (no vinyl or MP3) reviewed. It will remain on the site for
a limited period (most likely 2-4 weeks). Download the
file to your MP3 player and enjoy!
complete tracklist here: http://www.vitalweekly.net/podcast.html
you can subscribe to the weekly broadcast using the following
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New broadcasts will be sent directly when uploaded. For more information
on
podcasts go here: http://ipodder.sourceforge.net/
* noted are in this week's podcast
THEME - OUR ANGELS DISLOCATED (CD by Lumberton
Trading Company) *
HERVE BOGHOSSIAN/STEPHANE RIVES/MATTHIEU SALADIN - PLATEFORMS
(CD by (1.8)sec Records) *
DAWID SZCZESNY - SNOW BEETROOT/STAPES I-III (3"CDR by (1.8)sec
Records)
JOCELYN ROBERT - PANDORE - (4CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
ANDREW DUKE - CONSUMER VS. USER (CD by Phthalo Records)
GODS OF ELECTRICITY - SUNDIVING (CD by Faith Strange) *
BAND OF PAIN - THROUGH THE PAST DARKLY (2CD by Fin de Siecle Media)
*
ST.RIDE - PIUME CHE CADONO (CD by Zeit Interference) *
ENORE ZAFFIRI - LA VOCE ED IL SINTETIZZATORE (CD by Rossbin) *
THE GENTLEMAN LOSERS (CD by Büro)
VITAMINSFORYOU - THE LEGEND OF BIRD'S HILL (CD by Intr_Version)
*
SNOG - VS THE FAECAL JUGGERNAUT OF MASS CULTURE (CD by Hymen Records)
THIS MORN' OMINA - LES PASSAGES JUMEAUX : LE 25IÈME DEGRÉ
~ LE 33IÈME DEGRÉ (2-CD by Ant-Zen Recordings)
URKUMA - REBUILDING PANTALEONE'S TREE (CD by Baskaru) *
(ETRE) - A POST-FORDIST PARADE IN THE STRIKE OF EVENTS (CD by
Baskaru)
DJ OLIVE - SLEEP (CD by Room40) *
KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN - TRACK 4 (2 WAYS SUPERIMPOSED) (CDEP
by Room40)
YOAV GAL & YAEL KANAREK - BIT BY BIT, CELL BY CELL (CD by
Innova)
MARK WASTELL - CARESSED ON THE BROW BY UNSEEN HANDS (CDR by L'Innomable)
*
HINTERLANDT - NO FIXED ADDRESS (CDR by Neus 318) *
STORMHAT - VINDSPEJL (CDR by Cohort Records) *
FRAG-MIST - TUKUYOMI (CDR by Alienation)
PLEASUREHORSE - TAITSU [TIGHTS] (CDR by Alienation)
ANTHONY SAUNDERS - 102X04 (AS DRIFTING OF NIGHT INTO MORNING)
(CDR by Alienation)
DAVID KENDALL - FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (CDR by Alienation)
SUZY (CDR by Alienation)
THIRDORGAN - LALAHMANIA (CDR by Alienation)
RECONSTRUCTION OF RUINS ((CDR compilation by Alienation)
CADUCEUS - INFLUENCE VOLUME SEVEN (MP3 by Caduceus Music)
CLUB MORAL STOCKLIST (Podcast)
THEME - OUR ANGELS DISLOCATED (CD by Lumberton
Trading Company)
And some people just take their time. A lot of time. And why not?
Theme's first album 'On Parallel Shores Removed' was released
in 2001 (see Vital Weekly 247) and after that things were mostly
quiet, apart from an odd concert around my corner, which I sadly
missed. Theme is a trio of Stuart Carter, Richard Johnson and
Hassni Malik, formerly part of Splintered, in which they sliced
guitar and field recordings together. On this new album, recorded
over the course of four years in various places, they play sitar,
guitar, piano, indian pipes, violin, keyboard, voices and field
recordings. Unlike some (many?) others of the former UK noise/guitar
scene, Theme works with an updated sound, taking notice of whatever
is 'new' in the world of experimental music, without copying these
new genres straight away. Rather they go back to their own instruments
and to figure out how to play, say Pan Sonic, with the means they
have. In 'Repeat To Fade', they succeed quite well. Theme connects
the present and the past, taking their old influences and style
figures into the newly found musical interests. Maybe the chanting
at the end of 'East Of Now' sounds a bit ridiculous, through this
second album Theme knows how to capture a great, dark atmosphere,
without falling into the all to easily traps of 'dark ambient'
or 'gloomy doomy music', but adding their own finely flavored
sounds and interest. Both modern and old are united here in a
more than excellent way. (FdW)
Address: http://www.lumbertontrading.com
HERVE BOGHOSSIAN/STEPHANE RIVES/MATTHIEU
SALADIN - PLATEFORMS (CD by (1.8)sec Records)
DAWID SZCZESNY - SNOW BEETROOT/STAPES I-III (3"CDR by (1.8)sec
Records)
The press release mentions 'Plateforms' to be the title, and the
artists being Herve Boghossian (electric guitar), Stephane Rives
(soprano saxophone) and Matthieu Saladin (amplified bass clarinet),
whereas I though Plateforms was the name of the band. Either way,
it's not really important. Boghossian runs also the List label,
and has shown us a couple of times on his own label, his own radical
sound approach. The label describes this trio in terms of 'free
improvisational jazz', which is stretching terms a bit further.
The three play around with the notion of feedback, long sustained
sounds coming from their instruments, opening with a fiery high
end tone, which abruptly, after a while, fades over into something
very deep, bass end hum. Over the long course of this recording
- a live one from june last year - you may recognize something
that can indeed be a saxophone or a clarinet (the guitar keeps
humming and is never strummed), moving carefully through all the
various possibilities that feedback can offer. In a way the influence
of Alvin Lucier is never far away, but what 'Plateforms' does
is much less rigid in terms of concept and much more playful and
within their self-chosen system of sound, indeed much more musical
and open for repeated listening (something that is not always
the case with Lucier's work). A fine, delicate woven work.
On the same label a work from the for me unknown Dawid Szczesny
from Poland. He works with old LPs, tapes and field recordings.
There are four pieces on his 3"CDR. The first is 'Snow Beetrot',
which includes the guitar playing of Dawid Bargenda, with whom
Dawid Szczesny plays live. The other three tracks are by Dawid
Szczesny solo. All four tracks have a neat warm atmosphere about
them, even when they are all made in the world of digital music.
The guitar in 'Snow Beetrot' tinkles away, with some glitchy loops
at the bottom. The other three tracks are based about loops, played
live and which is ever changing configurations come by. They appear
to be a bit more monochrome than 'Snow Beetrot' but work quite
well. The third part of 'Stapes' is very short and seems only
to be included as a disc-filler. Szczesny plays micro/glitch music
in what that is already widely known, but does it considerably
well. (FdW)
Address: http://www.1pt8.com
JOCELYN ROBERT - PANDORE - (4CD by Ambiances
Magnetiques)
Robert is a sound artist from Quebec. Originally working as an
architect he changed to music in the 80s. First results were released
by the label of Chris Cutler, Re Records. In the 90s he founded
with Christof Migone the Avatar collective, a center for soundart
in Quebec.
Now Ambiances Magnetiques creates a new opportunity for learning
more about his work. The box contains four different and extensive
works. The set starts with '6 Drawers, 4 Spoons (Souk Souk)'.
This work starts with environmental sounds, followed by gentle
guitar-playing by Robert and Eric Gagnon, treated orchestral sounds,
ethnic recordings, speeded up noisy rock, etc. At the end the
guitar-playing returns.
CD two has a forty minute piece called 'Slow Sparks from the Split-voiced
Buddha'. It begins and ends with a field recording of traditional
singing by workers in Lhasa to and in between we hear what the
title indicates 'slow sparks from the split-voiced buddha', in
other words long sustained notes and drones that are derived from
the field-recordings.
'Les Scaphandres which fills up the third CD is another 40 minute
piece divided in 6 parts worked out Robert and Laetitia Sonami.
Part one starts with very harsh noises. It deals with a text,
but not approached as written language, but as a numerical object.
On CD four Robert cooperates with Louis Ouellet in '24 exercises
de parallaxe'. 24 variations all of almost the same length for
piano mécanique. Composition and computer programming make
up the constitutive elements of this work. Of all four works this
is the most 'musical' one in the traditional sense of the word.
No doubt a release of this format, offers a representative introduction
to the work of Robert. But it may be a bit risky for the interested
listener to start with this expensive release. Anyway, thank you
Ambiances Magnétiques for this release. (DM)
Address: http://www.actruellecd.com/
ANDREW DUKE - CONSUMER VS. USER (CD by Phthalo
Records)
The career from Andrew Duke started in 1987 and has never been
quiet in any way since then: his own releases, his remixes (Aaliyah,
Pink Floyd, Chicks On Speed to mention a few) and his concerts,
plus the fact that he is 1981 writing about music. It's a vast
amount of work that I must admit don't know in every possible
detail, but that I off and on follow throughout the years. Here
he has a record of rhythm based music. Important to know, since
Duke sometimes does also more experimental drone based ones. But
it's rhythm here and Duke plays not just one kind of rhythm oriented
music, but from several different points of view. Some of the
pieces are quite minimal along the lines of Kompakt or Plus8/Plastikman,
but also beat stuff that involves a lot more, fucked up rhythm
pieces that we found in the past on the Phthalo label itself.
I must admit that the minimal pieces were the better ones, but
perhaps the more chaotic, somewhat disorganized beats is just
not my thing, and minimalism is. Music by Andrew Duke is always
well produced, full of sound (perhaps the only thing not minimal!),
and perhaps not always full of surprises, but quality is guaranteed.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.phthalo.com
GODS OF ELECTRICITY - SUNDIVING (CD by Faith
Strange)
Another new name on the desk: Gods Of Electricity arrive with
their debut CD and they are a two piece band: Mike Fazio (circuits,
wires, meters, frets, white light) and Thomas Hamlin (hands, sticks,
skins, swing, white light), and looking at they play it should
no doubt be interpreted as music for synthesizers, effects, guitars
and percussion. They have been playing together for some twenty
years now, solo and together in various disguises, such as Chill
Faction Two, Copernicus and Black47. The inspirations are drawn
from Coil, Clock Dva to Fripp & Eno, Bill Nelson to Ligeti
and Bartok. Fazio and Hamlin know how to play their instruments
that is one thing that we can't argue about. But the tracks are
a bit long, certainly 'Clouds Of Granite In A Clearing Sky' (thirty
eight minutes) and 'Slick-O-Phonic' (ten minutes). Especially
the latter seems to be lacking more ideas than a good three minute
piece should hold. Gods Of Electricity take the listener on an
ambient and ethno rhythm trip, although the rhythms comes from
electronic percussion (it seems to me of course) and sometimes
bear resemblance with the world of drum & bass and techno.
The ambient side reminded me of Jeff Greinke: fat spacious synths
that wave in various directions at the same time. It's foremost
a solid work, taking cleverly various bits of (semi-) alternative
music, produced in an excellent way, but composition wise I am
not always convinced. (FdW)
Address: http://www.faithstrange.com
BAND OF PAIN - THROUGH THE PAST DARKLY (2CD
by Fin de Siecle Media)
What I like about releases like this is that sums up a career
of a band, and finally a possibility to get rid of all those obscure
records, which you never play and which are in your way (the disadvantage
of an one-room apartment), but what I don't understand is the
first CD of this. Band Of Pain, a side project of Steve Pittis,
once in Splintered and now of Dirter Promotions, released a couple
of albums on his own label, Cold Spring and Iris Light, which
were well received at the time and widely, easily available. Much
of the first CD contains tracks from these albums, which I assume
most fans already have. The previously unreleased cuts, five in
total for the two CD package, plus the rare 7"s on CD two
are of much more interest to the fans, who couldn't perhaps afford
them all. What I didn't notice that much at the time when the
original works were released, is that Band Of Pain is much darker
and gloomier than I remembered from the last time I hear this
music. Darker than life textures, played on synthesizers and sampled
guitars, sometimes with taped snippets from radio and television.
I knew Band Of Pain wasn't all about fun, but didn't remember
this to be that dark. Perhaps this music sounds a bit dated yet,
and has my taste moved towards other things too much. But from
a historical perspective certainly a most welcome product. (FdW)
Address: http://www.findesieclemedia.com
ST.RIDE - PIUME CHE CADONO (CD by Zeit Interference)
Although around since 1998, this is my first encounter with St.ride,
a duo from Genova, Italy: Edo Grandi and Maurizio Gusmerini. Their
previous releases were on Snowdonia, and 'Piume Che Cadono' is
their latest. On their website, which is sadly in Italian, we
see them at work: live in the studio, using two DJ CD players,
a computer and a mixer. It's not easy to put them in any sort
of category, which of course is not the exact task of the reviewer
(but also comes in handy). Part of the problem is that St.ride
play short tracks, twenty in total in a time span of just over
thirty six minutes. Sometimes a rhythm is the backbone over which
the two improvise their way, using a variety of sounds, which
are simply hard to define. Guitars? Synths? Voices? Or just plundered
stuff from CDs? It's hard to tell. Sometimes the music is rather
sketch like, using one or two ideas, but I think they are better
when things are more complex. Mostly electronic, however not in
any way techno related, mostly improvised, but in any conventional
sense of the word. Like said altogether not easy to put in some
category, but throughout an enjoyable CD, with a good sense of
varying ideas. (FdW)
Address: http://www.lizardrecords.it
ENORE ZAFFIRI - LA VOCE ED IL SINTETIZZATORE
(CD by Rossbin)
The name Enore Zaffiri is completely new to me, even when he was
in 1928, went to the conservatory and founded the Studio Di Musica
Elettronica Di Torino in 1964. If I understood correctly many
of his works deal with the relation between 'real' instruments
and traditional composition in combination with electronics. In
the work presented on this CD, which translates as 'the voice
and the synthesizer' he works with was the state of the art synthesizer
at that time, the Arp synthesizer and the oldest instrument, the
voice. He started composing this work in 1973 and lasted until
1981. The nine parts all deal with texts by people like Eliot,
Kerouak, Lamantia, George and Shakespeare. Now, so many years
later, this work doesn't sound that radical anymore. It just sounds
like a typical work of electronic music from the seventies. Ellen
Kapel sings the texts in a fairly traditional modern classical
way, bending her voice up and down. It seems to be of more importance
that the synthesizer, which is more like an ornament to the voice
than a separate instrument on equal part with the voice. It's
a work that can't be seen out of the time it was made, and it's
a work that is surely great by that day's standard, but sounds
a bit dated now. (FdW)
Address: http://www.rossbin.com
THE GENTLEMAN LOSERS (CD by Büro)
Now that Finland is on the map of music for good, by winning the
Eurovision Songcontest with an imitation of Kiss, we have the
Gentleman Losers, two brothers, Samu and Ville Kuukka. The debut
with a CD/LP on Büro, a new label, off-shoot of City Centre
Offices. Samu plays keyboards and Ville plays guitars. The keyboards
must not be seen as keyboards, but turn out also the rhythms used.
The album was already recorded between January and September 2004.
The Gentleman Losers play melodic guitar music. Slides play an
important role. Rhythms are slow and the whole thing is quite
cinematic. Desolated desert music that is deeply melancholic -
no wonder from an empty land with a thousand lakes, but it also
sounds quite like americana. It's at times a beautiful record,
I readily admit. It has the same melancholy that is present on
so many electronic records (Highpoint Lowlife, Expanding, Static
Caravan), but here entirely played on guitars and keyboards. That's
absolute a big advantage. But in the end you could think that
perhaps ten of these tracks is a bit much. Some more variation
wouldn't harm. For instance by letting one instrument play the
main theme of a piece and the other be supportive, and then in
the next track reverse these roles. It would make a slightly more
varied album. But in terms of mood music, this is certainly an
album with some tunes that would perfectly fit a rainy day. (FdW)
Address: http://www.city-centre-offices.de
VITAMINSFORYOU - THE LEGEND OF BIRD'S HILL
(CD by Intr_Version)
Apart from bumping in on the odd compilation, this is my second
full encounter with Vitaminsforyou, the project of Bryce Kyshnier
from Winnipeg, Canada. The first time around was late 2003, when
Intr_version released his debut album, 'I'm Sorry For Ever And
For Always' (see Vital Weekly 402). Back then I compared it with
Radiohead (the singing) in combination with The Books, but things
have expanded further on this one. Aided by musical contributions
of Ghislain Poirier, Emm Gryner and others from the ever so lively
Canadian music scene, Kyshnier now comes up with an album which
continues the indie singer-songwriter rock sound from the first
album, but also expands with many other styles, just a glitch,
techno, scratching and hip-hop. Thus it has become quite a diverse
album, but it's the sheer length of the album that makes things
alright. It becomes like listening to the radio, except that whenever
there is singing, it's the same guy who is singing (and since
singing is not always my favorite instrument it's the only weak
element in Vitaminsforyou). This is one of the few album that
could actually my interest for the full, long seventy three minutes,
always wondering what would come next. A major leap forward. (FdW)
Address: http://www.intr-version.com
SNOG - VS THE FAECAL JUGGERNAUT OF MASS
CULTURE (CD by Hymen Records)
People interested in electronic music, might have met at least
one of the projects by Australian composer David Thrussell during
their musical explorations. David Thrussell has been the brain
behind a number of the most interesting projects from the Australian
experimental scene in almost two decades, spanning from the cinematic
ambient-based soundscape-project SOMA, via his most well-known
and Industrial-based project Black Lung to Snog, which is the
oldest of his projects. Established back in 1988, Snog is the
most politically focused project of David Thrussell. Since the
debut album "Lies inc." the aim of the project has been
to fight against capitalism and western consume culture. As is
the case with other releases from Snog, the tracks on this latest
attack on the consumption society, titled "Snog vs. the faecal
juggernaut of mass culture, are first of all lyrically based with
a nice balance between a serious and a humorous approach to the
subjects. Musically the album is an eye-opener with its massive
use of slide guitar and shuffle beats in one moment and in the
next, interventions of full-throttle breakbeats. To understate
his ability in treating the acoustic sound world, David Thrussell
adds eight mp3-bonus tracks of exclusive acoustic based works
including alternative guitar-based versions of tracks from the
original part of the album. All said and done, Snog was one of
the most fiercely original bands of the 1990s Industrial scene,
and it's a great pleasure listening to this eight full-length
subversion of Western society. (NMP)
Address: http://www.hymen-records.com
THIS MORN' OMINA - LES PASSAGES JUMEAUX
: LE 25IÈME DEGRÉ ~ LE 33IÈME DEGRÉ
(2-CD by Ant-Zen Recordings)
If you didn't know better you might have thought that Staalplaat
had collected new materials for yet another Muslimgauze-album,
when listening to the opening minutes of this third opus from
belgium project This Morn Omina. Threatening percussive beats
and distorted electronic soundscapes gives me associations towards
a track like "Satyajit Eye" from the Muslimgauze' album
"Vote Hezbollah" (1993). An effective opening that are
soon after overtaken by the well-known spheres of ethnic power
Industrial from This Morn' Omina. Being the follow-up to the first
chapter of the "Nyan Trilogy" titled "Le serpent
blanc / le serpent rouge", it took three years to reach this
second chapter of the trilogy. It was definitely worth the wait
though! The conceptual approach of "This Morn' Omina"
has since the debut album from 1997 titled "Nezeru Enti Sebauem
Neterxertet" been a harsh mixture of aggressive industrial
and tribal trance, exclusively kept in the electronic sound world.
On "Les passages Jumeaux" acoustic elements have found
its way into the sound-spheres of heavy beat-driven machinery.
The brain behind This Morn' Omina, Mika Goedrijk, has joined forces
with percussionist Sal-Olin. Thus "Les passages Jumeaux"
represents a remarkable step in the eastern direction of the musical
style first of all thanks to the percussions of Sal-Olin but also
because of the frequent use of ethnic voice samples as well as
the processed sounds of tablas and other exotic musical instruments.
With two discs clocking 100+ minutes, "Les passages Jumeaux"
is the perfect source for some ongoing physical activity during
summer. Highly recommended! (NMP)
Address: http://www.ant-zen.com
URKUMA - REBUILDING PANTALEONE'S TREE (CD
by Baskaru)
(ETRE) - A POST-FORDIST PARADE IN THE STRIKE OF EVENTS (CD by
Baskaru)
Urkuma means in the home region of Stefano de Santis, aka the
man behind Urkuma, the opposite to the Buddhist concept of nirvana.
The home region can be found in the south east part of Italy.
Originally De Santis was a playwright, but later went to translate
his theatre concepts in sound. And this new album is something
of a concept album, based on the monk Pantaleone's mosaic floor
in the Cathedral of Otranto, which includes, among other things,
animals playing instruments. It may suggest that De Santis thinks
of himself as an animal, but it's not. He plays laptop, small
electronic devices, clarinet, home-built instruments and tapes.
That may sound like the usual ingredients for a fine piece (or
nine, as in this case) of microsound, but it's actually not really
just that. De Santis improvises his music much than he actually
composes it, clanging his way through disjointed percussion, plink
plonk on guitars and the occasional beep on the clarinet. Much
more in y'r face than much of the regular microsound, this is
actually a fine meeting of improvised music, some harsher overtones
amongst subtle embedded sound tapestries. Quite nice indeed.
(etre) means 'being' and is also from Italy (like Urkuma and ENT,
also on Baskaru, a French label) and is one Salvatore Borelli,
who also creates sound installations and experimental performance
art. 'A Post-Fordist Paradise In The Strike Of Events' is his
debut album and Borelli uses vocals, toys, guitars, percussion,
field recordings and max/msp patches. Like Urkuma, (etre) moves
also about in the world of glitchy sound processing, and again
alike Urkuma, the sound is pretty much upfront and direct. Careful
crackling hisses and deep-end bass sound are skipped in favor
of all sorts of sound manipulation that is immediately present.
Perhaps a bit more electronic in approach, it's also of the two
the bit of a lesser one, because it sounds less surprising. It
moves through textures that are known from people like Fennesz
or Tim Hecker, but is sometimes to single minded in approach and
not much seems to be happening within a piece. It's OK, but not
great. (FdW)
Address: http://www.baskaru.com
DJ OLIVE - SLEEP (CD by Room40)
KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN - TRACK 4 (2 WAYS SUPERIMPOSED) (CDEP
by Room40)
These two releases by Room40 are both about ambient music, each
in their own way. DJ Olive's work for some reason went by me,
without noticing it. I don't why, but it happened. So it's not
easy to compare this with his other work. Apparently DJ Olive
did some 'sleep parties' in the nineties, and this CD can be seen
as a soundtrack for that. It's a highly ambient record, but it's
not an album of one big audio cloud, lulling the listener into
dreamland. It starts out with a deep end drone, but as the piece
progresses over the next forty-five minutes, it moves through
various other textured pieces and becomes more subtle throughout.
It can be seen as the various stages of sleep, but perhaps it's
also, when played softly enough, the idea to put this one when
you go to bed, and the sound dying out slowly on you. Not my favorite
way of either listening to music, or going to sleep, but when
awake and present, this provides a highly dense listening experience
that can also be fully enjoyed when awake.
Keith Fullerton Whitman was recently on tour in Australia and
for the occasion he made a limited edition CDEP called 'Track
4 (2 Ways Superimposed)'. Over the course of twenty-one minute,
he creates an even more quiet piece of ambient than DJ Olive does.
Slowly passing by moving clouds of sound, and some carefully constructed
small rhythm section on top. That is about it, but its a gentle
flowing piece of music, moving through one shade, rather than
DJ Olive's multiple shades, but it creates a likewise sound environment
that works well on a lazy sunday afternoon, with a good book and
a glass of wine at hand. (FdW)
Address: http://www.room40.org
YOAV GAL & YAEL KANAREK - BIT BY BIT,
CELL BY CELL (CD by Innova)
Me not liking the opera genre very much is probably a childhood
trauma, with a father liking them very much and occasionally playing
them quite loud. So it's with some suspicion that I started playing
this, an electronic opera, all played on an Atari 800XL and a
female voice - I think these things are called 'chamber opera'.
'The plot revolves around a lone traveler who searches for a lost
treasure in a parallel world. Finding a portal in front of 419
East 6th Street and performing a dance right there in the street,
the hooded traveler escapes toward sunset/sunrise'. The traveler
sends notes about his journey, which is the story. I need to quote
that since the singing didn't make that clear to me, even when
the libretto (I know my words, see?) is included in the booklet.
The music sounds indeed like ancient electronica, which is sometimes
quirky, uptempo, almost baroque in the title piece and on other
occasions sets in for a more moody playing. I have not much knowledge
on the composers of this mini opera, Yoav Gal and Yael Kanarek,
but their work is quite nice. Maybe the singing is a bit too much
in reference to traditional opera for me, but throughout I quite
enjoyed this, perhaps for the strangeness among the rest here
this week. (FdW)
Address: http://www.innova.mu
MARK WASTELL - CARESSED ON THE BROW BY UNSEEN
HANDS (CDR by L'Innomable)
The front cover of this release just says Mark Wastell, but flip
the cover and an impressive list of musicians is shown, a who's
who in onkyo and improvised music. Tetuzi Akiyama, Rhodri Davies,
Graham Halliwell, Paul Hood, Annette Krebs, Mattin, Andrea Neumann
as well as some people that perhaps are lesser known such as Benedict
Drew, Michael Duch and Nishide Takehiro. The instruments range
from inside piano, guitars, violoncello, harp, double bass, to
amplified and feedback saxophone, laptop and gp3 record player.
I assume they perform some sort of score of some kind, prepared
by Wastell, and that after the recordings it was edited to this
almost thirty minute piece of music which is a fine, I'd say very
fine, cross-over between classical composition and improvisation.
Feedback like sounds swell up and slowly disappear, while the
acoustic part of the group devotes themselves to playing pizzicato
sounds, but everything happens in a slow fashion. It's a pity
it rather ends abruptly, as it could have easily lasted another
fifteen or so minutes and bringing the proceedings to a more natural
conclusion. But otherwise: a great release! (FdW)
Address: http://www.linnomable.com
HINTERLANDT - NO FIXED ADDRESS (CDR by Neus
318)
Vaguely I follow the world of 'real' music, sometimes, by intent
or accident. Occasionally I spot the winners, but sometimes I
totally miss out. I know that boys behind piano's are the latest
craze in music. I forgot their names, because I wasn't that much
interested in a boy behind piano, since seeing Elton John dressed
like a parrot when I was twelve years old. But but but, there
is something about this new Hinterlandt release that attracts
me. Jochen Gutsch is probably the most poppy unpop hero in Vital
Weekly. His 'Poprekordt' (see Vital Weekly 404) was a classic,
a first landmark to cross from experimental to techno and popmusic.
'No Fixed Address' is the next. Of the seven tracks, five are
'singer-songwriter, boy singing behind a piano' thing, and I must
say I don't like it all, but Gutsch does a very fine job. It's
very very close to the real thing. Gutsch sings his popsong sitting
behind is piano (most likely hidden in a box called the laptop),
with guitar arrangements, drums and whatever is needed for a good
popsong. But still it's not something that me personally likes.
It's excellently made and produced, but not my thing. But hey,
there were seven tracks, right? The other two are in length much
longer than the total of the other five, and are collages of musique
concrete, stretched samples and elements of the popsongs, like
cello sounds or orchestral passages. Perhaps a remix of the man
himself? It's exactly these two tracks that made me think: wow,
this guy is really doing things, changing the menu perhaps into
something that I may not like that much, but it's the combination
of things that makes this a most remarkable new record. A second
landmark in the catalogue of Hinterlandt. (FdW)
Address: http://www.neus318.com
STORMHAT - VINDSPEJL (CDR by Cohort Records)
A stormhat is not a hat you wear during a storm, but means monk's
cowl and behind the musical project with that name we find one
Peter Bach Nicolaisen from Denmark. He is associated with the
Krabbesholm School of Art and Architecture Design, who released
a 3"CD from him. What 'Vindspejl' means I don't know, but
I assume something like 'wind arrow' and it brings us straight
away to the main interest for Nicolaisen, being field recordings.
These are widely treated inside the computer and create a work
that falls in the microsound world. Carefully cracking about,
drones created from stale wind recordings, bass sounds from earthly
activities: all the usual suspects are there. As such it's absolutely
nothing new under the sun of microsound, but Stormhat does a fine
job. None of the eight tracks are weak by any standards, perhaps
sometimes a bit interchangeable, but it's produced with care and
style. That is sometimes enough. (FdW)
Address: http://cohortrecords.0catch.com
FRAG-MIST - TUKUYOMI (CDR by Alienation)
PLEASUREHORSE - TAITSU [TIGHTS] (CDR by Alienation)
ANTHONY SAUNDERS - 102X04 (AS DRIFTING OF NIGHT INTO MORNING)
(CDR by Alienation)
DAVID KENDALL - FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE (CDR by Alienation)
SUZY (CDR by Alienation)
THIRDORGAN - LALAHMANIA (CDR by Alienation)
RECONSTRUCTION OF RUINS ((CDR compilation by Alienation)
Like it stated on the Vital Weekly website, we do intend to review
everything we get, but labels are urged to send a few of their
releases and not everything. Certainly in the world of CDR and
MP3 releases it's easy to release a lot and if one intends to
send them all, like Alienation in this case, one is bound to get
some shorter review. Certainly when it deals with older releases
such as Frag-mist's 'Tukuyomi', which was released in 2004 and
of whom no information is available. The five pieces are best
described as a take on cosmic music. It could have been played
on a bunch of analogue synths, although the opening track hints
more towards computer based time stretching. Playing a moody card
this release that is not exactly ambient, but more present. Some
of the pieces are bit unfocussed, not really going anywhere, but
throughout it's pretty enjoyable.
Pleasurehorse is one Shawn Greenlee, who studied music at Brown
University in Rhode Island. He works with computer music as we
learn from his website, but it's a pretty radical one. It opens
with some extreme digital noise, making us fear the worst, but
as the disc continues, I must say that his radical computer music
had a surprise or two. It wasn't the all full blast of distortion,
but also featured some softer moments, which still had that high
pitched tone or deep end low sound. Quite a surprise this one.
Also unknown to me is Anthony Saunders, also from the USA, and
who has been creating music since 1995, with an increasing list
of equipment, and with equipment getting better and better. He
describes his music as something that can be "microsound,
ambient, concrete/tape music and Japanese-style harsh noise",
for which he uses computer, but also guitar effects. His release
'102x04 (As Drifting Of Night Into Morning)' is quite sit, as
it lasts over seventy-five minutes.
From the musical styles Anthony mentions, the
harsh noise takes up to number seven before it starts. Up until
that it's mainly micro glitch field recording crackle that is
featured in those pieces. They are quite alright, but it's all
a bit too much, since much of it is quite singular in approach.
The noise outburst breaks that a bit, but it comes too late. A
bit more selective would be an option.
Third new artist (for me at least) is David Kendall, who has four
tracks (obviously!) on his CDR. His website doesn't offer much
information about who he is. Kendall plays more classical oriented
noise along the lines of King Merzbow in some of the pieces (the
second an fourth piece) , but the third piece is more a form of
powerful drone music than over the top noise, and as such it's
the best track of the release. The rest couldn't convince me.
More Kendall can be found on the release as Suzy, which a David
Kendall collaboration with Third Organ, the band behind the label.
It opens with a classic noise assault, which we heard doing better.
The second piece however opens up rhythmically, before blowing
to pieces. Its a rather interesting piece to cross rhythm and
noise. But for the rest it's the usual noise act, which I must
admit falls in the section 'heard it all'.
Something similar can be said of Third Organ's 'Lalahmania', their
latest offering to the world of noise. It sounds exactly like
one would expect this sound from their previous releases. Loud,
distorted, chaotic, feedback like: all the usual suspects of noise
are in there, and that's what makes this music so predictable.
Time to move on.
Noise is also part of the final release, a nine track remix CDR
release of Government Alpha, the well-known Jap noise outfit.
Almost everybody does the 'noise + noise = more noise' thing,
but there is some nice variation in this lot that makes it quite
interesting. Satanicpornocultshop do their cut up plunderphonics
thing, which is by far the best track here, but also Marhaug's
remix is a good runner up. Also included are Kouhei, Moon (with
a very loud cosmic music explosion), Masayuki Akamatsu, Pleasurehorse,
Contagious Orgasm (with whom Government Alpha recently did a whole
collaboration album, see Vital Weekly 524), Astro and S. Isabella.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.ops.dti.ne.jp/~thirdorg/
CADUCEUS - INFLUENCE VOLUME SEVEN (MP3 by
Caduceus Music)
In the ongoing MP3 series of remixes of CDs that influenced Caduceus
to become what they (a minimal techno duo), it's so far the more
unusual acts that hold my best interest. Who would have thought
that they were influenced by 'Who Can I Turn To Stereo', Nurse
With Wound's more prog/krautrock-rock albums of the recent years?
I wouldn't have expected this. Caduceus take the stereo reference
in the title quite literal. The first piece is still among the
lines of their strict minimal techno music, but in 'Infl0702',
the grasp some of the Nurse With Wound cut-up/collage techniques
and in 'Infl0703' the krautrock rhythm of the same album. The
lengthy fourth piece returns to the minimal field, but without
much rhythm. Especially the second and third piece make use of
the original and takes it into the field of interest of Caduceus.
One of the best so far. (FdW)
Address: http://www.caduceusmusic.net
CLUB MORAL STOCKLIST (Podcast)
Besides our own Vital Weekly podcast, the internet has lots more
of this, and surely Vital Weekly could use a reviewer to shed
light on these, but for now (for once?) the spotlight goes out
to the podcasting done by Club Moral. In the last two years we
reviewed several of the latter day releases, but now the group
ceased their activities, AMVK and DDV parting ways. But they were
around since the early eighties, releasing a long line of cassettes
by people like themselves, but also Etat Brut (a personal favorite
here), Angst (another long long favorite, can't wait to hear 'Kousen
Breien Voor Melaatsen) and the various compilations (such as Propagandum,
19Keys/19Bands). The music is classic power electronics in some
cases, or more rhythmic affairs (Etat Brut) or the totally vague,
obscured music by Angst. There will be a couple of well-known
names, but the majority of the bands are quite unknown and from
a historical point of view this is a most important thing if you
want to learn about true underground, to learn whatever more there
was than Whitehouse. (FdW)
Address: http://clubmoralstocklist.podomatic.com
correction: in the review of Manu Holterbach it is said that he created electronic glasses, but they are 'enharmonic glasses', which are described as such: "the feet of the glasses is hollow, the water is going through it and is connected to a sort of pocket, filled with water. when we press the pocket with our feet, we can control "enharmonicaly" the frequencies produced by finger-bowing the glasses."
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