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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 592
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week 36
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Vital Weekly, the webcast: 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
rss feed:
http://www.harmlog.nl/vitalfeed.asp
New broadcasts will be sent directly when uploaded.
PLEASE READ THIS. WE WILL NOT REVIEW MATERIAL OLDER THAN SIX MONTHS, SO PLEASE DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. NOT ONLY WILL WE NOT REVIEW IT, BUT WE WILL SELL THE MATERIAL TO A SECOND MAIL ORDER OUTLET. ALSO, DON'T SEND MORE THAN 3 (THREE) RELEASES AT ONCE. WE SIMPLY CAN'T HANDLE EVERYTHING ANYMORE. SAVE YOURSELVES THE FRUSTRATION... AND US!
Week 37 will not see a Vital Weekly and we return on wednesday 19th.
SLOW SIX - PRIVATE TIMES IN PUBLIC PLACES
(CD by Western Vinyl) *
ALEJANDRA AND AERON - A BILLOWY MASS (CD by Kning Disk)
GLASGOW IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA WITH BARRY GUY - FALKIRK (CD by
FMR)
IMCA - IMCA (CD by Absurd) *
LUSINE ICL - LANGUAGE BARRIER (CD by Hymen Records)
GAJ MUSTAFA CELL - WORDS (CD By Louisville Lip)
JUSTIN BENNETT - THE WELL (CD by Spore Records) *
TORNGAT - YOU COULD BE (CD by Alien8 Recordings) *
GINTAS K - 13 TRACKS (CD by Percepts) *
SON OF EARTH - PET (LP by Apostasy)
AT JENNIE RICHIE - RECTUMS MERGING (LP by What We Do Is Secret)
AT JENNIE RICHIE - III (MAXIMUM MINIMALISM EP) (7" by Daisy
Cutter Records)
AT JENNIE RICHIE/VERTONEN (cassette by Ready Made Tapes)
AT JENNIE RICHIE/RED SQUIRRELS (cassette by Ready Made Tapes)
RED NEEDLED SEA - OLD RIVER BLUES (CDR by Triple Bath) *
MED.MUD. (CDR, private) *
DITHERNOISE (CDR, private)
ORFEON GAGARIN - NEUMOTORAX S.XX (CDR by Menstrual Recordings)
*
AMORPH - ETATS D'ESPRIT (CDR by Boltfish Recordings)
ENV(ITRE) - OKAY (CDR by Boltfish Recordings) *
PSYCHEDELIC DESERT - KESHIKI (CDR by Pharmafabrik) *
JLIAT - NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL NOISE VOL. 6 (CDR by Jliat) *
YANNICK FRANK & OLIVIER PÉ - PARAGRAPHE (CD-R by e.mat
projet)
MICHEL HENRITZI & TETUZI AKIYAMA - BROKEN BLUES (CDR by Absurd)
M. ROSNER/GARETH HARWICK - SILHOUETTES (CDR by Hello Squarerecordings)
*
MORNING STALKER/THE GHOST OF 29 MEGACYCLES - SILHOUETTES 2 (CDR
by Hello Squarerecordings)
TEXTURED BIRD TRANSMISSION - SINGING THROUGH TREES (3" CDR
by Dirty Demos) *
N.STRAHL.N - ZEITPAPIER (3"CDR, private)
VOLE - VOLE RADIO 1 (3"CDR by Vole)
SLOW SIX - PRIVATE TIMES IN PUBLIC PLACES
(CD by Western Vinyl)
What happens if you combine the traditional rock format with 'homegrown'
computer software? That is the question asked by Slow Six from
the USA (not specified which part) and they explore that in three
lengthy pieces. Not that they all play together: the first piece
is for violin, electric guitar, rhodes and computer, the second
for violin, rhodes and computer and only in the third there is
a violin, viola, cello, two electric guitars, rhodes and computer.
No drums. Since the computer software might be 'homegrown' it's
also difficult to say what it does, because going by the music,
it's very hard to tell. From the outside, the listener, it adds
textures to the music rather than adds a whole new instrument,
or extensive processing of the band. But according to the liner
notes and press text it should be the latter. In that sense it's
much more a 'traditional' working of the sound effects than the
computer. A bit like the good ol' reverb and delay, except they
are used here rather smoothly. It is a nice release, melodic,
atmospheric, slow, Arvo Part like, ambient, desert like. Anything
but really new or innovative, with or without computer processing.
Great sad music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.westernvinyl.com
ALEJANDRA AND AERON - A BILLOWY MASS (CD
by Kning Disk)
Alejandra (Salinas) and Aeron (Bergman) debuted in the mid 1990s
with a unique combination of Spanish folklore and traditional
tales and electro-acoustic/environmental recordings. 'Billowy
Mass' consists of 'Campanas' (a reworking of their sound installation
from 2001, the first 6 tracks) and 'Billowy Mass' (another installation
dating from 2005, the final 2 tracks). Even though there is a
track index on this CD, the music sounds like it's one comprehensive
composition. Campanas features Spanish spoken word fragments,
the sound of bells and snippets of (environmental?) sound, based
- like other Alejandra and Aeron works - on Spanish folklore.
In ancient times bells often were the only form of communication
between people and villages and were used to ward off evil spirits
and to warn for heavy storms. Billowy Mass continues this theme
as it was recorded during the typhoon season in Taiwan. Even thought
they were recorded 4 years apart, the two installations go well
together. The Campanas tracks are slightly more subdued compared
to Billowy Mass. Combined they make up this rather short (34 minute)
CD, which creates a wonderful, often mesmerizing, almost slow-motion
ambiance like you're actually in the sound, rather than listening
to the sound. A major achievement for Alejandra and Aeron, who,
with this release, have made one of their best-ever CDs. (FK)
Address: http://www.kningdisk.com
GLASGOW IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA WITH BARRY
GUY - FALKIRK (CD by FMR)
This orchestra has a history going back to 2002 when it was formed
in the context of a workshop with Evan Parker. Collaborations
with other reputed improvisors like Fred Frith, Maggie Nichols,
a.o. followed. With 'Fallkirk' they team up with bass-player Barry
Guy, who directs two improvisations: 'Improvisation GIO,(15:56),
a collective improvisation and 'With Gong Game 11/10', a work
by Barry Guy. Maya Homburger (baroque violin) was invited as a
special guest for this project. The recordings on this cd dates
from a concert in october 2005 in Callendar House, Falkirk , after
a week of rehearsals. The cd opens with a collective improvisation,
that has all 19 musicians participating in a 15 minute excursion.
Like other works of Barry Guy, the 'With Gong Game 11/10' is inspired
on paintings by Alan Davie who happens to live near Falkirk (graphic
score). With Guy directing these improvisations with a graphic
score, we have another example here of 'conducted improvisation'
comparable to methods used by Butch Morris and John Zorn. During
this 50 minute journey freeform parts are changed for more modern
classical sounding or swinging interludes. The beginning is furious
but gradually the music calms down, giving room to the voice of
Nicola MacDonald. Followed by the hornsection who work again in
the direction of an other climax. At times the music is hectic
and cacaphonic, at other moments it is quite and thoughtful. Different
sections of the orchestra take a change in the ongoing battles:
horns, flutes, strings, etc. Although it is a lengthy piece, the
music remains coherent and together. The orchestra counts 19 musicians
that come from very different backgrounds: jazz, improvisation,
classical, rock, a.o. Large ensembles playing music like this
are rare. So take the opportunity if you are interested. The scottish
improvisors do a great job on their third release. The recording
is well done. (DM)
Address: http://www.fmr/
IMCA - IMCA (Absurd #62, CD)
I have to admit that I have a love-hate relation with this album.
I love the way this album was made. It represents a somewhat bygone
musical age, a time with cassettes and without e-mail, when things
worked perhaps slower, but perhaps also more intensely. The full
story of how the IMCA project (International Musique Concrete
Ensemble) came together is told in detail in the CD booklet. In
short, in 1990 Frans de Waard started a mail collaboration with
John Hudak and Jos Smolders for a cassette on Midas Music, and
later a second one with Guido Huebner (of Das Synthetisches Mischgewebe),
Ios Smolders and Isabelle Chemin, which was the LP released by
Korm Plastics. The basic soundmaterial (created by De Waard) was
mailed to the first recipient who would rework the material and
mail it to the next recipient etcetera. Thus a network chain was
born. The results were released on the original IMCA album, which
came on glorious white vinyl and contained an explanatory booklet.
The vinyl edition consisted of 98 copies; 77 of these were for
the public, 21 for the makers, resulting in the fact that many
people knew about it, but only a few actually heard the music.
I remember I was supposed to help gluing the covers, but I can't
remember if I did in the end. I was given a free copy, so perhaps
I did. I love the way this re-release is presented; an old tattered
cover of the LP was used for this CD, which gives it a nice archival
touch. The booklet is well-designed (by Meeuw), contains some
of the original notes and explains the recording process in detail.
But now to the music: IMCA is not easy listening, it is in fact
a very demanding, electro-acoustic record with extreme dynamics.
These dynamics were a bit lost on the original pressing on vinyl,
but due to Jos Smolder's remastering these are back in place,
which means you'll get to hear the IMCA ensemble as it was meant
to be heard. The opening track of the CD still gives me a headache:
high pitched feedback shrieks close to the level of irritation.
It's hard to listen to this without turning the volume down. Luckily
the electro-acoustic/musique concret of IMCA becomes more listenable
after the challenging intro. The often dry sounds (dry as in untreated")
are combined with long silences, with, at times, sudden blasts
of concrete noise. Most of the used sounds seem to have their
origin in noise (musique concret) rather than a musical source.
Despite the many hands at the wheel of this album, the results
are strangely coherent, which is a complement to those involved.
In total 10 tracks are indexed, even though it's hard to tell
where one ends and the other one begins. IMCA is probably best
enjoyed in one long listening session in the right frame of mind.
The final 2 tracks, which make up for the final 30 minutes of
this CD, feature side A and B from the Midas cassette version
with contributions from John Hudak. Here the sound is more traditional
industrial if you like, with rhythms and a bit of a Nurse With
Wound touch. Not bad at all. This is an important archive release
of an album made by adventurous musicians who actually live up
to their name. Like back in 1991, I'm not sure if it's musically
a classic, but I am very happy to have this in my collection.
(FK)
Address: http://www.void.gr/absurd
LUSINE ICL - LANGUAGE BARRIER (CD by Hymen
Records)
Since 1999 American composer Jeff McIllvain has been operating
under the name Lusine ICL. The number of releases from Lusine
is quite impressive. In 2003 I reviewed his album
"Condensed" released by Hymen Records. "Condensed"
was a collection earlier works, with much focus on breakbeats
combined with warm ambient sounds. Now four years later Lusine
ICL has returned with this new album titled "Language barrier".
And what a return! The rhythm texture has disappeared leaving
only a few traces of clicking pulses. Lusine ICL has in other
words taken a step further into the world of ambient sounds. And
he demonstrates a very high talent as an ambient sound-explorer.
The nine tracks on the album are warm and soothing with a nice
feel of melancholia. Dominating part of the album is the use of
piano turning the memories towards the modern ambient-classic
"Radio Amor" by Tim Hecker. The result is extraordinary!
54 minutes of otherworldly ambience with a nice blend of acoustic
sounds, field recordings and abstract sheets of electronic ambience.
A highly aesthetic sonic universe, where bits of production and
granulated noise melt into warm, repetitive arrangements. This
first full-length album in four years from Lusine ICL is unquestionably
my greatest ambient-experience of 2007, and it truly deserves
to end up as a milestone in the history of ambient. A masterpiece!
(NM)
Address: http://www.hymen-records.com
GAJ MUSTAFA CELL - WORDS (CD By Louisville
Lip)
Out of the variety of bands and artists from the Louisville, Kentucky
area that play at making music ranging from folk to hardcore to
rap, noise punk group Gaj Mustafa Cell stands tall as being probably
the best current and original group in the Louisville vicinity.
Yeah, I know, noise punk has been done before and is still being
done, but this group has a sound all their own due mainly to the
presence of the spastic organ work throughout the whole album.
That's right I said organ work. When's the last time you heard
an organ in a noise punk band? Clocking in at around 22 minutes,
you have 18 tracks worth of rapidly changing, energetic music
that is both raw and noisy. The band as a whole sounds tight on
the album and they have recently added a bass player that has
definitely fattened their sound from their last effort, which
was a nice, collectable 7-inch. Words has also benefited from
competent studio work and the results are clearly evident from
all the GMC members. Finally, I must make mention about the packaging
artwork. The CD comes in a digi-pack, and is illustrated with
what looks like a mummified cat surrounded by dead roses of which
rib bones are used as the flower stems. Nicely done. The album
also comes with the lyrics. I would be remiss, if I did not tell
you that this album is worth seeking out. (Craig N.)
Address: http://www.gajmustafacell.com
JUSTIN BENNETT - THE WELL (CD by Spore Records)
It has been quiet as far as reviews are concerned by Justin Bennett,
it seems as he moved his activities towards the combination of
visual arts and music more and more and left the area of releasing
music. This new CD will be given away for free, but you'd have
to travel to Istanbul and get it, as it is part of the 10th Istanbul
Biennial exhibition. Bennett is a man who loves to record the
environment, to capture the mood of a city, with a strong love
for the arabic one, having already been in Tanger and Beirut.
In Istanbul there is a lively social climate, people of the street,
talking selling, cars but also there are pipes, tunnels and air-shafts.
And wells. Bennett made a whole bunch of recordings inside wells
and capture the outside world. A natural transformation of sound.
If you have never been to Istanbul, like me, than one can get
a clear picture of the city. The business of everyday, it's almost
there to smell it. Crafted together, going places ('Engine Room',
'The Well', 'Tünel'), this is perhaps a personal journey
for Bennett, but surely one we can enjoy very well. (FdW)
Address: http://spore.soundscaper.com
TORNGAT - YOU COULD BE (CD by Alien8 Recordings)
Surely an odd line up at work here: a drummer, a keyboard player
and a french horn, although this trio from Montreal also plays
a bit of other instruments. To be honest from the start: I had
great difficulty with this. The horn sounded quite similar to
Harald Sack Ziegler, but it's embedded here inside what could
be classified as post rock. That should not be a problem in itself,
but many of the pieces sounded too similar for me and that unified
sound became problematic in the end. A few of these up-tempo pieces
are quite nice, with melodies partly from the keyboards and partly
from the horn. After about six tracks I was well fed, nothing
more was necessary. But it could be any number of six, not just
the first six. Nice, but too much. (FdW)
Address: http://www.alien8recordings.com
GINTAS K - 13 TRACKS (CD by Percepts)
After some MP3 and CDR releases, this is the second release on
a CD by Lithuanian Gintas K, a work he produced for the Transmediale
2007 exhibition. I am not sure if the pieces are linked together
or that they should be seen as standing by themselves. Gintas
K is a man behind the laptop screen, where the blocks of sound
are neatly organized. Rhythmical music but not to dance to. Head
nod music. Your head moves along the rhythm, but not your entire
sweaty body on the floor. Some of the more austere pieces around
here, remind me of the older Alva Noto such as in 'Ka As Zinau',
but in general Gintas K is less organized and less conceptual
than the master himself. Which is actually nice, since the thirteen
tracks are a pretty varied bunch of music. Always based on rhythm,
but at times with a bit more synthesizer/sine wave sounds, different
kinds of sounds making the rhythm, this is not always a surprising
new look on what was once called clicks 'n cuts, but which stands
fully in that tradition, but nice produced with a certain fresh
look with some more anarchistic approach. (FdW)
Address: http://www.percepts.info/
SON OF EARTH - PET (LP by Apostasy)
Despite their seven years of existence, and a number of cassettes,
CDR, lathe cuts and one split LP, they now release their first
real LP. Son Of Earth is a trio of Aaron Rosenblum, Matt Krefting
an John Shaw, who all have a long standing career in free, improvised
and noise music. In Son Of Earth they all play guitar in the first
place, but also other instruments, such as children's toys, radios,
scraps of metal, cheap keyboards. Four lengthy pieces at work
here of subtle electronics, drones and tinkling guitars, all of
which are fed through a wide array of sound effects. Highly atmospheric
drone music, but with a nice sense of lo-fi around it, and with
a lot of buried tension. A sort of creeping, beneath the earth
of monster coming slowly towards you. A great album, that reminded
me of some of the New Zealand stuff, even when Son Of Earth is
much more subtle, or some of the albums released by Kraak years
ago, such as Toss. This is the US noise that I really like, but
I wonder if it's ever going to be as big as the other US noise,
sadly enough. (FdW)
Address: http://www.apostasyrecordings.com/
AT JENNIE RICHIE - RECTUMS MERGING (LP by
What We Do Is Secret)
AT JENNIE RICHIE - III (MAXIMUM MINIMALISM EP) (7" by Daisy
Cutter Records)
AT JENNIE RICHIE/VERTONEN (cassette by Ready Made Tapes)
AT JENNIE RICHIE/RED SQUIRRELS (cassette by Ready Made Tapes)
Now what is that, my visitor asked me? Well, that's a cassette,
to which she asked, who buys tapes these days? That is a good
question of course, to which I had no immediate answer other than:
the american love it. At Jennie Bird love anything but a proper
CD release, judging by this pack. Two cassettes, a 7" and
a one sided LP (the other side is silkscreened). Released by various
labels this lot, but nowhere any real information on the band.
I started with the LP, which has minimalist beat music on it.
Not to dance around too, but simple bangs, which were fed through
a bunch of sound effects, that gave the music quite a creepy backdrop.
Think Goem or Pan Sonic, but then even more minimal. Towards the
rest of the piece it seems as if they started using field recordings.
Quite nice.
The 7" is a bit more noise based. Scratchy (but that might
be the vinyl) and perhaps created with the usual of skipping recordings,
this recording especially the b-side is more noise like, a bit
like good ol' Non. The a-side is very quiet, almost ambient, and
low in threshold of hearing. Both sides sound however different
from the LP and lives up to the title.
The At Jennie Richie side of the split tape with vertonen is called
'Infinite Forgotten (Rendered Rectums)' which made me think this
is some sort of remix of the LP (or vice versa perhaps), and is
a pitched shifted drone piece of a more ambient noise kind. The
Vertonen side is more alive with a few loops of electronic and
turntable manipulations set against a wall of drones, which eventually
get rhythmic. Unfortunately this side lacks a bit of recording
quality.
The other tape seems to be a collaboration with Red Squirrel member
Jason Young and Irr.App.(ext.) and finds them in the most noisy
and uncontrolled area and I thought this was the least interesting
of the four releases.
It's a pity that there is no address for any of this. G-I-Y (google
it yourself) (FdW)
Address: none given, anywhere
RED NEEDLED SEA - OLD RIVER BLUES (CDR by
Triple Bath)
Panos Alexiades's project Red Needled Sea may need no introduction:
many of his releases were already reviewed in Vital Weekly. Earlier
this year he gave us a release which featured the piano, and 'Old
River Blues' takes matters on the piano a bit further. The title
is already poetic and the music drifts nicely. The piano is heavily
processed in the digital domain and with all the electronic treatments
going on, it's sometimes hardly recognizable. Red Needled Sea
also add electric guitar, which give more textured layers to the
music. Highly ambient in approach, but Alexiades keeps an experimental
element alive in his music to prevent it falling into kitschy
new age. At times dark, somewhere else things light up, but always
it's highly atmospherical. Anything connect with ambient music
of Eno and thirty years onwards passes by, except that there isn't
a single beat around here. A very fine release. (FdW)
Address: http://www.triplebath.gr
MED.MUD. (CDR, private)
One Erik Maes, a Dutch musician/video artist presents a work under
the banner of Med Mud, which he was commissioned by Oosterse Rijders
an artspace from Arnhem, The Netherlands. He writes that he recorded
the environment, using 'old lo-fi technology such as old cassette
players, dictaphone, webcams and such like' - webcams old? Oh
well. It is that he tells us this, otherwise it would be hard
to tell. The eighteen tracks are short and span in total not more
than forty minutes. The whole thing sounds rather computerized,
with all possibilities available used. Time stretching, plug ins
running amok, pitch shifting, convolution: the whole lot is used
but it also remains a bit too distant for my taste. What does
he want? What does this say about the project space he worked
in? Couldn't he have made this at home, using two empty coffee
mugs? I am slightly overdoing it, but it's hard to see the relation
between all of this. The music remains too much an exercise in
computer technology and at such is not always appealing. (FdW)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/medmudmusic
DITHERNOISE (CDR, private)
Simon Longo is the man behind Dithernoise. Originally he came
from Milan, but is now based in London, where he is quite active
with concerts and releases on MP3 and CDR. His main concern 'is
investigating reality, concepts, and visuals mediated by computers',
and does that since the late 80, being influenced by acid and
techno. However these influences are long gone here, but there
is an interest in rhythm, that is certain. I must admit that this
music didn't do much for me. Especially the longer pieces didn't
contain much interesting movements or structures. Whatever sound
was put into this, and whatever plug ins were used to transform
them, it all remained a bit too cold and distant for my taste.
Things were switched on as it were and from then let on running.
The shorter pieces, such as the opening 'Electrophysical Soundscape'
and 'Afro+vox_blue noise' were more interesting because they were
to the point. But throughout this was a bit too long for my taste.
Some selection would have been nice. (FdW)
Address: http://www.dithernoise.net
ORFEON GAGARIN - NEUMOTORAX S.XX (CDR by
Menstrual Recordings)
Spanish composer Miguel A. Ruiz is someone who is back on track
after a period of absence. In the mid to late eighties he was
an active force of the industrial music coming from Spain. Although,
I should add that his work wasn't loud or rhythmical, but he was
more the 'son' of Tietchens, in a way. Lots of chilling sounds,
reverb, and unsettling soundtracks. 'Neumotorax S.xx', released
as Orfeon Gagarin (I am never too sure why some is under that
name, and some under his own name) in 1988, shows this interest
in Tietchens too. A bit like his 'Zwingburgen des Hedonismus'
or 'Face To Face': two long pieces of heavily processed orchestral
samples, but feeding through a large wall of sound effects and
synthesizers, this is quite a loaded atmospherical release. Not
bad in it's day, but in these days, sounded quite dated to me.
Vague music, too much effects, and dragging a bit on and on. And
perhaps Tietchens was always a better and more imaginative. But
who knows, since everything always returns and gets a second life,
maybe this too. (FdW)
Address: http://www.menstrualrecordings.org
AMORPH - ETATS D'ESPRIT (CDR by Boltfish
Recordings)
ENV(ITRE) - OKAY (CDR by Boltfish Recordings)
On Boltfish another brand of new names. Sometimes I wonder if
they are all real, or just one person with a split personality
disorder. Amorph doesn't sound amorph, but rather structured.
Twelve tracks of lush easy techno based music, uplifting rhythms
which do not always engage to dance, but which however are always
an integral part of the songs and a warm bed of synthesizer sounds.
Great music to work to, but if you zoom in on the pieces you will
see that the differences between the pieces is really small and
that is a bit of a problem I think. Music that is here to entertain
the listener, rather than that it demands a lot of attention.
Nice though.
ENV(itre) is perhaps more of the same, with marginal differences.
Eleven tracks, somewhat more forceable beats and more cosmic synthesizer
lines. Great music to work to, but if you zoom in on the pieces
you will see that the differences between the pieces is really
small and that is a bit of a problem I think. Music that is here
to entertain the listener, rather than that it demands a lot of
attention. Nice though. Both of them.
Address: http://www.boltfish.co.uk
PSYCHEDELIC DESERT - KESHIKI (CDR by Pharmafabrik)
Not much information here on Psychedelic Desert, which appears
to be a trio of Cuckoo on mixer, effects and bass, Ge Fushima
on guitar and Pure H on additional processing. They seem to be
from Japan. The thing here at hand is a live recording, made in
Kobe, Japan. Two long, long long pieces of drone music. Slowly
swelling and decaying notes, in the higher region, almost organ
music like. Played solemnly and with care. Hard to think this
is live music and keeps me wondering about the venue would be
like, in my imagination I am seeing a Buddhist temple. Rather
than giving this a thorough listening session, one should, at
least that's what I think, lie back and let this wash all over
you. Like an endless stream of sound. The second piece is perhaps
a bit too much in the field of effects, but the first more austere
piece is truly beautiful. Very nice work. (FdW)
Address: http://www.pharmafabrik.com
JLIAT - NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL NOISE VOL.
6 (CDR by Jliat)
Abbey Road. Roxy Music. Sound Of Silence. Merzbox. Umma Gumma.
John Cage. Silent Records. Hanatarash. Violent Onsen Geisha. Wolf
Eyes? Nietzsche. Lowest Common Denominator. Seven. Oh Superman.
In Rock. Rattus Norvegicus. Rumours. Kimono My House. Closer.
Hypnotised. Neuengamme. Quiet Life. Replicas. Trance Europe Express.
Ace Of Spades. Arrival. Metal Box. Music For Pleasure. Regatta
De Blanc. Now That's What I Call Noise. (FdW)
Address: http://www.jliat.com
YANNICK FRANK & OLIVIER PÉ -
PARAGRAPHE (CD-R by e.mat projet)
"Tender" might be the most appropriate term for the
music on this CD-R. It gently puts a velvet blanket over everything
around the listener, and seems to be just perfect for pre-autumnal
nightfall-moods, when you suddenly realize that yet another summer
is gone and days are getting shorter again. Yannick Frank and
Olivier Pé utilize what might almost be described as a
standard selection of instruments for a darker kind of drone music,
including, amongst others, prepared electric guitar, field recordings,
voice, objects, a singing bowl and electronics. The resulting
tracks are, however, among the most sensitive drone music I've
heard recently. They are based on loops of fragmented melodies,
which shine and shimmer through diaphanous layers of blurred sounds.
Yannick Frank and Olivier Pé know how to keep things interesting
throughout, with most tracks ranging from six to ten minutes in
length and each one offering a distinct character, while coalescing
into a consistent atmospheric stream. Everything moves forward
at a very slow pace, and when listening to this music at a low
volume at night, the delicate textures gradually begin to mingle
with the murmur of everyday sounds around you. This is not the
ecstatic or immersive type of drone then, but rather atmospheric
music at its most discreet and cosy, yet far away from any esoteric
connotation and in all its suggestive beauty there is always a
solemn and sober edge to it. (MSS)
Addresses: http://www.olivierpe.be and http://www.myspace.com/yannickfranck
MICHEL HENRITZI & TETUZI AKIYAMA - BROKEN
BLUES (CDR by Absurd)
Although I'm not a musical expert in any traditional sense of
the word, I think about loneliness and misery when I hear blues,
or even the word blues. Tetuzi Akiyama and Michel Henritzi are
both guitarists, playing the acoustics, as we can clearly hear
when their 'Broken Blues' release starts, which they recorded
in Osaka, earlier this year. Not with the usual blues like sustain,
but picking the strings carefully. However over the course of
this piece, they pick up an electric drill, machine screws saw
bar, hammer and nails and start banging on the guitars and a general
controlled mayhem occurs. I never heard Akiyama doing something
this loud, even when for the true noise lovers this is all probably
easy stuff. What is the relation to blues? The sadness of a broken
relationship made audible, perhaps? I am not sure. But I must
admit I quite like the piece in all its furious character. A lot
of pain involved here. (FdW)
Address: http://www.void.gr/absurd
M. ROSNER/GARETH HARWICK - SILHOUETTES (CDR
by Hello Squarerecordings)
MORNING STALKER/THE GHOST OF 29 MEGACYCLES - SILHOUETTES 2 (CDR
by Hello Squarerecordings)
Hot on the heels on the recent releases on Hello Squarerecordings,
here is something new by them. Silhouettes is a series of four
discs with each two artists, face to face, with about twelve minutes
of music. None of the first four names did ring a bell, but there
are certainly stylistically similarities to be spotted around
here. On the first release is M. Rösner, who released his
work on 12x50, Room 40 and Apestaartje, and who is set to explore
here the nature of cello like guitar playing, whereas in his second
piece he plays around with feedback and sine waves. His final
piece has sampled percussion which is quite loaded with tension.
Hardwick comes from England and he plays sampled piano. Sampled
not in an entirely digital way, but through those nice food pedals
that guitarists use. In his first piece the piano is recognizable,
but in the second it could be anything that swells to and from
to make a nice drone piece.
On the second volume we first find Morning Stalker, which is Morgan
McKellar, guitarist and vocalist of Underlapper, whom I don't
know, but his piece here is a nice layered piece of sampled guitar
sounds, bouncing around with a lot of delay pedals. As such there
isn't much difference with Greg Thaw, also known as The Ghost
Of 29 Megacycles. He's from Polaroid Ghost and Jasmine Loop Control.
His piece is very similar: tinkling guitars, loops, a bit of feedback
and nicely melodic, pleasant ambient music.
On the first the differences work quite well, whereas the similarities
on the second one make a pretty coherent release. (FdW)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/heliosquarerecordings
TEXTURED BIRD TRANSMISSION - SINGING THROUGH
TREES (3" CDR by Dirty Demos)
My first encounter with Textured Bird Transmission, who had a
CDR release on their own Dead Sea Liner last year. No further
information is given here, so we have to purely the music, which
is exactly quite a surprise. I had Dirty Demos not as a noise
label in my little book, but one that released music of a somewhat
louder spirit. With Textured Bird Transmission we are all wrong
as the four pieces are best pinned down as ambient, with a big
A. Heavily and heavenly processed field recordings, bells and
voices, music with a slow curve. Something that Brian Eno could
be proud of, as this comes close to his first ambient record,
but with even more sonic depth. Great but too short release.
Address: http://www.dirtydemos.co.uk
N.STRAHL.N - ZEITPAPIER (3"CDR, private)
Almost in an Aube like way, N.strahl.n comes up with the second
release in a series of releases about mass media and for this
he uses the newspaper as its prime source. Perhaps unlike Aube,
he also adds metal, foil and analogue synthesizer. He recorded
four pieces with this which were later mixed together. Ranging
from dark, experimental ambient music, via something that is vaguely
rhythmic into more musique concrete like to end in the world of
experimental ambient again. It's that we know that it has something
to do with mass media and newspaper, because going by just the
music would be a bit too difficult. Than it would be just mildly
interesting experimental music that is not bad, but not great
either. Per piece a bit too long for the amount of information
it has, but as a backdrop is not bad either. (FdW)
Address: http://www.nstrahln.blogspot.com
VOLE - VOLE RADIO 1 (3"CDR by Vole)
This is a 'variety of Brighton improvisers' but Vole didn't think
it would be necessary to list any on the cover. Perhaps since
it 's 'also' a download, people will check the website. The various
pieces, seven in total, were recorded at various radio broadcasts.
We hear various windinstruments and some stringed instruments
playing quite short dramatic pieces of music that were nice, but
in all it's briefness didn't leave a too big of an impression
on me. It sort of came and went and you didn't notice it that
well. Perhaps a bit like radio at that. (FdW)
Address: http://www.vole.info