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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 604
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week 49
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Vital Weekly, the webcast: we offering a
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* noted are in this week's podcast
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!
LABFIELD - FISHFORMS (CD by Bottrop-boy)
MOUTHUS - NO CANAL (CD by Bottrop-boy)
STARVING WEIRDOS - SUMMON WITH ELECTRONIC SORCERY (CD by Bottrop-boy)
HECKER - HOLLER, TRACKS (2LP by Semishigure)
RUDIS/CUSTIDIO/DIAZ-INFANTE - CRR LIVE (CD by Pax Recordings)
PHONO PHONO (CD by Absinth)
HAMAYOKO - 4/29 (CD by Entr'acte)
WEISS - REPHLEX (CD by Electroton)
SIGNAL TO NOISE VOLUME FOUR (CD by For4Ears Records)
SIGNAL TO NOISE VOLUME FIVE (CD by For4Ears Records)
ASMUS TIETCHENS & JON MUELLER - ACHT STÜCKE (CD by Auf
Abwegen)
HEMATIC SUNSETS UND OKKO BEKKER - WEIHNACHTEN IM AROMA CLUB (7"
by Klang Der Festung)
EVAPORI - FUMES (LP by Walter Ulbricht Schallfolien)
DITTERICH VON EULER-DONNERSPERG/COLUMN ONE - DER FLUSS IN DER
TRUHE (LP by Walter Ulbricht Schallfolien)
KALLABRIS - HUND VOR DIE TÜR (LP by Entr'acte)
PAPERCUT & WRECKING BALL (CDR by Deserted Village)
RED NEEDLED SEA - 23:04 (CDR by Krakilisk)
MYSTIFIED - LOWER (CDR by Krakilisk)
KENJI SIRATORI (CDR by Krakilisk)
FISH SLIPPERS (CDR compilation by Krakilsk)
GLAUKOM SYNOD - OGRE (CDR, private)
VARIOUS - ROBOT EARS (CDR by Meatronic recordings and the St.
Petersburg
Institute of Noise)
NOVASK - ALPHA (CDR by Triple Bath)
ANDREW DEUTSCH & STEPHEN VITIELLO - INDUCTIVE MUSIC (CDR by
Absurd)
THESSALONIKI 1963 - A DIARY FROM B TO C (CDR by Absurd)
TEXTURED BIRD TRANSMISSION - SPECTRAL DOVES OF SKELETAL INTENSITY
(CDR by Dead Sea Liner)
SRX - VESSEL (CDR by Dead Sea Liner)
RINUS VAN ALEBEEK & CARLO RONCHI & PAOLO ROMANO &
MATTEO UGGERI - MILAN-SHAKHTAR: 4-1 (CDR by Sparkling Sodality)
OUBLIETTE - LIVE COLLECTION (CDR by Hymns)
ANDREW CHADWICK - MAGNETIC PERSONALITY (CDR by Hymns)
ORIGAMI BOE - 000 BAUNOTEN (MP3 by Con-V)
ORIGAMI TACET - E.XTREM T.ON (MP3 by Ambolthue)
ORIGAMI ALL STARS - EARWITNESS (CDR by Tecnonucleo)
LABFIELD - FISHFORMS (CD by Bottrop-boy)
MOUTHUS - NO CANAL (CD by Bottrop-boy)
STARVING WEIRDOS - SUMMON WITH ELECTRONIC SORCERY (CD by Bottrop-boy)
HECKER - HOLLER, TRACKS (2LP by Semishigure)
Four new releases from the house of Bottrop-boy, three on the
main label and one of the side imprint Semishigure. Of the three,
two are in the stylish, handmade new line of design of Bottrop-boy,
while one has the 'old' line of design. I have no idea if there
is any specific reason for it, but it could perhaps be some sort
of division in music. Starving Weirdos and Mouthus (and Mattin/Bower
and Sunroof of before) are in a certain musical area where you
won't find Labfield. The latter is a collaboration between David
Stackenäs and Ingar Zach. Stackenäs produced some nice
work for Häpna, while of Zach we didn't much hear after an
initial lukewarm response in these pages (the task of Vital Weekly
is to be critical not to maintain good friends), which didn't
lead to reviewing much more of music. On the risk of being accused
(again) that I heard this only once, I must say that the work
he produced as LabField with Stackenäs is great. Absolutely
great. Zach plays bass drum, percussion, electronic scruti-box
and electronic saranghi-box and Stackenäs plays acoustic
guitars, resonator guitar, preparations and low budget electronics.
With a background in improvisation you would expect careful, quiet,
intimate playing - and in a way they do that. But it's not tender,
soft or hardly outspoken. I suggest putting the volume up and
get immersed by their wall of machine sounds. They play their
instruments using all sorts of motors, fans or other mechanized
instruments to create a natural resonating yet acoustic sound.
Especially in 'Gin', the opening track which spans two-third of
the entire CD this works wonderfully well. Dense to bone (mm,
that's no expression)... dense like clouds, like being in a factory
and one hears all the machines humming at once. Not deafening
loud, but well constructed, balanced, varied, not from one point
of the factory, but one has the feeling of walking about, hearing
new aspects of the machines or new combination of the machines.
By contrast 'Gin', the shortest piece, is a like bridge between
that and 'Showa', soft tinkling guitars and percussive sounds,
until things start to heat up again for the final piece. Hardly
improvised sounding at all, this is sophisticated drone music
of an outstanding order.
Of course the music by Mouthus and Starving Weirdos can't be compared
to the two previous Bottrop-Boy releases, but altogether you might
say that they are connected through the world of lo-fi, noise,
drone, and rock - and preferable where they all meet up. Mouthus
is a three piece of guitar, drums and electronics. I don't think
we ever reviewed any of their music. The opening piece is a great
flowing piece for synthesizer solo, eerie floating and I had to
double check if I was playing the right CD. However with the next
piece I knew I was back on track. Loud, hooky rhythms, feedback
noise and guitar eruptions, make up the music. Post punk hookiness,
but rather nice. In the third track things go a bit further into
the territory of noise, but on top they lay down a tinkling guitar,
which seems out of place, but the contrast works quite well in
this wall of noise. The final piece is a track that is most industrial,
with sounds that could machine loops, but is perhaps the steady
drum beat on some pieces of wood. Four tracks, four different
positions, yet it makes perfect sense altogether. It has certainly
stirred curiosity about their previous works here.
Also new to me are Starving Weirdos, a collective around Brian
Pyle and Merrick McKinlay from Humboldt County which is in California.
They have been around for nine years and produced a whole bunch
of CDRs. Apparently they have some sort of empty warehouse where
they do most of their recordings. Playing mostly guitars and drums,
picking up the sound with microphones from the space used this
becomes, almost in a natural way, spacious music. Here too the
word 'drone' can be easily used, but it should go with the word
'rock'. 'Desert Folk' is what Bottrop-boy calls it, and I can
second that. Music as empty as the desert, but, as we know the
desert is no quiet space. Starving Weirdos play like the wind
licking the plains. It waves and it waves. Very cinematographic
in approach, although I don't think some director will pick this
easily, or he has to be interested in spacious shots. What is
surprising with this one, as well as Mouthus, is that the recording
quality is great, not the usual hiss induced lo-fi affair, but
quite detailed pieces of aural refinement.
The final new release is on the side label Semishigure, one of
the side labels of Bottrop-boy dealing with music and art. Music-wise,
format-wise, it's all quite different than the three previous
releases. The double LP is packed in a gate-fold sleeve, with
pictures by world famous visual artist Carsten Höller (and
of which separate prints will be sold in true art mode), and the
music is by Florian Hecker. Perhaps I already told something about
how my appreciation for Hecker changed after seeing his play live
last year. Before that he was good, but it seemed to me he was
one of the digi-noise boys from the Mego area. His concert however
was great. Concentrated portions of noise and silence. The music
on this record was created was made with software created by Alberto
de Campo and Tommi R. Keränen, and it all sounds utter dry
and utter minimal. Clicky rhythms, hardly anything to dance to,
but rather loud and without much bass. They bang on, but over
the course of a piece, things gradually change and it's done in
a rather subtle manner. That makes the whole thing a rather fascinating
listening experience, even when not every track is convincing.
Especially 'II' derails half way through. But as a total - music,
concept, package - this is a small piece of art. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bottrop-boy.com
RUDIS/CUSTIDIO/DIAZ-INFANTE - CRR LIVE (CD
by Pax Recordings)
Impro-noise extravaganza from a trio of three mad artists from
the San Francisco Bay area: Lx Rudis (DJ rig, two copies of 'Crashing
the Russian Renaissance'), Andre Custidio (Nord Modular Synthesizer,
microphone, darbuka, voice) and Ernesto Diaz-Infante (amplified
acoustic steelstring guitar). This new CD from this trio is a
follow-up to "Crashing The Russian Renaissance," a studio
album released in 2002 by Paxrecordings. Recordings for this live-cd
- making use of the earlier studio-cd! - also date from 2002,
but for some reason they were not released earlier. We have the
trio at work here on two different live perfomances, where they
mix electronic and acoustic instruments. This results in a very
unusual spectrum of sounds. A brave trio, who are not afraid crossing
any border. And that makes them interesting. On the other hand,
both improvisations sound to me as formless soundscaping, collages
of all kinds of soundmaterial, but without much focus or sense
for direction. Maybe I miss the point here, but it didn't work
for me. (DM)
Address: http://www.paxrecordings.com
PHONO PHONO (CD by Absinth)
Phono Phono is a berlin trio: Sabine Vogel (flutes, electronics),
Magda Mayas (piano, synth) and Michael Renkel (guitar, electronics).
Unknown musicians to me. Magda Mayas is a young musician from
Berlin, also playing with the Mayas-Nutters-Olsen-Galvez Quartett
and in a duo with drummer Tony Buck. Sabine Vogel originates from
Munich. As a composer and musician she makes her living nowadays
in Berlin. She played for instance with Michael Thieke, Alessandro
Bosetti and Michael Griener in the 'Schwimmer' project. Michael
Renkel is the most experienced of the three and also the leader
of this trio. He studied classical guitar in Hamburg. Over the
last 20 years he developed his own musical vocabulary and style.
He worked and recorded intensively with Burkhard Beins as Activity
Center and also with Kai Fagaschinksi, Phil Minton, Luca Venitucci,
Sonja Bender, etc. Phono Phono is one of his more recent collaborations.
The CD of this new trio contains a liverecording from 2005. We
hear four improvisations alternated by three short interludes.
They play a very reductionistic and open kind of improvisation.
I use the word improvisation, but maybe some of it is composed,
as their music sounds like some modern classical music. Anyway,
with no doubt these players were inspired by modern composers
(Feldman). The music is often very close to silence. On the other
hand the music is also incredibly rich, full of little details
and nuances. They found a good balance between the acoustical
instruments (classical guitar, piano, flute) and electronics and
synth. At one moment they play their instruments in a conventional
way, at other moments they make use of extended techniques. With
all that is available to them, they construct very well proportioned
musical unities. All pieces have equal participation of all three
players. They play with a great sense for detail and finesse,
and concentrated throughout. It is one of these examples of improvised
music that concentrate on sound and textures, but that is done
with great musicality. So that I can end up saying without hesitation:
this is great music! (DM)
Address: http://www.absinthrecords.com/
HAMAYOKO - 4/29 (CD by Entr'acte)
Of course we here at Vital Weekly hear loads of music, and some
of it is quite bizarre. Hard to pin down is perhaps better said.
Behind hamaYôko is Yôko Higashi, who is 'a performer,
vocalist, choreographer and dancer', formed Yokohama Zen Rocks
in 2003, and the duo Octobriana with violinist Agathe Max. She
also worked with Keith Rowe, Tomas Korber and Lionel Marchetti.
The latter helped her out with mixing her first CD '4/29' and
that's where the bizarre aspect comes in. What to think of it?
We hear lots of vocals, set against a most curious set of electronics
that can perhaps be best described as musique concrete. Yet the
vocals are more resembling popmusic than classically sung tunes,
even when Yôko can bend her voice like a true Cathy Barberian,
although not always a steady as the sad Cathy. But Yôko
also throws in walls of guitar samples which add more to the confusion
I think. I am not entirely convinced about this approach, to be
honest. Sometimes it puts a curious smile on my face, but as a
whole it was too bizarre for me. I have no clue what she wants:
create odd popmusic? Make fun to musique concrete? Is it serious
art or a good laugh? Certainly one that should end up in the section
marked with '?' in your local record store. But perhaps I am entirely
mistaken and we deal with something radically new. Who am I to
tell? (FdW)
Address: http://www.entracte.co.uk
WEISS - REPHLEX (CD by Electroton)
A new label from Germany is Electroton and they call themselves
'Klangarchiv' (sound archive) and the name and the addition, in
combination with packaging reminded me of the first Raster music
(archiv for ton und noton, remember) releases (Goem, Behrens,
Cascone etc). A similar transparant, soft plastic box, with a
transparant sticker. It's not where similarities end however.
Also music wise, Weiss (which means white, but it's also the name
of owner, and first artist on the label) knows his classics it
seems, which are in the same area. Exploring 'computers, synthesis
and the programming language pure-date', Weiss presents his own
click and cuts. Harsh, but rhythmic noise that refers to techno,
but it would be hard to see any feet move to this lot. Head nod
music this is. Nine tracks in total, with minimal variations,
both inside the pieces as well as among the pieces it self, but
it's short enough not to trap the hole of repeating himself. So,
as a debut it's certainly not a bad CD, but it stays close to
the originals of say Alva Noto or a more pop oriented version
of Ikeda (Ryoji that is) and not the promised label statement
of 'innovative, non-mainstream-oriented music'. Maybe Electroton
should try and sign Hecker (reviewed elsewhere) to sign innovation.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.electroton.net
SIGNAL TO NOISE VOLUME FOUR (CD by For4Ears
Records)
SIGNAL TO NOISE VOLUME FIVE (CD by For4Ears Records)
When playing number four and five of the the six pack that is
going to be 'Signal To Noise' I was thinking that the tour de
suisse is not only well documented but apparently it delivered
enough material to release six CDs. On volume four we find Jason
Kahn (analog synthesizer, percussion), Tomas Korber (guitar, electronics),
Norbert Möslang (cracked everyday electronics), Günter
Müller (ipod, electronics) and Christian Weber (contrabass)
on behalf of the swiss invasion and Katsura Yamauchi on saxophone.
The six of them spent two days of recording and one concert at
the lovely Yamaguchi Centre For Arts and Media which brings from
the studio sessions this CD. To start with the second piece: this
is a heavy load of highly concentrated playing with everybody
seems to be really working his instrument, while as a group building
up and up in a mighty crescendo. Everybody sounds at the same
while focussing on their own instruments and letting the rest
get on to. A total contrast to the first piece, which is quiet
and thoughtful - almost meditative in approach, with lots of room
to breath for everybody - the listener included. It's the first
one I like best, but it means only I'd play that one more, while
the second piece has strong points too. Improvisation master class
this one.
It's quite a surprise to see on Volume Five Kahn, Möslang
and Müller with a guest who you wouldn't normally see in
the world of improvisation: Akifumi Nakajima, or man of Aube,
and someone who we don't see in Vital Weekly that often these
days. He lives in Kyoto and the swiss trio stopped by there to
record with Aube. This too might be considered a surprise. The
careful, but predictable Aube built up of a piece is not present
in these four pieces, but also the trio do things that they normally
don't do. Multi-layered pieces of rather condensed noise. Things
roll about in quite a heavy manner, a bit like the second piece
on the previous disc, but altogether in a more electronic setting.
Lots of things happening on all levels of the music, so it takes
some time before everything has enrolled before your ears. Once
it does, you know beautiful noise can be made, easy and simple
(but perhaps not as simple). (FdW)
Address: http://www.for4ears.com
ASMUS TIETCHENS & JON MUELLER - ACHT
STÜCKE (CD by Auf Abwegen)
HEMATIC SUNSETS UND OKKO BEKKER - WEIHNACHTEN IM AROMA CLUB (7"
by Klang Der Festung)
Following '7 Stücke', there is now 'Acht Stücke', or
'eight pieces' by Asmus Tietchens and Jon Mueller. Like with the
previous work, Mueller supplies the rough sound material which
forms the basic material for the Tietchens compositions. Mueller,
it might be known, is a percussionist/drummer and works mainly,
but not exclusively, in the field of improvised music. He has,
as said, worked with people that compose new works out his playing,
such as Martijn Tellinga in the Brombron series and with Tietchens.
Apparently it's fruitful material, the percussive sounds. Tietchens
feeds the material to the oscillators, generators, sine wave machines
and modulators rather than treating it computer wise (although
I am not sure how he feels about this these days) and this new
work has the classic stamp 'Tietchens' all over it. Eerie tones,
drone like backgrounds, but on the foreground water drop like
rhythmic particles flying about. Peaceful and thoughtful this
stuff. It's not a work that stands out of much of previous work,
but it's a good, sturdy work.
Some years ago, Asmus Tietchens promised us to bring every year
one new release as Hematic Sunsets, his project for 'real' music.
Following his christmas record for Meeuw Muzak of, I think, two
years ago, there is now another christmas record on his own Klang
Der Festung. 'Oh Tannebaum' as an instrumental version on the
a-side while Okko Bekker sings it on the flip, plus a most curious
live piece recorded on the market. A frivolous Tietchens record,
which he permits himself to do once every year. This record will
play nicely along the Meeuw 7"s on Boxing Day. (FdW)
Address: http://www.aufabwegen.com
EVAPORI - FUMES (LP by Walter Ulbricht Schallfolien)
DITTERICH VON EULER-DONNERSPERG/COLUMN ONE - DER FLUSS IN DER
TRUHE (LP by Walter Ulbricht Schallfolien)
Since the shop was closed I assumed the label with the same was
also gone, but much to my surprise here are two new releases on
Walter Ulbircht Schallfolien. The label who brought you SPK and
Laibach in the far away past, presents her just German artists.
The first is a LP by Evapori, also known as Oliver Peters, who
has his own label Anti Information Conspiracy and of whom we reviewed
music before, but its some time ago. Peters was in Hamburger Kunsthochshule,
studying also with prof doctor Tietchens, but it's not to say
he is a mere copy cat of his master. Instead he seems to be finding
his inspiration from the field recordists and computer processors
such as Roel Meelkop, Marc Behrens an Bernard Gunter. His previous
work seems less refined and despite the gap between this and the
previous release, nothing much has changed, except perhaps it's
now all a bit more refined. There is a complicated text in German
along with this, but I am not sure if I should regard this as
a clarification or mystification of the album. Throughout I thought
the album was pretty good, but perhaps a bit faceless. It didn't
seem to be much of his own. Hearing examples, making something
along similar lines, but not always as convincing as the sources.
The work before was good, but maybe I expected a bit more when
it comes to making a LP.
Labelowner Ditterich von Euler-Donnersperg teams up with Column
One on a split LP for his own label. There are loads more of his
records, but they rarely make it into Vital Weekly, well, until
his recent, great christmas record for Meeuw Muzak. Now this record
I like better, for various reasons. Column One on their side use
field recordings, following their recent CD for Auf Aubwegen.
That one showed field recordings pure, clean and without processing,
and processing again is not in place here, but there is 'analogue
and digital sound' according to the inlay, but several other members
(Column One is a five piece here) are credited with 'cut', I assume
as in splicing tape. Two pieces, although hard to tell apart,
offer a delicate collage of field recordings, almost telling a
story. It's precise and to the point. An excellent work. Ditterich
on his side has four pieces. I am not sure how they were made,
but me thinks it's through sampling. Opening up in a Hafler Trio
mode (or should that be 'mood'?) of meandering electronics (samples?
sound effects? field recordings?), there is also a piece of sampled
bass, percussion and piano. E-musik as the Germans (and only the
Germans) call it. The album close with a highly obscure electronic
piece and voices and tops off a great side. (FdW)
Address: <donnersperg@web.de>
KALLABRIS - HUND VOR DIE TÜR (LP by
Entr'acte)
Through the many years of their existence, Kallabris is one of
my favorite groups, but as I was listening to this new LP 'Hund
Vor Die Tür' ('dog standing for the door'), I am never to
sure what it is that I like about them. Perhaps the whole mythical
surrounding of the group. Is it a group? One man? We don't know.
Let alone what they do. However text seems to be important with
their releases, even when it's not easy to figure about what they
are about. Apparently the piece started in April 2005 with a live
concert in Dortmund and has expanded over time into this record.
And it's in a way about dogs (pity, as I am not a lover of anything
canine), although 'a piece of music is not a tale', the cover
informs us. Perhaps so, but this record has tale like qualities.
There is a vocoder voice that recites some lines every now and
then - making this record one piece rather than a collection of
pieces) - and on side one this is embedded in a warm bath of computerized
drones and the on the b-side with plucked acoustic guitar and
even a hot steamy rhythm. The b-side is my favorite, since it
moves through all these nice textures, while on the first side
it's all rather single-minded. But once again, this is a great
record of a mythical band with great sound, hovering the experiment
and the pop notion of folktronics. Kallabris remains a favorite.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.entracte.co.uk
PAPERCUT & WRECKING BALL (CDR by Deserted
Village)
Irish Deserted Village likes to have hardly any information for
their releases, so other than Wrecking Ball is Steve Fanagan and
Gary Morrison who is Papercut. They two teamed up to record this
work of improvised guitar noise, spread out in two tracks. Maybe
there is more to it than just guitars and Morrison also lists
on his myspace thingy "Circuitbent Radios and Keyboards,
Synths, Vocal Drones + Screeches, Tapes, Samplers, Fx". I
am not blown away by either piece, especially the second piece
is not my favorite. It's the noisiest one of the two, but the
sounds are a bit thin, compared with the stronger first piece.
Also the second (no titles of course) is a bit long and could
have be saved, I guess, with some editing. The first piece is
stronger because it's better worked out (although that seems strange
in this improvised lot), and it moves to the undercurrent of noise
- the darker side of noise meets drones. It's o.k., though not
brilliant. (FdW)
Address: http://www.desertedvillage.com/
RED NEEDLED SEA - 23:04 (CDR by Krakilisk)
MYSTIFIED - LOWER (CDR by Krakilisk)
KENJI SIRATORI (CDR by Krakilisk)
FISH SLIPPERS (CDR compilation by Krakilsk)
So far I have quite enjoyed the work of Red Needled Sea, also
known as Panos Alexiades, who explored one instrument per release,
such as guitar, shortwave and piano. For this new release I am
a bit unsure what he explores, but my best guess would be some
sort of field recording that deals with either wind or rain sounds.
I might be entirely wrong. The title is the length of the music,
so that isnt of much help either. Things start in a pretty roughly
shaped manner of what could be the unprocessed field, but as the
piece evolves, things get rebuilt, reshaped, no doubt with the
good help of the laptop and various plug ins. Dense, layered and
clouded this one. With a length of twenty-three minutes the right
length for sure, but why not another piece of similar dark austerity?
From Mystified we have reviewed several releases,
and most likely there is much more we don't know about. It's an
one man project of one Thomas Park. The title seems to me the
programm of the CD: lower as in the lower regions of the tonal
spectrum. The CDR opens up with a bunch quite similar pieces of
dark ambient - the lower spectrum made audible with field recordings
and/or synthesizers, albeit of a digital nature. But there is
more to that. There is also a piece which evolves around a bass
drum, which is quite nice (I remember thinking that Mystified
should explore the rhythm road more) and some that are slightly
more experimental. Maybe it's a bit too conceptual this one and
one could wish for some more high end tones, and that those should
not be on the next release called 'Higher'.
Noise then, from Kenji Siratori, who runs the risk of becoming
the next Chefkirk. Too many releases and not always/never (cross
out what you don't like) of noise. Apparently he is a cyberpunk
writer, and he uses vocals in his music, at least that's what
I am inclined to think. His 'Death Game' has five 'phases' of
highly distorted noise, although the trained ear spots some sort
of rhythm in there, within all the rampage. I am pretty sure I
can live very well without this.
In Vital Weekly 562 I reviewed a disc by Fisk Pa Disc, on the
Tibprod label, which I thought was pretty interesting along the
lines 80s acts like Paul Kelday (not that many remember that).
On Krakilsk there is a remix of this, which included the whole
Norwegian posse of Swamps Up Nostrils, Jan M-Iversen, HOH, Rogaland,
Pal Asle Pettersen. Mystified and Torstein Wjiik, and some even
producing two tracks. They all seem to be anxious to take the
material into a new, more louder and more rhythmic territory,
but unfortunately it doesn't always lead to interesting results.
Noise plus noise equals noise? Lots of harsh beat stuff, exploding
ambiance, but throughout none of the tracks really stood out or
marked something different. Not everything needs to be remixed,
boys. Sometimes the original is as good as it gets. (FdW)
Address: http://www.krakilsk.org/
GLAUKOM SYNOD - OGRE (CDR, private)
VARIOUS - ROBOT EARS (CDR by Meatronic recordings and the St.
Petersburg
Institute of Noise)
NOVASK - ALPHA (CDR by Triple Bath)
"[sic]TIM GOLDIE "ABJECTOR[sic] ( CDr on hibari music
& w.m.o/r)
Putting on one side (for a moment) ideas regarding sexism and
biological
differences one could produce a bigoted review of this "music"
which in its
generality and ignorance of any subtlety or fact, mimicking the
abhorrent
behavior - at least intellectual - (i.e. the recent debacle re
free speech
at the oxford union) - to behave as an unreasoning right-wing
bigot might
represent - or present to an active, subtle and discriminating
mind
something which could be described as noise. Noise as the opposite
of
communication - of clear and subtle thought, of truth etc. The
French would
appear slightly askew in their Gallic nonsense and tomfoolery
- of the mime
artist, watched disdainfully by the thick necked Germans and ignored
by the
English, who are either stupid aristocracy or stupid football
hooligans.
whatever a general English distrust of intellectuals. "diverse
Glaukom
Synod are an extraordinary and eclectic mixture of sounds and
styles that
almost defy classification and yet which come together brilliantly.
Experimental and hypnotic at times, and seriously danceable at
others..." -
see what I mean - as an English man I cant take anything danceable
seriously - it a genetic fault (if my argument holds) It is only
with the
eclecticism of a nation which is not a nation but a legion of
united states
that the incomprehensible can exist and the idea of the idea be
not ignored
but held in
great respect. Which explains why noise is so popular in the land
of the
free- so Robot ears (my my) is an audio PowerPoint of contemporary
music,
modern art in a Midwest gallery. Here I can be the English snob
so moving
swiftly on then Novask meddle with sine waves whilst " [sic]
Tim Goldie:
drums (disc 1), voice (disc 1, 2), credit card (disc 1, 2), bird
whistle
(disc 1), snare drums (disc 2), guitar amplifiers/leads (disc
2)" i.e. noisy
drums and noisy voice - "Recorded by " " [sic]
Tim Goldie with two AKG 414
BULS direct to Tascam DAP1 DAT No overdubs or effects" -
"no effects"! - I
think that is because it sounds like its all run through my behringer
bod100
(German design Chinese manufactured and only £14.95!). (jliat)
Addresses
http://meatronic.com
http://glaukomsynod.site.voilat.fr
http://www.novasak.com
http://www.mattin.org
ANDREW DEUTSCH & STEPHEN VITIELLO -
INDUCTIVE MUSIC (CDR by Absurd)
THESSALONIKI 1963 - A DIARY FROM B TO C (CDR by Absurd)
Although mister Absurd is no father he knows people with children
and it seems that for every occasion he can possibly think of,
he will create a new release. Or almost new release, such as in
this case of Stephen Vitiello and Andrew Deutsch. Last year it
was already released on Magic If, and now re=issued on 'Kyra's
first birthday'. They are helped by Ann Hamilton producing 'whispers'
and Thomas Moore producing microsounds. Laptop a go go this one.
Two long pieces of endless streaming, hectic and nervous sounds.
Plug ins or max/msp working overtime. There is so much happening
that it's hard to follow the route. The third track on the other
hand is short, almost like a contemplative afterthought. Perhaps
it could have been placed in the middle, so that it would provide
the listener to take a deep breath of air. But it's a nice release,
not the best I heard by either of them, but more like a quick
thing in between.
A bit harder to decipher is the release by Thessaloniki 1963,
if that is the name of the project chosen by Kostis Kilymis. The
four pieces were recorded this and last year, while he also uses
sounds provided by Valerio Tricoli, Tasos Stamou and Nicolas Malevitsis.
Kilymis shows us that he likes his Meelkop, Behrens, Lopez and
Chartier. He successfully hides his original sound sources and
in stead offers lots of sound processing. Sometimes, like his
tutors in a soft, detailed manner, but especially at the end of
the third track and the beginning of the fourth things get pretty
nasty and loud, in a somewhat crude manner, unlike his examples.
But throughout it's well balanced and done rather nicely. (FdW)
Address: http://www.void.gr/absurd
TEXTURED BIRD TRANSMISSION - SPECTRAL DOVES
OF SKELETAL INTENSITY (CDR by Dead Sea Liner)
SRX - VESSEL (CDR by Dead Sea Liner)
Following their 'Singing Through Trees' 3" CD on Dirty Demos
(see Vital Weekly 592) they return with five new tracks on 'Spectral
Doves Of Skeletal Intensity' on their home label Dead Sea Liner.
Still we know nothing about this troupe but they continue with
some mighty fine ambient music of a darker nature; darker than
the previous lot it seems to me. Ringing sounds of endless sustaining
guitar, metal sheets or some such, make up these pieces, and this
time it has the right length. Five pieces in about thirty five
minutes of music that will surely appeal to the likes of Mirror,
Ora or Monos. Very nice.
Also new to me, I think, is SRX. Here an old piano, field recordings
and some other obscured elements of music plus a female voice.
I was listening the other day to some music by Cortex, one of
the lesser known groups/project by Alain Neffe of Insane Music,
and there is some resemblance between the spoken words of SRX
and Neffe's. Lyrics are hard to understand, tracks are short and
to the point. The seven pieces go down in a mere eighteen minutes.
The sketch like character of the music is a bit of a problem,
I think. Pieces are gone before they even started, whereas one
has the impression it could have had so much more. Also the sound
quality between the first two, non-vocal pieces, and the other
five is a bit too much. This needs some balancing in the future.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.deadsealiner.co.uk
RINUS VAN ALEBEEK & CARLO RONCHI &
PAOLO ROMANO & MATTEO UGGERI - MILAN-SHAKHTAR: 4-1 (CDR by
Sparkling Sodality)
'A completely improvised session made with tapes/walkman, contact
microphones, electric and acoustic bass. Very weird, very improvised'.
'sorry for the poor quality of the recording (made with binaural
microphones), but the good thing is that there is no overdubbing
at all'. Two quotes from the press text, which tells us otherwise
who is Rinus van Alebeek, Sandro Ripamonti and Carlo Ronchi (both
are from Tasaday, an old Italian group) and Matteo Uggeri. The
four of them (well, five if you count the visuals of Paolo Romano)
teamed up in Milan for this improvised work, which is hardly weird
but very improvised. I must admit I kept on wondering why it's
good that there is no overdubbing. Because if they would have,
or at least applied some editing on the blurry recording, it would
have perhaps saved a bit of the quality, both in music and recording
quality. Now we have two tracks of thirty seven minutes in length
which drag on end, with no climax, no built up, no tension but
also no relaxation or moody textures. Quite dull overall. (FdW)
Address: http://www.greysparkle.com
OUBLIETTE - LIVE COLLECTION (CDR by Hymns)
ANDREW CHADWICK - MAGNETIC PERSONALITY (CDR by Hymns)
The Hymns label have brought us some interesting works from the
world of noise, and although not every one is great, they are
usually quite interesting. Here they expand beyond the usual music
of Ironing with two new acts, well at least for me. (Seth) Oubliette
is one, and he offers a ten track plus movie files of recent and
not so recent live shows. The cover doesn't provide us with any
more information than a mentioning of dates and locations, but
nothing about instruments used. Ok, no problem, we'll start the
guessing show. My best guess is that there is a bunch of noise
generators of low quality kind, in combination with cassette tapes,
amplifiers and distortion pedals. There is applause after some
of the tracks, so I was thinking (again) that a track is an entire
concert. If that's true, I must say I like that approach: short
and to the point. As a collection of ten tracks it's perhaps a
bit too much to take in all at once, but when consumed in a smaller
dose every time, it's very well to digest.
Brevity is not of concern to Andrew Chadwick. He writes about
his project being a response to Hal McGee's announcement of recording
an album on microcassette, which inspired him to do so too. Two
tracks, of thirty minutes each... well, ain't that a good cassette
length? It's a pity that they don't come as C10 cassettes, since
I thought he makes a point in which ten minutes is already long
enough, so another fifty minutes of cut up material is just a
bit too much. Lots of spoken word, from real life conversations,
but without much story, it's all a bit too much. The photograph
of Chadwhickis by Jen Sandwich, 'Andrew Chadwick's official photographer'.
There is a sense of irony at least, I hope. (FdW)
Address: www.myspace.com/hymnslabel
ORIGAMI BOE - 000 BAUNOTEN (MP3 by Con-V)
ORIGAMI TACET - E.XTREM T.ON (MP3 by Ambolthue)
ORIGAMI ALL STARS - EARWITNESS (CDR by Tecnonucleo)
Only a few good guys ask us: the well-known bands from the world
of rock who help the true experimentalists. Sonic Youth is one,
Einsturzende Neubauten is another. They help out, with their name
and fame,, to support experimental musicians. Tore Boe had the
honor of opening up a few concerts for Neubauten and 'Baunoten'
is a piece 'based on material from Einsturzende Neubauten's webcasts
and presented 6 times on their 2004 tour', although I am not sure
what that means. The recording here is from one concert in Hamburg.
Tore Boe is not unlike John Cage: a man of small sounds, but with
the amplification used in rock concerts I am pretty sure this
must have sounded massive. Musicboxes, piano bangs and obscured
drones make up a great piece that receives a good applaus from
the audience. Well deserved.
As Origami Tacet, Tore Honore Boe played with Micheal F. Duch.
The latter plays double bass and Boe his acoustic laptop - which
is a suitcase full of small acoustic objects and contactmicrophones.
This recording was may in Dresden earlier this year, at the 'E.xtrem
T.on' festival/event and during some twenty minutes the two play
a thoughtful piece of music - of a more sorrowful nature. There
is 'Elegy For Tony Wilson' (who died a week earlier), 'Glass On
The Beach', 'Nick Cage' and 'Einstein At The Zoo' - I have no
idea why it lists four pieces, as there is only one on the release,
but perhaps there are four distinct parts. It's always not clear
with improvised music when things start and stop, but the controlled
improvisation of these two is quite nice too.
Boe is the founding father of everything that is called 'Origami'
with whatever extension: a floating group of musicians that work
together. Boe himself is not always a member, but he is with the
Origami All Stars. Still with his acoustic laptop, but also with
Tom Hovinbole on violin, Jonas Qvale on samples and Jorn Egseth
on synthesizer. They play seven pieces on their 'Earwitness' release
and it's the least convincing of the three. The improvisations
seem to lack any tension and at times the four seem to be searching
for sounds, or go into playing their thing without noting any
of the other players very much so no real interaction seem to
occur. (FdW)
Address: http://www.con-v.org
Address: http://www.ambolthue.com
Address: http://www.tecnonucelo.org
correction: correct website for Agitated Radio Pilot is http://www.desertedvillage.com or http://www.myspace.com/agitatedradiopilot