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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 631
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week 24
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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
before submitting material please read this
carefully: http://www.vitalweekly.net/fga.html
Submitting material means you read this and approve of this.
* noted are in this week's podcast
GIANCARLO VULCANO - VETRO (CD by Innova)
MICHEL BLANC - LES ONZE TABLEAUX DE L'ESCOUADE (CD by D'Autres
Cordes)
PIOTR ZABRODZKI - NAMANGA (CD by Vivo)
NEON RAIN - WE ARE MEAT / THE VULTURES (CD by Steelwork Maschine)
SOMATIC RESPONSES - DIGITAL DARKNESS (CD by Hymen Records)
EXOCET - VIOLATION (CD by Ant-Zen)
FRANCISCO LOPEZ - CONOPS (CD by GD Stereo) *
ARSENIJE JOVANOVIC - GALIOLA (CD by FOARM/and-Oar/Alluvial) *
MACHINEFABRIEK & STEPHEN VITIELLO - BOX MUSIC (CD by 12K)
JANEK SCHAEFER - EXTENDED PLAY (CD by 12K)
LIONEL MARCHETTI - ADELE ET HADRIEN - LE LIVRE DES VACANCES (2CD
by Optical Sound)
TSE - LA RALENTIE (CD by Optical Sound) *
FRIA KONSTELLATIONEN - MUSIK OM FRIA KONSTELLATIONEN (CD by Revvega)
*
PAR THORN/HENRIK WALLIN & RICKARD DAUN - LIVE AT MOTVIKT (CDR
by Revvega)
V-P V-F IS V-N (7" by Winds Measure Recordings)
RICHARD GARET - L'AVENIR (CDR by Winds Measure Recordings)
LAWRENCE ENGLISH - STUDY FOR STRADBROKE (CDR by Winds Measure
Recordings) *
WYNDEL HUNT & THOM HEILESON - UNIT OF SELECTION (CDR/DVDR
by Dragon's Eye Recordings) *
PIXYBLINK - CINDER (CD-R, private)
PIXYBLINK - PERIDOT (CD-R, private)
PIXYBLINK - WITHERED LEAVES (CD-R, private)
DAVID LACEY & PAUL VOGEL - THE BRITISH ISLES (CDR by Homefront
Recordings) *
ROLAND ETZIN - INDICATOR (CDR by Gruenrekorder) *
FISK PA DISC - THE FISHER PRICE SESSIONS (CDR by Krakilsk)
SEARCH CLICK & DESTROY/WHALE PLATE - PUMMELING PARASITES (CDR
by Krakilsk) *
XEDH - KATABOLE (CDR by Krakilsk)
VARIOUS NEGATIVE MESSAGE FROM COLLECTIVE MIND 2 - YOUR TALK MAY
KILL YOUR COMRADES (CDR by Spirals Of Involution)
KENJI SIRATORI - EXQUISITE CORPSE (CDR by Spirals Of Involution)
CRANK SHAFT VS BIOMASS (CDR by Spirals Of Involution)
FEAR KONSTRUKTOR AND MOURMANSK150 - ARSON ACRIMONY (CDR by Spirals
Of Involution)
CISFINITUM - MUSIC OF LIGHT (CDR by Spirals Of Involution)
SUJO DORA (CDr by Inam Records)
WAND. AND PRINCESS - YELLOW SHIP (CDr by Wand. and Princess)
CORNUCOPIA BLACK OPERATIONS (CDR by Sonora)
CORNUCOPIA STAR TRAILS (CDR by Sonora)
BUBONIC HERMAPHRODITE - IDIOTUNDERGROUND01 (CDr by ??)
AKIFUMI NAKAJIMA - WATER 1991 (2CDR by Kokeshidisk)
MOLJEBKA PVLSE - FALL IN WOODLAND CEMETARY (3"CDR by Taalem)
OPIUM - ETERE (3"CDR by Taalem) *
BRIAN LAVELLE - THE PETRIFIED FOREST (3"CDR by Taalem)
LARSGARDEN & ROWENTA - GRDN (3"CDR by Tuguska) *
SLOWCREAM - LIVE LONG AND PROSPER (MP3 by Nonine)
NEUBAU - RYMDMYR (MP3 by Nonine) *
SCOTT SMALLWOOD - 3 SOUNDSCAPES (MP3 by Sijis) *
TOM WALLACE - BLOOD & WATER (MP3 by Sijis)
UBEBOET & CALARCO & RECHE - BIESI (MP3 by Sijis)
GIANCARLO VULCANO - VETRO (CD by Innova)
'Vetro' documents pieces New York composer and guitarist Giancarlo
Vulcano composed between 2002-2005. They make up his first CD
of very accessible but far from superficial music. The pieces
are performed by himself on guitar, Yvonne Troxler on piano, Jesse
Schiffrin and Rómulo Benavides both on violin (on two tracks)
, plus Enid Blount playing clarinet, in different combinations.
This work originated from a 'small is beautiful' perspective.
The music is simple, effective, direct and very pure. It is impossible
not to feel the charm of these miniature compositions. They are
composed in a post-minimal tradition. "It was a process of
giving the musicians little phrases to play as I was discovering
them. I was finding ideas and my friends would play them for as
long as they interested us, and then on to the next", Vulcano
explains. He is successful in creating some very catchy and melodic
compositions, without becoming sentimental of kitsch. Elegant
and positive music it is, sometimes reminding of the good old
Penguin Cafe Orchestra. The cd opens with 'Portrait of Arthur
Rimbaud'. Like the two other portraits on this cd, 'Portrait of
Richard Manuel' and 'Self-portrait', the same musical material
is used in all three, but in each track it is differently orchestrated.
Inevitably one asks oneself why one doesn't get bored by these
endless repetitions of simple ideas. Well, it is hard to say.
What helps for sure is the beautiful and warm playing from the
musicians. Also the musical structures may be simple, they are
also very consistent and have a strong inner quality. That must
be the secret. 'Piano Death Theme' is a piece that clearly evokes
the world of Satie. 'Music for Fish Tanks' is written for (multitracked)
clarinet, where different melodic lines create a clear picture.
It is impressive how Vulcano tries to maximaze the potencies of
small simple musical melodic ideas by sticking to a minimalist
approach. Great job! (DM)
Address: http://www.innova.mu
MICHEL BLANC - LES ONZE TABLEAUX DE L'ESCOUADE
(CD by D'Autres Cordes)
D'Autres Cordes was a new label for me. But since I reviewed the
The Story of Modern Farming CD and more recently the great album
of Kolkhoze, I'm alarmed when a new release arrives. This time
it is a cd by drummer, composer Michel Blanc that is attracting
the attention. This rock and jazz drummer, wrote some very strange
music for this cd, I must say. He is accompanied by Jean-Luc Capozzo
(trumpet, bugle), Frank Vigroux (guitar, electronics) and six
other musicians playing clarinet, cello, vibraphone, and voice.
Also he makes extensive uses of prerecorded sounds. Blanc took
inspiration from a diary of the 158th infantry regiment of the
french army in the first world war and uses fragments from this
diary. His grandfather was part of this regiment! In each piece
he evokes an episode from the history of this regiment. Musically,
Blancs pieces are open structures giving room to the aggressive
power playing of Vigroux and the rich and imaginative playing
of Capozzo. At first hearing one is impressed by the power and
the strangeness of this music. But after repeated listening several
pieces are a bit too fragmentary, and do not convince from start
to end. Some tracks or parts of them are more about trying and
exploring, but do not reach satisfying end But this may be due
to the fact that this cd at times is more like a radioplay with
an important role for the (french-) spoken text, and 'music' being
just one of the constituting parts. From what I understand from
the texts, the dramatic impact will be increased if you can understand
them. Musically spoken Blanc builds and develops moments with
great dramatic power from time to time. Maybe we should compare
Blanc with a composer like Heiner Goebbels who also combines sound
art, radio play and music and fuses these ingredients into one
whole. Anyway, what makes this cd very interesting for me, is
that each track shows that Blanc is very eager to break new ground.
We meet unique structures, strange arrangements and some very
expressive and engaging musical moments. Not all his ideas work,
but he surely is a composer with a vision. Therefore a name to
watch! (DM)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/dautrescordes
PIOTR ZABRODZKI - NAMANGA (CD by Vivo)
The catalogue of the polish Vivo label is dominated by japanese
artists: Merzbows, Acid Mothers Temple, Kawabata Makoto, a.o.
The label also released of successful collaboration between Piotr
Zabrodzki and Tatsuya Yoshida called 'Karakany' playing crazy
free jazz noise. 'Namanga' is an all polish affair. 'Zdzislaw
Piernik plays compositions of Piotr Zabrodzki' is the complete
subtitle of this cd. Tubaplayer Piernik has a prominent place
in this unusual quartet from Poland. Piotr Zabrodzki plays piano,
electric piano, double bass, bass guitar, organ. He is also the
composer of 15 pieces on this cd. We hear Wojciech Kondrat on
violin and Hubert Zemler on percussion and vibraphone. Their music
shows many faces. It is a sort of chamber music leaning on jazz,
and incorporating all kinds of influences. The CD starts with
a jazzy and moody tune with organ and tuba playing unisono. What
follows is a chaotic free improvised piece. The third track is
an improvisation that concentrates on sounds and texture. The
fourth track has many twists. It sounds like an ensemble of modern
composed chamber music that decided to improvise a bit. The next
one, 'Kamrat Zuch', is once more another piece of cake. An electrified
wind instrument and electric bass dominate this short eruption.
'Mikrototal' is more rock then something else. And so I could
continue to characterize all 15 tracks on this cd. All of them
have very different things to offer. The players manage to do
their job very well. But it would sound better if it was recorded
more transparent and balanced. The drummer is often too much in
the background. This cd however also proves that incorporating
many different influences doesn't make an interesting album. There
are many convincing moments on this cd. This quartet has a few
characteristics concerning their sound that make it special. On
the other hand however, the music is often structured along well-known
lines and is not very surprising. (DM)
Address: http://www.vivo.pl
NEON RAIN - WE ARE MEAT / THE VULTURES (CD
by Steelwork Maschine)
Neon Rain is a French project that has been operating in the underground
since the early nineties, though their officially first release
came out a decade ago. Since the debut-release in 1998, "Early
works 1992/1997", Neon Rain has been releasing five albums,
present album out on interesting compatriot label Steelwork Maschine.
The first album on Steelwork Maschine came out in 2003 and was
titled "Dirtier than the dirt". It combined rhythmic
industrial with dark ambient. On this latest effort titled "We
are meat / the vultures", Neon Rain still works in the spheres
of industrial and dark ambient, though with a much wider approach.
Expressionally the album stretches from experimental rock of an
almost musical kind to an extreme contrast of anti-music in the
shape of ultra-brutal power electronics. The cold and cynic expression
of the final moment of the lengthy opening piece "We are
meat" turn the memories back to power electronics-pioneers
Whitehouse though even more shockingly brutal and effective with
crushing electronics interfered with evil human screams being
manipulated and processed into hypnotic sound loops. An astonishing
exploration in sonic extremity. Neon Rain deals with end of the
world, survivalist, and mankind evil side, with this album dedicated
to all the people around the world who lead our societies to more
chaos and destruction. And the dark expressions, from dark ambient
to harsh noise, certainly reveals the fact this is an album dedicated
to the dark forces of human nature. This is black art at its best.
(NM)
Address: http://www.steelwork-maschine.com/
SOMATIC RESPONSES - DIGITAL DARKNESS (CD
by Hymen Records)
Since I first time fell into the sounds of Irish project Somatic
Responses on Hymen Records' Teknoir-compilation (1999), the style
of the two brothers, John and Paul Healy has fascinated me. The
first albums had a sort-of futuristic atmosphere with almost emotional
interventions in-between. On this fifth CD-release since the debut-album
"Circumflex" (1999), Somatic Responses has taken the
full step into, as they call it themselves, "Digital darkness".
Hardly any melody to disrupt the ongoing machine of complex rhythm
textures or the cynic technoid steelscapes, though a few tracks
("Invincible", "Go on" and "Bushido")
includes emotional atmospheres showing that dark age of digitalism
is not exclusively harsh and cold, but also has some sort emotional
aspect inside. Another great work by Somatic Responses. (NM)
EXOCET - VIOLATION (CD by Ant-Zen)
As soon as "Violation" opens the show it seems like
it lives its very own organic life. Listening to the album is
like having a nightmare or a dream if you prefer a more diplomatic
word. Abstract signs of atmospheres creates an interesting ongoing
line throughout the 60 minutes. The musical concept behind the
New York-based project Exocet might be familiar to listeners of
German label Ant-Zen Recordings, though the joint venture between
Renè Klimaczewski and Dave Kean still adds something unusual
to the scene. That Renè has collaborated with Scott Sturgis
aka Converter in the past isn't surprising when you listen to
a track like "Retar a muerte" that has some similarity
with "Conqueror" from the debut-album of Converter.
Otherwise the album musically swirls in other sound spheres than
Converter with the much more concentrated focus on creating atmospheres
rather than the harsh industrial expressions. The mixture of abrupt
sonic textures that continuously keeps changing directions and
thus keeping the listener attended turns my memories back an album
like Download's "Through the eyes of Stanley Pain".
Highly recommended! (NM)
Address: http://www.ant-zen.com
FRANCISCO LOPEZ - CONOPS (CD by GD Stereo)
There is an interesting shift going on in the work of Francisco
Lopez. For many years his pieces were all called 'Untitled' and
the minimum of information on the cover, with a few exceptions,
such as 'La Selva' or 'Buildings [New York]'. Black cover, sparse
info. But slowly it seems as more and more the titles and info
come in, maybe he feels the necessity to be more prolific as a
composer? I'll ask him next time, as he's moving close by in,
I believe. According to the cover the field recordings were made
in locations in Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Greece, Japan and
the USA. Remarkable, since when you play this it sounds like one
ongoing piece. It moves through different parts, with lots and
lots of insect sounds, chirping, singing, moving. Only the final
movement seems to be made of rain sounds. Unlike many older Lopez
albums, this one is entirely 'present', no threshold of inaudibility,
but present from the very first second until the very last. I
am a big fan of his work, and 'Conops' is another great work.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.gdstereo.com
ARSENIJE JOVANOVIC - GALIOLA (CD by FOARM/and-Oar/Alluvial)
The name Arsenije Jovanovic I heard before and perhaps even his
music - vaguely I remember a CD for La Legende Des Voix - but
somehow, somewhere it didn't really stick in my mind. He creates
music, film and writes books. I have no idea which is his most
well-known side, but the four pieces on this CD might serve as
an introduction to his work with music, through pieces composed
for radio. That previous La Legende Des Voix CD is no longer available,
so this may bring new interested to his work, like me, I guess.
Two old works from 1967, one from 1990 and one from 2000. There
is of course a slight problem with this, which is that the texts
are sung or spoken in Serbian or Croatian (is there a difference?),
which makes it hard to follow what it is about, and that seems
to be a bit of a problem with pieces of music in which texts are
important. I thought that 'Tombstones Along The Roadside' sounded
like a religious work, with the chanting of monks, but then I
read in the booklet that its about the tombstones of soldiers
who died in the Balkan wars in the 19th century (this is a 1967
piece). However listening to this I'd say it's hardly a problem,
since sound wise this is all great stuff. Jovanovic creates very
imaginative pieces of sound - that transports the listener to
another world - using field recordings and lots of voices in the
older pieces. The later pieces are instrumental and have still
a great power. Here the mind wanders out further and can freely
make associations with the music on offer. Like I said, I heard
of this composer before, but never could pin him down to something
- now I can think and I think its great. (FdW)
Address: http://www.foarm.artdocuments.org
MACHINEFABRIEK & STEPHEN VITIELLO -
BOX MUSIC (CD by 12K)
JANEK SCHAEFER - EXTENDED PLAY (CD by 12K)
Noted before: following his fly start career with a vast output
of 3"CDR releases, leading to 'proper' releases, 2008 will
be the year in which Machinefabriek's Rutger Zuydervelt expands
to working with others. Steinbruchel, Freiband and Jan Kleefstra
paved the way, now it's time for Stephen Vitiello. He ordered
some CDs from Rutger and one thing lead to another. But it was
not a matter of simply sending each other some sound files over
the mail: in stead they mailed eachother boxes of objects to create
music with. The titles of the pieces tell us what was in there:
bells, book, tin foil, buttons, crackle box, thumb piano, egg
cutter, rice, plastic bag and so forth. Its not easy to recognize
these sounds in the music presented here. The treatments are wide
and extensive. There are two solo piece by Rutger, two by Stephen
and one collaborative, started by Rutger, finished by Stephen.
I haven't kept up with Vitiello's work, so it's a bit hard to
say wether his pieces are like his other music, but this is a
great collaboration. Very delicate sound processing going on here,
subtle crackling of sound, the best of ambient glitch music. Machinefabriek
has found a sound of his own, but that he did for more than a
year ago, and now it's time to deepen that sound. This is certainly
a highlight in his career.
On 12K's sub division Line, a new CD by Janek Schaefer, based
on his sound installation 'Extended Play'. Like with many other
things by Schaefer there are many ends to this: his mum's Polish
background, the secret musical messages of the BBC in World War
II (the 'Jodoform'), Polish music, old vinyl and old turntables
playing records, nine in total. They play three cello ep's, three
piano ep's and and three violin ep's, in varying speeds. The music
was taken out of a 1918 song and re-arranged and recorded on the
vinyl, so it's new vinyl with old music. To view what it looked
like go here: http://www.audioh.com/projects/extendedplay.html.
The CD is what it sounded like. The first three pieces are a cello
duo, a piano trio and a violin duo, whilst the 'acoustic ensemble'
takes up twenty-four minutes. Since this deals with war, death
and also life, it's all quite solemn, slow music. It has nothing
to with electronics, processing or field recordings, but it's
gentle, minimal music. Music however that is not composed but
rather played by itself. The stop gap that happens every now and
then is part of it, and adds a strange element to it, but one
that works well. This music, had Schaefer been born 50 years ago,
could have been easily part of Eno's Obscure Music series and
has a similar, great quality to it as say Gavin Bryars 'Sinking
Of The Titanic'. Similar free form modern classical approach,
great conceptual edge and great execution. Highlight all around
here too. (FdW)
Address: http://www.12k.com
LIONEL MARCHETTI - ADELE ET HADRIEN - LE
LIVRE DES VACANCES (2CD by Optical Sound)
TSE - LA RALENTIE (CD by Optical Sound)
Sometimes I regret I didn't pay much attention in high school
learning French. Now it's quite rudimentary, if present at all.
But Optical Sound doesn't provide any press information in English
and the cover text is all en Francais. 'Le Livre Des Vacances'
are the holiday books, I think. The holiday books of two children,
Adele and Hadrien, who are followed by Lionel Marchetti and his
microphone, taping their activities, among the two, but also with
other friends. 'Deux Livres Et Dix Cahiers' are two books with
ten chapters - that is the double CD with ten pieces to which
this has expanded. Say the holiday diary of two children, built
into pieces of electro-acoustic music, them talking, sobbing,
giggling, but also the campfire or a river stream, vague music
somewhere in the background, horses. Some of it sounds 'staged'
but no doubt lots of this is culled from 'real life'. It sounds
like a holiday (as far as I remember them, as these days holidays
are no longer my kind of fun) with children, and I love children.
Their total spontaneous action, honest response and imaginative
talking make this is into something I can very much relate to.
Although I couldn't understand anything of the talking, the total
picture of field recordings and Marchetti's sound collage, made
from slightest processing of sound (merely editing, it seems,
however I may insult his work here) and the voices, make this
into a highly evocative sound picture. However, two discs is a
bit much if you don't understand much of it.
On the same label, who also deal with true art installations and
release DVDs as well, the work of one Tse. 'composed and built
with a laptop and a microphone during March-April, 2007, in a
noisy room in Berlin, Germany'. I have no idea why the noisy room
is relevant, as it doesn't seem to be a live recording of any
kind, or the live recording be influenced by a 'noisy room' of
any kind. Tse seems to be one Guillaume Ollendorff, who uses his
laptop to create music with beats, rhythms, and repeating blocks
of noise, but which never seems to be very 'danceable' and to
which tse sings. The beat is usually 4/4 one, with bass, but the
sounds he adds to it will not make it on the dance floor - too
dark, too noisy and too alienated. Here too the lyrics are party
in French and it's hard to understand what he sings about - but
it seems to me all a bit dark. I found it hard to be very enthusiastic
about this lot. Some of it was alright, some was a bit tedious,
but throughout it didn't really grab me. (FdW)
Address: http://www.optical-sound.com
FRIA KONSTELLATIONEN - MUSIK OM FRIA KONSTELLATIONEN
(CD by Revvega)
PAR THORN/HENRIK WALLIN & RICKARD DAUN - LIVE AT MOTVIKT (CDR
by Revvega)
From Sweden hail Fria Konstellationen, who
describe themselves as being on 'the outskirts of psychedelic
folk, drone and free form sound experimentation'. Not much further
information is given here, but we hear guitars, drums, vocals,
bass and electronics. So far they release three CDRs, and this
is their first real CD. They say they play long tracks, but that's
not entirely true: three pieces that in total last just under
thirty minutes, but it's the perfect length I think to catch what
this Swedish answer to the No Neck Blues Band does. They improvise
around a given set of sounds, wether that is the repetition of
the guitar or a drone. Everybody else improvises around that,
by using smaller repetitive sounds. Just like the No-necks do.
Which means I quite like it, since I like the Neck's, without
keeping up with everything they release. This is a very nice alternative.
Related to this is a CDR release by Pär Thörn and Henrik
Wallin/Rickard Daun. They are a member of Fria Konstellationen,
but here play solo/duo. Thörn is a writer, conceptual-performance
artist and plays here with sinewaves, field recordings and voice
samples. The latter he takes from 'Dial A Poem', a record by John
Giorno, with Burroughs and Sinclair, among others. Someone says
'We never heard of Buckminster Fuller or any of his friends' which
became the title of the Thörn piece. The sinewaves are quite
loud, but not really noisy, more nicely pressing and the voice
samples work cinema like. Nice piece. Wallin and Daun do an improvisation
with tapes, turntable, radio and effects, mainly using found sound.
Here I'm less enthusiastic. They improvise for sure, but without
seemingly any concept or idea behind it. Sounds feed through some
delay machines and the two sit and watch it all happen. That is
a mighty fine machine, the delay and it seems to be playing by
itself. But what about us, the listener, not present at this event,
listening at home? This piece couldn't interest me very much.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.revvega.tk
V-P V-F IS V-N (7" by Winds Measure
Recordings)
RICHARD GARET - L'AVENIR (CDR by Winds Measure Recordings)
LAWRENCE ENGLISH - STUDY FOR STRADBROKE (CDR by Winds Measure
Recordings)
One of my more favorite microsound labels, Winds Measure Recordings,
three new releases, of which one is on 7", so perhaps they
are slowly expanding their imperium. The 7" is a compilation
with twenty tracks, of which five are lock grooves and fifteen
are about minutes. Usual suspects are here, such as Jeph Jerman,
Richard Garet, Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Lawrence English, Ben Owen,
Ilya Monosov but also mpld, Tommy Birchett and Ben Scott. A 7"
full of miniatures, very much unlike the musical scene where this
comes from, when pieces are much longer. However the musical elements
are there, of crackling, motorized drones, hiss and obscured tape
and field sounds. I am not sure why this was made or what the
idea behind is, but in all its briefness it sounds it sounds very
nice. Strangely coherent, like a microsound collage cut-up.
On CDR we find Richard Garet, whom we know from his various releases
for Con-V, Non Visual Objects and Winds Measure themselves. His
music was received here with mildness: if you have never heard
this, then you'll love it, but otherwise it's something that has
been said and done before. This new work, 'L'avenir', which means
'to come', rather than the 'future' (there is an interesting quote
from Jacques Derrida on the cover), should still be approached
with the same care. Garet loves space and spatial approaches of
sound, and 'L'avenir' is a work that plays well in 'your space'.
I had it on a mild volume, walked around a bit, adjusted the volume
some more, and the waves gently filled my space. Like Eno wanted
it with his original ambient music concept. Garet uses processed
sine waves, perhaps, I am not sure here, and in forty-nine minutes
transports the listener on his gentle waves. Nice music no doubt,
but like I said, its very much part of a tradition and not something
radically new.
Lawrence English is perhaps a bit better known for his releases
on labels as Cronica, and his own label Room40, regular guests
in Vital Weekly. Here he presents 'hydrophonic recordings made
january and august 2007, Stradbroke Island, Queensland'. Recording
windlike sounds, which perhaps come to us in an unprocessed form,
save perhaps for some extreme filtering. Crackling high, deep
bass ends, water sounds and wind sounds. Here the role of the
composer seems to be reduced to merely making a registration of
the sound, and, more importantly, selecting them as musical pieces.
Great record of pure field recordings. (FdW)
Address: http://www.windsmeasurerecordings.net
WYNDEL HUNT & THOM HEILESON - UNIT OF
SELECTION (CDR/DVDR by Dragon's Eye Recordings)
Upon reading the text that came with these release, a big ? arrived
over my head. 'The process began with Hunt's sound compositions,
which are motivated by an unstructured emotional template. This
template, combined with the idea of an "anonymous force that
shapes", determined the aesthetic order of pitch, tone and
volume' it says, but what does it mean? I must admit I am bit
clueless, also after the hearing the music. Hunt's music before
on 'Nk Ak' (see Vital Weekly 577) was what I described as computerized
blissful drones', and this new one in as far goes in a similar
direction, but things seem to be louder, more present here, certainly
in the first six tracks. The mass of sound seems a bit amorph
to me, almost like an industrial/factory like sound. I must say
I am not impressed, but as the disc progresses it becomes much
more interesting. Not fresh and new, but within the given theme
of microsound, ambient, drone and glitch quite interesting.
Together with Thom Heileson, Hunt also created pieces of music
that go with film (or perhaps the other way around). 'Unit Of
Selection 2' and 'Oov' has that same fast, industrial sound with
rapid changing images, and its through that combination that it
works fine. Light and changes also form the basis of the other
two films, in which the music has slowed down in speed and volume
and create more dream like images. In all four things fit well,
and like said, here the music makes more sense (but then of course
sound is usually not perceived like images, which have a stronger
impact on the brain). Nice release throughout. (FdW)
Address: http://www.dragonseyerecordings.com
PIXYBLINK - CINDER (CD-R, private)
PIXYBLINK - PERIDOT (CD-R, private)
PIXYBLINK - WITHERED LEAVES (CD-R, private)
Three home produced CD-Rs from Californian sound artist Pixyblink,
labeled by hand and just a plain thin jewel case for packaging.
But it's not how the discs are packaged that's important it's
what's recorded on them, and what is recorded on these is a rare
treat. Created employing computer processed field (and other)
recordings (a recipie that, for me, usually spells unending "experimental"
tedium)
Pixyblink's work is overflowing with imagery, emotion, and atmosphere.
These pieces explore various levels of a dark underworld - some
have the qualities of disturbing fairy tales, some centre around
"forbidden" areas of sexuality, others venture into
the distorted visions of the insane, and a contemplation of death.
The opening track of Peridot emphasizes the idea that I'd had
previously, that this is some eldrich radio broadcast found during
a night of insomnia and never rediscovered. Whilst many tracks
simply try to paint a picture or create an atmosphere, others
contain elements of fiction or documentary with the inclusion
of pieces of recorded speech, occasionally from other sources,
but mostly using her own narration, singing and other vocalizations.
It is her virtuosity in using her voice that makes her work so
unique: sometimes mature, sometimes childlike, sometimes naturalistic,
sometimes highly camp; she uses it very effectively to emphasize
and create an atmosphere of unease and foreboding to such a degree
that on some tracks the other elements of the recording are reduced
to the function of background sound effects. But I'm not meaning
to belittle the quality of her sonic manipulations, these are
also executed with great attention to detail, from simple but
still very effective speech reversal to complex treatments and
musical fragments. All these elements come together into a carefully
crafted journey into the strange and spooky midnight world of
Pixyblink. (EE)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/pixyblink
DAVID LACEY & PAUL VOGEL - THE BRITISH
ISLES (CDR by Homefront Recordings)
According to the label David Lacey and Paul Vogel played with
the likes of Mark Wastell, Keith Rowe, Annette Krebs, Martin Küchen
and Erik Carlsson and that this is their first duo release, but
both info and cover do not mention any instruments used and I
must admit I never heard of them. But upon hearing this, I think
they play saxophones and perhaps use electronics and/or field
recordings. Certainly in 'The Matter Of England' this seems to
be the case as to where things are saxophones. Perhaps that's
why I didn't like that track very much. As opposed to the other
three, which work around overtones and spatial routes of whatever
space they recorded this in. 'Soft Houses' is in that respect
the best of the four: very intense working the different qualities
of the space, like waiting for some gigantic explosion - or feedback
to arrive. That doesn't happen, and the track moves into some
metal scraping sound and more highly amplified emptiness. The
saxophone returns in 'Just Like America At Home' along with a
densely shaped sample (thereof). Quite an intelligent release
of improvisation meeting electro-acoustic music. More please!
(FdW)
Address: <d_lacey@yahoo.com>
ROLAND ETZIN - INDICATOR (CDR by Gruenrekorder)
The name Roland Etzin we have heard before, mainly through compilations
on Gruenrekorder, where he was noticed for the some more noisy
end of field recording. On 'Indicator', which is one track in
eight parts, the field recordings seem to merely serve as pieces
in between the parts, when Etzin moves through various stages
of highly processed electronic signals. Those might have found
their origins also in field recordings, but then Etzin knows how
to hide that. It's not music that moves me, but what I do like
about it, is that it's something that you don't hear very often:
the combination of field recordings with noise elements. It needs
further shaping but it's quite nice. (FdW)
Address: http://www.gruenrekorder.de
FISK PA DISC - THE FISHER PRICE SESSIONS
(CDR by Krakilsk)
SEARCH CLICK & DESTROY/WHALE PLATE - PUMMELING PARASITES (CDR
by Krakilsk)
XEDH - KATABOLE (CDR by Krakilsk)
The ever so strange and rather uninformative label Krakilsk from
Norway releases another CDR by Fisk Pa Disc, the duo Willy Koperud
and Roar Borge, who are both responsible for the vocals and instruments.
Again they improvise their music, singing, chanting, speaking
and playing all sorts of instruments, like drums, flutes, guitars
and without noting things that could essential music like time
or structure. Taken from probably even longer excerpts, things
start, things stop and that's it. The novelty of the first release
has worn out I think, and therefore this could not fascinate me
as much as the first. I still think it's nice, complete outsider
music, but to sit through the entire release is a bit too much
I thought.
New names are Search Click & Destroy and Whale Plate. The
first has seven tracks on their split release of computerized
noise music. Highly distorted, loud recorded, but it has something
that made me keep listening. Reminding me a bit of Farmers Manual,
and whatever side project came off that, things are also ever
changing, hissy, moving and quickly edited. Maybe a bit long,
but a 3"CD edited out of this could have been a masterpiece.
Whale Plate at the end offers eleven minutes of more 'pure' noise
and has everything that I don't like about this kind of music.
Loud, distortion, no ideas, just keep on banging. I don't see
why this had to be included, as Search Click & Destroy was
long enough and could easily stand by themselves.
The most interesting one is by Miguel A. Garcia, also better known
as Xedh. By now he has an extensive discography of net releases
and some CDRs, which in recent times get better and better. This
is surely one up again. In the early days he played less interesting
noise, then turned to microsound, and works towards a synthesis
of both ends on this release. At times things are calm, deep and
glitchy whereas things can easily explode into noise. But Xedh
composes (!) with the elements at hand. He makes decisions what
to do, how to do it, what works and what doesn't and that's what
makes him quite a promising artist in the world of CDRs. Not a
free run of sound, to fill another disc, but thinking what is
needed to shape the music. The meeting of noise and microsound
works well here, culminating into a highly varied disc of music.
Keep a close ear to this name - you'll be hearing more from him
soon, and perhaps someone should think of a real CD for him. (FdW)
Address: http://www.krakilsk.org
VARIOUS NEGATIVE MESSAGE FROM COLLECTIVE
MIND 2 - YOUR TALK MAY KILL YOUR COMRADES (CDR by Spirals Of Involution)
KENJI SIRATORI - EXQUISITE CORPSE (CDR by Spirals Of Involution)
CRANK SHAFT VS BIOMASS (CDR by Spirals Of Involution)
FEAR KONSTRUKTOR AND MOURMANSK150 - ARSON ACRIMONY (CDR by Spirals
Of Involution)
CISFINITUM - MUSIC OF LIGHT (CDR by Spirals Of Involution)
A set of disks only identified by the Tatlin tower logo - from
Russia - in a variety of packages and graphics. Use of small black
text on black images, broken DVD cases and jewel case inserts
without cases - well they also break- makes identification difficult.
Perhaps the EU could issue a directive re a standard of using
the card - digi-pack - blanks now available - and a proforma contact
sheet- identification would be a simpler task- though we would
sadly become even more homogenised. The distinctive lo-fi packaging
and printing prejudices the Russian releases with taints of former
USSR collapse, so when Various opens with an industrial landscape
"Verterno" by "Misery" (sic) I thought nostalgic
field recordings of bankrupt soviet industrialisation and collapse
was going to unfold - and does to an extent (Out Of Focus Moloko,
Frozen Ocean Myrmekos Fear Konstruktor Dead Space, Circle Of Iron
Tape Quella Villa Accanto Al Cimitero ) - but tracks 10 - 14 explore
the noise genre- ranging from heavy bass (Biomass, Necrasota and
various others in cyrillic only) through high pitched stuff (Organoid
Like Fly In Spider Web ) - noise feedback (Maaaa Karelia) etc.
- if anyone from Spirals reads this - could I suggest a coherent
website with information in English and some mp3s? I checked out
the Russian section of chondriticsound.com/forum/ without luck,
discogs gives their site - barely discernable on some disks as
- http://fnord.lenin.ru/soi/ - punch in this and you get - "404:
LOVE ALWAYS YIELDS Alas! your file is forfeit" Hummm? Is
this diss-information intentional? Exquisite Corpse by *The* Kenji
Sirtori *is* extreme noise - extreme as it consists in the main
of electronics pushed to the extreme - that is over modulated
and so falling into hypersonic feedback - which no doubt resists
capture in 44100hz PCM. Live one would I suspect be more aware
of this inaudible feedback - the piece is extreme rather than
harsh in its rhizome structure - or de-structuring - and a particular
example for this listener- where meta-sonics are employed rather
more than the rumble and white noise of atypical harsh noise.
I hope such work within the Russian context can remove the temptation
of a self indulgent introversion of a potential nostalgic and
closed retreat into nationalism - and history. Tatlin's tower
had non parochial ideologies! But at times pieces on the comp
are over played industrial or elsewhere on other CDrs "spacey"
and "cosmic" landscapes of a future predicted in the
last century but which never happened - at best? tangerine dream
20 years ago on vinyl- well no! and certainly not on an ipod.
Biomass (who runs the label) & Crank Shaft's CDR is heavy
noise with strong rhythms and pulses, a re-release of previous
material - the more recent work of the compilation lacks this
structuring agenda - is more de-focussed and de-structuring- that
is ideologically more noisy.
The last two Cds, Sci-Fi reverbry - Music of Light (!), unfortunately
resorts to close to the edegry glissera + noise? synthed reverb
washes of 70s / 80s anthemic freakery, Arson Acrimony more industrial
spacey-wailing-beats- with dialogue samples - Russian? French
and English expletives. Certain soviet sc-fi masked or metaphored
criticism of a regime, but this fiction is redundant. Perhaps
involution is a dangerous thing - paranoia after all was the disease
of modernity - but this "now" is the future and our
disease is schizophrenia, not to be confused with eclecticism
and third worldism - the noise genre is in each successful piece
a demonstration of schizophrenic sound - madness rather than gladness.
It might be that the Russian consciousness has to overcome the
vestigial proclivity to hierarchies, structures, rhythms, tunes
which (they can learn from) Japanese noise has accomplished without
regard to some primitivism or fake occultism of western noise's
bare chested shenanigans. (jliat)
Address: http://atherisieren.kulichki.com/soi/
SUJO DORA (CDr by Inam Records)
"four new tracks of lo-fi noise, drone and distant shoegaze"
Yep!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
(jliat) This does an injustice to this release, the music is finely
balanced and crafted, as is the mix, depth is created by skillful
use of reverb and what sounds like carefully controlled guitar
feedback and distortion - rhythmic drones and slowly evolving
abstractions - with this Sujo manages to create a work of merit
and anyone interested in this kind of thing should try to get
to listen if not actually buy a copy. (jliat)
Address inamrecs@yahoo.com
WAND. AND PRINCESS - YELLOW SHIP (CDr by
Wand. and Princess)
W. & P obviously have a massive P.R. and publishing deal,
I like this kind of stuff, so low fi its nearly dirt, the corporate
info sheet is a page torn out of an exercise book with a biroed
"Hello there .." same money, time and care was spent
on packaging the CDr- hand painted blue card - well a few brush
strokes of yellow and maroon - with again hand written text- cut
no doubt by a pair of scissors with the precision of a drunk.
A white label stuck to the cd is blank - they lost their biro
perhaps. And what on the CD you ask - what you would expect -
one track of lo-fi noise - they might call drone but I wouldn't-
of appalling quality - brilliant stuff - the only pity is the
myspace site gives more - too much information- and is almost
professional in appearance! - it needs the biro and paint job.
Anticipating cries of hypocrite - as in my critique of the lo-fi
Russians - I think you need to be competent or totally incompetent
, as W Blake said - if a fool persists in his folly he shall become
wise. And such in-competence and apparent carelessness should
not be used as a pretense, the beauty lies in its worthlessness
to the point of bored meaningless which describes life itself
and a survival mechanism for it without - hope. (jliat)
Address http://www.myspace.com/wandandprincess
CORNUCOPIA BLACK OPERATIONS (CDR by Sonora)
CORNUCOPIA STAR TRAILS (CDR by Sonora)
Claudio Chea & Jorge Castro - live recordings from 2005/6
B Ops recorded in San Juan the other across the Netherlands. Synth
Noise Box, field recordings and other data - I précis .
S.T. 17:53 - reverb - reverb - everywhere And all the boards did
shrink ; reverb reverb every where, Nor any one to think.. The
very deep did rot : O Christ !That ever this should be ! Yea,
synthy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy sea.. B. Ops
32:07 - here the things chatter and chrip - the doses of spring-line,
focusrite, Bucket Brigade, Lexicon . "The classic mistakes
of the novice are using too much reverb return on everything and
allowing reverb tails to be too long. Reverb generally needs to
be subtle.." Hugh Robjohns - Sound on Sound Magazine. That
agony returns :And till my ghastly tale is told.. "Several
Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and
Grooving with a Pict" is a track written and performed by
Roger Waters from the two-part 1969 Pink Floyd album, Ummagumma.
The track consists of several
minutes of noises resembling rodents and birds simulated by Waters'
voice and other techniques, such as tapping the microphone played
at different speeds, followed by Waters providing a few stanzas
of quasi-lyrics in an exaggerated Scottish brogue. There is a
"hidden message" in the song at approximately 4:34.
If played at a slower speed, Waters can be heard to say, "That
was pretty avant-garde, wasn't it?". Also, at the end of
the rant, Waters is heard to say "and the wind cried Mary",
referencing the Jimi Hendrix song of that title". Ay! and
the wind cried Mary. (jliat)
Address http://www.sonoradisc.com/
BUBONIC HERMAPHRODITE - IDIOTUNDERGROUND01
(CDr by ??)
Is it true in every household there is a draw - or more- of stuff,
we have one, ball of string broken can opener, lawnmower blades
(used) several boxes of matches, those things used to assemble
Ikea furniture, several bent drawing pins, an incomplete set of
playing cards, a chopstick, bits of strange shaped plastic and
metal, screws of various sizes, mains adaptors for what we have
forgotten. the list could run to pages- well imagine the sonic
equivalent and that what I'm listening to. Such a strange conglomeration
of noises which organically shift in waves like a migraine- oh
and a shelf of tins of paint most either half or fully used- the
detritus of life which somehow no matter how often you clear -
returns - or if you do throw them all out you immediately need
that alan key - or realize the purpose of that bit of plastic
is vital to your continued life and happiness. only with death
is such ephemera finally thrown out - to surface years later I
suspect in an antique shop - my junk draw in 100 years time will
be no doubt of great interest and value to some avid collector
- and maybe they might also find this CDr and play it - and think
how it summed up the pervious eras taste in music - which of course
it doesn't but splendidly resists categorization like the contents
of the "junk draw" - some how junk - yet important and
annoyingly autobiographical - like the broken flash light you
one day will fix, and the tube of super-glue which might come
in handy - though of course its set solid in its tube. On the
last track they sing badly to a broken harmonica - "brown
nipple" - deep or what? (jliat)
Address: non given - try http://www.myspace.com/bubonichermaphrodite
AKIFUMI NAKAJIMA - WATER 1991 (2CDR by Kokeshidisk)
MOLJEBKA PVLSE - FALL IN WOODLAND CEMETARY (3"CDR by Taalem)
OPIUM - ETERE (3"CDR by Taalem)
BRIAN LAVELLE - THE PETRIFIED FOREST (3"CDR by Taalem)
Before Aube, Akifumi Nakajima was just Akifumi Nakajima, a designer
with a strong interest in music. He didn't release that much under
his own name, and they were not on his G.R.O.S.S. label. Kokeshidisk
already released 'Water 1990' (see Vital Weekly 486) and of course
'Water 1991' is the follow-up and again of course uses just water
sounds as its sound source. The difference here is that there
were two tapes, which the listener could decide to play simultaneously
or separate. I have no DJ set up, so I have to play them one by
one. Other similarities are that the music is much softer than
the early Aube releases. I think the sound is fed through an analogue
synth and some delay pedals, but throughout things are very ambient
like on the first disc and things get a bit louder on the second
disc, which also seems to be the more musical one of the two.
I can imagine that they would go well together. Still in a more
free fall these four pieces, but nevertheless good to hear again,
after all these years.
On the sub-division for 3"CDR releases, Taalem, three new
releases, and two by people whom we already know from much of
their previous work. Mathias Josefson's Moljebka Pvlse has had
many releases on various labels, displaying his sense for all
things dark and ambient. Taalem says it's a 'field recording'
and who are we to disbelieve, but it sounds like an orchestral
pieces of many strings, playing overtones in a cave while Josefson
stands outside. Throughout the course of this piece, things fall
back in volume and the night sets in. Nice one.
I don't think I ever heard of Opium from Italy, also known as
Teo Zini, who has had releases on Hic Sunt Leones and Silentes.
Here too I have not much idea how things were made, but my best
guess is a bunch of analogue synthesizers and some machine to
imitate ethnic percussion. More synthetic than Moljebka Pvlse,
and more from the world where they spell magic as magick. A bit
of a cliche world, but Opium knows how to avoid the various traps
and makes quite a nice piece.
Brian Lavelle recently surprised us 'Supernaturalist', and the
two pieces here were recorded just before that and show the best
side of his: manipulating field recordings and very much altering
them into microscopic detailed pieces of ambient drones. Slowly
changing patterns of what seems to be rain fall, deep bass sounds
in 'The Wood Turned Dark And Silent' and more synthetic in 'This
Twisting Glade', which sounds like a church organ being dissected.
Very nice. (FdW)
Address: http://kokeshidisk.free.fr
Address: http://www.taalem.com
LARSGARDEN & ROWENTA - GRDN (3"CDR
by Tuguska)
Frank Rowenta's musical history goes back to the 80s when he recorded
various albums with one Kahn and with Grillhaus. In more recent
years he's more concerned with field recordings and has had a
release on Gruenrekorder. Here he teams with C.J. Larsgarden,
who sometimes works as Ondo, A Perfect Friend and Pacta. Together
they recorded a bunch of pieces since 2006, of which five found
there way to this 3" on Larsgarden's own Tuguska label. It's
an interesting, intimate piece of work where field recordings
and acoustic guitars meet half way through - in a garden (see
title) perhaps - where each of them holds a small sampler to give
some very basic sound treatments to the events at hand. Intimate,
like recorded in a garden, or in bar, minimal and cleverly mixing
microsound and outsider music. Nice one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/ljudet
SLOWCREAM - LIVE LONG AND PROSPER (MP3 by
Nonine)
NEUBAU - RYMDMYR (MP3 by Nonine)
Nonine lets us know that the 'connection between classical and
minimal-electro is saturated with spaces of re-definition"
and that 'Slowcream smears the frames of classical music with
a funky delicious fringe, polarizing certain fragments of its
best qualities", but surely I am missing a point here and
there. Slowcream is Me Raabenstein and he plucks 'classical' music
and set something electronic against it. But its neither something
classical, nor something techno like. Its instruments used in
classical music, like piano (lots of them around here), a bit
of strings and the electronic sounds are sometimes cut into a
rhythm, but I never had the feeling I should start to dance to
this music. It seemed to me like loose ends stuck together, except
for 'Wife's Tales', which seemed to have a good amount of tension
in it, but that was the only diamond around here.
One Arno Steinacher is behind Neubau, who started composing at
the age of 12, played the guitar, did improvisations and now works
in the electronic music field. It seems to me that his main input
is the voice and perhaps field recordings, which is then treated
inside the computer. I might be entirely wrong here, but I don't
think he uses any instruments. No rhythm as such here, not like
Slowcream. Neubau's music is more microsound, but at the same
time things sound also very digital. Throughout the music is highly
atmospherical, ambient inspired, but also dark at times. Nevertheless
quite pleasant if somewhat unsurprising music. Not something that
hasn't be said or done before, but Neubau executes his ideas with
care. (FdW)
Address: http://www.nonine.com
SCOTT SMALLWOOD - 3 SOUNDSCAPES (MP3 by
Sijis)
TOM WALLACE - BLOOD & WATER (MP3 by Sijis)
UBEBOET & CALARCO & RECHE - BIESI (MP3 by Sijis)
Sijis is perhaps not the most active label when it comes to releasing
music, but when they do it's usually high quality. Scott Smallwood
for instance, released work on Autumn Records, Deep Listening,
Simple Logic and Static Caravan, is someone who loves the sounds
to come from the fields and he loves them to drone. He has three
soundscapes here, two of which include people playing instruments
'Colton Swarm' is an intense piece of clustered sounds from an
'electric plastic harmonium' and sounds heavily drone like, but
it's very nice. No field recordings there, but they seem to be
present in the other two pieces, most notably in 'Stay', where
he uses sounds from the Brooklyn Bridge along with the contrabass
of Mark Dresser and the cello of Francis-Marie Uitti. 'Still In
Here' is an ensemble piece, performed by the Now Ensemble, but
it's a pretty sketchy piece. I don't know whether it's the recording
or that it is intended to sound so far away, but it's the least
appealing work of this new Sijis lot.
A student from Denis Smalley is one Tom Wallace, who recorded
the basic sound material for his piece 'Blood & Water' at
King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, especially at the haemodialysis
unit. Sister Rachel Mwansa gives a tour before the piece starts.
When it gets going it seems like a pure field recordings piece
of hospital sounds, or perhaps a collage, but with much treatment,
in sound that is. Machines of all sorts hiss and peep and in general
it has that claustrophobic feeling that at least I get when I
visit hospital - definitely not a place to be. Can you say nice
in this context? Perhaps not, but I'll do it anyway.
The final new release is a collaboration between Miguel Angel
Tolosa (ubeboet), Juan Jose Calarco and Pablo Reche, who take
the Russian idea of Biesi - demons - who act as part of life,
rather than something from another life. I have no idea wether
this was recorded through mail or in person. They seem to be using
field recordings of a rather flowing, vague kind. Machines? Motors?
Ventilators? Any of those will probably do. Slowly the web thickens
as more and more field recordings and derivations thereof come
in. Just when you think the sound dies out, things return for
a creepy ending of the proceedings. Nice one too. (FdW)
Address: http://www.sijis.com