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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 649
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week 43
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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
LAURENT PERRIER - AS FAR AS (CD by Sound
On Probation) *
PYLONE - GROUNDED HOUSE (CD by Sound On Probation)
ZEITKRATZER - VOLKSMUSIK (CD by Zeitkratzer Records)
REINHOLD FRIEDL - SCHÖNBERG PIERROT LUNAIRE - CHEAP IMITATION
(CD by Zeitkratzer Records)
NOAH CRESHEVSKY & IF, BWANA - FAVORITE ENCORES (CD by Pogus)
UNIVERS ZERO - UNIVERS ZERO (CD by Cuneiform)
BLINDEAD - AUTOSCOPIA: MURDER IN PHAZES (CD by Foreshadow)
MENACE RUINE - THE DIE IS CAST (CD by Alien8 Recordings)
SYN- - MANOLO ON JULIET (CD by Prasca)
ZÈBRA - THE BLACK AND WHITE ALBUM (CD from Symbolic Interaction)
*
OTOMO YOSHIHIDE & XAVIER CHARLES - DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
TWO CLOCKS (CD by Textile Records) *
LEMUR - IIIIIII (CD by +3DB) *
REHAB - MAN UNDER TRAIN SITUATION (CD by +3DB)
OFFICE-R(6) - RECORDING THE GRAIN (CD by +3DB)
ARG - ANIMALI (CD by Creative Sources Recordings) *
E (CD by Zelphabet)
WENDT - UNRELEASED MUSIC FOR VISUALIZERS (CD by Miatera) *
DOUGLAS BENFORD - IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PRINCESS (CDR by 12x50
Recordings)
THU20 - TILBURG (LP by Korm plastics) *
BLINDHAED - WHETHER THAT WILL MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO BECOME ARCHAELOGISTS,
WE'LL HAVE TO SEE (LP by Ini Itu)
WRANGLER/SCANNER - 1968 MOOG MODULAR/1978 FORMANT MODULAR (7"
by Static Caravan)
COMBO RECIFE DE IMPROVISO - UNTITLED #3 (CDR by Dead Sea Liner)
ELECTRIC MONO RIVER - NO SUNLIGHT DOWN HERE (CDR by Dead Sea Liner)
*
KIKLOP - GALLOPARDO (CDR by Kiklop)
BAS VAN HUIZEN - NYLONRYP (CDR by Etherkreet) *
NILS ROSTAD - GUITAR (GREY) (CDR, private)
NILS ROSTAD - GUITAR (CDR, private) *
ALESSANDRO COLBUCCI & MATTEO UGGERI - THE DISTANCE (CDR by
Why Not Ltd) *
TIM BLECHMANN - REPLUGGED (CDR by Why Not Ltd)
MARC SPRUIT - #2 (3"CDR, private)
STEINBRÜCHEL - SUSTAIN (3"CDR by Koyuki Sound) *
SILENT SPRING (3"CDR by CLaudia) *
BEARSES - THE PRETTIEST GIRL I EVER SAW (3"CDR by Hymns)
IRONING - THE END OF THE JACKSON PARTY (3"CDR by Hymns)
RAN SLAVIN - NOCTURNALRAINBOW RISING (MP3 by Cronica Electronica)
TU M' - IS THAT YOU? (MP3 by Cronica Electronica)
MOSAIQUE - FILARE (MP3 by Cronica Electronica)
LAURENT PERRIER - AS FAR AS (CD by Sound
On Probation)
PYLONE - GROUNDED HOUSE (CD by Sound On Probation)
The man behind Laurent Perrier is of course Laurent Perrier, but
he is also behind Pylône, as well as Zonk't. Here he releases
two albums on his own Sound On Probation label, with some differences.
The album under his own name, 'As Far As', is a work composed
for a choreography by Alban Richard and uses solely samples of
classical music. Starting off with an organ like sound but throughout
moving through various stages of orchestra, with a strong emphasizes
on violin sounds. Sometimes these samples are bit grainy and not
pure clean copies of the orchestra. Perrier doesn't have the intention
to re-create the real orchestra, but rather to play music that
uses the sounds of the orchestra to create his own sound world.
No percussive strikes (think early Laibach), but rather introspective
with occasional outbursts and some swift changes. Not a work that
I thought was really good or outstanding, but throughout quite
enjoyable. That was nice enough.
'Grounded House' is Pylone second album and is not made for anything,
other than the music itself. As Zonk't Perrier plays techno inspired
music, and Pylône is his work in microsound. Five lengthy
pieces here and I must admit I thought it was a bit much, these
sixty-seven minutes of beeps, high end sine waves, crackles, a
bit of hiss and all such like. Just half of it, say the first
three tracks (thirty seven minutes) would be long enough - and
the other two tracks for the next Cd next year. Music like this
requires lots of attention and concentration and over the course
of such a long CD this gets lots, well, at least on me. What Perrier
does as Pylône neatly fits the tradition of microsound,
but it doesn't however change the views on this genre. Good, sturdy
computer work. (FdW)
Address: http://www.soundonprobation.com
ZEITKRATZER - VOLKSMUSIK (CD by Zeitkratzer
Records)
REINHOLD FRIEDL - SCHÖNBERG PIERROT LUNAIRE - CHEAP IMITATION
(CD by Zeitkratzer Records)
Perhaps you recognize this: at first hearing you are totally flabbergasted.
What is this! At second hearing the opposite is the case. What
was impressive first, sounds disappointing now. And after repeated
listening you end up somewhere in between, slowly moving towards
the shock of the first listening experience, knowing that you
will never have this experience again. This is how I went with
these two often hilarious releases of Zeitkratzer. The Zeitkratzer
ensemble of nine european musicians was founded by Reinhold Friedl
in 1999. They did projects on music of Stockhausen, Lou Reed,
John Cage, Keiji Haino, etc. Not very predictable if you ask me.
With the new 'Pierrot Lunaire' - CD Arnold Schönberg is the
victim. It is an excellent parody and because of this also a statement.
'Pierrot Lunaire' was a famous work by Arnold Schönberg.
The idea for this parody - 'cheap imitation' - arose from the
following anecdote: "during rehearsals for the piece's premiere
in Berlin in 1912, the clarinettist, as a joke, played this part
on a B-flat clarinet instead of the A clarinet prescribed in the
score. Schönberg, who was conducting the piece, was reported
not to have noticed the difference." This story inspired
Friedl reducing and simplifying the piece, leaving the main characteristics
in tact. But put the other way around, simplifying and reducing
a composition is not by definition the same thing as making a
parody. So there is more to it. This has certainly to do with
his infectious sense of humor that invoked his 'cheap imitation',
especially in the over the top performance of the singer. It is
hilarious also for those who don't know this original work of
'sprechgesang'. Parodying here is a way for stating that 'Pierrot
Lunaire' is an over estimated composition, justified by the anecdote.
Parody is also the keyword for the 'Volksmusik' - CD. But Friedls
intentions may be different here. For this recording Friedl reworked
a diversity of folkmusic from countries in the Danube area in
collaboration with drummer Maurice de Martin. Reworking means
several things here. In most cases it implies an apparent simplifying
of the rhythmical complexity of the original. His reworking give
the music a certain plumpness. Combined with the loud performance
and a prominent role for the drum-work by Maurice de Martin this
music is irresistible charming.
Melodies and harmonies however are often misleadingly complex.
The over all feeling is that you are listening to very deranged
adaptations of folk music. It is played with the freshness and
energy of a punkgroup resulting in tumultuous and noisy renditions
of folkmusic. The originals are broken up in many fragments and
reassembled along unconventional musical decisions, resulting
in very pleasantly distorted music. With respect to the originals
Friedl opens them up in a very different direction, one that could
not come from the world of folkmusic itself. Parody or not, reducing
complexity and vice versa, Friedl is successful in creating some
very unusual and entertaining music (DM)
Address: http://www.zeitkratzer.de/
NOAH CRESHEVSKY & IF, BWANA - FAVORITE
ENCORES (CD by Pogus)
After Mutable ('Hyperrealism') and Tzadik ('To know and not to
know') it is now the turn for Pogus releasing work by Noah Creshevsky.
On the split-cd Favorite Encores' four compositions of Creshevsky
are alternated by three works by If, Bwana. According to Pogus
the pieces "comment on and highlight each other".
Creshevsky is trained in composition by Nadia Boulanger and Luciano
Berio. Currently he is Professor Emeritus at Brooklyn College
of the City University of New York. Creshevsy choose the term
'hyperrealis' for the typical electro-acoustical music he developed.
In three compositions on this cd ('Mari Kimura Redux', 'Intrada'
and 'Favorite Encores') Creshevsky "uses the sounds of traditional
instruments that are pushed beyond the limitations of individual
performance capabilities". Creshevsky is a master in the
field of audio-collage and plunderphonic-like procedures and leaves
us with many questions. For example we often hear violins in his
work, playing in a style that we are used from normal classical
music. But I'm not sure whether he takes samples from already
existing (violin)works by others, or whether he composes pieces
for violin first to be used consequently by him in his collage
work. Comparable to how Biota works.
His compositions make the impression of staying close to classical
musical structures, but transcended to unknown heights through
his virtuoso manipulation work. The music has an enormous speed
and drive, combined with an enormous flexibility and maneuverability.
In each piece we are constantly exposed to an intensity and complexity
that we don't often find in music. His works open dazzling dimensions
and perspectives.
On the other hand the music remains fluent and accessible, very
lively and of an appealing dramatic. Great work! 'Intrada' is
of special interest because of the use of (samples of) the fantastic
voicework by Chris Mann.
If, Bwana is the pseudonym Al Margolis uses already since 1984
for his musical output. As a guest he was present on Creshevsky's
'To know and not to know'. Between the highly informed and complex
music of Creshvesky, the works of If Bwana offers us some rest.
His pieces develop in a slower pace and are built from a smaller
set of soundmaterial. In 'Xyloxings' and 'Cicada # 4; Version
Barnard', the voice of Lisa Bernard plays a prominent role. For
'Scraping Scrafide' If, Bwana makes uses of the piano playing
of Tony Scafide, taking from an earlier composition by If, Bwana.
In comparison to maximalistic efforts of Creshesky, the works
If Bwana are more of a minimalistic approach. (DM)
Address: http://www.pogus.com
UNIVERS ZERO - UNIVERS ZERO (CD by Cuneiform)
Let us return to 1977 for a while. What was happening then? Punk
and new wave started to emerge at this time, ready to wash away
the prefab popmusic, boring progressive bands, etc. that dominated
the radio. But departing from the boring 70s music with its jazz
rock, etc. young musicians were also inspired for taking a completely
different route. For example, it is also the year of a very remarkable
debut that remained almost unnoticed then, namely the first album
by the belgian group Univers Zero. After its first private release,
this record was soon discovered by the very small french Atem-label
who took care for a second release. Over the years this record
received several rereleases on Cryonic Inc and Cuneiform Records.
Now Cuneiform makes once more available this remarkable work from
some 30 years ago. Recording and mixing was originally done by
Eric Faes. For this rerelease Didier de Roos did a good job in
remixing this work. It has a more transparent sound now, making
each instrument more pronounced and distinct from the others.
De Roos did mixing and producing work for Univers Zero regularly
since the 'Uzed'-album in 1984. To make this rerelease attractive
a bonustrack is added. Namely 'La Faulx' from the second album
'Heresie' is added in a good live recording from 1979. Very worthwhile
is also the included article by Renato Moraes and Aymeric Leroy
with a very detailed story of the early days of Univers Zero.
Great work. But what is most important this music is still very
relevant and up to date. If you didn't know, you wouldn't guess
that this music was born in 1977. Originally they were a Soft
Machine-inspired band, but they successfully created their very
own music of which their their first album is an impressive proof.
Call it chamber rock with a strong european flavor that remains
far from anglo-american experiments. A very own personal and distinct
soul is incarnated in this music. Among others, we hear Michel
Berckmans (bassoon) and Daniel Denis (drums) who are still both
playing in Univers Zero. Also Roger Trigaux (guitar) who started
later his own band Présent was part of the band in these
days. Not only interesting for historical of nostalgic reasons.
This music still talks to us. (DM)
Address: http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/
BLINDEAD - AUTOSCOPIA: MURDER IN PHAZES
(CD by Foreshadow)
The first that will occur to you when listening to latest opus
from Polish metal project is what such expressive style of music
is doing in an e-zine that focus on electronic based experimental
music as is the case with Vital Weekly. The answer is simply the
subtle electronic ambient spheres that discreetly add its very
own atmosphere to this brutal beast. And yes, this is certainly
brutal. Not the traditional over-the-top thing like the sounds
of uncompromising black metal, death metal or goregrind. What
makes the album special is its mixture of raw brutalism of grinding
combined with the emotional, sometimes dreamlike expression created
by the weeping guitar riffs and the almost crying sound of the
desperate vocalist that in his deep felt vocal style reminds me
of the glory days of progressive industrial/thrash-band Meshuggah
with the mini-masterpiece "None". As was the case with
Meshuggah, the Blindead has an industrial edge to their music,
though the metal part of the show is less thrash metal-based and
more directed towards the doom metal and Industrial-based avantgarde
metal of projects like Neurosis and Cult of Luna. Never the less
"Autoscopia: Murder in phazes" is a strong effort that
might first of all appeal to metalheads, though openminded listeners
of progressive music should give this album a chance. Highly recommended!
(NM)
Address: http://www.foreshadow.pl
MENACE RUINE - THE DIE IS CAST (CD by Alien8
Recordings)
From the realms of extreme expressions, Canadian
Menace Ruine makes a movement towards more listen-friendly sound
layers on this second full-length released in 2008. While the
debut album "Cult of ruins", took its starting point
in a brutal cocktail of fast Black Metal and ear-shattering Harsh
Noise the follow-up titled "The die is cast" stays true
to the metal scene though it doesn't aim for the sonic extremities.
The tempo has been slowed down to heavy down-tempo rhythms of
doom metal. The music consists of great female vocals and grandiose
gothic atmosphere reminiscent of goth metal bands like The Gathering
and Moonspell. Though despite the gentle almost folkish feelings
on the album there is still something sinister and harsh in the
guitar sounds reminiscent of early Industrial metal i.e. Godflesh
at period of "Street cleaner" (Earache, 1988). The domination
of Harsh Noise from the debut has been suppressed and the weight
is put on the metal-style. Where "Cult ruins" dealt
with extreme aggression, "The die is cast" more focus
on musically gentle atmospheres. Thus a new and quite directions
from the probably most metal-based project released on the as
always interesting Alien8 label. (NM)
Address: http://www.alien8recordings.com
SYN- - MANOLO ON JULIET (CD by Prasca)
Syn- is the name of a French project that had its debut release
"Une histoire comme une autre" back in 2004, followed
by the critically acclaimed and prize nominated album at the Qwartz
Electronic Music Awards in 2005, "Matieres premieres".
An excellent ambient album consisting of two length pieces of
drone-based ambient. Fourth and latest album titled "Manolo
on Juliet" from Syn- show the project in a more harsh and
post-industrial approach to electronic music. Being a collaboration
between Syn- and compatriot writer E. 5131, present album separates
from earlier works of Syn- with the vocal-based sound pieces.
The French spoken voice of E. 5131 has been weaved into an expression
from Syn- that more focuses on acoustic instrumental sounds than
was the case with earlier works. The music is dark and creepy
with gloomy atmospheres and with the dramatic spoken words, that
combined with the screeching sounds and threatening noise drones
sometimes associates with Blixa Bargeld and his post-industrial
project Einstürzende Neubauten. Another interesting effort
by Syn-.
Address: http://www.prasca.org
ZÈBRA - THE BLACK AND WHITE ALBUM
(CD from Symbolic Interaction)
As I started listening to present CD from the project calling
itself Zebra, I was immediately caught by the sonic expression
that I won't hesitate to categorize as some of the most interesting
crossover-based music heard this year. Behind Zebra, you find
Roel Meelkop and Frans De Waard that some of us might recognize
as the brains behind sound art projects Goem and Kapotte Muziek.
Zebra continues the explorations into abstract electronics with
seven riveting pieces of sound art that floats from one scale
to the other throughout 51 minutes of adventurous playtime. Apart
from registration the quite hypnotic feeling thanks to its repetitive
nature it is not an easy task to pigeonhole this album. Thanks
to the repetitive manner there are associations towards Zoviet
France, meanwhile the spontaneous hyperjump from avantgarde to
mainstream electropop reminds me of British electronic legends
808 State. Other times the works moves into moments of extreme
minimalist low frequency techno not far away from Pan(a)Sonic,
spiced by a psychedelic touch of early krautrockers in Faust.
Another great moment comes as the Dutch collaborators transforms
Indeep's cool club-classic "Last night a DJ saved my life"
into electronic avantgarde. Final track beautifully balances between
sampled guitar funk-rock and minimalist techno with looped female
vocals. An album that in its awesome extrovert quality, proves
that sound art not only necessarily appeals to the brain but might
as well speak to your physical body. A great piece of electronic
avantgarde music from two of Hollands most prolific sound artists.
(NM)
Address: http://www.symbolicinteraction.net
OTOMO YOSHIHIDE & XAVIER CHARLES - DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN THE TWO CLOCKS (CD by Textile Records)
Two improvisation giants teamed up in Japan when Xavier Charles
made his first tour in Japan and when he played a concert at the
Kid Ailack Art Hall, together with Otomo Yoshihide plus a meeting
in a studio. Guitar and clarinet are the sources at hand. Its
a beautiful release, but perhaps everything you would expect from
such a meeting: silent blocks of sound, feedback, sustaining sounds,
more silence and occasionally a bit of louder noise based sounds.
I must say there is nothing on this record that I haven't heard
before, or nothing that is better, but sometimes such things are
beside the point. Sometimes the quality of the music is all that
matters. The players here have mastered their instruments well,
they make them sound both acoustic and electronic, with some intense
playing going and some beautifully textured music. Mostly sustaining
and drone like, this is a great CD. But nothing new under this
improvised sun. Not that it matters one bit. (FdW)
Address: http://www.textilerecords.com
LEMUR - IIIIIII (CD by +3DB)
REHAB - MAN UNDER TRAIN SITUATION (CD by +3DB)
OFFICE-R(6) - RECORDING THE GRAIN (CD by +3DB)
A new label, whose website is still under construction, so I have
not much idea what they want, but judging by these three first
releases, they operate on the cross road where improvisation meets
electronics, not entirely focussing on the Norway scene, but they
have a strong say in these initial releases. The first release
is by Lemur, a quartet of Bjørnar Habbestad (flutes), Hild
Sofie Tafjord (french horn), Lene Grenager (cello), Micheal Duch
(double bass). No electronics around here, although one could
too easily think there are. They exist since 2006 and have toured
Europe a lot and their work was released by Rune Grammofon, Sofa,
Asphodel and X-OR. They play seven pieces here and what they do
is of great beauty. Their music is unmistakably improvised, in
a traditional sense of the word - the instruments they play sound
as the instruments they play - and occasionally it seems that
they sound like a small chamber orchestra and that they are all
playing a bunch of notes scribbled on a paper. A great curious
mix of orchestral passages, hectic improvised playing and four
members drifting apart, but always returning home.
For the second release we meet Bjørnar Habbestad (flutes
and electronics) again, here as Rehab, his collaboration with
John Hegre (guitar and electronics). Hegre of course is best known
as one half of Jazzkammer and collaborator with many other, whilst
Habbestad is a member of Pho, Lemur an N-Collective. Here they
play their instruments while all along they trap the recordings
in real time into a web of electronics. If you know Pho or Jazzkammer
then it might hardly be surprise that things can get rough around
here, but in the skilled hands of these two there is not just
the over the top noise approach, but in stead a fine balance,
a thin thread between 'loud' and 'soft', between 'noise' and 'onkyo'.
When things explode - and they certainly do here - then they do
it well, but if they hold back they really hold back. Sometimes
there is no flute sound to be recognized, sometimes there is just
a flute sound - and then the same thing gets repeated for the
guitar.
Office-R(6) is a sort of big band, in which North meets South
and West meets East. Morten Olsen on percussion, Koen Nutters
on bass and structure, Robert van Heumen on laptop (running LiSa),
Jeff Carey on laptop (with Super Collider), Sakir Oguz on Buyukberber
and bass clarinet and Dirk Bruinsma on soprano and baritone sax.
These people work together in various combinations under the big
banner of N-Collective. From what I gather from the information
they operate in strict improvisation mood. It seems without any
post editing. Acoustic and electronic meet up in a great way.
A great way that needs a lot of concentration to fully grasp what
they are doing, as this is certainly not easy listening music.
Hectic, nervous, intense. Sometimes its hard to tell what is what
around and that is something that is a great quality of this.
Highly demanding and highly rewarding music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.plus3db.net/
ARG - ANIMALI (CD by Creative Sources Recordings)
Its entirely my fault that we haven't seen any Creative Sources
reviews. The over production of the label led to sending sometimes
ten CDs at a time which is a true nightmare to review. To do that
I would be spending at least two full days for one label - now,
if it was a paid job, but alas. So since maybe two years the review
copies are send by the musicians and that is much better. Having
said that I don't know if the label is still focussed on improvised
music or that they expanded into other kinds of music. Listening
to Arg's 'Animali' I would think it is so. This is an "acousmatic
work from the musical theatre opera Animali. Gestures and voices
from Julio Cortozar's 'Rayuela'" it says on the cover, which
holds no other information. I don't even know what language it
is in - Italian? Spanish? So likewise I have no clue what is about.
That is a pity, but in stead I can focus on the music itself.
This is indeed a true acousmatic work - acoustic sources (doors,
field recordings, street sounds) are mixed with electronic processed
versions thereof which in return are mixed instruments (wind,
strings etc.). This makes a highly cinematic piece of music, divided
in nine parts. Its hard to tell what this cinema is about, but
is surely is a fine work of hallucination. Not knowing what it
is about leaves much room to guess. Which I think good music should
be about. (FdW)
Address: http://www.creativesourcesrec.com
E (CD by Zelphabet)
We have landed with the letter 'E' from Zelphabet, which is a
twenty-seven CD set, compiled by G.X. Jupitter-Larsen. Like before
we have arrived names and one new, which is Ed Osborn, who opens
the proceedings. A strange percussive piece of music made with
contact microphones to provide that direct in your face approach
and maybe some electronics. A strangely simple but captivating
piece of music. Elliot Sharp's career spans various decades by
now, but unfortunately I must admit I didn't follow his entire
career, occasionally picking up on things. I must admit again
that is a great shame on my behalf, since 'Return Ground' is a
great piece for solo guitar. Minimalist but played in hectic,
nerving manner. Slow on changes to get the full minimalist effect.
Emil Beaulieau, still not the next president of the USA (what
a shame), also has a long career, in noise. Sometimes his music
is a total miss, always great on the live performance however,
and here he has a piece that is great. Machine like sounds - think
Vivenza - are played along with a long line of piano sounds. Maybe
Emil discovered the computer, and through endless layering of
sounds he achieves easily one of the best pieces I ever heard
from him. Sounds pop in and out of the mix. Almost Xenakis like.
Evil Moisture close 'E' (all pieces last around fifteen to twenty
minutes) with a true noise piece of sustained distortion over
which they play some crude loose sounds.
A blast to end 'E', can't wait 'F'! (FdW)
Address: http://www.zelphabet.com
WENDT - UNRELEASED MUSIC FOR VISUALIZERS
(CD by Miatera)
DOUGLAS BENFORD - IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PRINCESS (CDR by 12x50
Recordings)
Since a lot of music passes the desk of Vital Weekly, and almost
all is subjected to a critical ear, the notion of 'copy' has been
dealt with before. There is the original, a rarity, but not a
necessity. When a specific 'sound idiom' is discovered, others
will follow and sometimes with a result that is simply better.
More worked out, more extended, more of the original. This happens
with all music. But there are also instances where its simply
too hard to see or hear what is 'different' about the work on
offer. That is the case with the music of Alexander Wendt. Three
pieces, divided in various pieces, connect ambient music with
'todays communicational default devices', but it sounds, unfortunately,
too much like a previously unreleased recording of Alva Noto meeting
Ryoji Ikeda, produced by Mika Vainio. Rhtythmic pulses, generated
by processed sine waves and sine waves processed into longer blocks
of sounds. Yes, its ambient (glitch) in the traditional Eno sense,
and yes, it sounds like 'modern technology'. But throughout this
hour or so, I didn't hear a single bit that sounded, or tried
to sound at least different than what the three mentioned also
do (let alone all those in their foot steps). The design looked
like 12K, so nothing new in that department either. I thought
it was not a bad CD actually, and played it with some pleasure,
but a bit more of his own would be nice.
Miatera is part of 12x50 Recordings, or vice versa, and there
is a series on this sub-division called 'Carbon Series'. Volume
Six is the latest addition to this series and its by Douglas Benford,
whom we mostly know as Si-Cut.db and his activities with Sprawl.
Since this music here is a bit different than his work as Si-Cut.db,
less rhythmic and more dealing with ambient glitch, processed
field recordings and empty spacious sounds. This is rhythmic in
as far as it works repeated blocks of sound, which collide over
and under each other, moving in irregular patterns. That gives
the music a strangely fascinating sound. The clicks and hums,
generated from sea waves and street ends (all rendered unrecognizable
of course), traffic lights and cash registers (I am merely guessing
here), aren't the newest around: its not that Benford does something
utterly new or strange. Its music that fits the big ambient tradition,
and the smaller alley called ambient glitch. Other than Wendt
he knows how to spin this tradition to his own end and not be
just a plain carbon copy. (FdW)
Address: http://www.12X50.com
THU20 - TILBURG (LP by Korm plastics)
Practicing priests . for once information is to hand - (A rare
live work from THU20- Jos Smolders and Roel Meelkop (computer)
Peter Duimelinks and Frans de Waard, acoustic objects and the
analogue electronics of Jacques van Bussel.) and if not then this
multilayered work might suggest some studio piece - which would
account for its un-noise structuring of abstract "shapes"
of sound, more sound collage, sectioned to short to evolve into
something which once called itself industrial, with almost nostalgic
references to the Abstract of the previous century, charming rather
than American brashness or lost in translation Japanese renderings,
I'm reminded of that strange and interesting Abstract Expressionist
movement in Northern Europe of Wols et al. - an intellectualism
which was overwhelmed by first the size and then the brash confrontationality
of US Nimitz sized and culture art. Which was a pity, no longer
the intellectuals smoke in street cafes Gauloises, but if at all
Malbro lites, indicative of the refusal to live and denial of
the truth, SMOKING KILLS, and here in Tilburg some smoking clearly
takes place, a careful and thought out improvisation that is just
like the eddy of Gauloises smoke and thickened with the taste
of real, not instant coffee and real not instant improvisations
of sound - not noise then- something that might speak from the
past and say here is something to talk about. (jliat)
Address: http://www.kormplastics.nl
BLINDHAED - WHETHER THAT WILL MAKE PEOPLE
WANT TO BECOME ARCHAELOGISTS, WE'LL HAVE TO SEE (LP by Ini Itu)
My keyboard is limited, so the presstext allows me to write Blindhaed,
but in Vital Weekly 621, when I reviewed a MP3 release on Ruidemos,
I wrote Blindheao. Its Icelandic, for what its worth, and it means
something like Blind Spot. Their second release is an one-sided
LP, why not two I immediately think, with again a lovely long
title. "The piece is based on an accumulation of layers of
sounds which were reworked during quite long periods of time",
it says, and makes references to Tietchens, Xenakis and Steve
Roden. I'd like to add Werkbund to these references. The slight
metallic rumble, the same subaquatic sound processing, the debris
of contactmicrophone rumble. It seems to be dealing less with
field recordings, and more with the electronic layering of various
concrete actions and sounds, which shift along eachother in quite
an intelligent way. One can sense that there is quite some time
and effort in this piece, since it flows subtle and moves into
various different textures. A pity there is just one side. I could
have easily digested another side of this. (FdW)
Address: http://www.iniitu.net
WRANGLER/SCANNER - 1968 MOOG MODULAR/1978
FORMANT MODULAR (7" by Static Caravan)
From the place where old synthesizers look like
old the telephone central comes a lovely heavy picture disc 7"
by Wrangler and Scanner. They use a Moog Modular System 3C and
a Formant Modular Synthesizer to create two lovely tunes that
appeals to me as a lover of all things electronic. They more or
less update the Forbidden Planet soundtrack to bouncy rhythms
and arpeggio's. Its hard to tell which side is by which artist,
and the differences between the tracks aren't that big. If you
love that old sound, the real fat sound, then this is one true
gem. Lovely. I'm glad they still do things like this: the right
equipment, the right format. (FdW)
Address: http://www.staticcaravan.org
COMBO RECIFE DE IMPROVISO - UNTITLED #3
(CDR by Dead Sea Liner)
ELECTRIC MONO RIVER - NO SUNLIGHT DOWN HERE (CDR by Dead Sea Liner)
Although these two releases by Dead Sea Liner share one strong
similarity - music played through methods of improvisation - it's
only the one by Electric Mono River that I can be happy about.
Combo Recife De Improviso is Thelmo Christovam on acoustic guitar,
objects, E-Melody sax, Tulio Falcao on synthesizer, CD player
and violin and Arthur Lacerda on guitar, objects and devices.
No doubt this is their third release, and they decided to offer
value for money here. The six tracks fill the entire length of
the CDR, but the questions are: is it good and is it necessary?
Both questions I can't answer with a full and loud 'yes'. The
idea here seems to be: press the 'record' button and record whatever
we are doing and afterwards everything finds its way to a release.
Without editing, just the straight forward recorded session. Times
six. Maybe it's because this is four years old and maybe its their
earliest beginnings, but these pieces were way too long and stretched
out for my taste. Very free improvisation, even going towards
free jazz at times, but nothing formal.
Also a trio is Electric Mono River of Martin Powell on theremin,
Per Gisle Galaen on guitar and Sindre Bjerga on tape recorder
and contact mics. They recorded their piece in improvisation at
Stavanger's Tou Center earlier this year and its much more a solid
work. I have no idea wether this one is edited or not, or that
they are more skilled players, but what is pressed here in twenty-one
minutes makes more sense. Low rumbling sounds playing repeating
patterns, while all sorts of electronic components fly over this.
It slowly builds up until it reaches its peak half way through
and then slowly things start to disintegrate and distorted low
humming guitar from the non-drone shelf remains. Very nice, solid
improvisation that holds the attention of the listener throughout
the length of this piece. Sturdy Norwegian improvisation. (FdW)
Address: http://www.deadsealiner.co.uk
KIKLOP - GALLOPARDO (CDR by Kiklop)
I should do a credit list to the crazed workout of this what can
only be another bizarre rendering of the past, though this time
the un-cerebral (to me and what do I know) crazy far out drumming,
vocals sax, trumpet, bass ..etc of maniac stuff - stuff that was
once called jazz. 11 terrific (in every sense) live sets, a raging
ravenous series of full on playing. and a monstrous treat, and
so a tip of the hat then to..(from myspace) ***Cho-mi "GiantMidget"
= drums + additional treatments ***DeBrilleaux "MidgetGiant"
= bass/constructor-deconstructor, electro devices/perpetuum sonore
device 1 >>>>>>>>>SECRET APPEARANCES:
Danny "VibroHead" O'Really = guitar*** Kafka = alto
sax*** Sjunko "RealMidget" Pumilus = vocal cords 'out
of space'*** VOBanda = trumpet +perpetuum sonore device 2***..
Whew! As Austin Powers would say - groovy baby!!!!!!!!! (jliat)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/kiklopgrozni
BAS VAN HUIZEN - NYLONRYP (CDR by Etherkreet)
All music reviewed here arrives through the mailbox, in an envelope,
delivered by Mister Postman. Very seldom something is dropped
off with no stamps, by someone living perhaps around the corner.
Bas van Huizen is such a person. He is from Nijmegen, where he
is active in the Lomechanik scene but his music is a bit different
from what is common in that scene (all sorts of rhythmic inspired
music) and 'Nylonrijp' is released by Etherkreet, who seem to
be dealing with some more 'difficult' music. Here he uses an acoustic
guitar (spanish), electric guitar, chinese flute and various objects.
He has an interest in dissonance and consonance, but the seven
tracks here are short and to the point and have nothing to techno
music. The pieces here deal with carefully processed sound and
fit the idea of ambient glitch and microsound perfectly. Sometimes
even classical in approach with sounds that carefully bounce on
and off - the dissonance part I gather. The real instruments aren't
processed to that extent that we no longer recognize them, but
they seem to play an equal role in whatever electronic is going
on. Great fine short release - even with the extra bonus tracks
that aren't on the real 'Nylonryp' release. Nice one again. (FdW)
Address: http://www.etherkreet.com
NILS ROSTAD - GUITAR (GREY) (CDR, private)
NILS ROSTAD - GUITAR (CDR, private)
Apparently these releases by Norway's guitarist Nils Rostad are
all 'recent' releases, and they are all limited to twenty or thirty
copies. 'Guitar (Grey)' has a hand written cover and Nils plays
acoustic and electric guitar. He improvises in these five pieces
in various ways. Hectic playing, on the street, calm, detuned.
Quite direct and in your face.
On 'Guitar' he plays a 12 string EKO from the early 70s, while
adding small metal pieces to some of the strings. Here he has
sixteen tracks which are all quite sort - the release lasts just
under forty minutes. This is much nicer than the 'Guitar (Grey)'
release, which wasn't bad either. The short pieces are nicer,
Nils seems to be more on top of things and the whole thing sounds
like John Cage's prepared piano, but then played on a 12 string
guitar. Minimalist in approach, Nils plays mostly chords and strums
away. Nice one.
Address: http://www.looop.no/
ALESSANDRO COLBUCCI & MATTEO UGGERI
- THE DISTANCE (CDR by Why Not Ltd)
TIM BLECHMANN - REPLUGGED (CDR by Why Not Ltd)
I heard of Matteo Uggeri (field recordings, objects, mixing) but
Alessandro Colbucci (guitar, loops, mixing) seems to be a new
name for me. They recommend headphone listening, but I'm afraid
that's something I hardly do. The have four pieces here of drone
related music. A swirling mass of electronics, processed guitar
sounds, the scratching of the surface with contact microphones
and street and rain sounds make up a very decent ambient drone
releases. Atmospheric, dark, doomy and perhaps as such not a real
innovative musical thing, but also as such quite some nice music.
Which is of course good enough.
Tim Blechmann we heard before through some highly experimental
and conceptual releases dealing with electronics and turntables.
That is what he does here as well. Lots of hiss from the turntable
are fed through the computer where it receives a minimal treatment.
There is something happening for sure, but it takes Blechmann
a lot of time. Too much time if you'd ask me. The release that
lasts over an hour could have been easily be twenty minutes and
been a nice 3" CDR release. (FdW)
Address: http://www.geocities.com/whynotltd/
MARC SPRUIT - #2 (3"CDR, private)
The second release by Marc Spruit is even shorter than his previous
release. Again he culls his sources from anything he can get:
voice, bass, found percussion, various sounds from the internet,
guitar, field recordings and such like. Thanks to the use of the
computer it is possible to slice these sounds up into really split
second small particles. Knowing that Spruit has a degree from
the art academy its hardly a surprise that he treats the music
like a collage of sound. A dadaistic approach. His eleven tracks
in as many minutes can be seen as eleven tracks, but I see this
rather as one work. Spruit moves around in great hectic, with
rapid changes but sometimes, curious enough, knows how to build
peace and tranquility in a piece. Just as before: why not release
a 7" of this? It would offer the listener possibilities to
switch the speed of the turntable and add some mayhem of their
own. (FdW)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/spruit
STEINBRÜCHEL - SUSTAIN (3"CDR
by Koyuki Sound)
A very appt title, this 'Sustain' by Swiss microsound hero Steinbrüchel.
If I understood well, this is a sort of remix of his recent CDs
'Basis' and 'Stage' (sustain there as well), and the twenty-one
minute piece of music is a slowly, but endlessly humming weightless
space piece. Ambient with the big A (and there for nothing new
under the sun) but oh so delicate and nice. Its very difficult
to write a lot about this piece, other than I think its a great
piece. Nothing beyond the ordinary for Steinbrüchel, whose
body of work doesn't show many new elements (which in itself is
a pity I think), but what he does, he does with great style and
care. (FdW)
Address: http://www.koyuki-sound.org
SILENT SPRING (3"CDR by CLaudia)
No instruments are mentioned on the cover of the Silent Spring
release. The untitled piece lasts almost thirteen minutes and
is played by Joshua Rutter, Shannon O'Brien and Tim Coster. It
seems to me that this is a work created through improvisation,
a meditative improvised piece. Much like Stockhausen's 'Stimmung'
(which I never liked actually), there is a multitude of low humming
voices around, but other than the Stockie piece, there is also
electronics (feedback perhaps) and something that could be called
'percussion'. Its a relaxing piece with some deep bass end that
perhaps was more relaxing to play and a bit less to hear. Some
more EQ-ing could have been in place I think to reach that relaxing
point, but perhaps in its more rough state its more experimental.
Very nice improvised atmospherics. (FdW)
Address: http://wwwhalftheory.com/claudia
BEARSES - THE PRETTIEST GIRL I EVER SAW
(3"CDR by Hymns)
IRONING - THE END OF THE JACKSON PARTY (3"CDR by Hymns)
"Live collaboration between Ironing and Pairs recorded June
17, 2005 in Tampa, FL. to digital and split into five seamless
thematic tracks. Andrew Chadwick , Troy Turriate- ++ Blistery
harshness with woven pop culture sounds. A live performance from
June 11, 2005 in Orlando, FL using microcassettes, records, cassettes
and keyboard straight to digital and split into six seamless thematic
tracks." = Andrew Chadwick.- of electro noise-?, after theory,
the non-debate, briefly the internet brought communication of
theory - how? = In the form of use groups, the " use"
of latter Wittgenstein (don't ask for meaning ask for use) or
the Derridian ever open difference. Once knowledge was power and
now its free , the Use groups are dead, post-modernity is over
only the baudrillian echoes ring true are of the virtual and hyper
real facebook communicates, the signals of equality, not of psycho
linguistics. Here we have elements of a pan-handle collective
or anagrammatising of lost souls it seems from a board, which
in turn becomes binary chatter? Genre, style, content, prospective
manifestos and suggestions collapse, we have style, and what was
once harsh. Rumble & hiss ~ rattle & hum. The inconsequentiality
of noise is present, and reverberated - only its everywhere else,
the Janet Jackson clip is not out of place- nothing is. The seeming
financial war is scripted like everything. Rhythmic elements like
the syntax of words are only noted, No difference. (jliat)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/hymnslabel
RAN SLAVIN - NOCTURNALRAINBOW RISING (MP3
by Cronica Electronica)
TU M' - IS THAT YOU? (MP3 by Cronica Electronica)
MOSAIQUE - FILARE (MP3 by Cronica Electronica)
From these three recent releases by Cronica
Electronica's digital imprint, only Ran Slavin released before
on this label. His first release was sort of alright but nothing
spectacular, whereas 'The Wayward Regional Transmissions' (see
Vital Weekly 577) was a great work combining middle eastern music
and microsound. In that respect 'Nocturnal Rainbow Rising' is
a step back. No middle eastern influences here, but ten pieces
of solid ambient glitch. Moving slowly about, sounds drifting
in and out the mix, occasionally a bit louder and then a bit softer
again, but nothing more than ordinary. Maybe a filler, an in between
release? Maybe that's why it was released as a MP3.
Its been a while since I last heard music by Tu M', the duo of
Rossano Polidoro and Emiliano Romanelli. In fact: I can't remember.
But its good to see them around still after all these years and
the work presented here consists of three tracks, which all seem
to be made with the recordings of orchestra and brass sections,
but then taken apart from their original intentions and stretched
out into lengthy and moody pieces of music. The brass and orchestras
shimmer through the laptop processing that have taken on the task
to hide the origins. Also not the prize winning 'originals in
microsound' award, but throughout quite nice indeed.
Jan Ferreira is Mosaique, of whom I may not have heard before.
He has, in MP3 terms, a pretty long release, almost seventy-five
minutes. It's music that is highly ambient and fits either the
moment of getting up and listening to the thing right away at
breakfast, or chill out right before you go bed. But its hardly
something I would put on during the day. The icy fields of sounds,
slowly and minimal moving about, in the best Eno tradition but
then entirely created in the digital domain, is very nice, but
also very dated. Think Paul Bradley in a more lighter mood. Very
nice indeed, but hardly a big surprise. (FdW)
Address: http://www.cronicaelectronica.org