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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 698
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week 40
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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
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Submitting material means you read this and approve of this.
* noted are in this week's podcast. We finally have a feed again. 1000x times to Maximillian for his endless patience & help. Its here: http://www.vitalweekly.net/podcast.xm
Editorial news: we have decided to stop reviewing MP3 releases. Please do not send any discs with MP3 releases. Just send me an e-mail with a link and a short description, so people can download it. The amount of releases pile up every week and I can no longer devote time to MP3s. Whatever you see coming in the next few weeks are the last ones. Please do not send anymore. Also: releases that do not contain the original artwork will most likely be no longer reviewed. The real thing is necessary for a real judgment. If you wish to send us not the real thing, please contact us first. <vital@vitalweekly.net>
THE HATERS - IN THE SHADE OF FIRE (CD by
Hanson Records) *
SEIJIRO MURAYAMA & SOUNDWORM - SPACE AND PLACE (CD by Ftarri)
*
JASON KAHN & RICHARD FRANCIS (CD by Monochrome Vision) *
MARY ANNE HOBBS - WILD ANGELS (Cd by Planet Mu)
SPLINTERSKIN - WAYWARD SOULS (CD by Cold Spring)
TALBOT & DERU - GENUS (CD by Ant-Zen)
MUDBOY - MORT AUX VACHES (CD by Staalplaat) *
SPIRACLE - ANANTA (2CD by The Helen Scarsdale Agency) *
SUSAN FANCHER - IN TWO WORLDS (CD by Innova)
WORLD SANGUINE REPORT - THIRD ONE RISES (CD by Gravid Hands)
BRUME - THE SUN/THE MOON (2CD by Elsie & Jack Recordings)
*
AREA C - THE PLANETARIUM PROJECT (2CD by Sedimental) *
SHANE FAHEY - THE SLATED PINES (CD by Endgame) *
LOREN CONNORS - THE CURSE OF MIDNIGHT MARY (CD by Family Vineyard)
*
MUSLIMGAUZE VS. SPECIES OF FISHES (CD by Tourette Records)
RETARDER - ENQUIRIES (CD by Tourette Records) *
ANDREW ZEALLEY - THEMES & VARIATIONS (LP by Tourette Records)
DAO+COH - DZERZHINSK-9 (LP by Tourette Records)
AUTUMN BLOOD (CD compilation by Lumberton Trading Company)
(AD)VANCE(D) - TWO EVENTS (LP by Waystyx Records)
THE VOMIT ARSONIST - WRETCH (CD by Cipher Productions)
AZOIKUM - ANTHROPOPHAGY (CDR by Cipher Productions)
GUILTY CONNECTOR - IKOMAYAM STARS 'N' NISHINARI (7" EP by
Cipher Productions)
STROTTER INST. - BOLZPLATZ (10" by Everest Records) *
RUI COSTA - SIGHTSEEING FOR THE BLIND (CD by 1000Füssler)
*
SIMON WHETHAM - D/R (CDR by 1000Füssler) *
HENRY KUNTZ & PAUL V.KUNTZ - YEAR OF THE OX (CDR by Hummingbird)
HOMOGENIZED TERRESTRIALS - RABBIT HOLE (CDR by 6 On The Dot) *
LE MAL D'ARCHIVE - LA CHANSON DE MAI (CDR, private) *
GELUIDSPOST 2007-2008 (2CDR by Universaal Kunst)
KARL BOSMANN - DAS ELEKTRONISCHE SKIZZENBUCH (CDR by Verato Project)
*
CORNSTAR - LULLA (CDR by Visceral Media) *
PSYCHON - SLOW COUNTRY FOR OLD MAN (CDR by Narrominded) *
LIVING ORNAMENTS - KORRELS (CDR by Narrominded) *
KIRCHENKAMPF - DARK PLANET (CDR by Cohort Records)
KIRCHENKAMPF - WELL OF SOULS (CDR by Cohort Records) *
SYLVIE WALDER - MOMENTS (CDR by Experimedia)
IAN HAWGOOD - THE GREAT ALLURE (CDR by Experimedia)
RYONKT - SMALL CONVERSATIONS (CDR by Experimedia)
SHINOBU NEMOTO - IMPROVISATIONS #1 (CDR by Experimedia)
BILLY GOMBERG/OFF THE SKY - FLYOVER SOUND (CDR by Experimedia)
plus new MP3 releases & announcements
THE HATERS - IN THE SHADE OF FIRE (CD by
Hanson Records)
More celebrations: this year marks also the 30th year of existence
for The Haters and somehow I thought G.X. Jupitter-Larsen is not
the kind of guy to look back upon the past. Not much of his old
releases, if any at all, made it to another, more current format,
or even as MP3 releases on all those nice historical blogs that
unearth so much great and old music. But lo and behold, here is
perhaps the first of many re-issues and what classic it is. 'In
The Shade Of Fire' was in 1986 the very first LP release by The
Haters, on Silent Records, long before they started to be big
on the ambient house scene. The Haters are here in great shape.
The sound of destruction leads the pieces. The breaking of glass,
the crackle of fire, explosions and car crashes are looped with
old reel-to-reel machines or perhaps cassette tapes and put together
into very crude, minimal compositions. Loops phase shift with
eachother and create a dense, minimal pattern of sound, that is
quite loud of course. Noise as noise should be, in the mid-80s
but after twenty-three years haven't lost a single bit of the
original power. Noise for sure, but, and that's perhaps the most
striking thing in hearing this after all these years, The Haters
sound so 'musical'. Thought has been put into the compositions
to make them sound like compositions. "Noise Is Pleasing"
and "The grinding vibrating murmer of entropy is a pleasant
intoxication for me", G.X. writes on the cover. I couldn't
agree any more on that. A most welcome re-issue. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hansonrecords.net
SEIJIRO MURAYAMA & SOUNDWORM - SPACE
AND PLACE (CD by Ftarri)
The credits for this joint release read as follows: Seijiro Murayama:
snare drum, cymbal, objects and Soundworm: sound engineering,
suggestions. It made me wonder what 'sound engineering' is exactly.
Some kind of real time sound processing perhaps? It seems so,
at least to me. In which we should understand also that sound
engineering might be the placing of microphones and amplifiers.
Sometimes the music sounds very electronic and abstract and then,
for instance in 'Composition For Recordings 3', very concrete
and in your face. Improvised music of the highest order, this
is. But somehow it didn't please me that much. Maybe its the mood
of the day, but then it seemed to me that it was all a bit too
easily put together. Producing sounds on a snare drum and cymbal,
using some objects... alright. But then what? It doesn't grab
the listener that much. In the two concert recordings this tension
is a bit more present, but also just not enough. Not bad either,
I must admit, as it has its moments, but just not enough to leave
me entirely satisfied. (FdW)
Address: http://www.ftarri.com
JASON KAHN & RICHARD FRANCIS (CD by
Monochrome Vision)
Just how many CDs did Jason Kahn release by now? Hard to say,
but quite a fair bunch. He doesn't surprise me with his music
that much anymore, but that has nothing to do with the quality
of the music as such. Here he teams up with Richard Francis, once
known as Eso Steel and running the CMR label, and these working
under his own name. The two met for the first time in Auckland
where they played together and then, a year later, again in Switzerland.
Kahn plays percussion and analogue synthesizer, while Francis
is on computer and electronics. Four pieces (between ten and sixteen
minutes each) of great lo-fi humming sounds. A very special kind
of drone music that sounds both electronic and acoustic. It seems
to me that these are microphone recordings, which capture the
atmosphere from the space they play their music in, and which
adds a nice textured quality to the music. Minimalist in approach,
but very fine in execution. Like said, Kahn doesn't surprise me
with his music, but he sure knows how to please me. (FdW)
Address: http://www.monochromevision.ru
MARY ANNE HOBBS - WILD ANGELS (Cd by Planet
Mu)
It shouldn't be a secret to anyone that BBC's Radio 1 has had
a huge impact on the experimental music scene from the 1960's
forward as British DJ-legend John Peel started his more than three
decades lasting "John Peel Show" until his slipping
away five years ago. Another excellent DJ from Radio 1 is Mary
Ann Hobbs whose show "Dubstep warz" is considered being
the show that gave dubstep the great impact on the present international
electronic music scene. Mary Ann Hobbs released her first dubstep-compilation
"Warrioir Dubz" on Planet Mu in 2006 followed by a second
one titled "Evangeline" in 2008 also on Planet Mu. Now
it is time for the third compilation, this one titled "Wild
angels". Again there are much weight on the dubstep-related
scene but the album also presents other styles such as darkside
hip hop, grime and drum'n'bass. Favorite moment on the compilation
is the opening track from Mark Pritchard, that with its otherworldly
use of sampled guitar into electronic soundscapes in itself is
worth the value of the whole compilation. Also Hyetal's atmospheric
technoid piece "We should light a fire" is a true gem.
Final track goes in the opposite direction with a dark electronic
piece of heavy basslines along slow breakbeats being the track
"And now we wait" from Legion Of Two. A very interesting
look at the contemporary scene of dark electronic music related
to the breakbeat and dubstep-scene. (NM)
Address: http://www.planet-mu.com/
SPLINTERSKIN - WAYWARD SOULS (CD by Cold
Spring)
The logo of this project express the feeling that the music contained
must be of the abrasive kind. The logo looks like the style that
could've been used by an extreme metal or harsh noise band. The
first minute does sound like something evil will occur with its
rumbling noises wriggling along the dark sounds of church bells
and field recordings of creaking doors, but shortly after the
melancholic sounds of a violin closes down the first chapter "Chanting
bells call shadows".
From this moment forward the music turns acoustic
and it works well! Splinterskin comes from Ohio and his musical
approach belongs to the experimental folk scene with dark and
momentarily sinister atmospheres saturating this debut titled
"Wayward souls". The music is primarily built on acoustic
guitar spiced with some interesting vocals. What makes this album
such an alluring experience is the artist's obvious compositional
skills combined with a dark and dramatic take on the neo-folk-scene
and not least: The vocal variations spanning from gently mild
to downright evil and creepy on a piece like "Broken down
hearse". The pieces of the album carried by the talented
acoustic guitar strums sometimes added other acoustic instruments
such as violin and hand drums has a dramatic touch making the
listener suspect something creepy to happen in the next second.
But at the end of the day, Splinterskin let's the listener float
into seventeen beautiful pieces of contemporary folk music. Excellent
debut album that can be enjoyed be anyone generally interested
in melodic beauty - this being folk music or else! (NM)
Address: http://www.coldspring.co.uk/
TALBOT & DERU - GENUS (CD by Ant-Zen)
The idea of experiencing a ballet has never occurred to me, I
must admit, but present album released on German label Ant-Zen
Recordings certainly inspires to do so. The album is a collaboration
between two composers: Joby Talbot is a british composer known
for his sound works for television comedy series such as "The
league of gentlemen" and "Hitchhiker's guide to the
galaxy". The other composer is the L.A.-based electronic
musician Benjamin Wynn who often integrates styles spanning from
classical to hip hop. The title of the album "Genus"
is also the title of a ballet based on Charles Darwin's evolution
theory directed by Wayne McGregor. Present album being a collaboration
between two interesting contemporary yet quite differently approached
composers, is the soundtrack to this ballet. Where most ballets
use a classically based soundtrack, the soundtrack to this piece
belongs to some of the most interesting electronic works heard
for a while. The album's integration of ethereal choir in crossover
with more modern based sound spheres does remind me of jazz-composer
Jan Garbarek's collaboration with The Hilliard Ensemble as on
"Officium", but where Garbarek remains in the acoustic
sound spheres, the two composers behind "Genus" operates
in forefront electronic textures integrating elements from first
of all the IDM and ambient-scene in the electroacoustic expressions.
Very interesting album that definitely adds something interesting
to the ballet scene. (NM)
Address: http://www.ant-zen.com/
MUDBOY - MORT AUX VACHES (CD by Staalplaat)
From what I know about Mudboy this could be a
short review: next to nothing. I reviewed various of his releases,
which I all liked actually, but then: that's it. In November 2006
he was guest at VPRO's program Dwars and recorded this thirty
minute session, consisting of five pieces. Since I never saw him
perform live, I must guess what it is that he does, but it seems
he has an organ (for three note melodies), maybe a sampler (for
field recordings, bell sounds and such like) and a microphone.
The music he creates with those relatively simple means is, as
the man himself, quite a mystery in that sense that its not easy
to describe. I scribbled down the words 'psychedelic one man orchestra',
'wacked out space pop', 'cerebral ambient'. See. I don't have
all the answers either. I was listening and thinking 'wow this
actually quite good'. It refers to pop through the slow organ
sounds, to drone and psychedelic through the fuzzy distortion
and anything in between. Quite a damn recording. I wonder: why
we had to wait for almost three years before hearing this? (FdW)
Address: http://www.staalplaat.com
SPIRACLE - ANANTA (2CD by The Helen Scarsdale
Agency)
Today it dawned upon me that not many of the Mystery Sea releases,
which are always limited to 100 copies, were re-issued, if any
at all. I thought of this, while playing this double CD of Spiracle,
also known as Hitsohi Kojo. His previous version of 'Ananta' was
released on Mystery Sea (see Vital Weekly 513) and back then I
wrote about this "It starts out with a forceful set of organ
like sounds, and over the course of this piece, which lasts over
an hour, sea like sounds wash in and out, whereas the organ sounds
are pulled apart and start to modulate. Maybe I have had the volume
more cranked up on this one, but it seemed to me a very 'present'
release, unlike some other releases on this label (or in the genre
of drone music as such), things don't drop back in a level of
inaudibility. Having said that, things aren't very noise either,
just present throughout this piece. One could wonder if things
aren't say ten to fifteen minutes too long, but otherwise this
is a pretty strong release, another one in the mighty Mystery
Sea catalogue, and one that, with all it's washy sounds, fits
the label's concept very clear." I am not sure why Kojo opted
for another version of 'Ananta' (which means 'infinity' in Sanskrit),
but the new version is also a nice one. It seems that in the passing
three years, things have been reduced more than on the previous
version. The water like sounds have been removed (maybe Mystery
Sea requested those?) and the organ sounds play throughout all
these time. This time I played things a bit more quieter and it
worked quite nice 'in the space' - music like a surrounding space,
bouncing between all walls of my space. Quite a good work. A bit
shorter than the first version, and perhaps a bit stronger. (FdW)
Address: http://www.helenscarsdale.com
SUSAN FANCHER - IN TWO WORLDS (CD by Innova)
Saxophonist Fancher is a pioneering interpreter. She performs
work from many different contemporary composers. But also transcriptions
of music by composers as diverse as Josquin Desprez and Steve
Reich. Her work is documented on about 10 CDs released by different
labels. To mention one, in 2002 her solo-album "Ponder Nothing"
with compositions by Steve Reich and Ben Johnston was released
by Innova. This label now make her newest solo-effort public.
For this project she selected 7 compositions from 7 contemporary
composers: John Anthony Lennon, James Paul Sain, Mark Engebretson,
Reginald Bain, Judith Shatin, Morton Subotnick and Edmund Campion.
All of them american composers working in the academic world.
Two of the works one could consider as 'old': the fantastic opening
piece "In Two Worlds" (1987) by Morton Subotnick and
: "Aeterna" (1996) by John Anthony Lennon. All other
compositions were born in this century. As said the opening piece
comes from pioneer: Morton Subotnick. He is known for his electronic
music, and his experimenting with interactive, electroacoustic
procedures. This is also the case for "In Two Worlds' that
was originally composed for saxophone and interactive computer.
But because technological innovations developed quick, the computer-system
that was originally used, is outdated now. So with permission
by Subotnick newer technology is used here for the performance
by Fancher. It is a bit tragicomical that music that was so innovative
can be outdated so quick in some respects. The composition itself
however is far from outdated. In fact it was the piece I liked
most. By the way, also all other pieces on this CD are based on
electroacoustical combinations of saxophone and electronics, albeit
in many different ways. This way CD presents a good overview of
the state of this particular art. (DM)
Address: http://www.innova.mu
WORLD SANGUINE REPORT - THIRD ONE RISES
(CD by Gravid Hands)
I don't think in terms of 'best record of the year', but this
one forces me to do so. This is absolutely on of the most amazing
records I have heard this year. But only after I had conquered
my allergy for Tom Waits- and Nick Cave-like voices. Listening
to "Third one Rises" these comparisons are inevitable
but please forget them if they disturb you. Because this one absolutely
deserves your attention. It is a long time ago since I met such
outstanding musical madness. An intriguing mix of influences,
cooked and served by Andrew Plummer. We hear over the top and
very inventive arrangements, played with incredible virtuosity
in function of clear defined songs that are really made of flesh
and blood. We have to deal with songs where musicians take different
routes and solos at the same time, with music that continuously
interrupts itself, with musicians that play out of phase, but
where at the same time everything wonderfully fits in some mysterious
way. So this is very intelligently constructed music that is very
bizarre and wild at the same time. The musicians who clear this
incredible job are: James Allsopp (reeds), Alex Bonney (trumpet),
Matthew Bourne (piano, gongs), Tom Greenhalgh (drums), Dave Kane
(bass), and Andrew Plummer himself (vocals, electric guitar).
Plus several guests. All of them are fantastic musicians playing
with an irresistible enthusiasm. Listening to this musically very
convincing record is an breathtaking and exhausting experience
that I can strongly advise you. (DM)
Address: http://www.gravidhands.com/
BRUME - THE SUN/THE MOON (2CD by Elsie &
Jack Recordings)
Brume is dead - long live Christian Renou. At least that's what
I thought that happened. Brume was old moniker for Renou and since
roughly 2000 he worked under his own name. But now, celebrating
the 40th anniversary of mankind's bigger steps on the moon, Brume
is back. Partly with an old work (although I thought that the
excellent Waystyx re-issued most of them on CD), from 1990, which
was released by Old Europa Cafe and a new work from this along
with six pieces which he recorded with Monera, the duo of James
and Phil Rodriguez (and also acting as his label managers here).
I have no idea why Renou returned to the Brume tag. The whole
Moon landing thing is dragged into this, and then mainly on 'The
Moon' part (obviously), the 2009 work. 'The Sun', the old work,
is Brume is great form. Never a silent moment music, as I used
to call it back then. Banging on metal percussion, blowing plastic
pipes and all that mixed with tapes of his own making and feeding
it through electronics in a thorough musique concrete like manner,
making this a fine work, but at seventy-seven minutes also one
that takes a lot of your energy. 'The Moon' is Renou updated -
older and wiser, perhaps? Quieter for sure. His music has more
space here, the room for sounds to develop, flourish and die out
and not every inch of the tape has been filled with music. The
other difference is that the music is sometimes a bit more stretched
out, more drone and and ambient like. Especially the six pieces
with Monera are very quieter and very spacious, like the good
old cosmic music. This is actually the highlight of the package
for me. 'The Sun' is fine, but a bit much, 'The Moon' is also
long, but works well throughout. (FdW)
Address: http://www.elsieandjack.com
AREA C - THE PLANETARIUM PROJECT (2CD by
Sedimental)
Holidays are over, Vital Weekly is a big as ever, but it seems
that everyone has been productive over the holiday period. A Brume
double CD, two Kirchenkampf CDs, and other releases in this issue
also being lengthy. And then there is another double CD by Eric
Carlson, its all a bit much (holiday required). Carlson is Area
C and has a bunch of releases on Trensmat, Last Visible Dog, Free
Matter 4 The Blind, Handmd and Students Of Decay. I think this
is the first time I hear his music. Four pieces, each around thirty
minutes, recorded with four different artists: Mudboy, Jeffrey
Alexander (of Black Forest/Black Sea), Black Forest/Black Sea
and Eyes Like Saucers. "The music composed for the Planetarium
Project was inspired by the way this domed room (means the Planetarium
- FdW) warps the sounds and images created here, while also wrapping
the audience and performers within them". Curious statement,
but then the pieces were recorded in an actual Planetarium, in
Rhode Island. All four pieces were more or less improvised, leading
to spacious work with Mudboy, post rock doodling with Alexander,
more downright improvised post rock with Black Forest/Black Sea
and more spacious music with Eyes Like Saucers. Again, I thought
this was all quite nice, but the longitude of the material was
all a bit much. Maybe three pieces of say twenty minutes each
would have sufficient to get the idea across for me. (FdW)
Address: http://www.sedimental.com
SHANE FAHEY - THE SLATED PINES (CD by Endgame)
This particular Fahey is also somebody with a long career in music.
Starting with an art rock band, The Makers Of The Dead Travel
Fast, then onto sampling genius with Social Interiors (along with
Rick Rue and Julian Knowles) and then building his own and others'
studios. For this new solo work he uses a bunch of field recordings,
analogue synths and tape loops - almost like ancient musique concrete.
Even when this CD has seven separate tracks, it feels like one
piece. Partly that is due to the nature of what Fahey does: a
multi-track tape with lots of sounds that are there in a seemingly
random order, but which start to make sense in the mix. The field
recordings are not always easy to spot, save for some rain dripping
and wind blowing through empty metal containers, but they mix
nicely along the sound of buzz and hiss coming from the analogue
synths. Music that is quite densely layered, most of the times,
sometimes in a slightly amorphous mass, then crisp and clear.
Each piece is a piece by itself, and all seven make up for one
giant piece of music. There is always something happening at any
level of the music, making this into a very vibrant electro-acoustic
work. Very well done work. (FdW)
Address: http://www.endgame.com.au
LOREN CONNORS - THE CURSE OF MIDNIGHT MARY
(CD by Family Vineyard)
In New Haven, Connecticut, there is the legendary grave of Midnight
Mary and if you get caught there past midnight, you will die the
next day. That is not entirely true. Loren Connors walked in,
in 1981, with his guitar and tape recorder and still lives on,
lucky for him and us. The recording of his guitar playing and
singing that night on the graveyard was lost for some time but
recently unearthed and is now released. If you are familiar with
his Connors' old recordings from this period, which were re-released
in 1999 in box-set form, then you know what to expect here. Slightly
detuned acoustic guitar and Connors moaning, shaman like 'vocals',
wordless, and chilling to the bone. With the imperfections of
the recordings like in place, this Nine pieces of midnight horror
music of a great delicate, improvised nature. I am not the connoisseur
to say whether this is gospel like, or in which particular direction
of folk music this stands, but I know this sounds great. I dug
out the old box-set again and placed it on my desk for the times
that are less busy to come and play an entire day of Connors music.
I am glad some curses aren't true. (FdW)
Address: http://www.family-vineyard.com
MUSLIMGAUZE VS. SPECIES OF FISHES (CD by
Tourette Records)
RETARDER - ENQUIRIES (CD by Tourette Records)
ANDREW ZEALLEY - THEMES & VARIATIONS (LP by Tourette Records)
DAO+COH - DZERZHINSK-9 (LP by Tourette Records)
To be really honest, the only thing Muslimgauze related I'm waiting
for is the book that Ibrahim Khider wrote on the life and work
of this man, rather than some new work or re-issue, even when
that re-issue is somehow linked to my own past. Russia's Species
Of Fishes released 'Songs Of A Dumb World' on Korm Plastics and
'Trip Trap' on their own Exotica label and back then, 1997-1998,
this was at the peak of ambient house and I thought Species Of
Fishes was one of those bands that made their own interesting
mark on that musical scene. I am not sure if they send copies
of their own to Muslimgauze or perhaps I did, but it resulted
in this set of remixes. Muslimgauze was always busy remixing other
people's work, so various bands sent in their music and get a
full hour of work back, which was then released. Perhaps a particular
favorite of Tourette Records, I don't know, but here it is again.
Listening to this I was thinking that perhaps of all the works
created by Muslimgauze, his remixes are, besides some of his solo
highlights, of more interest than many of his sometimes mediocre
albums. I guess this has to do with the sound input received from
the original band, which makes this less arabic/ethno in approach,
yet still maintaining that signature Muslimgauze sound. Minimal
chuncks of rhythm, repeating in a somewhat mechanical way. The
biggest problem I always had with Muslimgauze was his determination
to get everything out that he created, also the weaker bits. That's
also the case here with this set of remixes, of which some tracks
don't extend beyond 'three loops of sound and some sound effects'.
Good to hear again though.
Lloyd James is the man behind Retarder. I understand he was a
member of a band called Naevus, which I never heard, but I gather
from what I read a sort of rock band. His 'Enquiries' record is
however hardly rock related. Experimental is the easy way out
in calling it something at all. The eight pieces are quite a different,
mixed bag. The opening piece 'Dancing' sound like an exercise
in Garage Band: piano and horns play Conlon Nancarrow's player
piano pieces. Hectic and nervous, but I must admit it sounds quite
nice. Its followed by 'Turn That Light Off', which has bass loop,
guitar riff and vocals - something entirely different. 'Superman's
Cave' sounds again like something coming out of a digital instrument,
but then very ambient, or 'Modern Evening' with slow electric
guitar movements, heavy drums and singing. A most curious record
indeed. More like a radio program actually, but one that I actually
would like to hear. Most likely one of the stranger records I
heard recently.
From Andrew Zealley I once reviewed a LP on
En/Of, and he was a member of Greek Buck. That was back in Vital
Weekly 450, which is nearly four years ago. Now he returns to
the Vital HQ with a new LP, which deals with various pieces of
music recorded for film, video, installation and performances.
I won't go into the depth by writing what is what here, but there
is for instance the 'score to Treleaven's film on pandrogyny (starring
Genesis P'Orridge and the late Lady Jaye Breyer)', which opens
this record. Zealley uses in his music field recordings, electronics,
violin and other strings and vocals. Somehow it seems to me that
the pieces are linked to eachother, or cross faded into eachother.
The music is simply great. Ambient like, soft, not too outspoken
but also on the other hand weird and experimental enough, and
suddenly bursting into 'Signal' which is almost like a sorrowful
poptune - dreampop almost. However most of the other pieces are
instrumentals, which would be less poppy, but still have that
nice ambient edge. More like microsound or downright ambient,
these are however more structured like a 'song'. Even without
film, video or such like, this is a great album.
What did COH, also known as Ivan Pavlov before he became one of
the stars of the electronic music scene? He created more electronic
music, together with DAO, also known as Andrej Kolesov. The pieces
collected here are from before COHs first releases on Raster Music
from 1996, which was recorded using "hand-made digital and
analogue equipment, and recorded onto a 4-track cassette deck",
and its all live in the studio, direct to tape stuff. The four
pieces are crude electronics - not noise in any sense of the word,
but crude rhythmic electronics. What it seems to lack in composition
is actually made up in raw energy. Sometimes breakbeat like, then
a bit of ambient with bass beating below. Its not the greatest
music in the world, but it has some nice untamed energy. Nice
historical document. (FdW)
Address: http://www.touretterecords.com
AUTUMN BLOOD (CD compilation by Lumberton
Trading Company)
From the ashes of Fourth Dimension, moving from
the UK to Poland, came a new label, Lumberton Trading Company,
which released between june 2005 and now, twelve CDs and LPs.
Not all of these were reviewed in Vital Weekly, but the label
included Experimental Audio Research, Thighpaulsandra, Theme,
Micheal Gira, Volga, Nick Mott, Formication, Faust, Sion Orgon,
Andrew Liles and Human Greed. You'll find many of them on this
taster compilation, which includes also people that will be released
later on. So we get also Lawrence English, Peter Christopherson,
Birds Build Nests Underground, Steven Severin, Zenial/Banabila,
and Colin Potter. Its quite a nice compilation, but its a compilation.
Short pieces that show the love this label has for somewhat dark,
electronic music, a bit of turntablism, some tribal percussion
and such like. None of the pieces is bad and there is no particular
track standing out. Such is the unfortunate life of compilations
I guess. It never brings out the great reviewer in me. (FdW)
Address: http://www.lumbertontrading.com
(AD)VANCE(D) - TWO EVENTS (LP by Waystyx
Records)
Not much info on this otherwise beautifully packed LP. The story
should be known: following the split of Vance Orchestra, Mars
Wellink started (ad)vance(d), together with Jan Dekker. The music
of (ad)vance(d) is a continuation of lines set out by Vance Orchestra:
that of the cross road of ambient music, bit of rhythm (mainly
through samples) and a hint of industrial music. Two side long
pieces, an event per side me thinks. The music slowly evolves
and develops - the archetypical form of drone music, which is
in these four hands in great form. Deep rumbles from below the
earth's surface, which grow in intensity and take a big shape,
almost without the listener realizing this. Voices (?) seem to
mumble, the rattling of a bike, all against a nice, thick brick
wall of sound. It reminded me of some of the best work of zoviet*france.
The rotating swirls fit the medium, or the medium fits the swirls
of sound. Two particular great pieces that one keeps rotating
on end. Fabolous headspace music. (FdW)
Address: distribution through http://www.dronerecords.de
THE VOMIT ARSONIST - WRETCH (CD by Cipher
Productions)
AZOIKUM - ANTHROPOPHAGY (CDR by Cipher Productions)
GUILTY CONNECTOR - IKOMAYAM STARS 'N' NISHINARI (7" EP by
Cipher Productions)
The coelacanth was a mystery until human understanding dragged
it from the depths and killed it. Knowledge is power, and power
is death, understanding destroys in two ways, the subject it destroys
literally but the act of understanding gives a limit, a limit
to life. Literalism and understanding are what separates the artistic
act from that of the therapeutic, of which the latter is what
Wretch is about. A personal description which sounds like many
others, the "Alien" sound track. If it posited anything
other than that is would be clichéd. As its not its more
like a diary than a novel. Unfortunately texturally / sonically
Anthropophagy is much the same, and here I take full responsibility
for not being able to read the text, these texts which focus very
much on a signified - a teleology of mental health and normality.
"dedicated to those who understand". I don't understand
- or do I think it's a good thing to want to, or achieve what
is a phallogocentric telos. Ikomayam Stars 'n' Nishinari is more
of a non signifying signifier, perhaps by limiting itself to the
format of only two tracks - a long metallic drone & and a
short semi silent shimmering which terminates in what could be
a real non-linguistic turn if perused with more confidence. It
is then - and certainly what was just referenced, immanent rather
than the hallucination of transcendental error in the other two.
Kant was after all the first and last philosopher who posited
the transcendental as unpredicated limit, a land which deluded
metaphysicians think they inhabit, a group of foolish costume
wearing
super-heroes one never sees flying or traversing the city in a
single leap. (Jliat)
Address: http://www.iheartnoise.com/cipherproductions/
STROTTER INST. - BOLZPLATZ (10" by
Everest Records)
Since I'm no longer reviewing not 'the real thing' I wonder why
I touch this CDR of a 10". My wondering goes further: the
press text reads about two tracks at 33 rpm and two at 45 rpm,
but it implies also that one could play all tracks at any speed
- eight in total they say, but whatever happened to 16 and 78
rpm? Now that's something I would have liked to try out myself.
One of those reasons for wanting the real thing. Strotter Inst.
is one of those guys who use the turntable to play his music.
Not in the sense of say Otomo Yoshihide, but more like a Philip
Jeck on speed. The rotations of the table are used to generate
a louder sound, a menacing threat. A driving stomping beat sound,
very dry. Objects cling and clang around in a strictly mechanical
fashion, but the drive is fine enough to get a small crowd moving.
No techno beats, more like dark tribal music. Nice one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.everestrecords.ch
RUI COSTA - SIGHTSEEING FOR THE BLIND (CD
by 1000Füssler)
SIMON WHETHAM - D/R (CDR by 1000Füssler)
Two releases dealing with field recordings. There is lots of information
on the press release on Rui Costa, like that he worked with Inaki
Ros and Manuela Barile, and that works as a sound artist. Here
on 'Sightseeing For The Blind' he created a sound piece on the
city he lives in, Lisbon. A nice city as far as I can remember
from the two hours I walked around there. Costa walks the same
route as many tourists do - not me - and created this piece. A
nice piece, like the city. But not a piece that tells us much
about the city Lisbon. Nothing spectacular. Just a very nice,
somewhat subdued piece of music. Furthermore there are five further
remixes by others, Gregory Büttner, Pali Meursault, Bill
jarboe, Maile Colbert and Marc Behrens, who use the rough sound
material of Costa. These pieces are much shorter and throughout
with more 'action' - not just in the way they are processed, but
also because of the 'leakage' of the original sources.
On CDR we find the work of Simon Whetham, by now perhaps no longer
an unknown guy. He has had a couple of releases on Trente Oiseaux,
Entr'acte, Gruenrekorder and his work deals mainly with field
recordings. In October 2008 he went to Tallin, Estonia to work
on a project with a performance group on the theme of 'Deconstruction/Reconstruction'.
One piece wasn't documented, the other three are. The first piece
is deals with the city sounds of Tallinn, which are processed
(I think) into some collage form. The typical work of a modern
day composer of city sounds, I'd say, but Whetham does a fine
job at that. Its a very playful piece, detailed and rich. In 'Decrescendo'
things move from the loud to the soft, as implied by the title.
Starting out with classical music, which, once died out, fades
into sparse metallic sounds that scratch the surface and some
deep bass rumble. Almost silent in approach. Perhaps the best
piece of the three. In 'Yoko' he uses the sounds produced by Yoko
Ishiguro, who tries to smoke, cook, wash her her and eat a banana,
all at the same time. The human sounds of action can be well spotted
in here, but I think its the least convincing piece - perhaps
too clear, or too direct in approach. With seven minutes also
the shortest. (FdW)
Address: http://www.1000fussler.com
HENRY KUNTZ & PAUL V.KUNTZ - YEAR OF
THE OX (CDR by Hummingbird)
Paul is a professional photographer, but plays piano since his
youth with a love for jazz and improvisation. With Henry Kuntz
we are in the company of a veteran improvisor. We first hear him
on a very early record of Henry Kaiser, "Ice Death"
(1977). And two years later Kuntz started Hummingbird and released
his first solo-album "Cross-Eyed Priest". Releases over
the years were not many. Concerning this new release Kuntz says:
"These are the first recordings Paul and I have made together
in 25 years. We had fun improvising and spontaneously shaping
the music, each piece grew out of its own organic logic."
The reason for this long gap remains is not given. Also whether
we are are talking here of two brothers, father and son, or another
(family-)relation is not made explicit, but of course of secondary
importance. But let's come to this meeting. Henry Kuntz plays
chinese musette, angel soprano recorder, bells ,voice. Paul Kuntz
embellished piano, bell wreath. We find them in nine concentrated
improvisations, each one starting from a different angle. The
music comes to you very direct. It is of great purity and rawness,
unpolished. This makes that the music has an immediate emotional
impact, although it are very abstract improvisations. Like in
'Ox 1' Kuntz produces often very penetrating sounds from his instruments,
whereas Paul attracts attention with his self-made prepared piano
turning it into an almost percussive instrument. In 'Ox 2' Henry
excels in (fake) japanese vocals. Virtuosity is not their thing.
The music lacks ego and pretensions. It springs from a meeting
between two very personal and dedicated players. Authentic music!
(DM)
Address: http:/henrykuntz.free-jazz.net/
HOMOGENIZED TERRESTRIALS - RABBIT HOLE (CDR
by 6 On The Dot)
Its been nearly five years since I last (and first) heard of Homogenized
Terrestrials, who never stopped releasing music, so far there
have been thirty-six releases. Listening to this new work, 'Rabbit
Hole', I am bound to think that not much has changed for Homogenized
Terrestrials since 'Patience Is A Fuse'. Again the music is atmospheric
and electronic, with a tendency to be slightly rhythmic in approach.
The four pieces are again quite long, an this time tend to be
a bit overlong. Some more rigorous editing would have been in
place. It comes across now as material that created through methods
of improvisation and released as such, and not with the listener
in mind. That is a pity, since each of the pieces has something
of its own which is now swamped by the entirety of the piece -
and that, I think, is a pity, especially 'History Engraved' could
have been chopped up into two or three smaller pieces. (FdW)
Address: http://www.homogenizedterrestrials.com/
LE MAL D'ARCHIVE - LA CHANSON DE MAI (CDR,
private)
This privately released CDR by the Italian duo of Pasquale Napolitano
and Felice Acierno, together known as Le Mal D'Archive, deals
with, if I understand well, french chanson tradition in combination
modern electronica. They use laptop, guitar, microkorg, analogic
[sic] synth and processed trumpet. Maybe its fair to say that
there are only two songs on this release, and three more sketch
like pieces. In 'Omonime', clearly the best piece of the release,
the acoustic guitar plays the central role, along with singing
and lots of nice electronic ornamental sounds. 'La Chanson de
Mai '94' is a more sparse piece, and not as good. The three sketch
pieces are between one and two minutes each and are more short
improvisations, or try-outs. An odd release, and I'm sure that
first track is very good, and could be expanded upon. I'm also
sure I don't get the rest. (FdW)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/lemaldarchive
GELUIDSPOST 2007-2008 (2CDR by Universaal
Kunst)
Maybe you remember the announcements by Martijn Hohmann for his
Geluidspost? Geluidspost is an imaginary concert space in an art
space in Breda (The Netherlands), where people can sit and listen
to to music, not distracted by something else. In 2007 and 2008
he asked various people to compose a piece of music for this,
nine in total (and some had a real concert to present it). These
nine pieces are now collected on this double CDR, in an edition
of 250 copies (why not a real CD, I wondered). Tracks are usually
around ten to twenty minutes long and read like a fine who's who
from the current experimental scene: Merzbow, Runzelstirn &
Gurgelstock, Janek Schaefer, Machinefabriek, (ad)vance(d), Steve
Roden, Francisco Lopez, Staplerfahrer and a bunch of student from
Sonology from The Hague, under the guidance of Justin Bennett.
In 2007 (the first four names mentioned here), the emphasis was
more on music, with some nice electronic piece by Schaefer and
Machinefabriek and more noisy bits from the other two, whereas
in 2008 the notions shifted more towards the use of field recordings.
The student piece was perhaps not the best of the lot, a bit haphazard,
but the other four a fine pieces, which do exactly what to expect
from these composers. As such perhaps a bit 'regular' for them,
but no weak brother around and (ad)vance(d) delivering the best
out of nine. (FdW)
Address: http://www.universaal.nl
KARL BOSMANN - DAS ELEKTRONISCHE SKIZZENBUCH
(CDR by Verato Project)
Very nice package here from Karl Bösmann, lots of spiral
cuts were made, handpainted and all that. The CDR is very, very
long. I sighed. Is it really necessary to fill a CD with almost
eighty minutes of music? Are you sure all the pieces are equally
strong to be released? Maybe Bösmann thought of that too,
so he calls this 'the electronic sketch book'. There is a market
in the visual art world of artists sketch books, as to penetrate
the mind of the artist, and maybe we should think of this when
we hear this release: loose ideas, half baked, semi-rough. Work
in progress music. Sometimes nice, sometimes not. Rhythmic at
its best times, ugly noise based in its lesser moments. What's
there to say about this unfinished music (would be great title,
hadn't Lennon used it). Not much really. I heard Bösmann
doing way better than this, and maybe people just shouldn't release.
Not The Beatles, not Bösmann. Just give the real, finished
thing. (FdW)
Address: http://www.verato-project.de
CORNSTAR - LULLA (CDR by Visceral Media)
Apparently a decade ago, John Latartara and Khristian Weeks worked
together, and now they reunite as Cornstar. Latartara is a composer
of all sorts of music from ambient to noise to 'deconstructions
of Western canonic pieces' and I believe he is from Australia,
whereas Weeks is 'a sound artist/designer and improviser living
in Durham, NC'. I assume both of them use laptops to play their
music. Weeks delivered the sound material through mail and Latartara
'edited, arranged and mixed' them. There is the sound of piano
and guitar, but all captured in their most glitchy form. In the
past I wrote about originals and copy cats, and sometimes the
copy is better than the original, but in the case of Cornstar
I can't say so. They very much sound like Oval in its ambient
phase and Fennesz in a like-wise slumber mood and everything else
that happened in the past decade in the world of glitch and clicks
and cuts, that this well behind the facts. The music as such is
actually not bad at all. Kinda of pleasant warm glitch music,
but then any reach for an old 12K, Line, Ritornell might satisfy
that need for that kind of music too. Out of ten: a seven for
productional skills, a three for originality. (FdW)
Address: http://www.visceralmediarecords.com
PSYCHON - SLOW COUNTRY FOR OLD MAN (CDR
by Narrominded)
LIVING ORNAMENTS - KORRELS (CDR by Narrominded)
Its good to know that people do work hard and long to create their
music (though it should not be confused with 'I worked on this
very long, so it is very good'), and Psychon from Haarlem or Amsterdam
took five years to create a follow-up to 'Apocalypse Has Been
Dubbed The Weekend Pill'. That album was crazy mixture of musical
genres, like symphonic rock, techno, IDM, ambient, dashes of krautrock
but also jazz and noise and perhaps the bad news is that 'Slow
Country For Old Man' isn't something else, but more of the same.
But waiting five years for something you liked back then, might
not be bad either? Again we are bombarded with samples from all
over the musical spectrum, but throughout hip hop like rhythms
play an important role - if any change that might be the one major
change in this new Psychon work - and lots of wacky vocal samples,
guitars, ambient doodling, psychedelica and strangely enough sounds
all pretty coherent. Its like this stuff is made to stick to eachother.
This could be big on the dance/rock live circuit, as its not far
away from say C'Mon & Kypsky. The humour extends to the titles:
'Bollywoodhowl', 'Campdavidhasselhoff' or 'Nanamissouri'.
Also Living Ornaments took some time to follow up their 'Vlokken'
release (see Vital Weekly 518), three years. I think that membership
for both Pscyhon and Living Ornaments are quite a like, but there
is a big difference in sound approach. Whereas Psychon bounces
in all direction, Living Ornaments are more in one corner: IDM
based sample music. They released on Skam and Scarcelight in the
past to give you a clue. Rhythm plays an important role in their
music, either straight forward from the rhythm machine, or through
sampled sounds. It seems that these pieces are more like finished,
rounded off songs than the same more free play of before. It makes
the music more coherent than before too, I think. Maybe some of
the pieces are still a bit long for my taste. Oddly enough I don't
see Living Ornaments on the big stage, which is funny: shouldn't
they be getting the kids to dance and not Psychon? Perhaps so,
but Living Ornaments are more armchair dance music - tap your
feet music. Nice too for the after party. (FdW)
Address: http://www.narrominded.com
KIRCHENKAMPF - DARK PLANET (CDR by Cohort
Records)
KIRCHENKAMPF - WELL OF SOULS (CDR by Cohort Records)
This is all a bit unclear to me, I must admit. There is already
so much music around, that I don't see the point of releasing
both new music two CDRs. With not much money to burn, people would
probably ignore one of the two? Wouldn't that be a pity? John
Gore's Kirchenkampf, in his defense, is not a man to release lots
of music, but for the unholy reviewer, it might be a bit hard
to review both discs at once. His music deals mainly with the
darker side of droning electronics, the analogue synthesizers
hissing. No rhythm machines, just various layers of synthesizers
and sound effects which are there to create an unsettling feel
- the dark planet indeed. Inconvenient truth music - although
I am not sure if this Gore has the same environmental ideas. Think
Maurizio Bianchi's 'The Plain Truth' and you are there - at least
soundwise.
'No radios were used' it says on 'Well Of Souls'. Three pieces
here, all around twenty-five minutes (why not, I mumbled) instead
of nine on the other. The pieces here run a longer course of course,
and are more minimal in their execution. Its hard to say which
approach I like, as I like pretty much both ends of the approaches.
Having said that, I must admit I had a hard(er) time listening
to both these discs in a row. That can't be the point of good
music. (FdW)
Address: http://cohortrecords.0catch.com
SYLVIE WALDER - MOMENTS (CDR by Experimedia)
IAN HAWGOOD - THE GREAT ALLURE (CDR by Experimedia)
RYONKT - SMALL CONVERSATIONS (CDR by Experimedia)
SHINOBU NEMOTO - IMPROVISATIONS #1 (CDR by Experimedia)
BILLY GOMBERG/OFF THE SKY - FLYOVER SOUND (CDR by Experimedia)
Unfortunately Experimedia, a label who send material before, never
read the fine print of submitting material to Vital Weekly, so
they just send us five CDRs at once, and have a nice day. You
probably didn't get anything this week? Read elsewhere what I
said about the end of the holidays and all that. A bird review,
which I started with one Sylvie Walder, who presents with 'Moments'
her first release. The website says something about 'the intimate
tones of her piano as the driving force behind her emotive sonic
constructs', but it must be a very heavily processed piano. In
'Paris Failure', the tenth track I recognized the piano, for the
first time. Walder creates nice quiet ambient music with this.
Dark, atmospheric, drone based, with maybe as an odder exception,
the fact that her tracks are shorter than with many others. That
makes some of these pieces a bit sketch like, unfinished and rough,
not in a noisy sense of course. Nice but not great. Not bad either.
One of those things.
Likewise I never heard, I think, of Ian Hawgood. More piano's
are mentioned here, but the music is less subtle in approach than
Walder's, less ambient, more experimental (for the lack of a better
word), and essentially loop and glitch based. Looping and phase
shifting voices in 'The Yesterdays Of Today, The Tomorrows Of
Now', with clicks are irregular rhythm patterns, make this sound
like a demented Steve Reich, but at twenty minutes it also a bit
long for what it has to say. That is a bit of a problem with four
of the six pieces, they are a bit too long. Easily they could
have lasted ten minutes instead of fifteen to twenty and be a
bit stronger. It's all quite nice experimental music, partly ambient,
partly something louder and experimental, which makes it a varied
party.
There is no information on the next three releases on the Experimedia
website. And while the label has great covers for the releases
(hats off!), they don't have much information either. In fact
nothing at all. So who is Ryonkt and what does he do? I don't
know - I could have a look at myspace, but I don't like myspace
very much. Four pieces here, all around ten minutes and to me
it seems he uses acoustic instruments, maybe wind instruments
and strings, which he cuts into loops before the sound dies out.
So that one sound appears, which he loops around. He then creates
various layers of various pitches of this material and that makes
up a piece. If that sounds like a Phill Niblock approach to you,
then you are right - to me it does too. And that's not bad: I
like Phill Niblock's music and its an approach to music I like
very much and its not followed a lot (at least to my knowledge)
and makes effectively great modern classical music. Very drone
based, very gentle music. Great one.
Shinobu Nemoto calls his release 'improvisations', which probably
no doubt refers to the way it was created. Again we are left in
the dark as to how this was done. These are certainly not improvisations
like so many others in Vital Weekly. Done on perhaps synthesizers
or computer/software, they are lengthy affairs of densely layered
sounds, in which sounds roll over eachother in a somewhat muddy
sound. Not very detailed that is. And that is a pity. Also there
isn't that much variation in these five pieces, which makes this
all a bit overlong.
The two names I recognized are Billy Gomberg and Off The Sky,
Both were reviewed before in Vital Weekly and consist usually
of a fine blend of field recordings and acoustic instruments being
manipulated and treated digitally. What they do here is of their
usual high standard. Great manipulations of not too outspoken
music, held back, introspective, ambient glitch with a touch of
improvisation. As such this music is hardly 'new' by the standards
of microsound (think for instance 'Heroin' by Mathieu/Ehlers,
without the pop references, but in the hands of Gomberg and Jason
Corder (the man behind Off The Sky) the result is great. Together
with Ryonkt, the best release out of these five. (FdW)
Address: http://www.experimedia.net
New MP3 releases:
1. From: <irb154187@ntlworld.com>
The Truth About Frank have a new 6 track EP entitled 'Neon Fractured Night' available for free download on the German netlabel 'weirdandwired'.
This is how the label describes the release;
Some war-robots with dying batteries are stomping beats through terrifying landscapes of giant mountains topped with scrap-metal. A long journey into noisy battles of grinding and shuffling beat-up beats and noises, surrounding the enemy, enclosing a space of excited, fervid sounds, crawling like a colony of army-ants with antennas right towards you. Prepare! get your rusty laser-sword out and march along.
Download either via www.myspace.com/truthaboutfrank
or
http://www.weirdandwired.net/neon_fractured_night.htm