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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 718
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week 6
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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
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* noted are in this week's podcast. We
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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>
DOF - SUDDENLY SHIFTING AGAINST THE SKY
(CD by P*Dis) *
MY PRIVATE SPACE (CD compilation by P*Dis)
GEOFF GERSH - THESE PREDICAMENTS (CD by Deep Listening Institute)
*
RHYS CHATHAM - THE BERN PROJECT (CD by Hinterzimmer) *
ELEH - LOCATION MOMENTUM (CD by Touch) *
DIAPHANE - SAMDHYA (CD by Ant-Zen)
SOMATIC RESPONSES - NEON (CD by Hymen Records)
THAMNOS - WIR (CD by Sound Claim)
AIDAN BAKER - LIMONOID / LIFEFORMS (CD by Alien8)
BLESSURE GRAVE - JUDGED BY TWELVE, CARRIED BY SIX (CD by Alien8)
FJERNLYS - BEYOND THE UNDULANT QUIESCENCE (CD by Loki Foundation)
*
RELMIC STATUTE - MORNING TAPES (CD by Hibernate Recordings) *
NIGEL SAMWAYS - POOR HENRIETTA MARIE (3"CD by Hibernate
Recordings) *
SEMUIN - CIRCLES AND ELEPHANTS (CD by Ahornfelder) *
DAVID GRUBBS & F.S. BLUMM - BACK TO THE PLANTS (7" plus
book by Ahornfelder)
MATT RÖSNER - REPEAT (LP by Miatera)
EMACIATOR - COVETING (LP by Not Not Fun Records)
WARNING LIGHT - FURTHER ON (CDR by Stickfigure) *
LIB EMBA - TERMINAL MUSE: RED (CDR by Stickfigure) *
MICHEAL WINTER - RECURSIVE STALL (CDR by Magnanimous Records)
*
DRUNJUS - SLEEP TRADER (CDR by Striate Cortex) *
AALFANG MIT PFERDEKOPF - IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE AT WAR WITH YOU?
(CDR by Dying For Bad Music) *
LEAST CARPET (CDR by Dying For Bad Music) *
NICK DAN - LOVE SONGS PT. 3 (CDR by Black Petal) *
GEODESIC DOMES ON THE HORIZON - FEATHER OF THE BEE (3"CDR
by Black Petal) *
SAY YES TO THE NO-NOS - KO-KO LUV GOOD (CDR by Green Tapes) *
CHURCHBURNERS - REASON TO BELIEVE (3"CDR by Green Tapes)
*
JUSTIN RHODY & MATT HIMES (cassette by Green Tapes)
CHURCHBURNERS - AIR PUDDING (cassette by Green Tapes)
BERLIN TAPE RUN (cassette by Staaltape)
MADRE OSA/COMISARIO HJULER - MUSICA EXPERIMENTAL (cassette by
Circuit Torcat Records)
DOF - SUDDENLY SHIFTING AGAINST THE SKY
(CD by P*Dis)
MY PRIVATE SPACE (CD compilation by P*Dis)
Its been a while since we (I, at least) heard the music of Brian
Hulick, also known as DoF. 'Sun, Strength and Shield' was reviewed
back in Vital Weekly 547. Reading the current press message I
think I missed out on two EPs released in between that album
and this new album, which were more vocal based (I would have
like to hear those). This one sees him returning to that previous
Abandon Building album: almost instrumental and firmly rooted
in that area where electronics and folk music meet up: folktronica
as some call it. It must be that long, long cold winter that
I am facing here in The Netherlands - a rarity I might add -
but this music is great. Mild summer breeze music, with those
tinkling guitars/mandolins/banjos, bouncing rhythms and sequencer
based melodies. I closed the curtains so I can no longer see
any snow and turned the heater up a bit more and closed my eyes,
thinking it was a sunny day in May. Joyful and thoughtful music
- its both of that. One can relax and think, or jump around full
of enlightenment. Last time I wrote that twelve tracks is a bit
much, and its twelve here too, but for some reason I don't think
its enough. It must be, indeed, that time of the year I thought,
that one could use such summery music. Pure instrumental popmusic
with a great experimental edge to it. Excellent!
Elsewhere I write about Semuin and how 'Japanese' his music sounds
(written before this one actually) and then this compilation
drops in, which, according to the label, features the 'most popular
Japanese post-classical/electronica artists'. I recognized a
few, like Aus, Akira Kosemura, Fjordine and Haruka Nakamura,
but I may not have heard of No. 9, Uran Okajima, Kadan or YNA.
Of the twelve tracks, two are previously unreleased, which may
mean that the label, P*Dis, also known as a fine distributor
of CDs in Japan, are showcasing what they have for sale as a
distributor. But what commercial marketing techniques tell you
is, that sometimes people may not want to buy a CD by one artist,
but rather have a compilation like this. It brings together some
of the finest music available. Or you can use this to spot your
own favorites which you may want to seek about more. Either way.
I like to see to see as a highly pleasant disc of great music.
The tinkling of guitars by Uran Okmajima (reminding me of a sunny
Durutti Column), the piano of no.9 (and to make another reference:
Soft Verdict/Wim Mertens) and the more modern classics of Haruka
Nakamura, towards 'stuff with beats' by Akira Kosemura and even
vocals with Kadan. There is a lot to be discovered here and the
whole approach - music and design reminded me of Les Disques
Du Crepuscule in their best days: great compilations showcasing
a variety of musical styles, with always a nod towards classical
music and popmusic (and luckily no spoken word!), everything
with the capital Q of quality. Great compilation. (FdW)
Address: http://www.impartmaint.com
GEOFF GERSH - THESE PREDICAMENTS (CD by
Deep Listening Institute)
The music on this release was composed for a solo exhibition
of painter David Stoupakis in Los Angeles by one Geoff Gersh.
I never heard of him, although this is his second solo CD of
Deep Listening Institute. Gersh is a composer and guitarist,
but also uses field recordings, reel-to-reel tape recordings,
zither and bowed metal files. Not that I could tell really from
listening to the five pieces on this CD. It doesn't sound like
that at all. The music is best described as isolationist music
- although I think hardly anyone uses that these days anymore.
Dark ambient drone, then? Well, why not. The sounds on this release
are highly textured, transformed by using electronics perhaps,
and the result is a beautiful, dense release that also a light
tone it, like floating a few centimeters above the ground. An
excellent release of fine, dark drone music. Music to fill your
environment with in a very peaceful manner, like great ambient
music should do. The real thing, a textbook release. Some people
(see elsewhere) should take note of such things. (FdW)
Address: http://www.deeplistening.org
RHYS CHATHAM - THE BERN PROJECT (CD by
Hinterzimmer)
Of course the name Rhys Chatham has been known to me for ages.
In the 80s I used to read about him in the music papers as part
of the growing group of musicians from the rock scene, playing
around with the notions of minimal music, with Glen Branca the
main protagonist. But the young FdW as I was, I couldn't afford
to buy all records that seemed interesting (and downloading wasn't
quite there yet. Can you believe that?), so somehow I never got
to know his music until later on I heard some music that I borrowed
somewhere. So odd as it may seem this is the first time I sit
down and properly hear his music, although all the people he
influenced I know: Sonic Youth, or Godspeed! You Black Emperor.
Chatham is the composer for the electric guitar, solo, with a
trio or even 100, 200 or 400, as he once did in Paris. His Guitar
Trio is a piece he still performs and he did that in 2008 in
Bern (Switzerland) where he met some great musicians. It was
decided there and then to record more music and six months he
went into the studio with Julian Sartorius (drums), Mago Flueck
(bass) and Beat Unternahrer (trombone), supervised by Reto Mäder,
who recorded all the sessions and did the mix of the material.
Maybe its odd to say, but the music is exactly how I thought
it would be, and keep that as a compliment to the musicians.
Its minimal music indeed, with repeating strumming on the guitar,
banging of drums and the trombone playing sustained notes on
the trombone, that at times swell like a mass of fog horns. Its
no like Godspeed's ploy to start soft and end with a bombastic
mass of sound, but in Chatham's music things start right away
and his builds are much quicker. The result is great, absolutely
great. Minimal and rock alike. I would have to hear this out
loud. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hinterzimmer-records.com
ELEH - LOCATION MOMENTUM (CD by Touch)
It wasn't difficult to miss out on the previous eleven releases
by Eleh: they were on vinyl and all in highly limited editions,
for labels such as Important Records, Taiga and Touch. The latter
now releases the first digital release, and even I get to hear
it. Eleh, of whom nothing is revealed, started out in 1999 'an
an exploration of analog synthesis, emphasizing low frequency
oscillation and resonant acoustic phenomena'. That means Eleh
has some ancient of a synth at his disposal (or hers, we don't
know), that generates tones rather than sweet bubbling sounds.
Eleh records these, say two or three, and then mixes them together.
Yes, if you read that, it may sound the simplest of things, doesn't
it? Well, perhaps it is, but its always the result that counts,
isn't it? Its music that fills out your space in a great way.
Think Alvin Lucier, I'd say, but then usually pitched down -
or rather: playing the lower end of the sound spectrum. By knitting
a few closely related sounds together, a whole series of 'extra'
sounds start to sing - like there is more space between them.
Only in 'Observation Wheel' there are a few distinctly different
sounds - sine wave like and white noise like. 'Rotational Change
For Windmill' sounds like an alarm going off, slowing down towards
the end - indeed Lucier like (think 'Clocker'). Quite a strong
CD of powerful subconscious drone music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.touchmusic.org.uk
DIAPHANE - SAMDHYA (CD by Ant-Zen)
People who has been following the catalogue of German master-label
of industrial music, might have heard of Jerome Chassagnard and
Regis Baillet's project Aba Ovo - a very interesting IDM-based
project. Personally I was eager to listen to this side-project
called Diaphane from the joint-venture between the two french
sound artists. There is a tense melancholy upon the album with
some excellent synth-layers sometimes reminiscent of the soundtrack
of a horror-flick. The rhythmic parts of the album first of all
stays in the midtempo pace with electro-textures shining through.
Another descriptive element of the expression is the clever use
of electro-acoustic sounds of acoustic instruments, first of
all piano. Highlights of the album could be tracks like the trippy
piece "Platinium" with touches of goa-trance saturating
and the horrific John Carpenter-reminiscent piece "The icefield".
Also the album closer titled "Chandra's breath" is
a gem with the beautiful melodic piano tune assisted by simples
of children's choir. Generally every single track on this album
contains a nice cinematic character making the album seem like
visions from the inner-cinema. (NM)
Address: http://www.ant-zen.com
SOMATIC RESPONSES - NEON (CD by Hymen Records)
The Welsh brothers are back! Ever since their debut album "Circumflex
", the family project Somatic Responses has impressed with
their take on technoid industrial. On previous album Somatic
Responses seemed like taking a step into other expressions. Their
2008-album "Digital darkness" was more harsh and dark
with hardly any melody to disrupt the ongoing machine of complex
rhythm textures, meanwhile the album "Reformation"
released in 2009 flirted with the sound of dubstep, though with
the harsh edge of the Healy-brothers. Now less then a year later
comes another work, from the project. In comparison to their
previous aforementioned albums, it seems like the duo has gone
back to the roots of their first albums: A sort of futuristic
atmosphere with horrific yet emotional interventions. Despite
the associations towards their earlier releases, Somatic Responses
makes it very clear on this album titled "Neon" that
the project has developed well over the years. Excellent almost
humorous interventions seems to occur, for instance with the
funky like track "I was neon" while a track like "Survive
(mix)" is an upbeat and quite harsh beast. My personal favorite
moment is the opening track titled "Another rainy day"
being an excellent old-school technoid funky piece with some
excellent ambient-passages sneaking in. Overall this an excellent
shot from Somatic Responses. In fact this must be my all-time
favorite from the Healy's and referring to my opening sequence
of this review this is definitely a challenge. Highly recommended!
(NM)
Address: http://www.hymenrecords.com
THAMNOS - WIR (CD by Sound Claim)
I have never heard of this project and it isn't the kind of style
that I normally dig into. Never the less I must admit that I
was blown away by this debut album from German/French-project
Thamnos. The album titled "WIR" is the first album
released on the Sound Claim and quite unusual release strategy
by today's standards: Only released on CD-format and no download
options available. On the other side this is most certainly an
album worth having on your shelf at home. Expressively the compositions
reminds me of Dead Can Dance, one thing is the beautiful female
vocals of French vocalist Annemarie Borg, another thing is the
clear fingerprints of ancient sounds such as neo-folk and world
music. But in comparison to the Dead Can Dance, there is more
weight put on the electronic expressions with elements of first
of all Ambient music, but also chilling trip hop. "Dead
can Dance" meets "Enigma" is not too far from
the descriptive reality. A remarkable presence in the music is
the acoustic sounds of first of all piano layers beautifully
woven into nocturnal soundscapes - sometimes non-rhythmic, other
times trippy hand percussion and electronic rhythm textures.
As said I was, pretty much blown away by this album, that certainly
delivers in atmosphere and melancholic beauty. People longing
for the sound of Dead Can Dance should look no further, and everyone
else should also pay attention. (NM)
Address: http://www.el.culto.eu
AIDAN BAKER - LIMONOID / LIFEFORMS (CD
by Alien8)
BLESSURE GRAVE - JUDGED BY TWELVE, CARRIED BY SIX (CD by Alien8)
One of my favorite noise albums, "Frequency LSD" by
Japanoise artist Masonna was released on Alien8 Recordings in
the mid-90's. With this in mind, and in combination with the
release of present two albums, there shouldn't be any questions
about the the great span of styles released by Alien8 Recordings
- Canada's probably most interesting label of the underground.
Aidan Baker is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist and sound artist
that creates music in the field from post-rock across drone ambient
to modern classical. His latest release "Limonoid / Lifeforms"
roughly comes across all aforementioned styles. On the album
Aidan Baker has allied with concrete noise artist Alan Bloor
alias Knurl / Pholde, Richard Baker on drums plus a number of
other acoustic members on instruments such as cello, violin and
guitars. As the title suggest the album is divided into two main
sections: A section called "Limonoid" consisting of
four intersections and the long and final piece titled "Lifeforms".
"Limonoid" is as mentioned earlier an interesting crossover
between neo-classical chamber music, noise-rock, post-rock with
associations of earlier Krautrock (first of all Amon Düül
I + II) and neo-folk with elements of middle-age expressions.
Quite interesting and very trippy psychedelia with vocals from
Clara Engel is what the first four chapters of the albums presents.
But in my opinion, the true gift is the second main section of
the album titled "Lifeforms". "Lifeforms"
is a lengthy piece clocking approximately 30 minutes. Where the
aforementioned section was a crossover of a number of styles
"Lifeforms" mainly focus on ambient-expressions but
with clear interventions of classical instruments such as violin
and cello meanwhile aforementioned noise artist Alan Bloor controls
his usual ultra-aggressive sound equipments being amplified steel
and metal as sound sources into more subtle and very attractive
noise drones. The piece is quite repetitive with a long hissing
drone of amplified strings but with organic interventions of
concrete sounds of aforementioned instruments. Halfway though
the track, hissing drone fades away giving way to more plain
acoustic ambience until another drone appears. The atmosphere
is hypnotic and very intense through out the running time of
the piece. Very interesting album showing the wide span of Aidan
Baker. As we leave the crossover style of Aidan Baker behind
and enter the world of Blessure Grave the expressive image completely
changes. Blessure Grave is a San Diego-based project consisting
of Reyna Kay and T. Grave. The true inspirations of this joint
venture is 80's goth and punk scene yet pulled into the present
world of modern technology. Sixteen pieces is found on this debut
album titled "Judged by twelve, carried by six". All
pieces belongs to the dark and pessimistic visions of early punk.
The expression first of all focus on electrified acoustic instruments
such as guitars, bass and drums moving upon layers of black synthlines
from Reyna Kay. Both members adds vocals to the pieces, sometimes
separately but most often as a punk-like double-vocal. As I listen
to the album, the earliest days of punk appears to me. The bass-work
has some similarities with Joy Division, other times the blackest
days of The Cure (circa-"Pornography") shines through
thanks to the drum-patterns and the guitarwork. Also "The
Sisters Of Mercy" slips through my mind as I listen. Still
the "Blessure Grave" has their own take on the black
world of goth-punk. The sound production is raw and unpolished
giving the album a feel of demo-tape; a feeling that only strengthens
the intensity and atmosphere of the music. Very interesting album,
making me longing for the early "No future"-days. (NM)
Address: http://www.alien8recordings.com
FJERNLYS - BEYOND THE UNDULANT QUIESCENCE
(CD by Lofi Foundation)
In the music industry everything returns one day: that is the
law of the industry. Ambient house died already ten years ago,
but mark my words, it will return. Now ambient house is a term
that covers a wide field of music, and not necessarily has anything
to do with dance music. It can be more ambient than dance. I
am not sure, but I doubt wether Fjernlys would call themselves
producers of that kind of music, but I see clearly the inspiration.
The synthesizers are digital - not software based but no longer
analogue, monophonic either. The kind of synths that produce
sounds that bubble. Secondly there are voices, female and male.
They don't sing, but more narrate stories - stories that are
not always easy to follow, but certainly set the tone for some
darker moods. Thirdly there are rudimentary beats, banging solemnly
in the background - just bass drum sounds basically. The cover
says there are vocals, guitars, viola also, and all of that make
up some pretty decent atmospheric music. This could have been
on Silent Records or perhaps Staalplaat fifteen years ago I thought,
the labels that brought the more daring kinds of experimental
ambient house. Not a moment of dance music in sight here, but
throughout a mighty fine retro sounding disc. I haven't heard
this kind of music for quite some time, but it gave me a nostalgic
feeling and that was highly pleasant. (FdW)
Address: http://www.loki-found.de
RELMIC STATUTE - MORNING TAPES (CD by Hibernate
Recordings)
NIGEL SAMWAYS - POOR HENRIETTA MARIE (3"CD by Hibernate
Recordings)
'Morning Tapes' by Relmic Statute is, I believe, the first 'real'
CD released by Hibernate, who have so far released CDRs. Behind
Relmic Statute there is one David Horner from Leeds. He finds
morning the best time of the day to record field recordings and
the tracks assembled on this release where recorded from 2000
to 2009, and it was never an idea to release them as one album.
These field recordings but also instruments were recorded on
cassettes and 1/4 inch tapes. I have no idea if these pieces
were then also finished in this period, or just recently, but
they indeed make a 'whole' as such. Gentle gliding music, of
sustaining sounds. Sometimes we recognize rain, or a guitar,
but most of the time we may not recognize anything at all. Hidden
in whatever kind of treatment was used by Horner (analogue or
digital), but the warm ambient music is really nice. A varied
album of pieces that works quite well. Nothing new in terms of
ambient music, but with excellent production skills made.
Nigel Samways was recently (see Vital Weekly 714) discovered
with some charming releases and here has a twenty-one minute
piece 'Wade In The Water', which is based on a recording of a
girl singing the same song in the streets of Lewes, but its no
longer to be recognized as such. Samways uses tape treatments,
dsp processing, instruments and some more field recordings, and
crafted a great piece of music of a loop of singing, to which
a whole brand of small electronic sounds, drones and glitches
are added. Think 'Jesus Blood Never Failed Me Yet' meeting 'Salt
Marie Celeste': a radioplay like piece of obscured field recordings
which tell us a story, other than 'just' beautiful music. Excellent
release here. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hibernate-recs.com
SEMUIN - CIRCLES AND ELEPHANTS (CD by Ahornfelder)
DAVID GRUBBS & F.S. BLUMM - BACK TO THE PLANTS (7" plus
book by Ahornfelder)
Jochen Briesen, the man of Semuin, released his first album 'Province'
on Audio Dregs in 2005 and for some reason or another it took
him five years to do another one. I didn't hear that one but
maybe I should. It is said that Briesen moves away from acoustic
instruments and digital processing thereof combined with field
recordings, in favor of using midi instruments and composing
with them. Sometimes these midi instruments sound very much like
the real thing. And sometimes just not at all. You may guessed
it already: this is popmusic. Not with vocals or common structures
of a pop song, but gentle, sweet melodies. References are made
by the label to Nobukazu Takemura, Max Tundra and Frank Zappa
at the synclavier. Not references I would easily thought of myself,
really. There is something definitely 'Japanese' about this music.
Pick almost any release of Flau, Spekk or Noble and you can hear
traces back in this release by Semuin. The Books would be another
point of reference. Sometimes distinctly computerized and sometimes
almost analog, warm and cosy. Just the last piece 'Stem (II)'
seems to be loudly out of place in this lot. Otherwise small
melodies prevail and make gentle curves. A sweet release, but
not too sweet. Dirty angles exist at the edges. Very nice.
The other new release is a book of drawings by F.S. Blumm. I
am not an art-critic, so what I can say? Its nice? Yes, it's
nice. I flip through it, and see some great naive drawing, very
abstract. A bit like the kids I babysit every now and then. But
the nice thing of course, at least for the music critic, is the
7" that comes along. Recorded by Blumm on the 2nd of July
2008 on an acoustic guitar with David Grubbs on electric guitar.
That recording has been split into four lovely tracks, along
with some extra material Blumm found on his hard drive. Excellent
improvised music, very intimate, with small gestures. Perhaps
just as naive as the drawings in the book? It shares a common
background I think. A great release of two parts that go together
well. (FdW)
Address: http://www.ahornfelder.de
MATT RÖSNER - REPEAT (LP by Miatera)
M. Rösner he was called in the previous reviews in Vital
Weekly (see Vital Weekly 592 and 633), but here its full out
Matt Rösner. He is from the western parts of Australia and
his environment - no doubt an empty one - is of influence on
his music. Although this is not mentioned in the current press
release, I believe from his previous releases he plays the cello
and electronics. Sometimes the latter sounds like sine waves
- or perhaps they are? - and the cello like an upright bass.
This is highly sparse music - empty if you will. Rösner
plays music in which there is room for silence. Tones swell and
leave, rise and fall. 'Echo' is such a piece. The title track
is one that has a sparse few chords on an organ like instrument.
Music that has come to a full stop. Excellent drone music. The
five pieces on the a-side of this record are very different.
A bit with just a piano, or one with just the cello, or sinewaves.
But it makes quite a coherent listening. A showcase of what Rösner
has to say, as well as an excellent performance of that. The
b-side has the side long 'Lattices', which reduces matters perhaps
even a bit more. For twenty minutes a low end sine wave like
sound that moves in and out. Towards the very end there is a
bit of field recording. A great side. A great record, with a
nice cover and arty printed insert. (FdW)
Address: http://www.miatera.com
EMACIATOR - COVETING (LP by Not Not Fun
Records)
Lone member of legendary noise outlet Pedestrian Deposit, and
honcho behind the Monorail Trespassing label, John Borges begot
Emaciator as a tag for his more ambient exploits, including those
on this enrapturing LP. Here, we encounter an album's worth of
feedback noise, adorned infrequently with passages of solemn
guitar picking. It can be a tough listen emotionally, but it's
an attractive one aesthetically, as it avoids brash noise for
a more atmospheric approach, making for a facilely conveyable
trail of morose sound. As others have often remarked upon when
tackling Borges' recordings, an important factor to his noise
- or, as he has put it, his "industrial collage" -
is its demeanor. His Pedestrian Deposit material, and now his
Emaciator material, is typically endowed with an
deep-seated sadness. Choosing words is a tough gambit when describing
abstract music, but Borges' recordings conjure up feelings of
alienation, mournfulness, depression, and detachment. 'Coveting'
is no different, employing ambient noise to evoke potent measures
of despondence. By my estimation, this miserable state is most
evident on resigned "Recurring," which combines a vague
underbrush of radio static with an eerie, fragile ambiance that
sounds like a distant train-horn blowing. It is alternately sensitive
and nihilistic, and difficult to get a full read on. Meanwhile,
closer "No One Will Ever Know" is a particularly interesting
composition - after a passage of straightforward ambient noise,
it brings in an extensive, sullen guitar line which is threaded
through a miasma of evolving feedback. The guitar helps transcend
the typical atmospheric noise oeuvre, registering a calm detachedness
which is hammered in by the accompanying fuzz-haze. The track,
and album, approaches its haunting conclusion by shedding its
feedback for a slow, repeated guitar tone. It's a fittingly lugubrious
end for an unerringly poignant album. (MT)
Address: http://www.notnotfun.com
WARNING LIGHT - FURTHER ON (CDR by Stickfigure)
LIB EMBA - TERMINAL MUSE: RED (CDR by Stickfigure)
D. Haddon is behind Warning Light and he likes synthesizers.
The press message that came along says so, and also that's its
the kind of drone music that has nothing to do with Sunn 0)))
and those alike that, but also that 'how someone doesn't hear
little bits of LaMonte Young, Eliane Radigue and ms Pauline Oliveros
in there I'm not sure'. Well, me for instance. I don't hear any
of that, really. Whereas these three deal with overtones, created
by layering various tones together, Warning Light just plays
a few sustaining notes on what seems to me a digital synthesizer.
Maybe two, but that's really it, I think. This is a nice chord,
a great preset sound, but it rarely, if at all, seems to move
beyond that. This makes quite a dull release altogether. One
of those where one all too easily think: yeah, give me a synthesizer
and I'll do it too. Not really the drone thing that is drone,
nor the cosmic head space trip.
Of much more interest is the CDEP by Lib Emba, the project of
Sean Moore. His previous release was a collaboration with Ryan
Huber, then under the guise of Bobcrane, but later on better
known as Olekranon, at least in the Vital world. Here however
Lib Emba does all the duties himself. Its the first release in
a series of three (and apparently limited to 100 copies). It
sees a continuation of the previous release. Quite loud rhythm
music, loaded with nasty synthesizer bits, and sometimes perhaps
a guitar - although this seems to be less than before. The drum
sounds are in my ear real drums, mixed with drum machines - but
of course I might be wrong there. Was the last one perhaps along
the lines of Techno Animal, this one owes more to prog rock,
with rapid changes in the drum department, such as the intro
of 'Stuporfied'. Quite a furious little fucker this release.
Although perhaps not the sort of thing I would play on a daily
basis, this is a very fine release. Earcleaning time. (FdW)
Address: http://www.stickfigurerecords.com
MICHEAL WINTER - RECURSIVE STALL (CDR by
Magnanimous Records)
The name Micheal Winter seems new to me. On the same label that
released 'Recursive Stall' there is also a previous release called
'Klee'. Winter is from New Orleans. The cover may suggest something
along the lines of microsound: lots of white, and a vague image
of a computer keyboard or two. The music however is not really
microsound, although its partly rooted in there. Micheal Winter
plays computer music - that is something that is clear. The outcome
is quite interesting. Its a fine mixture noise based industrial
music and ambient, heavily processed sounds from sources no longer
known to mankind. It begins with 'Day Of Hoisted Suns' in a full
on noise mode, but as the disc progresses, there is a lively
variation to be spotted. I think field recordings are at the
core of the music, but with all those computer plug ins running
amok, its hard to sure. He creates either large chunks of sound
along with short rhythmic loops and combines these into some
densely layered music. An intelligent work I'd say. Taking the
best elements from either that noise scene or the ambient land,
Winter cooks up something that is perhaps not the most original
thing in the world, but its surely a damn release. Produced with
some great skill, someone who knows what he's doing, and the
result is a great dynamic work. (FdW)
Address: http://www.magnanimous.org/
DRUNJUS - SLEEP TRADER (CDR by Striate
Cortex)
If I'm not mistaken this is the first release on Striate Cortex
that has a musician that is not from Norway. Drunjus is one Tony
Endless, who also runs the Earjerk Records label. This release,
in an edition of 83 copies, comes in handmade cloth bag, then
in a plastic bag with a plastic green leaf. Its a single 68 minute
piece of drone music. That I knew before I started to play this.
I then didn't look at the CD player, I decided, only until that
moment when I thought I had enough. That was roughly after thrity-six
minutes. It seemed like it was already playing for ages. I do
like this sort of rough drone music. I really do. Here a mass
of electronic sounds arise and there is some voice mumbling.
That's about the extend of it. And that in itself is not a bad
thing, but Drunjus takes a bit too much time to tell his story,
or to unfold his atmospherics. Its like with noise: you can enjoy
yourself immensely putting stuff down on record, but you should
also consider the listener, I think. Do they want this to be
this long? Remember: they are separate from the creator, in a
different time and a different space and perceive things totally
different than the creator. That's a few of my considerations
for Drunjus. Do the same thing, but keep it more concise. (FdW)
Address: http://www.striatecortex.co.uk
AALFANG MIT PFERDEKOPF - IS IT POSSIBLE
TO BE AT WAR WITH YOU? (CDR by Dying For Bad Music)
LEAST CARPET (CDR by Dying For Bad Music)
This weekend I brought some amazement to someone's face by telling
I really (really!) like Abba. We all have our secrets, I guess.
Marcus Obst is best known for running the Field Muzick Recordings
label, but he started Dying For Bad Music to release folk music.
He knows (?) I don't like folk music (think to know I don't like
it), but asks me if I want to review it. The first one is rather
surprising Aalfang Mit Pferdekopf, once the band name used by
Mirko Uhlig, but I thought he left it behind when he started
to work under his own name. 'Auf Wasserleichen Gehen' opens up
with what seems like a guy on speed and a guitar. Helium folk?
In the same piece we have several more, entirely different songs
and sound collage. Definitely not standard folk music, which
is always great, I'd say. The theme of a man with an acoustic
guitar is repeated in the other songs indeed, but that's not
what makes this an interesting album, in my opinion. Its the
more or less psychedelic approach of adding field recordings
and electronic treatments (cross fading a song into a backwards
rendition of the same song). All of that makes this a highly
unusual folk album - even for someone like me, readily admitting,
who doesn't know much about folk music. I think this is a particularly
strong album, even with the guitar playing and singing (maybe
a bit too much reverb on the voice sometimes). Some of that sounds
like things I heard on Black Petal before and its not the kind
of music I would play a lot indeed, but I can actually enjoy
it quite a bit. Maybe for those who like Current 93? How would
I know? You never know.
Least Carpet play 'Eastern European influenced psych folk' and
use guitar, bouzouki, melodica, flute, drums, flutes, drums,
cymbals and jew's harp. I am not sure if this one guy or a band.
The tracks are rather short and indeed have some vaguely middle-european
feel to it, or perhaps even a medieval feel - at least how we
think it must have sounded back then. No vocals, this is purely
instrumental music. The recording is nicely kept rough, with
a sort of direct recording and no sound effects on any of the
instruments. I see castles in the mist, gypsies at campfires,
a wood at dawn and all such fairytale stereotypes, which I never
particular cared for - disliking anything fantastic, but rather
liking the real world. That may not say anything I feel about
this music, but actually I thought this is quite nice too. Just
like the Aalfang release, this may not be the sort of music I
play a lot (although later date Dead Can Dance occasionally finds
it way to the CD player - there: another confession), but its
music that is indeed, at times, appreciated. (FdW)
Address: http://dyingforbadmusic.com
NICK DAN - LOVE SONGS PT. 3 (CDR by Black
Petal)
GEODESIC DOMES ON THE HORIZON - FEATHER OF THE BEE (3"CDR
by Black Petal)
The name Nick Dan popped up in Vital Weekly before, mainly with
his group xNoBBQx (together with Matt Earle), where he plays
the drums. Here however he plays the guitar. I have no idea what
happened to the first two parts of 'Love Songs', but according
to Black Petal this is first solo release. The idea is simple:
you have an acoustic guitar and a microphone. There are no vocals
on this. Just Nick Dan strumming that detuned guitar without
much sense for melody, chord structure and god knows what else
helps when playing the guitar. Is this the sound of a man in
love? Staring out the window, strumming away? But why is it so
detuned? Maybe the love of his life disappeared? And he is angry,
depressed? But why call it love songs, then? Sometimes, many
times, loud, and on a few occasions a bit softer, such as in
the fourth track. I thought, overall, that this was a nice record,
but things could have been a bit shorter. It's nice to see that
Dan has the power to keep on playing on such lengths the same
detuned thing over and over, but sometimes a couple of minutes
would not be a bad idea.
Back in Vital Weekly 605 we reviewed the first release by Geodesic
Domes Of The Eastern Seabord, named 'Vicious '70 Magnets Multiplied
By Nothing'. Its the work of Peter Blamey, best known for this
work with Jim Denley. If I'm right (usually I ain't) than this
is moniker for playing noise. That's what he did back then, and
that's what he's does here. Two tracks again of pure, relentless
noise. No more rhythms, just a wall of screaming feedback. Like
holding motorized objects on the pick up of a guitar, feeding
it through some distortion pedal - hey, maybe three of them.
Or perhaps its just computer noise? I don't know. I'm no longer
the biggest lover of noise, that's hardly a secret, but sometimes
I do enjoy it. Certainly when the ideas are simple and proceedings
are kept to a point. That's what Blamey does. To end like last
time: strange one, this one. Maybe a tad bit too noise based
for my taste, but quite alright, perhaps also in it brevity.
Great cover, like always with Black Petal. (FdW)
Address: http://www.blackpetal.com
SAY YES TO THE NO-NOS - KO-KO LUV GOOD
(CDR by Green Tapes)
CHURCHBURNERS - REASON TO BELIEVE (3"CDR by Green Tapes)
JUSTIN RHODY & MATT HIMES (cassette by Green Tapes)
CHURCHBURNERS - AIR PUDDING (cassette by Green Tapes)
Some people think that the Do-It-Yourself ethic means that the
listener should do it themselves - hardly any 'useful' information,
if anything at all. That wasn't the idea, I thought, but hey
times change? These four releases are definitely proud inhabitants
of the DIY esthetic, but there is a website for some background.
Outsiders of the world: unite. Jesus Correa is behind Say Yes
To The No-Nos, which is perhaps the best thing about the release.
He sings (?), speaks his words over a bunch of percussive sounds.
This is actually quite nice for a few pieces, but perhaps a bit
hard for the entire eight tracks. I thought, oh lord Jesus, you
have some strange children.
The Churchbuners first release here is 'Reason To Believe' of
which the website says "the usual chord and drones and a
cover too". I don't know which cover is played here. A microphone
is set up from the first sony walkman, and there is a guitar,
a xylophone and a harmonica. Mild distortion from microphone
overload. It moves to more distortion in in 'Bad Transformation'
(hence the title, I thought). Not a greatly successful release
I thought.
Then on tape we find a release by Justin Rhody and Matt Himes.
The website calls this "garbled sounds and the depths of
Maine", whatever that means. The music is rather lo-fi.
It might be an attempt to play some kind of drone/noise, noise/drone,
like a Ramleh recording, recorded two blocks down the street.
Actually come to think of it: it might be the same song twice.
Maybe intended to be the karaoke version?
The final tape has no text on it, and last perhaps three minutes,
maybe even shorter (c2?).
From the website I understand this must be: "51=
churchburners "air pudding" ----- cassingle of keyboard
drones and other fuckery". Oh! Side A is filled with sounds
from reel-to-reel tapes playing at high speed, and side B has
wrapped cassette sounds. You could play this on end on autoreverse
no doubt - do it yourself, you see - but after three spins I
heard it. No bad, actually, should be twice as long. Surely four
mad outsiders, hard at work here. (FdW)
Address: http://www.freewebs.com/greentape/
BERLIN TAPE RUN (cassette by Staaltape)
According to someone who should know, it was twenty years ago
that Staaltape, part of the Staalplaat empire released a cassette.
As someone who is in the know for a later history of Staalplaat,
we cleared out the cassette shelves in the mid 90s, and put them
in a box: take them for free. None of us expected to see the
return the cassette. But then, 2010: Touch has some ties into
releasing cassettes on their Tapeworm division (which never make
it to these pages unfortunately), Korm Plastics celebrates their
25th anniversary with a compilation cassette, and Staalplaat,
these days tucked away in the creative hot-spot of Berlin, the
Neu Köln area, release their cassette in the form of a chinese
whisper: the Berlin run. It doesn't share the aesthetics of the
cassettes they released in the 80s and got famous for, but its
now, perhaps sadly, a typical product of the underground: typewriter
credits, xerox. "Reminiscent of the early days of the cassette
culture when cassettes travelled all over the globe and through
the years turned into audio documents, the Berlin Run was initiated
to restore the movement, but also to bring it to another level.
The cassette was handed over in person from one artist to the
other". Eleven artists from the vibrant Berlin underground
scene present work here: Topmodel, Balz Isler, Preslay Literary
School, Stephane Leonard, Kakawaka, Rinus van Alebeek, James
Edmonds, Beryl Smith/Lara Szanne Schroeder, Marcel Turkowsky,
Melanie Velarde and Kate Donova. Not all familiar names here,
but some were seen around in the CDR scene or on stage. A curious
mixture of spoken word, electronics, sound poetry perhaps, violin
and guitar. In some curious twist it seems like all of these
tracks were recorded 'en route' as it where: it all sounds recorded
outdoor. A release that captures the interests and style of the
old world of cassettes quite nicely, and thinking back on it:
in the old days Staaltape, with their roster of artists (Laibach,
Zoviet France, Hafler Trio for instance) belonged to the upperworld
of cassette releases, and now moved into the true underground
with this one. Quite an interesting move. (FdW)
Address: http://www.staaltape.wordpress.com
MADRE OSA/COMISARIO HJULER - MUSICA EXPERIMENTAL
(cassette by Circuit Torcat Records)
How to find your way to the refrigerator. That's the piece of
music on side A by Madre Osa, which is Spanish for Mama Bär.
It starts out with spoken word, of some kind at least, and then
later on a bit of electronic sounds - which may or may not have
their origin in the refrigerator. Its actually a nice piece,
but maybe a bit long, especially when its all electronic, it
doesn't seem to have much progression anymore. Comisario Hjuler
on the other side is of course Kommissar Hjuler and his piece
if for piano and voice. The voice reads texts from Danish pornographic
magazines while Mama Bär was pregnant. Hmmm. Explain that
when the kid is older, I thought. This seems to be thirteen pieces
in total, but that's a bit hard to decipher here. Here too I
thought it was alright for a while, but not for the entire twenty-four
minutes. Its nice to see that they have reached a cult status
by now. True outsider music. (FdW)-
Address: http://www.circuittorcat.com
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