ULTRA MILKMAIDS – VORELY (CD by Noise Museum)
Noise Museum has a rapidly growing name for experimental electronica that
has one foot firmly rooted in ‘indutrial’ music, and one foot in what we
shall call loosely ‘dance music’. Ultra Milkmaids is an excellent choice
for this label. Relativly unknown (hey, another trademark for Noise Museum)
French band (with various obscure vinyl and tape releases). After a short
curious opening track (which seem to act as a intermission as it is part of
four pieces called ‘evol’), the CD really opens with ‘Va 96’ a 13 minute
piece that has a strange off beat rhythm to which, in delay mode, a lot of
strange sounds were added. No dance music at all here, but again too
‘normal’ to be called ‘industrial’. Sampled rhythms form the backbone of
‘Lyr 1’ and add to the mysterious character this music has. The log piece
‘Vor’ is without rhythm and has a distinct ambient feel to it – as aswell
as a distinct melody in the background. ‘Lyr 2’ takes off where they left
‘Lyr 1’ – more sampled rhythms. A point of reference to many of this would
be Coil a few years back. Ultra Milkmaids have made a well varied record
that will hopefully bring them a wider audience – they deserve it. (FdW)
Address: <n.museum@infonie.fr>
LUNUS – NULL/LUNN (Cassette by Old Europa Cafe)
This is real dark & throbbing & pulsating drone-industrial, powerful but
still with a mysterious touch inside. Walls of loop-noises are reverbed and
there are rhythms occuring from time to time underneath, but they are
mostly covered by the thick low-frequenced vibrations. The whole thing is
totally low-fi and sounds raw and apocalyptic somehow. This may sound ‘old’
to some of you who are used to listen to good-quality CDs in the meantime,
but as a tape-release this is perfect! I was reminded on TAM QUAM TABULA
RASA, who also never reached a larger audience, and had a similar
sound-approach ( I don’t think they are existing anymore). LUNUS are from
Italy, too, by the way, and I think there are only some tapes released of
them so far. The tape is packed quiet well and is limited to only 93 copies
(uh, that sounds occult, doesn’t it?). [BAR]
Address: <oec@iol.it>
CRAWL UNIT – THE FUTURE IN REVERSE (CD by Povertech Industries)
This must be the fourth CD by Crawl Unit from Sacramento, USA. His first
three CDs have been quiet different from each other (the first very
experimental and promising, the second very calm, droney & ambient [which I
found fantastic], the third was real harsh [which was rather disappointing
for me]), and this is no exception. We find 9 long tracks on this CD, and
they all create versatile atmospheres and provide your mind with a variety
of sounds. For me, there is no real boring moment on this disc. The
similarity between the tracks is that they are all without real rhythms
(sometimes you find something like a pulsating though), without lyrics, and
without melodies, so it’s pure electronic music that leaves all classical
forms of musical expression behind. If you like to listen to such pure
noises which range from atmospheric to harsh, from concrete object sound to
flowing soundscapes (like me), you shouldn’t miss this. Seen as a whole,
this is the best Crawl Unit CD so far.
By the way, other recent releases on Povertech included Francisco Lopez
“Untitled Single Piece 4″, as well as a first 7” for Klangkrieg from
Hamburg. [BAR]
Address: <povertech@emrl.com>
ROBERT RUTMAN – MUSIC TO SLEEP BY (CD by Tresor)
Now what is he is doing on this label? (Obviously I assume that you know
who Robert is!). In case you can’t remember: Rutman had a LP on Generations
Unlimited a decade or so ago with some of his steel constructions that he
played with a bow (I’m just shortly summerazing the idea). The result is a
beautiful droning records with rich overtone textures. Drone music is the
same a trance music – they both put the listener is a different mood. The
effect goes deep into your brain. And why is techno trance any different
then a steel plate played with a bow? That, and of course the fact that
Rutman lives in Berlin, link the drone musician with the techno label. The
four lengthy pieces have scraping and rumbling qualities, and you can
almost feel the steel resonate – yep, this is a live recording. From what I
hear there is not much composition going on – but it is quite improvised on
the spot. You have to play this at a soft volume if you want to fulfill the
title of this CD. There is definetly a different kind of drone then say,
Jliat. A more harsher texture. But hey, it is nice to see this on Tresor –
and it will sell better then on the average avant-garde label. (FdW)
Address: P.O.Box 360428 – 10999 Berlin – Germany
THE CORNERS OF THE MOUTH (CD by BubbleCore)
Rarely you’ll find me commenting on the cover artwork – simply because
music is what matters to me. But the paintings here ar simply horrible.
O.k. that aside – this is a beefit compilation for the ‘School Of Sound’, a
school ‘devoted to teaching the healing powers of music and sound’ (didn’t
know there was much difference between ‘sound’ and ‘music’ – but for the
rest I won’t comment on the necessity of healing, simply because I’m not an
expert). There is a particulary strong line up, and one that is quite
diverse: from Aube to Oval, although the dance people are a majority. The
CD opens quite strong with Mouse On Mars and Oval (who are more ‘musical’
then usual). Quite dubby and o.k. is Seefeel. Aube is the odd ball with an
austere abstract piece using glow lamps. E.A.R. – well sorry they miss it.
Bleeping and blopping, trying to serious compose one way or the other. Go
back to school Mr. Boom. The Philistines’ track could have been taken from
a 80s cassette compilation with it’s rather simplestic organ playing. Just
too dated. Scanner’s track has a heavy weight synth line which also sounds
outdated – with the trumpett preset playing the melody. I await for some
heavily voice to drop in – but luckily that doesn’t happen. The reggea dub
track by The Dylan Group is a good ending to a CD that has 3 off tracks and
the rest being good. I will not this review with any comment on how I feel
after finishing it. But let’s hope much money is raised and that the school
will be alive. (FdW)
Address: www.bubblecore.com
DECAY PRODUCT (CD by Chain Reaction)
MAURIZIO (CD by Chain Reaction – well maybe)
Chain Reaction absolutely belongs to my favourite dance music labels. They
produce high quality, ultra minimal groove music, that is not near anywhere
Panasonic comes. Stretched out, almost organ like drones, with 303 bass
lines. Highly trance inducing. This compilation is taken from a whole bunch
of 12″s, beig post produced by Robert Henke (who had a solo CD on
Imbalance, a side label of Chain Reaction before). The names of the artists
are left off, but you can try and find out the difference between this and
the original – providing you have the 12″s. If you don’t care too much
about vinyl, or you wish to continue during a train ride, then this CD is
very handy.
The same can be said of the Maurizio CD. All but one track are taken from
various 12″s that Maurizio put out in the past few years. I have those
12″s, and I never played them after each other, so I assumed that they
sound similar. How wrong I am now that I hear them in continous mode. The
tracks vary a lot, and all are groovy excirses in minimalism. Even though I
may use a few words describing the CD, I am sure it with high on my top 10
list of the year.
Address: fax: + 49 30 61130599
BEEQUEEN – LONG STONES AND CIRCLES (mCD on Staalplaat)
Yet more produce from Beequeen, a Dutch team comprising Frans de Waard and
Freek Kinkelaar. (And that’s the last time I’m going to mention their names
in a review.) ( Well, maybe.) Their work is mostly centred around the
artistic ideas of Joseph Beuys, but this composition is based on some of
the work by Richard Long. Richard, or Dick as his friends call him when
they can find him amongst the shrubberies, got his fifteen minutes by
thinking up the marvellous idea of ‘Land Art’, in which he shoves a bunch
of comestibles into a knapsack and then trudges off into the wilderness on
walkabout for a week or two. During this time, he might tentatively
rearrange some sticks, a bit of bark and some pebbles, photograph it and/or
write a ‘pome’ commemorating the event and then piss off home for a cup of
Royco soup.
This CD takes it’s name from a piece (read,) written by Long (but not read
by he) and adapted by Mr Kinkelaar, which appears on the back of the CD
cover… it’s a list of impressions of a walk, or several of them, by Dick,
and the imagery is oft so strong that you can feel almost the air ruffle
your hair.
The music is a succesion of the Bee’s queen drones mixed, slowly shaken
then stirred in a cocktail with additional sound material by John Hudak, a
Plan 9 From Outer Space-type vocal and two pieces of spoken word. The first
is a recitation of the names of various Tors (geographical protruberance
thingies) throughout England, which presented in this way sound like a
cartographer’s mantra. The next is the pome on the packageback. Shortly
after this last recitation (?), there’s this uncertain drone which slides
in and oscillates above a patient creature slowly grinding it’s way across
the sand in your ear. Other sound sources include a metronome, radio stones
and a snaredrum. I quite enjoyed this release although my enthusiasm was
somewhat abated by the inclusion of the spoken voice, but it usually is, so
that’s my problem, okay ? (MP)
Address: <staal@euronet.nl>
FRANK ZAPPA (dead) – 200 MOTELS (CD on Rykodisc)
Not a review, just a note to let you know that this re-release has not been
tampered with, as far as I can hear, and that it’s a fabulous experience to
be able to enjoy this at such fidelity. I must admit I was quite surprised
to actually see this on CD, as I seem to recall reading somewhere that
Frank sort of liked the whole conceptual idea of keeping it on vinyl, which
added to it’s nostalgic value. There’s a massive 50 million page book which
details the true story of the making of the movie and the music and the
remastering and the movie (again) and everything. Someone once said that
Zappa’s entire output was based on endless reworkings of two or three
ideas…well, that’s two or three ideas more than most other musicians, so
I can easily live with such ignint comments. Now I find myself cycling
around the canals of this fair city singing about sealed tuna sandwiches,
lonesome cowboys and life on ze road. It could be worse.(MP)
SPECTRUM – FOREVER ALIEN (CD on Space Age Recordings)
I discovered Spectrum a short while ago by purloining a copy of their vinyl
release ‘Music For Owlsley’. I confess I was lured into this trap of
thickly webbed analogue scapes mostly because of the title, but also
because of the very hip cover art. It didn’t take long for the record to
wear thin, especially the track ‘Feels Like I’m Slipping Away’, which is
one of the most effective pieces of propulsion music I’ve ever heard.
Well, fortunately the entire record has been included on this lengthy CD,
which means I can fold away the turntable again. There are 13 tracks on
this release, most of which are very good. A correct dosage as preparation
and then a carefully programmed sequence of from this collection will
probably ensure iced wingtips for the most experienced amongst us.
The music itself is nothing new, just something different for these times,
and Spectrum manage to keep their tracks reasonably short, unlike, for
instance those prehistoric analogicians, Tangerine Dream. The content is
designed to pull you into their tunnel slowly, start merging you with your
enhanced, and possibly alien, surroundings and then it spreads you out over
the arched back of the universe…like a million points of light. Behold,
the realm of the trytamine elves, the silent watchers, where trees and
stones are willing to reveal their secrets if asked correctly, where water
is air, air is water, and where the sky is cut into countless facets by the
gleam in your eye.
There is also a mostly good, budget priced compilation which has just come
out on Space Age as well, titled ‘The New Atlantis’, which includes
material by Spectrum, Jessamine, E.A.R. and maybe someone else. Plus
there’s a CD single, the name of which eludes me for a moment, and which
has two tracks off ‘Forever Alien’ and two more not included on any of the
above. (MP)