FRANCISCO LOPEZ – LA SELVA (CD by V2_Archief)
LOSD -THE MAN WHO MADE RADIO (Mort Aux Vaches CD by Staalplaat)
SONIC YOUTH – SILVER SESSION (CD by SKR)
NOTO – KERNE (CD by Plate Lunch)
MARC MCNULTY – POWDERED IRON RODS (CD by Plate Lunch)
ANTON NIKKILÄ – FORMALIST (CD on Exotica)
FRANCISCO LOPEZ – LA SELVA (CD by V2_Archief)
An undeniably audible release from Franky Lopez – this time documenting the natural sound environment of a natural preserve situated in Costa Rica. There are extensive notes included in the CD booklet – another surprise, because Franky’s releases are usually textless and one often has to use a magnifying glass to find out whose music it is anyway. However, these notes are sealed (in two parts) and the brief introduction which is available to all insists that the information contained within these lines of type may have an influential effect on the way the sound on this CD might be perceived. True, true…
Having experienced the massive swathe of sound several times, I decided to go all the way and severed the sellotape, revealing the secrets contained within.
Firstly, Mr Lopez makes it clear that his work falls outside traditional bioacoustics, which usually tend to focus on isolating individual natural sounds, mainly for purposes of identification.
La Selva is a recording of the sound environment as a whole with all of it’s component sound intact. Additionally there are no separate tracks on the CD, as these tend to encourage a focal listening centered on particular sonic events. Mr Lopez also draws attention to the ‘sound’ of plants, often mistaken as the sound of wind or rain, and that the call of a bird in the forest, for example, is not only the sound of that bird, but also reflects the sound transmitting and sound modifying elements of that particular environment.
He also discusses the issue of human intervention in the recording process and makes the valid point that it starts with the type of microphone selected, and is not merely limited to post-recording techniques such as equalization and fragmentation. He raises the whole miasma of whether sounds produced by human activity are part of the environmental process or not, and marvels at not being able to see most of the creatures that produce the sounds that do occur. For an alternative view and result, check out Chris Watson’s new CD ‘Outside the Circle of Fire’ (Touch.37), which has several tracks that illustrate obsessive sonic surveillance, the converse of what Mr Lopez is occupied with here.
Structurally, the CD represents a typical day in the rainy season (it has an average annual rainfall of 4m!), starting and ending at night. The recordings were made within a limited area over a period of two years, and every effort was made to remove evidence of human activity. The final arrangement of the ‘sound windows’ by Mr Lopez unavoidably implies that his own sensibilities and responses as a composer came into play. It is in this way that he consciously interacts with this particular representation (not to be confused with the REAL thing) of the sonic environment of La Selva one more time. You have to be there yourself to experience it.
Well, now that I’ve split the beans and spilt the milk and revealed a precis of the information in the first part of the book, it behooves me now to tell you that the second section contains geographical, meteorological and entomological notes. (Mr Lopez made like an insect himself once and specialised in ants – d’ya like the Eugene Marais book, Franky?) (MP)
Address: <peterd@v2.nl>
LOSD -THE MAN WHO MADE RADIO (Mort Aux Vaches CD by Staalplaat)
I grew up with radio in a country where television was misunderstood by the right-wing government as a tool of the communists up until the mid-70s. After it’s initial black and white introduction, it was used to as a device for experimental news broadcasts for the first year or so, and when they realised how desperate the people were to believe what they saw, rather than what they merely heard, they unleashed the soap series Dallas on an until then innocent (because they were mostly ignint) populace, and suddenly the harsh reality of us-and-them became a case of them-and-us.
Common folk compared each other to characters from the series, new jokes were invented which could only be understood if you were one of the elite few who could afford a television. Owners of televisions became the most popular people on the block. Advertising gradually seeped onto the screens (which were now – this was the 80s, right ! – full-colour), staining conversation and commenting on the prevailing political and economic reality.
“Keep your whites whiter than white !”
I have indelible memories of our family prior to these events… of us all crouching together around the radio on a Friday night listening to a police docu-drama, enthralled by the magic of sound effects and captivated by the suggestive power of the narrative.
The dark streets, echoing footsteps, guttural voices thick with menace…
Television meant that the scripts could now be diluted with visual information (itself another artform, of course). But it also meant that individual imagination was no longer called upon to conjure up the setting. A stormy night for one person may be a Transylvanian nightmare for another, depending on one’s own experience. Fill in all the blanks and participatory thought will surely stop. Entertainment had become more passive, and silence in the room during a transmission (which certainly increased the tension) was no longer a paramount requirement to getting the most out of the program.
Does this sound like a rekkid review? Probably not, but these were just a few of the thoughts and feelings I experienced while listening to this new CD by LOSD, which is another fine release in the mostly brilliant Mort Aux Vaches series; itself a document of work/s commissioned by Berrie Kamer and Jan Hiddink for broadcast on their national Dutch radio station VPRO program ‘De Avonden’.
The CD starts with an instrumental introduction which surges into space like a long tunnel. Churning sound cascades down the reflective wall and we enter into a space filled with commentary. The voices set the record straight on who actually did invent the medium of radio. The tales they tell were appropriated from a BBC (Yep!) TV broadcast and names three people: Lee de Forest, Edwin Howard Armstrong and David Sarnof as the main protagonists. Marconi occurs only as a shadow.
The idea of radio was truly started by Lee de Forest, not coincidentally the first radio announcer who supervised the world’s first live vocal performance, who then became the first disc jockey only moments later. Not long after, he wrote a letter deploring the misuse of his ‘child’ which was broadcasting advertising, boogie woogie and other hedonism’s.
Then there was Howard Armstrong, who invented the regeneration – the means whereby a signal can be redirected back through itself many thousands of times to increase its amplitude and make it coherently audible. He also discovered that by regenerating a signal enough, it became so strong that it was possible to transmit it, thus consigning Marconi’s idea of relayed ‘step’ transmission to the dustbins of yesteryear.
All it took was businessman David Sarnof, who also saw the future of mass broadcasting in terms of one person talking to millions, rather than as a signal being broadcast from one place to another and then being ‘bounced’ to the next receiver.
Also included are reminiscences of various peoples’ first experiences with (crystal) radio and even Roosevelt’s famous ‘Fireside Chats’, which educated the American public on economics and politics are mentioned.
These quotes are followed by more analog soundshifting which are a true bubble bath of thick, swirling and very distinctive steam. The whole lot are gradually dragged into the upper octaves where they are consumed by a whistling rush of air. The valves breath in and wait to exhale…
Excellent stuff – sure to be a lasting document in the Mort Aux Vaches series, and very well worth getting. Full marks. (MP)
Address: <mailorder@staalplaat.com>
SONIC YOUTH – SILVER SESSION (CD by SKR)
A short CD, just over 31 minutes, recorded one night when a band upstairs was really loud, and the Sonic Youth decided to crank every amp up they had. Nice chaps, the youths (good personal taste for selecting the right support acts), but in general I’m not particular fond of the anything with vocals. And that’s why I am reviewing this: the eight short pieces are feedback noises, a wall of sound and no vocals. I am reminded of the first time I saw them live: it must be have been 1983, and Lee and Thurston played with Glenn Branca, and I heard they had a rockband too. I was disapointed since it was just a whole bunch of rock songs in my ears. But the encore was drones and feedbacks, probably to annoy the audience, except one fascinated young kid who got carried away and writes occasionally small notes on music.
It’s like with more big rock bands: the side projects are far more interesting. (FdW)
Address: SKR – P.O.Box 6179 – Hoboken, NJ 07030 – USA
NOTO – KERNE (CD by Plate Lunch)
Noto is the musicname used by visual artist Carsten Nicolai. You might also know him for the releases he put out on his own label, Noton/Rastermusic. Much of his music takes drum beats (actually better: bass kicks) that are fed through effects and synths. He chooses ultra frequencies (extreme high or low) to make it into a psychic effect, music you feel hurting in your ears and stomach. This places Noto amongst people like Pan Sonic, Goem or Ryoji Ikeda – and even though it seems dance music (there is a certain demanding pulse in there), it will never be popular in the clubs. It remains too minimal and raw. And that’s fine, I guess, who wants to clubby anyway. Noto manages to crank out 18 tracks, which all have their own distinct beauty and aren’t boring at all – just sit back and listen! (FdW)
Address: <platelunch@t-online.de>
MARC MCNULTY – POWDERED IRON RODS (CD by Plate Lunch)
As far as my knowledge goes this is McNulty’s second CD, after his debut a few years ago on Isomorphic Records. His first one was a large dark ambient work, clearly inspired along the lines set out by Lustmord. This new one is not a break with the past, although there is some noteworthy shift towards something different. The opening piece, ‘N Type Region’ is some strange effect going on, but with dry acoustical rumblings in the foreground – dry mud being rubbed, an iron chain? Who knows. “Powdered Iron Rod” was created with elements from our pre-atomic days” it says on the text, but it doesn’t add much to understanding what these elements are. McNulty however has created a powerful album of dark elements with strange acoustical elements, that worked best for me on the last track, “Aging Of Signals”, with its 25 minutes the longest piece to be found here. It evolves, takes shape and is broken down again. Evocative and haunting, a requiem for the post atomic society – a soundtrack to armagedon. (FdW)
Address: as above
ANTON NIKKILÄ – FORMALIST (CD on Exotica)
Panasonic goes drum & bass? This man definitely likes Mika’s music; his more dancy stuff I guess. Very divers CD. This CD contains recordings between 1994 and 1998 and there even is one track from 1980 on it! That track is called ‘Stuttgart’ and is guitar based with some noisy synthsounds on a slow rhythm. CD opener ‘Jingle” is absolutly brilliant; electronic style drum & bass; fast breaks and nice sounds. ‘Blank’ is very Panasonic like. Track seven called “Politically” sounds like a AF2 track using steeldrum.
Nice CD with beautiful photo’s of highways on the cover. (RM).
contact: e-mail; anton.nikkila@pp.inet.fi
contact Exotica tel/fax +70952376506