BATTERY OPERATED – CHASES THROUGH NON-PLACES (CD by Mixer)
COCK ESP – EXCESSIVE SIZE PUNISHER (CD by Fever Pitch)
OVUM – EPEPE EP (CD by Fever Pitch)
PABLO RECHE – GIRA (CD by Gracia Territori Sonor)
RAYMOND DIJKSTRA – KAAM/ANTIGONE’S SISTER (CDR by Laudanum)
INTERNATIONAL LIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC INCORPORATED (CD by X-OR)
AKA MOON – INVISIBLE SUN (CD by Carbon 7)
LOUIS DUFORT – CONNEXION (CD by empreintes DIGITALes )
MARC TREMBLAY – BRUIT-GRAFFITI (CD by empreintes DIGITALes)
RANDALL SMITH SONDES (CD by empreintes DIGITALes)
BATTERY OPERATED – CHASES THROUGH NON-PLACES (CD by Mixer)
After a bunch of interesting vinyl releases, Mixer presents their first CD
release, by the for me unknown Battery Operated. I had the pleasure to see
them play live last November, but that concert didn’t impress me very much.
A recording being played and sound effects being added. Thanks to the press
release, I know a little bit more. Battery Operated are the French Thomas
Couzinier and the English Wade Walker and their music are soundtracks for
‘non-places’. Non places are according to the architect Marc Auge, modern
repetitive buildings which allow no personal input/initiative, like hotel
chains, leisure parks, airports. Battery Operated made recordings on
locations like these and feed them through a bunch of sound effects, partly
repeating some elements (I am trying to avoid the word ‘sampling’ here) or
using cut-up/collages of the work. Apart from the strict location
recordings, they have also added rhythms to it, but I don’t understand why.
Are the location recordings not interesting by themselves? Luckily these
are kept to a minimum. The entire CD is a strange affair, it moves all over
the place, without being anywhere, but what makes it strange is that is
doesn’t bother. At some times drenched somewhat too much in the effect box,
but nevertheless a fascinating journey, with at times recognizable sounds
and unrecognizable electronica. Nice work this is. (FdW)
Address: <mixer@staalplaat.com>
COCK ESP – EXCESSIVE SIZE PUNISHER (CD by Fever Pitch)
According to the liner notes, a recording of Cock ESP is not the real
thing, as opposed to seeing Cock ESP live. I don’t know wether that’s true,
because I wasn’t lucky enough to witness them live. Although reading the
liner notes, seeing photos and hearing this CD, I can imagine what it is
like. A performance that deals with physical strength and loud noise. I
think the majority of loud noise lovers do not have much oppurtunity to see
these things live, so it must be the music that attracts them so much.
About half of the tracks on this CD is recorded live, which I’d say, are
less powerful (maybe because of the recording quality?) but it has a sort
of noise punk quality that makes it all ok again. This CD lasts like 45
minutes, but they manage to get 30 tracks out in those minutes. Therefore
there is never a boring moment to be seen here. (FdW)
Address: 1108 E. Capital Dr. – Appleton, WI 54911 – USA
OVUM – EPEPE EP (CD by Fever Pitch)
One Karl Midholm composed the four works on this CD in 1998-1999. They are
now released on a CD under the name of Ovum – which I believe is latin for
egg, or ‘from the start’. These four pieces are lengthy, despite the title
it’s not an ep, but some 45 minutes, drone affairs. The first one ‘Bolesc’
moves around the inaudible level, the other three just above. Dark
atmospheric, but at the same time filled with an unearthly tension. A
couple of years ago, this would have been called Isolationism, and if you
are into Tommie Koner’s old work, then you might dig this too. I did at
least. Complete with a grey abstract digpack, this is another statement of
dark ambient. (FdW)
Address: see elsewhere
PABLO RECHE – GIRA (CD by Gracia Territori Sonor)
Likewise unknown to me is Pablo Reche. Other then he is from Argentina, but
his CD is released from Spain, I know nothing about him. To a certain
extent his music has links to ambient and isolationism, but his twelve
tracks are more sketchy. From more noisy outings involving feedback and
shortwave to more darker section of instruments unknown, it seems as if mr.
Reche is keen on showing all the things he can do, like his CD is an
advertisement. Not bad, but the somewhat too fragmentaric aproach, and the
changing quality in tracks make this into a too varied dish. It has more
enjoyable moments then lesser ones, but as a listen throughout I have some
problems with it. (FdW)
Address: http://www.gracia-territori.com
RAYMOND DIJKSTRA – KAAM/ANTIGONE’S SISTER (CDR by Laudanum)
The name Raymond Dijkstra might be new to you, but if you know that he made
an excellent LP under the Ki Sync Pulse a few years back and was part of
the trio Indra Kamurka, then for some people out there it must ring a bell.
Raymond just uses his own name and is no longer a member of Indra Kamurka.
He started his own CDR label and released his first solo release there in a
handpainted cover, in an edition of 100. So far the statics. If you do
remember his previous music, which was dark atmospheric ambient, with hints
to ethno inspired stuff, then this new release is somewhat of a shock. Two
lengthy tracks, each spanning 20-30 minutes, but filled with furious blasts
of noise. ‘Kaam’ has a chaotic approach to it, small things pop in and out,
with stretches of feedback to go with it. ‘Antigone’s Sister’ seems to be
more concerned with several continous layers of drones and feedback. For me
the better piece. However, if you would ask me if his move from his
previous music to this new work is a good one, I dare say ‘no’. Noise, at
least for me, steps on too many paths I have heard before and this work is
unfortunally no different. It will be a disapointment to his old fans, but
it might bring him a few new ones. (FdW)
Address: <laudanum@xs4all.nl>
INTERNATIONAL LIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC INCORPORATED (CD by X-OR)
Five titles on this one: 1. Red Five Purple: Luc Houtkamp, computer,
Gert-Jan Prins, electronic radio. Recorded July 25, 2000 in Amsterdam; 2.
Deck Pulse: Tim Perkis, computer; John Bischoff, computer. Recorded April
9, 1998 at the Korzo Theatre, the Hague; 3. White Yellow Nine Grey: Anne La
Berge, electronic flute; Lori Freedman, bass clarinet; Kaffe Matthews,
computer violin; Luc Houtkamp, tenor sax; Gert-Jan Prins, electronic radio;
Tim Perkis, computer; John Bischoff, computer. Recorded April 9, 1998. 4.
Two Green Seven: Luc Houtkamp, computer sampled sax; Gert-Jan Prins,
electronics radio. Recorded July 25, 2000. 5. Sonate 1970: Annelies
Dieudonne, piano; Gilius van Bergeijk, cor anglais; Dick Raaijmakers, live
electronics. Recorded May 6, 1970.
Luc Houtkamp is well-known as a player of alto and tenor saxophones in the
field of improvised music, inside and outside of Holland. Less known he is
for his work with computer music. But his interest for electronics goes
back to the years when he was studying in The Hague where he met composers
of electronic music as Gilius van Bergeyk and Michael Waisvisz. ‘Sonate
1970′ dates from this period.
It is only since 1985 that Houtkamp became active as a composer of
electronic and computer music. He uses self developed interactive computer
programmes. As a composer/saxophonist he bridges the gap between the worlds
of jazz-derived free improvisation and computer-based composition and
performance. Houtkamp is also active in promoting his own music and
attempting to ensure that it reaches as wide an audience as possible. To
this end, he formed a (vinyl) record label, Ooyevaer Disk, and, more
recently, the CD label, X-OR.
As a saxplayer his music often has a static character. This is not the case
with the pieces on this cd. It is lively and harsh. The cd gives also room
to Tim Perkis and John Bischoff both members of the Hub. This is a computer
music band whose members are all designers and builders of their own
hardware and software instruments. Six individual composer/performers
connect separate computer-controlled music synthesizers into a network.
‘Sonate 1970’ begins with quiet piano playing, interrupted by cor anglais
played by Gilius van Bergeyk and noises produced by godfather Dick
Raaijmakers. Still interesting
after all these years (DM).
Address: www.xs4all.nl/~xorluc/
AKA MOON – INVISIBLE SUN (CD by Carbon 7)
Invisible Sun is the tenth release by Aka Moon whose name derives from the
band members experience with the Aka pygmies of central Africa. Invisible
Sun is a part of Aka Moon’s musical triptych consisting of Invisible Sun,
Invisible Mother, and Invisible Moon (to be released). Invisible Mother
focuses on the world of Western written music, Invisible Moon on a specific
type of ancient raga from Southern India, and Invisible Sun on jazz with
Duke Ellington’s ghost floating in the background. Invisible Sun is a
sumptuous album of excellent late twentieth century jazz consisting of
piano, sax, bass, and drums. There are 12 songs on this album ranging in
length from 1 12 to 10 minutes, each song segueing seamlessly to the next.
What is interesting is that Invisible Sun consists of written passages that
alternate with improvised sections, but the quality of the music is such
that the casual listener would not notice the transitions. Offering is the
one song that differs from the rest. It is an atmospheric mood piece
dominated by a sepulchral organ. If you like your jazz with a touch of the
avant-garde, Invisible Sun is for you. (HS)
Address: www.netbeat.com/carbon7
LOUIS DUFORT – CONNEXION (CD by empreintes DIGITALes )
Louis Dufort composes for the Marie Chouinard contemporary dance company,
works with the artistic committee of ACREQ, and explores hybrid and
unbridled musical experimentation. Connexion is his first release of
electroacoustic music and contains four compositions: Transit (1998),
Pointe-aux-Trembles (1996), Zénith (1999), and Décap (2000). Spanning 4
years of musical explorations, each piece is unique. Transit is an abstract
composition that jumps around from metallic alarm clock-like bells,
descending whines, processed noise, and wordless vocals. At times it sounds
like it could be destroying your speakers. The liner notes state that
Transit is a work that makes use of continuous discontinuity.
Pointe-aux-Trembles is a quiet piece comprised of high frequency sounds and
is an impression of the refineries at Eastern Montréals. Zénith, as the
name implies, is a Ligeti styled composition that slowly builds to a loud
climax culminating with demonic mutterings. The final composition, Décap,
is Duforts study of wrists and ankles and is for the Marie Chouinard dance
troupe. It is quite impressive and I could swear that I heard samples from
the Beatles Revolution 9 and Pink Floyds Ummagumma (the studio album). If
not sampled, then Dufort duplicated some of the studio tricks used 30 years
ago on these albums. (HS)
Address: www.electrocd.com]
MARC TREMBLAY – BRUIT-GRAFFITI (CD by empreintes DIGITALes)
Bruit is French for noise, noise that is innocuous, bothersome,
undesirable, and pointless. Marc Tremblay is a French Canadian
electroacoustic composer who explores six interpretations of these aspects
of noise on this album. The opening composition Vroum is an aural
exploration of the automobile using samples of the Beatles (Beep beep mmm
beep beep, yeah), car horns, car doors, starting engines, driving cars,
etc. These are those mundane sounds we hear everyday brought into a new
focus. The second composition Conte Sous La Lune is intended as an homage
to childhood. It is a quiet piece with tinkling chimes, fluttering
electronics, and infants laughing and bathing all sampled and processed.
The third piece Résidus (clip dadaïste) can be quite revolting to some
listeners. Tremblay plays with the sounds we hear in a bathroom:
flushing, belching, farting, vomiting, washing, etc. and a bit more out
there than Roger Waters Body Music Résidus builds to a toilet flush of
major proportions, probably not something you want to have playing as
dinner music. The fourth composition is Cowboy Fiction where Tremblay
samples the soundtracks from the French version of Howard Hawks El Dorado,
John Fords The Searchers, a cover of Hank Williams Rambling Man,
locomotives, and guns. This is an ingenious blend of these sources that
results in a dream-like vision of Hollywood Westerns with the White Man
(John Wayne) taking the land by force from the Indian. The fifth
composition is Ceci est un Message Enregistré, a sexy little number
exploring the sonic realm of the telephone: ringing, hidden defects,
dead-air moments, anonymous voices, and its decadent use for phone sex.
The disc closes with LArgent& Toujours LArgent. This piece is a study of
money as sound material and is more ambient/cosmic in nature than the other
pieces. Bruit-graffiti is the perfect addition to your sound collage
library. (HS)
Address: see elsewhere
RANDALL SMITH SONDES (CD by empreintes DIGITALes)
Randall Smith is an electroacoustic composer working in Windsor, Ontario.
Sondes six tracks spanning four years of composing are condensed into an
earjarring seventy-five minutes. Sondes is truly difficult music. Some
compositions are for cello and tape while others are composed solely of
sampled flute, violin, clarinet, and bass. At times harsh, but never
melodic, this music requires a dedicated listener. If you are trying to
concentrate on something else while Sondes is playing, forget it! If you
like raucous, harsh, avant-garde music, Sondes is for you. (HS)
Address: see elsewhere
correction to last week’s vital: the Miguel A. Ruiz CDR contained mostly
previously unreleased material, except for four pieces from his LP for the
Hamburger Musikgesellschaft. to contact Ruiz: <mianruiz@worldonline.es>