PIMMON/KOHN – ZESDE MIXER (LP by Mixer)
KAFFE MATTHEWS – ZEVENDE MIXER: STILL A SLAPPER (2×7″ by Mixer)
GEOFF DUGAN – PLAY IN RANDOM OR SHUFFLE MODE (CDR by GD Stereo)
THE SHIRLEY TEMPO TEMPLE DANCERS – A LIVE MORSEL (3″CDR by GD Stereo)
KAWABATA MAKOTO – YOU ARE THE MOONSHINE (CD by Elsie & Jack)
WANDER (10″ by Plinkityplonk)
TORE HONORÈ BE – SISTA’ EP (7″ by Mold)
TORE HONORÈ BE – MELATONIN (Mini-CD by Mold)
KA – 00 (7″ by Mold)
XINLI SUPREME – ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE WAS NOT TRUE (7″ by Fat Cat)
DROWSEY – HARMLESS (7″ by Fat Cat)
JONESCO – COVERT CLIENTS (CD by Engelszorn)
VITA – ENA (CD by Force Inc)
KOJI ASANO – CREVASSES (CD by Solstice)
BARRY ADAMSON/PAN SONIC – MOTORLAB #3: THE HYMN OF THE 7TH ILLUSION (CD by
Motorlab)
CURRENT VALUE – BEYOND DIGITS
SONIC DRAGOLGO – DON’T STOP THE MUSIC
(Both CDs by Klangkrieg)
PIMMON/KOHN – ZESDE MIXER (LP by Mixer)
KAFFE MATTHEWS – ZEVENDE MIXER: STILL A SLAPPER (2×7″ by Mixer)
Two new releases on Mixer, whose aim is to promote music and sound in a wide
context, so not just releasing a CD or some vinyl, but for instance also
concerts. Here however three slabs of vinyl. The first one took the shape of a
12″ LP and has two artists on each side. Two hipper then hip bands, at least to
some. Australian’s Pimmon offers four tracks in a more minimal style, or at
least less cut up/glitch style. Holding down a few keys on the board (or maybe
some soft synth, who can tell these days), adding some strings and the result
is a gliding scale of almost melodies, so popmusic is lurking around the
corner. More Pimmon old style I guess, but in all it’s simplicity effective
stuff.
Kohn from Belgium is on the other side. More so then Pimmon he is at the
forefront of electronica meeting popmusic. His four tracks here are effectively
filled with clicks, electronica loops, but also an ordinary drum computer
hammering out a fat groove or almost ambient like wave pattern in his final
track.
Kaffe Matthews was once called ‘one of the boys in the Mimeo line up’, but that
was all wrong. She’s the only girl among those boys. Having mastered the tricks
of LiSa (no, not a girl, but short for Steim’s lovely ‘Live Sampling’
software), she just sticks a microphone in the air of the space where she
performs and then builts from these samples her music. Sine wave inspired in
the first piece, with it’s beautiful phasing loops. In the next piece are more
improvised based, with irregular crackles popping in and out of the mix. It
culminates in the piece called ‘Slapper’ which has the most steady beat of all
four tracks and it almost like a Alva Noto piece. In the last piece Kaffe
returns the patterns of the feedback overtones with a beautiful textured piece.
All of this music just built from a short recording of almost soundless air
vibrations – that’s amazing. (FdW)
Address: <info@stichtingmixer.nl>
GEOFF DUGAN – PLAY IN RANDOM OR SHUFFLE MODE (CDR by GD Stereo)
THE SHIRLEY TEMPO TEMPLE DANCERS – A LIVE MORSEL (3″CDR by GD Stereo)
Geoff Dugan might be known as the guy who run the GD Stereo label, where he
releases mainly his own work, but also two excellent compilations of
environmental music by people like Francisco Lopez, John Hudak or If, Bwana.
Here is a piece performed by Dugan on some US radio station, lasting some 36
minutes but divided into 70 tracks on the CDR (which you can of course play in
random and shuffle mode). For this piece Dugan uses a fieldrecording by
It’s kinda hard to tell what this live recording is all about… there is a
vast amount of field recordings, which are not live. Furthermore it is possible
to detect a number of small rumblings and maybe some added electronics. Towards
tracks 45 or so, things are kept to a peace but then more noisy passages drop
in (that might be the live element?). Maybe I’m all wrong, and are just talking
here about an extended mix of various field recordings. Although it’s quite
alright for what it is, it’s something that could not hold, let alone grab my
attention for the full 36 minutes and that is a pity.
Geoff Dugan is also part of The Shirley Tempo Temple dancers, together with Al
Margolis (If, Bwana), Dan Andreana and Detta Andreana. The quartet plays
sampler, synths, string things, alto clarinet, piano and electric guitar. Their
mini CD was recorded live earlier this year and starts out in a drone mood, in
which all the instruments are introduced. Slowly things arrive in a more
improvisational nature, with still hints of the drones that can be create by
these instruments. Held back stuff in general, which is nice anyway… (FdW)
Address: <gdstereo@rcn.com>
KAWABATA MAKOTO – YOU ARE THE MOONSHINE (CD by Elsie & Jack)
The liner notes to this CD are so small that even with glasses I can’t read
them very well. From what I gather, Kawabata Makoto, a ulltra busy man from
Acid Mothers Temple, a psychedelic group from Japan aswell as known for many
solo releases under his own name, picks up sounds around us and then playing
them, so people can hear it, rather then creating music himself or that is a
form of self-expression. It’s something that I find hard to deal with, but
maybe this has to do with the guy’s obsession with ancient East Asian
cosmology, which is not a territory that I very familiar with. Apperentely all
the sounds from the three lenghty pieces on this CD from the ether, but if
you’d asked me before knowing this, I would have said: “well, I think it’s a
bunch of guitars that are being played with ebows, fed through a whole bunch of
effect boxes and that create a nice tapestry of overtones”. But then maybe the
ether plays through his guitar… These overtones are in general more harsher
of tone then most other guitar ambient work that I know but the lesser subtlety
is not a problem here. The spaced out work is actually quite nice and has a
wonderful power to it that holds my attention for the entire 70 something
minutes. (FdW)
Address: www.elsieandjack.com
WANDER (10″ by Plinkityplonk)
Since Beequeen has abandoned the drone, members de Waard and Kinkelaar decided
to embark on a new project called Wander to satisfy their need for the drone.
This 10″ has a track on each side, lasting around 15 minutes. Layered sounds
fade in and out, mostly in the middle frequency spectrum. I have been told that
a harmonium has been used to create this tapestry. A lot of overtones mingle
and actually create the main movement in the pieces, that remain quite static
thorughout. All developments are slow, no sudden breaks, in short: drone music.
And well done too.(MR)
Adress: plinkityplonk@hotmail.com
TORE HONORÈ BE – SISTA’ EP (7″ by Mold)
TORE HONORÈ BE – MELATONIN (Mini-CD by Mold)
KA – 00 (7″ by Mold)
T. H. Be has made one of my favourite Cd’s ever: Siesta. He is now back with
these two recordings. The 7″ is a short edit of recordings made in New York,
live and in the field and later edited. Environmental sounds mix with
electronics, silence mixes with noise and everything is very dynamic. I have to
admit that this was somewhat of a surprise after Siesta. Then again, Mr Be is
a very versatile person and proves so instantly on side B, which is only very
faint in the beginning and later goes full blast.
Melatonin is an edit of various live recordings in Norway and the USA and
starts quite subtle with some background sounds, sometimes distorted by
seemingly malfunctioning electronics. Field recordings are added to the
spectrum, but everything is still very silent. And then track one is over,
sadly. Track two also starts very silent with distant sounds and a soft rumble
and later a few tiny beeps and again it’s over already, and again sadly. Track
three continues with the beeps getting a little louder and shuffling sounds are
added. Then a rumble fades in and with that crackling noises and a feedback
here and there. And again this track simply stops too soon I feel. So far my
absolute favourite disc.
KA is one of Be’s bands, and this 7″ contains live recordings as well. And
once more the volume is quite low in the beginning, later getting louder.
Sounds of footsteps and other movements are on top of a layer of deep,
stuttering bass. When volume increases, the layers interfere and create some
distortion. Field recordings are also used. The other side starts with a loop
made of bells or metal, to which live metal is added. Things get a little
rougher here and there, but in general it has the sam quiet atmosphere. I had
to think of Kapotte Muziek live now and then. Another nice record on a nice
format.(MR)
Adress: www.kunst.no/origami
XINLI SUPREME – ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE WAS NOT TRUE (7″ by Fat Cat)
DROWSEY – HARMLESS (7″ by Fat Cat)
Two new limited 7″s on Fat Cat. Xinli Supreme are a duo from Japan with slow
but heavy beats, a wall of guitars and mumbling voices. Kinda like Jesus
Valentine and Bloody Mary Chain with hints of jap power. Maybe nice stuff, but
the recording is terrible. It sounds like was recorded to a ferro cassette (if
that means anything to anyone these days) and comes off very dull. It could
have been so much better stuff if it was better recorded.
The other 7″ is by Drowsey, who is Mauri H from Finland, who debutes here with
three tracks. He plays all the instruments himself. A piano in the first track,
and guitar in the others. Kinda lo-fi affair (in which I must admit, the
recording quality is overall not much better then on the Xinli Supreme one, but
here it’s less annoying). Frail miniatures of the tormented soul – probably, as
the lyrics were hard to understand. The final track was not just the best
recorded one, but also the most inspired moment, and the guitar pickings
reminded of Durutti Column.
Address: www.fat-cat.co.uk
JONESCO – COVERT CLIENTS (CD by Engelszorn)
Not much information is given about Jonesco, except that is the project by Sam
Greenwood-Jones from Nottingham and that the label is a new low profile label
from the areas of Berlin’s Lux Nigra. Most of these tracks have a mid tempo
rhythm that hammers away, but it’s mainly interesting for the icing. Sam uses a
wide variety of treated acoustic sounds, which are sampled and which give the
album a strange, weird atmosphere. Most of the times a somewhat darker
atmopshere but never too gloom and doom or too ambient. Sam knows how to melt
these sources together in modern head space music that make your toes flip to
the beat. Nice stuff. (FdW)
Address: <towerpark@web.de>
VITA – ENA (CD by Force Inc)
Behind Vita we find Mikeal Stavostrand, who also recorded for Mille Plateaux
under his own name. Under both guises he offers rhythm click dance music, but
there are differences to be noted. When it comes to his own name, the music is
a more sparse in instrumentation and slower, Vita is more up tempo. The
crackles and hisses borrowed from the clicks & cuts movement are blended here
well with 4/4 house beats. It adds a certain flavour to the music that is not
necessiraly earth shocking new, but it certain offers something that is fresh.
I must admit that this Vita album did more to me then Stavostrand’s ‘Reduce’
album of earlier this year. It has more warmth, more depth and more speed. A
better drive, I’d say. Not a single boring moment in sight. (FdW)
Address: www.force-inc.com
KOJI ASANO – CREVASSES (CD by Solstice)
Koji Asano… he just continues. Maybe it’s one CD a month now, but I wouldn’t
be surprised if he rather would release a CD everyday. The big question is,
however, is it all good that he does? Each CD from him these days has one
piece, and each is about one hour, or longer. Each new piece seems to explore
one idea, in this case I gather feedback sounds. Various layers blurr together,
each gets their own treatment and then send back in the mix until a new set of
layers knock on the door. Heavy sounding, ear piercing stuff that is not easy
to access. The idea is nice, but for a total playing time of over 73 minutes
it’s too long. And that’s my trouble with Asano’s work: the idea is nice, but
the execution takes too much time thus displaying the weakness of the idea. If
Asano would combine various CD’s into shorter pieces and present them on one
CD, I think it would be a great CD. (FdW)
Address: www.solstice-europe.com
BARRY ADAMSON/PAN SONIC – MOTORLAB #3: THE HYMN OF THE 7TH ILLUSION (CD by
Motorlab)
The idea of Motorlab is to create a new kind of electricity between
musicians/artists by introducing them to elements they had previously left
untouched. Well, here’s one that appealed immediately – such a unique
combination of talent cannot be allowed to escape, so I took it home with high
hopes. And how carefully made it is, and (the basic recordings are) live, too.
The first (title) track, a blend of an Icelandic choir performing Barry’s
(treated) microtonal, urgent score is slowly infiltrated, first with an
electronic breath and then by well-rounded bassburps that evolve into a
satisfactory crescendo before the scary humhum returns. Someone directly
connected to this broadsheet dismissed this track as Gothic^” – and although I
can’t qualify it, not having the ilk for such silly and affected gruesomeness –
I do think he’s being too simplistic, being of the opinion myself that it is a
highly successful,
contemporary hybrid. Hats off! (MP)
(Oh! I almost forgot to mention, there are two other tracks: the second is a
short sigh, and the third, apparently a remix by Andrew McKenzie, ranges from
the sublime to the Wendy (yes, definitely after the operation!) Carlos – a
meandering piece that starts in a non-specific place and doesn^”t travel that
far in ordure to stay there). Nonetheless, this shiny is still worth getting,
even if it^”s only for the first track.
(http://www.kitchenmotors.com/)
CURRENT VALUE – BEYOND DIGITS
SONIC DRAGOLGO – DON’T STOP THE MUSIC
(Both CDs by Klangkrieg)
It says here that, Berlin-based Tim Elliot aka Current Value has a name for
himself in the D&B circuit-belongs to those few metallic sounds fascinating
beat programming beware of his energy digital overkillburn all dancefloors.
Hmmm, I stopped playing D&B publicly three or four years ago (soon after Roni
Size spawned his^” New Forms, No U-Turn Records their hard minimal Torque, and
Alec Empire and Panacea had started to (predictably, someone had to do it after
all – they always fucking do) rip up the canvas of the genre. Then came Boom
Boom Satellites and hopefully, most of the rest (including this release) will
NOT be history (as they don’t say). I^”m pleased my decision to stop DJing D&B
and ferret out some other new thing is again underscored by new^” releases like
this loop-music: mute this sequence, switch this one on, filter that funny
noise now – oh! maybe it’s cool NOT to repeat it on the third beat confusing
the drug-induced suggestion of appreciation the punters will have to endure for
this
artist to cut a hole in deep space only to beam you into complete [sic] unknown
areas.
Second offering form Klangkrieg is by Sonic Dragolgo, who has (and I have to
quote the press release again, it being far more elegant then I), [created] a
happy-hardcore-melody-punk-rock for the 21st century. As my dead friend and
drinking companion Dudley Moore once said: Don’t call it masturbation, mate.
Call it wanking^”. Unless you like this sort of thing (a yellow-bellied
disclaimer that one) [Is it P.C. to use the term yellow-bellied? Someone do
tell!], try listening to the first two tracks before you buy it. OK, now you^”ve
done that, riddle me this: Can you hear a difference? Tralala. Best taken one
track at a time, methinks or this formulated music (albeit, perhaps, reasonably
[how the fuck can you be reasonably?] original) jars the jaw to yawn ten
minutes in – distorted beats (heard them before, and THAT distortion was so
creamy it was almost genetic spoo), distorted guitars and voice (ditto previous
parenthesised comment), and maximum compression which results in
similarly-dynamic walls-of-noise that were not catchy^” didn’t come across as
^-free interpretations of Madonna or the B-52s^”, and are not great. By the way,
it’s not Klangkrieng-thrashing time (as much as they might enjoy it literally),
it’s just I think these particular CDs are crap. (MP)
Address: www.klangkrieg-produktionen.de