DEISON & LASSE MARHAUG – 33 MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE (CDR by Loud!)
JOHN HEGRE/LASSE MARHAUG – ACOUSTIC (CDR by Authorised Version)
FOLIE Á DEUX (CD by Fin De Siecle)
MARTIJN DE KLEER – SO CLOSE YET SO FAR OUT (CD by Beta-lactam Ring Records)
GUIGNOL – ANGELA, DAVID & THE GREAT NEOPOLITAN ROAD ISSUE (CD by Cenotaph)
LONELY MIDGET – NORTH HEAD (CD by Family Vineyard)
GRAND ULENA – NEOSHO (CD by Family Vineyard)
E A D G B E (CD compilation by 12K)
TWO POINT TWO (2CD compilation by 12K/Line)
MARTIN HOOGEBOOM – BABYLON 1 (CDR by Six Moon Night)
BENGG – OH DEAR OH DEAR (CDR by Six Moon Night)
SENILE MUSIC CORPORATION – 7 INDUSTRIAL SONGS (CDR by Six Moon Night)
MY JAZZY CHILD – SADA SOUL (CD by Clapping Music)
HANS JOACHIM IRMLER – LIFELIKE (CD by Staubgold)
CURRENT 909 – THE PRICE FOR EXISTENCE IS ETERNAL WARFARE (CD by Doc/Atmosfear)
KIKAPU GOLD STANDARD (CDR compilation by Kikapu.net)
RICHARD CHARTIER – OVERVIEW (CD by 3Particles)
KORBER/MULLER/STEINBRUCHEL – MOMENTAN_DEF (CD by Cut)
MATTIN & MARK WASTELL – VAULT (CD by W.M.O/R)
FABRIQUE DECOLOURS – IMITE MOI (CD by Dorodine)
JUSTIN BENNETT – NOISE MAP (CD/Book by Spore Records)
KAFFE MATTHEWS – CD EB + FLO (2CD by Annette Works)
FRANCISCO LOPEZ – UNTITLED 74 (CD by Authorized Version)
DEISON & LASSE MARHAUG – 33 MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE (CDR by Loud!)
JOHN HEGRE/LASSE MARHAUG – ACOUSTIC (CDR by Authorised Version)
From all the active people I know, I think the one never sleeping is
Lasse Marhaug. He has various bands (Jazzkammer, Del), a label
(Jazzassin), solo project and his free time is spend working behind
his laptop on sound collaborations with people like Deison. He had a
very nice CDR with various of MP3 works a while ago of gentle and
noisy clicks and cuts stuff. Together they explore the world of
microscopic sound and digital ambient further in this work which
takes thirty-three minutes of your life to listen. Through subtle
cracking, sampled skipping vinyl and heavily processed field
recordings, they depict in five seperate pieces a peep through the
looking glass of sound and we see microbes eating the complete
internals of two laptops, well-nourished and fat they fall asleep.
Good sturdy work of microsounding works.
More Marhaug is to be found on a split CDR with his Jazzkammer buddy
John Hegre. Originally this was released as a cassette by TWR Tapes,
but apperentely they liked it so much that it was worth to
re-release. The original recordings are from 2000. Quite important to
keep in mind. John Hegre has two untitled pieces. The first one is an
aggressive loud, Merzbow like piece of noise, feeding sounds of tapes
on rewind through a bunch of effect boxes. The second piece is more
open, but still on the noise side of things. Lasse’s pieces have more
to do with the exploration of rhythm, but he too finds himself locked
inside a love affair with noise. And even at that, Lasse is less raw
(if that is possible. Yes it is) and his pieces bit more shaped and
fine tuned towards the variations possible inside noise music. But we
have to keep in mind that these are not recent works: both are now
much more refined. And not acoustics at all, mind you. (FdW)
Address: http://www.deison.net
Address: http://www.a-version.co.uk
FOLIE Á DEUX (CD by Fin De Siecle)
Sweden might not be in the lead when it comes to the frequency of
released power electronics albums. On the other side there has been
at least one important Swedish brick in the history of sonic
extremity. Albums from “Brighter Death Now” such as “Innerwar” and
“May all be dead” is certainly not for the musically fainthearted.
Now it could be the time for a new generation of Swedish power
electronics acts. Anyway this new split CD out on the Fin De
Siecle-label presents two quite interesting projects. The first
project Des Esseintes is established by one of the legends from the
Swedish Industrial-scene around Cold Meat Industry. Magnus Sundström
(ex- The Protagonist) opens the CD as Des Esseintes with the
13-minute track titled “Scrying/closure”. There certainly is some
change from the eerie goth-industrial of The Protagonist to the harsh
over-the-top electronic aggressions of Des Esseintes.
“Scrying/closure” opens with threatening buzz-drones swirling inside
caverns of echoed sounds. Then comes the quite surprising moment,
with a Gregorian chant penetrating the caverns of hostile
buzz-drones. Suddenly hell breaks loose…! Hordes of crushing power
electronics explodes and the expression turn extreme with the blend
of repetitive loops, mid-tempo rhythm patterns, the on-going chant
and the deep rumbling noise. The result is very interesting and quite
unusual. In contrast to that the second artist calling himself
“Diskrepant” seems more conventional in his approach to power
electronics. In some way you could call it old school, reminiscent of
early Whitehouse. Represented with three tracks, the first two are
short ones focusing on a minimal expression of harsh electronics
built on crushing noise drones and distorted vocals. Third track by
Diskrepant is longer and more focusing on subdued noises resulting in
a more threatening kind of ambient noise. The track nicely varies
from subtle noise to more aggressively sonic outbursts. Delivering
two quiet different exercises in power electronics this is an album
worth checking out. Who knows, this could be the first ripple of a
new wave of Swedish power electronics. (NMP)
Address: http://www.findesieclemedia.com
MARTIJN DE KLEER – SO CLOSE YET SO FAR OUT (CD by Beta-lactam Ring Records)
Legendary Pink Dots. One of their main attractions is the fact that
core-centrepiece players Edward Ka-Spel and Phil Knight always seem
eager to counter their electronic viewpoints with the acoustic ones
of others. Violin-player Patrick Wright in the eighties, psychedelic
guitarist Bob Pistoor at the beginning of the nineties and, after his
departure, multi-instrumentalists Ryan Moore (dub-man, known from
Twilight Circus) and Martijn de Kleer. I always thought De Kleer’s
influence was the acoustic folk & soothing psychedelica, but his
second solo effort So Close Yet So Far Out proves me wrong. This is
classic seventies psychedelic rock, kraut- and spacerock. Long and
winding pieces that touch various spaces and places, full of heavy
guitar-jamming and experimental electronics, with meandering
sequences of sound that push barriers in song-structure and the mind.
At times unfocused, but never lost. This album is a direct descendant
of Amon Düül II, Neu! and Can. The eight lengthy pieces where
recorded somewhere in the nineties on various locations with various
people (like cEvin Key from Skinny Puppy and Ryan Moore). The synth
loop on second track Delayed Chemistry is provided by Phil Knight,
making the song sound very Pink Dots, Chemical Playschool 10 & 11-13
area. A perfect piece to determine the musical voice of De Kleer.
Like Ryan Moore, Martijn de Kleer has left that band. I’m anxious to
see what kind of musician will be the next counterpoint in Legendary
Pink Dots. But with So Close Yet So Far Out in mind, I will also
follow De Kleer’s career with a keen interest. (RT)
Address: http://www.blrrecords.com
GUIGNOL – ANGELA, DAVID & THE GREAT NEOPOLITAN ROAD ISSUE (CD by Cenotaph)
Guignol is a project comprised of Jeremy Barnes (from Neutral Milk
Hotel fame) and Laurence Coleman and Aaron Moore (both Volcano the
Bear). Angela, David & the Great Neopolitan Road Issue has been three
years in the making and turns out to be nothing less then a
disturbing record. ‘These are quite definitely songs, sounding
distinctly British and rather intimate’ states the biography. With
this in mind one cannot escape a good laugh the first listen. The
first ‘song’ is an empty place full of hand clapped rhythms.
Breathing, whispering, scraped metal and singing with a broken voice
can also be heard somewhere in the back. The heavy breathing almost
becomes a rhythm at some point. It’s one of the first moments
something actually turns up at the front of the sound spectrum. It
all comes together in the last track, were nagging organs and raspy
harmonicas join the high-pitched squealing for a last trip to hell.
That place is a fairyland for sure, but a pleasant time is guaranteed
for the devil only. At first, one is eager to compare Guignol to
Nurse With Wound. But when the strangeness wears off after a couple
of spins, it must be said that, indeed, in a peculiar way, Barnes and
his men have succeed in making strange and very unusual music also
very poppy and an easy listen. Disturbing. (RT)
Address: http://www.cenotaph.org
LONELY MIDGET – NORTH HEAD (CD by Family Vineyard)
Lonely Midget is one Rachel Shearer from New Zealand and provides us
with eight soundscapes. The first, North Head, has an electric guitar
meandering through nondescript electronic sounds. Halfway through one
becomes aware of the small crowd of women that is waiting in the
back, getting excited over something that makes them raise voices in
a high pitch. Scary yet beautiful. Alternately second track Squall
delivers some extremely low pitched sounds, with echo or reverb
effects over it. It’s a bit dubby at moments, but the waggling does
not become a rhythm ever. By then the mood has been set for the rest
of this hauntingly beautiful album. Switching, at times, the dark
ambient with moments of transparent new age. (RT)
Address: http://www.family-vineyard.com
GRAND ULENA – NEOSHO (CD by Family Vineyard)
Only a couple of months after the release of their full-length
Gateway to Dignity, St. Louis threesome Grand Ulena return with a
three track EP. That album contained a bizarre mixture of dissonant
jazz metal, mathematical rock and even portions of furious grindcore.
Not that the players where technically perfect shaped
instrumentalists, because mistakes were made (thankfully!) and at
times the whole structure would simply collapse into chaos. Neosho
opens with Fyler, an eleven minutes drone piece of distorted guitars
(think early Sonic Youth and Swans) where halfway through the drummer
comes popping in with maniacal bashing, the bass trying desperately
to follow his moves. The title track alternates stylised melodic
guitar playing with freestyle jazzcore, with the freaky Lemp
following in its hot trails. No new perspectives on this one, but a
nice addition to the album none the less. (RT)
Address: http://www.family-vineyard.com
E A D G B E (CD compilation by 12K)
TWO POINT TWO (2CD compilation by 12K/Line)
The guitar remains an instruments that appeals to a lot of musicians,
and those who hooked to laptop, like the good old six strings aswell.
It’s still a fine source to put into your laptop and let all sorts of
manipulations go wild over them. 12K understands this, and has asked
four composers for lenghty pieces (or more short pieces) of some
guitar treatments. The CD opens with two very nice glitchy ambient
pieces by Japanese Fonica, nice flowing, but staying a bit on the
same safe side. Keith Fullerton Whitman, aka Hvratski, has already
done some interesting guitar processed music for his Kranky release,
but here he is great shape. A wonderfully tuned piece that is much
like a musique concrete collage, in the best tradition of various
artists normally on the Line label. Sebastian Roux might be less
known, but he started out as a guitarist in various experimental-post
rock ambient bands. That experience is taken a step further here and
warm glitches are addressed to processed guitar sounds. Quite droney
he gets a good results. The big surprise however is at the end:
Christopher Willits had a CD before on 12K with processed guitar
music, so this work here is no different (and may have brought 12K to
the idea of putting out this compilation?). His work are seven short
sketches for almost spanish acoustic guitar playing. Rhythmically and
highly melodic with some skippy beat to guide it. Lushly played with
a lighthearted touch. Simply great, relaxing music. Manual Gottsching
trapped in hardware.
Also on compilation format by 12K/Line is a double CD that presents
artists from both labels, presenting new work and is in many ways the
successor to ‘Between Two Points’ of a couple of years ago. The first
CD has artists that have releases on 12K, or could have had. These
artists use rhythm in any sense of the word. Quiet, almost non
present in pieces by Sogar & Uison, deep dubby as in Komet’s or
stuttery and uptempo in the Ken’ichi Itoi. M. Fell’s track comes very
close to his recent Secular Music Of South Yorkshire CD, a stuttery
piece of music. Remarkable on the 12K side of things are the three
collaborative tracks. The aforementioned Sogar & Uison, but also
Deupree & Chartier (that is 12K vs Line, I’d say) and Doron Sadja &
Motion. Maybe an idea for a future compilation made of various
collaborations. The final piece here is by Kenneth Kirschner and
lasts twentyfour minutes (that is one third of the entire length of
this CD) and forms a perfect link between the worlds of 12K and Line.
On the Line CD things are in a more subtle mode, and rhythm plays no
important role here. But it is present, for instance in the water
drop sounds by Asmus Tietchens & David Lee Myers (which is maybe an
unusual appearance here) or in the piece by Coh and even in the piece
by Steve Roden. Another surprise was the quite dark sounding Richard
Chartier track with some heavy (gothic? did I write that) synth
lines. Field recordings are used by Thom Kubli, at least he’s the one
not hiding them. Here too an interesting varied bunch and you need to
crank up the volume only little after playing the 12K CD, so it ain’t
that soft… (FdW)
Address: http//www.12k.com
MARTIN HOOGEBOOM – BABYLON 1 (CDR by Six Moon Night)
BENGG – OH DEAR OH DEAR (CDR by Six Moon Night)
SENILE MUSIC CORPORATION – 7 INDUSTRIAL SONGS (CDR by Six Moon Night)
No less then three new CDR releases by Martin Hoogeboom (or with his
involvement), former guitarist of Dier, a Dutch rock band from the
eighties. His work has bee reviewed before (Vital Weekly 227 and
372). On ‘Babylon 1’ has five short pieces for improvised guitar
playing with the addition of effects. Martin likes his pieces
minimal, but he plays them also with a big bang. Staccato playing and
somewhere things are let loose in effects, that hold sounds tight
together. Kinda like Robert Fripp meets Robert Plant at a workshop of
Steve Reich. Do I sense a regret that Dier is no more?
Bengg is by Martin Hoogeboom and another member of Dier, Theo Calis.
Like their band/project name suggests, Bengg is about percussion, but
not traditional sort of percussion. They use boxes, lids, glass
objects with the addition of samples culled from the internet. With
eight tracks in twenty minutes the tracks are mainly short ans
sketchy, from dreamy melodic to very uptempo in ‘The Ghost Trail’
(including a synth line and a heavy drum computer) and it’s not
always just a bengg, which is kind of nice. A pretty much varied
bunch of tracks, that could have been worked out maybe a bit better
here and there.
There are two people behind the Senile Music Corporation who wish to
remain anomynous, but Martin Hoogeboom did the production of their
seven industrial songs. These seven songs last sixteen minutes, so
maybe there is a punk spirit there? Do not expect a bunch of noise or
feedback, and the Senile Music Corporation plays rather melodic songs
on their rhythm boxes and synthesizers which are too dark to be
electro, too normal to be industrial and too short to leave any
impression. Why not work them out a little better and make them a bit
longer? Maybe I’m getting old and senile? I pass on for this one.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.hoogeboom.org
MY JAZZY CHILD – SADA SOUL (CD by Clapping Music)
Sometimes a CD arrives and one thinks, what the hell is this? My
Jazzy Child is such a CD. It’s the project by one Damien Mingus, also
co-head of the Evenement collective and a musician in all sorts of
fields of music. He has released two albums before and a 7″ on Active
Suspension. That last thing might give you an idea in which direction
this goes, popmusic with an electronic twist (or maybe vice versa).
However My Jazzy Child takes things a bit further. Vocals play a
dominant role, and Damien sings with high voice (think Robert Wyatt)
in a folky style. Added are (sampled) acoustic and electric guitars
and small computer processings on the voice (looped in a Steve
Reich-like manner in ‘Barcelona’), which all sound like the new
laptop folk, but occassionally there is burst of noise and energy,
such as in ‘Morfler’. There things explode in a mass of electric
guitar sounds. ‘Sada Soul’ is quite a homegene bunch of tracks, which
are in itself varied enough to hold the attention throughout and is a
very nice crossover between warm folky music and even warmer laptop
doodlings. (FdW)
Address: http://www.clappingmusic.com
HANS JOACHIM IRMLER – LIFELIKE (CD by Staubgold)
It’s probably blasphemy, but I must admit I was never a big fan of
Faust. There it is. Whatever old or new I heard or what I saw live,
it just wasn’t made for me I guess. So someone had to tell me that it
is kinda odd that none of the Faust member ever did a solo CD (maybe
because I don’t think I could mention that many Faust members by
name), but here it is, at last. A CD by Faust’s keyboardplayer Hans
Joachim Irmler. The thematic approach here is the day in the life of
an ordinary person. Originally composed for a museum, portraying the
life of Roman soldiers at the turn of the millenium (BC to AD that
is) in Upper Swabia (where Irmler lives), but later on extended it
into this album. Taking field recording and analogue instruments, but
distorting them via the use of equipment, thus rendering the original
beyond recognition, making things loud and aggressive – noisy but in
a percussive way. Keyboards play an important role in this work, no
wonder of course, and sometimes the album leaps back into more
regular ambient passages, especially towards the end. This makes this
album into quite a strange mixture of ambient music and banging,
percussive textures when the raindrops are processed into gunshots.
Highlight of the CD is for me ‘Trevo’, with it’s processed bell-like
sounds and an overall spooky atmosphere. (FdW)
Address: http://www.staubgold.com
CURRENT 909 – THE PRICE FOR EXISTENCE IS ETERNAL WARFARE (CD by Doc/Atmosfear)
Of course you heard of Pure, the Austrian musician who released CDs
on Staalplaat, DOc and Mego. What you may not know is that he
releases music under the funny monnikker Current 909. This is the
area of Pure in which he explores the use of rhythms aswell as
samples of movie soundtracks. He has a couple of 12″s out on
Atmosfear (who co-release this CD) which are now here, aswell as two
tracks from a new 12″ on Mego and a recording of his only ever
concert, from 1997. The rhythms are quite slow, but pulsating. The
darker edges of the dance floor are explored here and wouldn’t do
very well at the big rave next door. I was reminded of some of
Lagowski’s older music. Samples are mixed (Genesis P-Orridge? in
‘Information War’ and there is nod to Current 93s ‘Dawn’ LP) in these
lenghty pieces which seem to want to evoke a state of hypnotism. At
times too lenghty and maybe a bit too retro (area 1995 dance music),
but there is probably a niche for that. (FdW)
Address: http://pure.test.at
KIKAPU GOLD STANDARD (CDR compilation by Kikapu.net)
To celebrate its 50th release, the Kikapu label decided on compiling
a sample of just some of their respective experimental electronic
artists; artists that represent a cross-section of the label’s varied
catalogue of modern electronic musical endeavors. The aptly titled
Kikapu Gold Standard, is just that: 17 tracks worth of premium 24
carat audio that is definitely worth its weight in gold! The disc
starts things off quite nicely with an analog synth laden number
titled: “Living Room”, by Mental TSP. Track 2 “Cheri Amour”, by
Glomag presents itself as a chopped-up, funky android pop tune that
was surprising as much as it was infectious when hearing it for the
first time. As the disc progressed, I realized the presence of
certain sounds and loops within the music that would not be out of
place on old school 8-bit video game systems such as the first N.E.S.
or an even older system like an Atari 2600; which for me, only drew
me closer to this compilation by way of nostalgia; examples of this
can be found on tracks: “Insider”, by Notech and “Grey Matters”, by
Books On Tape. By tracks 5-6: “That One Track”, from Algorhythm and
“SP”, by Dubjay, the mood and feel started to change to a more
subdued, quasi-ambient environment; which also set the stage for
tracks like: “Chuck”, by Eric Laurence and “Gold”, by Mor.ch. IDM is
what I found on “Retrigs”, by Cellular: a number of beauty and
complexity, “Kill Ya Head”, by Crashed By Car: a track with an
experimental tinge to its IDM escapades and “Your Home And Mine”, by
Matt Borghi. Tracks 12-17 specializes in varying degrees of
experimentation that is sure to please any who buy this special
release from Kikapu. I highly recommend this disc! (CN)
Address: http://www.kikapu.com
RICHARD CHARTIER – OVERVIEW (CD by 3Particles)
Of course you know Richard Chartier, either from his works for Trente
Oiseaux, his own Line label (see also elsewhere), his installations
or his design work. A busy bee and this has been going on for some
time. So, Richard compiled a CD called ‘Overview’, which collects his
best pieces (or excerpts thereof) and some hard to get CDR releases,
as unreleased pieces. You could wonder who is waiting for a piece of
‘Decisive Forms’ or ‘For Morton Feldman’, CDs which might be easily
available otherwise. As a series of lost works, this is actually
quite a nice compilation. Chartier is a minimalist. Using very soft
but static drones, which operate on a very soft level, or even below
the threshold of hearing in ‘Internal Analogy’. Sometimes things are
on a subsconcious loud level, such as in ‘010101’ with it’s high
pierced tones. Chartier designs his pieces in minimal vein, with few
sounds per piece, but that always seem to fit together. It’s music
that requires a lot of attention before it unfolds it’s beauty. If
you are new to the work of Chartier, ‘Overview’ is a good place to
start. (FdW)
Address: http://www.3particles.com
KORBER/MULLER/STEINBRUCHEL – MOMENTAN_DEF (CD by Cut)
Here is an interesting concept, though not really new: a live
recording of an improvisation recorded by Tomas Korber, Gunter Muller
and Steinbruchel plus each of them doing a remix using the concert as
the source material. A guitarist, a drummer and a laptop player –
although each one crosses into another terrain frequentely. The
concert was held under the aquadauct in Bogen13 in Zurich with trains
passing every fifteen minutes and a forty-foot ceiling. Not that any
of that is relevant to the recording. The three players move
carefully along the lines of audibility with their microscopic
detailled sound, fine tuned crackles and non-descript percussive
sounds – they all move in and out in a very gentle, almost natural
way. The remix by Korber is the loudest one, bringing volume back in
line, with some heavy looped towards the end of his piece.
Steinbruchel plays the softer card again, but his interest lies
principally in using drone like sound, with small treatments in the
high end. Gunter Muller’s remix on the other hand evolves more around
pulsating rhythms (but of course not in techno vein), but quite
atmospheric. Both in live recording and remixes this is excellent
microsounding material. (FdW)
Address: http://www.cut.fm
MATTIN & MARK WASTELL – VAULT (CD by W.M.O/R)
It may be no surprise that if I put in a new CD by Mattin, I turn the
volume down a bit. From what I heard from this guy, it’s usually
quite loud. However, here, a duet with Mark Wastell on ‘amplified
textures’ and Mattin on computer feedback, things aren’t as loud as
expected. Throughout these four tracks, there is a dark percussive
rumble, like banging against semi-hollow boxes and the computer
picking up on the sound, maybe do some slight altering on the
material, so that it’s almost feedback, but it’s not y’r over the top
noise blast. A highly amplified sound in which feedback could play a
big role, but it doesn’t – it’s a very controlled atmosphere here.
This works best in the second piece, which is the most controlled one
and also the most dense piece. The atmospheres inhabited here aren’t
very pleasent ones, there is a very creepy undercurrent in these
recordings. Certainly a most strange and alienating piece of music.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.mattin.org
FABRIQUE DECOLOURS – IMITE MOI (CD by Dorodine)
Some weeks ago I reviewed a CDR release by Bujeold and I wasn’t too
pleased with that, partly due to the vagueness of what it was. Now I
receive this CD, which seems connected to the same people who
released the Bujeold CDR. This however is a real CD, with some proper
credits, a nice printed sleeve and a website. It seems that Fabrique
Decolours is the band name, which is one Emmanuel Allard. Apperentely
like Bujeold (which I now believe was the title and Fabrique
Decolours was the artist), Allard is interested in putting on some
serious noise, through the use of a computer. A heavy loud feedback
like sound that is either stretched out or chopped up like a rhythm
is the basis of each of the nine tracks. As said, this is a rather
noisy affair, but put together with some more thought then the
previous Bejold release. The drone like work of the latter only
revives in the ‘To Cut A Long Goodbye Short’. Here is at least some
planning and coordination at work, even while it’s still for those
who like their fair dose of noise. Overall an improvement from the
last one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.dorodine.com
JUSTIN BENNETT – NOISE MAP (CD/Book by Spore Records)
Justin Bennett is a busy man. If not with his band BMB con, he works
as solo musician and visual artist and is a parttime member of Mimeo.
He also runs his own label, Spore Records. His interests are in field
recordings, but besides running around with a microphone, he is also
interested in the sociological aspects of field recordings. His
latest offering is ‘Noise Map’, which is a CD of field recordings,
which are processed through means of the computer, but at the same he
also releases a book with the same title. In this book he describes
his work with field recordings, architecture, musique concrete, sound
gardens in a very understandable language (which is always good).
Added are loads of photos and drawings, especially of maps (which I
thought was great, I love maps of all kinds).
The CD deals with processed field recordings. There is the sound of
fireworks, bees and people, but they are embedded in bath of
electronic sound processing. Bennett uses the collage form as opposed
to straight, linear pieces of one single sound. Sometimes it’s hard
to tell what kind of sources with into the piece, such as in the
title piece, which is an overall noisy affair. Bennett is not shy to
put on some fierce noise, but he knows how to make a good balance
with the softer parts. A piece like ‘Mascleta’ has percussive
elements, which is quite nice. Overall a good CD to an even better
book. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bmbcon.demon.nl/spore
KAFFE MATTHEWS – CD EB + FLO (2CD by Annette Works)
Just like Justin Bennett (see elsewhere), Kaffe Matthews is a busy
bee: mainly a solo musician, but also an improviser (a.o. with Andy
Moor, Sachiko M, Andrea Neumann, Marina Rosenfeld, Oren Ambarchi,
Fennesz) and a member of Mimeo, Weightless Animals and Lappetites.
But as said, her main thing is playing solo and she uses a theremin
which she plays and then samples it and plays back the samples
(incorporating the room acoustics). On this new double CD she takes
home various live recordings, made in Perth, Vienna, Essex, London
and Quebec City and re-assembles these recordings into new works.
Kaffe’s work is all about minimalist sounds, crackles, repeating
tones, lightweighted drones – there are lots of references to be
made, but there is one especially: many of the feedback like sounds
(which never sound noisy, mind you) remind me of Sachiko M’s work,
but as opposed to Sachiko, Kaffe twists these sounds around, turn
them around and puts them upside down. A lot more action happening
here than on an usual Sachiko M, but their approaches towards sound I
find similar. You could wonder if two CDs isn’t a bit much to swallow
at one time, but there is enough variation throughout (a large noisy
chunk on the ‘flo’ disc breaks the waves) to make this into an highly
enjoyable work. (FdW)
Address: http://www.annetteworks.com
FRANCISCO LOPEZ – UNTITLED 74 (CD by Authorized Version)
This is the second re-issue of a Francisco Lopez CD, following ‘Addy
En El Pais’ (see Vital Weekly 387) and like that one ‘Untitled 74’ is
a classic Lopez work. Opening up with minutes and minutes of silence,
it reaches it’s first peak at twelve minutes. But be warned this is a
relatively soft peak and the piece turns into a loud beast, towards
the thirty-seven minute range. If you crancked your volume level way
up for the first bit, then this section will be speaker crashing one.
Ranging from way way below the threshold of hearing to a solid zero
db at that point: this is what makes this Lopez CD such a classic
disc. I’d be one of the last persons to say that one needs all Lopez
CD’s. But if you want a good reference to his ‘silent’ pieces, I’d
say this is one to have (and ‘La Selva’ if you want one that deals
with his field recordings work). (FdW)
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