SECTORCHESTRA – FAULT N ROLL EP (MP3s by Thinner)
TION – ACOUSTIC LAZY DOLLS (MP3s by Autoplate)
ALAN LICHT – A NEW YORK MINUTE (2CD by Experimental Intermedia)
.DOS – FEM MDR. (EP by Synthetic Waste)
ELASTICLEGO & MARTINDX – BIPOLAR TRANSMISSION (MP3 by No Type)
ONOTMATOPEIA – A MARBLE HOLDER FROM ANDOVER (miniCD by Cheeses International)
FRANS DE WAARD – KLANKSCHAP # 4 (Mini-CD-R by Kissy Records)
CONVERTER – EXIT RITUAL (CD by Ant-Zen Recordings)
CHACHI JONES-CLAUSTROPHILIA (CD by Lunaticworks)
LUNATICWORKS VOL.3 – LOADED MUSIC FOR LOADED MINDS (CD compilation by
Lunaticworks)
PRAEFACE (CD compilation by Praemedia)
TIM PERKINS – MOTIVE (CD by Praemedia)
STARS LIKE FLEAS – SUN LIGHTS DOWN ON THE FENCE (CD by Praemedia)
SURFACES (MP3s compilation by [Surfaces])
GINTAS K – WITHOUT OUT (MP3 by [Surfaces])
OREN AMBARCHI & MARTIN NG – VIGIL (CD by Quecksilber)
MILES TILMANN – OVER AND THROUGH (10″ by Consumers Label)
KHANATE – THINGS VIRAL (CD by Southern Lord)
TRIBRYD > INSTALLATION SOUNDTRACKS (CD by Beta Lactam Ring Records)
SECTORCHESTRA – FAULT N ROLL EP (MP3s by Thinner)
TION – ACOUSTIC LAZY DOLLS (MP3s by Autoplate)
Thinner Records is the net label where you can download music, but which you can also get as a CDR. They release many people that are quite unknown, but usually worthwhile music. Sectorchestra is one Danny Kreutzfeldt from Danmark. He operates in abstract clickhouse. Minimalist beats, and grainy samples are the main ingredients here. Halfway through the first track ‘Burning Beaches’ a female vocal sample drops in. Sectorchestra operates on a darker level than is usual for this kind of music. There is a darker undercurrent in all four of the tracks, like a hidden, dark corner. This makes this probably more enjoyable for home-listening than for cheery dancecrowd. Quite a lovely, nice release.
I think Autoplate is a side label for Thinner. Their latest release is a re-issue of an album that was originally released in 2002 by Oral, but with four extra pieces. It is made with one turntable, one needle and one audio object. The audio object being ‘Possible Musics’ by Hassel and Eno. But the signal is fed through a computer and Tion, aka Jean-Sebastian Roux and he produces some very ambient glitch music. Using only small particles of the original source, either a small rhythmic block and sometimes as a melodic part, the original renders being recognition, but it takes the ‘possible music’ into the world of possible musics of the new millenium. Ambient music for a new generation. Perfect sunday morning, post hangover music. More wakeup to than chill out. (FdW)
Address: http://www.thinnerism.com
ALAN LICHT – A NEW YORK MINUTE (2CD by Experimental Intermedia)
Now here’s a busy bee: Alan Licht is primarily a guitarist in his own right, but also an improviser with the likes of Jim O’Rourke, Nihilist Spasm Band, Keiji Haino, Aki Onda and many more. Plus he’s a writer for various magazines and author of ‘An Emotional Memoir Of Martha Quinn’, about a music in the 80s and 90s. As a solo musician he plays guitar, but he also produced a (smaller) number of more plunderphonic works. The title piece of this double set is one such piece, consisting of weather reports. It’s the corner of Licht’s works that is probably not for me. Maybe nice for a minute or two, but not for the entire fifteen minutes. However all the other pieces here, one disc is studio and one disc is live material, is filled beautiful minimalist music. A short piece on the studio disc, ‘Another Sky’ has organ sounds in a layered variation and all the other pieces are for guitar. Alan Licht is a minimalist player, using a very limited set of sounds, but feeding them through a small number of delay unit (and maybe some other foot controlled machinary), he knows how to built very richly layered, atmospheric pieces of guitar music. This music sucks you in and makes it into a large weightless space, especially the two lenghty live cuts. Hallucinating minimal music. So, apart from the title piece, which I understand conceptually but is not just for me, this is a very fine overview of his work. If you haven’t heard Alan Licht yet (his four solo albums might not be easy to get hold off), then this is the work to get. (FdW)
Address: http://www.xirecords.org
.DOS – FEM MDR. (EP by Synthetic Waste)
.Dos are Lasse Bjorck Volkmann and Nicolai Vesterkaer Krog from Denmark, both are 17 year old now (if I’m not wrong) and they also make music separatelly, Nicolai as Vstrkr and Lasse as Vielepist. Fem Mdr. is their first completed release as duo and also first ever, because they had a deal not to release anything alone before releasing something they’ve made together. This EP with 5 tracks is the result of their joint effort and the music is mastered by Peter Smeekens aka Formatt.
Both Nicolai and Lasse are fans of different kinds of music coming from labels like Raster-Noton, Mille Plateaux, ~Scape, 12k, No Type, Hobby Industries and others, but they are also inspired by today’s dub revival, one of the highlights of minimal dub being Claudia Bonarelli’s mp3-EP Boredom Is Counterrevolutionary released by Notype. And .Dos are exploring the minimal dub sound with their music from this EP. It’s not as minimalistic as before mentioned EP by Claudia Bonarelli, although there are similarities between that one and Fem Mdr. in the use of the smallest crispy sounds. But it is more minimal than tracks like Airflow, Bloop and others from the dubby album Airflow by Kandis and at times .Dos are also too fixed compared to Kandis. The rhythms in the tracks by .Dos are sometimes too linear and straight when they are present. It might sound more loose and relaxed if there is a smoother balance between the beats and the background in those cases. The basic improvisation and the free dub-flow are behind with the atmospheric sounds and little noises. I like how the voice samples are used in the forth track, and the general impression this EP leaves is very good. (BR)
Address: http://www.syntheticwaste.tk or lasseognicolai@hotmail.com
ELASTICLEGO & MARTINDX – BIPOLAR TRANSMISSION (MP3 by No Type)
Bipolar Transmission is one (no.077) of the free mp3 releases from No Type in 2003 and it’s a split album between Elasticlego (aka Dustin Craig aka Headphone Science, who has a great mini-album released on CD also by No Type this year) and Martin Dixon aka Martindx. In this case it means (although the artists exchanged sounds) that half of the tracks from the album (exactlly 5) are solo tracks made by Elasticlego and the other 5 tracks are by Martin. The music is complementary enough to be a part of one release. What about the sound? When Dustin makes music as Elasticlego that’s a kind of ambient music, this time with rhythm, but it’s still based on atmospheres and more abstract than his instrumental hip-hop excursions with Headphone Science. All 5 tracks from Elasticlego have rhythm (sometimes not too explicit, like in Her Beautiful Kitty) and are interesting because the beats are stripped down and placed in a very refreshing, ambient and unconventional context. Dustin can reconstruct fixed beats and rhythms with success and make something new of them. The tracks from Martindx sound similar, a mixture of loose lo-fi ambience and idm. This music is not pretentious, it’s just being there. And that’s enough. (BR)
Address: http://www.notype.com
ONOTMATOPEIA – A MARBLE HOLDER FROM ANDOVER (miniCD by Cheeses International)
Since many years Onomatopeia releases works, but always few in number. In their maybe fifteen years of existence, this might only be their fifth or sixth release. Onomatopeia is Steve Fricker, who also runs the Cheeses International label, which is a likewise small label. As a musician Steve is concerned with noise related music. On this new release, he plays metal percussion, harmonica, reverb spring, bass guitar, shortwave radio, synth, polystrene on glass and shotar. It seems to me that Steve works via improivsation on a multi-track tape, which he then mixes into a noisy, but never too noisy field of sound. Unlike say Merzbow – that is the current Merzbow – it’s not a steady stream of distorted sounds, but Onomatopeia has more eye for the detail and it’s possible to follow seperate instruments throughout the evolvement of this piece. In that respect it’s more like the old Merzbow, area his many cassette releases, but then better recorded (even when this is a recording from 1996). A short but sturdy statement of noise music, quite fine. (FdW)
Address: <steve.cheeses@btinternet.com>
FRANS DE WAARD – KLANKSCHAP # 4 (Mini-CD-R by Kissy Records)
As many of you may know, Frans de Waard has many names, but if he releases under his own name, the works are always based on field recordings. So is this latest one, on which all sounds were recorded in the USA in 2002. The sounds are mostly untreated (as usual) and composed into one long track. I may have been missing out on some things, but I believe digital editing is defenitely leaving its marks on de Waard’s work. Although some parts of the track are faded into each other, most of it is made up of several pieces, cut sharply together. The whole piece is very linear and monophonic and will certainly appeal to lovers of phonography, because of its pureness. But also those who like to listen to composed work will have great pleasure listening to this work, becasue it extends beyond pure recording. The recorded material has very intriguing parts and are well worth spending attention on. In any case this work needs close attention, because especially on speakers it tends to blend in almost too well with the environment. A little gem! (MR)
Address: http://www.kissyrecords.com
CONVERTER – EXIT RITUAL (CD by Ant-Zen Recordings)
Converter is arguably one of the most well-known profiles on German label Ant Zen Recordings as well as on the Power Noise-scene in general. Since the debut “Shock front” back in 1999, Converter (a.k.a. Scott Sturgis) has been highly respected for his explorations into the territories between Noise/ Power electronics and more danceable EBM-oriented Industrial. What characterized both the debut and the follow-up album “Blast Furnace” was the way that Converter managed to make harsh electronics almost easy listening music thanks to his catchy rhythmic interventions during the infernal noise-chaos. On his third release Scott Sturgis has taken an interesting step in his musical development. A step that was already foreshadowed on “Blast Furnace”, with the album’s dark ambient approach to Power Noise. On “Exit ritual” the Power Noise has almost disappeared and the experimentations into dark desolation seems fulfilled. The links back to the early days of Industrial are pretty clear with an expression that mostly concentrates on moody atmospheres of subtle noise that never turns really harsh. As said the atmosphere are dark and sinister, almost apocalyptic. In other words: Converter has turned extreme in other ways. The use of threatening deep drones is very much similar to the Swedish Death Industrial scene around Cold Meat Industry. People who appreciated Brighter Death Now’s less violent and more death ambient-focused “Necrose Evangelicum” might appreciate Converter’s musical development especially tracks like “In ruins…” and “Dronr(itual)”. As the album develops the rhythmic textures appears. For instance does the track titled “Cloud eye” sound like a strangely withdrawn version of the opening track on “Shock front”, titled “Conqueror”. Scott Sturgis might loose some hardcore “dance floor noise addicts” with this album since only a few tracks are dedicated to this scene. On the other side newcomers might appear on this one. The album needs some listens before it actually opens. But after that, you might realise that this Converter-album probably is the best to date. And that definitely says a lot! (NMP)
Address: http://www.ant-zen.com
CHACHI JONES-CLAUSTROPHILIA (CD by Lunaticworks)
Chachi Jones’ first full-length: Claustrophilia, is a many layered work, encompassing a wide range of genres and production styles that are currently popular among his underground electronic music producing peers. Claustrophilia also demonstrates Chachi’s laptop prowess and his ingenuity; by crafting his songs with homemade “circuit bent” children’s toys; like a Speak & Spell, for example. Melodically speaking, Claustrophilia did not disappoint despite the various avenues Mr. Jones explores; the album is coherent and proper in its order and was patiently constructed to take the listener into a world of their own. I can attest that this album was pleasing to my receptive ears and very relaxing yet, contemplative when my eyes were closed, allowing my mind to conjure delicate geometric shapes that would shift their angular planes in logical and illogical configurations in time with the music. This 11 track album of detailed IDM rhythms, melodious synth work, ambient atmospherics and the chaotic mayhem created by his circuit bent arsenal of electronic toys, provides plenty to satiate the overactive mind and to calm an overworked and stressed body. (CN)
Address: http://www.lunaticworks.com
LUNATICWORKS VOL.3 – LOADED MUSIC FOR LOADED MINDS (CD compilation by
Lunaticworks)
Harnessing the unsung power of “bedroom produced” music is the aim and mission statement for the Lunaticworks label – at least from my perspective. Vol. 3 Loaded Music For Loaded Minds, is a compilation of 9 unknown music creators that were found by combing the US in search of: “…the untapped creativity flowing from dark bedrooms of home producers everywhere.” as stated by the label’s founder LW. What I found on this disc was a type of music that I personally found interesting and a bit iconoclastic. The music is electronic and has definite jazz leanings along with psychedelic nuances fused through out; all driven by hip-hop and breakbeat rhythms, which may not sound all that groundbreaking, but just give this specially priced CD a spin and you will hear music that would typically not be heard blasting from the average stereo, radio station, etc. I look forward to Vol. 4. (CN)
Address: http://www.lunaticworks.com
PRAEFACE (CD compilation by Praemedia)
TIM PERKINS – MOTIVE (CD by Praemedia)
STARS LIKE FLEAS – SUN LIGHTS DOWN ON THE FENCE (CD by Praemedia)
Praemedia is a new label who kick off with three CD releases at once. Like many labels do, they kick off with a compilation CD, to show what they are standing for, which they claim to be from improvisational jazz to plunderphonics and field recordings. And for once (?) that is no lie. It’s an hotch-potch of music, a high pressure cooker of all sorts of musics. This is shown in the first tracks already: the jazzy opening lines of ‘Twovers’ by Hsoa, the micro-beats from Mou, Lips! against the samples of Kance Grabmiller (many of the pieces are duo, collaborative pieces) and the more microsoundings of Nanqui. And so continues this CD, with tracks by Tim perkins, Stars Like Fleas, Quiet American, Wobbly (plunderphonics at work here of course), Martin Nieznanski and Ernesto Diaz-Infante. Quite a nice collection, which made me curious about the other CDs.
The second CD is by Tim Perkins, an US electronic musician whose music was released on Tzadik, Artifact, Sonore and Meniscus and who has played with Fred Frith, Kaffe Mathews and John Zorn, to name but a few. The eight pieces on ‘Motive’ were released as MP3s in 2002, although the work was recorded in 2000 and now as a real CD by Praemedia. Perkins uses rhythmical sounds, stretches them a little bit and they all play in loop mode. Occasionally one could think that the input are drum & bass samples, but maybe it’s just lifted drum samples from records. In either case, I found it very hard to find a good spot here. None of the eight tracks really could grab me and made a spark. Rather ok sort of electronic music, but once it’s over you don’t have the faintest idea what you heard.
Stars Like Fleas is the result of a collaboration Montgomery Knott of Austin and multi-instrumentalist and producer Shannon Fields. The press blubr cite as influences people like Gastr Del Sol, Talk Talk, Microstoria, Charles Mingus and Nobukazu Takemura, of which I think the first is most valid, other then it seems to me that Stars Like Fleas love to sample their music, rather then play it themselves (although one never knows which a multi-instrumentalist). The music is quite swollen, a bit romantic, a bit jazzy, loungy but I must admit the vocals, by Montgomery, are not so much to my liking. He’s neither David Grubbs nor Mark Hollis. He sings a bit held back, like he doesn’t want to sign for real. In each song the vocals remain the same thing throughout the entire CD. Also musicwise, it stays very much on the same level, so that the whole lot of eleven songs is a bit hard to swallow at once. Maybe an extended cdep of six songs would have been enough (I know it would for me). Rated from one to ten I’d give a solid six. (FdW)
Address: http://www.praemedia.com
SURFACES (MP3s compilation by [Surfaces])
GINTAS K – WITHOUT OUT (MP3 by [Surfaces])
A new MP3 label on the net, which has as an important aim to release music from Lithuania. The only thing is that has to be electronic, but it could go into various directions: IDM, minimal, avant-garde, glitch, electro-acoustic etc. Their first release is an album worth of ten different tracks by mostly unknown, at least for me, musicians from Lithuania. The better worked out pieces are at the beginning (I am reviewing here from a CDR), with a nice dubby piece by Dubfire, the ambient industrial life of CJ_Tron, and the Chain Reaction inspired piece by Lys. The piece by Electro sadly missed a point of two: a pointless exercise in badly recorded drummmachines. Apart from that this is quite a nice collection of nice electronic music. No real surprises here, but nevertheless quite nice.
The second available release from Surface is a thirty-one minute piece by Gintas K, whose work was reviewed before. His piece was recorded at the Garso Zona festival. It starts out with what seems to be sound of skipping vinyl, but then is guarded by majestic sweeps of oscillating noises which built up intensely. Everything comes to a full stop half way through and Gintas K moves into more ambient areas, but effectively distorts the deep ambient sound by cranking the volume up. It must have been quite an intense concert that evening. (FdW)
Address: http://surfaces.tinkle.lt
OREN AMBARCHI & MARTIN NG – VIGIL (CD by Quecksilber)
Here is a CD that was ignored (by whom, we’ll not reveal), released earlier this year, but nevertheless worthwhile to review. Both Oren and Martin are from down under and have worked together before (on ‘Reconnaissance’ on Staubgold, of which Quecksilber is a side label, see Vital Weekly 260). Oren plays guitar and Martin Ng plays electronics and minidisc. Like it’s predecessor, this is a CD of heavy minimalism. Overtones, high in frequency, are at work here, play the important role of starting a piece. In the first part of ‘Vigil’ apperentely not much happens, tones just seem to glide back and forth. In the second piece, long stretched sine wave tones happen, but they are complemented by almost percussive sounds, short and metallic. In the third part everything comes together and things take a rapid peak. The fourth track, ‘When Love Comes Back To Haunt You’, take the proceedings into a much lower frequency range, and things become drone-like. All for four tracks are quite minimal, but with a slow, unfolding beauty.
Also on this CD there are two excellent quicktime movies by designer Tina Frank (also responsible for the cover) of a highly abstract nature: lines and colour patterns reacting to the music. Made visual, one sees the movements of the music – and they are a lot. Great CD! (FdW)
Address: http://www.quecksilber-music.com
MILES TILMANN – OVER AND THROUGH (10″ by Consumers Label)
Why does this remind me of a karaoke version of Depeche Mode’s ‘Speak and Spell’ album? The answer is probably more ephemeral than realistic, but ‘Over and Through’ packs a 80MPH smooth ride on to this new platter. If you were to filter this record you might come up with variations on gospel and even music from the islands of Hawaii (circa 1975) – but the deeper you listen the quicker you will fall victim to easy-going modern beats that are paced for lounging. There is some basic loopy meandering and a bit of high hat – but for the most part this is another volume in what I call slacker electronics – very West Coast pastel melodies with a t-shirt/jeans aesthetic. (TJN)
Address: http://www.consumerslabel.net
KHANATE – THINGS VIRAL (CD by Southern Lord)
One of the most fascinating things about music is that it can always get worse. The most extreme album of today will be among the weak and bleak of tomorrow. It’s hard to imagine this rule will hit Khanate as well. Their Things Viral being an instrument of torture. With slow procession-like percussion and sad droning bass and guitar this four-track full-length takes-off, the ill-shrieking voice of singer Alan Dubin avoiding us from feeling comfy. A prospective that is shattered after eight minutes when Dubin gets backed-up by pure sonic terrorism. Bashing drums, most of the times just erupting instead of keeping the pace – in here there is no pace, just dwelling – and the electric strings droning in waves, like – and unfortunately that’s no distasteful metaphor – the progressing spasms in ones stomach after a small food poisoning. This is what sets Khanate apart from all its doomgrindcore label-mates, like the related Sunn O))). There the moody drones can go on mindlessly for tens of minutes and become very tiresome. With Khanate the don’t-no-when-don’t-no-where movement of sonic attacks keeps you alert and teases the ulcer-stimulating nerves in the stomach. I don’t know about you, but this is exactly what’s keeping me lean and mean. Killer record. (RT)
Address: http://www.southern.net
TRIBRYD > INSTALLATION SOUNDTRACKS (CD by Beta Lactam Ring Records)
Although being a compilation of different artists, Tribryd feels like a personal album. All material was composed and produced on visual artist TJ Norris’ request to accompany his work. If I understand correctly, Norris will build three pieces of art - so-called installations – in three different galleries in three different countries, in direct response to the music on this disc. Pieces of art that speak to the eye (oh, and ofcourse your heart) inspired through the ear and the title of the songs. I don’t know if the nine different artists on this album – divided into three sections, the installations Genometrics, Nucleo and Infinitus – had any knowledge about the pieces beside their own, but as a soundtrack this album plays remarkably well. It’s not only a coherent listen but also a good way to sense the differences between its featured artists. Beequeen comes with a luscious piece of manipulated electric and eclectic guitars that prove ground for crumbling and bouncing high-pitched noises. Humectant Interruption provides us with a piece of musique concrete, full of pulsing and scraping sounds. Illusion of Safety is your time- and tone-pitched detailed laptop noise. A lot is happening in this one, which makes one wonder how the accompanying art will work out. Other artists featured are Aranos (nervous offbeat electronic high-notes with violins, hard to listen to), M. Behrens (say small animals heard through an oxygen tent, a very touching and organic piece), Rapoon (canyon-wide ambient), Asmus Tietchens (unique high-tone ditty like only he can produce), Scanner (pulsating ambient) and C. Renou (dark ambient drone piece). (RT)
Address: http://www.blrrecords.com
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