NOISE MAKER’S FIFES – PUBLIC FRONTATION (CD by Twin Tub & Beaver)
Rapid growing stars of the ambient/industrial crowd? Some people have
confidence these boys are it, so in less then a year they are able to
present the fourth CD. For those who do not know: ambient industrial is not
a contradiction, as it droning atmospheric music played by (non-) musicians
on synths and a trunck of garbage. Isolasionist it is called sometimes. But
Belgiums Noise Maker’s Fifes are not exactely remote from the big world.
This CD sums in 8 tracks what they can do live wise. Half of those tracks
were recorded as part of a videoinstallation, but four from other shows.
The first track is definetely a shot: what a great track of improvised
sound waving, moving, sounds that swirl in and out of the mix. Other tracks
are also based on improvisation, but are sometimes less coherent. There are
rumbles and scratches over scrap metal instruments with distant sounding
trumpet drones. Nevertheless this is an overall good CD, documenting well
what NMF can do and let this CD be an advertisement for them to have them
play in your area! (FdW)
Address: 10 Norman Terrace – Roundhay – Leeds LS8 2AP – UK
JEFF GREINKE – OVER RUINS/MOVING CLIMATES (CD by Raum 312)
One the advantages of CD production prices going down is that the volume of
CD releases increase, and thus the demand for new music. If there isn’t new
music available then we just release the old music. Those who are
well-known now get chance to put out their starting works. Here is one.
Greinke is known for his ambient-fourth world type of music, either
released on his own name or with his band Land. Presented here are two of
his first cassette only release from 1985 and 1986. The ambient tag is
already present back then, but in general in a more raw, arcane way and to
some extend primitive compositions. It seemes sometimes that the pieces are
outtakes as the end abruptly (as on ‘Regions Rendered Barren’). But this
aside it is showing Greinke early stages very well and is of course not be
missed and if you are fed up with todays digital blurping then this might
be for you. (FdW)
Address: Raum 312 – Erlenstr. 117 28199 Bremen – Germany
INTERFERENCE (CD compilation + Book by 23Five)
Ah compilations, just how many more do we need? This one is different. Part
of this package is a 132 CD sized book, interviewing each artist featured
on the CD. Next to the interview is a documenting part which is quite
extended. Each interview evolves on a similar line (when did you start,
what is your background, tell something about the piece etc.), which isn’t
very journalistic, but nevertheless interesting stuff to read. Featured
are: John Watermann, Skozey Fetisch, Crawl Unit, Cheryl E. Leonard, Brook
Hinton, Small Cruel Party, Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase, Daniel Menche and Achim
Wollscheid (who also contributed his lecture ‘Noise’ as a form of
introduction). In general one could describe the major part of these
artists as experimentiers of musique concrete in an industrial context.
Most of these are quite violent noisy with outstanding tracks by Small
Cruel Party (two iron sticks rubbed together) and Daniel Menche’s
contactmicrophones outside in the rain. This compilation is an example of
what a compilation should be like! (FdW)
Address: <23five@kumr.lns.com>
Y-TON-G – KLANGSPIEGEL – EINER VERGESSENEN WESENHEIT (CD by Raum 312)
“The music on this CD is made with stones, metal and wood. When these
nature mterials are touched they begin to vibrate immediately”. But of
course you need to mplify them with a contact microphone or normal
microphone to make these vibrations audible and to reproduce them on CD.
Maybe I am mistken but it seems that Y-Ton-G also adds a fair amount of
reverb to what he is playing. The result are hugh vibrating walls of sound,
an ambient industrial tapestry, a relaxing forest of sound. (FdW)
Address: as above
SILVER WORLD (CD compilation by Soup)
With everything printed on a transparant plastic you can imagine that I am
a bit lost on this. I count 6 different artists, all with Japanese names.
Only Toshiya Tsunoda rang a bell… somewhere. All sixx are dealing with
electronics, mostly rumbling and noisy. But this is not the knd of noise
heard from the Japs we all cherish, but more in the style of Ryoji Ikeda
(whose latest release on Touch never made it to Vital Weekly – but that’s
on to have for sure!). A kind of minimal techno style, but less refined
than Ikeda. This influence is most apparent on the 9 tracks of Utah
Kawaski. There is no housy oriented beat to be found anywhere on this
compilation, yet I could imagine that the more dring fans of the Sahko
label could find some worthwhile stuff in here. To be complete, on this
compilation are also featured: Akira Yamamichi, Tamaru, Oganization and Nob
Ohtake.
Address: <soup@tky.threewebnet.or.jp>
ATONE – ATONEMENT (CD by Zonar Recordings)
>From a land downunder comes another new label and new band. Atone are
Andrew Fitzgerald and Ali Omar. Their debut CD is packed 12 tracks of
laid-back dubby techno tracks. Already in the first track I was reminded of
Richard H. Kirk, because of the way they use keyboards and samples. Of
course one may think that Atone is a mere copy cat, but this is
entertaining armchair listening fun. Not innovative, no daring experiment:
just plain fun to play. (FdW)
Address: <zonar@ebom.com.au>
PORTER RICKS – BIOKINETICS (CD by Chain Reaction)
GAS – GAS (CD by Mille Plateaux)
Two slabs of utterly minimal techno. Behind Porter Ricks one finds Thomas
Koner (the master of isolasionist ambient) and Andy Mellwig (of Async
Sense). They produced some great 12″s on Chain Reaction and a 10″ on
Barooni, but this new CD beats them all. Pulsating, throbbing rhythms in
combination with flowing synths which produce a trancing effect, which even
a dopeless head as I am can dig. Every sound seems to be in the right
place, and this will end high in my 1996 top 10.
Gas is Mike Ink, who is in the same territory with his CD. The 6 tracks
clock in at about 15 minutes each and are even more minimal then those of
Porter Ricks. The first track dwells on droning synths and the other five
have steady beats. Though this one is as minimal as Porter Ricks, it is the
less record of the two, but still a very good one. (FdW)
Address; Chain Reaction fax: + 49 30 8324947
Address: Mille Plateaux fax: + 49 69 252280
NULL – TERMINAL BEACH (CD by Manifold)
For me the stuff KK Null puts out under the moniker Null is by far his best
work. Zeni Geva is too much rock, and the stuff with other guitarists stay
too much in the ‘improv’ areas for my taste. The solo stuff is usually a
fine blend of treated guitar works, that can either be really noisy or
subdued ambient. This new CD (packed in on of those red jewel cases) is
definetly part of the subdued ambient stuff. The first three tracks are
fine waves of sound, in which one hardly recognizes the six string
instrument. The fourth track, with its 17 minutes the longest on this CD,
is dealing with a rather simplistic monotonous rhythm over which the
guitars hammer their way. The title piece that closes the CD is the most
outstanding piece to be found here. The guitar sounds like a distorted
organ and is of chilling beauty. Yep, another fine CD (FdW)
Address: <vince@ubd1.vdospk.com>