PANASONIC -VAKIO (CD by Blast First)
To start of with the negative side of things: Blast First are extremely
difficult to get for us Europeans on the continent. Somehow it seems it must be
a UK only affair. Which is a pity, since they have some interesting releases
(the Phill Niblock double CD for instance could be an eye opener to many!)
.Musically Blast First (whose responsible also organize the Disobey evenings and
are linked to Mute records) goes into various directions. Panasonic are the next
ones to be loved by the hip UK scene. Panasonic is closely linked to Sahko, that
Finnish label with some harsh look at house music. If that bass wasn’t there,
Sahko could be classified as industrial music in its glory days of Boyd Rice.
Take for instance the first track on this CD, which is fierce industrial attack.
And there are several more of these tracks with no rhythm -just pure noise.
Other tracks show their excellent skills in producing dance music without the
necessity to dance to it. Stripped down (meaning the mid range of the music is
totally gone) to damn low and damn high end. Frightening stuff showing house
music is not just top 40 stuff (hey, that’s old news!)
Address: 429 Harrow Rod -London W10 4RE -UK
MAIN- CORONA and TERMINUS (two mini CD’s by Beggars Banquet)
The story is known by now. Members from Loop formed Main, who with every new
release seem to break away more and more from anything that has to do with pop
music. Isolationist experiments to explore the sound of guitar. Main wants to
produce 6 mini CD’s in the second half of 1995, to be sold at a low price.
Corona has two pieces. The first one sounds rather live, opening with drones,
evolving in recognizable guitar sounds (still no accord played here) .Thus these
pieces are being collated, varying from drones to cut up sounds. As far as I
understand the concept behind these 6 mini CD, the purpose is to make 6 fast
releases, thus keeping the spirit of a recording alive (in contrast with long
periods of working on one piece).
Address: hopefully in every ordinary record store
AUBE- PURIFICATION TO NUMBNESS (CD by Pure)
AUBE- PULSE RESONATOR (LPand 7.. by Praxis Dr. Bearmann)
Aube is maybe Japans fastest rising sun on the noise horizon. Unlike many other
Japanese noise artists, Aube has much variation in his work. There is dark
ambient atmospheres to offensively loud stuff. These two new releases can be
categorized as the loud stuff. The LP and the 7.. were made by using only ‘1
Voltage Control Oscillator’ as sound source (each recording by Aube is dedicated
to the use of one sound source) .High pitched shrieking sounds that are fed
through reverb effects with a maximum result. The CD has the same sound sources,
so maybe you should try and obtain both the CD and the vinyl set. Aube puts
thought to his music by using slow but definite changes, in stead of most
japanese feedback musicians who keep one sound running from beginning to end. If
Merzbow is the king, then Aube must be his son.
Address: Pure -151 Paige Street -Lowell, MA 01852- USA
Praxis Dr. Bearmann -c/o Martin Bauer -Hirschstr. 7- 89278 Nersingen/Strass –
Germany
ABSCHIED AUS BERNE (LP by Wachsender Prozess)
About compilations a lot has been written. With well-known names it might sell
(although not guaranteed) , but then they have second hand tracks on it. With
unknown bands one might discover some interesting new names. ‘Abschied’ is a
record with just one well-known name: Asmus Tietchens and a hand full of others
from Hamburg, Germany (Tietchens’ home city) , though some are also known, such
as Klangkrieg (who have a CD out soon on ND) and DSIP (who released many tapes
in the past) .Looking at the size of the info booklet, originally planned as CD,
but now as a limited LP of 500 copies. All of these bands use electronics, in
combination with concrete sound objects. Although some of this stuff is still in
a developing stage, the overall impression it makes on me is that some
interesting music is being made in Hamburg. Highlights for me are the Tietchens
piece, DSIP and y Ton G.
Address: c/o T. Beck -Sarturiusstr 27- 20257 Hamburg -Germany
NULL -ULTIMATE MATERIAL III (CD by Manifold)
Null is quite a diverse musician, either solo, or with Zeni Geva or dueling with
many improvisers allover the scene. Zeni Geva may have it’s good things, but in
all it is not really my cup of tea. His solo material always had a strong appeal
to me. By using layered guitar sounds, in combination with a wide array of
effects and metal percussion, he creates industrial atmospheres. The two long
tracks (both last almost 30 minutes) , recorded live (?) have both an ongoing
organ like drone which are rather prominent in the mix. The extra sounds, that
extra that makes the tracks seem rather far away. Half way through the second
track something of metal percussion pops up.
Don’t get me wrong: this is still quite strong material, which I do like.
Admitting the same time that I preferred his previous CD ‘Absolute Heaven’ …
Address: Manifold -P.O. Box 12266- Memphis, TN 38182- USA
MAGAZINES
BAD ALCHEMY 26. What a pity you don’t read any German[ Bad Alchemy is one of the
longest running magazines with some of the best reviews and information. Writing
in a highly intellectual way. Until this issue this came with a tape compilation
but here it is without one. Next issue will have a 7.. Inside the magazine a
piece on ambient and house music, the Taktloss festival, Mark Perry’s
Alternative TV plus tons of reviews Address: R. Dittmann -Franz-Ludwigstrasse
11- 97072 Wurzburg -Germany
FREQUENCE NO.3. Bi-Lingual and as far as I can judge everything is translated
from French to English. Interesting interviews with: Vidna Obmana, Steve Roach,
Robert Rich, Hearts Of Space label, Underworld and Soma.
Address: MWAAX -15 Ave. de la Gare -77515 Pommeuse -France