MONOS – AGE AND TRANSFORMATION (2CD by Infraction) *
JASON CRUMER – LET THERE BE CRUMER (CD by Second Layer Records) *
ROLF JULIUS – RAINING (CD by Western Vinyl) *
KSHATRIY – TRANSFORMING GALAXY (CD by Muzka Voln/Zhelezobeton) *
CORVUZ – INVISIBLE LANDSCAPES (CD by Zhelezobeton) *
SKIN GRAFT – DYSTROPHY (CD by Hanson Records)
TWIG HARPER – TWIG HARPER (CD by Hanson Records)
ANTHONY PATERAS – COLLECTED WORKS 2002-2012 (5CD by Immediata) *
KIM_NASUNG – PLACES (CD by Wefrec) *
BELARUS SOUND ART IN POLAND (CD compilation by Wefrec)
DE LA MANCHA – THE END* OF MUSIC (CD by Karaoke Kalk)
RON ANDERSON & ROBERT L. PEPPER & DAVID TAMURA & PHILIPPE PETIT – CLOSED ENCOUNTERS OF THE 4 MINDS (CD by Public Eyesore) *
WOODBINE & IVY BAND/SPROATLY SMITH (7″ by Static Caravan)
DENEUVE – CINEMA CULTRA (CDR by Lebelperiod) *
ANATOMY – DEAD MAN AND A SKELETON STAG (CDR by Looney prod/Loud!) *
BRUNO DUPLANT & LEE NOYES & ANDERS DAHL & CHRISTIAN MUNTHE & MASSIMO MAGEE – 9 TIMES 5 (CDR by Ilse) *
BROOKE CHEKOFSKY (CDR by Ilse) *
OCEANS ROAR – 1000 DRUMS (CDR by Ilse) *
UN NU – RECOUPEMENTS (CDR by Eh?) *
SAM AYRE – KILL ‘EM ALL (3″CDR by Foredoom Productions) *
MICHAEL.D.DONNELLY (3″CDR by Foredoom Productions) *
MONOLITH TRANSMISSION NO. 0 (cassette, private)
DUSTH – 1 (cassette, private)
DUSTH – 2 (cassette, private)
TWO DAYS DEDICATED TO ELECTRONIC SOUND IMPROVISATION (cassette by Heraclis)
MONOS – AGE AND TRANSFORMATION (2CD by Infraction)
Over the years there haven’t been that many releases by Monos, it seems, by looking at Discogs. But the cover of ‘Age And Transformation’ says its a re-issue of a work that was ‘released initially in two editions of Fungal Records’ and that one isn’t mentioned on Discogs. So perhaps there is more of which only a handful of insiders known of? Monos is the ongoing (?) collaboration of Darren Tate (also of Ora fame) and Colin Potter (also of Nurse With Wound fame) and deal with the transformation of field recordings through electronic means with the use of an instrument here and there. That results in long form pieces. The first, untitled, piece is all about a guitar improvisation to which slowly some electronics are added but not a lot. It stays a bit too much on the side of improvisation for my taste. Its not that I don’t like improvisation, but this sounds a bit too much like free doodling. The other piece on the first disc is much better and sounds like Monos should sound like. Field recordings of what seems a shopping mall, including processed muzak sounds, bell like sounds in the far distance and careful electronic sounds, all slowly evolving and ever changing in a slow and peaceful manner. Nice, classic and classy Monos music. The bonus disc has also pieces of ‘reworkings’ by Colin Potter, I assume of the original material. In ‘Aged’ this is the ‘mall’ sounds, with even more electronic transformations, but working slightly more chaotic. In ‘Transformed’, a forty minute work, Potter opens up all the gates of processing and totally transforms the same piece into something unworldly. Deep end rumble is what we get most of the time, very occasionally rising just above that in what results to be a very dark and moody set of atmospheric music. Here we still recognize the trademark Monos sound, but then in its most abstract form. A fine piece, whereas ‘Aged’ seems a bit superfluous, staying too close to the original of the second piece on the first disc. But nevertheless the second pieces of both CDs are quite excellent displays of an unique sound. (FdW)
Address: http://www.infractionrecords.com/
JASON CRUMER – LET THERE BE CRUMER (CD by Second Layer Records)
Recently I was in a record store, which I found quite odd. I couldn’t recall being in a record store for ages. This one was not named after the band of the same name – a favorite band here – but coincidently they found about the band later on. That’s great. Lots of noise, lots of great music, and they have their own record label. I picked up on Ramleh, Skullflower, John Wiese and now its time for a new release by one Jason Crumer. Although I never heard of him, he was a member of Face Down In Shit, American Band, Now In Darkness World Stops Turning and Amazing Grace and I gather he is from the noise scene. He has had releases on Iatrogenesis, RRR, Chondritic Sound, Harsh Head Rituals and Hospital Productions. This new album seems to be from live recordings. It opens great with a harmonica sound (Ennio anyone?) slowly developing into a nice deep drone. This continues in the piece after that which slowly culminates in noise, and followed by a short piece of heavy noise blasts after that, plus another short one of that. Those may not be my cup of tea, but in the build up of the CD it makes rather sense. The elements of noise return a few times, which doesn’t convert me to love noise as such, but if we are to discuss in terms of noise music, I think this is a pretty strong release; the type of noise music I like. Especially since it moves between ‘softer’ aspects of drone music, electro-acoustic type music (music boxes, crackles, contact microphones) and those heavy noise outbursts. Dynamic noise music, planned with care, executed with style. That’s how I like them best. Who says I don’t like noise music? (FdW)
Address: http://www.secondlayer.co.uk
ROLF JULIUS – RAINING (CD by Western Vinyl)
Western Vinyl occupy themselves with the release of the archive of Rolf Julius. They started doing so when he was alive and continue doing so after his death, last year. This is the first release since then, from his archive. Julius is a man of ‘small sounds’, making ‘small music’ in mostly empty spaces with a minimum of equipment. His work could either be installations or compositions. Small speakers in small or large rooms, or even outdoors, using field recordings of say rain, such as the almost fifty-four title piece on this CD. Its very minimal music, of rain sounds and ‘something else’ which I found very hard to define, but it gives that electronic texture to the piece. That something which I think also very much defines music by Julius. More water like field recordings can be heard in ‘Weitflachig’ – music for a wide plain. Here too we hear insect like sounds, over water sounds. Are they tape loops, real time recordings? Its hard to say. ‘Music For A Glimpse Inward’ has insect and bird sounds and was originally a piece for small speakers in a large room. All of these pieces are very minimal, and show hardly any development. But that’s hardly the point of Rolf Julius’ music. Its more about perceiving space and silence and it works best when played softly in your space. Open up windows – if you are in a quiet surrounding I should think – and have this on repeat for a long time. It will definitely alter your perception of space and time. An excellent release – once again, and hopefully with more to follow. (FdW)
Address: http://www.westernvinyl.com
KSHATRIY – TRANSFORMING GALAXY (CD by Muzka Voln/Zhelezobeton)
CORVUZ – INVISIBLE LANDSCAPES (CD by Zhelezobeton)
From the dark hinterlands of Russia two dark ambient releases. First we have Kasahtry, the project of Sergey Bulychyov (also known as Uak-Kib). ‘Transforming Galaxy’ is his second album and dedicated to the end of Kali-Yuga “the age of technocratic lack of spirituality and moral decay – and to the attainment of human awareness of the Unity”. Proto-type dark ambient music if you ask me. Lots of synthesized ambient scapes, perhaps made with real synthesizers, no doubt with lots of field recordings, much electronic processing and all such like, but the good news is that this doesn’t lead to abstract drone patterns, but in each of the pieces there seems to be the shimmering of small melodies humming along, making the whole thing more ‘musical’ than y’r average drone record, which I guess is nice. Each of the eight pieces takes a considerable time to develop, as all of these pieces are easily between eight and thirteen minutes. That makes it quite a long album, but its one that can hold the attention quite well. Kshatriy moves along various patterns, ideas, motions and emotions and it makes a highly varied and mostly enjoyable record.
On the same label a musician from the Oryol area, also in Russia, with lots of Russian titles, but somehow I think the main title is ‘Invisible Landscapes’. The music is made with old analogue Soviet synthesizers, some field recordings, a bit of voice and lots of sound effects. Here too we go deep down in the underworld of sonic isolationism, also with a bit of melody, but also with occasional mumbling voices, which I guess are not really my cup of tea. This music has more ‘gothic’ edges, more inspired, at times, by Lustmord than by zoviet*france if you catch my drift. But then in some pieces the keyboards are a bit too standard in their settings, and sounding a bit too much like cliche. This makes this album also varied but it doesn’t work always out too good. It seems like Corvuz doesn’t want to make up his mind what he wants with his music. Go something very dark, for something very light and almost new agey? Some of the ideas are pretty much alright, its well produced but its in need for some clear choices. (FdW)
Address: http://zhb.radionoise.ru/
SKIN GRAFT – DYSTROPHY (CD by Hanson Records)
TWIG HARPER – TWIG HARPER (CD by Hanson Records)
Skin graft is Wyatt Howland from Cleveland attempting to evoke horrible sounds by use of clanging metal and screams, acts of violence, long mechanical drones…Twig Harper creates supposedly musique concrete / sound poetry / etc. using plucked strings and various electronics and found sounds. These works can be reviewed together as they might be regarded as the product of some musical dialectics, or a translation of music, a play of differences of the possibilities of sound which in themselves are empty. Have become empty. Bodies without organs then. No such simple cliché though! is available here, now. However not so, they can be regarded not as naive copies of art music, but form part of a conservatism in Badiou’s sense of the term which seeks to preserve the present rather than radicalize it, or instigate some historical transcendentalism. Which in fact from another set of axioms seeks to mirror Badiou’s own activity. You could say in listening to both you get a corny re-hash version of “modern music” but that would miss the point. The operation of the dialectics of not only music but also post-theory have cut across any idea that art is related to Maoism, which obviously it is. Those rules forbidding re-presentation may here be simply ignored, but there is around this something far more significant, the very “localizable” territory, either a re or not, but not a de, undermines the theory which itself couldn’t find anywhere to go. The triumph of capitalism is of its own capitalization, its selling itself as now success now failure, the commodification and trade for instance of carbon dioxide capitalizes not the destruction of society but its continual re-structuring, novel, novelizing. So its not a case of making something of this or not. If, and quite rightly, any analytical movement is seen to be threatening (to creativity) then a recourse to dialectics seems obvious and appropriate, however in this kind of art, the process is reversed. The present looks back on the past as its originator, and therefore any temporality of “being” or “syllogistics” fails through the process of neither negation, death, creation or synthesis, other than the pure synthesis which this is, as such both part and apart from the continuum, more paradigmatic of a Grothendieck universe than anything offered by old philosophy. In other words – inaccessible. (Jliat)
Address: http://hansonrecords.net/
ANTHONY PATERAS – COLLECTED WORKS 2002-2012 (5CD by Immediata)
If you would have asked me: ‘who is Anthony Pateras?’, I’d probably say: ‘oh great improviser on the piano from down under, with a great trio CD on Mego, years ago, but really none of his works ever disappointed me’. Now I know this would justify him at all. But then, I just digested a five CD set by him, which sheds another light on the man. The works on these five CDs are all composed, perhaps not always in the traditional sense of the word with the five lines but surely with notations of some kind. Each CD in this box treats one instrument, and in one case more than one: the first disc is about chamber music and orchestral pieces. Two discs are with works for the piano, of which one disc is with prepared piano works, one disc with pipe organ and electronics and one disc of works for percussion. Its a lot of music to take in all at once. The hectic and nervous, ‘many notes here’, of the solo piano (unprepared) disc ‘Block Don’t Bleed’, which is forty-five minutes not easy to access music, or, by contrast the more contemplative mood of ‘Architexture’ piece for pipe organ and electronics, with its slow developing dissonant sounds. Or the three shorter electronic pieces of ‘Keen Unknown Matrix’ on the same disc for analogue synthesizers – and perhaps the most ‘Vital’ music. The disc with prepared piano works is also one I liked very much. Its not easy to avoid the name John Cage in here, with a similar gamelan styled preparing – damping the strings with objects, played with great speed and a minimalist setting – makes it hard to believe this is a prepared piano and sounds exactly what Cage already intended: a small ensemble of percussion instruments. The bookends on this box, CD one and five, contain perhaps the most conventional works in this set. Disc one has pieces for small ensembles and one for an orchestra, and is perhaps the disc I least liked in here. This has very much to do with the fact that I don’t get along well with serious modern classical music. It might be my problem of course. The hectic of notes, bending, glissandi and such like: its not my thing. The box closes with a long disc of percussion works, two of which are for a small ensemble, and lengthy works for solo percussion players. This too may sound like improvised music, its all carefully planned out and has that modern classical feel to it, but unlike disc one this is definitely something that I enjoy very much. Its a lot of music here, and while not all is of my taste (although the vast majority is), this sheds a most interesting light on the work of Pateras. A must have! (FdW)
Address: http://www.anthonypateras.com
KIM_NASUNG – PLACES (CD by Wefrec)
BELARUS SOUND ART IN POLAND (CD compilation by Wefrec)
Following ‘Mindful Awareness’ (see Vital Weekly 762), here is another a;bum by Polish Kim_nasung. Of his previous release I thought he was using guitar and a lot of sound effects to create drone like music, which doesn’t seem the case on his new album. Here its all about field recordings – as the title of course suggests – recorded in what seems to be large and empty places, maybe old factories. Here Kim_Nasung finds dirt, debris, junk and plays around with that, using the space as a large reverb unit, and perhaps adding a bit (or more reverb) of his own. All of this to create music with a suggestion: of space, of mystery, of loneliness. Any of such are valid I guess, but its perhaps also a cheap trick. More space, more mystery, more loneliness: do we really need that. At times this reverb is a bit distorted such as in the opening of ‘7V.4′, which doesn’t improve matters very much. As you can imagine this is not an album I liked very much. Too noisy, too cliche (remember ABGS’ bunker release boys and girls) and ultimately not very original, new, or engaging to hear. Each of the five pieces sound exactly like the other: rumble and stumble in the large dark void of an empty factory.
The compilation is a show-off where government grants go to. Hardcover bound, excellent print, on 7″ size, different sorts of paper used, and during the Warsaw Electronic Festival the audience got a copy for free. Crisis? What crisis? Musicians from the Belarus (Knyaz Mishkin, i/dex, Pavel Ambiont) playing in Poland, supported by Polish composers (kim_nasung & Harpakahlo, Vasn Piparjuuri, Gold Plated Face and Krysztof Orluk). It opens with the free improv (and boring) Mishkin, followed by an interesting dark ambient piece by Orluk. Piparjuuri plays an IDM piece, while I/dex tries his hands at a nice ambient piece of modern glitch sounds, of which kim_nasung & Harpakahlo play a more abstract version. Both Ambiont and Gold Plated Face deal with hissy sounds, the latter entirely instrumental, and Ambiont with some voice material. Quite diverse music, and hearing this, looking at the package, I wonder: for whom is this anyway? Is it money well-spend? I have some serious doubts about this. (FdW)
Address: http://www.wefrec.com
DE LA MANCHA – THE END* OF MUSIC (CD by Karaoke Kalk)
Here is perhaps the odd moment of the week. I never heard of Jerker Lund, one half of De La Mancha, but Dag Rosenqvist is of course well-known name in Vital Weekly. He is, solo-wise, Jasper TX and has worked with with Machinefabriek, Mike Weis and Simon Scott of Slowdive. Named after the famous Cervantes book, the duo is inspired by Red House Painters, Sigur Ros, Led Zeppelin and My Bloody Valentine. Had not known the music of Rosenqvist how would I have approached this release? That is interesting question. Probably as another rock CD mailed the wrong way. This is true and well popmusic, with drums, guitars, vocals, bass and the occasional ballad. Is it good? Yes, its excellent. Pop music as it should be. There is no doubt about that. The doubt is with me. Do I like this? I can see the quality of the songs, the quality of the production, but this doesn’t mean I like the CD that much. I may have different desires for popmusic, I guess. Older ones, but such is age. No doubt meaningful to the young people, but not for me and certainly right out of place in Vital Weekly. (FdW)
Address: http://www.karaokekalk.de
RON ANDERSON & ROBERT L. PEPPER & DAVID TAMURA & PHILIPPE PETIT – CLOSED ENCOUNTERS OF THE 4 MINDS (CD by Public Eyesore)
Another release from the these days very active Philippe Petit, who visited the BC Studios on November 23 2010 to record an improvised work with Ron Anderson (guitar), Robert L. Pepper (Korg MS2000 and electric violin on one track) and David Tamura (saxophone). Petit himself gets credit for turntables, electronics, electric violin and electric psalterion (the latter two on two pieces only). Its all recorded live in one take, but I assume on more than one channel, so that some mixing was possible. Highly improvised music here, in which the saxophone of Tamura has occasionally a leading role, which is a pity. He plays in a rather conventional free jazz sort of style, which is quite loud considering the other instruments. Its sometimes hard to figure out what they are doing. It seems more interesting without the saxophone, with sustained strumming of guitar, electronics bubbling and hissing. ‘Untitled 4’ is where the saxophone gets looped and an interesting minimal music style emerges. Its the best piece of the release. Maybe everything was recorded ‘as is’, and no mixing was possible? Otherwise someone could have turned down that saxophone a bit. It ruins a potential interesting release, I think. For lovers of more daring free jazz then. (FdW)
Address: http://publiceyesore.com/
WOODBINE & IVY BAND/SPROATLY SMITH (7″ by Static Caravan)
A split 7″ here on Static Caravan, with a band from Manchester and one from Marches, but both with a folky, west coast character. They both play the same sing, ‘Gently Johnny’, which may have its roots in Medieval times, but is best known from ‘The Wicker Man’. Woodbine And Ivy Band have a nice breezy folk/rock west coast character in which a female vocal fits the spring time feel the song has, whereas Sproatly Smith has a much more mysterious darker to do the song. Here we have a male vocal, with some treated voice later on, harmonica soaring throughout, and seemingly the only other instrument is a guitar. More psychedelic than west coast, but both sides show great versions and two sides of the folk coin. Despite the fact that its not very Vital Weekly music, its once again a great 7″ for Static Caravan. (FdW)
Address: http://www.staticcaravan.org
DENEUVE – CINEMA CULTRA (CDR by Lebelperiod)
Somehow I got this handed more than a month ago, but misplaced it. In fact I got this handed at the last official Ultra event in Amsterdam and I was quite surprised. Obviously I know Andre Bach and Mark Tegefoss from the days they were half of the very Ultra band Tox Modell and then for another close to thirty years as Det Wiehl, in which they explored their guitars as part of music for modern theatre and modern dance. Music that slowly got far away from the world of Tox Modell, who never released any proper LP or CD. Delicate and thoughtful, far, far away from anything pop-like, which was apparent in their first cassettes. Maybe Andre and Mark missed playing short, pop-like structures also, or even small places, like they did in the good ol’ days? I am not sure if all of this was thought of when they decided to go by a new name, Deneuve. But it definitely picks up with the Det Wiehl sound of their first few cassettes, before going to modern dance productions. Fourteen relatively short songs in which rhythm plays quite an important role, played on bass and guitars, repetitive, all along with strange vocals. I think they sing themselves, save for some guests, which includes also Joop van Brakel (from Nasmak, many years ago) and Xavier Martin (from Tox Modell), but maybe they also use some taped voices here and there. Sometimes a spooky atmosphere going on here, in these radically different post punk tunes. Hard to compare it with anything, but sometimes I was reminded of Gilbert/Lewis/Dome, but then more easy to access at times. If Ultra is about a constant re-thinking of what one is doing, finding new ways and not harking back to the good ol’ days, then Bach and Tegefoss succeed very well. Like a fresh start. An excellent new way for them. (FdW)
Address: http://www.deneuve.be
ANATOMY – DEAD MAN AND A SKELETON STAG (CDR by Looney prod/Loud!)
On January 16th, 2012 Noise-d (in which we recognize Deison of course, from Italy) asked dANi/ALvo (in which we don’t recognize Tasting Vault) to work with six drone pieces he recorded. In six days the six songs where completed and which are now released. Here we have the field recordings as recorded and processed by Deison fed to the more dirty techniques of dANi/ALvo – although its not easy to make out what these techniques are, exactly. I assume they deal with the nature of creating loops out of the source material, as these six tracks have quite a repetitive character, but is careful not to fall into the world of boring, endless repetitions. A sort of lo-fi sampling work which reminded me at times of Mystified, and thus, perhaps of Rapoon, also. Not bad altogether, but also not great, I think. Its bit too much a product of home production: see what we can do, rather than creating something that really grabs the listener and do something that is truly engaging. Music as pastime creating – which is fine of course, but you could wonder if it all has to be released. Its not the worst to hear of course, but in the daily flood of music: would I pick this again to hear? I doubt that. (FdW)
Address: http://anatomymuzik.blogspot.it
BRUNO DUPLANT & LEE NOYES & ANDERS DAHL & CHRISTIAN MUNTHE & MASSIMO MAGEE – 9 TIMES 5 (CDR by Ilse)
BROOKE CHEKOFSKY (CDR by Ilse)
OCEANS ROAR – 1000 DRUMS (CDR by Ilse)
“This is not an improvisation. This is not a composition. Here, composition and improvisation compose closely for the development of an hybrid piece. A common entity” and ‘each musician will the score in this order 123212321 & each will perform the score as he pleases, while respecting the ideas of space, silence and never play loud’, it says below a graphic score. What these five improvisers (composers?) play is not mentioned, but I believe to hear stringed instruments, acoustic objects, percussion perhaps and electronics. Quite a fine piece, if nothing that is a real surprise. In forty minutes (9 times 5 you see), they play quite carefully and delicate through the score, which is, obviously I should think with such graphic notations, hard to follow. They scrape, scratch, hit and investigate their material, all along listening to what the others are doing. No one takes control or charge, but there is a fine sense of respect for the other players. Music that is not too demanding, not too freaky, not too difficult and perhaps, also not too demanding.
Hand drawn covers with handwritten notes usually say ‘outsider’ and perhaps we should regard Brooke Chekofsky as such. Eleven pieces in fifteen minutes of what is perhaps outsider music. She plays piano, sings and has a bunch of obscure sounds (guitar) at her disposal. Tracks are, obviously, very short, between forty seconds and two minutes. She uses quite an amount of reverb on all her sounds and voice, perhaps to hide mistakes in playing or to create a more mysterious sound world. Perhaps she takes the piss out of singer songwriters? I am not sure about all of this, and I believe this is not really my cup of tea.
The release by Oceans Roar starts out much louder, with feedback like noise, which is perhaps odd, as this trio may suggest otherwise, looking at their line up. Todd Capp on drums and cymbals, Bryan Eubanks on electronics and soprano saxophone and Andrew Lafkas on double bass and electronics. Wrong disc perhaps? No it isn’t. This is Oceans Roar and by god, what a great disc. It has music I only occasionally like, noise and free jazz, but combined in an unique way. Not like Borbetomagus, not a strict wall of noise, but vibrant, moving, alive. Electronics keep pushing themselves up to the front, and the instruments are in totally free play. What a drummer! What a hectic on the bass and the saxophone? The saxophone follows the feedback. Towards the end of ‘Burning Sand’ things get more quiet and dies out in an almost inaudible way. The other piece, ‘Mirage’ opens with a lengthy wall of sustaining sound, before erupting with drums and cymbals, and electronics continuously working overtime, taking the original instruments into new territories. A bit like N Ensemble once did. This is one hell of a release. Surprise of this week! Best release on Ilse by far and apart. (FdW)
Address: http://www.ilsemusic.info/
UN NU – RECOUPEMENTS (CDR by Eh?)
A duo disc of Pascal Battus, who plays guitar pickups here, and one Benjamin Duboc who plays double bass. Recordings took place on December 2nd 2010 in France and are now released. I am not sure to what extend things have been edited or mixed, or wether this is a straight forward release of whatever was recorded that day (in one go?). Its music that is improvised, obviously one would almost say, but even when cut into one track has distinct pieces throughout, each with their own character. Sometimes noisy, with some kind of feedback like manner, but then to be followed by something that is almost inaudible, with the double played being hit occasionally and the guitar played with a bow. Another segment cis then altogether very rhythmical with the two of them hitting the strings fiercely. This makes this improvised music of the highest level, where players have complete control over their instrument and know every trick in the book to play their instruments in any conventional and unconventional manner. Much of their playing makes the instruments sound like a guitar and double bass, but occasionally they treat them like acoustic boxes to generate new sounds. Highly minimal playing with maximum output. Excellent disc. (FdW)
Address: http://publiceyesore.com/ehcat.php
SAM AYRE – KILL ‘EM ALL (3″CDR by Foredoom Productions)
MICHAEL.D.DONNELLY (3″CDR by Foredoom Productions)
‘Kill ‘Em All, Let God Sort Them Out’, the pope once declared when taking in a city and one his servants expressed wether ‘good catholics’ my die too. There is only track here, ‘Enough Is Never Enough Is Enough’ by one Sam Ayre, of whom I never heard, and the track is 6’57. Its made out of a guitar solos recorded by some rock band – obviously, if I was a real journalist I would recognize it, or look it up and be proud of my knowledge – which I don’t recognize, and which I don’t care about anyway. File under ‘conceptual jokes’.
Maybe the release by Michael D. Donnelly is also a concept. The five tracks here list on gracenote something different, which is odd – a very close match I’d say, but perhaps there is a link to Speedracer’s ‘Sideshow Alley’ – whoever they are. The music here sounds sampled together from various musical sources, none of which really mean much to me, but there is plenty of rhythm, spooky synthesizers, dark electronics. Dark and moody music is the result, but with a nod towards alternative dark pop, but from a lo-fi, naive point of view. Do I like it? Not really, but its not bad. I guess this is not my kind of thing at all, concept or not. (FdW)
Address: http://foredoomproductions.blogspot.com/
MONOLITH TRANSMISSION NO. 0 (cassette, private)
There is a rather cryptic letter with this: ‘this is the studio version of ten live performances that took place in Florida, USA over the past year. Each performance is numbered, there is no artist listing, only “Monolith Transmission No. 10″. This project is based around undecoded messages from unknown senders with hidden intent, instructions delivered via radio may not be benevolent. Also, if contact with aliens ever takes place, it will likely initially happen via radio and may be unfriendly”. Mmmm… so this is numbered ‘0’, so perhaps from the rehearsal/studio sessions that went ahead of playing live. Its hard to avoid with such a description and such a title, but obviously the main source of sound is the radio waves. Short or long waves, and most likely with the additional use of electronics, a thirty minute pattern of dark atmospherics is woven together and being no alien I couldn’t say wether the instructions were benevolent, or unfriendly, or if there was in fact any message at all in here. Should I regard such matters as belonging to the band (?), rather than with me, the receiver, what is left is a fairly interesting cassette with some nice underground music made with the lowest means but it sounds pretty much alright, altogether. So, as far as I am concerned, we forget the interesting story and listen to what we get. (FdW)
Address: <mnlith@gmail.com>
DUSTH – 1 (cassette, private)
DUSTH – 2 (cassette, private)
A Canadian duo of Robert Taite and Kelsey Braun, Dust uses all kind of sound sources, such as contact microphones, electro-magnetic/hydro microphones, field recordings, no inout mixer, table-top/prepared guitar, electronics and ‘other home-made forms of audio manipulation’ and over the course of two years they shifted from ‘an atmospheric sound to a greater emphasis on the physical nature of sound and improvisation, teetering on the fence between “silence” and noise’. These two self-released cassettes contain four examples of this, one track per side. Its hardly ‘noise’ in the classic sense of the word. They carefully examine the acoustic sound qualities of their objects and instruments, by scraping the surface of metallic objects, guitar strings and perhaps glass. Very limited we hear distortion, but its pushed away to the back. There isn’t that much difference between the four pieces, perhaps the second tape is a bit more chaotic. The downside of this music is that it doesn’t seem to be very dynamic. It stays on a particular level of volume, and doesn’t drop down or rises up from it. That I thought was a pity. Also the similarity between the pieces was a bit of downside. The potential is there to make interesting electro-acoustic, improvised music is not yet here, but who knows what the future will bring. Maybe the format of cassette is also not the right medium for this kind of music, I was thinking. A CDR just has a better sound quality if one wants to create a more dynamic music. (FdW)
Address: http://dusth.bandcamp.com/
TWO DAYS DEDICATED TO ELECTRONIC SOUND IMPROVISATION (cassette by Heraclis)
Although all in Greek, I understand that this is a selection of live recordings made in October 2010 by Greek composers who deal with the nature of field recordings. It wasn’t easy to make out who does what here, but if the racket on side A is by someone, I’d say Goosli Noise. Didn’t like that very much. Before that we had more careful processed field recordings of Plink and Adam_is, which were pretty interesting, although hard to say which is what. Georgios Karamanolakis starts on side B, with a more synthesized version of field recordings (all pieces have no names), and after that I easily lost in who is doing what here. Music is by Dead Gum, Mecha/Orga and Analog Suicide, who are probably the noisy conclusion of side B. All of it sounds ‘live’, meaning a bit more raw and untamed than what we usually here in this field of music, less carefully treated and as such a somewhat different perspective on the notion of field recordings. (FdW)
Address: http://www.heraclis.org