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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 555
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week 48
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Vital Weekly, the webcast: we offering a
weekly webcast, freely to download. This can be regarded as the
audio-supplement to Vital Weekly. Presented as a radioprogramm
with excerpts of just some of the CDs (no vinyl or MP3) reviewed.
It will remain on the site for a limited period (most likely 2-4
weeks). Download the file to your MP3 player and enjoy!
complete tracklist here: http://www.vitalweekly.net/podcast.html
you can subscribe to the weekly broadcast using the following
rss feed:
http://www.harmlog.nl/vitalfeed.asp
New broadcasts will be sent directly when uploaded.
* noted are in this week's podcast
GIANNI LENOCI - SEXTANT (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
ARTHUR BULL & DANIEL HEIKALO - CONCENTRÉS ET AMALGAMES
(CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
TIM BRADY - GO (GUITAR OBSESSION) - (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
RM74 & RLW - PIROUETTEN (CD by Crouton) *
THE LOST DOMAIN - PALACE (CD by Pseudo Arcana)
MAD EP - THE MADLANDS TRILOGY (CD by Ad Noiseam)
MAD EP - NOT AFRAID OF SPIDERS (CD by Hymen Records)
DETRITUS - THRESHOLDS (CD by Ad Noiseam)
ORGANUM - AMEN (CD by Die Stadt) *
ASMUS TIETCHENS - ZWINBURGEN DES HEDONISMUS/MYSTERIEN DES HAFENS
(CD by Die Stadt) *
Z'EV - PRODUCTION AND DECAY OF SPACIAL RELATIONS VS REPRODUCTION
AND DECAY OF SPACIAL RELATIONS (2CD by Die Stadt) *
Z'EV/DAVID LINTON (CD by Die Stadt)
DELUXE INCINERATOR (3x3" CDs by C.I.P.) *
HARRY PARTCH - ENCLOSURE SEVEN (DVD by Innova)
EXIT IN GREY - NAMELESS DROPLET (CDR by Mystery Sea) *
DAVID PAPAPOSTOLOU - ONE TWO (CDR, private) *
HELMETICRONONAUT - WE WHO ARE NOT LIEK FETTOTERS (CDR by Krakilsk)
*
KLUBB KANIN: 5.OKTOBER (CDR compilation by Krakilsk)
NYARLATHOTEP - SKILLFULL MEANS (CDR by Housepig Records) *
JUHYO - MESOTHESIS (CDR by Housepig Records) *
BASTARD NOISE - THREE DOLLAR DATE+ (3"CD by Housepig Records)
RED NEEDLED SEA - 4 DAYS OFF (CDR by Ambolthue Records) *
MASKINANLEGG - FABRIKK (3"CDR by Ambolthue Records) *
ANDREW DEUTSCH - BASALT 1996-2006 (cassette by Throne Heap)
GIANNI LENOCI - SEXTANT (CD by Ambiances
Magnetiques)
'Sextant' is the second cd by this Italian composer and improvisor
for Ambiances Magnétiques. In 2003 he recorded a cd of
improvised duets with Joëlle Léandre. Now he returns
with a totally different multifaceted album of nine compositions
for a small ensemble. They originated from workshops given by
this italian pianist at Nino Rota Conservatory in Monopoli, where
he worked with new teaching methodologies. Most compositions are
by the hand of Gianni Lenoci himself who graduated from Santa
Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and studied improvised music with
Mal Waldron and Paul Bley. They are performed by: Adolfo Lavolpe
(electric guitar, electronics), Fabrizio Scarafile (soprano saxophone),
Francesco Massaro (alto & baritone sax), Francesco Angiuli
(doublebass), Marcello Magliocchie (drums) plus Gianni Lenoci
himself on (electric) piano, synthesizer and electronics.
In the centre of this cd however we hear a work by Morton Feldman:
'Intermission VI'. A piece very close to silence. Tense and breakable.
It is as if we are in the centre of a hurricane with this meditative
piece, as most other pieces before and after are much more loud,
jazzier, etc. 'Intermission IV' is preceded by 'Rothko (variations)'
a piece that is about sound and texture with lots of electronics,
plus piano and reeds. The second piece of this album 'Intersezione'
and the last track of this album 'Notturno Frattale' are both
very otherworldly electronic-only pieces, that are absolutely
non-jazz. Most other pieces are very free jazz like works that
share similarities with the music of Ornette Coleman of Shannon
Jackson.
They catch attention most of all because of the very strange combination
of odd electronic sounds combined with saxes, drums, etc., like
in the opening track or in the titletrack. The works differ enormously
in style and character. I wonder what the underlying musically
unifying concept is for this album, if there is any. But of course
there is nothing wrong with showing very different faces. (DM)
Address: http://www.actuellecd.com/
ARTHUR BULL & DANIEL HEIKALO - CONCENTRÉS
ET AMALGAMES (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
Two canadian guitar improvisors joined hands once again. As a
duo they play since 1995 and in 2000 it was time for their first
duo-recording for Ambiances Magnetiques. Arthur Bull is a veteran
from the canadian improv scene and played with Michael Snow, Paul
Dutton, John Oswald, etc. As a poet he published three books.
Heikalo is an improvisor and composer. He also runs his own label:
Heïkalo Sound Productions. Having a look in this catalogue
learns that Heikalo released many solo-albums that show his interest
in a diversity of strings instruments and also in electro-acoustic
music. This label released also the second duo-recording of Bull
and Heikalo. So with 'Concentrés and amalgames' were are
listening to their third collaboration. Bull plays electric and
prepared guitars and e-bow. Heikalo we hear on acoustic and classical
guitars, but also on drums and percussion. The album features
six guitar duets and five duets for guitar and percussion. In
their playing they show a great togetherness that results in great
music. Improvised music at its best. Both gentlemen speak their
language of free form and non-idiomatic improvising very well
and give way here to some very communicative and musical interaction
in the classical Derek Bailey-style (DM)
Address: http://www.actuellec.com/
TIM BRADY - GO (GUITAR OBSESSION) - (CD
by Ambiances Magnetiques)
A great album for lovers of the electric guitar. It should appeal
for instance to fans of mister Fripp. There are already out a
great many records from canadian Tim Brady. Most of them cover
Brady as a composer. 'Go' is his first solo-album and focuses
on Brady as a guitar player. It's an album that I instantly liked.
We hear rich and multi-layered patterns, all generated by the
guitars and electronic devices of Tim Brady. The feeling of blues,
(hard) rock, jazz is always nearby, but most of the compositions
are situated on a higher abstract level. The compositions range
from quiet soundscaping like in "Le chant des Baleines',
to very loud heavy metal like excursions like in 'Vampyr'. All
is done very intelligently and with great affection. The first
four compositions are by Brady himself, and reworkings of pieces
he composed in the 80s. The other four are works by four different
composers: Jean-Francois Laporte, Alexandre Burton, Tristan Murail,
Laurence Crane. 3 tracks were recorded live, the others in the
studio. But the soundquality is very homogeneous. Brady leads
us through a variety of atmospheres and musical idioms, ending
up in 'Bobby J', a pastoral and elegant finale to this very enjoyable
cd (DM).
Address: http://www.actuellecd.com/
RM74 & RLW - PIROUETTEN (CD by Crouton)
Many of the recent works by Ralf Wehowsky, also known as RLW (formerly
the main man behind P16.D4) are collaborations with others, and
here it is Reto Mäder, also known as RM74. Their work is
ongoing, as before the released pieces of the 'Epitaph For John'
compilation, the Wire website and on RM74's 'Fireproof In 8 Parts'.
'It exploits the authors' long-lasting dedication to the unpure
tradition of centurial folkways' - whatever that may mean. Ralf
plays gamelan, sitar, guitar, trombone, chimes, recordings of
populated fields and Reto plays organ, accordion, cello, bass,
guitar and harmonica, while both are responsible for all the transformations
and composition. It's good that the mention all these instruments,
since it would not be easy to recognize them. Some are all alright
such as organ, harmonica and field recordings, whereas others
may proof to be difficult. Or more difficult. But wether knowing
what they used or not, is, I believe, not of real importance.
They treat their material in a good old musique concrete like
manner, except of course that they use computers and no longer
reel-to-reel tapes. The music has been through improvisation,
but in the end it comes down to hours and hours of editing. They
did a wonderful job. It's experimental but light and they never
loose 'music' out of sight. In 'Abwege' an organ plays a shimmering
tone admist a bed chirping insect like sounds and the accordion
takes over. Each of the eight moves gently back and forth between
the unknown landscape of the digital terrain and more familiar
music terrain. In all it's experimentalism actually quite an accessible
CD! Comes in a nice plastic box with separate cards for each track,
just like the RLW/Frisch CD - a small new tradition was born.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.croutonmusic.com
THE LOST DOMAIN - PALACE (CD by Pseudo Arcana)
Where Bruce Russel makes use of the editing techniques of musique
concrete and dub to deconstruct blues schemes (see his album "21st
Century Field Hollers and Prison Songs"), The Lost Domain
from Brisbane come up with narcotic drones, that present themselves
as a psychedelic slow-motion version of traditional blues aesthetics.
Interwoven sustained guitar tones open this disc, overtones and
fragile feedback, slight tremolos - lost vibrations in empty space,
crawling forward at a minimum speed. Only gradually the music
gains some density, and a vague idea of structure comes in. Later
the tension is raised, some more gritty surfaces are sketched
out and on the third track (five in total, all untitled) the disc
reaches a short dramatic peak with heavy percussive bangs and
wordless vocals somewhere between crooning and screaming. Then
things get quieter again and the last track, much lighter in sound
than the rest, marks a wonderfully calm ending. The music is of
a warm and rich quality throughout, evoking the saturated, slightly
blurred sound of ancient recording devices, and delivers a fine
example of drone-improv capturing nostalgically-charged moody
vibes. (MSS)
Address: http://www.pseudoarcana.com
MAD EP - THE MADLANDS TRILOGY (CD by Ad
Noiseam)
MAD EP - NOT AFRAID OF SPIDERS (CD by Hymen Records)
When composers with backgrounds in other territories of music,
bring their musical skills into the electronic sound world, it
quite often ends up with a very interesting result. This is also
the case with American composer Matthew Peters alias Mad EP and
his two latest releases out on German labels Ad Noiseam and Ant-Zen
Recordings. With a background as a cellist and as a producer of
Chicago Symphony radio broadcasts, the Iowa-based composer has
put a clear imprint of his past into these two albums. What characterizes
"The Madlands Trilogy" is the comprehensive use of acoustic
instruments throughout the album. Counting everything from saxophone
on the "Gumbo on the run"-track to excellent Spanish
guitar strumming on the "7 pounds", - a track that beautifully
opens with a pleasant acoustic guitar passage reminding of the
melancholic opening of legendary singer-song writer Leonard Cohen's
"Suzan". On the rhythm side there is a massive use of
hip hop-beats melting beautifully into the acoustic sound-spheres.
Also the rich amount of samples from spoken voice to ringing telephones
adds to the extremely rich sound texture of the album. Stylistically
the album ranges from drum'n'bass to ambient. The styles are impressively
melted into each other as a one whole form, meaning that the flow
of the music drifts beautifully throughout each of the discs.
When you receive an album the runs over three discs with a playtime
of 105 minutes, you might worry about the trip being too long.
But in this case there is absolutely no reason to worry. All of
the tracks on "The Madlands trilogy" constitute as relevant
pieces of the work as a whole. "Not afraid of spiders"
roughly moves in the same spheres as "The Madlands trilogy",
with complex musical textures. The fusion of many music styles
and musical instruments remains the same here, but the expression
on the album is harsher on this one. The tracks of "Not afraid
of spiders" are catchy with cool jazz rhythms, and heavy
bass-lines added some cool hard rapping. Generally the album is
darker and more threatening in expression compared to "The
madlands trilogy". Both albums demonstrate in two quite different
ways the great compositional skills of Mad EP. Highly recommended!
(NMP)
Address: http://www.adnoiseam.net
Address: http://www.hymen-records.com
DETRITUS - THRESHOLDS (CD by Ad Noiseam)
A year ago David Dando-Moore (alias "Detritus") released
the album titled "Origin" on German label Ad Noiseam.
Now the American composer is ready with this follow-up mini-Cd
titled "Thresholds" containing four tracks and a total
running time of 20 minutes. The classical oriented ambience of
"Origin" that was a central part of the album, is continued
on "Thresholds". Even though the orchestral ambience
is intact, there is quite a change in sound expression on this
one. The atmosphere of "Thresholds" is more dramatic
and threatening, thanks to the use of hard-hitting breakbeats.
The four tracks are exclusively instrumental apart from final
track "Melting snow" that contains a vocal sample of
French chanson-legend Edith Piaf in the deepest sub-levels of
the sound picture. The ambient part of the album creates a great
cinematic atmosphere, while the effectively moving breakbeat-texture
adds a more physical impression to the music. The title of the
album "Thresholds" probably symbolizes an opening into
new musical explorations for Detritus. If this is the case "Thresholds"
is a warmly welcome step. This is a truly satisfying continuation
of the otherwise excellent previous effort: "Origin".
Highly recommended! (NMP)
Address: http://www.adnoiseam.net
ORGANUM - AMEN (CD by Die Stadt)
ASMUS TIETCHENS - ZWINBURGEN DES HEDONISMUS/MYSTERIEN DES HAFENS
(CD by Die Stadt)
Z'EV - PRODUCTION AND DECAY OF SPACIAL RELATIONS VS REPRODUCTION
AND DECAY OF SPACIAL RELATIONS (2CD by Die Stadt)
Z'EV/DAVID LINTON (CD by Die Stadt)
Two re-issues and two new releases by Die Stadt. To start with
the latter one. 'Amen' is the second installment which started
with 'Sanctus' on Robot Records, which I sadly missed. Is David
Jackman all of a sudden a religious man? Sounds like it. He plays
here grand piano, hammond organ, tower bell, gong and voices.
It's hard to believe it was recorded by the same man who surprised
us some twenty years ago with 'In Extremis'. Pastoral voices,
a bang on the piano, a continuous drone on the organ. There are
two pieces here 'Amen I' and 'Amen II', and Jackman plays another
of his plays of deception. Are we perhaps listening to the same
track twice? Or two very similar mixes? In that respect Organum
didn't change, as it's a small game that he always plays with
his listeners. It's work that is different from much of his previous
work, and certainly needs to grow on me. I played it already a
couple of time, and despite the somewhat sacral atmosphere it
starts growing.
The first re-issue is by Asmus Tietchens and is number nine in
his series of re-issues of his old LPs. 'Zwingburgen Des Hedonismus'
was never a big favorite of mine. This one sided LP, originally
released by Multimood, is one of a series of pieces Tietchens
made with a fairlight computer, and is a study over the notes
'b-a-c-h' for piano and synthesizers. It sounds very serious avant-garde,
but somehow things never seemed to happen here. Also the bonus
from the first CD re-issue (in 1994) is present here, and is also
an orchestral piece, with bassoon sounds, harp and flutes. It
belongs to my least favorite Tietchens works, but the CD is saved
by the re-issue of 'Mysterien Des Hafens' which was released on
a split LP by Odd Size in 1988. It was recorded circa 'Geboren
Um Zu Dienen', but is much lengthier and spacier than many of
the 'Geboren' pieces, but it has the same mechanical drive as
the shorter 'Geboren' pieces. Tietchens in optima forma, with
dark atmospheric pieces, just like a harbor would like at night,
and ship horns fill the night. Austere, dark, shimmering: classic
Tietchens music.
The next three hours are reserved for z'ev. For a man who said
he one foot in the grave in 1990, he is remarkable present these
days. It seems like he manically catching up, and as such the
re-issue of 'Production And Decay' is more than well-come. This
was z'ev's first studio LP from 1981, recorded and released in
Rotterdam on a curious and regrettable long forgotten experimental
music label Backlash Records (who also released Tuxedo Moon and
Nyrabakiga). Up to that point z'ev in various guises just released
live recorded material. It is where the interests of z'ev started
to mingle: the live playing of percussion and the studio techniques,
which he used in several other projects, such as Stefan Weisser.
I don't what the studio of Backlash looked like, but it's a pretty
interesting production. The sound gets processed, slowed down,
but then new layers are added and strange muffled but strong rhythmic
sounds occurs. None of the original power has been lost here.
It was in its day already a masterpiece of 'industrial' music,
and still is. On the same CD all the material gets a treatment
in 2005, through some of the techniques z'ev uses these days.
The layers are much thicker and fatter and lays less on the rhythm
aspect. It makes this a great document. And with the first 500
copies there is also a second CD with three pieces from 1982.
The first one is a live piece of metal percussion, which gives
an idea what it sounded like in the day: raw and untamed. The
second piece is a sound poetry/tape piece of heavily layered voices
and 'Element/L' is a highly deformed piece of layered percussion,
until it becomes an engine like sound.
More z'ev can be found on a CD released on the occasion of his
concert in Bremen on November 11th, together with David Linton.
Linton is a percussion player and multi-media artist, but in my
book a member of the long forgotten Plus Instruments. The first
z'ev piece is a merging of a drum recording from 1990 together
with a sermon by Reverend John Mac Arthur about the gulf war.
Quite a unlike z'ev piece with such a clear voice. His second
piece is a rework of David Linton's sound material: short sounds
are time stretched and pitched up and down the scale, to form
a continuous, almost rhythmic piece. David Linton's solo piece
is drone like piece of music. It's hard to tell what it is that
he does, but he works in a skillful manner with overtones. In
his remix of z'evs work he emphasis the rhythm, by making it sound
like a drumcomputer. I'm sure another great concert night was
missed by me. (FdW)
Address: http://www.diestadtmusik.de
DELUXE INCINERATOR (3x3" CDs by C.I.P.)
In the world of noise, a lot evolves around friendship, and it
seems more than in other areas, well, perhaps save for improvisation.
Boxed sets of various artists in the realms of noise music happen
quite a lot, like a 10 LP set of Californian noise artists. Here
a small set of three 3" CDs on Blake Edwards' C.I.P. label,
and it's perhaps a remarkable step. The label seemed to have grown
into a more all round experimental one, moving away from the strict
noise. But the decision to put these on three separate discs is
fine, one can select what to play and within the time span, things
are long enough. Xome starts the proceedings (random pick actually)
with seven short and highly intense blasts of noise. Things are
furious, but due to the shortness it works well on the intensity
level. Goat on the other hand offers just one track and here is
what I sometimes find problematic about noise music: the 'let's
carry on and don't look back' approach. Full on distortion and
feedback, but that lacks the true power, and in the end may end
up something worn out. Sixes is the new name for me, and they
are from Oakland. For some odd reason I think they are the most
interesting of the lot, and perhaps it comes, curiously enough,
from the somewhat lo-fi recording. Sixes uses the same ingredients,
but also loops and built in a balance between harsher and less
harsher parts. Sometimes it sinks to an almost low volume threshold.
Sixes it seems have thought out what they wanted to do, and actually
started composing with the various components of noise in an interesting
way. Perhaps the quality of the recording could be better, unless
of course it's all intentional, which would sharpen the music,
but throughout this is nice work. In all, quite a good set, with
one weaker brother. (FdW)
Address: http://www.cipsite.net
HARRY PARTCH - ENCLOSURE SEVEN (DVD by Innova)
A long time ago, when I was in my Residents-phase I discovered
the world of radical Harry Partch, through that long piece on
the b-side of the 'Fingerprince' album called 'Six things to a
cycle'. It opened up a new world for me. 'Petals fell on Petaluma'
became one of my favorite records of his. Partch is one of those
eccentric american composers like Conlon Nancarrow. One day he
decided to destroy all of his compositions and made a new start
from scratch, composing in just intonation for instruments he
designed himself. He died in 1974 and in recent years it was Dean
Drummond with his Newband a.o. who kept the music of Partch alive.
Some of his work is released by CRI. I wasn't aware until now
that Innova Recordings was also building a impressive catalogue
of Partch, work. In their Enclosure-series Innova Recordings released
now the seventh and last item. In the past cds, videos and a book
on Partch were released. An overview of this series is contained
on the dvd in the 'extras'-section. I must say, a true monument
for this important american composer. All this is the work of
Philip Blackburn who worked 20 years on the Partch archives. Let's
turn to the dvd. It opens with a documentary 'The Dreamer that
remains' (1972) by Stephen Poliout. Partch, tells the story of
his life, alternated by performances of his music. We see a passionate
man.
The documentary is followed by 'Delusion of the fury', one of
his major works. Now it is possible to enjoy this work at last
in its totality. We can see the choreography and strange antiquity-
and japan-inspired costumes of this ritual-theater. I must admit
I found more drama and expression in the face and presentation
of Harry Partch himself. Just look at that funny little fragment
where he is cooking 'Rose Petal Jam', or his performance of 'The
Letter'.
'Delusion of the Fury' was originally released as an double album
by Columbia in a nice box, that I happen to have in my collection.
Alas without the third album that was included with the first
edition. On this record Partch introduces 27 of his instruments,
and it offers the opportunity to taste all of his inventions one
by one. Happily this record is enclosed on this DVD accompanied
by photos from the respective instruments. The oldest moving pictures
on this dvd date from 1960. We see a fragment of the extensive
work 'Revelation in the Courthouse Park'. Dancers, gymnasts, majorettes,
fireworks fill the stage. It is also special for its combination
of the instruments of Partch combined with brass band. This dvd,
because of the combination of documentary, music, introduction
to his instruments, etc., serves as a perfect introduction for
those who want to know more about this composer. Also for fans
this one is of course not to be missed! Sound quality is okay.
(DM)
Address: http://www.innova.mu/
EXIT IN GREY - NAMELESS DROPLET (CDR by
Mystery Sea)
By now the Mystery Sea label has a status of a well-known CDR
label and they get demo's from around the globe - or so we must
assume. Sergey and Stas are Exit In Grey and they hail from Moscow
region, where they produce their music and run the Still Sleep
label. Their music is a combination of 'guitar drone ambient'
with the usual field recordings and sounds from analogue devices.
On 'Nameless Droplet' (their first release on a label other than
their own) they have two tracks, the longer part one and the much
shorter part two. I must say that things start out pretty well
in part one, very intense with a careful, but great built up.
But somewhere along the lines of this piece they loose me, and
I don't recover. It is if they want to shift through all the various
textures possible, which could have been perhaps great separate
pieces by themselves, rather than part of a longer composition.
Perhaps that would have been a better idea, as the idea of the
total gets a bit lost here. It's music that fits the Mystery Sea
catalogue very well, but perhaps a bit too well: music made to
fit the label, rather than music for the sake of music itself.
Although it's a well performed release, there is a bit too much
of the same going on. For die-hard fans of the genre, I guess.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.mysterysea.net
DAVID PAPAPOSTOLOU - ONE TWO (CDR, private)
Despite his name sounding Greek, David Papapostolou is a French
man living in Bristol. With 'One Two' he makes his debut into
the world of music. He plays here acoustic guitar, cello and soprano
saxophone - they marked on the each track as 'gc', 'gs' and 'g'.
There is some sound leaking in from the outside and that may perhaps
be qualified as field recordings. He doesn't play both instruments
at once of course, but layers them in the computer, but they are
responses to each other. This means we are dealing here with some
highly improvised music, and Papapostolou does a great job. Carefully
strumming and using his instruments as objects, using a bit of
overtones through feedback in 'g', this is very much the product
of silent playing and using the instrument as an object. This
is a statement: I'm here, listen and invite me to play around
with others. As such this is very good point of departure. (FdW)
Address: http://david-p.blogspot.com
HELMETICRONONAUT - WE WHO ARE NOT LIEK FETTOTERS
(CDR by Krakilsk)
KLUBB KANIN: 5.OKTOBER (CDR compilation by Krakilsk)
Two releases of noise on Norway's Krakilsk label but both from
a different perspective. Helmeticrononaut plays more traditional
forms of noise, using microphones and headphones to create feedback,
on top of which the man behind rambles his texts, or sometimes
just produces a bunch of throat sounds. It's all a bit too standard
for me. Helmeticrononaut plays thirteen tracks, which are all
kind of interchangeable, as far as I'm concerned. Five would have
equally made the same point.
The noise on the compilation recorded in Trondheim's Klubb Kanin
is of a different order. Five bands, each about fifteen minutes
of free rock noise. Improvised but in a highly noise manner, with
feedback and torture of instruments. It's a bit difficult to point
out the exact differences between these bands, but Noodt/Nohr
started out silently, former mentioned Helmeticrononaut proofs
he can do the same thing live, Lebensraum was more rock oriented,
Swamp Up Nostrils use circuit bending and Ice White Slut throws
it all in the blender. But throughout none of these tracks sounded
really interesting. Too long, too mediocre. Perhaps watched live
it was all great, but here on CDR it couldn't interest me very
much. (FdW)
Address: http://www.krakilsk.org
NYARLATHOTEP - SKILLFULL MEANS (CDR by Housepig
Records)
JUHYO - MESOTHESIS (CDR by Housepig Records)
BASTARD NOISE - THREE DOLLAR DATE+ (3"CD by Housepig Records)
From the world of noise, to precise from the
Housepig Records label, three releases of which two are newies
for me. Nyarlathotep is one John Luba from Arizona, who gets his
inspiration from H.P. Lovercraft's Cthulhu mythos, and the six
pieces are culled from 'cassette vault and live recordings' and
is brutal slab of noise. Feedback over crashing metal, distortion
pedals on full speed ahead. Maybe due to the nature of the recordings,
things sound indeed a bit lo-fi, but that adds to the charm of
it all. It's not really a great release and 'Evocation Through
Amplification' is with it's full twenty-four minutes a bit too
long, but it forms a pleasant, even softer side to the music.
Apparently Juhyo is a Japanese word for trees covered in snow
that look like monsters. It's also the name of Minneapolis based
Brian Kopish (a.k.a. Surround) and Bill Henson (a.k.a. Oblong
Box), but these side projects are unknown to me. As Juhyo this
is their first collaborative release, and I am not sure what to
make of it. It is certainly not bad, not real noise blasts going
on, but rather a good flow of sounds going through reverb and
delay units. But they search for their flow a bit too much and
certainly in 'Gallery 79' things are being searched for too long.
With some editing out of the weaker parts, the pieces could have
certainly gained more power. Now it's all a bit too stretched
out, and good and lesser parts stand equally next to each other.
Pressed as a real CD is a 3" by Bastard Noise. Originally
started out as a solo side project of Man Is The Bastard, Eric
Wood is still around after fifteen years. This 3" re-issues
two long long out 7"s, one on AIPR (if anyone knows where
the owner is, please let me know, as I have urgent question since
ten years) and one on Peter Zincken's New Noise label. Back in
the day I wasn't a big fan of Bastard Noise, but I must say that
I have no idea why not. The recordings here show a love of noise
which is beyond the ordinary. Tracks are kept short and to the
point. There are screaming walls of feedback, but also 'quieter'
tracks, such the eleventh (even with the delivered magnifying
glass I had trouble reading the miniature reprints of the covers),
which is creeping violent beast. Twelve tracks in fourteen minutes
and not a single second of boredom, or a note (tone?) too much
or too less. Classic noise work. (FdW)
Address: http://www.housepig.com
RED NEEDLED SEA - 4 DAYS OFF (CDR by Ambolthue
Records)
MASKINANLEGG - FABRIKK (3"CDR by Ambolthue Records)
Ambolthue Records is a new label, run by 18-year old Kjetil Hanssen,
which seeks to release experimental and noise music. Red Needled
Sea is one Panos Alexiades from Greece, of whom I never heard.
Apparently he had four days off somewhere and used that time to
record this work. Things start out in the very soft manner, and
it seems like another Francisco Lopez. But out of the shimmering
mass very loose ends come forward and suddenly we recognize that
all of it comes from a guitar. Red Needled Sea plays the guitar
in a rather improvised manner, feeding it off through a couple
of sound effects (one of them being a phaser, which I didn't expect
to hear again in my life), and throughout it's quite a nice work.
Sometimes it all drags a bit on without too many changes or new
ideas, or, such as in 'Day 4' when we get to hear all the sound
effects and their endless possibilties, but it was not bad at
all.
Maskinanlkegg is Bjørn Hatterud, of whom reviewed some
music before. For this new release, Bjørn uses "one
Roland R77 Rythm machine from 1977, one studiomaster mixing table
from 1980, cheap cables and a computer" to create a twenty
minute piece of harsh rhythmic music, that sounds as gritty and
dirty as in Esplendor Geometrico's early (and best) days. The
rhythm is fed through a bunch of plug ins and outs and make a
heavy deforming sound. It moves away from the previous Maskinanlkegg
releases, which were more towards real noise, without too much
rhythm. You can wonder if twenty minutes is perhaps a bit too
much for such a single minded piece, but it works well. (FdW)
Address: http://www.ambolthue.com
ANDREW DEUTSCH - BASALT 1996-2006 (cassette
by Throne Heap)
There isn't much information to go at with this cassette - even
when the format might be something of a surprise. If I understood
correctly this release is based on a live recording of a concert
by Deutsch and Pauline Oliveros in 1996, which are now fed through
a whole bunch of computerized effects. One could expect some introvert
drone music, based on the accordion of Oliveros, but it's not.
Deutsch uses many layers of processed sound to tell his story.
It's throughout quite noisy and chaotic, even when it never goes
over the top as sometimes happens with noise. It's not easy to
find a structure in this music, but perhaps that's not the idea
of Deutsch. Maybe it's all intended as a free flow, streaming
like lava downhill. Maybe a different kind of drone music is searched
for here, not the quiet one, or the noisy one, but the chaotic
one, without a hierarchy in sound. It is quite captivating this
stream of sound and clocking at thirty two minutes the right length.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.throneheap.com
Addition: Last week's No More Music CD was a co-production of Absurd (as mentioned), but also ideal recordings (www.idealrecordings.com) and8mm (www.8mmrecs.com)
1. From: "Marten Sahlen" <DrMarten@swipnet.se>
Celebrating their 10 year anniversary, Stockholm based organisation The Nursery present mono:ton, a three day festival on the themes drones and minimalism.
Dates: 7-9 December
Venues: Fylkingen, Moderna Museet, Kulturhuset (all in Stockholm,
Sweden)
Full lineup: Charlemagne Palestine, Eliane Radigue, Bernhard Günter,
Beequeen, Alejandra & Aeron, Kasper T. Toeplitz, Daniel Teige,
Ronnie Sundin, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, Sheriff, Moljebka
Pvlse, The Idealist, Ingrid Engarås, BJ Nilsen, Jean-Louis
Huhta, Johan Boberg
Playing schedules, artist bios, etc found at <http://www.nursery.a.se/>http://www.nursery.a.se/
2. From: " nikos veliotis - gmail" <nikosveliotis@gmail.com>
7th 2:13 athens festival
7, 8 & 9 december 2006 @ the small music theatre - athens,
greece.
program:
07-12______________________________
Screening: 2:13 videos
live sets
Ben Drew & Emma Hart [uk]
textu rizer ( nikos veliotis & coti k ) [gr]
08-12______________________________
Screening: Phill Niblock films 1966 - 1969
livesets
NTSC (dieb13 & billy roisz) [at]
Anastasis Grivas & Mecha Orga [gr]
09-12_______________________________
Screening: 2:13 videos
live sets
Free Piece of Tape [gr]
Phill Niblock [us]
party : dj great moments
3. From: Phill Niblock <pniblock@compuserve.com>
Experimental Intermedia
The Thirty-third Anniversary of EI performances at 224 Centre
Street, The
Thirty-eighth Anniversary of the Founding of Experimental Intermedia,
the
Thirty-eighth Anniversary of the 224 Centre Street loft, and,
not least,
The Seventeenth Annual Festival with no fancy name, Part One
(or A)
Phill Niblock, curator
December 2006
Giles Thomas and Patries Wichers
Wednesday 13
Respectively the guitarist and vocalist from Bateau Lavoir, Antwerp,
have
been working on a side project together; the approach remains
-
no-repertoire, improvised music; both musicians started working
with delays
but recent development has seen a shift from delays to fixed instruments;
listen at http://www.bateaulavoir.org/tw.html
Andreas Weixler & Se-Lien Chuang
Friday 15
A concert of computer music, video and interactive audiovisual
improvisation; the 25th anniversary of Atelier Avant Austria/
the 10th
anniversary of artistic cooperation between Weixler-Chuang;
http://avant.mur.at/concerts/ei06/index.html - in collaboration
with the
Austrian Cultural Forum in New York, support by the province government
of
Styria and province government of Upper Austria, comission of
SKE Fonds
Andrea Parkins Sunday 17
Electro multi-instrumentalist Andrea Parkins is a sound artist,
composer
and improvising musician who also makes and/or arranges objects,
images and
(sometimes) words; she will perform solo pieces for electronically
processed accordion and MAX processed sampling (merging analog
electronics
with treatments by "Rube Goldberg," a live generative
processing
instrument), writing a fractured yet fluid sonic language as she
releases
awkward electronic disruptions, dislocation-inspired samples and
noisy
feedback into a rising flow of accordion sonority
Yasunao Tone Monday 18
Zeena Parkins joins the concert cum launch party in celebration
of the
release of "Yasunao Tone - Noise Media Language" (Errant
Bodies Press) -
given the release of the book will not be ready for the concert
date a
mock-up version of the book will be shown at the concert, and
introduced
through a video work by the editor Brandon LaBelle; the concert
will
consist of Tone's new piece for Parkins, Origin of Geometry: An
Introduction, based on the text of Husserl/Derrida, and a duo
performance
by Tone and Parkins; the book - with contributions by Robert Ashley,
Dasha
Dekleva, William Marotti, Federico Marulanda Rey, and Achim Wollscheid,
and
an interview with the artist by Hans Ulrich Obrist; "Yasunao
Tone - Noise
Media Language" is an indispensable monograph on this enigmatic
artist
Maria Blondeel Tuesday 19
48 minutes; a steady sound accompanying an almost empty, steady
image on
the screen; sonic video made in a driving car - the recordings
where shot
during the Argos Festival 2004 that took place in Brussels on
the R20; a
track has Dreaming / Rethinking and Transfiguring the Sites and
Sounds of
Brussels'. (Argos/(K-RAA-K)3); http://www.mariablondeel.org
Phill Niblock 6pm until midnight, Thursday
21
So what's new?- with six hours of music and film/video, who can
tell?; 6pm
until 12am of the longest night of the year (what's to do for
the rest of
the night?)
Our programs are supported by the New York
State Council on the Arts, the
Aaron Copland Fund For Music, The Amphion Foundation, and the
Phaedrus
Foundation
224 Centre Street at Grand, Third Floor, N Y 10013 $4.99
212 431 5127, 212 431 6430 9pm, except the 21st
www.experimentalintermedia.org and www.XIrecords.org
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