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ZIYA TABASSIAN – TOMBAK (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
MARIE-SOLEIL BÉLANGER & NORMAN GUILBEAULT – LES SALINES (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
BILL HORIST AND MARRON – SLEEP HAMMER (CD by Public Eyesore)
MIKE PRIDE’S SCENE FUCKER 5 – THE ENSEMBLE IS AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE (CD by Public Eyesore)
KIRCHENKAMPF – BABEL (2CD by Diophantine Discs) *
LENA – THE UNCERTAIN TRAIL (CD by Soundsaround) *
ROMAN REVUTSKY – INCOMPLETE (CD by Soundsister Records) *
JIM O’ROURKE & MERZBOW & CARLOS GIFFONI – ELECTRIC DRESS (CD by No Fun Productions) *
THE ACE OF CLUES – BENEFIST (CD by Fistcask)
THE SKULL DEFEKTS – SSKULL (CD by Release The Bats Records) *
NONHORSE – HARAAM, CIRCLE OF FLAME (CD by Release The Bats Records) *
TROUM VS. NJD – IGNIS SACER (LP by Art Konkret) *
MOTH ELECTRET – III (CDR by Mystery Sea) *
JACK JACK AND WANDELENDE FEEDBACK LAW & ORDER (CDR by De
Hondenkoekjesfabriek) *
JLIAT – NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL NOISE VOL. 2 (CDR by Larks Council Of England) *
ULTRA//VIRES – LAND CANCER (CDR by Outfall Channel)
ULTRA//VIRES – BLACK SNOW (CDR by Outfall Channel) *
MEGATONE – MULBERRY FOREST VOYAGE (CDR by Krakilsk) *
THELMO CRISTOVAM – TROMBONE (CDR by Krakilsk)
LEAVING EARTH – THE GLOWING (CDR by Krakilsk)
WETHER – SKIN ATONEMENT (3″ CDr by Hymn)
ZAÏMPH – EMBLEM (CDr – no label given) *
ZIYA TABASSIAN – TOMBAK (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
MARIE-SOLEIL BÉLANGER & NORMAN GUILBEAULT – LES SALINES (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
Tombak is the name of an important percussion instrument used in persian classical music. It is a one-sided drum carved out of the trunk of a walnut or mulberry tree and covered in goat or lamb skin. It is in the dedicated hands here of Ziya Tabassian, who studied classical percussion in Montréal, and tombak in Iran. He is member of several ensembles that are engaged in classical and world music. On ‘Tombak’ however we find all alone with the tombak or zarb. Tabassian composed 9 pieces to demonstrate his love for this instrument. Compositions that are beyond the musical context where the tombak is usually heard. Played with bare hands he creates subtle and sober improvisations, that show the great flexibility of his playing. It is amazing what new sounds and colors he finds on this simple instrument. Through a great variety of techniques and musical principles, he discovers new dimensions on this rich instrument. On the other hand, how inventive and virtuoso this music may be, it is just two hands on one basic percussion instrument. Within these limitations Tabassian does a great job. But as a listener you must have a great affinity with this idiom in order to really appreciate and enjoy it. So I hope ‘Tombak’ finds it’s way.
Another exotic instrument we hear on the duo CD by Bélanger and Guilbeault. Marie-Soleil Bélanger plays the ehru, a chinese string instrument, in some of the tracks on their cd ‘Les salines’. Most of the time however she sticks to the baritone violin. Norman Guilbeault plays double bass. He may be known to you from his recent Charles Mingus tribute that I reviewed for Vital Weekly. Besides he worked and works with many other musicians from the Ambiances Magnétiques collective like René Lussier, Jean Derome and many others. Bélanger is active in the Montréal scene since 1994, and plays currently with Fanfare Pourpour. On a tour in France in 2005 both found inspiration for their CD, a very nice and inspired work by two excellent string players from Canada. The compositions are very transparent and open and give plenty of room this way to the capabilities of both musicians. Most of all they prove themselves as great vehicles for the musical expression of both players. They communicate in well balanced improvisations, that are not far out concerning their structure. And although they make use of extended techniques, they don’t push things to the extreme. With great ease and joy they move between traditionalist and modern approaches, creating some very warm and human music. (DM)
Address: http://www.actuellecd.com
BILL HORIST AND MARRON – SLEEP HAMMER (CD by Public Eyesore)
Seattle-based guitarist Bill Horist teams up here with Tanaka Yasuhiko, also a guitarist.
Yasuhiko Tanaka is from Kyoto and played with people from Ruins, the Boredoms and Altered States. He has his own band called Dubmarronics, and is member of Datetenrya, a psych-rock band that started in the 70s(!). Horist operates solo most of the time, never tired of experimenting on and with the guitar with a great many gadgets, etc. On a day in august 2005 both gentlemen recorded 10 duets that are published now by Public Eyesore. It is immediately evident that the two are very different as guitar players. One choses for the noisy sounds and attacks, while the other has a much more cleaner sound and approach. Most pieces are built upon looped patterns that change from moment to moment on the one hand, and a more free improvising playing on the other. But in several pieces this does not work out and they do not really meet. It is more seeking than finding what we hear. Sometimes they move within the tradition of minimal music, like in ‘Shizuka No Umi’ that reminds me of early Terry Riley work. It is followed by ‘Happyland’ that starts with a freaked out hardrock solo improvisation like we know Nick Didkovsky. In other tracks the early works of Fripp and Eno are recalled. With this name dropping I don’t want to suggest Horist and Marron are copying old masters. Not at all. But they did their history lessons. Consequently in their bizarre duets full of all kinds of guitar manipulations, they create very different atmospheres. Great, but alas in several pieces their experiments are not integrated into one concept. But for the adventurous listener of guitar music there is a lot to enjoy. (DM)
Address: http://www.publiceyesore.com/
MIKE PRIDE’S SCENE FUCKER 5 – THE ENSEMBLE IS AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE (CD by Public Eyesore)
This CD is introduced as follows: ‘this record should not exist. But it does exist. So what happened? Well, the tapes for this recording were one of the few things that were left from a fire that destroyed the apartment of Mike Pride and most of his possessions. As if they were waiting or meant for release in some mysterious way these tapes were preserved. Anyway, this release will be linked for Pride with the catastrophe that took place. And whether the tapes would be released also when the fire didn’t took place, in the end it is of no meaning for the listener. The cd is the fifth document in Pride’s ongoing ‘Scene Fucker’ series of live improvisations. This cd contains one long improvisation of 35 minutes. Mike Pride (percussion, glockenspiel, electronics and microcassette) is helped out by Gerald Menke (pedal steel guitar), Brian Moran (electronics), Jessica Pavone (viola) and Aaron Ali Shaikh (soprano & alto saxophone). Mike Pride has a history of playing with punkers as well as improvisors. His companions on this cd also come from very different backgrounds from what I read about them. But february 27, 2003, when they met on stage, seemed to be a perfect day for them. The playing is very concentrated and with great drive. It is an example of group improvisation, where no particular instrument is in the forefront. No all musicians are equally involved in building together an improvisation that fascinates from beginning to the end. The recording is okay, and Public Eyesore was absolutely right in releasing this little gem. Fire or no fire. (DM)
Address: http://www.publiceyesore.com/
KIRCHENKAMPF – BABEL (2CD by Diophantine Discs)
The name Kirchenkampf has been around for many years and it has been a strange career so far. In the beginning there were some highly limited 7″ releases, then a period of quietness and now relatively more activity, and perhaps the release of this double CD, perhaps the first for Kirchenkampf, things will lead to more recognition and ‘fame’ (well, if such as thing is required of course). John Gore, the man behind Kirchenkampf (as well as The Oratory Of Divine Love, who also recently a first real CD and the Cohort Records label), is a busy bee by now. The differences between his Kirchenkampf and The Oratory Of Divine Love are small, and lie mainly in the origins of the used material. The latter uses short wave sounds which are highly processed and as Kirchenkampf it’s analogue synthesizer time and a lot of sound effects. Two hours span this double disc of highly atmospheric sound that are as highly dark as well. Moody, dark electronic music, that is quite angular in approach. This is certainly not ambient music which sets a comforting background for the listener, but it’s an intense experience that has some unsettling moments. I thought CD2, called ‘Citadel Of The Nevermind’ was a bit more quiet, but that may have been my perception. The work of Kirchenkampf has matured slowly over the years and now is the time to take the benefit of it. It’s not music that hasn’t been done before but Kirchenkampf is in the world of experimental electronic and (well, ok) ambient music one of the strongest voices. (FdW)
Address: http://discs.diophantine.net
LENA – THE UNCERTAIN TRAIL (CD by Soundsaround)
Some weeks I ago I encountered the name Mathias Delplanque for the first time. He created a nice CD of heavily processed recordings of silence in various rooms. Back then (Vital Weekly 560) I didn’t know that much about Delplanque, but he also works in such guises as Bidlo, Stensil and Lena, when not under his own name and he has released works on Quartermass, Harmsonic, Mondes Elliptiques, Low Impendance, Arbouse and others. So by request of Soundsaround here is his third album as Lena, and it’s good to see he choose a different when playing different music. Because Lena is indeed different. Dub with the big D-U-B, complete with toasting sound and probably made in a highly digital fashion. The whole digi-dub wave that flooded the market about a decade ago is washed ashore, and reggae is of course big as ever, in it’s own corner. It’s possible to link Lena to Jan Jelinik or any such ~scape artist, but his sound is closer to the roots (always mention the word ‘roots’ in reviews like this) of the real stuff, not in the least place because of the singers that he invited to play along. According to the label it’s more dark than his previous releases as Lena, which of course I can’t vouch for, but Lena plays a tune or two that is indeed much darker than usual. ‘Big city paranoia’ music or some such, I could all too easily think. I like this very much and realize that I don’t listen to as much of this kind of music as I would like to. But at the same hand I also must admit that not every track here is as strong as the first few opening pieces. In the mid range of the album there are a couple of tracks that are a bit too regular, and too easily made, but throughout, I must say I am quite pleased with it, and it’s about time to dig out the Incoming! label or Zion Train CDs, which are somewhere collecting dust. (FdW)
Address: http://www.soundsaround.net
ROMAN REVUTSKY – INCOMPLETE (CD by Soundsister Records)
Somewhere in cold Siberia lives one Roman Revutsky, who is a singer/songwriter, who sits behind his microphone, with a couple of keyboards, a guitar and a drum computer. His singing seems slight fed through some sound effects, which gives this both a pop (the music) and a rock (the voice) sensibility. Yet Revutsky doesn’t play the real popmusic or the real rock music, how much he wants to. The five songs are poppy such as in ‘Hurry Up!’ or shoegazing in ‘Blasphemy BSS’, but never reaches the ‘stick right in your mind’ pop tune, so it’s not likely we get to see him in the charts real soon. His songs live up to the title: they are incomplete to mark the real popness required to break on through to the other side. But perhaps there is space on any alternative chart for him – how would I know?, it’s not my world – since these are alarmingly charming songs with a strong sense of independentness. Perhaps at five pieces a bit short to get a real impression, but it’s surely a call for more. Perhaps as part of a real band? (FdW)
Address: http://www.soundsister.com
JIM O’ROURKE & MERZBOW & CARLOS GIFFONI – ELECTRIC DRESS (CD by No Fun Productions)
Until early last year I collected everything by Merzbow and I gave up because I found it frustrating that many releases I could play once, whereas I would want to hear them more than once. Time waits for no one. Occasionally I listen to new Merzbow releases, when they land on the Vital Weekly desk and I still enjoy them. Likewise while on the subject of collecting music by a specific artist, Jim O’Rourke comes close to having a lot of, and if Merzbow is the king of noise than Jim is the king of… well, of what actually? Music perhaps. So shear excitement on my face when this landed here, a recording of Jim O’Rourke together with Merzbow and Carlos Giffoni recorded at the Uplink Factory from last year. This has classic stamped all over it. Merzbow playing his EMS synthi ‘A’, home made instruments and effects, Giffoni on custom synths and analog filters and Jim on synth and microphone. For Merzbow a rare thing to go back to his analogue days and a rare gig for O’Rourke who now concentrates on making films in Japan. How much more historical can it get? And oh yes, this is noise, as spelled N-O-I-S-E. Nothing for faint hearted. An hour blast, but one that goes through various stages, moods and textures. As analogue as Merzbow in his best analogue days (‘Cloud Cock OO Grand’, ‘Rainbow Electronics’). Piercing music. Industrial music as it should be and as such nothing new under the sun but even in this old sun it’s nice and warm. (FdW)
Address: http://www.nofunfest.com
THE ACE OF CLUES – BENEFIST (CD by Fistcask)
There is absolutely no information on this CD, except a sticker on the plastic saying it’s produced by Luke Vibert. Maybe he also did the music? Let’s say it was. Much of what I had to say about last week’s dance related releases can also be said here. Acid techno music is best served on vinyl for optimum play back in front of a large audience dancing their socks off. Here fifteen tracks, ranging from say 110 to 130 bpm are nice and entertaining especially if you do something around the house, like doing the dishes or vacuum cleaning. Otherwise it’s a bit hard to see this as a release to be played while listening carefully. It’s music with a purpose, dancing, and as such a bit difficult on the CD format. (FdW)
Address: none given
THE SKULL DEFEKTS – SSKULL (CD by Release The Bats Records)
NONHORSE – HARAAM, CIRCLE OF FLAME (CD by Release The Bats Records)
The core of The Skull Defekts is formed by Joachim Nordwall, also known as The Idealist and the owner of Ideal Records and Henrik Rylander, also known as himself, who both love the idea of a band. On their previous release ‘Open The Gates Of Mimer’ (see Vital Weekly 509) they were helped by Lasse Marhaug and Thomas Ekelund, whereas on ‘Skkull’ they get help from Jean-Louis Huhta, of Oscid and who was a member in a previous incarnation. Can’t say I’m expert on the music of The Skull Defekts, but it seems to me that this album is a major step forward. The previous (see also the review in Vital Weekly 509) was quite a force de noise, but here the three are in an electronic land. All of three of them are known to be playing a variety of synthesizers of the analogue variety. And whereas it’s less noise oriented as the previous one it’s still sound that goes straight in your brain. Built around piercing sounds humming from the analogue synths, sometimes coming in small repeating blocks and sometimes like motors droning in the back. Quite minimal but with enough changes to ensure full satisfaction. I must say I like this new album/direction much better than the previous release and hopefully they will continue exploring this road.
Somehow I missed out the whole neo-folk scene, so Wooden Wand & The Vanishing Voice is alien to me, other than that I know they have quite a reputation. The neo-noise movement however didn’t miss me, but to be very honest, I think it’s pretty much old wine in new bottles. Badly recorded, worn out ideas. Nonhorse is the solo project of Gabriel Lucas Crane from Wooden Wand but he plays neo-noise. A couple of cassette players, a turntable or two and some effect pedals. Due to some conceptual thingy all tracks last 3.13 minutes, but they are far from ideal popsongs. The recording quality isn’t as bad as some others do in this genre, but the music itself sounds pretty outdated. Take a cassette from Odal from 1988 and you pretty much get the same, but with the beloved hiss. Probably I am alone in the desert with this opinion but perhaps I am just an old man. (FdW)
Address: http://www.releasethebats.com
TROUM VS. NJD – IGNIS SACER (LP by Art Konkret)
Much of the press text on this LP is about the cover, but I only got the CDR version of the LP so I’m missing out on this beauty. I think I would have preferred some more information about NJD, which has something to do with Feine Trinkers, who one day teamed up with ‘one half’ of Troum to play a concert in Braunschweig. When this was, we don’t know. That is of course not of real importance either. What is important is that the music is very nice. From all things dark, drone and magickal, Troum are our personal heroes. Here the two play a variety of acoustic instruments, such as the accordion, and feed them through a bunch of sound effects: the usual ingredients of the dark ambience industrial music of Troum and Feine Trinkers. A bang on a can, feeding through some delay pedals, evoking tribal images and rhythms. What is surprising (well, perhaps) is the clarity of the recordings and the details of the music. It’s not an endless mist of sound that is quite common in this kind of music, but especially from the third piece onwards the differences between instruments used and the sound effects. The second piece tends a bit too much towards the old zoviet*france sound for my taste (area Monomishme, Gris etc.), but in the other pieces Troum vs NJD play some highly thoughtful drone music in their own manner. This is a great record, but it’s also a record that doesn’t show too much development in the sound we already from both acts. But sometimes that isn’t necessary. (FdW)
Address: http://www.art-konkret.de
MOTH ELECTRET – III (CDR by Mystery Sea)
Somewhere along the line I missed out on one Stig Berg who released as R|A|A|N on Malignant Antibody a work called ‘The Nacrasti’, but perhaps it’s because it’s some time ago. Much water has passed under the bridge before releasing ‘III’, which is a Mayan word for vibration and Stig choose a new name Moth Electret. And the vibrations picked up by Stig are mainly field recordings he collected on a trip to Euraka in Northen California, but also in the harbor of Barcelona and the island of Sanday. His interest goes out to sounds from the sea and fish industries, so it’s perhaps only logical that ‘III’ is released by the label that specializes in underwater music: Mystery Sea. The field recordings find their way to the computer where they get much treatment: nothing leads back to the original sound sources. If one source of inspiration is recognizable it might be a strong influence of Werkbund and the hydropohnic works of Asmus Tietchens, but one difference: Berg keeps the pieces shorter, roughly somewhere between five and seven minutes. Otherwise the differences are hard to grasp, but Berg does a pretty fine job here. Perhaps not the most original kind of stuff that is going here, but each of the pieces is crafted with care. Quite nice indeed. (FdW)
Address: http://www.mysterysea.net
JACK JACK AND WANDELENDE FEEDBACK LAW & ORDER (CDR by De
Hondenkoekjesfabriek)
Scratchtickzzoooomrumblerumbleclickclickzipclickziptearscreamsquealsquealdoo
mchackchackbangweeeeeeeweepbahbahbahbooooooowharumbleclickclockclickburpburpbhaaaablapblipbl ipquackquacksqeeeek.. Strange CDR in DVD case of 13 tracks from a duo who are very difficult to track down (pun intended) but a previous review of their release (VW514) describes these as ” rhythmic beating on a contact microphone, looping into feedback, the softly arising sound of feedback, the collage/cut-up approach” – a good description of the likely mechanics which produces on this release at least an amusing *biology* of tracks – all about 2 or so minutes long – and though analog – many having the sounds of animals – clue is in the tracks names also – e.g. “Stop sticking needles in my bird you pervert!”… squeeksqeeeeekcrawcrawzipboingboingboingcrawcrawcrawsqubblesqible. Some kind of attempted composition, AKA dialects of noise squeals of sometimes amusing animal grunts. in some kind of pre seminal Paul Klee landscape?… an analogue zoomorphism playing with the stereo fields and chattering. ziiipzipblaweeeeeessssss – a delicate musical joke? Like letting off indoor fireworks when drunk on vodka? (jliat)
Address tellab@xs4all.nl
JLIAT – NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL NOISE VOL. 2 (CDR by Larks Council Of England)
Since Jliat is on board of the review of the noise posse, we feel a bit relieved. Noise as a genre is for me a dead end, even when occasionally I play a bit of noise and even like a bit of noise. Occasionally. It’s with a lot of musical grounds covered in Vital Weekly: many are followers and few are chosen as trendsetters. Which is no big deal, it’s like real life. Where Jliat as a musician fits in? That is a good question. He has produced a great body of work, starting out in the area of drone music, then the concepts of silence and now, still the concept, but here in the context of noise. I believe his current series is going to be a eight CDR series called ‘Now That’s What I Call Noise’, each with eight tracks of exactly three minutes and thirty nine seconds. Four weeks have passed since I heard volume one of this series, and it’s about time for number. Software running amok, some effect pedals (the real ones, as opposed to the soft ones) and things explode, eight times. And as a far as my judgment of volume two, it doesn’t differ from volume one very much. (FdW)
Address: http://www.jliat.com
ULTRA//VIRES – LAND CANCER (CDR by Outfall Channel)
ULTRA//VIRES – BLACK SNOW (CDR by Outfall Channel)
Elsewhere I moan about the neo-noise scene from the USA, and probably Ultra//vires is part of the same scene, but I must say that I quite enjoy the two releases they send here. The packaging is handmade, but thank god no paint was spilled on the CDR itself. I understand that Ultra//vires is a duo from Ohio. ‘Land Cancer’ is a twenty minute improvisation set in two parts played on percussion. Besides real cymbals and toms, there is what seems to me plastic and metal objects. In the first part things are quiet calm but in the second piece things go full on building towards a forceful crescendo, but it’s not the usual harsh noise being spilled. More improvised than noise, and in a rather nice way. This is neo-noise to love.
‘Black Snow’ also has two tracks, but is at sixteen minutes even shorter. Here they use much more than on ‘Land Cancer’ guitars and amplification, which go into the direction of feedback of course. In the title piece this is done through a nice built up and keeping control of matters at hand. In ‘Birth Defect’ they start immediately with the full blown noise thing and that is then straight away the piece that was least appealing to me. But throughout these are both quite nice releases. (FdW)
Address: http://www.outfallchannel.com
MEGATONE – MULBERRY FOREST VOYAGE (CDR by Krakilsk)
THELMO CRISTOVAM – TROMBONE (CDR by Krakilsk)
LEAVING EARTH – THE GLOWING (CDR by Krakilsk)
The previous bunch by Krakilsk were quite noise related affairs, which I didn’t digest all too well, but here things are better. No doubt this Megatone is the same Megatone as we encountered in Vital Weekly 461, the project of Marel Gherman, who released with ‘A Journey To The Core Of Reality’ his first work, now returns with ‘Mulberry Forest Voyage’ his second release. Whereas the first was a rather harsh, rhythm excursion, this new one finds him in a totally different area. The rhythm machines are shut off (well, most of the time) and the synths are tuned up. If they are really synths, because they might very well be digital representations thereof. Marel plays a bunch of cosmic tunes, quite loosely, without arpeggio’s and space wind imitation, but rather free, loose end tones, which are occasionally quite nice, but sometimes tedious boring. Which brings me to the same problem as with the debut release: it’s all way too long. The fact that a CDR can hold eighty minutes doesn’t mean it has to be filled with music for the entire duration. Rather thirty outstanding minutes than eighty highly varied ones.
Cristovam hails from Olinda, Pernambuco in Brasil and plays ‘valve trombone’ and recorded the three lengthy improvisations directly – mono (!) – to minidisc and later edited the material. In a strange twist Cristovam plays his trombone like the best onkyo players in the field, yet it’s never too soft, and that’s mainly due to the use of feedback that occurs throughout various stages of his playing, especially in the first piece. In the second piece the trombone is played with the mouth as well as various objects, and this is a more a silent piece. In the final piece (they are all of equal length) this is more balanced – the noise versus the silence. Although Cristovam could easily be lumped in with his European or Japanese counterparts I think he has a pretty strong voice of his own and should definitely be playing his bro’s around here.
About Leaving Earth nothing much is known, and they seem to me a noise inspired group, which however have expanded their territory. It’s not all the full blown noise gathering here, but through crude 2 bit sampling machines – the beloved SK1 – and a couple of distortion pedals, a detuned shortwave and the amplified torture of whatever object at hand, and sometimes Leaving Earth doesn’t control the material at hand and things go off the rails, but when they shoot for a more introspective moment things are of nice crudity. Low resolution static hiss, meeting up some darker atmospheric tunes. Which makes this into a nice release too. (FdW)
Address: http://www.krakilsk.org
WETHER – SKIN ATONEMENT (3″ CDr by Hymn)
ZAÏMPH – EMBLEM (CDr – no label given)
Or is it Hymns – checking – Hymns – my mistake then. Whether – AKA -checking – mike haley – (I seem to have won a free mobile phone) (myspace!) has very many releases on cassette (god what a boring introduction to a review) – and appears to now be moving to mini cdr – such is progress – no longer can we get super 8 film processed – and my biggest regret is the passing of flexi disks which I cant help thinking would be an ideal medium for mike and his myspace chums. (there were loads of these made by illegal pressing plants in the old soviet block – all sadly gone – unless anyone reading this knows otherwise – please let me know – sorry frans – I digress again!) If I am forced to give opinion – all right no force needed – this perhaps would be better on cassette, its noise is vaguely nostalgic, reverby, short tracks and then for no reason a long end track, the small size of the disk lacks presence as do the tracks themselves. Which becomes a theme as we move on.. Emblem’s Minimal packaging – silver on black and minimal information- seems ZAÏMPH is Marcia Bassett of Double Leopards et al. – a drone pulse for track one then a more pulseless drone –
hashish music? – whatever (that word again) for the second and last track sounds like FM synthesis someone used to make – with third world horn/flute. But I think its guitar? – again its all very nostalgic and depressing for me – those long lost nights.. Bassett seems to be heading away from noise back to some 60s dream house – is this some denial of 911 and the current situation – lets nuke iran (and any other nation beginning with I – iceland?) – I suppose it could represent a sexual experience encountered by Odysseus – not the Lotus-Eaters not the sirens gently singing but the spell of the nymph Calypso. we need daylight! I find with different reasons both of these disks difficult to review, like an old family photo album, some times, good things in their own way – but something I’ve passed on from – I cant even string a sentence – these could be played on BBC Radio 3s night waves – is that bad or good? Let the dead bury the dead. (jliat)
Address www.myspace.com/hymnslabel