JULIEN DEMOULIN & IA – THE BAY (CD by Basses Frequences) *
WASTELANDERS – COSMIC DESPAIR (CD by Basses Frequences) *
ROGER DOYLE – CHALANT MEMENTO MORI (CD by Pscyhonavigation) *
YANNICK DUABY & JOHN GRZINICH & MURMER – LIND, RAUD, AASTAAJAD (2CD by Invisible Birds)
INGENTING KOLLEKTIVA – FRAGMENTS OF NIGHT (LP by Invisible Birds)
POISUCEVAMACHENILLE (CD by Outline Records)
LYSANDER LE COULTE & ALBERT VAN VEENENDAAL – A COOL TREE (CD by Evil Rabbitt)
TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA & JOHN BUTCHER – DUSTED MACHINERY (CD by Monotype Records) *
ERIKM & MICHEL DONEDA – RAZINE (CD by Monotype Records) *
WERNER DAFELDECKER & AXEL DORNER & SVEN-AKE JOHANSSON – DER KREIS DES GEGENSTANDES (LP by Monotype Records)
EUGEN CHADBOURNE & THE DROPOUTS – ZUPA DUPA KUPA (LP by Monotype Records)
NIHILIST SPASM BAND – NOTHING IS FOREVER (LP by Wintage Records & Tapes)
ERNESTO DIAZ-INFANTE – EMILIO (CDR by Kendra Steiner Editions)
JIM DENLEY – YOUR BREATH ON MY LIPS (CDR by Avant Whatever) *
STEPHEN CHRISTOPHER STAMPER – BEGIN ANYWHERE (CDR by Runningonair Music) *
VILLA FIASCO – THE ACT OF SAMPLING (CDR, private)
IAN HOLLOWAY & RHODRI THOMAS & STEPHEN JONES – SIMPLE GHOSTS & LAZY OLD BONES (CDR by Quiet World) *
HEART OF PALM – PSYCHOPUMP (CDR by Quiet World) *
DAO DE NOIZE – NASREDDINOIZE (CDR by A Beard Of Snails Records) *
DAO DE NOIZE/DARUIN (CDR by Neus 318)
DALE LLOYD – TAURION, TROU DE LAPIN (3″CDR by Kaon) *
BITTER FICTIONS – LOOPER PEDAL BLUES (cassette by Shaking Box Music)
BITTER FICTIONS – PERCOLATOR GLITCH (cassette by Shaking Box Music)
BLACK CROW KING – TO PAY THE DEBT OF NATURE (CD by Bad God Music)
TRILLION RED – TWO TONGUES (CD by Bad God Music)
WHISTLEPEAK – HALF ASLEEP UPON ECHO FALLS (CD by Karate Body)
SILVER TONGUES – BLACK RITE (CD by Karate Body)
SELUAH – RED PAROLE (CD by Karate Body)
JULIEN DEMOULIN & IA – THE BAY (CD by Basses Frequences)
WASTELANDERS – COSMIC DESPAIR (CD by Basses Frequences)
These two new releases on Basses Frequences see further exploration of the theme of ambient music, but are worked out differently. On the soft(er) edge we have a collaboration between Julien Demoulin and IA, recorded in Brussels and Oakland. The thematic approach here is about the Bay Area of California, but it could have been anything else really. Demoulin and IA use, apparently, guitars, voices, environmental recordings and flute in these two pieces which exactly last twenty minutes. Perhaps they intended this to do be a LP? Compared to other CDs I was listening to, around this, this is very soft music. I am not sure why that is, but I’m glad its not on vinyl; who knows what would have been left? Maybe its an artist statement to do it this soft, but it could have been easily a bit louder and still sounding great – I know someone who can a great mastering job, guys. Its not easy to spot those water recordings, or chimes, and certainly in the first part things move away below the surface of audibility. Its music you hear from a distance, maybe just like overlooking the bay area (a view to a kill?) from some distance. The music acts like fog horns in the night, far away, shining through the mist and haze of the night. The second piece is a bit ‘louder’, and comes across like boats passing in the night. Its also the somewhat more abstract piece of the two, dwelling more on sustaining tones, whereas the first part has nicely shimmering melodies. Excellent stuff.
‘The Beginning’ by Wastelanders starts with a bang, but that was perhaps because I forgot to turn down the volume again after ‘The Bay’. Wastelanders is Dean Costello (who is also of Harpoon and Diatribes) who has five pieces here. The first three are very nice, melodic meanderings on the subject of of mood music, not too dark, not too bright and seemingly working around a set of analogue synthesizer like sounds, and it works indeed in a cosmic way – not in despair I need to add. Quite fine pieces. ‘Expanding Mental Universe’, the fourth track is a bit of an oddball in here, which sees him going all out on guitar and sound effects, gazing his shoes. I understand the need for a change, but it break with the gentle tone of the three preceding tracks, and also with the fifth track ‘The Crossing’, which exceeds the forth by five minutes and clocks in at almost twenty minutes. Here Costello takes us back to the cosmic land, but with a slightly more expanded sound. All instruments he uses, some what solo on the other, are combined here. I didn’t like the segment with the tabla playing, but maybe it has to do with the fact I don’t like tablas. So throughout I thought this was a fine CD, with just one weaker big brother. Two sides of the ambient coin.
Address: http://www.bassesfrequences.org
ROGER DOYLE – CHALANT MEMENTO MORI (CD by Pscyhonavigation)
A name that is not to be spotted in these pages, despite his forty years on presence in the world of electronic and composed music. From Ireland, where he was the first (among the first) to experiment with electronic music, also dabbling in ‘pop’ for a while in the seventies, as Operating Theatre. But these days its commissions and serious music. This new album is about nostalgia, which is perhaps best shown in the occasional use of answer phone messages from thirty or so years ago, with his now deceased parents and his ten year old son. The majority of the pieces deal with piano music, which is, in my opinion, the best thing about this CD. Which almost immediately brings me to a couple of problems I have with this release. First of all, why 78 minutes? And why not just a CD with those piano pieces and some answer phone material and leave the pieces ‘Wassame’ which use, I think sampled piano’s and some cheesy kind of orchestral sampling, or ‘It’s Very Serious’ which has some proto techno beat. What does he want to proof here? That he knows his current day styles? Or is it a joke, if we look at the title? The two ethnic like pieces, ‘Ahmad Prelude’ and ‘Ahmad Melodies’ also seem likewise out of place. But then something like ‘Salome At The Gate’ is great – sparse piano and voices. The title piece is a bit tacky, but not bad. I preferred those piano pieces, even when even there orchestral sampling don’t seem far away, but maybe I would love to see a return to the studio where walls are filled with oscillators and music is crafted through tape splicing. It seems to me that Doyle true power was in there. (FdW)
Address: http://www.psychonavigation.com
YANNICK DUABY & JOHN GRZINICH & MURMER – LIND, RAUD, AASTAAJAD (2CD by Invisible Birds)
INGENTING KOLLEKTIVA – FRAGMENTS OF NIGHT (LP by Invisible Birds)
Following last wee’s Yannick Dauby, here is more from him. Before moving to Taipei, he was in Estonia for a while, which made him friends with John Grzinich and Patrick McGinley, also known as Murmer. If I understand this double CD right, then one side as field recordings by Dauby, mostly consisting of birds and metal, while the second CD has two pieces each by Grzinich and McGinely using their own field recordings and electronic sounds by Dauby. What exactly was the reason to combine this, otherwise then the omni-presence of Dauby, I am not sure. The first CD is quite nice, if not a bit long for it lasts just over an hour. Throughout the pieces which just have birds sounds are bit shorter and the metal pieces are (considerable) longer. Don’t except some Neubauten like banging, but rather rusty objects floating neatly in the wind, calm and peaceful. Nice but, as said, there is overlap in this sound material.
So the second CD might be a rework of the sound material from Dauby, but perhaps also a mixture of their own sounds, along with electronic sounds delivered by Dauby. Perhaps if we look at this from a purely musical perspective this is the more interesting of the two CDs, unless of course you look for pure field recordings. The first CD is more like a great exercise in recording environmental sounds whereas on the second these pure field recordings are embedded in electronics, usually of a more lenghty and sustaining kind. Of the two composers I think I preferred the two compositions by Grzinich. Murmer’s pieces are more simple, like layering various sound events together (water, walking, drones), but seem to miss out a bit on that added value. Grzinich’s pieces have exactly that value, while it seems he either adds a fine amount of processing to the field recordings, or simply uses more layers of similar sounds to get more out of it. But throughout, overall, I think this whole package is one that is very nice. There is lots of explore here and no doubt even useful stuff for DJs of a more experimental nature (pun intended).
I don’t think I heard about Ingenting Kollektiva, which members include Diane Granahan, Kirston Lightowler, Tarrl Lightowler and Matthew Swiezynski. Diane and Matthew play on side A and Kirston and Tarrl on side B. “The kollektiva seeks to issue recordings that are meditations on the quality of light, sound and atmosphere created by Ingmar Bergman and Sven Nykvist”. You could expect them to release DVDs which are promised for the future. Here on LP, they play a variety of instruments, like bells, bowed tibetan prayer bowl, cello, field recordings, guitars, harmonium, loops, nightingale devise, portable 78 record player, psaltery, tenor sax and shakuhachi. I am not entirely sure if I would have been able to pick out all of these instruments on the two lenghty cuts on either side of the record. What it doesn’t mention is – perhaps – the amount of processing that takes place on this record. Everything seems melted and molted around some sort of treatment, acoustically (more on side b than on side a it seems) and electronically (vice versa obviously). Obviously we are dealing here with highly atmospheric music, which fits the Mirror tradition quite nice. Atmospheric music but with a sharper edge, and a great sense of experimentalism. From the description one could think this more like wishy-washy new age type of music, but the darker textures of this record work quite nice. Maybe indeed a great soundtrack to a Bergman movie, overlooking some lakes in Sweden and lots of silence among the actors. Haunting and haunted indeed. I wonder what their own films be like. Very nice. (FdW)
Address: http://invisiblebirds.org/
POISUCEVAMACHENILLE (CD by Outline Records)
Poisucevamachenille is Ezio Piermattei, “formerly of cartoon rock band Levis Hostel”. Could not find much on his backgrounds. On this release he delivers a low profile kind of noise improvisation, using keyboards, percussion, viola, guitar, glockenspiel, toy trumpet, vocals, field recordings. In fact it is one track lasting some 30 minutes. Musically it is not very advanced from whatever aspect. It is a sound- collage that reminded me sometimes a early Residents-like primitivism. Sometimes poppy and near song format. Other passages are instrumental, acoustic soundscapes. In his lyrics Poisucevamachenille pays tribute to Raymond Queneau and François Rabelais. So be it (DM)
Address: http://www.outlinestore.net/
LYSANDER LE COULTE & ALBERT VAN VEENENDAAL – A COOL TREE (CD by Evil Rabbitt)
This one is a tribute to Lysander Le Coultre, one of the founders of Evil Rabbit Records and responsible for the beautiful artwork. He died unexpectedly in 2009. He was also a musician and played cello. This release captures spontaneous improvisations that keep the memory of him alive. I’m not sure this is the only release that has Le Coultre as a performer. These improvisations were recorded one year before his death in Amsterdam on a sunday afternoon in the autumn. The cd contains duo- improvisations of Le Coultre and Albert van Veenendaal (piano). In these miniatures different moods and tempers pass by. They play a fine and varied set of thoughtful and vivid improvisations, full of ideas. Very accessible and in a way close to chamber music. The improvisations develop in a pronounced way from start to finish. No doubt we would have heard and seen more from Le Coulte, but fate had other plans. (DM)
Address: http://www.evilrabbittrecords.eu
TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA & JOHN BUTCHER – DUSTED MACHINERY (CD by Monotype Records)
ERIKM & MICHEL DONEDA – RAZINE (CD by Monotype Records)
WERNER DAFELDECKER & AXEL DORNER & SVEN-AKE JOHANSSON – DER KREIS DES GEGENSTANDES (LP by Monotype Records)
EUGEN CHADBOURNE & THE DROPOUTS – ZUPA DUPA KUPA (LP by Monotype Records)
Two main stays from the world of improvised music first played together in 2002 and both are quite extreme musicians, each in their own way. There is John Butcher who plays the saxophone (tenor and soprano) but in an extraordinary way, exploring the very boundaries of the instrument, and sometimes sounds like pure sine waves or feedback. He also plays in unusual places, such as shown on his ‘Resonant Spaces’ release (see Vital Weekly 672) and of course with many people from the world of improvised music (AMM, Radu Malfatti, Derek Bailey, Andy Moor, Phil Minton, to name but very few). Toshimaru Nakamura uses the no-input mixing board – which is mainly the use of no external inputs in the mixer, but in stead creating feedback from the machine itself. ‘Dusted Machinery’ was recorded when they were both in London to work with David Sylvian and the four pieces are indeed pretty radical. This is the noise edge of improvised music, with Nakamura’s vicious tones from the mixer producing high and low end clusters of distorted sound, and Butcher’s playing ranging from likewise sine wave sounds to more recognizable saxophone playing. Intense music, all around, even when things get more quiet. It always remains to have that intensity. A work that doesn’t leave the listener unattached. This is extreme improvised music. Loud and clear. But with some great beauty.
On a similar kind of improvisation we find erikM and Michel Doneda, a combination of an instrument, again the saxophone (soprano and sopranino and radio) by Doneda, and the electronics of erikM, being turntable, electronic and live sampling. There are some differences also. This release is the work of a live recording, instead of the studio one from Nakamura and Butcher, and, more important, less extreme. Although perhaps for regular listeners to ‘normal’ improvisation (whatever that might be) this might already be extreme. The electronic backbone that erikM provides here is what makes it less extreme, as his sound sources offer more variety, I should think. The crackling of vinyl, hand spinning and electronic sounds, picking up Doneda’s playing on the spot and feeding it back into the overall view makes up a more musical work. Doneda’s playing ranges from wild outbursts to introspective playing, from full on nerves to mellowness. The presence of many saxophone sounds – through sampling I guess – makes this quite a ‘full’ release, but it seems that both players are aware of that and try to avoid that, and build in moments of silence. Less loud and equally clear.
I have no idea what makes Monotype decide to release things on vinyl and on CD. Why not all on vinyl, or all on CD? The music played by Axel Dorner (trumpet), Werner Dafeldecker (double bass) and Sven-Ake Johansson (percussion) is just the CDs and the ones from last week from the world of improvised music and one should not think this could have been on CD. It would be a bit shorter than most of the other CDs, but who cares? The music was recorded in Gotheburg in 2010 and is unlike the two previous Monotype releases here all about acoustic works. How exactly this works is not very clear. Each player gets the credit for a track, Dafeldecker for two, the shorter ones. Maybe the player laid out the idea for the improvisation? I am not sure. All I know is what I hear and we are dealing here with some excellent improvised music of an acoustic nature. The instruments are well explored for the tonal possibilities, but they never let go of the fact what these instruments were made for in the first place. I thought this was a fine record, but as mind blowing as the previous two. Maybe I played them in the wrong order? Maybe I was a bit fed up with improvisation. Its a thoroughly fine record however.
Years and years I was sitting behind my desk, selling music. An endless parade of people would come in all day trying to sell me something. A demo usually, a new CD, an idea. The best memories of all those visitors go out to Eugene Chadbourne, who would come by every few months, since he seemed always on tour. He would browse the shop for his own releases, and tell me which ones were sold, so I could stock more copies or simply sell me some new releases. With cash in hand he would swiftly leave to enjoy Amsterdam’s other side of fun. Many years before that I saw him play an electric rake at a sunday afternoon concert. A great talker, a genuine character, yet I must admit – now perhaps for the first time – that I didn’t hear so much of his music. Doc Chad, as he is sometimes lovingly called, started a long, long time ago and his music is ‘free’, improvised maybe, but its also with strong connections to blues, rock and blue grass. Chadbourne plays guitar, banjo and sings, while a band provides bass, drums, keyboards, sousaphone. The pieces are easily be classified as ‘songs’, but not always with a traditional structure. All of these pieces are driven by lyrics, which are funny at times, political at other times. After three records of improvised music, this is, at least for me, the perfect chill out music. Not ambient chill out, but great, funny, hilarious rock music, with some catchy tunes, as in ‘The Devil On The Radio’. It ends the day with a big smile on my face. I definitely should hear more Doctor Chadbourne! (FdW)
Address: http://www.monotyperecords.com
NIHILIST SPASM BAND – NOTHING IS FOREVER (LP by Wintage Records & Tapes)
Hard to imagine but The Nihilist Spasm Band have been going since 1965 – that is when yours truly also arrived on this earth, and god, I feel old at times. They have never learned to play their instruments properly, nor the desire to do so. Since 1966 they play together almost every monday night at the Forest City Gallery in London, Ontario, Canada where the “atmosphere is informal. We play for our own enjoyment but an audience is welcome.” Also, unbelievable actually, is that the line up is consistent: John Boyle (kazoo, things, drums), John Clement (bass), Bill Exley (vocals), Murray Favro (guitar), Art Pratten (pratt-a-various) and Aya Ohnishi (drums, kazoo) – the latter being a constant guest performer. With such consistencies one could think: some times seem to last forever. Look for pictures and see a bunch of nice grand daddies, which is not what they sound like. Technically, I suppose, they could record every monday night and release tons of records, but the discography is surprisingly small. I have no idea how its decided when something slips out on vinyl, and wether this new LP is one that is particularly good or bad. The Nihilist Spasm Band are the perfect non musicians, not having picked up any tricks in all those years, but yet remain firmly free in their playing. Free improvised rock music, distorted, chaotic, with feedback wailing about, strings being tortured, non sequential banging on percussion, occasional screaming/talking/singing. Everything is played with some nice power and raw, untamed energy (looks at the picture again and smiles). I can see why they don’t release as much as recordings they probably have. It leaves you wanting more, but you could always go to the Forest City Gallery on monday night and hear it yourself. Be quick, nothing is forever. (FdW)
Address: <wintagerecords@gmail.com>
ERNESTO DIAZ-INFANTE – EMILIO (CDR by Kendra Steiner Editions)
Diaz-Infante, of Mexican descent, lives and works in San Francisco as a composer and improviser. He studied composition at The California Institute of Arts. As a performer he settled down in the world low profile improvisation. Most of his output you’ll find on Pax Recordings, a label owned by him. Not his newest release however, a cd-r that is released in a very limited edition by Kendra Steiner Editions. It is a very personal document, dedicated to his uncle Emilio who passed away last year, spending most of his life in a mental institution. The records takes no more then 32 minutes and contains the same number of small miniatures, played mainly on the bayo sexto, a mexican 12-string guitar that plays a central role in texmex music. Besides Diaz-Infante plays electronic tanpura and singing bowl on this recording. From what I know of his work, Diaz-Infante choses always for a radical approach. First words that came in my mind when listening where ‘what do we have here? I just don’t know’. All pieces are of a startling simplicity. Most pieces move linear, others cyclic, and others chaotic. They never develop into something. Comparing his art with that of improvisors like Frith or Reichel don’t make sense. Diaz-Infante is more punk and dada. His music is as unpretentious as music can be, but if ‘les extrèment se touchent’ the opposite might also be true. If we ask what it is that Diaz-Infante is looking for, intimacy may be a keyword. Diaz-Infante creates soulful atmospheres trying to near sound in it’s physical appearance as close as possible. The pieces are very close recorded, almost from the inside. This made me think of an older album of experimental songs, where he ‘sings’ very soft in a close microphone. Besides Diaz-Infante creates a wide range of sounds. A palette of very different colors, all coming from the same instrument. Also many of the miniatures produce a meditative effect although Diaz-Infante is not aiming for it. All in all it was a rewarding exercise for me in trying to take something simply for what is it. Thank you Emilio. (DM)
Address: http://www.kendrasteinereditions.wordpress.com
JIM DENLEY – YOUR BREATH ON MY LIPS (CDR by Avant Whatever)
One of the major forces from the world of improvised from down under and for a long period of time is saxophone player Jim Denley. Usually he releases his own work on his own Split Records, but now also on Avant Whatever, in a strictly limited edition of 100 copies. I believe this is a work of recycling. Denley uses two recordings, both from installations. Apparently there is a recording from 100 snails from 2002 and a balloonsax from 2011. These two recordings are mixed together into a twenty-six minute with a great minimal quality. You can detect a variety of sound layers in here, which mainly seems to have the origins in the saxophone, using an even bigger variety of ways to play the instrument and all of the sounds that it can produce, some of which are not strictly related to the saxophone itself. The snails, you may wonder? I wondered about those too and to be honest: I don’t have a clue. If it is about the living organism thing that this music has, I think its indeed quite right. This music has a fine living organism aspect to it. Like said, this is all quite minimal, but in a constant flux. Always on the move, never the same, like culled together from many hours of playing similar things but never quite the same. That makes this an excellent work of improvised and yet fully composed music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.avantwhatever.com
STEPHEN CHRISTOPHER STAMPER – BEGIN ANYWHERE (CDR by Runningonair Music)
The first release by one Stephen Christopher Stamper, of whom I know nothing more than he likes VLF radio phenomena, algorithmic composition, Karplus-Strong string synthesis and open-source software. He is studying Sound Arts and Design. Much of this release contains long wave sounds being manipulated in free software such as Pure Date and Debia GNU/Linux and Audacity. Maybe those crackling long wave sounds come off as a bit dull by now, or maybe something of some time ago, but as always its the result that counts and that result is here quite nice. Stamper succeeds quite well to mould these crackling sounds into a variety of pieces which sound quite different. Sometimes a bit noisy with those static crackles, but then there are also pieces which are more ambient glitch like, and even small hints of melody can be traced here and there. Great stuff, especially because of this variety in approach and results. A varied album of great textured music, which doesn’t just stay in one safe place but moves all over the spectrum of experimental music, and that’s quite nice. Certainly a new name to remember. (FdW)
Address: http://www.runningonair.com
VILLA FIASCO – THE ACT OF SAMPLING (CDR, private)
Although I am not sure where you can actually purchase this and two things about it which should make up for a nice review of bashing, I won’t. You obviously know I don’t like compilations and I am suspicious about remixes – this is both. And yet this is different. This project, curated by Jolijn Ceelen and Jorian Bekker is part of an art academy thingy investigating the act of sampling. The booklet comes with three texts on the subject of sampling, theoretically and practical and on the CDR we have sixteen musicians working with the same sound material. This sound material from a Vietnamese record – to avoid copyright problems – and was a rather large chunk lifted from vinyl. There are some of the usual suspects (Roel Meelkop, Jan van den Dobbelsteen, Danielle Lemaire, Machinefabriek and Frans de Waard – three times even), who rip it apart and deconstruct it in order to compose abstract pieces of music, there is also music here which don’t have any relation anymore to the original, such as Jaffe’s techno music, the minimalist turntable beat of Terugklap, the uneven beats of Krawalle, or plain simple forward beats by Seven League Beats, Skefz, Bootycall or Inofaith (although all of them arrive at totally different results) and some add sound of their own, like Herman van den Muijsenberg (also responsible for one of the texts). Perhaps a bit irritating is that the opening drum/percussion sound is apparently a fine thing to start, so it returns a bit too often. But throughout these eighteen tracks show an interesting variety of different approaches and stands by itself as a fine compilation of various bits of electronic music. (FdW)
Address: <jolijnceelen@hotmail.com>
IAN HOLLOWAY & RHODRI THOMAS & STEPHEN JONES – SIMPLE GHOSTS & LAZY OLD BONES (CDR by Quiet World)
HEART OF PALM – PSYCHOPUMP (CDR by Quiet World)
With these two new releases on Quiet World the labels moves away from the well-known drone ambient sound scapes into something else. Labelboss Ian Holloway teams up with the for me unknown players Rhodri Thomas and Stephan Jones, playing samples, melodica, percussion, ukulele, shells, welsh guitar, singing gate, kalimba, rain stick, theremin and sine wave generator – not all of these at once, but spread out over these five tracks, which are more less acoustic improvisations. Taped in a bathroom, a flat and woods. This trio worked together before on audio/visual projects. This is surely also ‘ambient’ but just not by regular standards. Spacious, quiet improvisations, which only in the final piece, ‘Stumble Slightly Lower’ is a bit more nasty, due to the sine wave generator. It a short epilogue. The other four tracks are just very fine slow meandering pieces, quite freely played, without, seemingly, much sense of direction, but this lack of composition is made up for with some nice careful playing of the instruments. Great stuff and a fine move for Holloway.
Heart Of Palm is a trio (Jay Wilson, William Davidson and Mike Hancock) from Cincinnati, Ohio, who are joined here by Tim Moore, Mark Milano, Nebulagirl and Dave Rohs. According to the information they play ‘sublime Faustian improvisations’, which I guess is pretty much true, and perhaps is an even more odd choice for Quiet World to put out. Twelve relatively short improvisations for the expanded rock band line up, recorded in a rather lo-fi shape. Its rambles about, slowly but moving, but also without too much head or tail. Yes, its great that people do music, but it may not necessarily lead to a great release. Book a proper studio and spend more time of making a dynamic mix, thus leading, perhaps, to more interesting compositions. This is just not really my thing, I guess. I’d rather play an old Faust record I guess. (FdW)
Address: http://www.quietworld.co.uk
DAO DE NOIZE – NASREDDINOIZE (CDR by A Beard Of Snails Records)
DAO DE NOIZE/DARUIN (CDR by Neus 318)
Following his release ‘Walking In The Dark Maedow’ (see Vital Weekly 775), we have here two new releases by hum. One is a split release and one has music by himself only. That one gives, visually, the impression that we are dealing here with a sort of Muslimgauze rip off, but no such evidence is found in the music itself. Artem Pismenetsku takes credit for ‘noise, soul, effects’, whatever those exactly might when bought in a music store, and ‘Nasreddinoize’ is one piece that lasts just over thirty six minutes. There are bits taped off Middle eastern radio, embedded in a long string of swirling noise effects, organ sounds and such like. I think that for about one half of the piece its quite alright, but the second half is spoiled with an endless repeat of radio noise feeding through distortion pedals and it looses its nice edge. Pity. A 3″CDR would have been well-enough for this.
The split release is with Kazuya Ishigami, better known as Daruin. Here Dao De Noize brings out more distorted radio sounds, but then chopped into three pieces, still lasting about thirty five minutes. ‘Hiroshima Cry 1’ and ‘Hiroshima Cry 2’ are the shorter pieces and actually quite nice. A bit less noise based than the previous release or the track to come ‘Fukupain’ (recorded after the Fukushima disaster obviously), which is a twenty-two minute radio waves noise festival. Too long, but thank god not the plain noise type of onslaught. I don’t mind, I keep saying that, but I’d like it to be more thoughtful.
Daruin may use also a bit of radio sounds, which would tie these things together, but I am not entirely sure. Daruin puts at least more thought in his compositions than Dao De Noize. He thinks in terms of how to build up a piece, how to end it, to make movements in his pieces. A bit long form perhaps in ‘S.O.S. (Subtance Of Silence)’, which could as easily be trimmed down a bit, but the computerized sounds are quite nice: from a more or less ambient build up to a sledgehammer banging half way going on until the end – in a variety of possibilities. In ‘Genbaku’, just under nine minutes, he plays the noise card a bit more, but fails to put in something of variety and comes off like a horror science fiction soundtrack. Not great, but not entirely bad either. But it doesn’t exactly stick around for too long in one’s memory. (FdW)
Address: http://www.abeardofsnails.com
Address: http://www.neus318.com
DALE LLOYD – TAURION, TROU DE LAPIN (3″CDR by Kaon)
With this release this series enter their third series, although I am not sure what that means. No doubt it has something to do with a subscription deal. The idea of the series didn’t change. Its still a whole bunch of river recordings made by Cedric Peyronnet which are being treated by composers. Sometimes in a very electronic way, rendering the original into something new, but then also sometimes staying closer to the original field recordings, it seems, but then put together in a new sort of collage of sounds. I think Dale Lloyd – of the and/OAR label – is somebody who holds a balance between both ends. While we recognize water sounds, birds and branches, there is seems also to be some sort of sound processing going on. I am not exactly sure what that is, but my best guess is there is a fair amount of changing the sound color, along with, perhaps, minimal sound processing through digital means, especially in the second half of the piece, but perhaps also in the first half of the piece: its just not easy to tell. Its this fine balance that makes this a great piece. You keep wondering if what you hear is real or not. I played this a couple of times on repeat and usually I have a better picture then, but in this case I am less and less sure. Lloyd has created a fine piece of electro-acoustic music, based on field recordings and some highly interesting forms of sound processing, all keep within close distance of the original sounds. Moving through a number of phases, or stages and thus creating an excellent composition. One of the highlights from the series. (FdW)
Address: http://www.kaon.org
BITTER FICTIONS – LOOPER PEDAL BLUES (cassette by Shaking Box Music)
BITTER FICTIONS – PERCOLATOR GLITCH (cassette by Shaking Box Music)
Devin Friesen is the man behind Bitter Fictions and he mailed me two of his recent works which are quite different. The first is ‘Looper Pedal Blues’, which, so he informs us, is more alike his regular work. Its ‘solo loop-built noise/indie rock guitar songs interspersed w/drones, improvised soundscapes and feedback’. The latter is actually the nicer part of the tape, even when I am not that fond of noise. Its a bit hard to see what the relation could be between those guitar noise/feedback bits and the more song like pieces of Friesen singing, playing guitar and drums. Its that kind of singer-song writing stuff that is indie rock like that I don’t dig very much.
The more interesting music can be found on ‘Percolator Glitch’, which has a subtitle ‘max/msp guitar improvisation vol. 1’. There are four improvised pieces of Friesen playing guitar and feeding that through max/msp. It works best, I think, when the tune is a bit more thoughtful and lesser when things get out of hand. The odd thing is that this doesn’t sound like much max/msp at all. It could have been any normal regular sound effects guitarists use these days, usually packed neatly inside a quartet. The added effect of the computer seems marginal here to me, or he forgot to build in some granular synthesis for it. The end result is alright, much better than ‘Looper Pedal Blues’, but I’m afraid both of these releases aren’t exactly highly original. Much of this I heard before, and in most cases better. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bitterfictions.bandcamp.com
BLACK CROW KING – TO PAY THE DEBT OF NATURE (CD by Bad God Music)
TRILLION RED – TWO TONGUES (CD by Bad God Music)
WHISTLEPEAK – HALF ASLEEP UPON ECHO FALLS (CD by Karate Body)
SILVER TONGUES – BLACK RITE (CD by Karate Body)
SELUAH – RED PAROLE (CD by Karate Body)
The other day I was watching ‘The Story Of Anvil’, mainly because I was told it was very good and I like rockumentaries. It was good and sad, especially their experience with money at gigs – very recognizable. I bring this up, since you’ve got to respect their willingness to go on and the die-hard scene that metal is. They always want you to know they are out there. For a while a Polish metal label send me their CDs and it needed many e-mails to get removed from that particular mailing, but some young kid in Nijmegen was happy with them (but didn’t want to share his opinion in writing with us). The two bands here are related to bands like Gnaw Their Tongues, Burzum, Negura Bunget, Tou, Korperschwache, Eagle Twin, Jeu, Isis and Cult Of Luna. I have no idea who these bands are, nor do I care that much based on what I heard from Trillion God and Black Crow King. Bad God Music opened the music directory and just mailed everybody a promo of these two, regardless if they are interested. I hope these words reach Bad God Music: Vital Weekly is not interested in this kind of music and please don’t send me promo’s of this nature anymore. Thank you.
The other day I was looking at a website which had some interesting guidelines for aspiring people willing to venture into the world of cassette only releases. It said something like ‘and be sure to send a promo to Vital Weekly as they will review anything’ – they do, don’t they. So we also have a trio of releases on Karate Body, of all guitar/indie/pop music. Oh, one is a CDR, which means for sure they haven’t read our guidelines. Maybe I should rework those guidelines and be a bit more offensive about the music we rather not receive. Actually I do like certain pop music – I said it before and will continue to do so in the future – but very specific ones, from my teenage days. Not when life was good, or better, but that’s just the way it is: I don’t seem to get a long with the current state of alternative pop music. Maybe Vital Weekly would need a good writer who knows his stuff? I hope these words reaches Karate Body: Vital Weekly is not interested in this kind of music and please don’t send me promo’s of this nature anymore. Thank you.
Hard to believe, I know, but all of this in the space of one week. I can see why Seven Hour Days from Australia would think Vital Weekly be interested in their noise pop, shoegaze music (their qualifications, not mine). Six pieces on my copy although the cover and press release talk of four. Lots of reverb, fuzzy guitars and drums down the halfway. And voices. Not my thing again, even if this could be type of music I would care about. (FdW)
Address: http://www.badgodmusic.com
Address: http://www.karatebodyrecords.com
Address: <smatzkow@hotmail.com>
1. “G. Greenway” <g.greenway@yahoo.co.uk>
The new Cultural Amnesia album, This Is Not Your Shape, is now out from Austria’s Bleak netlabel. The album is a free download. We hope you enjoy it.
It is 30 years since Cultural Amnesia’s first cassette album, 28 since their last. Since CA reactivated in the late 90s there have been a number of well-received releases of remastered 80s material, and also some releases of new recordings (read reviews here). However, This Is Not Your Shape is the first full album of new material from CA since 1983. The release comprises:
– 9-track album of material recorded 2004–2009
– Cover artwork in CD-package form
– Verbose Logging: a 23-page A4 designed PDF booklet reproducing the songs on the album and others recorded by CA since the late 90s
– A video for the non-album track ‘Contains’ (first released on Enormous Savages Enlarged). Please feel free to embed the video
http://media.bleak.at/bleak/bleak.036/
And this is the video we did to support the release:
http://vimeo.com/31676452
2. Lasse-Marc Riek <lasseart@gmx.de>
Michael Trommer: “Edgelands” (GrDl 098/12)
Field Recordings
7 Tracks (60:32)
MP3/FLAC
the pieces that comprise ‘edgelands’ are composed of field recordings made in the liminal spaces which exist between the built and natural environments – suburban developments, factories and power stations, urban environments in states of disuse and decay, urban shorelines well as city and ex-urban parks.
Edgelands:
http://www.gruenrekorder.de/?page_id=6407
3. jan kees helms/deeez! <deeez@antenna.nl>
Helms | Slutzky at Proeflokaal #94
Besides thé above mentioned duo, will play at Proeflokaal in Utrecht :
– Utrechts Animatie Kwartier
– The Missing Higgs
– LiveCodingBattle
– Olgar
http://proeflokaal.net/
Deuren open: 20:00
Aanvang: 20:30 uur
fee: 5,- (no pin!)
Muziekhuis Utrecht
Loevenhoutsedijk 301
3552 XE Utrecht
The Netherlands
Vital Weekly is published by Frans de Waard and submitted for free to anybody with an e-mail address. If you don’t wish to receive this, then let us know. Any feedback is welcome <vital@vitalweekly.net>. Forward to your allies.
Snail mail: Vital Weekly/Frans de Waard – Acaciastraat 11 – 6521 NE Nijmegen – The Netherlands
All written by Frans de Waard (FdW), Dolf Mulder (DM) <dolf.mulder@hetnet.nl>, Niels Mark (NM), Jliat (Jliat), Freek Kinkelaar (FK), Jan-Kees Helms (JKH) and others on a less regular basis.
This is copyright free publication, except where indicated, in which case permission has to be obtained from the respective author before reprinting any, or all of the desired text. The author has to be credited, and Vital Weekly has to be acknowledged at all times if any texts are used from it.
Announcements can be shortened by the editor. Please do NOT send any attachments/jpeg’s, we will trash them without viewing.
There is no point in directing us to MP3 sites, as we will not go there. Any MP3 release to be reviewed should be burned as an audio CDR and send to the address above.
Some people think it’s perhaps ‘cool’, ‘fun’, ‘art’ or otherwise to send something to Vital Weekly that has no information. Don’t bother doing this: anything that is too hard to decipher will be thrown away. Also we have set this new policy: Vital Weekly only concerns itself with new releases. We usually act quick, so sending us something new means probably the first review you will see. If we start reviewing older material we will not be able to maintain this. Please do not send any thing that is older than six months. Anything older will not be reviewed. In both cases: you can save your money and spend it otherwise.
Lastly we have decided to remove the announcement section of Vital Weekly that is archived on our website that is older than five weeks. Since they 95% deal with concerts that have been, it’s gentle to remove the announcement and more important the e-mail addresses coming with that.
the complete archive of Vital Weekly including search possibilities:
http://www.vitalweekly.net