NEU GESTALT – WEIGHTLESS HOURS (CD by Alex Tronic Records) *
ERB & LONBERG-HOLM & ROEBKE & ROSALY – SACK (CD by Veto Records)
META MARIE LOUSIE – SUNNY SPOTS (CD by Metonic)
MYELIN – AXON (CD by Intonema) *
BIRGIT ULHER – HOCHDRUCKZONE (CD by Entr’acte) *
PIETRO RIPARBELLI – THREE DAYS OF SILENCE (CD by Gruenrekorder) *
MOURMANSK 150 – YES WE CONFLICT (CD by Topheth Prophet)
TAG CLOUD – NAMED ENTITIES (CD by Zeromoon) *
XEDH & CARLOS SUAREZ – CUCULACANTO (CD by Essentia Mundi) *
LARVAE – EXIT STRATEGY (CD by Ad Noiseam)
UNDERHILL – SILENT SIREN (CD by Ad Noiseam)
OYAARSS – BADS (CD by Ad Noiseam)
THOMAS BEL – INNERLY (CD by Annexia)
SPARKLE IN GREY – MEXICO (CD by Lizard Records)
SPARKLE IN GREY – GOOSE GASE
JOHANNES WELSCH – SOUND CREATION (CD by Deep Listening Institute) *
MICHAEL VLATKOVICH ENSEMBLIO – AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PRONOUN (CD by Pfmentum)
ELEANOR HOVDA – THE ELEANOR HOVDA COLLECTION (CD by Innova)
STRATOSPHERE – DREAMSCAPE (CD by Basses Frequences) *
ALBERTO BOCCARDI (CD by Fratto9 Under The Sky) *
LUMINANCE RATIO/STEVE RODEN (7″ by Fratto9 Under The Sky)
PAMPIDOO/TAPES (split 7″ on Meeuw)
VOMIR & TORBA – UNSTABLE GEOMETRY (7″ by Aaltra Records, Suoni Grezzi, Underground Pollution, Swollen Avantgarde, At War With False Noise, and Nhdiyse Records)
COMPOUNDEAD/PANDA – SPLIT (CDR by Sincope and Narvalo)
DIONONESTISTE – MOTA (CDR by Sincope)
OOY & ILO – PLEJADES (CDR by Motok) *
OLAF RUPP & DEREK SHIRLEY & HANNES LINGENS – LIVE AT UMLAUT FESTIVAL (CDR by Edition Uqbar) *
SAM PETTIGREW – DOMESTIC SMEAR (CDR by Avant Whatever) *
BLACK CRACKER – INCISIONS (CDR by It’ll Be Awesome) *
YONG YAND SEN & ABDUL AZIZ & THIERRY MONNIER – 20TH APRIL 2011, INDICINE KLPAC (CDR by Herbal International) *
NEU GESTALT – WEIGHTLESS HOURS (CD by Alex Tronic Records)
A lot of times it seems things are reviewed and then never heard of again, or at least not for a very long period. One such thing was ‘Altered Carbon’ by Neu Gestalt, also known as Les Scott, reviewed back in Vital Weekly 650. That was an early manifestation of what could be slow starting revival of ambient house, and this new one continues that course, even though Scott says its a quite a bit different than the previous work. I must say I don’t hear that. There are a bit of electro-acoustic elements here and there, a bit apart , like crackling, processed sea waves, but the smooth rhythms play an important role still, and does the digital synthesizer and the likewise digital piano. Through hearing this music, ‘smooth’ is a word that keeps popping up in my mind when listening to this music. There is no dirty angle here, just atmospheric music that occasionally hovers closely to the world of new age, but I guess its the electro-acoustic bits that save the day. It still sounds very much like mid nineties ambient music combined with the dance rhythms and a touch of experimentalism. Like before the reference to Silent Records is never far away, or early compilations like ‘Artificial Intelligence’ but its still, all the time following the previous release by Neu Gestalt, a rare thing. The revival not really happened yet, which makes this still something of an odd ball release, but its a nice odd ball indeed. (FdW)
Address: http://www.neugestalt.com
ERB & LONBERG-HOLM & ROEBKE & ROSALY – SACK (CD by Veto Records)
I’m happy to have a second opportunity reviewing a new work by swiss improviser Christoph Erb and his mates. His record with Zerang and Baker was improvisation optima forma. ‘Sack ’ is also recorded in Chicago but with a different line up: Lonberg-Holm plays cello and guitar, Jason Roebke double bass and Frank Rosaly drums and electronics. Erb tenor sax and bass clarinet. Rosaly is new to me. He is operating in the Chicago scene since 2001 working with his own ensembles Cicada Music and Green and Gold, as well as a member in numerous others groups and projects. ‘Sack’ is the third release from the Swiss label Veto of Erb. It contains four compositions of Erb, defining plenty of opportunities for improvisation. Again a work of fantastically intertwined lines, solos etc, leading up to a music that is intense and absorbing. Inspired and intelligent stuff! (DM)
Address: http://www.veto-records.ch
META MARIE LOUSIE – SUNNY SPOTS (CD by Metonic)
Under the name Meta Marie Louise, Manuel Engel started this Swiss trio in 2009. It’s Kevin Chesham on drums, Marc Stucki sax and Engel himself playing Rhodes grand piano, nord lead synth, mini-moog and electronics. For this recording they work with two vocalists: Max Usata and Momo. All three core members did their jazz studies in Switzerland. And what they have in common is that they are very open for crossing borders. These guys are about to brew some interesting new stuff for you. But this one is not ready. Some ingredient is missing in my perception. But promising and interesting it is. Rhythm-based, uncomfortable beats, open soundscapes and textures, with voices improvising,or rapping over it. Sometimes interrupted by loud sax-improvisations. Minimalistic and stripped down patterns are the result of their approach. One feels their sense for experiment and search for new unheard combinations and contrasts. Just listen for example to ‘Death and Discipline’ that has Cage-like prepared piano-sounds within an of the hook pattern in the first part. Halfway synth and sax take over for a wild and noisy improvisation. Yes, I’m convinced of their potentials although results on this one did not satisfy me. (DM)
Address: http://www.metonicrecords.com
MYELIN – AXON (CD by Intonema)
BIRGIT ULHER – HOCHDRUCKZONE (CD by Entr’acte)
After their excellent release of Thomas Buckner, Edyta Fil, Ilia Belorukov, Alexey Lapin, Juho Laitinen (‘Bewitched Concert’), the Russian label Intonema surprises with a new release by Myelin. Being the second release of the duo that hides behind this name Myelin. It is Heddy Boubaker coming from Toulouse were he started many years ago playing electric guitar in rock and punk bands. Gradually he was driven to improvised music and alto and bass saxophone becoming his mean instruments. In 2011 he made another change, and started playing analog modular synth and electric bass. Birgit Ulher is aHamburg based trumpeter. It is in Hamburg where they recorded this new release during a studio session in july 2010. We hear Boubaker on saxophone (plus objects), and Ulher on trumpet, radio, mutes, speaker and objects. It results in one of those typical releases where it is hard to identity who is doing what and how. In a way this is a great help for me. Because listening and experiencing music is for me also about forgetting the musicians who play it and the instruments they use, and to have a meeting solely with the music. In the case of Myelin this are very well-proportioned sound improvisations. Never a dull moment with these improvisations based on concrete sounds, generated by extended techniques (rattling, burbling, hissing etc.). The radical approach of these autodidacts is absolutely satisfying and artistically successful. It is far beyond jazz. In a way one can compare it with nonverbal Dadaistic soundpoetry. Very musical and communicative. To the point and concentrated.
Birgit Ulher solo can be heard on ‘Hochdruckzone’, where she plays trumpet, radio, speaker and objects. The eight pieces were recorded in 2010 in Brussels. Here we find Ulher in quite harsh mood – her playing is loud, and seems to stay away from the more mellow playing. The pieces seem to be linked to each other and generally consist of Ulher blowing down the tube really loud in combination with some amplification. Yet of course, this is not a noise release of any kind. Its quite an intelligent play of sounds, blocks of sound really, played with a high level of concentration for the duration of the each piece. Much more a work of electro-acoustic music than of improvisation, I’d say. (DM, FDW)
Address: http://www.intonema.blogspot.com
Address: http://www.entracte.co.uk
PIETRO RIPARBELLI – THREE DAYS OF SILENCE (CD by Gruenrekorder)
When buried with a lot of releases to review for Vital Weekly, I sometimes wish to retreat to a monastery and not be interrupted by such mundane things as e-mail, telephone, shopping and just blend in with the tranquility of monastery life. Pietro Riparbelli did visit a sanctuary, Sanctuary of La Verna on top of a mountain in Tuscany, where Saint Francis of Assisi supposed to have gotten his stigmata and recorded life over there during three days. Here he has six pieces, three of them I believe are pure field recordings and three are compositions he created out of these basic sounds. Not that is easy to tell the difference, certainly if you don’t play close attention to when the track ends and moves to the next. For the busy western man, non believer at that, perhaps the closest I can get to monstary life, I guess. Riparbelli captured the sounds and the atmospheres of the sanctuary pretty well – the overall idea of this release is ‘silence’ without being silent. The large empty spaces with a minimum of sound information, the garden and rain in it, the vaguely humming of what could be the church organ, its all there. Music that slowly unfolds and that could invoke a religious experience (government health warning not included here). In the ‘Third Day’ piece we have the most musical experience, with crackles and what seems to be some sort of stringed instrument, but for all I know it could be the repeated sound of the bucket in the well to get water. A very contemplative release altogether. Excellent soundscaping. (FdW)
Address: http://www.gruenrekorder.de
MOURMANSK 150 – YES WE CONFLICT (CD by Topheth Prophet)
“Mourmansk150 is a honest, uncensored & unrestrained expression of my deep hostility towards the inequities, corruption, abuse, ignorance & perversion of our civilizations, our species & the machinations of mans predominantly revolting existence…. The complete annihilation, extermination, destruction, ruination, violent collapse & permanent extinction of ALL oppressive forces & political tyranny through VIOLENT ACTION-DIRECT FATAL CONFRONTATION-LETHAL COLLISION the purgation, irreversible removal, immolation of Social Abuse Civil Ignorance Ecological Dissoluteness Gluttony”…. Or maybe release a CD with industrial drones, Darlek voices, tons of reverb and stuff…..Though perhaps one can be sympathetic, violent action seems de rigueur whatever your politics, confrontation is precisely what our existing power structures like, it re affirms their power, gives them excuses for greater control, and the need for more weaponry against such threats. In the UK when the Good Friday agreement was reached quite a few, myself included, thought, great no more bombs, no more need for MI5… then from nowhere Islamic fundamentalism appeared…odd? Very odd? – another reason to abandon political musics for meaningless HNW. (jliat)
Address: http://www.topheth.org/
TAG CLOUD – NAMED ENTITIES (CD by Zeromoon)
Chris Videll is Tag Cloud and Zeromoon doesn’t have a lot of information on him on their website. The cover just like a whole bunch of thank-you’s and a list of instruments: analog electronics, sk1, monotron, shruti box, gongs, tibetan bowls, bells, pedals, fx, processing, pitch pipe. No doubt he is the kind of man who wants the music to speak for itself, which is of course the thing to do, but a nightmare for a reviewer. I think this is a pretty interesting CD which combines a number of interests in a great way: its a bit noise like, but never loud or harsh. Its atmospheric but not in the strictest drone context and its rather musically electronic than static. This music seems to be moving all the time, back and forth. I think some of these instruments are used to make a steady background sound, while others are played over the top. It sounds rather like a live record than a finely composed album of various layers. Six tracks, spanning just over thirty five minutes, all of which seem to me the right length for such a work and which leaves the listener behind with an unsatisfied feel: more, more! Or perhaps this is right as it is? Six fine pieces of loudly atmospheric music or mildly noise based – whatever you prefer I guess is fine. This is certainly a name to watch out for! (FdW)
Address: http://www.zeromoon.org
XEDH & CARLOS SUAREZ – CUCULACANTO (CD by Essentia Mundi)
Miguel A. Garcia sometimes works under his own name and sometimes as Xedh, and I am never sure when one comes into play and when the other. Maybe there is no separation? Here he works with one Carlos Suarez, of whom I think I never heard. He is from Galicia in Spain and works inside the field of electro-acoustic music. If I am well informed the pieces here were recorded through live improvisation in the studio which was then edited by Garcia. Garcia is at his best, at least for me, when he too works with electro-acoustic music, and stays away from overtly noise based excursions which he sometimes also does. Here he does stay away and together with Suarez he created five excellent pieces of electro-acoustic music which suggest lots of space between the cracks, sometimes artificially enhanced by the use of reverb. There is computer processing, analogue knob turning, field recordings of water and metallic rumble, looped and toyed around with. The overall mood of the pieces is more ambient and atmospheric than is perhaps usually the case with this kind of electro-acoustic sounds. More ambient than microsound I would say. Garcia has reconstructed the live recordings accordingly and without losing the aspect of a live recording, these five pieces are very good, well done and reshaped into the form of compositions, with heads and tails and fine structure. This is the Garcia I like and this CD is a fine addition to his rapidly expanding discography. (FdW)
Address: http://www.essentiamundi.com
LARVAE – EXIT STRATEGY (CD by Ad Noiseam)
Larvae are the alias of Matt Jeanes. Since the beginning in 2000, Larvae has released a number of albums on German label Ad Noiseam. Present album is the fourth full-length album from Larvae and the first, since the album “Loss leader” released in 2008. Present album titled “Exit strategy” is an instrumental work with much focus on emotional expressions. Once again, Larvae balances cleverly between various genres, with overall expressions that can roughly be described as a crossover between post-rock and IDM. Musically the main part of the album remains downbeat and introvert with the expression based on acoustic music instruments stylishly connected to the post rock-scene. Other parts of the album circulate in pure electronic sound spheres with elements of a nocturnal IDM-based electronica. A pleasant album that will satisfy a wide span of listeners! (NM)
Address: http://www.adnoiseam.net
UNDERHILL – SILENT SIREN (CD by Ad Noiseam)
Debut-album from the project calling itself Underhill. Underhill consists of Dean Rodell, Balkansky/Cooh and Current Value being the creators of this atmospheric and interesting album titled “Silent siren”. The album is an interesting beast, thanks to the diverse expressions saturating throughout the 80 minutes runtime. Main structure of the album is the two vocals of the works. Female vocalist Martina Astner has a background in goth metal-band Therion and her beautiful vocals suits very well to the ambient atmospheres on many tracks of the album. The other vocals comes from rapper MC Coppa, being a nice contrast to the pure vocals of Martina Astner. Musically the album is a crossover of drum’n’bass, trip hop with elements of IDM and dub-like textures. Some tracks recalls the expressions of British trip hop-legends Everything But The Girl, thanks to the vocals and the often gentle tunes of electronic ambience and trippy breakbeats. Very nice debut! (NM)
Address: http://www.adnoiseam.net
OYAARSS – BADS (CD by Ad Noiseam)
I had never heard of present composer operating as Oyaarss. Oyaarss is a Latvian composer who had his first release in 2009, being a 12″ vinyl and a self-release in 2011. Present album titled “Bads” is his proper debut-release on German label Ad Noiseam. A very impressive release indeed. The style of Oyaarss is noisy IDM with dreamlike ambient textures drifting in landscapes of distorted blasting rhythm textures. Stylishly the expression reminds me of legendary IDM-maestros Gridlock, but with more pressure laid on the distorted noise-sheets. Awesome debut from Oyaarss. (NM)
Address: http://www.adnoiseam.net
THOMAS BEL – INNERLY (CD by Annexia)
Thomas Bel lives and works in Toulouse, France. He is born in autumn and writes and composes music and poetry. His biography tells us that he dances with birds in the night. How poetic can you be? Inspired by the german poet Johannes Bobrowski Thomas Bel created this introspective album. With minimal melodies created by piano, cello, flutes, guitar, voice and melancholic abstract drones. The music is subtile, fragile and built up with nice field-recordings, small melody-lines and repeating soundlayers. His voice has the same atmosphere as mentioned before; slowly, low, soft and searching for the right melody in combination with the musical support. Thomas Bel takes the listener to the depths of his soul and body. The mix of recognizable melodies, drony soundlayers and abstract field-recordings makes the oppressive atmosphere more open and is an invitation to travel with the musician to his search to ?. Anyhow Innerly is a beautiful album of a poetic musician.(JKH)
Address: http://www.annexia-net.com
SPARKLE IN GREY – MEXICO (CD by Lizard Records)
SPARKLE IN GREY – GOOSE GASE
Sparkle in Grey from Italy started in 1999 also a solo electronic musical project. Since 2005 the band developed to a four member band and they play eclectic post-rock with some electronic influences. The band consists of Matteo Uggeri on laptop, trumpet and field-recordings, Cristiano Lupo on bass, drums and guitar, Alberto Carozi, on guitar, bass and bagpipes and Franz Krostopovic on violin and piano. The artwork of the album has the style of a folk band from Mexico, but the music has a high post-rock atmosphere. Sparkle in Grey combines styles like Godspeed You Black Emperor, but is also influenced by Kraftwerk or opera work of Philip Glass. Anyway, I dislike to compare bands with other bands, but what I want to write is that this album is a beautiful mix of different styles of music into one worldwide musical style. Mexico is like a musical journey from melancholic moods to hopeful and fresh moments. Technically the music is well composed and played in a creative way without losing musical historical basics. Anyhow, this album is highly recommended for lovers of experimental post-rock music.
Goose Game is album of remixes of Sparkle in Grey songs by several musicians like Sandro Codazzi, St. Ride, Hue, TourdeForce, Luca Sigurta and My Dear Killer.Goose Game is only available with the Mexico Deluxe Edition. But, also as a download on Bandcamp. Most of the tracks are in the same postrock style as the music of Sparkle in Grey. But of course St. Ride from Italy does it on their own electronically way, just like Sandro Codazzi. The short album is a nice present with several interpretations of post-rock music, nothing more and nothing less. (JKH)
Address: http://www.lizardrecords.it/
JOHANNES WELSCH – SOUND CREATION (CD by Deep Listening Institute)
Ever since Thomas Koner played the gong on his first CD, I must say I like the sound of the instrument a lot. Here we have a relatively ‘easy’ job to do. Welsch, the owner of the Dunrobin Sonic Gym, a professional facility in Ottawa devoted to the experience, study and production of sound and also since early years a drummer. Here he has seven pieces of improvised gong playing, although one also uses singing bowls. No electronics are used here, and the use of reverb seems from the space these gongs are played in. The gongs used are from the dynamic range and from frequency spectrum. Obviously this is music with a highly meditative character, with lots of great overtones humming majestically. There is not a lot I could say about this album, perhaps other than I think its a great album to hear. I started this very early this morning and played it three times in a row. Perhaps that should say enough about what I think of this. Its music that transports you to a different time and place and perhaps its more music for late evenings than early mornings, but the tranquility works very well. Excellent all around. (FdW)
Address: http://www.deeplistening.org
MICHAEL VLATKOVICH ENSEMBLIO – AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PRONOUN (CD by Pfmentum)
A new release from the Pfmentum label run by Jeff Kaiser. Vlatkovich is a trombonist, composer and arranger and a key figure in improvised music scene of Los Angeles. He settled here as a musician in 1973 and built up experience in performing jazz, improvised music and world music. Played with Gerry Hemingway, Peggy Lee, and many others. More recent Vlatkovitch is regular member of Vinny Golia Large Ensemble and performing with his own ensembles. Michael Vlatkovich Ensemblio is one of these projects. A line up of eleven musicians give flesh and blood to the ‘An Autobiography of a Pronoun’ suite, composed by Vlatkovich. This work is the 15th release. It was recorded in 2010 during a period of a few months. Afterwards it has been edited and mixed before it ended on cd. It is a good solid work albeit not earthshaking. Some of the compositions that make up this suite have not much to offer. But this is compensated by the fresh and engaged playing, and fine arrangements. Also because there is enough room for improvisation. Some parts are close to chamber music, like the opening piece ‘Leg Belly Neon Kill Climb Unaware Pride’, that has nice violin playing by Harry Scorzo. Other parts are bluesy or jazzy (‘Queen Dynamo’) . Some are up tempo and spontaneous, others develop slow and are reflective. Interesting and enjoyable elements can be pointed at in each of the building stones of this work. Although I remain a bit ambivalent about this one, one can easily pick up that this suite is an excellent vehicle and opportunity for these musicians to show their best sides. (DM)
Address: http://www.pfmentum.com
ELEANOR HOVDA – THE ELEANOR HOVDA COLLECTION (CD by Innova)
Hovda was an american composer and dancer. Her music has been performed by ensembles as the Kronos Quartet, Zeitgeist, California EAR Unit, the Bang on a Can All-Stars. She teached on several universities, and in 2009 she lost the fight against a long illness. Innova did an incredible job in bringing together most of her work on this 4cd set. First two CDs are re-issues of cds that have been released earlier by OO Discs, ‘Ariadne Music’ and ‘Coastal Traces’. ‘ Ariadne Music’ contains five works of modern classical chamber music performed by the Prism Players. ‘Coastal Traces’ has eight different works composed for modern dance scores performed on double reeds by Libby Van Cleve (double bass), Jack Vees (bass and guitar) and Hovda herself (grand piano innards). Music with eastern flavors added, sometimes close to good old cosmic music, and sometimes there is a rock feel to it. ‘Crossings in a Mountain Dream’ again is a very spiritual piece, near to the work of Popol Vuh, Between, Pavel Richter, a.o. Deep resonating sounds in ‘Glacier’, ‘Glosses/Glacier’ reminding of early days of Tangerine Dream. But let’s not forget the differences. This material is more composed and structured, but in an very accessible way. ‘Sound around the sound’(cd 3) and ‘Excavations’(cd 4) contain works that have appeared on albums with other artists and composers, plus previously unreleased works. Cd 3 contains ensemble works. The opening piece ‘Borealis Music’performed by The Relache Ensemble, is a constant flow of music moving in all directions at once, evoking the experience of a big quiet space. ‘Boundaries’ for an ensemble of 4 flutes and 4 basses starts with peaceful cadence that changes throughout the piece. Most of the compositions on cd 4 are for solo instruments. ’Ikima’ is a japanese sounding solo piece for shakuhachi, performed by Hovda herself. ‘Breathing’ is a multitracked piece with Jan Weller playing solo flute on eight different flutes. A meditative and contemplative piece of work like most works on this and the other cds. Traveling through this corpus I found myself constantly in the same regions: music that creates space, endless planes and wide horizons. Through ambient textures, trance inducing slow music The over 30-minute ’40 Million Gallons of Music’, recorded inside a giant water tank, is the summit of this. It is based on the aum-mantra and one long breathing exercise with some instrumentation. It is an improvisation directed by Hovda. Intense listening brings you in a deep state of harmony, being one with the cosmos, like Eleanor Hovda is now. (DM)
Address: http://www.innova.mu
STRATOSPHERE – DREAMSCAPE (CD by Basses Frequences)
Here’s a name from the past which I must admit I totally forgotten about. Stratosphere was a main player of ambient music in the early nineties, releasing an album on Amplexus and then disappeared again. The early work used analogue synthesizers and tape devices, but this new album sees him switch to guitar and bass. For a decade he didn’t do any music due to a ‘dramatic change’ in his life. That change also counts for his music. While still involved in atmospheric music, its undeniably much louder than before. Guitars are fed through a bunch of guitar pedals and it sounds louder and darker than before, especially in ‘You Will Never Destroy Me’, but as ‘There Is Still Hope’ says, every cloud has a silver lining and so despite the somewhat darker undercurrents of this album, there is still hope somewhere through gentle melodies singing, humming over the a black sea of drone like sounds. Each of the seven tracks get a lot of time to develop, perhaps at times too much, but I guess its inherent to this kind of music to go for a slow development. From the pure form of ambient music to the post rock variation of it. Not the biggest move in the world but surely a nice one and great to see him back on track. Let’s hope for some more. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bassesfrequences.org
ALBERTO BOCCARDI (CD by Fratto9 Under The Sky)
LUMINANCE RATIO/STEVE RODEN (7″ by Fratto9 Under The Sky)
Recently a guest at Extrapool, now presenting his first solo CD. Alberto Boccardi played since the age of 14 in punk, hardcore and cross-over bands, but since 2005 he’s gone solo to play electronic music. The five pieces on his solo CD sound, I must admit, a bit different than his concert, more balanced with changing moods all the time. Boccardi plays guitar, electronics and adds field recordings and a bit of voice. Good for us, his music doesn’t fit in a box. At times a bit guitar like in post rock vein, such as in the built up in ‘Unexpected Places, We Saw’, but also crackling like clicks and cuts in the second half of that track, taking the mood into an entirely different level again. Heavy drums in ‘Laying On Before’, which move out into a more spacious country. Moods seem to change within tracks. Its a fine CD this one, one that has story telling qualities, without using many words. Whatever they are, from film or TV, they are sparse, but just enough to give us that idea of a story. Also the changing moods make this clear. These five pieces seem, one way or another, to belong to each other. Its a pity that, at twenty-seven some minutes, this is a very short CD, and one wonders what else would have been possible in this story and form an even better opinion about it. Quite a surprise, this one.
On the same label the first 7″ in ‘The Seven Inch Series’, a split between Luminance Ratio, who will be on every 7″, and a guest on the other side, in this case Steve Roden. Luminance Ratio is a band with Luca Mauri (guitar), Luca Sigurta (tapes, electronic junk, contact mics), Gianmaria Aprile (guitar, sitar, guqin, kaosspad) and Andrea Ferraris (laptop, bass, electronics). Their ‘Reoccuring Dreams’ is an odd piece of what seems to be a rock band trying their hands at combining a sort of krauty psychedelic piece without getting really started up and noise collage. The downside is that it sounds like an excerpt. Roden on the other side has a piece that uses guitar, voice and field recordings, and it sounds unlike him. A slow, repeated bang, loops of voices and a bow on the guitar. In an odd way one could say this is a very modern blues song. A great blues song. Excellent piece, daring new move from Roden! (FdW)
Address: http://www.fratto9.com
PAMPIDOO/TAPES (split 7″ on Meeuw)
A split 7″ on Meeuw. ‘Ghetto Rock’ is by Pampidoo, apparently a famous DJ from the 80s for his ‘synthesizer voice’. A strange of a voice singing the words ‘Ghetto Rock’ over a crazy set of drum machines and synth loops, speeding up and slowing down, like a crazy form of dub music. Tapes are from New Zealand but currently residing in London and apparently known via Jahtari (whatever that is). Essentially he creates the dub version of the ‘Ghetto Rock’ piece by emphasizing the rhythm and a bit of the keyboards. From Meeuw you expect nothing less than really weird and this is a really weird one. Novelty acts? Serious matter? Who knows? Do I like it? Hell, yes, I do. (FDW)
Address: http://www.meeuw.net
VOMIR & TORBA – UNSTABLE GEOMETRY (7″ by Aaltra Records, Suoni Grezzi, Underground Pollution, Swollen Avantgarde, At War With False Noise, and Nhdiyse Records)
You could argue that Vomir’s method represents the very pinnacle of industrial music. Reading through Romain Perrot’s interviews, you get a rather curious picture of his character as well as his recording process — he is this diligent, principled guy who spends a lot of his free time sitting at home, daisy-chaining his arsenal of noise generators and effects pedals. When some fledgling noise label asks him for a release, he adjusts the dials on his mixer, hits record and then lets it run until the requested duration has elapsed. It’s a simple, production-oriented approach to noise — and the HNW scene is really all about product; without their physical forms, the releases are basically interchangeable. The artist need not even be in the room while the recording takes place, the gruntwork of the process largely performed by machines. What else could be more industrial? And yet, despite this, there is something unusually satisfying about digging into a record like this, exploring the minor nuances of the noise, and attempting to immerse oneself in the sound. Fortunately, Vomir’s work tends towards the low, rumbly side of the sound spectrum, a sweet spot that is ably isolating without being blistering. Berlin’s Torba, head of Aaltra Records (one of six labels involved in this release) — and a prolific noisester in his own right — matches Perrot adeptly here. A-side “Unstable Geometry” subsists on a steady, bass-heavy rumble that rattles the viscera sumptuously. It is steady and asphixiating, a menacing boulder of a track that epitomizes what I like most about the genre. Meanwhile, the B-side, “Corps-Sans-Organes” is more overtly abrasive, dropping something shaky and unstable into a harsh wind of steady noise. The composition sounds like a recording from the middle of a hurricane, the doors and window panes of some unfortunate house flapping precariously amidst the torrent. Overall, like the finest work the HNW scene has to offer, Unstable Geometry is alienating, absurd, and generally pulverizing. (MT)
Address: http://aaltrarecords.blogspot.com
COMPOUNDEAD/PANDA – SPLIT (CDR by Sincope and Narvalo)
DIONONESTISTE – MOTA (CDR by Sincope)
Compoundead is a Italian noise drone duo and consists of Mara and Trucelentboy. The duo is active since 2007. The track on the split with Panda is a live recording of a concert at MADS in Rome in 2009. The sounds are industrial and noisy and develop slowly from one part to another parts. The repetition of the noisy makes the recording interesting. The sounds are abstract and subtile played. Mostly I dislike live-recordings, but this one is one of my favorites because the duo played the show well. Panda is an Italian trio and their noisy compositions are inspired by contemporary art and Black Dice sound. The track on this CD-R is a live recording at Cafe Liber in Macereta in 2008. Unfortunately this trio is less creative than Compoundead. The noisy wall is strong and built up by electronics, but I have heard these walls many times. The acoustic drums are not played well and doesn’t compare with the noise. Of course rhythms and harsh noise will be a nice combination, but in this manner it doesn’t work.
Diononesiste is a black metal project of Daniele Brusaschetto. He is born in Turin and plays music since the end of the eighties in several bands with different genres, like trash death metal, industrial rock and avant garde improvisation A few years later he started to play solo and created soundscapes and electronic music. Mota is a nice combination of death metal and dark ambient. The first eight tracks are played in the traditional death metal structure, with fast drums and guitar riffs and a grunting voice. It is a pity that the drums are not that heavy and strong, but maybe that is a lack of the recording. But anyhow, the eight tracks are a smash in the face, without any regards. The last track “The meaningless of living” is a very dark track as if you goes down in hell (if you believe in it?) Ongoing dark soundlayers and some metals guide you into the darkness of live.
Sincope pays a lot of attention to the artwork and they do it very well. The atmosphere is dark and industrial and fits well to the music. Two nice releases of this Italian label. (JKH)
Address: http://sincoperec.altervista.org/
OOY & ILO – PLEJADES (CDR by Motok)
Masato Ooyama is perhaps best known for the work he did with Kluster when it was reformed in 2007 with Conrad Schnitzler and Michael Thomas Roe, but who also worked with Michael Chocholak (see Vital Weekly 779). Here he teams up with our own Ilo Istatov, under some cyrillic guise for himself and the title in greek. Behind Ilo Istatov we find of course the ever active Nico Selen, present with an album as E.M.M. only two weeks ago. As Ilo Istatov, a lesser known guise for Selene, he worked in the past with Block 57, Kapotte Muziek and Alain Basso. No doubt the work carried out between them was through (e-) mail and has Ooy playing electronics, sound processing and mix and Selen plays cymbal, analogue synthesizer, guitar and mix. The ten tracks here not what we usually except from the home of Selen: much more abstract in approach, even for such projects as he does with NoNotes and E.M.M. in which he find more traditional forms of synth based music. The big difference with this new one, is that this is more electronics than about synth. No melodies, no rhythms, but abstract paintings of sound particles locked into a system in which they bounce around. All of these pieces are kept to a fine minimum length, so that’s not pointless long experimenting around, but in stead concise and to the point. These pieces also have enough variation in there and work from different points of entry. Atmospheric, at times at bit gritty and noisy, but also controlled and ambient. Excellent collaboration, no-ego based: a fine work. (FdW)
Address: http://www.motok.org
OLAF RUPP & DEREK SHIRLEY & HANNES LINGENS – LIVE AT UMLAUT FESTIVAL (CDR by Edition Uqbar)
A live recording from the Umlaut Festival, made on September 24 in 2010 by Olaf Rupp on acoustic guitar, Derek Shirley on cello and Hannes Lingens on drums. They have been playing in various duo’s but not as a trio. No rehearsals were done, and they three played a twenty-five minutes, here released in its entire length. Obviously a work of improvisation, just like one would expect from such players doing no rehearsals. Rupp’s style is best recognized by me, as I heard some of his previous releases and seeing him play live a couple of times. All three of them use a ‘reduced’ playing, carefully placing their notes on the table, listening to what the others are doing, responding carefully to what the others are doing. They never go for the ‘all-out’ playing but keep playing in the reduced style, without being silent. Their methods of improvisation remain conventional – all three instruments sound as they are supposed to be and not like resonating electro-acoustic boxes. A fine work, and perhaps a pity its only twenty-five minutes. The release, in an edition of 80, has a square cover of 16,5 times 16,5 centimeter which is cut out of a collage by Michal Fuchs, and makes up for an all around fine release. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hanneslingens.de
SAM PETTIGREW – DOMESTIC SMEAR (CDR by Avant Whatever)
After I heard the CDR I read the press text. Then I double checked wether I heard matched with what I read. I read that Sam Pettigrew is a double bass player, using vibrators, plastics, metals, hearing devices and ipod, but what I heard sounded like a drone affair, low humming, without a lot of variation, but in a nice way remembering of Alvin Lucier, especially in the opening piece ‘Truly’. Pettigrew is part of the Australian improvised music scene and has played with Jim Denley, Dale Gorfinkel and Toshimaru Nakamaru. As you can imagine I think this is a pretty strange release of rattling sounds, vibrating on a large resonating box that seem to be working at its best when played loud and it makes everything in your space vibrate too (although it may cause trouble with the neighbors). A very consistent release with each piece ending in a few minutes of sheer silence. Excellent release for all those Lucier fans – I am one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.avantwhatever.com
BLACK CRACKER – INCISIONS (CDR by It’ll Be Awesome)
YONG YAND SEN & ABDUL AZIZ & THIERRY MONNIER – 20TH APRIL 2011, INDICINE KLPAC (CDR by Herbal International)
It’ll Be Awesome is a new label from Sydney who want to present ‘other/exploratory/other/experimental/other/improvised/other/other/other music and sound out there (down here)’ and the first release has music by Black Cracker, which is new for me, but has Rishin Singh on trombone and Jon Watts on mixer. A limited edition of 100 copies. The music is nice but doesn’t come as a big surprise. Black Cracker sound like a lot of current improvisers: the trombone is treated like an electro-acoustic device in which you blow but also create many other sounds usually not derived from that instrument, while the mixer buzzes and crackles, even produces block like sounds that could be called a ‘rhythm’, but its never far away from what we know no-input mixers should produce. Occasionally things are a bit louder than what is usual, but maybe its because this is a live recording? It doesn’t say on the cover though and the loudness is perhaps the one thing that sets this apart from the usual suspects in this scene, but is it enough I wonder?
Very much along similar lines is a trio of Yong Yand Sen on tenor saxophone, Abdul Aziz on electric bas and Thierry Monnier on tapes, electric guitar and effect pedals. April 20th of last year they performed at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center. I never heard of these musicians either. They also play carefully and a slightly noise rock edge, sans the drums. But there is feedback too, plucking the bass, and exploration of the instruments. Its hard to say, but it seems like this is too much in an embryonic stage to fully work well. Maybe the concert was really good when it took place, but on CDR, cut away from time and space I must say it didn’t do much for me. These players should take more risks, go out all the way and not be shy in producing something that will stir up the others too. Now everybody is too careful. (FdW)
Address: http://itllbeawesome.bandcamp.com
Address: http://herbalinternational.blogspot.com/