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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 516
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week 10
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Vital Weekly, the webcast: as an experiment
for the time being, we offering a weekly webcast, freely to download.
This can be regarded as the audio-supplement to Vital Weekly.
Presented as a radioprogramm with excerpts of just some of the
CDs (no vinyl or MP3) reviewed. It will remain on the site for
a limited period (most likely 2-4 weeks). Download the file
to your MP3 player and enjoy!
complete tracklist here: http://www.vitalweekly.net/podcast.html
you can subscribe to the weekly broadcast using the following
rss feed:
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New broadcasts will be sent directly when uploaded. For more information
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podcasts go here: http://ipodder.sourceforge.net/
* noted are in this week's podcast
DEAR READERS - A FAREWELL (Small info text
by Roel Meelkop)
TRANSFOLMER - MUSIC FOR YOUR EYES (CD-R by ESC.REC)
GLUID - GLUID (CD-R by ESC.REC)
MICHAEL THIEKE & UNUNUNIUM - WHERE SHALL I FLY NOT TO BE SAD,
MY DEAR? (CD by Charhizma)
MARTIN TETREAULT & YOSHIHIDE OTOMO - 4.HMMM (Cd by Ambiances
Magnétiques)
ANDREW LILES - IN MY FATHERS HOUSE THERE ARE MANY MANSIONS(CD
by Forth Dimension) *
GJÖLL - WAY THROUGH ZERO (Cd by Ant-Zen Recordings)
THE UNIREVERSE - PLAYS THE MUSIC (CD by No Type) *
VLASTISLAV MATOUSEK - SHAPES OF SILENCE (CD by Nextera) *
LETHE - CATASTROPHE POINT #6 (CD by Lethe Voice) *
VESSEL - PICTURELAND 01 (LP by Pictureland)
LACHRYMOSE ONE/SANSAVA - SOMETIMES A SENSE OF REALISM CREEPS IN/UNTITLED
(7' by Distraction Records) *
DRESSED IN WIRES - THE BIG BLACK COCK OF DEATH EP (12" by
Distraction Records) *
FLIM - POLA MUSIC (CDR by Two Sheets Portrait) *
DARREN TATE - THE ELVES ARE COMING (CDR by Twenty Hertz) *
PAUL BRADLEY & CRIA CUERVOS - MORAINES (CDR by Twenty Hertz)
*
MASAYA SASAKI - PICNIC PLAN (MP3 by Minus N) *
DEAR READERS - A FAREWELL (Small info text
by Roel Meelkop)
After eight years of writing irregularly for this highly appreciated
magazine, the time has come for me to say goodbye. Workload at
my 'official' job is accumulating in such a way that I do not
see fit to keep doing this gratifying (but gratis) work any longer.
I would like to thank all of you for reading this magazine and
of course all the artists and labels for submitting their work
to my opinion. This Vital Weekly will publish my last reviews.
(MR)
Address: info@r0m.nl
TRANSFOLMER - MUSIC FOR YOUR EYES (CD-R
by ESC.REC)
GLUID - GLUID (CD-R by ESC.REC)
This is not music that crosses these pages regularly: the best
description is probably symphonic pop (?). Transfolmer is an artist
with many capacities and that may well be his biggest problem.
Explanation: his music is so rich in texture, ambience and sound
palette, that most people will turn away after three songs, simply
because they cannot follow the subtle meanderings of this work.
And yes, that is a problem for many. Looking at it from the opposite
way, this work is an enchanting journey into a world so personal
yet inviting that anyone with enough open-mindedness and some
patience will get lost in its intricacies without any doubt. Difficult?
Not at all! Easy listening? No way! Hhhhmmm........ Okay, here
we go: acoustic guitars, field recordings, lyrics, electronic
manipulations etc. etc. A bit long maybe, but just order.
Now this is something to put into the player and then think: NO
WAY! This guy has worked with sounds recorded by someone else
(all of them acoustic, mind you) and turned it into something
completely lounge ambient whatever thingy. How does this guy have
the nerve to treat field recordings in such a way??? This is done
so incredibly well that I will not use too much words any more...
Put this on and forget about pretentious arty farty nitwits who
think they know where it's at. This could possibly open up your
ears in an unexpected way. But again this could have been shorter...
(MR)
Address: http://www.escrec.com
MICHAEL THIEKE & UNUNUNIUM - WHERE SHALL
I FLY NOT TO BE SAD, MY DEAR? (CD by Charhizma)
A debut from one of Thieke's many projects. Thieke is a german
improvisor who lives in Berlin and Rome. With this new cd Thieke
brings together the best from both worlds. Unununium is a quartet
of Derek Shirley on bass, Eric Schaefer on drums, Luca Venitucci
on accordion and prepared piano, plus Michael Thieke on alto clarinet,
alto saxophone and zither. They play jazz in a non-jazz manner.
Meaning no swing? In a way surely yes, but it depends how you
look at it. They play in a 'less is more'- style and succeed in
being very effective that way. The music is full of humor, pleasantly
(un)pretentious and poetic, which make this a very sympathetic
quartet. The playing is fresh and pure. Some pieces are built
upon a very straight rhythm, and because of the odd instrumentation
they remind me of some of Steve Beresford's projects like 49 Americans
and The Alterations. Just listen to 'Fünf Treppen' or 'Der
Idiot'. The prepared piano and little percussion sound as children
toy-instruments. 'Nach aussen gewölbte Mönche' - what
a tittle! - has Unununium at their most energetic and hectic level.
The music jumps from one corner to another. Here the music really
takes of. But this quartet has also another side. Pieces like
'Portnoy' and 'Mmm' are spheric improvisations that are investigations
in soundcollage and texture. Also most of the other pieces move
slowly forward built on little motives that are repeated over
and over, but not literally. In the case of 'Ein Käfer werden'
the music is to introspective, and fails to catch attention from
beginning to the end. Considered as a whole the music on this
cd is clearly structured and transparent. The players make up
a good team and share the same musical vision and way of playing.
They have everything under control. Schaefer is a great drummer,
known from other projects with Thieke as well (Nickendes Perlgras).
Luca Venitucci on accordion and prepared piano was the greatest
surprise for me. But the best thing you can do is to surprise
yourself with this cd. It is worth it. (DM)
Address: http://www.charhizma.com/
MARTIN TETREAULT & YOSHIHIDE OTOMO -
4.HMMM (Cd by Ambiances Magnétiques)
Another cd from this notorious duo. If I'm not mistaken, their
first collaboration dates from 1999 - the cd '21 situations;.
In 2003 they toured together through Europe. At the end of this
tour they recorded in Montréal "Studio-Analogique-Numérique",
released as three mini-cds. The tour itself is documented in a
series of 4 cds (!) of which now the fourth cd is released. This
collaboration must have been a very important experience for both
gentlemen, as it is so extensively made available. If you know
this duo from one of these earlier releases they do not need further
introduction. Once again we find them behind their turntables
from which they extract the most extreme noises. This 'music'
is far beyond all categories and standards that normally define
music: its noise concrète. Very physical. It fascinates
because of the radical approach and offers the opportunity of
experiencing the beauty of noises and sounds. Well, if you are
in the right disposition of course. (DM)
Address: http://www.actuellecd.com/
ANDREW LILES - IN MY FATHERS HOUSE THERE
ARE MANY MANSIONS(CD by Forth Dimension)
Andrew Liles has had a busy year; only recently his collaborations
with Daren Tate (Without Season Parts I-IV) and Tony Wakeford
(Cups In Cupboards) were released. Add to this his recent brilliant
solo CD Mother Goose's Melodies Or Sonnets From The Cradle featuring
narration by England's most favorite eccentric Lord Bath, plus
several projects (including one with Steve Stapleton) lined up
and you have a very busy man. In fact so busy, that his latest
CD is a remix project. On this poetically entitled disc (Liles
loves his titles) we find a host of well-known Liles-friends such
as Paul Bradley, Colin Potter, Jonathan Coleclough, Bass Communion,
Aranos, Darren Tate, Irr. App., Hafler Trio, Nurse With Wound,
Vidna Obmana and Freiband paying aural tribute to the man. Each
of these artists re-work one of Liles tunes with often-impressive
results. At times the mixes remain close to the original gentle
collages (like the mixes by Bradley or the very recognizable piano
theme Potter uses) or more like soundscapes such as the tracks
by Coleclough, Tate, Nurse With Wound (a Soliloquy no less) and
Bass Communion. Ruse and The Hafler Trio deliver trademark, more
abstract versions and Freiband submits, compared to the other
tracks, the noisiest piece of them all. It is interesting to note
that as much as these tracks are made by individual artists with
individual styles, this CD still sounds as a coherent project,
which makes for enjoyable listening and is probably why this is
released under the name Andrew Liles. Another intriguing and highly
enjoyable addition to the already impressive Liles-catalogue.
(FK)
Address: http://www.adverse-effect.com
GJÖLL - WAY THROUGH ZERO (Cd by Ant-Zen
Recordings)
Extreme music seems like a flowering part of the culture in the
Northern parts of Scandinavia. Norway was in the forefront of
the early black metal, just like Sweden was pioneering the death
metal-scene from the late eighties forward. Also in the territories
of harsh electronic music, Scandinavia has been well going, thanks
to the Swedish Industrial legendary label Cold Meat Industry.
Icelandic project Gjöll (featuring members from different
Grindcorebands such as Forgardur Helvitis) demonstrates with this
debut release out on Ant Zen Recordings that the island from the
very North of Scandinavia also knows how to push the boundaries
of the musical sound. The album titled "Way through zero"
is a conceptual work that focuses on the dark sides of human nature.
What we are dealing with here is the sound of one man's mental
state developing from depression to aggression until, the force
of self-awareness tries to defeat the man's soul of darkness.
The musical expression of the album describes this mental development
in a quite impressive way. "Way though zero" are divided
into five parts. All parts are untitled since they more likely
describe the different steps of mental development. First part
opens with deep rumbling low frequency drones first of all reminiscent
of Coil's explorations into harsh electronics on the album "Constant
shallowness leads to evil", and the warning printed on the
"Constant shallowness."-disc saying "May cause
drowsiness - do not play while driving or operating machinery"
could well be used on this 7-minutes opening track. Second track
works more energetic with ritually mid-tempo rhythm textures and
freezing sounds like the outbursts of an electronic processed
didgeridoo. The feeling of something waiting to explode lies underneath
the surface of this second track. And things certainly happens
as third part of the album takes over. Symbolizing the shift from
subdued depression to driving aggression, pure hatred comes to
expression and hell breaks loose as harsh waves of evil drones
penetrates. On the first two tracks the voice of a man getting
more and more frustrated lied somewhere in the sonic expression.
On this third track the voice changes from angry to furious as
the voice are sucked into aural machinery reminiscent of Swedish
Power Electronics-maestro Brighter Death Now. After this exercise
in sonic extremity fourth track sneaks slowly up. Subtle, almost
inaudible drones of isolation symbolises the mental state of pensiveness.
A whispering voice assists to build the feeling of tranquillity.
Fifth and final track, with its 19 minutes being the longest track,
returns back to the more dramatic expression with buzzing noise
drones bouncing back and forth in approx. 12 minutes until atmospheric
ambient sounds of suppression brilliantly describes the man's
desperate attempt to break the circle of viciousness. Whether
he succeeds to break loose is questionable, since the ambience
nicely balances between a feeling of relief and endless depression.
Judged by the sonic expression the ending of the story is open
for the listener to interpret. Never the less this is an excellent
thematic exploration into the dark sides of human souls. A quite
unusual album in the Ant Zen-sphere, because of its sonic introspective
character. Highly recommended! (NMP)
Address: http://www.ant-zen.com
THE UNIREVERSE - PLAYS THE MUSIC (CD by
No Type)
And oh yes, I do like popmusic. People sometimes ask if I do play
'normal' music, and I state that all music is normal, but that
by some definition I also like regular popmusic. So, yes, I do
like The Unireverse, an all Moog trio of Alex Moskos (ex member
of the experimental rock band Kubelka), Brian Damage (ex member
of Phycuss) and Micheal Caffery (of Daydream Square and ex member
of Beautifuzz), and they are from Canada, in case these band names
don't mean a thing. They play way-out strange covers of popmusic.
I did recognize 'U Feel Love', but 'Tomorrow Never Knows' is really
something different than the highly respected original. Retro
is written all over this release. The Unireverse play four covers
in total, besides the two already mentioned, also 'Transparent
Radiation' (Red Krayola) and the infamous 'Brainticket' by Brainticket
(and perhaps better known as the cover that Nurse With Wound did
as 'Brained By Fallen Masonry'). The originals are hidden in there,
but The Unireverse stretch things out to incredible length, moving
the pieces into different areas, a large space jam. In between
they have short compositions of their own making, which are great
bridges between the tracks. My favorites are the Donna Summer
and Brainticket ones. Prog-rock is written all over, but it has
surely a nice twist all around. Excellent stuff to scare off those
who sanctify the originals and impress new friends with something
entirely 'new and exciting'. Just simply great, witty and to cherish.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.electrocd.com
VLASTISLAV MATOUSEK - SHAPES OF SILENCE
(CD by Nextera)
With their recent releases, Nextera moves towards a form of ambient
music that is very closely linked to the world of New Age music.
If you know that 'Shapes Of Silence' is an electro-acoustic composition
for Tibetan bowls, pipes, percussion, sound objects and the singing
fountain of the Royal Summer Palace of Queen Anne in Prague, then
you may have an idea, what I am talking about. But just as much
with say Oophoi, Nextera gets away with it, since Vtastslav Matousek
crafts a nice piece together. Matousek has a Ph D in music, and
is especially busy with ethnological instruments, Czech folk music
but (luckily) also in the alternative rock areas. 'Shapes Of Silence'
has five pieces over relatively dark drones (I assume out of processing
the sound of Tibetan bowls) and field recordings of water splashing
around which were really nice, but the pieces that were lighter
with shakuhachi playing made with raise an eyebrow and thinking
that the new age is never far away. Occasionally there is a higher
pitched sound however that rescues the music from falling over
in the pit-holes of new age (which you must have guessed is something
I don't like). This saves this release and still keeps it in the
right musical areas, save for an occasional glitch. A nice ambient
release for those who know what to expect. Although I normally
don't do this, I must admit that the art work of the recent Nextera
releases is not really that nice and looks a quite cheap. With
limited means one could make something much nicer, I think. (FdW)
Address: http://www.nextera.cz
LETHE - CATASTROPHE POINT #6 (CD by Lethe
Voice)
Kiyoharu Kuwayama aka Lethe from Nagoya is a man that is not often
reviewed in Vital Weekly, perhaps simply because there aren't
that many of his releases. In Nagoya he has a small studio under
the subway bridge, filled with all sorts of self-built instruments
and machinery, and creates much of what he does through methods
of improvisation. However for 'Catastrophe Point #6', Lethe went
to Lausanne in Switzerland where he stayed a month to record this
piece (in two parts) at a place called Arsenic. It's not easy
to describe the music of Lethe. With his violin or cello pieces
it was easier, since you could say it was related to drone music
in a modern classical way, but the two pieces here it's less obvious
drone related but on the other hand it is. I know that sounds
a bit of a contradiction, but with the pieces or objects that
fall towards the floor, in combination with a rich amount (perhaps
sometimes a big too rich) of reverb, creates an open architectural
atmosphere that in a way is hugely organic, taking the listener
to different spheres. It's hard to tell what the sound sources
are, other than a vague suggestion of stuff falling on the floor
or perhaps the amplified sound of chemical dropping on a metal
plate. The cover, a nice printed hardboard A4 sized print suggest
something like that. This is music to take in on a low volume
in a darkened room. It will have an effect of disturbance as much
as it relaxes the listener. Quite nice altogether. (FdW)
Address: http://www.lethe-voice.com/kk
VESSEL - PICTURELAND 01 (LP by Pictureland)
There are people that swear by vinyl and how it's best thing for
music of the likes of Vessel, aka Gavin Toomey (see also Vital
Weekly 363 and 489), but for me there is not much difference,
although I would tend to prefer on it CD. Easy to carry around,
but hey me no DJ, so what do I know? The music by Vessel has been
released previously by Expanding Records, which might give a clue
in which musical corner Vessel is lurking about: the more intelligent
forms of techno related music, with a strong dose of melancholic
chords on a bunch of software synths. Noted before is that his
music is a bit more mellow that some of his country men (as this
music seems to be damm English, or perhaps nothing else lands
here?), less forceful and perhaps a bit more dramatic, such as
the opener of side two. The unfortunate thing is this music seems
to me a bit at the point of a dead end. How many more melancholic
chords over broken beats can one play? Where is the innovation
that will elegantly push this forward? Time is ready for it. (FdW)
Address: http://www.picturelandrecords.com
LACHRYMOSE ONE/SANSAVA - SOMETIMES A SENSE
OF REALISM CREEPS IN/UNTITLED (7' by Distraction Records)
DRESSED IN WIRES - THE BIG BLACK COCK OF DEATH EP (12" by
Distraction Records)
Just when I thought I could pin down the Distraction Records label
as one of the many nice small 7" labels for electronic music
they surprise me with their latest releases. Lacrymose One is
a band around singer songwriter Richard Mark Warren and their
'Sometimes A Sense Of Realism' is a slow but heavy rock song that
breaks out into some heavy guitar work. I must admit that I thought
'nice, but not my thing', but maybe that's because this kind of
'alternative' rock is never so my thing. Sansava on the other
side have an untitled track with spacey guitars, brushes that
cymbals and a spacey voice. A bit Sigur Ros like, but unfortunately
the format of a 7" doesn't work too well for this. It should
be longer.
The first release on 12" is a picture disc by Simondo Topless,
aka Dressed In Wires. Not just another format, but also a different
style for Distraction Records - again. This is electronica, but
that's about it as far it goes with the previous 7"s. No
smooth, melancholic keyboards here, but garage punk played on
a laptop. From hardcore breakbeats, chaos, mayhem, feedback, singing
and with the second piece on the first side even a momentum quietness.
It's certainly one spin loud at parties and drive the audience
insane, but altogether a bit much to play just at home, I think.
Unless you need a good wake-up call. (FdW)
Address: http://www.distractionrecords.com
FLIM - POLA MUSIC (CDR by Two Sheets Portrait)
As I listen to Flim's 'Pola Music' I look outside. Last night
it snowed, which in The Netherlands is a rare thing for March.
It means that during the day much of it melts away and perhaps
it will start snowing again tonight. As said, inside with the
heather on and the CD player chewing Flim's 'Pola Music', and
the music sounds very much like the weather conditions outside.
Field recordings, sparse piano tones, something that could be
a harmonium of some kind. Small pieces of music which Enrico Wuttke
recorded onto minidisc over the course of years. Sketches, ideas,
melting away like snow. In the final piece 'Fnäh', which
lasts thirty minutes (!, whereas the others lasts about 1 or 2
minutes), everything melts together. It's the only multitrack
piece on this CD, but it carries throughout the same sparseness
in sound that is elegantly present in the short pieces on this
CD. Warm, intimate music that fills the atmosphere around in a
beautiful way. It will be cold outside for a while, but the snow
will melt away. It will be warm inside, but it will stay warm
for a while. (FdW)
Address: http://www.flimmusic.com
DARREN TATE - THE ELVES ARE COMING (CDR
by Twenty Hertz)
PAUL BRADLEY & CRIA CUERVOS - MORAINES (CDR by Twenty Hertz)
These two releases on Twenty Hertz both deal with a collaboration,
even when one just says Darren Tate on the cover. His release,
'The Elves Are Coming' consists of him playing guitar and keyboard
whilst in the background there is a field recording by Daisuke
Suzuki. It was mixed in two days in early january of this year
and, although it is never stated, it's probably recorded then
also, as the whole thing has a very direct, almost 'live' feel
to it. The guitar sometimes just 'hums' and seems not to be doing
much, while we hear sounds of someone shuffling about in what
seems to me a wooden cabin of some sort. It's the sort of ambient
drone music that is not necessarily demanding much, more like
a sort of coincidental colliding of sound particles. That may
sound perhaps a bit too easy, but it's this apparent randomness
that is quite nice.
Marked as a 'real' collaboration is Twenty Hertz boss Paul Bradley
and Eugenio Maggi, aka Cria Cuervos from Italy. Their collaboration
is a much tighter work, more strictly composed in the world of
ambient drone music. Deep bass hum starts the piece, and then
little by little they add their own blend of field recordings,
working slowly their way into a mighty crescendo and then again
as slowly again towards the end, taking the sound down. Probably
it's because of the Cria Cuervos influence, but it sounds a tad
more ambient industrial here and there than some of Paul Bradley's
other work. That is nice, since it breaks away a bit from the
more 'traditional' drone works on Twenty Hertz, even when as such
the music doesn't open a new path in that particular field of
music. But all in all it's a good solid work from these two. (FdW)
Address: http://www.twentyhertz.co.uk
MASAYA SASAKI - PICNIC PLAN (MP3 by Minus
N)
Usually there is some information at the website of Minus N with
their releases, but not so in Masaya Sasaki's case. Just a few
words, more like poetic statements and that's it. There is however
another difference too. Up until now most of the Minus N releases
worked around some form of rhythm, either dub, techno or some
such, but Sasaki plays a different tune. The first two tracks
are sine wave like pieces, moving slowly around in circles. A
bit like Alvin Lucier would do. Great pieces actually. Then comes
the title piece, which also a sine wave but one that is hovering
somewhere at the lower end of the spectrum, but there is a bunch
of rhythmic particles floating around it. Sampled sine waves chopped
up in to small bits. The final piece is 'Motion 8', and that sort
of break the release. A much clearer keyboard piece with a straight
4/4 rhythm. It perhaps works nice as a counter piece, but for
me it breaks the austerity of the first three pieces and as far
as I'm concerned it could have been not on there. Otherwise thumbs
up! (FdW)
Address: http://www.minusn.com
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All written by Frans de Waard (FdW), The Square Root Of Sub (MP
<sub@xs4all.nl>), Dolf Mulder (DM) <dolf.mulder@hetnet.nl>,
Meelkop Roel (MR), Gerald
Schwartz (GS), Niels Mark Pedersen (NMP), Henry Schneider (SH),
Jeff
Surak (JS), TJ Norris (TJN), Gregg Kowlaksky (GK), Craig N (CN),
Boban Ristevski (BR), Maurice Woestenburg (MW), Toni Dimitrov
(TD <info@fakezine.tk>), Chris Jeely (CJ) and others on
a less regular basis.
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the complete archive of Vital Weekly (1-494) can be found at: http://staalplaat.com/vital/