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VITAL WEEKLY
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number 684
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week 26
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Vital Weekly, the webcast: we offering a
weekly webcast, freely to download. This can be regarded as the
audio-supplement to Vital Weekly. Presented as a radioprogramm
with excerpts of just some of the CDs (no vinyl or MP3) reviewed.
It will remain on the site for a limited period (most likely 2-4
weeks). Download the file to your MP3 player and enjoy!
complete tracklist here: http://www.vitalweekly.net/podcast.html
before submitting material please read this
carefully: http://www.vitalweekly.net/fga.html
Submitting material means you read this and approve of this.
* noted are in this week's podcast. We finally have a feed again. 1000x times to Maximillian for his endless patience & help. Its here: http://www.vitalweekly.net/podcast.xml
Editorial news: we have decided to stop reviewing MP3 releases. Please do not send any discs with MP3 releases. Just send me an e-mail with a link and a short description, so people can download it. The amount of releases pile up every week and I can no longer devote time to MP3s. Whatever you see coming in the next few weeks are the last ones. Please do not send anymore. Also: releases that do not contain the original artwork will most likely be no longer reviewed. The real thing is necessary for a real judgment. If you wish to send us not the real thing, please contact us first. <vital@vitalweekly.net>
SETH NEHIL - FLOCK & TUMBLE (CD by Sonoris)
EISUKE YANAGISAWA - SCENERY OF WATER (CD by Gruenrekorder)
MIRAK TWELVE (Compilation CD by Hymen Records)
JOY VON SPAIN - LADY LAZARUS (CD by The Scatological Liberation
Front)
FRANZ HAUTZINGER & BERTRAND GAUGUET & THOMAS LEHN - CLOSE
UP (CD by Monotype Records)
THE DIVISION - MANTRAS (CD by Lens Records)
FEEDING THE TRANSMITTER (CD by Amp Bit<if//go)
RANDALL HALL - THE PASSAGE BETWEEN (CD by Innova)
NEIL ROLNICK - THE ECONOMIC ENGINE (CD by Innova)
NARTHEX - FORMNCTION (CD by Potlatch)
PHOSPOR - 11 (CD by Potlatch)
NOVELLER - PAINT ON THE SHADOWS (LP by No Fun Productions)
ZAIMPH - DEATH BLOOMING PLEASURE (LP by No Fun Productions)
ALLEIN LUDDITE - MUSIQUE POUR PERSONNE (CDR by Ambolthue Records)
THE WJIIK ANIMAL PROJECT - LIVE AT NIU (3" CDR by Ambolthue
Records)
JON WESSELTOFT - UNDER A TROPICAL MOON (3" CDR by Ambolthue
Records)
BILLY GOMBERG & JAN KEES HELMS - ANYPARK (CDR by Lor Teeps)
UNTITLED FOLDER - LABEL COMPILATION (CDR by Untitled Folder)
FOR KINGS AND QUEENS - ONE DAY I DISCOVERED A DREAMACHINE (CDR
by Subterranean Sonic)
KRK - ACOUASM (CDR by Acheulian Handaxe)
MATT SCHOEMAKER - THE SUNKEN PLETHORA CONSUMES ALL (CDR by Mystery
Sea)
BLANK DISC & JONAS KOCHER (CDR, private)
KASPAR VON URBACH - THE LAST LAUGH (CDR by Klang Und Krach)
BIRDS BUILD NESTS UNDERGROUND - COLD DREAMS (CDR by Klang Und
Krach)
ANONYMEYE - THE DISAMBIGUATION OF ANONYMEYE (CDR by Sound &
Fury)
FELICITY MANGAN - LIMETORM (CDR by Sound & Fury)
PEFKIN - ZUGUNRUHE (CDR by Sound & Fury)
HEIL SPIRITS - TRACING NEW SWORDS FROM CHASING OBLIVION AND OTHER
COLLECTED SKETCHES (CDR by Sound & Fury)
CRANK IGLOO (CDR by XVP)
JEFF REHNLUND - EMPTY GLOVE POINTING (cassette by XVP)
GEHIRN.IMPLOSION - ALLUMFASSENDER UNKONTROLLIERBARER SOG (CDR
by Tosom)
COREPHALLISM (3inch CDR by Apop Records & Lascivious Aesthetics)
TOMAS KORBER & PHILIP JULIAN - HERBE ZEITEN (3"CDR by
Con-V)
POLDR - ROAMING DAYLIGHT (3"CDR by Faunasabbatha)
announcements
SETH NEHIL - FLOCK & TUMBLE (CD by Sonoris)
Throughout the years we have reviewed much of the work of Seth
Nehil, who belongs with people like JGrzinich and MNortham to
the main players of the US drone scene, which finds itself largely
based in field recordings, but also acoustic instruments and just
a little bit of electronics. All of this is collected and played
and then put together into pieces of music. Music that is not
easy to describe as it simply defies categorization, which is
always good (and difficult for such reviewers like me, who like
to use them). Partly we could say the music is improvised on the
side of the instruments, percussive mainly. Then afterwards, or
perhaps before hand, field recordings are put to it, something
set in a loop, although not always 'on', and sometimes dropping
out of the mix, in order to return later. If a word applies to
this music, then 'organic' would, I think, be appropriate. Organic
in the way the material is put together: from various sources,
but it seems to fit together like it always was. Organic also
in the sense of playing the instruments and the use of field recordings.
This leads to some pretty strong pieces of music, in which we
also recognize someone like Af Ursin or Yannick Dauby. Dense and
delicate. (FdW)
Address: http://www.sonoris.org
EISUKE YANAGISAWA - SCENERY OF WATER (CD
by Gruenrekorder)
Germany's Gruenrekorder is a label which releases all kinds of
experimental sound art, but field recordings have the main interest.
In some cases, such as here in 'Scenery Of Water', it deals with
pure and unprocessed sounds. Eisuke Yanagisawa hails from Kyoto,
and works as a field recordist since 2004. On this CD he has eleven
pieces from Vietnam, Myanmar and Japan. Somehow 'water' runs as
a theme through all of these pieces. What is there to say about
these recordings? Not much, I guess. There seems to an absence
of any human activity. Just outdoor sounds (well, and indoor,
such as in 'Bathroom'), and they are recorded well, if not a bit
soft, volume wise. It works well with headphones. Nice enough,
perhaps most engaging to those which places has visited. And where
as six pieces have been recorded in Kyoto - the only place I have
visited of the various locations here - I can't say I 'recognize'
anything. Might not be the necessary anyway. I guess for those
who love Chris Watson and want to seek out more alike. (FdW)
Address: http://www.gruenrekorder.de
MIRAK TWELVE (Compilation CD by Hymen Records)
Teknoir - the anniversary compilation from German label Hymen
Records from 1999, still stands as one of my all time favorite
electronic music compilations. The span of expressions on that
particular compilation was remarkable and made the whole trip
through the 2+ hours of playing time a true pleasure. Now ten
years later, the time has come to celebrate the twelfth anniversary
of Hymen Records. And then, what has happened in the meantime?
Stylishly there is a change from the dark and overall harsh expression
on Teknoir to this new double disc-compilation titled "Miwak
Twelve". As the long slowly soundscapes of opening track
on "Miwak twelve" titled "At the heart of it all"
from artist calling himself The_Empath sets in, the listener soon
gets the idea that there is quite a change in comparison to the
early years of the label, circa Teknoir. The tone on the opening
track is tranquilizing and dreamful in its nature with downbeat
rhythms and beautiful guitar strums weaved into otherworldly soundscapes.
Many other great moments are found on the "Miwak Twelve"-compilation:
Post-rock-inspired electronica from Nebulo on "Sunurb",
Ambient-oriented contributions from artists such as Dryft, Hecq
and the slightly more glitch-oriented Access To Arasaka. Chillout
electronics from Combustion and Jerome Chassagnard to the more
upfront and harsh moments from projects such as artists like HPC
and Mad EP Vs. Bryce Beverlyn II. Othercool moments comes from
Lowfish with his minimalist technoism and my favorite moment on
the entire compilation, being Christen Plum and his excellent
darkside-oriented breakbeat-track Capstone Switch. So many styles
on the compilation, though quite a few contributions floats in
the breakbeat-oriented spheres. Miwak Twelve is a superb and highly
entertaining compilation ranking on the same quality level as
the Teknoir-compilation. Unquestionably this will end up as one
of this year's greatest compilations of electronic music, if you
ask me! (NM)
Address: http://www-hymen-records.com/
JOY VON SPAIN - LADY LAZARUS (CD by The
Scatological Liberation Front)
Present album from the Washington-based composer Joy Spainhower
offers a truely unique and unheard sound experience with its combination
of classical music and contemporary noise. Musically the compositions
of the album titled "Lady lazarus" moves in stylistic
sound spheres of opera, orchestral music and acoustic noise and
digital noise. What differs the composer from similar projects
is the talented and strong female vocals sometimes sung in opera-styles
and other times in hostile expressions reminiscent of Diamanda
Galas. A good example of the originality of the album is the seventh
piece titled "Entrance of duga" opening with cinematic
orchestral music but slowly and discreetly, via the sound of horn
instruments, transformed into harsh expressions of crushing power
electronics. "Lady lazarus" is the second album from
the artist, but with this original approach to "classical
avantgarde meets noise music", there are certainly foundations
for a proper CD-release from Joy Von Spain. Hope it will come!
(NM)
Address: http://www.scatologicalliberationfront.org/
FRANZ HAUTZINGER & BERTRAND GAUGUET
& THOMAS LEHN - CLOSE UP (CD by Monotype Records)
If you want, you can book this trio. It says on the cover. It
means that this is an ongoing affair for these solid improvisers.
Thomas Lehn, the well-known player of analogue synthesizer, teams
up with Franz Hautzinger (quartertone trumpet, electronic devices)
and the person whom I think is new to me: Bertrand Gauguet on
alto and soprano saxophones. The recordings were made in concert,
one early 2007, one early 2008. As you can imagine this is a work
of total improvisation, but its in capable hands. The three play
very good, sometimes heavily controlled, such as a major section
in 'Close Up 2', with long sustaining tones, but also more chaotic
and uncontrolled - relying on the free jazz approach - in the
two pieces around it. Hautzinger and Gauguet play the instruments
as objects, producing all sorts of tones and notes and not in
the regular way as these instruments should be played. That's
nice enough but my personal favorite is that second piece. Slow,
minimal, changing, moving and intense, with what seems to be a
leading part for Lehn's synthesizer. In the third part this is
continued but with outbursts of free play. That's a fine mixture
too. The opening piece didn't do that for me. Quite nice indeed.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.monotyperecords.com
THE DIVISION - MANTRAS (CD by Lens Records)
Before his solo career, Matthew Schultz has been the founder of
the industrial project Lab Report that was established in the
late 80's. In 2003, Matthew Schultz began his solo career with
the album "Foundscapes" that belongs to the dark ambient
scene. The same can partly be said about this latest effort from
the artist, though this first part of a trilogy ranges wider than
just pure ambient. Taking its starting point in the aforementioned
Division-trilogy, present album has the specific title "Mantras"
and very much takes its inspiration in ancient cultures of the
east. Thus there is much eastern rituality around the album: Where
the opening part of the album circulates in dark ambient-spheres,
ritual beats slowly appears as the album develops, adding a great
mysterious and alluring atmosphere of eastern culture. As the
album reaches the end, Matthew Schultz once more takes us back
into drifting ambience. Excellent album! (NM)
Address: http://www.lensrecords.com/
FEEDING THE TRANSMITTER (CD by Amp Bit<if//go)
While listening to music I try to avoid doing too many other things,
but then I am not looking at the cover all the time. So it happened
that I was listening to this compilation while eating and thinking
at one point: all the time this is playing this has been nice
electronic music. Lots of crackling, micro techno ambient glitch
or whatever you could call this lot of modern electronica, but
then it also dawned on me that I never wanted to get because a
particular track stirred my interest that much that I wanted to
know the name of the creator. Is that odd? Perhaps not. Perhaps
its not easy to surprise this listener that much anymore, and
perhaps its a certain fatigue. On a track by one Mats Twunky sounded
out of place, with its slightly distorted ambient drone, which
sounded odd, not bad. Included otherwise are Micheal Santos, Ocp,
Maps And Diagrams, Poborsk, Autistici, Pleq Ninestein, Dy, Sinusodial
and others. Some of these names you may recognize from releases
on 12K, Static Caravan, Audiobulb or Baskaru, which means this
is not just a compilation of second rate copycats that didn't
get anywhere. This is surely one fine compilation with no stand
out pieces, but then also no pieces that let the listener down.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.ampbitifgo.co.uk
RANDALL HALL - THE PASSAGE BETWEEN (CD by
Innova)
NEIL ROLNICK - THE ECONOMIC ENGINE (CD by Innova)
Randall Hall is a saxophonist, composer and improviser with a
classical education.
His performances range from classical music, to avant garde and
improvised music. He debuted with 'Neither Proud nor Ashamed'
on the Innova label that now makes his second album possible:
'The Passage Between'. The CD contains six works, most of them
composed by Hall himself. 'Carnivore' is the opening work that
is a real blow. A live recorded improvisation for saxophone and
electronic effects. A very aggressive and rough piece. A smash
in the face.
To be followed by 'Neuf etudes, Cahier 1' composed by Tunisian
composer Christian Lauba. A work in four parts where each part
concentrates on one extended technique. It is the only work on
this CD where improvisation plays no role. 'Three Reflections
on Eternity' is a totally free improvised work in three parts
by Hall playing baritone saxophone and Jonathan Kirk who processes
the sax-improvisations through electronic devices. Again a work
that comes very close to you whether you like it or not. This
is an extraordinary collaboration. Kirk in way maximizes and intensifies
the playing by Hall, creating a massive and emotional experience.
Great!
'The Passage Between' is for saxophone and prerecorded tape. On
the tape are manipulated sounds of heartbeats and early vocalizations
from his children. Accompanied by Hall's sax improvisations the
piece evocates the process of life before and after birth. An
almost meditative first part escalates halfway in very brute part
(birth) and then enters away more well-balanced territories of
life. 'Quelque chose que mon pere a tunu a ses mains' is a very
personal and thoughtful work. This cd is absolutely a fantastic
next step by Hall who manages to create a very fruitful going
together of acoustic and electronics due to this strong musical
intuitions.
Four new works on the CD by Neil Rolnick. All of them are very
accessible and have a certain lightness over them. This is because
Rolnick makes no secret of the fact that he finds inspiration
in popular music. The titletrack 'The Economic Engine' attracts
most of the attention. A work in four parts played by the Todd
Reynolds String Quartet and the New York based ensemble Music
>From China. The String quartet is combined with traditional
instruments. Eastern and western sensibilities accommodate with
each other in a beautiful and respectful way. 'Hammer and Hair'
is performed by Todd Reynolds (violin) and Kathleen Spove (piano).
The piece entails many references to jazz, blues and popular music,
that are transposed here in the classical context of a sonata.
A pleasant work that leads us through differentes moods and tempers.
Like Randall, Rolnick also finds inspiration in his family life.
'Uptown Jump', performed by MAYA, a trio of flute, harp and percussion
is a percussive work with nice melodic lines breaking through
from time to time that sound very familiar. The closing piece
'Real Time' dates from 1983 and was released earlier on record.
It is played by the Hartt Contemporary Players, Neil Rolnick on
synklavier and Douglas Jackson as conductor. It starts in a Louis
Andriessen post-minimal style. It is all about the real time interaction
between chamber ensemble and computer generated sounds. Also this
early work shows that Rolnick enjoys citing and reworking themes
and motives from popular music. (DM)
Address: http://www.innova.mu/
NARTHEX - FORMNCTION (CD by Potlatch)
PHOSPOR - 11 (CD by Potlatch)
The French Potlatch label is a steady, strong force when it comes
to music that is improvised but also dealing with electronics
in one way or another. Rarely however they come as extreme as
Narthex with their oddly named 'Formnction' (the words 'form'
and 'function' pulled together?). It seems a more conceptual approach
to improvised music. Marc Baron and Loic Blairon plays saxophone
and double bass. They recorded six improvised pieces of thirty
minutes each and then selected the best moments, each of five
minutes in length, replaced their sounds (why?) with 1000 and
500 khz frequencies and this is what we hear. Two times thirty
minutes of lots of silence and occasional sine wave tones. Now,
don't get me wrong: I like the music a lot, but I am afraid I
don't understand the process to get there. It leaves some many
questions unanswered. Why don't straight away do an improvisation
with a bunch of sine waves and make something equally nice. Only
half way through the second piece there is suddenly something
that reminds us of the real instrument. A highly conceptual release,
quite nice, despite the fact that I didn't get the concept quite
right.
Perhaps a more conventional ground of improvisation is covered
by Phospor, which is something of an all star big band: Burkhard
Beins (percussion, objects, zither, small electronics), Axel Dörner
(trumpet, electronics), Robin Hayward (tuba), Annette Krebs (guitar,
objects, electronics, tape), Andrea Neumann (inside piano, mixing
board), Micheal Renkel (prepared acoustic nylon string via computer)
and Ignaz Schick (turntable, objects, bows). Germany's answer
to
Mimeo perhaps? I think we deal here with studio recordings of
the group, which were later mixed by various of the participants.
This is highly vibrant improvised music. Music that partly finds
its power in the use and abuse of traditional instruments but
also in the improvisational power of electro-acoustic music. At
times things are furious loud, chaotic and energetic, whereas
they also show how to pull back, ease on down and create introspective
moments such as in the opening of 'P9'. Hard to believe that at
these occasions there is also a large group at play. Excellent
work, this one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.potlatch.fr
NOVELLER - PAINT ON THE SHADOWS (LP by No
Fun Productions)
ZAIMPH - DEATH BLOOMING PLEASURE (LP by No Fun Productions)
The ubiquitous technologies mean that playing a CD is generally
no problem,
unlike vinyl which in this case means finding space and setting
up the relevant hardware in my studio has caused a delay. That's
my excuse. And of course whilst the newer technology has approached
a zenith the problem is just how long the digital media can be
relied on. With changing codec's and systems and the reliability
of storage or unreliability we face the prospect of one day being
virtually blind. At least with a vinyl the data can be seen as
well as heard which is more than a charm but a metaphysical statement
as to the universe being analogue rather than digital. A clear
clash of cultures - mathematics of the virtual Vs the plasticity
of the real. An LP is flesh and better flesh clad in vinyl - erotic
and festishizing, however here both LPs employ not noise but each
3 tracks of drone like continuums In being more delicate, Zaimph
(Marcia Bassett) employs guitar and vocal, Noveller (Sarah Lipstate)
again guitar as analogue is strangely delicate and ephemeral as
if the material itself is already something organic and found
before the cruelty of number. (jliat)
Address: http://www.nofunproductions.com/
ALLEIN LUDDITE - MUSIQUE POUR PERSONNE (CDR
by Ambolthue Records)
THE WJIIK ANIMAL PROJECT - LIVE AT NIU (3" CDR by Ambolthue
Records)
JON WESSELTOFT - UNDER A TROPICAL MOON (3" CDR by Ambolthue
Records)
Inhabiting the field - or more likely that industrial landscape
of dereliction itself an all too familiar metaphor for the failure
of modernity in all its guises- playing with what was once avant
garde or cutting edge - if not as obvious taking their victims/muses
from behind a la Deleuze these three works perhaps attempt a passing
slap, Musique pour Personne is 4 long tracks of noise/drone guitar,
track 1 fairly homogenous, 2 more chaotic cut ups 3 returns to
longer and deeper tones, 4 is more of a mix of low pitched feedback
bump and grinds. Whereas Live @ NIU has a very quiet start - splutters
and gasps towards the end of loud synth improv noise, by phased
industrial/electro noodlings some unidentified speech - grows
and develops!!! Synth oscillator manipulation appears out of the
industrial ghosts of the past- its only with the Wesseltoft a
more clear re-interpretation of the past is formed or deformed
in an indistinguishable single track of electric noise- occasional
representations of proto-rhythms but a general denial of content/concept
- excellent. (jliat)
Address: http://www.ambolthue.com/
BILLY GOMBERG & JAN KEES HELMS - ANYPARK
(CDR by Lor Teeps)
Recently the name Jan-Kees Helms popped up in Vital Weekly a couple
of times in the announcement section to announce exhibition in
Amersfoort, the Dutch city were he hails from. But his own musical
history goes back some twenty or so years, when he comes from
a political end of music (punk and beyond), with his own project
Little Seed and Lor Teeps. In the late 80s, early 90s an active
force in the worldwide experimental music scene. I also remember
seeing him playing a concert with waste materials from McDonalds.
Then he moved out of the picture a bit and since some time, he's
back, creating video's for which he asks others to compose music.
For an event dealing with city parks, he wanted to create a piece
of music using sounds from a park in New York City and from Amersfoort.
The result is part of an installation. I never heard of Billy
Gomberg, but he's from New York, where he recorded several parks.
The two composed two pieces together, and each has a solo piece
here. I hardly visit a park in Nijmegen, where I live, but perhaps
because the forest is quite nearby, so I can avoid places were
people are packed up to relax. We hear in these compositions people
talk, kids cheer, a dog bark, and far away sounds from the city.
In 'Anypark 1' it seems to me the American parks and in 'Anypark
2' the dutch ones. Gomberg and Helms both apply some processing
- a loop here and there, some equalization - but the original
sounds are always at the centre in the two collaborative pieces.
In the solo pieces is the other way round and things deal with
the processed environmental sounds almost exclusively. Maybe I
would have chosen a different order of the pieces, but that's
merely detail. Throughout its a very nice release, a major break
from the old Lor Teeps releases, but a fresh start also. (FdW)
Address: http://www.antenna.nl/deeez/muziek.html
UNTITLED FOLDER - LABEL COMPILATION (CDR
by Untitled Folder)
Untitled Folder is a web based sub label of Mikroton what I gather
is a Moscow based label / promoter of "mostly improvised
electroacoustic, electronic, computer.. (music) with potential
for conjuring brave new musical world" Information provided
was sketchy so I'm not sure if this "label" has subsequently
released a CDR or that this is just a hardcopy for review. A very
optimistic enterprise - although the brave new world of Huxley
is one of control, overcome by savagery. it might be that the
newly democratized USSR like the not so recently USA has avoided
the nihilism of Europe which might account for the misunderstandings
re - meaning. From what *here* seems like naive enthusiasm about
the experimentalism or the mistaken ideas re deconstruction and
popular culture. Claire Lumiere (Kurt Liedwart) 06/003 & SndIOerror
-(2 tracks of Lopezesque glitches across a lo-fi hum) - Dental
Meat (Kurt Liedwart/Serge Kolosov) - (2 more similar with chimes
etc swathed with reverb) Alexander Grishin / Kurt Liedwart Fünfundzwanzig
- (again similar with some stringed instrument ) Kurt Liedwart
/ Valery Posternak - (As before but we have someone speaking in
Russian? ) - so a kind of eclectics and avant whimsy from my position-
I'm uncertain of just where its located- as the bareness of minimalism
is confronted by the reverb and poetics? Leaves me puzzled. (jliat)
Address: http://www.mikroton.net/uf.html
FOR KINGS AND QUEENS - ONE DAY I DISCOVERED
A DREAMACHINE (CDR by Subterranean Sonic)
About a year ago I reviewed the first release of For Kings And
Queens, also known as one Jens from Berlin. On 'Merz' (see Vital
Weekly 629) he drew his inspiration from the likes of Nurse With
Wound meeting Merzbow meeting The Hafler Trio, which might be
an unlikely pairing and it didn't work very well. His music was
played on guitar and effects, but without much refinement or detail.
It seems that Jens took notice and for this new release, which
is about transformation, awareness, time and changing, he indeed
succeeds better in what he wants. The music, consisting of two
pieces is lengthy and spacious, but not smeared together with
all the sound effects or ideas he can find. It works best, at
least for a while, in the longest piece 'After A While I Could
Transform Myself - Water Remix', which keeps moving and changing
throughout the piece. It moves in an area, stays there for a while,
but then moves on. It never stays there for too long, and Jens
keeps overall control of the structure of the piece. That makes
this quite a nice release. The way up I guess. (FdW)
Address: http://subterraneansonic.blogspot.com
KRK - ACOUASM (CDR by Acheulian Handaxe)
Behind KRK we find Matthew Ostrowski and George Cremaschi, both
from New York and both part of the lively improvisation scene.
Cremaschi is perhaps the lesser known of the two. He plays contrabass
and analog electronics here, whereas Ostrowski plays digital electronics
and controllers. I am not sure if Ostrowski picks up the sounds
produced by Cremaschi to chance them through the use of computerized
techniques. Eight pieces here of pretty wild playing. From on
end this is the true world of improvisation, with its free play,
rapid changes and everything you shouldn't do to an instrument
(not as told by your teacher), but this goes mainly for the contrabass.
Whatever else going on is what makes this more interesting, well,
at least for me. This is the electronic component of the music.
Things buzz, cracks, glitch, peep and hum. Like all good things
microsound meeting improvisation in the world of musique concrete.
Its again very lively, energetic, short and to the point. This
release last about thirty-one minutes and that seems to me the
right length for such vivid music, leaving the listener quite
breathless afterwards. Things work best when the two ends, analogue
improvisation and computer technique, meet up in the middle. Electronic
jazz like in 'Mateotechny', but also nicely drone like in 'Psithurism'.
A release full of surprises. (FdW)
Address: http://www.handaxe.org
MATT SCHOEMAKER - THE SUNKEN PLETHORA CONSUMES
ALL (CDR by Mystery Sea)
Following last week's release on The Helen Scarsdale Agency, here
is another release by Matt Schoemaker. Again its a work of analogue
electronics and field recordings. And also again like last week,
there is one piece which seems to be dealing with 'just' environmental
sounds, water of course (this is Mystery Sea after all), in 'Hovering'.
The other three pieces might rely on field recordings but they
are well hidden in the electronic treatments given to the material
by Schoemaker. Highly organic once again, highly atmospheric,
once again. Perhaps it costs me more trouble to enjoy this following
the 'Erosion Of The Analogous Eye' from last week. Maybe its the
similarity in approach that makes two of these discs in one week
from the same person a bit much. I do think that 'The Sunken Plethora
Consumes All' is a great work. There is no doubt there, or perhaps
even better (the somewhat shorter pieces make a bit more coherent
compositions), but in this vast crowded field this is maybe a
bit much. One to put aside for a while, and then return to it.
The work is worth it. (FdW)
Address: http://www.mysterysea.net
BLANK DISC & JONAS KOCHER (CDR, private)
The band Blank Disc is new to me, and so is the name Jonas Kocher.
Blank Disc seems to be Srdjan Muc (guitar, objects) and Robert
Roza (no-input mixer, electronics, objects), whereas Kocher plays
electronics. Three pieces recorded on two different dates, and
one piece which seems to be a solo of Roza. Their improvisations
operate at the louder end of the spectrum, noise even, maybe,
but throughout these four pieces it seems to me that they love
to improvise more than putting up a noise fight. Loud and noisy,
but they know how to cut in the volume and re-build from virtual
silence again. Acoustic objects struggle to find a place with
no input feedback sounds. Its all pretty decent stuff that is
going on here, however with not many surprises. Lots of this kind
of stuff was already heard elsewhere, and on many occasions also
better. In its entire form this was all a bit long for my taste.
Half way through the second piece, say after twenty or so minutes
(about half the release), I was well nourished on this meal. (FdW)
Address: http://www.jonaskocher.com
KASPAR VON URBACH - THE LAST LAUGH (CDR
by Klang Und Krach)
BIRDS BUILD NESTS UNDERGROUND - COLD DREAMS (CDR by Klang Und
Krach)
An odd release here by the noise band Kaspar von Urbach. Two pieces,
one lasting just five minutes and one forty-eight. The latter
begins with the voice of Burroughs, quoting Gysin about 'literature
being fifty years behind painting', and somewhere in the piece
we hear McLuhan's 'the medium is the massage' as a loop. All set
to a sound collage of sorts. There are noise bits of them rambling
on some sheets of metal, electronic (guitar pedals), but what
makes this release more interesting than the usual noise bunch,
is the fact that Kaspar von Urach knows how to pull back. They
build in moments of relative silence, although not as 'microsound'
as some of the bits on 'Selfbondage' (see Vital Weekly 656), which
was throughout a better release. That one was a mixture of styles
(ambient, microsound, folk noir, noise) and I was wondering which
style they would pick to explore. It was noise in the end and
while they don't do a bad job, this release didn't please me that
much. Maybe a solid mixture of noise and say microsound would
be a thing for them. The ideas are there, just needs shaping.
Behind Birds Build Nests Underground we find Michal Brunclik and
Petr Ferenc, who are armed with a bunch turntables, vinyl records
and loops create their work 'Cold Dreams'. It takes a while before
I realized that they use vinyl only, which was nice, but somewhere
around the ten minute mark things dawned on me. That's not bad,
since I must admit I am not the biggest lover of works like this.
Even when I like the music itself, I keep thinking: well, this
is made with sounds other people have produced in the first place.
I think Birds Build Nests Underground do a nice job, sometimes
it stays a bit too long in a loop, and some of the fades are a
bit crude, but its nice enough though. More the kind of stuff
you should witness in an intimate setting in a small concert space,
rather than play at home, I think. Which makes me wonder why people
actually release music like this. (FdW)
Address: http://www.klangundkrach.net
ANONYMEYE - THE DISAMBIGUATION OF ANONYMEYE
(CDR by Sound & Fury)
FELICITY MANGAN - LIMETORM (CDR by Sound & Fury)
PEFKIN - ZUGUNRUHE (CDR by Sound & Fury)
HEIL SPIRITS - TRACING NEW SWORDS FROM CHASING OBLIVION AND OTHER
COLLECTED SKETCHES (CDR by Sound & Fury)
I don't keep lists of concerts I attended, but I am pretty sure
I saw Anonymeye from Australia at Extrapool once, and for one
reason or the other I seem to remember it as quite nice. But I
have no idea what it sounded or looked like. Andrew Tuttle is
behind Anonymeye and at first I thought he was a noise act - the
first two, short, pieces are in that vein. But it turns out that
Tuttle is a guitarist in the best John Fahey tradition. Picking
the strings like the master himself, but when traveling Europe,
he stayed at Worm in the room where the CEM studio is now located
and recorded on ancient, pre-historic synthesizers a bunch of
sounds, which he mixes with his guitar playing. He doesn't do
this at random, but carefully selected sounds that work well,
either in the background or more upfront. It may seem, written
down like a duo of weird analogue synth sounds and warm guitar
picking, an odd combination, but it works well in the ten pieces
Anonymeye plays here. An excellent release.
Oops. Back in Vital Weekly 681 I reviewed a 3"CDR by Felicity
Morgan, and now I see a release by Felicity Mangan. Its the same
person, and I have no idea why I wrote Morgan. Maybe dementia
kicks in? Nobody corrected this (people are usually keen on sending
their corrections quickly). The five pieces here, on what could
have been a 3"CDR too, were recorded in 'the Estonian winter',
and uses guitar, wind chimes, paper bags and field recordings.
The music here is quite soft and not very outspoken. It all sort
of passes without knowing. Just in 'Tea Tree', a soft tinkle on
the guitar, things sparkle a bit more then in the others. In winter
time you close the doors, but why does it sound like its recorded
next door? Its a pity because I assume the material itself can
be pretty interesting.
Pefkin is a new name for me. I have no idea who is behind it.
They use 'processed guitar, free form percussion, haunting vocals
and analogue electronics', according to the information. From
what it sounds like, they could be from New Zealand (although
they might be from Australia, just like the label). Its fairly
interesting stuff going on here, but nothing much out of the usual.
However I like to make an exception for the title, which is great
sounding piece of waving electronics, long sustaining voices,
a nice set overtones and free play on the guitar, all in a highly
melancholic mood. Nice one altogether, no surprise.
And of course the label that is called Sound & Fure is perhaps
more inspired by noise than Faulkner (who knows; or Shakespeare;
who knows) as proven by Heil Spirits - where do they find names
like that. Three slabs of power noise, of which 'Violent Decay
1' reminded me of Ramleh - always good, but I prefer the original.
Second best is 'Violent Decay 2' with its slightly more subdued
texture and the title track is just very standard noise. Not so
my thing, these sins of the youth. (FdW)
Address: http://www.soundandfury.com
CRANK IGLOO (CDR by XVP)
JEFF REHNLUND - EMPTY GLOVE POINTING (cassette by XVP)
Behind Crank Igloo we find a collaboration of Crank Sturgeon and
Igloodoom, being Matt, Hubert and Bartek. The latter releases
also as XV Parowek and he releases this recording on his own XVP
label. This collaboration is for once not recorded through (e-)mail,
but its a recording made on December 7th 2008 in Warsaw. A mixture
of electronics, distortion, (contact-) microphone abuse and such
like. Things arrives in waves here. Its not one long howl of noise,
but rather a wave that builds up, and then moves out again, collapses
(like the musician scaring of all the noise? I can't imagine).
I am not sure if I should think this is great, a daring move to
bring some variation into the world of noise, or perhaps also
possible: the meeting of three wasn't that much of a success.
Not knowing how to improvise, or too much waiting for what others
would do, leads to a pretty incoherent concert recording. Maybe
someone should have taken the trouble to do an edit and throw
away all those parts in which they are searching too much. Not
really the best of works around.
On the same label a cassette only release by Jeff Rehnlund, of
whom we reviewed 'Gangnam Basement' on LP in Vital Weekly 667.
He's, like Crank Sturgeon, part of the US noise scene. In principle
he looks for the lowest means possible to create his noise. Microcassette
recorders belong to his favorite devices. Hand held, a somewhat
broken cable (with hum), equalizers full open, and sometimes layered
by re-recording them onto other tapes, taking all hiss for granted.
Yet his music isn't always about the full noise explosion. He
occasionally leaps into softer areas of feedback, which brings
a necessary amount of variation to keep things like this interesting.
At forty minutes still a bit long I think. (FdW)
Address: http://www.xvp.pl
GEHIRN.IMPLOSION - ALLUMFASSENDER UNKONTROLLIERBARER
SOG (CDR by Tosom)
This CD of recurring long drawn out noise/drone by Gehirn.Implosion
appears to be a requiem for a dead child - Mio (27 days old).
Its 6 tracks use heavy feedback and distortion to provide minimal
and bleak landscapes, whose titles provide something of the sonority
- Forlornness - Your Way - Night Sky - Sadness - Only Sounds -
Time Behind The Time. There isn't much anyone can add? (jliat)
Address: http://www.tosom.de/Tosom-Home.htm
COREPHALLISM (3inch CDR by Apop Records
& Lascivious Aesthetics)
This is Shane Broderick (of Two dead-sluts One good fuck) "this
debut recording Mr. Broderick offers a brief glimpse into his
struggle with personal demons of hereditary mental illness, sexual
addiction and depression which serve as subject matter" and
so is in its programme similar to the Gehirn.Implosion in that
it resolves as subject matter some heavy emotive stuff. And so
the problem of anything other than a sympathetic nod is ethically
for me very difficult. Are we supposed to enjoy what is the expression
of such harsh emotions, or are we in not feeling the proposed
response being in-human. Communicating such feelings artistically
is notoriously difficult as the subjectivism is so deep. It was
once common to invoke metaphor in the form of demons and universal
archetypes to express across emotional divides these experiences.
There are two tracks here the first a fairly spacey landscape
the second more industrial, but insufficient to convey much because
of this. Of course its possible to go straight for it - like the
Lennon's untitled debut LP (working class hero) but there is always
the danger of embarrassed self pity - in more musical terms then
OK we have Beethoven's fate knocking at the door or Mahler's second.
But even here with such sublime attempts on my first hearing of
it I laughed as it sounded like bad Hollywood film music, a few
years on and I wept along with a large proportion of the audience.
This "big emotional stuff" is hard to handle- like revenge
its best served cold and certainly noise as signal without meaning
isn't up to the task of universalizing these emotions. (jliat)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/corephallism
TOMAS KORBER & PHILIP JULIAN - HERBE
ZEITEN (3"CDR by Con-V)
The title of this release is translated as 'Harsh Times' and maybe
from the likes of Philip Julian, whom we also know as Cheapmachines,
this might be a program title - even when these days he plays
a softer tune too (and much better at that). Here he teams up,
armed with his laptop, with Tomas Korber, the Swiss guitarist
and electronics improviser who worked a lot with Jason Kahn and
Gunter Muller, among many others. Its not mentioned on the cover,
but I think this is a work of live improvisation. Some of the
changes are rather crudely played and also sound wise this seems
above anything else a live recording. Its however not a work of
harsh noise. Below the surface there is the almighty drone (of,
I think, Philip Julian) and Korber plays his guitar and electronic
in a somewhat louder vein, with clang and bang here and there.
A pretty nice work I think that holds the attention of the listener
throughout the piece, also when it moves, towards the end to a
somewhat more subdued area. (FdW)
Address: http://www.con-v.org
POLDR - ROAMING DAYLIGHT (3"CDR by
Faunasabbatha)
Last week I said I never heard of Nicola Ratti, but I did (in
fact on several occasions), so I know I have to be careful saying
when I never heard of a name, but I am pretty convinced that I
never heard of Poldr, which seems to be one Benjamin Laurent Aman.
He is a visual artist as well as a composer under such guises
as Poldr, Crystal Plumage and Inner Ends Of The Coils. I think
for Poldr he just uses a guitar (or bass) and electronics. Two
tracks of dark atmospherical music, which however don't sound
too good, too slick. And perhaps that's what Aman intended for
this. The rough edge suits the music well I think. Everything
is pitched down to the deepest undercurrent of the sonic spectrum.
No surprises here, and perhaps a somewhat better recording quality
would make things a bit sharper (which would certainly be something
for the future) but its nice enough for the amount of time it
gives itself. (FdW)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/faunasabbatha