AUBE – MORT AUX VACHES/STILL CONTEMPLATION (CD by Staalplaat)
This live session for VPRO Radio, Holland by Mr Aube was apparently
composed entirely from sounds producedby (treated) metal thingamajigs. Mr
Aube has built up quite a reputation for himself with his relentless
release schedule in the last year and as is well-known, usually constructs
his pieces from one sound source. Whether this release is to be considered
a companion CD to the brilliant, shiny Metal de Metal (1996) is not clear;
one thing is certain though – this is a much more delicate and gentle
composition in which a few layers of sound gradually open up for each other
like a wondrous hatching of a silvery egg. There are subtle clouds of
fluffy feedback which drift and hover like the shadows of the dead. Brief
brittleflies leave trails of reverb and then the blip returns to be slowly
suffocated by a sharp edge. We’re lowered into the pit with the rotating
knives. Drumless hum, whistle-free wind. The it’s back to the bell and a
final tweak which brings this carefully arranged voyage to a conclusion.
(MP)
DAVID SHEA – MORT AUX VACHES (CD by Staalplaat)
Possibly the last CD from this composer for 1997 – although you never can
tell… It comes across as a combination of live sampler improvisations and
prepared pieces which are spun off the hard-disc between the tricky bits.
It also conatains a bunch of his big hit singles culled from a variety of
CD’s which he’s brought out this year, albeit in a different order and with
vastly different links between them.
This is also a recording of a session at the VPRO Studios in Holland and
indeed seems to be structured as a soundtrack to a film. Shea ‘uses the
samples as a way of exploring the connections between the various styles,
histories, cultures and energies in a theatre of memory and experience’
seeking out unexpected connections between the themes. And so it is that we
enter into a maelstrom of familiar and totally unexpected styles, where the
spirit of Esquivel rubs up against Conlon Nancarrow’s player pianos, where
Eric Satie takes tea with Ligeti Gyorgy (well, that’s what he’s called in
Budapest!). There’s perverse enjoyment in the detuned piano pieces and
sheer joy in some of the textural sections, most especially the track which
starts the CD – it lingers like a fishy finger, haunting vocals and a cool
drone.
Probably one of the best in the Mort Aux Vaches series this year. Limited
to 1000 copies, so hurry up. (MP)
SHIFTS – PANGAEA (CD on Elsie & Jack Recordings)
More solo stuff from Franky De Waard who limits his sound source for this
project to guitar and studio effects. This is his first full-length single
piece CD as Shifts and as the title of the CD (and the project) imply, the
music is all about moving about without being too obvious. Pangaea is the
name given, not only to an album by Miles Davies, but also to the first
continent which gradually spread itself across the surface of this planet
like slow, crunchy peanut butter eventually forming places like Yorkshire
and Asia. What happened to Gondwanaland ?
Anyway, the track can most certainly be divided into four sections… it
starts with a sort of digital rain; feathery fingers trip lightly across
the strings picking out incidental notes which click and rattle and
ricochet. A high whine slide out from underneath this; it floats in the
room, filling the corners, struggling to redefine the basic architecture. A
low frob does exactly the opposite, pulling everything back into shape
before letting the sounds a thinking bell makes slip into this palette of
drifting continents. Music which doesn’t stay still even if you do. (MP)
KEIMBEFALL – WAS CINDY SAH… (Cassette by BRU:T)
Can you believe that in today’s digitalized world there are still existing
people who start a cassette-label? Here’s the proof that this is happening
from time to time. Keimbefall is a new project from Hannover, Germany, that
creates “real” Industrial-soundscapes without sounding old-fashioned. The
overall atmosphere is depressed and hopeless, the lyrics reveal states of
fear and self-doubting. But this is in no way a “wall-of noise with
screaming”-sound, the music is much more subtle and threatening, harsher
parts occur but are still differentiated enough to keep the suspense. The
Coverartwork is not great, rather standard, but nevertheless this is a good
release and worth checking out if you like darker experimental music. The
label has released some other tapes so far, which I haven’t heard yet, but
I should soon do that. [BAR]
Address: BRU:T, Stephan Roigk, Mandelslohstrasse 2, 30419
Hannover, Germany
ULF LANGHEINRICH – DEGREES OF AMNESIA (CD by Asphodel)
A highly uninformative package… seeing all these German names in the
thanklist (jawohl), Ulf must be German or Austrian. But who I am to
complain about this, the music counts. The 13 tracks are divided in 3
sections, ‘pulses’, ‘absent – minded looking out’ and ‘degrees of amnesia’.
Only the first one, 4 tracks, is pretty clear. Ulf has a strong beat, and
is familiar with Panasonic, so he creates the random beat section with a
stack of synths in the backyard. Quite impressive stuff, a good banging is
going on. The six following tracks I have slight problems with. They are
certainly not bad at all, but there is a bunch of arepeggio’s going on that
sound like Schulze in a dark mood. Not entirely a whole bunch of innovative
music, but alas not bad at all and quite entertaining. The last three are
deep spaced pieces that are drony, moody and utterly dark ambient tracks,
and while eating 1/3 of the CD, it is an amazingely good ending. So a bit
mixed feelings, but altogether a nice CD. (FdW)
Address: www.asphodel.com
FRANK ROTHKAMM – MYSTERY OF THE LEAPING FISH (miniCD by Flux Records)
From the Flux label, who surprised us with a piano tuning 12″ last year (oh
joy writing on january 1st), come around with another concpetual miniCD.
I’ve read the liner notes a couple of times, and the only line that I
understand was this one: “It is clear while listening that much remains
unexplained”. It’s about the Australian prime minister Holt who disappeared
in 1967 while swimming, but is now residing at the Grand Lodge Of The Deep,
hey man not to be mistaken for Atlantis. Yeah right. The three tracks are
old, from 1994, 1989 and 1985. It’s entirely filled with what you can’t do
on stage anymore: gregorian church chanting, dolphins and djdigerdoo
piping. But alas, it’s old so we forgive them. It’s the sort of now
outdated ambient that was altogether pleasent 4 years ago, but not is like
worn-out dress, that still is comfortable… sometimes. (FdW)
Address: Flux – Box 2141 – New York, NY 10163