PLAYGROUND – SANCTUARY (CD by Vuz Records)
ANDRZEJ BAUER – CELLONET (CD by Arthorse)
BEN HALL’S RACEHORSE NAMES – The New Favorite Thing Called Breathing (CD by Relative Pitch
Records)
BRANDON LOPEZ/MATT NELSON/ANDRIA NICODEMOU/GERALD CLEAVER – The Industry of
Entropy (CD by Relative Pitch Records)
STEPHANIE RICHARDS – Fullmoon (CD by Relative Pitch Records)
LAUREN NAGARYU RUBEN & STEPHEN FLINN – TRANSPARENT (CD by Pfmentum)
FLINN-LYTLE MARONEY TRIO – ITINERANT (CD by Creative Sources Recordings)
MACHINEFABRIEK – DWAAL/WOLD + (CD by Moving Furniture Records)
PHILIPP BÜCKLE – PAINTINGS (LP by Moving Furniture Records)
MASAYA OZAKI & KAITO NAKAHORI – MYTHOLOGIES (LP by Iikki Books)
SCOTT WORTHINGTON – ORBIT (LP by Iikki Books)
MATTEO UGGERI & LUCA BERGERO – WORDS DELICATE FLIGHT (CDR by Grain Of Sound/Many
Feet Under)
RENT ROMUS – DECIDIOUS/MIDWESTERN EDITION VOL.1 (CDR by Edgetone Records)
RENT ROMUS’LORDS OF OUTLAND – IN THE DARKNESS WE A SOUND BRIGHTNESS AND LIFE
(CDR by Edgetone Records)
ROB PUMPELLY & RENT ROMUS & ELI WALLACE – THE EXPEDITION (CDR by Edgetone Records)
BIGGI VINKELOE ROUGHTET – AU QUOTIDIENS (CDR by Edgetone Records)
THE PITCH (cassette by Granny Records)
ZHERBIN – Везде (cassette by Strategic Tape Reserve)
SACK & FLIM – ZEITLOOPEN (cassette by Powdered Hearts Recordings)
#ALPHASIGMA – MUSIC FOR YOUR SHITTY LAPTOP SPEAKERS (floppy disk by Hxoi Kato Apo to Spiti)
UNITED POWER SOUL – MOVING FAST FOR 4 (cassette, private)
PLAYGROUND – SANCTUARY (CD by Vuz Records)
As a young man I listened to the radio more than in later life, and on Sunday afternoons I was taping
bits of the ‘difficult’ music program ’Spleen’; among those recordings was a concert ‘in studio’, as far as
I remember, by Front 242, which I quite enjoyed. It ended early and announced was “we now play
some music by Front 242’s roadies Parade Ground”, but now I learned they were friends and not
roadies. One can see probably influence of Front 242 on Parade Ground, but perhaps also some
differences. I am the first to admit that between that Sunday afternoon (in 1985?) and now, I didn’t
think too often about either band (or perhaps in Parade Ground’s case never again), yet I was curious
to hear their latest album. Apparently this is their first album since ‘Rosary’ from 2007 and I am
surprised to hear it is more guitar oriented than I expected. Post-punk more than electro is what this
sound is and a touch of gothic is not far away. What struck me is that the voice of Jean-Marc is mixed
quite up-front, more than what I would think is common in this kind of music, with its guitars and
rhythms ‘up there’ and the voice somewhere ‘in there’. Here we have some mechanized rhythms, a
bit of synthesizers, quite a bit of guitars and the voice that can never be missed. Vuz reminds us of
Wire, Joy Division, Swans or Cindytalk and the classic Cold Meat Industry, which is not something I
can easily see, but surely faint traces of those bands are in here somewhere. What is also quite curious
is that some of these pieces are quite short and sound occasionally unfinished. While perhaps not
something that fits these pages very well, I quite enjoyed this, but I guess from a more private
background, having growing up with this kind of music. I am no longer sure what I thought of this
stuff in the mid-80s, and I think Parade Ground aren’t’ the best in this kind of music, but their
naivety and home grown production is surely something I enjoy these days. (FdW)
––– Address: https://vuzrecordsmegastore.bandcamp.com/
ANDRZEJ BAUER – CELLONET (CD by Arthorse)
This morning I woke up and played some Chopin. Frederic rather than Henri, mind you, because I
like to start the day with music that is quiet and/or different than the rest. Having some Frederic
Chopin piano music, next to a few works by Erik Satie, Debussy, the ninth symphony by Antonin
Dvorak and Mozart’s Requiem makes me hardly an expert of classical music, not even a lover, I’d say.
I heard a few work and kept those that I liked, that’s all. When I had the chance to build up a collection
through an inheritance I kindly passed on the offer; there is only so much music you can have. Later
the same day I am listening to Andrzej Bauer’s ‘Cellonet’ CD, with works he performs with the cello
has the main instrument; pieces by Steve Reich and Luciano Berio, but also baroque composer Carlo
Gesualdo da Venosa or the baroque sounding Mantovani version of Bach ‘Kunst Der Fuge’. It is music I
actually liked, but which I feel I am otherwise lost with; I am not versed at all to discuss classical
music, how much I would love to say something about it. I surely had some sixty-five most pleasant
minutes listening to this and some difficult time thinking what to write. (FdW)
––– Address: http://www.arthorse.pl
BEN HALL’S RACEHORSE NAMES – The New Favorite Thing Called Breathing (CD by Relative Pitch
Records)
BRANDON LOPEZ/MATT NELSON/ANDRIA NICODEMOU/GERALD CLEAVER – The Industry of
Entropy (CD by Relative Pitch Records)
STEPHANIE RICHARDS – Fullmoon (CD by Relative Pitch Records)
‘The Industry of Entropy’ is the title of the release by the quartet of: Brandon Lopez (contrabass), Matt
Nelson (tenor saxophone), Andria Nicodemou (vibraphone) and Gerald Cleaver (drums). Lesser know
musician who may need a little introduction: Andria Nicodemou is from Cyprus where she studied
classical percussion at the Corfu University. She is specialised in playing vibraphone and improvisation.
Worked in London and Amsterdam, but is based in New York nowadays. Matt nelson is part of the
impressive saxophone quartet Battle Trance. Both Cleaver and Lopez a half a quartet that is completed
by Nate Wooley and Ivo Perelman. Cleaver is probably the most experienced one, having played with
Henry Threadgill, Leo Smith, William Parker, and so on. The CD consists of four improvisations, called
respectively ‘Not’, ’Now’, ’Again’ and ‘Yet’. The opening track ‘Not’ is a captivating improvisation, where
all players seem to follow their individual path, but produce in fact intriguing clockwork. Also ‘Now’ is a
fine teamwork with great moments in their inspired woven fabric. ‘Again’ is the ‘ballad’ of the
improvisations with subtle playing. Overall the drumming by Cleaver is essential, inducing the
improvisations with a strange sense of time. The sound of Nicodemou’s vibraphone is in contrast with
the other instruments, what makes her playful contributions very noticeable. A very worthwhile work!
Behind ‘The New Favorite Thing Called Breathing’ another combination of lesser known musicians
is hidden: Joe Morris (electric guitar), Mick Dobday (electric piano, organ), Anthony Levin-Decanini
(electronics), Ronnie Zawadi (percussion), John Dierker (reeds), Mike Khoury (violin, viola) and Ben
Hall on percussion and trapset. Hall and Khoury are long time associates and both highly accomplished
players, which can also be said of the other players. Again we are confronted with solid improvisations
that fascinate from start to finish. The intelligent and abstract music of this ensemble makes a strong
emotional appeal also. The opening track ‘Spine 02’ is a first example. It sounds chaotic and disorderly.
But in fact it is a fine interlocked fabric of sounds and patterns. The improvisation ends with a fantastic
out of tune violin-solo by Khoury. Again these improvisers like the above-mentioned quartet offer a
music that is very tight and strongly intertwined. They make clear and statements that convince and
make one smile and wonder.
Every now and then, when in a nostalgic mood, I play the track ‘Voodoo’ from the first LP by Indoor
Life (1981). Remember? A hypnotizing and sexy track. One of the members was of group was J.A.Deane,
who later worked with Jon Hassell (‘Power Spot’). He plays trombone-controlled synthesizer here. Later
on sampling and sound design had his main interest. Nice to meet him here again in duo work with
Stephanie Richards (trumpet, percussion). Richards is a Brooklyn-based artist operating in the fields
of new music, improvisation and performance art. She worked with Henry Threadgill, Butch Morris,
John Zorn, Anthony Braxton, Helmut Lachenmann, Laurie Anderson, to name a few. There is some
continuity here with the early Indoor life, although we are now into free improvised territories. But
the manipulated trumpet sounds by Richards embedded in, and in dialogue with the live sampling by
Deane, result in a sound that has similarities with that of Indoor Life. Also the universe of Jon Hassell
is not far away. But what is more important, Richards and Deane produce some very vivid and appealing
music. Richards is a very expressive player and makes a good match the experienced sampler-art by
Deane. A satisfying balance of trumpet and electronics, resulting in some very pronounced textures
that really work. In all, we spoke here again of three well-chosen recordings of high quality improvised
music, released by New York-based Relative Pitch Records. (DM)
––– Address: http://relativepitchrecords.com/
LAUREN NAGARYU RUBEN & STEPHEN FLINN – TRANSPARENT (CD by Pfmentum)
FLINN-LYTLE MARONEY TRIO – ITINERANT (CD by Creative Sources Recordings)
Two very different releases on two different labels, that both have Stephen Flinn involved.
Flinn is a New York-based composer, improviser and percussionist. As a percussionist he is an
unorthodox player with a special interest in evoking new sounds and timbres. On ‘Transparent’ he is
in a duo-effort with Lauren Nagaryu Ruben (shakuhachi flute) and on ‘Itinerant’ he is in the company
of veteran Michael Lytle (clarinet), Denman Maroney (piano) and Stephen Flinn (percussion). Lauren
Nagaryu Rubin is a highly educated performer of the Japanese shakuhachi flute. She studied
ethnomusicology in Melbourne, Australia, and works as a performer and teacher of this particular
instrument. She is currently preparing a dissertation on the history of this instrument and its
relationship to Shingon Buddhism. So she is not a musician who wants to isolate this instrument from
its cultural and spiritual context, and not just chosing it for its individual sound. This is demonstrated
in her collaboration here with Stephen Flinn, that has her playing in a meditative and sensible style,
that immediately evokes traditional shakuhachi music. She is not a traditionalist however, as she
collaborates here with a musician who comes from free improvisation. Flinn plays percussion, but not
in a percussive way. He provides subtle sound textures and drones that underline the solos played by
Nagaryu Rubin. The release offers six of their duets that are much about timbre ‘Itinerant’ is absolutely
not on the opposite, but more in continuity with ‘Transparent’, mainly due to the fact that Flinn plays in
a similar way. Scratching the surfaces of his percussion and other objects, creating often high-pitched
sounds. He is much into exploration sound. Also Maroney plays the piano far from a traditional way,
and seems more directed to sound and textures. Lytle – of Doctor Nerve–fame – adds subdued patterns.
They bend and shape sounds into abstract constellations, that become a world on their own. (DM)
––– Address: http://pfmentum.com/ / https://creativesourcesrec.com/
MACHINEFABRIEK – DWAAL/WOLD + (CD by Moving Furniture Records)
PHILIPP BÜCKLE – PAINTINGS (LP by Moving Furniture Records)
The Omni-present Rutger Zuydervelt, also known as Machinefabriek, is like a true factory, producing
release upon release. Sometimes he produces very limited releases, such as ’Dwaal/Wold’ on cassette
for Belgium’s Dauw Tapes in 2015. Quickly sold out, it is now re-issued on CD with for each piece a
remix, ‘Dwaal’ by Nicola Ratti and ‘Wold’ by Benoit Pioulard. The two Machinefabriek pieces are each
eighteen minutes long and quite different. ‘Dwaal’ is clearly the more experimental piece here, with
what would could be quite an amount of radio’s receiving a whole lot static, crackles and hiss, but
Zuydervelt plays around with that quite a bit, forming cascading waves washing ashore and going on,
while in among these ways we find some snippets of electronic sound and a bit of bass. ‘Wold’ on the
other end is very sparse with a few notes on the piano, which are stretched out to fine drone-like
proportions, slowly mingling with what could be an organ sound. This is perhaps the kind of music for
which Machinefabriek is well known, his trademark sound if you will, crafting with a few sounds, a
single instrument and some sound effect a whole painting of a misty landscape. Nicola Ratti takes
‘Dwaal’ into a totally new world and it is very hard to recognize any of the original in here, as he cuts
things up quite a bit, puts them in some sort of sequenced order and creates a fine rhythmical piece
out of it. This is one of those rare cases in which the remix goes out and does something out of the
ordinary, which can’t be said of Benoit Pioulard’s remix of ‘Wold’, which is very much ‘more of the
same’. He surely does a great job with his remix and it is a fine piece, but hardly something else than
what Zuydervelt already beautifully did in the original.
While Philipp Bückle has recorded for labels as Morr Music, Eglantine Records, Awkward Formats,
Whitelabelrecs, Emotional Response “and many others”, it seems I never heard his music before, nor
work he has done with Nils Quak, David Folkman Drost, Johan Kiran Fernandes, Mathias van Eecloo and
Karen Vogt. From 2000-2013 he worked as Teamforest, which I also didn’t know. ‘Paintings’ completes
a trilogy, following ’Sketches’ (Magnetic Purely) and ‘Drawings’ (Invisible City Recordings), all following
a period after Teamforest and not doing much music, but instead working on drawings, but then of
course music came back and the pieces are inspired by his drawings. This is then my introduction to
his music, and based on what I am hearing Bückle plays a bunch of instruments, guitar and piano, and
uses his voice but perhaps also a fair amount of field recordings. But also quite important is the
computer to stretch, process and granulate sounds, which are sometimes quite obvious just stretches.
Bückle likes to keep his pieces short, somewhere between two and five minutes, evolving around a few
ideas and sounds, eliminating any ornament that could also be part of it. Just the stretched out guitar/
piano/voice, some fiddling around with plug-ins and processes; emphasize something like hiss, such as
in ‘Peasant Wedding, Dance In The Open Air’ to give it that outdoor like recording. Sometimes Bückle
leans towards the more modern classical sound, ‘Sunshine In The Living Room. The Artist’s Wife And
Child’ (but then with some fireworks going off), but just as easily might go an opposite way and do
something much more ‘experimental’, such as in ‘Village Seen Through Trees’. I played all of this with
interest, and I liked it on this quiet Sunday afternoon, but I must admit I wasn’t blown away by it. It
was good, it was fine, it was delicate, it was a bit strange, it was varied but somehow not something
that would really get me, or something that I would think was really making a difference. (FdW)
––– Address: http://www.movingfurniturerecords.com/
MASAYA OZAKI & KAITO NAKAHORI – MYTHOLOGIES (LP by Iikki Books)
SCOTT WORTHINGTON – ORBIT (LP by Iikki Books)
This is the second batch of releases by Iikki Books from France. Back in Vital Weekly 1095 I wrote
about the first releases: “These three records have a hole on the front, displaying which artists did
the music and apparently there are also three books released at the same time. These books are
hardcover, 30cmx22cm, 112 pages with photos (varying amount). On the cover of each record we
read: “I I K K I is an edition project which is the result of a dialog between a visual artist and a music
artist. The books are focused on a fine art book which work as series with three publishing by year […]
It should be appreciated in different manners: the book watched alone, the vinyl listened to alone, the
book and the vinyl watched and listened to together.” Of course I once too often remarked that
reviewing photography (or visual art, poetry, novels etc.) is not something I like to, and music is my
core business, so none of the books were send and so I can’t comment on any of these.” I won’t repeat
this with the next batch, don’t worry.
The record by Masaya Ozaki and Kaito Nakahori comes with a book by Erwan Morère, who “favours
very dense black and whites and a relative opacity that obstructs the eye, contradicting what is usually
taught to young contemporary photographers”. I am not sure if I heard of Masaya Ozaki and/or Kaito
Nakahori before. The first is from Niigata, Japan and now in Brooklyn and has a major in film scoring,
working for film, TV and the advertising industry. Nakahori is from Tokyo and also based in New York.,
In his work Japanese and Western elements are blended together, using traditional instruments. They
recorded their album together in New York and it is not too clear as to how duties are divided here. I
believe to hear quite a bit of field recordings, computer processing thereof, but perhaps also of
instruments being plucked, bowed or strummed. It is music that is quite visual I’d say, with those
field recordings of rain in a forest, fences being cracked or walking through a noisy space of a source
not to be identified (in ‘Rituals’). Sometimes it becomes all bit more abstract and noisy (‘Unfold’), but I
believe this to be a rarity here. Throughout it is all more ambient yet a bit spicier than what is usual in
that world, which in my book is a plus. There is a fine amount of varied approaches in this music yet it
doesn’t come across as too varied and it works very well together.
The other new release sees Scott Worthington playing music as part of the photographs of Renato
D’Agostin. “The atmosphere of city life nourished his curiosity to capture life situations with the
camera”, working in cities around the world, and “dislocating subjects from their realities, he depicts
his perception of the space around him, the relationship between the architecture and people, opening
a new portal in the spectator’s imagination” is what his work is about. Also from Scott Worthington I
may not have heard before, despite two previous releases on Populist. He plays double bass and
composes for ensembles, orchestras and performs solo as well as a session player. But as with the
other record it is not easy to see how that works out here. The music doesn’t seem to be double bass
per se, even when the two pieces on the first side could have been played with a bow in order to
generate a gentle mass of drones. The B-side could be a slightly treated bass sound, making it all a bit
lighter perhaps, but one could also believe this is a Fender Rhodes piano, with some additional sound
effects. With both records it is hard to say how it works together with photographs unseen and can
only be discussed in purely musical terms. Worthington’s music is closer to the traditional world of
ambient and microsound with longer pieces and a much more minimal approach when it comes to
development and changes. Throughout however this is a lovely record as well. Quite dark and yet also
very gentle. (FdW)
––– Address: https://www.iikki-books.com
MATTEO UGGERI & LUCA BERGERO – WORDS DELICATE FLIGHT (CDR by Grain Of Sound/Many
Feet Under)
Of course you remember Matteo Uggeri’s previous solo release under the guise of Barnacles (see Vital
Weekly 1095), and in the past as a member of Sparkle In Grey, Hue, Normality/Edge, Der Einzige and
now teamed up with Luca Bergero, who following some search in our archives, once worked as Fhievel
(see Vital Weekly 499; not reviewed by me). Here he is responsible for drones, noises and glitches
while Uggeri gets credit for treatments, field recordings, objects and mixing, plus some guest players
adding cello, saxophone, acoustic guitar and glockenspiel. I should think this listing would give clues
as to where the music is going. Much of the five pieces (spanning thirty-seven minutes) deal with that
processed hiss and crackle, but somehow it always retains a musical aspect with those guest players
providing the more musical asides of the music. It is an album that cleverly moves between
improvisation, musique concrete, ambient or even a bit of post-rock like inspired doodles in ‘Type 32’,
with field recordings becoming rhythm, set against a mighty yet mild-mannered organ drone and the
plucking of a guitar, but throughout is mostly abstract. That should be no surprise I think, seeing what
the musicians who are responsible for the end result bring to the table. What the music is not is being
noisy. Everything is done with great care for detail in their music. It sounds wonderfully deep in
production, with everything having it’s right place in the mix. It is some fine latter-day musique
concrete and could win them a wide audience with a keen ear for all things ‘experimental’, and I use
that term in the widest definition possible. (FdW)
––– Address: http://www.grainofsound.org
RENT ROMUS – DECIDIOUS/MIDWESTERN EDITION VOL.1 (CDR by Edgetone Records)
RENT ROMUS’LORDS OF OUTLAND – IN THE DARKNESS WE A SOUND BRIGHTNESS AND LIFE
(CDR by Edgetone Records)
ROB PUMPELLY & RENT ROMUS & ELI WALLACE – THE EXPEDITION (CDR by Edgetone Records)
BIGGI VINKELOE ROUGHTET – AU QUOTIDIENS (CDR by Edgetone Records)
A new set of recordings of the great Edgetone label founded by Rent Romus in 1991. Overviewing the
catalogue you will find his name in the company of many different musicians. For sure he is an
important force in animating the improve scene, bringing together musicians and releasing their
music. Rent Romus’ Lords of Outland is one of his older if not oldest units. Since 1995 they released
several albums. The line up completely changed over the years. Nowadays it is Collette McCaslin
(trumpet, analogue electronics), Ray Schaeffer (6-string electric bass), Philip Everett (drums, autoharp,
electronics) and Romus alto, soprano, C-melody saxophones. The combo make clear experimenting is
their thing, incorporating many influences in their open free improvisations. Everything is possible in
their world. However moments where their intentions are musically condensed optima forma are rare
for my taste. I miss focus and sense of necessity.
More focus I experienced on ‘Deciduous/Midwestern Edition Vol. 1’. It has Romus in company with
Hasan Abdur-Razzaq (alto, tenor saxophones, bells), James Cornish (trumpet, baritone horn), Gerard
Cox (drums, piano, Wurlitzer), Caleb Miller (piano, wurlitzer, nord), Steve Simula (percussion, flutes,
bells, drums), John Phillip Allen (double bass) and Rent Romus himself on alto, soprano saxophones,
flutes, small percussion. Here the improvisations have much more a solid base, departing for example
from melodic themes and harmonic qualities. Really a joy to listen to.
So far I only knew the names of Eli Wallace and Rob Pumpelly because of excellent recordings by
them, as the duo Dialectical Imagination. Here they team up with Rent Romus, a collaboration that
grew out of a series of live performances. Together they excel in seven nimble and playful
improvisations. Especially Wallace’s piano playing is concentrated with many ideas and allusions.
There are plenty of strong moments here, but also others where I sense the improvisation aren’t that
focused and together to make them completely satisfying.
We close this overview with the release by Biggi Vinkeloe. She is a saxophonist originating from
Germany, living in Sweden nowadays where she has her Amazonas-project going on. Vinkeloe however
also visits the Bay Area on regular base, participating in several collaborations. With ‘Au Quotidien’ she
presents her group Roughtet of Joe Lasqo (laptop, piano, field recordings/samples), Teddy Rankin-
Parker (cello), Don Robinson (drums). Vinkeloe plays alto sax, flute, field recordings and samples. There
is a strong interplay between them, suggesting they know another already for a while. But I’m not sure
about that. Their improvisations have something jumpy and edgy, like in the jazzy and rhythm-driven
‘Je ne sais pas’, or the closing piece ‘I hear you/Berkeley alive’ In contrast the duet between Vinkeloe
(flute) and Rankin-Parker (cello) in ‘No Way!’ is very poetic and lyrical, and sounds as a piece of
chamber music. The different patterns and motives they play, are strongly intertwined and together,
and sometimes seem to depart from a composed base or appointments. But all may also result
spontaneously from a good chemistry between the participators. Anyway structure is what they are
focused at. Resulting in 12 carefully constructed and striking improvisations. A lovely one! (DM)
––– Address: http://www.edgetonerecords.com/
THE PITCH (cassette by Granny Records)
It is not easy to browse back issues of Vital Weekly to see if I reviewed The Pitch before, since it is a
word that is used a bit, I should think. The group of four musicians was founded in 2009 and had
releases on Gaffer Records, Sofa, Ecology and Arbitrary. They operate out of Berlin and consist of Boris
Baltschun (electric pump organ / electronics), Koen Nutters (upright bass), Morten J. Olsen
(vibraphone / tape delay) and Michael Thieke (clarinet). In the process to record their music they use
a combination of a “double cassette machine and digital stereo recording technique creating cassette
delay and a grimy, expanded, acoustic sound”. They are not a group that improvises, it seems, but
perform compositions, which on this new tape happen to be more or less of the same length, thirteen
minutes. They sound, however, quite a bit different from each other. On the first side there is ‘Molecular
Motion’, which is an excellent drone piece, combining electronic sounds with acoustic ones. Tones are
held together by each of the player, and I would assume Nutters and Olsen when approaching the bass
and the vibraphone use bows. Electronics might include sine waves mingling with those acoustic
instruments and it is a very rich sound all together, going from a mid-frequency over the course of
thirteen minutes to a somewhat lower range and the vibraphone placing some accents. ‘Pillars’ on
the other side is also a drone piece, but here the clarinet and organ are playing those, whereas the
bass and vibraphone play a slow, somewhat majestically rhythm, perhaps forming ‘pillars’ as a
foundation for the music. Changes on both pieces are very slow, as you can imagine and throughout
both pieces sound wonderful. It is in a way a very direct recording, but perhaps also very sonically
detailed. Think Alvin Lucier but then perhaps a bit more melodic, if that makes any sense. (FdW)
––– Address: https://grannyrecords.bandcamp.com/
ZHERBIN – Везде (cassette by Strategic Tape Reserve)
If I copy the Russian title from the Bandcamp page and put it into Google translate the word that comes
out is ‘Everywhere’. It is the work of (Dmitry) Zherbin, who was born in the Ukraine but lives in Helsinki
for twenty years now, where he’s part of the local scene, with this own label, concert organisation and
noise rock band Fate Vs Free Willy, post-punkers Black Tile and collaborations with Andrea Pensado,
Jelena Glazova and Ilia Belorukov. On this new cassette he has six pieces, all around three to four
minutes (so it is a C21 tape), in which Zherbin works with tape manipulation and feedback. I believe
we have to understand ‘tape manipulation’ as ‘tape loops’, which sound on this tape ( I don’t think I
heard much of his other solo music) like they have been recorded some years ago, been buried in the
backyard for since then, and recently been dug up, and not cleaned have been to rusty life again. It is
that unwanted sound that you could try to filter out all the irregularities with, but Zherbin does the
opposite: he amplifies the dirty quality and presents it with pride. Maybe he adds a little bit of
electronics or feedback, which is not easy to say which it is, actually, yet I must admit I find this sort
of thing quite fascinating. In ‘Acky’ there is also a bit of piano sounds on the loops, adding a minimal
but melodic touch to the music. This is not noise for the sake of noise (in fact it is hardly noisy at all),
or minimal for that reason, but each of these pieces is an exploration of it’s own world of sound. It is all
very sparsely orchestrated, just a few sounds with a concise, limited time frame and one could wish for
some pieces like this I guess, so the shortness of the release is the only thing to complain about. (FdW)
––– Address: https://strategictapereserve.bandcamp.com/
SACK & FLIM – ZEITLOOPEN (cassette by Powdered Hearts Recordings)
This is perhaps not the most fresh release of this week, but it was slipped to me by Harald ‘Sack’ Ziegler
last week and too good not to review. Sack is someone who has been around for a long time with his
crazy yet personal pop/unpop music style, in which vocals play an important role. Flim is Enrico
Wuttke who made an excellent impression with album, first on Tomlab and later Plinkity Plonk, but
in more recent times, say after 2010, didn’t release much new music. Over the years Flim’s music
became more and more quiet, just a piano, some electronics and some field recordings, but originally
had a more rocky sound. Perhaps not as ‘funny’ as Sack’s but hearing the six shortish pieces on
‘Zeitloopen’ made me realize the combination of both is not as strange as it seems. In these pieces
there is drums, there is electronics, there is even a ‘pop’ sort of sound, especially with the vocals of
Sack I would say, but it is also not without experiment. Many loops, I’d say as promised on the box,
and moody moments aren’t far away, such as in ‘Lieber Harald, Lieber Enrico’ and the pieces on the
second side continue in similar moody vein. Like more tapes this week, and I am sure that’s
coincidental, this is rather short, around twenty minutes, and here too I would not have minded a
couple of more of songs like this. (FdW)
––– Address: https://powderedheartsrecords.bandcamp.com/
#ALPHASIGMA – MUSIC FOR YOUR SHITTY LAPTOP SPEAKERS (floppy disk by Hxoi Kato Apo to Spiti)
From the world of obsolete formats (or the garbage dump of technology, which ever you prefer), the
floppy disk. It has been a long time since I had some apparatus in my home to play one, but luckily for
the poor reviewer there is a version of Bandcamp, which I used for playback. From Volos in Greece is
#alphasigma, a duo of Spyros Charmanis and Lambros Zafeiropoulos, who enlisted the help of Eva
Matsigkou. I am not sure but I think there are a floppy disk version and a normal version, the latter
being the first on Bandcamp. The group has a post-rock approach of ‘studio as instrument’,
deconstructing over a longer period of time feedback moves, drum sounds and doodles on a synth.
I am also not entirely sure where the ’shitty laptop speakers’ fit into this, but the ‘floppy disk version’
is surely the noisier brother of the two. I assume that it is the same piece but then recorded via a built-
in microphone of a laptop, or from a playback from those said speakers. It is hard to tell. I quite enjoyed
both versions of the piece I must say, not preferring the delicate or the noisy variation. Both bring out
specific qualities that the other doesn’t seem to have, plus one could say there like variations on a
theme; that, or the studio being another instrument, again. Two quite different versions of the same
thing, both sounding equally wonderful. (FdW)
––– Address: https://hxoikatoapotospiti.bandcamp.com/
UNITED POWER SOUL – MOVING FAST FOR 4 (cassette, private)
Just what on earth did United Power Soul, or the people behind it, think before stuffing this cassette
into a mailer and write on it an address in The Netherlands. “Yeah, well, I know these guys across the
pond, they always offer a fair critique when it comes to the current state of soul music”? Or is, god
forbid, Vital Weekly in some directory for online reviewers of musicians that are inspired by Prince,
Fela Kuti and Bob Marley? We should hope not. We receive off and on releases with music that is
really, really not our thing. It took a heavy metal from Poland some ten mailings of promo’s before
realizing it was pointless. Let’s hope United Power Soul get this quicker. I’d say if you like soul music,
then hop right over to the website below, check out some samples and buy that tape. (FdW)
––– Address: https://www.unitedpowersoul.com/