O ROCOCO ROT + D – TRRD (miniCD by Soul Static Sound)
ULTRA MILKMAIDS – MORT AUX VACHES (CD by Staalplaat)
YUVAL RON – IN BETWEEN THE HEARTBEAT (CD bySimulacra Records)
EXPERIMENTAL AUDIO RESEARCH – DATA RAPE – PART 9 (7″ by EARWORM)
DUMB TYPE – [OR] (CD by FOIL RECORDS)
TO ROCOCO ROT + D – TRRD (miniCD by Soul Static Sound)
One of my favourite new electronica bands from Germany (well, and probably
of a few others too) do their second UK 12″ (after the excellent, yet never
reviewed release on Fat Cat), in collaboration with D. D. is Darren, Soul
Static Sound’s label boss, who presents the records he releases in a high
art cover, but who is also the producer of his label. Maybe producer isn’t
the right word here, as on most of the records he appears to be a
‘collaborator’, having equal influence on the music and the end-result.
Six relatively short tracks (clocking at 22 some minutes), in which they
display a groove attack with beats and scratches from grooves. I couldn’t
figure out the titles (writing a one long sentence), but the fourth is
particular beaty and the third was a bit Oval/Microstoria like. A very fine
work, breathing new electronica, and the only thing that I don’t like about
it: it’s way too short! (FdW)
ULTRA MILKMAIDS – MORT AUX VACHES (CD by Staalplaat)
Yet another CD in the nice series all recorded for VPRO’s radio De Avonden
show.
These recordings by the Ultra Milkmaids from september ’97 are mostly very
atmospheric soundscapes, calm and very shynthetic at times, and even quite
(dare I say it) ambient. A lot of samples are played through delays and
reverbs. Building up a bit hypnotising layers of slow rhythms, and using a
lot of guitarish melodic drones too for good measure. The 4 tracks fit very
well together, but could use a little more variety in my opinion.
Especially in the last bit where the bird sounds come in, it has been used
too often by too many. This CD is still recommended though, especially to
Zoviet France fans. (HB)
Address: <mailorder@staalplaat.com>
YUVAL RON – IN BETWEEN THE HEARTBEAT (CD bySimulacra Records)
Another one of those “I don’t know who he (she?) is”, but delivering a damm
fine CD. Simulacra Records is known for releasing ambient by their in house
artists Tear Ceremony. The blurb says that Ron composed works for dances
and performances by choreographer Oguri and the Renzoku Dance Company and
“explores the relationship between humans and ever-proliferating
technology, the inhumanity of the information age”. Ron uses acoustic
instruments that once were hip in the ambient scene (do I need to spell
those out?) and mixes these with samplers and electronica. There are
moments on this CD that is goes to a somewhat dodge new age area, but in
general the lovers of the genre, should check it out. The relation with the
performance is not very clear, but, seen seperated from it on CD, I may not
care about that. (FdW)
Address: <info@simulacrarecords.com>
EXPERIMENTAL AUDIO RESEARCH – DATA RAPE – PART 9 (7″ by EARWORM)
The first follow-up to their recent CD of the same name, which was reviewed
in an earlier edition of this screensheet, is a one-sided 7″. It reminded
of earlier work by Mr. Boom, probably because of the thick analog fog which
wraps itself around the processed Human Voice Synthesisers, which so far
form the conceptual link between all the Data Rape pieces so far. More
details can be found in the CD booklet, but basically Texas Instruments
manufactured educational electronic gameswhich utilised Human Voice
Synthesisers. Their circuitry has been rewired in unusual ways to confuse
the machines and force them to produce sounds they themselves are incapable
of comprehending. Occasionally something resembling glitchy electronic
voices struggle to communicate, peeking through the crusty texture. This
all-too brief track sounds a bit like an environmental recording made
whilst on walkabout in the wilder territories of Agharta. Hopefully this is
an excerpt from a longer piece – I think a lot of the power and strength of
Mr. Boom’s music lies in the time he takes to develop and layer the
textures. This can definitely go on much, much longer. (MP)
DUMB TYPE – [OR] (CD by FOIL RECORDS)
Dumb Type is a collective of multi-disciplinary artists from the City
University of Kyoto who are studying theatre, dance, music architecture and
computer programming. Founded in 1984 by Teiji Furuhashi (who has since
died of AIDS), they now frequently travel the globe performing their unique
concerts which seem to investigate the interface between the human body and
new media technologies. Unfortunately I was unable to attend their show,
which opened the Dutch JuliDans Festival this year, and have since heard
very mixed opinions about it from people. The title [OR] might stand for
Operating Room and indeed some of the track titles certainly indicate this
might be so.
The music on the CD was used during their latest performance and it was
composed by Toru Yamanaka and our chum Ryoji Ikeda. The first track was
composed by Mr. Ikeda and it is constructed from a tightly controlled
collection of raw sounds – sine waves, noise – which all generate their own
rhythms. (I was immediately reminded of some of Mika Vainio’s solo stuff on
Sahko, especially ‘Olento’) Because they are added one at a time, the ears
can comprehend the structure which otherwise would probably be quite
unsettling if they were all unleashed at the same time. A warm organ
uncoils and lays itself down over this plethora of pulses, softening the
texture whilst introducing a sound element which recurs throughout the CD,
most often in the snatches of sadly evocative elevator music. I really
liked the idea of single sounds as thematic components, regardless of what
they actually played. This is pristine, crystalline music, cleverly mixed
so that all sounds remain distinct from each other, when because of their
very nature, they could have been blended into a murky soup. A major
improvement on their last release. (MP)
Address: <touch@touch.demon.co.uk>