KLANGKRIEG – DAS FIEBER DER MENSCHLICHEN STIMME (CD by Audioview)
L. MARHAUG – I CAN’T REMEMBER SILENCE (CD-R on Bonbonrecords)
STEPHEN VITIELLO – THE LIGHT OF FALLING CARS (CD by JDK Productions)
CM VON HAUSWOLFF – BASIC (CD by Table Of The Elements)
DAS SYNTHETISCHE MISCHGEWEBE – SOME CONCEPTUAL OBLIGATIONS, THE USUAL OUGH
& RUMBLE AND THE CONSPRATION OF SILENCE (CD by Pinch A Loaf
MODULATION & TRANSFORMATION 3 (3CD set by Mille Plateaux)
DJ SPOOKY & ALAN LICHT – BACKWARDS FORWARDS (10″ by Manifold)
KLANGKRIEG – DAS FIEBER DER MENSCHLICHEN STIMME (CD by Audioview)
The title of this CD translates more or less as: The fever(ishness) of the
human voice. And indeed there are a lot of voice samples on this one. I was
pretty curious to find out how Klangkrieg would deal with this restriction
of material. Their other CD’s have a rich texture of sound material that I
appreciate very much and which made them stand apart from a lot of other
work in the field. In the beginning of the CD everything is pretty quiet
and it takes a while before things get started. This is probably due to the
fact that the first track is a person sleeping. Slowly things are built up
in the second track: a lot of samples are used to create a dense layer of
sounds that evaporates later again. The second piece is a studio version of
a piece for a video installation with 8 sound channels. But I would not be
able to tell: it’s simply a good sound composition and if I hadn’t known
about the installation it wouldn’t have come to my mind. The other tracks
are very much in the tradition of Klangkrieg’s work: a rich sound world (so
yes, they succeeded even using almost only voice) with a lot of different
compository approaches using loops, samples and analog recordings to create
their theatrical, but delicate pieces. As with all their work a lot
ofattention has been put on details, worth listening to. Some of the
recordings are very funny and give a sense of irony (e.g. Schönes Gefühl).
Now I am not someone who has a particular liking for the human voice, so at
times this CD gets on my nerves a little, but otherwise it is very well
composed and produced and everyone who likes Klangkrieg’s previous work can
get this one without any fear of disappointment. (MR)
Adress: <lowlands@innet.be>
L. MARHAUG – I CAN’T REMEMBER SILENCE (CD-R on Bonbonrecords)
Knowing some of Marhaug’s work this CD-R comes as quite a surprise: not a
heavy noise production, but eight very different tracks, ranging from
dreamy guitar samples to very quiet noise (this is not a contradiction).
The CD opens with a track that was probably made in heaven: a guitar loop,
processed with a lot of reverb and other fx, fitting perfectly with the
lovely weather here. The second one is actually a microwave piece in the
best tradition of Noto or Ikeda. From here on the tracks get a bit noisier,
but they stay focused and keep the attention of the listener very well.
Somehow the sound of this CD is very nice: it sounds kind of cheap and
noisy but it is defenitely meant to sound this way. Lots of hiss and rumble
make the underlying sounds merge into some kind of low volume power ambient
that escapes from being a mere background thingy. Track seven is a reprise
of track one, but even dreamier. The CD closes with a short drony guitar
piece not unlike tracks one and seven. A very good piece of work and well
worth listening to. There is actually no adress on this CD, but I guess you
can order a copy (limited to 99) at the adress below. (MR)
Adress: <badkharma45@hotmail.com>
STEPHEN VITIELLO – THE LIGHT OF FALLING CARS (CD by JDK Productions)
The press message states that Stephen is a protegee of Nam June Paik, and
that he creates experimental based soundtracks, works for performances and
exhibitions and that he mainly uses mainly electric guitar, sampling delays
and sampler. On one track he plays with Pauline Oliveros and on another
these two add material by Hahn Rowe.
In general Stephen has a down to earth approach. Tracks are called
“Papercutter” or “Guitar Solo Through Broken Speaker”. Many of his tracks
are short, almost like a sketch. It’s almost like he couldn’t make up his
mind what to put on his CD and ths decided to put a lot of everything on
there. Many of these pieces use drones as a background, either played in
real time, or in sampled form. It’s a pity that some of these tracks are so
short, since they don’t get enough time to develop and give more of the
potential they might have. Now this CD limps on many feet, and serves just
as an introduction. However some of the things captured here, forecast a
good future development. We’ll be hearing more of him! (FdW)
Address: P.O.Box 92097 – 1090 AB Amsterdam – The Netherlands
CM VON HAUSWOLFF – BASIC (CD by Table Of The Elements)
Carl Micheal von Hauswolff is becoming an art world celabrity I’m told and
no doubt this CD will help. Table Of The Elements recentely signed a deal
with a big classical music distributor, so maybe you find this soon in your
local classic outlet. Each of the four tracks are named after a city were
Micky (for friends) had an exhibition, Rotterdam, Kaliningrad, Hamburg and
Stockholm and each title is followed by a mouth full of words, probably
describing (rather the explaining) some of the conceptual implications that
were part of that event. To give an example: “Rotterdam canaries or a
general attempt to conque a specific model of migration” (if I remember
correctly on display was a birdcage).
To know Micky is a visual artist is maybe (at least for some) to forget
that he is also (and firstly) a musician, being a student of the first
Swedish composer Rune Lindblad (to whom this CD is dedicated). Unlike his
teacher, Hauswolff likes to keep things simple… or should I say ‘basic’.
Each of the four tracks is set off in a particular sound range (high
pitched tones, throbbing pulse beat, feedback tone and bass drone) and he
stays within that field, adding slight variations in the sound and it’s
color. Play loud is an advise I never like to give, since I guess everybody
should play music he or she thinks is best, but in this case it might help.
In the second piece, at a low volume, it’s seems just a pulse beat, but at
a higher volume all sorts of tones (kinda like escaping air from a tank) is
also present. Borrowing sound ideas from the likes of Pan Sonic, but
without an obvious dance music reference, Hauswolff is another fine, yet
heavily conceptual representant of microwave music. (FdW)
Address: <mailorder@tableoftheelements.com>
DAS SYNTHETISCHE MISCHGEWEBE – SOME CONCEPTUAL OBLIGATIONS, THE USUAL OUGH
& RUMBLE AND THE CONSPRATION OF SILENCE (CD by Pinch A Loaf
Das Synthetisches Mischgewebe seem back on track. Already in existence for
some 20 years or so, Guido Hubner now releases his works on CD’s throughout
the world. Like usually it’s packed with a text by Jean Rene Lassalle (and
which I’m failing to understand again). DSM produce a kind of digital
musique concrete in which the electro-acoustic element is totally gone.
Even though this CD is indexed with 13 tracks, I regard this is as one long
compostion. It moves through textures, flickering of light, bursting of
metal and crackling of silence – everything happens at the same time, or
within seconds from eachother. Or just aswell with longs of gaps of silence
(or are these just the silences between tracks?) – these cuts from reality
souns seem to distort your sense of reality. Nothing seems as it is and the
spiral takes you down into some wacky dreamworld – a nice mightmare
(whatever you prefer I think). (FdW)
Address: <loaf@earthlink.net>
MODULATION & TRANSFORMATION 3 (3CD set by Mille Plateaux)
More the on the previous editions of the ‘Modulation & Transformation’
series, this new one is a true showcase of what modern electronica music
can all be. Mille Plateaux, being the intellectual sister to techno label
‘Force Inc.’, presented interesting new developments in their past
releases, that ultimately led to what we call microwave now. With dashes of
ambient, industrial and techno music (but it’s just not ambient, industrial
or techno), these musicians create their own style. Too bumpy to be called
ambient, to shaky and off rhythm to be called techno, and not harsh enough
to be called industrial. You catch my drift?
So everything is in here, and almost everybody (I’d be called crazy if I
said everybody of some importance is on here, because there is some
hiatus). The entire Cologne scene is present: Lithops, Mouse On Mars,
Freiland, Thomas Brinkmann, Pluramon, Brusseler Platz 10a, artists from the
Rastermusic label like Noto, M. Behrens, Kim Cascone and many from Mille
Plateaux stable (Dean Roberts, Steel, Arno Peeters, Panacea, Gas, Curd
Duca). Stylistically this is as divers as you may wish: from break beat
drum & bass (Techno Animal, Panacea) to techno (Low Res, Mouse On Mars,
SND, T. Brinkmann, Freiland, Philus) to plain noise (Brusselerplatz 10A,
Ikeda, Wollscheid) to ambient inspired (Andy Mellwig, Gas, Pluramon,
Scanner, Thomas Heckmann and the very serious composed pieces (T. Koner,
K. Cascone, M. Behrens, Dean Roberts, Arno Peeters). And everything in
between.
The good thing about this set is that it showcases many names. Less good
might be that is seems slightly put together in an arbitary way.
Address: <ac@force-inc.com>
DJ SPOOKY & ALAN LICHT – BACKWARDS FORWARDS (10″ by Manifold)
I haven’t been keeping up with DJ Spooky’s work lately – I believe he made
a career move to some label which don’t serve Vital Weekly, so excuse me if
I’m going to say something stupid. And Alan Licht? Now he’s a chap which I
at least see hopping by, but find dificult to place. His solo CD ‘The Evan
Dando Of Noise’ was well received in my player, and there was a short CD on
the Pure series with some Jap chap, which also quite noise. Rather then a
work of collaboration, this is a split record and showcases their talent in
just 10 minutes
The Alan Licht side is one or more tape-loops that go slightly out of phase
– very nicely excuted Mr. Reich… err I mean Mr. Licht. It’s a damm clever
loop that gets stuck in a lockgroove (so it lastest 15 minutes before I
found out). DJ Spooky toys around with a whole bunch of effects and a
sampler on guitar sounds (first track on his side) and drum & bass patterns
on the second. The first one has a particular live feel to it.
I’m taking a risk here, but particular with the Spooky first track, I have
the feelinng dealing with a left over piece. But that still makes 2/3 of
the record o.k. And being limited to ‘just’ 1999 copies, another reason to
get it. (FdW)
Address: <manifold@manifoldrecords.com>