ARTIFICIAL MEMORY TRACE – VOL. 9: DISTORI (NOAH)
DAN BURKE & THOMAS DIMUZIO – HZ
DAVID MARANHA – PIANO SUSPENSO
(Three CD’s by Sonoris)
WEIGHTLESS, EFFORTLESS (CD compilation by Hypnos)
ROBERT RICH – INNER LANDSCAPES (CD by Hypnos)
HIGH PASS FILTER – AUDIO FORENSIC (self released CD)
HIGH PASS FILTER – A TRILLION DOLLARS (self released CD)
ELECTRIC COMPANY – OMAKASE (CD by Vinyl Communications)
TORTOISE + THE EX – IN THE FISHTANK (miniCD by De Konkurrent)
ARTIFICIAL MEMORY TRACE – VOL. 9: DISTORI (NOAH)
DAN BURKE & THOMAS DIMUZIO – HZ
DAVID MARANHA – PIANO SUSPENSO
(Three CD’s by Sonoris)
Sonoris is quickly gaining a good reputation for releasing new serious
music by ‘young’; composers without an academic background, but who
nevertheless fit the traditions. One more, and one less of course.
Artifical Memory Trace sort of is th.e right person to fit these traditions
of electro-acoustic music: intelligentely composed with modern means (read:
sampling), into relatively short pieces that hold the attention. Without
any limitation he jumps back and forth in his sound material. Sometimes all
the events seem to be apparent at the same time, but at other times one
long curve is drawn, such as in the beautiful opening piece ‘Skeletune(s)’.
AMT can be placed among the likes of Illusion Of Safety and Brume. With the
latter AMT shares something odd: presenting a large body of work, which
ranges from good to excellent, it is hard to see the difference between
each work. It doesn’t have any mystical or exciting things to be rumoured
(like for instance F. Lopez’ work).
Dan Burke is of course known as Illusion Of Safety and I can’t remember how
many concerts I saw by him – sometimes solo, some with Kurt Greisch, Tymme
Jones and Jim O’Rourke. Maybe 20 or so concerts and they are all entirely
different, some were really fascniating journeys with drony backdrops
against electro-acoustic treatments and some were just… well boring
(although a minority). Dan Burke is a well skilled musician with great ears
for the detail. Thomas Dimuzio presented a couple of solo works, which
share a common interest with Dan’s work. It may be no surprise that when
Dan was in Berkely and San Francisco for a couple of concerts, he teamed up
with Thomas who lives there. Certainly a ‘live’ CD, with bad moments here
and there (the radio tunings of drum & bass or hardrock simply don’t appeal
to me, even when they are distorted). But the main part is just a
well-executed concert which bears all the elements that these two boys
manage so well.
The best of the three new CD’s by Sonoris I’d saved for the last. David
Maranha, one third of Osso Exotico, recorded a hauntingely beautiful piece
in New York, using four motors and a violin bow to play the grandpiano. The
motors create rich textures of overtones that slowly go in and out of phase
and make unknown harmonies audible. The bow plays something like the melody
off and on. There is a very special thanks to Phill Nilblock (sic) and if
you know his music, then you know what to expect as it fits his tradition
of minimal music very well. (FdW)
Address: <sonoris.fr@lemel.fr>
WEIGHTLESS, EFFORTLESS (CD compilation by Hypnos)
ROBERT RICH – INNER LANDSCAPES (CD by Hypnos)
If you read the past issues of Vital Weekly and saw the label Hypnos
mentioned and you have no clue what ‘ambient’ or ‘atmospheric’ is about,
then this compilation might be a good introduction. Hypnos presents some of
the better known names in the genre, like Steve Roach, Rod Modell and Loren
Nerell, but the majority here are people that at least I never heard off.
But upon listening they could all have their full length albums released on
this label without doubt. Everything floats by, like clouds in the sky, or
the sea breaking upon shores. It surely lives up to it’s title: weightless
space music, one that could be on another Voyager or the next soundtrack to
‘discoveries in the universe’.
Robert Rich is already a settled name (but not on the complation) in the
ambient genre. Here he presents an older recording, from 1985, when he
wanted to perform shorter pieces in improvised sessions. Well shorter: they
still lasted three hours… Here are various edits that form one long
flowing, organic (another word that can’t be avoided when discussing this
kind of music) piece of atmosphere. Long stretched tones with slowly
changing textures in a rich, warm mood. (FdW)
Address: <mgriffin@hypnos.com>
HIGH PASS FILTER – AUDIO FORENSIC (self released CD)
HIGH PASS FILTER – A TRILLION DOLLARS (self released CD)
Interesting release by an Australian outfit moving in various territories
of dance music – read: dub, trip hop, reggea, but putting extra sauce in
the form of guitars, such as in lovely long track ‘Soaked’. Apperentely
recorded during the hottest week in Melbourne last year, which may serve as
an excuse for the short length of this release (just 33 minutes). But
nicely laidback music – serving outside temperature in Holland right now
(not the hottest week of the year). Sunshine music putting me in a happy
mood.
And there is more: High Pass Filter send out the source material to various
Aussie’s to get a remix done, with no familiar name except Black Lung. This
carries the eclestic mix further s is usual with these things. Probably
everybody keeps within the trade they are good at. They are dashes of trip
hop, dub and a little bit of techno (by Duff). Most of the remixes are in
very downtempo which slows you down. No particular favourite picked here,
they all get the label “o.k.” (FdW)
Address: <bgm9706@binary.net.au>
ELECTRIC COMPANY – OMAKASE (CD by Vinyl Communications)
To be a new is only for the very few – many people just follow and who are
we to blame them? Take for instance this Electric Company who borrow their
ideas from Farmers Manuel, Rehberg & Bauer, Oval and the like. Yet they
crank out 70 some minutes – 20 some tracks and I like it. The more I play
it, the more it grows, in their effective working, strange organised music
of silly tunes, techno back-drops and crashing hard discs. Tracks are
short, witty and entertaining – hey what more do we need? Probably not
reaching for stardom as the former mentioned artists, but hey do they want
that anyway? Alright – nice work – and Vinyl Communications finally
disconnect from their guitar noise/industrial past. (FdW)Address:
www.vinylcomm.com
TORTOISE + THE EX – IN THE FISHTANK (miniCD by De Konkurrent)
I love people with principles, maybe not their principles itself, but their
consistency to share it. The Ex – I think I have almost all their records,
dating back to their first flexi disc (no offers need to be made here, it’s
not for sale) – are 20 years steady in punk music. Ignoring the rules set
out, they carry on in their own mode. The subject of their lyrics do not
appeal to me, simply because there are better and more effective ways to
promote political messages, but their sound is something that has great
impact. The Ex promote free music – away from the three chord rock schemes,
and do their own thing, as a band, or in various combinations with others
like Tom Cora, Sonic Youth or the Dutch improv scene. Here they team up in
the studio for a twoday session with Tortoise, with whom they share a
similar love of strange and unusual structures in music. Various elements
of both bands are blended together: GW Sok’s singing, jazzy bass and
marimba (in the first track). Had these boys more time, it would have been
a somewhat more worked out CD release, but still it’s a documentation of a
nice get together. (FdW)
Address: in any shop nearby you soon?