VLADISLAV DELAY – ENTAIN (CD by Mille Plateaux)
SCOT JENERIK / R. H.Y. YAU – MEAT (CD by auscultare resaerch)
TARGODIE – AGAINST THE SKY (CD by Mobilization)
ALVA NOTO – PROTOTYPES (CD by Mille Plateaux)
MOONLANDING VOL. 1 & 2 (7″ by Helicopter)
MOONLANDING VOL. 3 (7″ by Helicopter)
THE HATERS & JOHN WIESE (onesided LP by Helicopter)
VLADISLAV DELAY – ENTAIN (CD by Mille Plateaux)
Oh how much we envy good ol’ Vlad. Having released a very nice CD on Sigma
editions last year, all the hip label babes in Europe picked up on him
(want a Vladislav Delay release? wait at the end of the line…). Releasing
almost in the same week an album for Mille Plateaux and Chain Reaction: a
bedroom techno producers wet dream coming through I guess. There are 4
lengthy, say almost 20 minute tracks, pieces here, and two double the
previous release on Sigma, but are remastered. The best word to descrive
Delay’s music is hypnotising, even when this is a meaningless word when
used too often. His tracks start with synths washes or a simple click,
which gradually (and I mean very gradually) grow into a thick mass of oh so
many layers. Towards the end of a track, it is completely altered, changed
and it sounds like an entirely different track. Ultimate relax or work
music which you put on and let go. Great stuff. (FdW)
Address: www.mille-plateaux.com
SCOT JENERIK / R. H.Y. YAU – MEAT (CD by auscultare resaerch)
This is a split CD with one name I know and one I don’t. So it might be
interesting…..
Scot Jenerik is famous for his performances (especially the ones dealing
with fire) and tries to convey the same kind of physicality in his
recordings. And to be honest: he succeeds very well. The firts piece on the
CD is a blast in every sense: this reminds me of industrial music at its
very best; there is a beat, there is noise and it’s all put together in a
very very very good way. Long time since I heard anything this raw and
still good. The second track (also by Mr. Jenerik) is of a different
nature: the buzzing of insects is cut up and supported by a dark and soft
drony sound. Creepy to say the least and after a while very mesmerizing,
especially when the cars go passing by….. Roadkill for industrial
die-hards. And an excellent piece of music as well. Mr. Yau is next with
two pieces as well. The first one is divided into five parts, so he gets
the real length of the disc (which is good release policy of course). An
altogether different approach from him: noises created by going rough on
different materials are enhanced by reverb and amplification and then turn
into a loop (this sounds not very promising, I know) and then go back to
natural again. Hmm, have I heard this before? Yes, I have… And there’s
more of this. I’m not really sure what it is that I don’t like, but somehow
it doesn’t sound right. I truly believe in Yau as an integer artist, but on
a recording it doesn’t seem to get the full benefit. I would like to see
him do it (although the last track is a real beauty as well, with all those
big cats purring……) (MR)
Adress:auscultare@aol.com
TARGODIE – AGAINST THE SKY (CD by Mobilization)
Another release by Mr. Jenerik, this time teaming up with Larnie Fox,
painter/sculpture/sound artist.
This disc is a true collaboration: both artists made all tracks. In all
it’s a pretty noisy affair with quiet moments, but I would have to say that
it’s mainly interesting for the performers. Of course it has it’s good
moments; track six is a very good example of that. But in general the
listener is left behind a little because of the performers’ enthusiasm. Of
course, this is not a problem. If you like straight stuff, you’ll have to
get this disc from your local dealer. (MR)
Adress: www.mobilization.com
ALVA NOTO – PROTOTYPES (CD by Mille Plateaux)
Noto is of course coming loverboy of glitch/click/micro workers scene, who
has been releasing his work so far on his own excellent label Rastermusic
and who curated the 20″ to 2000 series. How apptly chosen is the title
‘Prototypes’: these are ten tracks of click electronica, microwave or
whatever it’s called now. Computer generated and processed sounds, the bit
rot available, pasted into beats and streams of sound (sorry, but I am not
sure if the word ‘melody’ is very appropiate). High end sound, low end bass
sound, and hardly no mid range: here too the computer pushes things
forward. Differentely then many others, Noto – I am not sure what I should
think of the Alva thing before his name – tries and succeeds to write a
rounded off piece of music – head and tail are there, it’s almost like…
er popmusic. This is an important quality that adds that extra needed to
differentiate from the rest. What can I say? If ‘Clicks & Cuts’ (the
compilation that Mille Plateaux just did with an overview from the scene
Noto comes from) is regard a true must have among the compilations, then
this is a must have under the solo albums. First entry in my best of 10 for
2000! (FdW)
Address: as above
MOONLANDING VOL. 1 & 2 (7″ by Helicopter)
MOONLANDING VOL. 3 (7″ by Helicopter)
THE HATERS & JOHN WIESE (onesided LP by Helicopter)
Helicopter is a small US based noise label. We reviewed their Moonlanding
one sided 7″ compilation before. This is re-issued by now as a two sided 7″
(well, I know every 7″ has two sides, but I mean both sides with music),
plus another Moonlanding 7″, part 3. The first 7″ has on one side
Moonlanding Vol. 1 and on the other side Vol. 2. The Haters punch holes
with their clici-clic machine, followed by noise from Zipper Spy, J. Wiese
& Cory Ronnau and Spastic Colon and ends with a metal sourced ambient piece
by Aube. Vol. 2 opens with MSBR doing a bit of microwave, Joh Wiese more
noise, Bastard Noise with drones and his typical heavy metal singing – or
should I say speaking. Celebrity Thurston Moore closes with a majestic
piece of howling guitar feedback. On Volume 3 there are well know artists
like Mason Jones (improv guitar cut), KK Null (with a continous
drone/collage sound), K2 (Jap noise), Disc (skipping CD and electronics – a
rather quiet track), Darrin Gray (improv bass scrapings)
But also two unknown ones: Sissy Spacek (but if it’s she, then she beats
the hell out of the rest in popularity) does a noise track and so is
Panicsville. Jetstream Panic has a laid-back feedback induced piece.
Both 7″s are very nice, well balanced compilations of noise and
experimental music, which could use a little bit more input from the
Europeans.
The one sided LP by The Haters and John Wiese (entrepeneur for Helicopter)
has a two great noise cuts and 4 lock grooves (it seems no vinyl can be
made without a lockgroove nowadays). The Haters are THE most underrated
noise artists (and what more) of their age. Decay is OK, and so is ‘Drunk
On Decay #15′, which sounds like highly amplified drills and machines. John
Wiese’s track goes more into the powerelectronics areas with feedback
sounds and deep end drills. The lockgrooves are great: 2 are noisy, but two
are just ticks or scratches and could almost be minimal techno… Since
this is limited to 200 copies, I suggest not to wait… (FdW)
Address: <johnwiese@earthlink.net> or http://www.home.earthlink.net/~johnwiese