BRANDON LABELLE – TEXT EQUALS CD (CD by Errant Bodies)
ERINYS – MONOPHIDELIC (3″ CD-R by Furious Recording Technologies)
CHING-SHEN-CHING – 1.2.3.0 (3″ CD-R by NOISE@TAIWAN)
CHING-SHEN-CHING – Video Works (3″ VideoCD by NOISE@TAIWAN)
KENNETH GABURO -Tape Play (CD by Pogus)
ROBERT RICH – HUMIDITY (3CD by Hypnos)
TARKATAK/ANOMONE TUBE (CDR by Transfixional Entertainment)
FEAR OF DOLLS – WHEN THE ORGAN PLAYED AT TWILIGHT (CD)
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN – Trip to the Core (CD on Essential Dance Music)
BRUME – HYSTERICAL (CDR by Transfixional Entertainment)
SONIG COMP (CD by Sonig)
I8U – I8U (CD by Multimedia Pandora)
BRANDON LABELLE – TEXT EQUALS CD (CD by Errant Bodies)
Brandon Labelle is one of those artists who are capable of voicing their
thoughts and ideas about their work very well. He is of course co-editor of
the book ‘Site of Sound’ (together with Steve Roden), which I haven’t read
yet (shame on me!), but of which the accompanying CD is very good indeed
(everyone with an interest in sound art should have it; you can always read
the book later, like me). This CD (which has been very well designed) comes
with a booklet of ten pages and explains in clear terms what it is that
Labelle is concerned with. As the title suggests, language is the main
focus of his enterprises here. The fact that we rely upon language (and all
its difficulties, not in the least because it has to be produced by the
body with all its constraints) to communicate with others, almost directly
implies the notion that we also rely on deformation, fluctuation and
distortion, in other words: on music and even noise. So, on the basis of
several texts by the likes of Barthes, Stein and Rimbaud, Labelle takes us
on a journey into the sound producing caivty of the human being: the mouth.
The ten tracks are almost ambient works of stutters, broken words and
sentences and all the noises that the mouth can produce. Except for track
four, which is a piano piece, based on a text by Gertrude Stein (listening
to the text, writing on the piano). The good thing about this CD is that
Labelle has really succeeded in eliminating the boundaries between text,
language and the body. They melt into each other, the text is the body and
vice versa. True sound art on the CD format.(MR)
Adress: otic@earthlink.net
ERINYS – MONOPHIDELIC (3″ CD-R by Furious Recording Technologies)
CHING-SHEN-CHING – 1.2.3.0 (3″ CD-R by NOISE@TAIWAN)
CHING-SHEN-CHING – Video Works (3″ VideoCD by NOISE@TAIWAN)
It seems that the 3″ CD-R is breaking through finally and I can’t say I
mind. I have always liked the 3″ format, because of its length and its
size. It offers good possibilities for releasing specific pieces (see the
Metamkine releases). The disc by Erinys brings two audio tracks and one
video track. The first one is the video (with sound) and is kind of funny
(featuring a drumming monkey), but not a blast. The second (audio)track is
pretty noisy, using a lot of FX with feedback and some loops. The third
track is the best, with delicate electronic sounds and a balanced
composition. In all a nice CD.
On the second disc we have three tracks, all based on ocean sounds. The
fourth track is the raw material (which is almost an open invitation, of
course). The first track is a composition of totally digitized material,
with some noisy parts. A little too digitized, for my taste. The second
track is more in the microwavy direction with different rythmical bleeps
and some very nice crdony sounds. This is a pretty good piece. Track three
seems to be the most ambient version, starting with a gentle drone and then
introducing different bleeps. These are cut off and a soft rumble takes
over, later covered with crackles and hisses. Another cut and high and mid
sines form the third part of the track, later to be replaced by other
crackles. Good filtering and a strong composition. This guy may hold a
promise for the future. The video CD is something we will see more and more
in the future, because sound editing on the computer is not very different
from editing video. So why not put both on a CD? Well, besides from the
fact that another discipline is involved, images tend to have a somewhat
more direct meaning than sound. This becomes clear in the last clip with
the title ‘Deathdrome’: dead embryos, dead people hanging from ropes, dead
people cut up and so on. The music is not much more than a dronE (not a
drome). The video has a hallucinating effect, but i am not sincerely
interested in looking at dead people. So much for this track. The fourth
track is totally different: abstract images (light bars and dots) accompany
a microwave track (or is it the other way around?), that is structured well
and is defenitely my favourite. The first three tracks are b/w videos,
mainly of flowers and edited digitally. They seem more subdued than the
last two. Conclusion: promising, but a risk of going over the top.(MR)
Adresses: Erinys: erinys@usa.net
NOISE@TAIWAN: www.noisetw.com
KENNETH GABURO -Tape Play (CD by Pogus)
Gaburo was born 1926 in Somerville (New Jersey). He studied at the Eastman
School of Music of Rochester, the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome,
Tanglewood and Princeton, and at the University of Illinois in Urbana. He
was lecturer at universities in Ohio, Louisiana, Urbana and California and
director of the Experimental Music Studio at the University of Iowa. In
1960 he founded the New Music Choral Ensemble, 1974 the Lingue Press and in
1977 the Institute for Cognitive Studies. He died in 1993. Most of his work
are solo-efforts, made by him in the studio of some university. But
although Gaburo gave birth to his music in an academic environment his
music does not sound highly reflective. Most pieces on this cd work on a
emotional level. The pieces represent different stages of his work and
life. 5 pieces originated in the mid-sixties at the University of Illinois.
One piece was created in his home studio in 1974. The other pieces were
made in the studio of the University of Iowa during the 80s and 90s. Gaburo
used to work alone on his music. Collaborations are rare. Only one is on
this cd: ‘Few’ (1985) was created together with Henry Chopin. Gaburo
composed a lot of electronic music. He only rarely made music for tape. So
it is very nice to have it here on one cd. Gaburo also had a special
interest in the use of the voice. Some pieces on this cd gave evidence of
this. In the early pieces there is a very obvious mixtutre of
electronically generated sound and concrete sounds. In the case of ‘The
wasting of Lucrecetzia’ (1964) this results in a very wild piece with some
very recognizable techniques like speed-up. When listening to this piece I
said to myself ‘the Residents must have heard this when working on ‘Third
Reich ‘n’ Roll’ and other stuff’. Voices, percussion and sax playing are
used here to create a very appealling madness. ‘For Harry’ (1966) is
something different. It is dedicated to composer Harry Partch, a friend of
Gaburo who maintained that his work and electronics do not go together. But
Gaburo proves the opposite here. With a self-built acustical string
instrument Gaburo creates sounds and timbres that are very similar to the
instruments Partch designed. ‘Lemon Drops’ (1965) is Gaburo’s
jazzcomposition. In any case, it is a very jazzlike piece that proves that
tape music can swing. All in all this is an interesting cd. There is not so
many music available from Gaburo as far as I know. The booklet gives
interesting background information, written by Warren Burt (DM).
Address: pogal@frontiernet.net
ROBERT RICH – HUMIDITY (3CD by Hypnos)
Wow! What’s there to say. More then three hours of Robert Rich captured in
live concert. All from a short time span in 1998, Rich produces three
entirely different concerts, of course within the limits he has set for
himself.
Disc one and three have ‘tracks’, rather then a ongoing mood piece. The
tracks are crossfaded into each other to make it a long flow. Behind the
wall of electronic sounds, Rich occassionally uses ethnic percussion and
flutes. Luckily he hides that away a bit, because it would be too tedious.
Disc two has six parts of ‘Beyond’ and is indeed one piece with shimmering
textures and an odd bang on some ethnic drum.
I am sure this release nowhere captures the real thing. Rich likes playing
Sleep Concerts – music on end. This is just a home version that still gives
a good impression. Perfect music for rainy sunday nights with nothing to
see on TV. Utter relax music, or even, indeed, music to sleep by. Beautiful
rich music. (FdW)
Address: <mgriffin@hypnos.com>
TARKATAK/ANOMONE TUBE (CDR by Transfixional Entertainment)
>From the German underground two ‘bands’ on one CD. I write ‘bands’, since
they have one member each. Tarkatak slowly gaines a reputation as the
natural successor to Maeror Tri (aside of course Troum). His almost 30
minute piece is based on, maybe even a ‘remix’, who knows, something by the
other band on this CD, a track curiously not on this CD. Tarkatak slides
through rough and dark edges to built his own world on the guitar, samples
and who knows what else. Great production with lots of attention of the
detail, the base end sound good here. Anemone Tube just uses the guitar,
but not in one great composition, but in 5 smaller. Which are nonetheless
great. Short excursions into the same sort of territory that Tarkakat is
inhabiting. Textured ambient drones with a refined character. (FdW)
Address: <transfixional@t-online.de>
FEAR OF DOLLS – WHEN THE ORGAN PLAYED AT TWILIGHT (CD)
Sometimes I receive those CD’s who seem very much out of place here, but
the mailer really says: Vital Weekly. Fear Of Dolls are a rockgroup whose
CD has six tracks of fairly outdated doomy rock. Accidentely I played The
Cure’s Seventeen Seconds last week, and I could remember every song. I
don’t think I will be playing this CD more then one time, even when it’s
not bad in their kind. It just isn’t my thing, right. (FdW)
Address: www.fearofdolls.com
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN – Trip to the Core (CD on Essential Dance Music)
Hanyo van Oosterom aka The Flying Dutchman delivers here a cd with the
qualities that we are used from him and that guarantee a certain level of
musical quality and recognizability etc. But by now it also starts to give
some predictability to his music. Most of the pieces are built around a
basis of percussive sounds as we are familiar with since the times of Chi.
This basis is filled up with electronic sounds and many other instruments.
The result is a collection of 12 well-balanced compositions. All played by
the Dutchman himself, assisted by a few guestmusicians. New – to me as far
as I know his work – is the extensive use of (a narrative voice), similar
in effect as Zazou did on his ‘Sahara Blue’. This makes Ciska Ruitenberg to
the most prominent guest-appearence. But in spite of the obvious qualities
of this cd , it failed to succeed any impression on me. More ‘roughness’
would be very refreshing for this kind of music that inevitably develops in
the direction of muzak (DM).
BRUME – HYSTERICAL (CDR by Transfixional Entertainment)
To some people Brume has been a household name since ages, and to others
may be just his recent CD output is known. For the obsessive collectors the
CDR medium is a gift from heaven: Brume too started to wipe off the dust
from old tapes and release them in beautiful digital sound. This is a
collection of music that was released between 1989 and 1997, mainly on
compilation cassettes, CD’s etc. Brume’s signature is all over this
release, even when it contains older recordings. Brume, or the main man
Christian Renou, is a master at putting together sound collages with a
no-silence-included attitude. Everything is smeared on multitrack
recorders, and mixed in one run. Voices, either recognizable or not, play
an important role, together with percussive sounds. A massive, yet ever
changing pallette is the best foundation he could get himself. It’s not
important if you are new or old to Brume, it’s a damm hysterical music
here. (FdW)
Address: see elsewhere
SONIG COMP (CD by Sonig)
Of course you know Sonig – that small label run by the lads of Mouse On
Mars and Cologne keyfigure Frank Dommert. Here they collect some moments of
Cologne musics by Mouse On Mars and their friends. From the jumpy all over
the place electronics of FX Randomiz, Mouse On Mars, Scratch Pet Land to
the glitchy warm popmusics of Microstoria, du (= FX Randomiz and Jan St.
Werner of Mouse and Microstoria – yes, this is an incestious city) to the
dubby basses of Lithops. Out of place seems, but only seems, is Vert with a
piano piece and small amplified weirdness going on. It seems out a place,
but if you hear the CD everything seems odd and that makes it a strong CD.
We also finally welcome C. Schulz and Hajsch. Both made great records a
decade ago, but disappeared from the Cologne scene. Their piece is built
around drones and intercepting sounds. In terms of ‘heavy’, the heaviest
piece to be found here. Wang Inc.’s sweet love song closes the collection.
If you still don’t any Sonig release, because you don’t know were to start,
start here. If you have everything: this is all exclusive material and the
cover is large fold out poster… (FdW)
Address: sonig@a-musik.com
I8U – I8U (CD by Multimedia Pandora)
Sometimes I open a package and my mind drifts away: ah gothic induced
lettertype, a girl badly picturedand a label called Pandora. No thank you.
But when I started playing this, I was very surprised. Behind i8u is a
woman who has been in the music industry for 10 years, but recentely
started doing solo dark ambient. Special thanks go out to David Kristian,
so that should have warned me. It sounds indeed inspired by David, in his
more experimental, non rhythmical moods. Slowly envelopping sounds of dark
textures and occasional bubbling of basses. Spooky stuff that could go well
with movies. I was reminded of David Kristian’s Cricklewood CD and I
thought if i8u are such anonymous persona I wouldn’t be surprised to find
out it’s David himself. Very dark, not at all gothic and thus very nice.
(FdW)
Address: <geninfo@pandoras-box.net>