FUJI COMPILATION (CD by Fuji)
SND – STDIOSND TYPES (CD by Mille Plateaux)
TOMAS JIRKU – VARIANTS (CD by Alien8)
TIBETAN RED (CD by Zanfonia)
JANEK SCHAEFER – ABOVE BUILDINGS (CD by Fat Cat)
KYBORG & SARAH MARRS – BASK (CD by NBI)
VOICE CRACK – SHOCK LATE (LP by Entenpfuhl)
FUJI COMPILATION (CD by Fuji)
Somewhere in the borderlands between japan’s essential electronic
exports, infernal noise-experiments and captivating shibuya-kei kitsch,
you will find most of the contributors to this very interesting
compilation entitled “Fuji Compilation”. Opening the musical treasure of
japanese underground to the outside world, is apparently a central
function of the “Fuji Compilation”. The musical selection ranges from
colourful lo-fi to brainwashing wacky techno and then further towards
morbid sound-installations and distorted ambient-scapes. Having been
mixed into one big whole, the album is a non-stop one-hour journey into
the lesser known suburbs of japanese sound-artists. A nice compilation
once more proving that the japanese still know how to find new angles
exploring the electronic sound. (NMP)
SND – STDIOSND TYPES (CD by Mille Plateaux)
Ah, something I have been looking forward to: the new SND has arrived.
Their ‘Makesnd Cassette’ on Mille Plateaux was a brilliant debut. Pleasent
sort of version of Oval, Chain Reaction in a strict 4/4 beat manner. How
would they do with a second full length (gosh, what a rock cliche)? To be
honest from the start: it’s an ok record, but doesn’t get to the same high
level as ‘Makesnd Cassette’. It is less structured around fixes patterns
which were so apperent on the first one, but much of it stays on the
ambient, subdued level. You wish for a hard hitting beat that doesn’t come.
Is it therefore a bad album? Probably not. Whereever it aims at, it’s not
the dancefloor where it will arrive. This much more mood music for your
living room, but then it’s very good mood music. So rock cliche’s might be
true for digitalia – excellent debut followed by a lesser second one? Let’s
wait for the third round. (FdW)
Address: www.mille-plateaux.com
TOMAS JIRKU – VARIANTS (CD by Alien8)
Tomas Jirku is not another alter ego of Vladislav Delay, in fact not
finnish, but Canadian. He has worked on a set of music which was uploaded
to Notype (suppliers of MP3 on their www.notype.com – check this out!) in
every new variation he made. Eventually almost fifty different ones could
be obtained. Jirku made a selection of his favourites, which he reworked
(why, I asked myself, as these were favourites?) and released here on CD.
Stylistically Jirku stays close to heroes of the scene as the
aforementioned V. Delay and Pole. To ignore him as just another copycat,
doesn’t justify the neat pieces found here. Jirku creates his own style, by
using characteristics from others and creates his own thing. That’s very
00s, so who am I tell it’s wrong? Neat, slow, dub induced techno and
occasional microwaves. (FdW)
Address: www.alien8recordings.com
TIBETAN RED (CD by Zanfonia)
To put your entire musical output on one CD, and thus offering the
“complete works by” – what an interesting idea (that’s why I am so fond of
Varese and Webern – the consequent, small body of work). In the mid 80s
somebody recorded as Tibetan Red, having one track on the LP ‘Freedom In A
Vacuum’, the first release by a label with the same name and a cassette on
that very same label. That somebody came from Spain, went to Canada and is
now in Southern Europe. Thus we see the CD released on a label from
Barcelona.
‘Scanning’ (the comp piece aswell in it’s complete form on cassette) is an
excellent piece of layered shortwave sounds, morse codes and underlying
drones from a synth. ‘Kalahari Fire Birth’ uses many unidentifable sounds,
set against the tape-loop (sampling was virtually non-existent in those
days) of ethno origin. A raw version of zoviet*france like ambience. ‘The
Sistine Chapel’ is a previously unreleased track, and also works with
looped ethno material, here the didgeredoo. All three tracks clock at 20
minutes and all have a trance like spirit, without leaping into boredom.
What I particulary like about this CD is the undated, fresh rawness of the
80s cassette movement, transformed to CD. An aural document of the
‘anything goes’ attitude, which Vital owes it’s credit to, too. (FdW)
Address: no address given
JANEK SCHAEFER – ABOVE BUILDINGS (CD by Fat Cat)
Janek Schaeffer is back were he started his career, but now with a full
length CD. Schaeffer is a hip turntablist, using a recordplayer with three
arms. Much of his previous work were captations of live work, but this CD
sees him working in the studio. That’s a good thing, since, to put it
blunt, I’m not particular fond of DJ material on CD, no matter how many
tone arms they use. Schaefer uses here, I guess, primarily source material
recorded by himself, like an old family organ, prepared baby grand piano
aswell as found sounds and feedback. He creates subtle pieces, that are
either too short or a bit lenghty. The tension is a piece like Thousand
Camera Corono can almost be felt and there is ok at its 13 some minutes.
The droning opener ‘Forglen’ could have been twice as long as far as I’m
concerned. The sounds are carefully chosen and placed neatly in intense
tracks. A slow version of musique concrete, should this mean anything. More
studio time for herr Schaeffer please! (FdW)
Address: <fatcat@mcmail.com>
KYBORG & SARAH MARRS – BASK (CD by NBI)
Six tracks of minimalist techno, but with vocals. Hmmm. You may know what I
think about vocal music… Here the vocalist is Sarah Marrs, who was
briefly in Tarwater. She sounds like a man, I can’t help it. The music is
only ok in the two intsrumental tracks – in the four other they just
support the vocals. And they are, to be honest, quite boring. It’s more
recitation then singing. Sorry, but I pass on. (FdW)
Address: <kompakt@compuserve.com>
VOICE CRACK – SHOCK LATE (LP by Entenpfuhl)
Years and years ago I saw a brilliant concert by two regular looking guys,
who were standing behind a large table, filled with cables, objects and
broken electronica. They produced furious noises by touching these objects,
and while it was loud, they had everything under control. These two guys
were Moslang and Guhl, who play with a third guy as Voice Crack (although
on this LP just as a duo again). They belong to my favourite improvisers.
No laptops, just old fashioned handwork. I am not the only lover, so its a
true delight to see this LP coming out on Entenpfuhl, Frank Dommert’s
sleepy yet never quiet label. Frank is also responsible for the Sonig
label, which releases Mouse On Mars related projects and it’s to be hoped
that this LP will get wide attention. Over the years the sounds by Voice
Crack have softened, maybe they got bored with loud noise?, who knows. They
play four subtle pieces of crackling electronica, in which more broken
stuff arise and fall out. Much a like the stuff modern laptoppers play
around, but Voice Crack has a strong own voice and sound much different
then the plug-in everybody else is using. So if you are bored with that
stuff, hark back to the old stuff and discover Voice Crack. (FdW)
Address: <entenpfuhl@gmx.net>