L.O.S.D. – 7 SONGS 77 FREQUENCIES (CD by Staalplaat)
SHIFTS – EIGHT LINE (12″ by ERS)
GUNSHOP – ‘\nø (CD by C.I.P.)
MNORTHAM – :COYOT: (CD by Erewhon)
REPEAT – SELECT DIALECT (CD by Cut Records)
GUNTER MULLER/LE QUAN NINH – LA VOYELLE LIQUIDE (CD by Erstwhile)
WECHSEL GARLAND – WECHSEL GARLAND (CD by Morr Music)
ZBIGNIEW KARKOWSKI & KASPER T. TOEPLITZ – LE DEPEUPLEUR (CD by Cross Fade
Entertainment)
MUSIC FOR THE PSYCH-EYE (CD by Castexotic)
DAVID ABIR/ASHLEY WALES (CD by Sulphur Records)
ANDREW POPPY – TIME AT REST DEVOURING ITS SECRET (CD by Mapref)
THE ISLAND SERIES (six 3″CDRs by The Archipelago)
v/a – Chinese Whispers – collaborative cd by The Sprawl Imprint
ROBERT RICH – Sunyata – cd by Hypnos
FEVERDREAMS – #3 – cd by Feverdreams
LAW-RAH – Droning in C – cdR by Darkambient.net
JONATHAN COLECLOUGH – STAIN/HAPTIC (7″ by Klanggalerie)
L.O.S.D. – 7 SONGS 77 FREQUENCIES (CD by Staalplaat)
On this latest album of LOSD we’re approaching a border where the term “music” turns out to be inadequate. More likely the expression lies somewhere between scientific theory and art of sound. After his brilliant Mort Aux Vaches-album entitled “The Man Who Made Radio”, L.O.S.D. has once more turned his attention towards the fundamental part of sound. The main source being used is sine waves in the lower range of the sound spectre. As the title “7 songs 77 frequencies” refers to, the album is divided into 77 tracks being parted into sets of tracks, resulting in seven “songs” of sine waves singing in their very own language. Starting out with 25 Hz the frequencies continually raises by 3 Hz until reaching 253 HZ at the final 77th track. As the first “song” opens, discreet pulses slowly turns faster and faster as one track follow the other until the 12th track. At this point everything turns silent before screeching noises wriggles inside the drones of subtle bass-lines, resulting in an almost ear-aching sound-level. And so the album changes expression from the inaudible low frequency drones to high pitched noises using a Wandel U. Goltermann RC Generator MG-47 for creating the sine waves. Sometimes jittery rhythmic and sometimes stagnant abstract expression, “7 songs 77 frequencies” represents an interesting but necessitating journey into the basic form of sound. Random play for optimum joy! (NMP)
Address: www.staalplaat.com
SHIFTS – EIGHT LINE (12″ by ERS)
This new Shifts release is most marked by a change in sound. The creative process seems to be fairly the same, but somehow the result sonds different. There is still the minimalist approach to drones and their shifting, but this release sounds richer and more abstract than the previous ones. Knowing that strings are the basis for all Shifts tracks, this one is the most processed material yet. And the most minimal as well. The two tracks build up ever so cautiously and the changes take their time to occur. Together with the abstraction from the original sound material, this creates a new sound world, that is rich and mesmerizing. So far my favourite Shifts release. (MR)
Address: ers@staalplaat.com
GUNSHOP – ‘\nø (CD by C.I.P.)
From Chicago hails this duo, using broken household appliances,
rewired electronics and other sound producing devices. The CD features 7 tracks of varying lengths and the music can best be described as glitch. I know the term is somewhat hip at the moment, but is defenitely appropriate for the music presented on this disc. Electronics failing could be another description. And how nicely electronics can fail! This is not your average noise product, but an exploration of Murphy’s Law in sound. Everything seems to go wrong the right way, however. Most of the tracks hold back, so that the occasional blasts are more effective and the silent parts have more depth. The tension is well kept throughout the whole CD, which is not all too common within this genre. A very good debut methinks. (MR)
Address: vertonen@earthlink.net
MNORTHAM – :COYOT: (CD by Erewhon)
Micheal Northam, who is of course MNortham, sort of kicks his things around for quite some time now, and maybe you bumped into him at one of his many concerts and installations. His releases so far are rather sparse, eleven covering the past nine years. Musicwise he can either be located among the improvisers with contact microphones to small objects and with the drone meisters. This new CD is among the last and is the result of recordings made in Finland in 1998 with six wind harps. These were mounted on a roof and the amplifications recorded. The booklet says that ‘more than a year later, the transmuted sounds… evolved into :coyot:’, so it’s safe to assume MNortham re-worked these sounds in the studio. Three pieces, all about 20 minutes in length, with heavy dark drones, wind licking the wires of the harp, played alongside the recordings made in resonant interiors of great cannon barrels, swirling into rich textured drones, with lots of filtering going on. Changes occur, but on the usual small scale which is inherent to this kind of music. (FdW)
Address: http://radiantslab.com/erewhon
REPEAT – SELECT DIALECT (CD by Cut Records)
GUNTER MULLER/LE QUAN NINH – LA VOYELLE LIQUIDE (CD by Erstwhile)
There are similarities in both CD’s that make it easy to do a review of
them. Both are by percussionists and electronics and both are duo’s. There are also some differences. Repeat is an ongoing duo project by Toshimaru Nakamura, who plays ‘no-input mixing board’ (which as an instrument sounds better then ‘feedback machine’, as Arcane Device called it) and Jason Kahn, a percussionist who played with Christian Marclay, Shelley Hirsh and with his band Cut. The tracks by Repeat, here on their third CD, move within the same territory throughout. Loops of feedback (which, bytheway, isn’t the over the top thing usually found when people are playing with feedback) and small, amplified sounds of percussive nature. It’s all fairly held back stuff in which the elements of improvisation are on the background. Repeat records on multi-track machines in order to mix their music, and remove unwanted moves in the music. It becomes more composed then improvised music. Quite ok stuff, but a burst out to break the steady flow would be nice suprise.
Percussion and electronics play an entirelyddifferent role on the collaborative album by Muller and Quan Ninh. Tracks are much longer, but there is also a great variety in the sounds they use, and the way they use them. There are large chuncks of environmentalistic recordings, loops on minidisc along with the tinkering of metallic percussion and sounds that seem to come from nowhere. This album is less coherent, less uniform, but this is exactely the great strength of this album. I have played it numerous times in the last days, and everytime I hear new details. It moves beyond the ordinary improvisation record and should appeal to many more then just the improv freaks. (FdW)
Address: www.cutrecords.com
Address: www.erstwhilerecords.com
WECHSEL GARLAND – WECHSEL GARLAND (CD by Morr Music)
On the previous occasions that I heard Wunder, the project by Jorg Follert
(for the Karaoke Kalk label), I wasn’t very impressed. I don’t exactely
recall why, but it just didn’t stick into my mind. Jorg’s new project is
Wechsel Garland, and seeing it released on Morr Music (one of my treasure
labels), I expected synths, quirky beats and other ingredients of modern
popmusic. I was pleasentely suprised that it is not this. Ten tracks of
modern classical playing tunes within the frames of popmusic. Steve Reich
with the length of a popmusic track. I have no idea if Jorg uses samples of
classical instruments (flutes, hammond, melotron, piano, xylophon) or the
real thing, but he offers ten amazing pieces of ‘mood music’. It’s all
fairly melancholical, a bit down stuff, but every track is well-composed,
richly arranged and each is a small film in sound by itself. Maybe not
something you’d expect on Morr Music, but then if you think about it, it’s
very logical. Until now Morr Music released the new electronica variants of
popmusic, with Wechsel Garland he does the same thing with a more classical
approach. Great album. (FdW)
Address: <info@morrmusic.com>
ZBIGNIEW KARKOWSKI & KASPER T. TOEPLITZ – LE DEPEUPLEUR (CD by Cross Fade
Entertainment)
Our loverboy from the noise scene returns (did he ever leave?) with a
collaboration with bass player Toeplitz for an album on the label that I
thought was only doing heavy beat/art-gabber stuff. It’s ok to be wrong.
The two are in full lap-top mode here: there isn’t a single sound to
recognized, from the early, quiet start (the first few minutes are of
Guenther like silence) to the interplay of sine waves which takes up most
of this CD. Until 34 minutes or so in the piece, those waves sound like a
DAT being stuck in the machine, but after the break, the sines are more
pure. Played loud this is of course truely intense stuff, and played soft
(which I always do), this is like wise intense, in the sense that it still
vibrates the room, or maybe it’s just my head that I am moving. Changes
within the piece are minimal (try your fast forward if you want to make
sure that changes really exist). No doubt the hardcore CFE fans will be
disapointed, since beats don’t exist here – if they would open their ears,
they would hear music that is even more extreme then the usual drill &
bass. (FdW)
Address: http://cfet.com
MUSIC FOR THE PSYCH-EYE (CD by Castexotic)
Now admist all the digital fuzz and improv CD’s that floating around the
Vital HQ, this comes as a true relief. I have been a lover of lo-fi stuff
before the word was invented (this is not true, but it sounds good). Badly
recorded music, mostly on guitars, noise and in some cases electronica,
recorded in bedrooms or garages. True soul stuff of course. Lo-fi stuff of
all sorts can be found on this compilation. From noise of Ashtray
Navigations, electro 80s stuff with no beats by Las Dirty Arcades, ambient
drone rock by TonalMotl or sweet folkies as Eyelickers and Staked Plain and
downright improv by Brian Ruryk. Some of this stuff sounds like straight of
the garage (Kopfende!), which only adds to the fun, at least on this side.
Nice, nice, nice. (FdW)Address: <castexotic@priest.com>
DAVID ABIR/ASHLEY WALES (CD by Sulphur Records)
What a surprise – in many ways. The label run by Robin Scanner releasing
almost classical beauty. Not what I would have guessed, but hey even I can
be wrong and why not? Apperentely the third in a series, which are called
“a exploratory series” – being unfamiliar with the first two, I can’t
comment were this fits in. First on is one David Abir, his first recording
being available. I’m a little bit suspicous to what he uses for
instruments, as the press text reads about “vocals and live cello into the
mix” – so the rest is just samples? Me wonder, but me also thinks: so what?
Gliding beauty, violin-like tones woven together and wordless vocal being
added. It’s most definetely feel good music, which almost on the edge of
new age, but being more alive then dead. The repitative tones that arise
sound like a far away breath of Steve Reich, but the overall composition,
colour and intensity it had more in common with Piero Milesi. It worked for
me best with headphones and eyes closed.
Ashley Wales played with Shockheaded Peters and Spring Heel Jack, but was
also a member of Five Or Six (now, if I was a very rich bloke, I’d
releasing their entire career on CD – so if this hasn’t been yet: the idea
is yours!). His piece is shorter, composed from two sound sources, maybe
the piano and one that I couldn’t detect. This is a more darker feel,
fitting the November early evening darkness best. Quite and pastoral,
slowly moving, with no direction to go. Of the two, the more daring piece,
and one that is definetely no new age. Mellow mood music for autumn. (FdW)
Address: www.sulpherrecords.co.uk
ANDREW POPPY – TIME AT REST DEVOURING ITS SECRET (CD by Mapref)
I have been playing this new work by Andrew Poppy a few times, and I can’t
make my mind up wether I like this or not. Poppy, once a member of The Lost
Jockey (now, if I was a very rich bloke, I’d releasing their entire career
on CD – so if this hasn’t been yet: the idea is yours!), still plays around
with his idea of minimal music. The notes on this piece seem randomly
placed, but they do return andothers are added. There is an element of
electronic processing going on (sort of like remote feedback), but there is
not much power in the piece. It floats by without direction, but there is
too much happening to make it into an easy listening piece (quite opposite
from the elsewhere reviewed CD by Abir/Wales). It kind of irritates, but is
fascinating at the same time. After repeated playing it leaves me even more
puzzled… (FdW)
Address: www.mapref.co.uk
THE ISLAND SERIES (six 3″CDRs by The Archipelago)
Six small CD’s by artists who life in the Bay Area, and who are all in some
way connected to eachother and who all work in the fields of electronic
music. What are they about? Here we go:
Number one is by Rhomb, a duo of Nathan Kreisberg and Michael Bentley (see
also number six). The two tracks sort of flow into eachother and both
combine eerie and subdued sounds of the darker side of life. Chilly, dark
and atmospheric.
Number two is by Csero, aka Ian Stokes. His six short tracks uses a
Commodore 64 and Byte based editor. The resultant sounds like a processed
Casio VL tone 1 (also an ancient machine in case you don’t know). It’s a
kinda of microwave like stuff, but it seems a bit unfocussed.
Number three is by Seofon, a member of the Ambient Temple Of Imagination,
of which we recognize the sounds very well. Track one and three are fierce
up tempo rhythm pieces with ambient synth washes underneath. The shorter
second track in the middle is a breathing exercise for seagulls and is
hauntingely ambient piece.
Number four is by Thermal, whose Joshua Maremont is also running the Boxman
label. He offers three tracks, although the first and third track only
serve as intros to the excellent psychedelic long piece ‘Main Span’ with
ebowed tones and rich textures. Certainly not innovative, but well
enjoyable.
Number five is by Dean Santomieri, whose five tracks go in all directions,
noisy, musique concrete, but who couldn’t hold my attention for very long.
Number six by eM, aka Michael Bentley, the person behind The Foundry. His
music should connect to the glitch, microwave but more in a pop music
sense. He only succeeds half in this. Some of the ideas are half worked out
and are a miss. Maybe it’s the fairly traditional use of synths on some of
the tracks.
It might not be the wisest thing to say, but I’ll do it anyway: the best
tracks could have fitted easily on one very long CD, and the lesser tracks
should have been shelved. As an idea it’s of course nice to present it like
this – each artists gets an equal oppurtunity… (FdW)
Address: <archipelago@foundrysite.com>
CHINESE WHISPERS (CD by The Sprawl Imprint)
Consider the fascinating rise of Mr. Tim Gane.
It is interesting to note his journey from McCarthy, Black Lung and
Unkommuniti to the situation he finds himself now in with Stereolab.
Such situations give rise to situations such as the blindroundrobin
known as “Chinese Whispers”. Someone gets some remixes that someone
else made and why aren’t more such recordings made? Oh! Too good for
the room, I guess.
At very low levels, these recordings might make your plants grow –
at higher levels, your friends shall be duly impressed by your rampant
multisubjectivalism and so forth. But, what happens when sounds are
circulated amongst those from different disciplines? Indeed, from
different walks of life, some entirely removed from music itself? The
drunkard, the untouchable, the studio engineer, the window washer, the
captain of industry, and perhaps even Stockhausen? Drum and/or bass,
the rhythm reigns supreme and one nods one’s head in acceptance.
Address: <sprawl@livspace.demon.co.uk>
ROBERT RICH – SUNYATA (CD by Hypnos)
“From the original 1981 recordings.”
Is it the meditation on time that does this work a…grave
disservice? Ellipses are for reasons – though it may seem to be to the
contrary – because what should be buried beneath this paperpad but two
photos of an old girlfriend? And upon remembering the date of the
recording – photo and soundwork – has it been all that long ago? How
much water under the bridge? To what strains of which organ do the
years rush riverapidly onward? It is not for nothing that the cover art
is that of rainbowed rust…
And, while we embroil ourselves in conniving and struggle
(Throbbing Gristle breaks up, the Skrewdriver discography expands and
Peter Sellers dies of a heart condition), little birds, here and there,
transcend the tumult of the day and fray. Flying overhead, the
mellowing sunlit fuckwork that is “Sunyata” flies back from the south,
returning like a love and perching briefly, threating to fall but
promising to stay…
Address: <http://www.hypnos.com>
FEVERDREAMS – #3 (CD by Feverdreams)
Barely burning a perceptible swath across the cdR, these recordings
clamour into their own echoes, strings and bells, marching forward and
back into palindromic splendour. Feedback waves but does not leave,
shallowing instead along the level of what one can hear in 27 minutes.
A scouring pours itself along these sounds – an undercurrent – and while
we have discussed the movement of sounds or lack thereof, what about
beginnings and endings? Why the fadeout? What about the cold end?
What’s the criteria for starting and/or stopping a recording? Sound
itself moves presumably ever-outward – but who is waiting for them, why,
and where?
Address: <jlloyd@aol.com>
LAW-RAH – DRONING IN C (CDR by Darkambient.net)
And what do you digeridoo when the drone lasts an hour and no
longer? Box set? Infinite repeat? Such recordings – especially fuck
music – seem perfectly suited for eternity. Speakers? “S’OK?”
“S’Awright.” Very good.
A tone rings amidst the vacillating oscillation – confusing to tell
from whence it comes, and for extended periods of time. This is
high-class fuck music – if not of the highest order, then certainly one
of the other ordinal numbers. It changes imperceptibly and then becomes
something else. I can’t explain it – in all its window-rattling
glory…
Address: <http://www.darkambient.net>
JONATHAN COLECLOUGH – STAIN/HAPTIC (7″ by Klanggalerie)
I have no idea why I am reviewing this. Limited to merely 100 copies, this
is probably long sold out. But I do like Coleclough’s music, so that may
serve as a good reason. ‘Stain’ is an Organum like piercing sound with
rumble below that slowly increases it’s intensity and with an ebow on the
bass towards the end. ‘Haptic’ is more on one level and has the ventilator
attached to a couple of cymbals in order to produce overtones. Two very
good pieces that are sadly too short. (FdW)
Address: