VIERKANT MUZIEK – New Music from Flanders (CD by Brakke Grond)
ANTENNE – #1 (CD by Korm Plastics)
TART – RADIO ORANGE (LP by Swill Radio)
L.O.S.D. – SUBLIVION/ASTRAL BEING (10″ by Disques La Carotte)
VARIIOUS (2CD compilation by Intransitive)
DAVID JACKMAN – MACHINE GUNS FIGHTING (10″ by Die Stadt)
ASMUS TIETCHENS – VON MUND ZU MUND 3 (7″ by Die Stadt)
RUDIGER CARL & SVEN-AKE JOHANSSON – DJUNGELMUSIK MED SANG (CD by Hapna)
DAVID STACKENAS – GUITAR (CD BY Hapna)
AMT & PBK – TRANSPHERE 1997-1999 (CD by Erewhon)
E’VAX – PARKING LOT MUSIC (CD by Audio Dregs Recordings)
BRUTAL POLICE MENACE (CD compilation by Broklyn Beats)
EMRE: DARK MATTER (CD by SiRcom)
ONE DARK EYE – CHRONICLE OF DEATH FORETOLD (2CD by Non Mi Place)
JASON KAHN – ANALOGUES (CD by Cut)
JASON KAHN – DRUMS AND METALS (CD by Cut)
MARIO RODRIGUE – ALCHIMIE (CD by empreintes DIGITALes)
BASS COMMUNION v MUSLIMGAUZE (CDEP by Soleilmoon)
JAMES JOHNSON – ENTERING TWILIGHT (CD by Hypnos)
VIERKANT MUZIEK – New Music from Flanders (CD by Brakke Grond)
As the title clearly states, a cd with New Music from Flanders (Belgium).The cd is compiled by Peter Vermeersch, a keyfigure in the alternative new music scene in Belgium (Union, Maximalist, X-Legged Sally, A Group, etc). At first hearing it is very evident that Vermeersch choose for a very varied menu in order to give a wide view on the new music in the Flanders. Unity in any musical sense was not his aim, except in a non-musical sense: all groups come from the Flanders. Here we go!
Payday in March have their roots in jazz and impro-music. It is trio led by Tom Wouters (drummer, clarinet), completed by Kristof Roseeuw (bass) – both of Simpletones fame – and Edward Capel (sax) from Blast. The big band Olla Vogala finds inspiration in the folk music of many countries and make their own version of it crossing many borders: many birds do their whistle. This ensemble of Wouter Vandenabeele is not focused on restaurative interests, but eager to discover new musical contexts.
F.L.O.W. is a young drum ‘n bass quartet from Gent.. Champ d’Action is a well-known ensemble founded by composer Serge Verstockt. Their repertoire is made up of modern classical music. On this cd they play a compostion of Iannis Xenakis; ‘Plekto’. Carre a recorder quartet plays also music from contemporary composers of international or national fame. Q-02 is a young ensemble from Brussels, connecting contemporary music to other forms of art.
There are two solo pieces for piano on this cd. One by composer and pianist Walter Hus who once played with Vermeersch in the post-minimal group Maximalist. Daan Vandewalle is present with a piano piece by Charles Ives. Vandewalle is a specialist in american music and also plays with improvisors like Fred Frith, Han Bennink, a.o. All in all an interesting starting point for further research into new music in Flanders. Personally I think I will go after the Olla Vogala CD (DM).
Address: www.brakkegrond.nl
ANTENNE – #1 (CD by Korm Plastics)
I must admit that trip hop has never succeeded catching my great attention. The style never kicked me until the day when Postman Pat handed me two cd’s of Danish trip hoppers “Antenne”. As I listened to the first few minutes of their full-length-debut I was surprised to realise that dutch label Korm Plastics apparently had established contact with a trip hop-name most of all reminding me of Portishead in their darkest hour. Now I get it!!! There is something strange alluring about the musical world of Antenne. A mysterious combination of trip hop and ambient expressionally open towards a wider audience but still progressive enough for satisfying listeners of experimental electronics. Kim G. Hansen who first of all controls the electronic sound waves of Antenne, definitely knows how to create atmosphere. – A soundtrack for the late hours of winter! Beats dragging slowly in a melancholic sphere built up around flourishing landscapes of electronic ambience and beautiful female vocals sounding like Portishead’s Beth Gibbons. Both being soft meanwhile powerful the vocals constitute a rather important brick in the Antenna-sphere. The same goes to the diffluent sound of sympathetic acoustic-strumming adding more spirit to the album. I might have discovered the brilliance of trip hop and the only one to thank is
Antenne. Full marks! (NMP)
Address: <mailorder@staalplaat.com
TART – RADIO ORANGE (LP by Swill Radio)
Tart is Scott Fost and Karla Borecky, both of the Idea Fire Company and Graham Lambkin. All three have their background in the vague world were improv, musique concrete and noise meet. They work their way with guitar, analogue synths, drums and a whole bunch of tape-techniques (analogue loops for instance). This doesn’t lead to a LP with half baked ideas. Tracks vary to a high degree and every piece is it’s own picture. Small pictures on side two, with it’s five shorter tracks and a small one on side one, plus a very large picture on side one. They hoover between small minimal pieces (“The Mums”) and large drones, such as “Chopin In A Shell”. Lo-fi music by recording, but hi-fi by ideas. Never a dull moment here. (FdW)
Address: <swill@crocker.com>
L.O.S.D. – SUBLIVION/ASTRAL BEING (10″ by Disques La Carotte)
The Amsterdam based sound project L.O.S.D. (meaning Laboratory Of Sonic Discovery) has a small number, but high quality recordings to their name. Sometimes dealing with numerical rambling (as the number 23 or the number 7), or sometimes as music by itself. This 10″ was recorded in 1997 but sees now the light of day. Maybe the production of the package took so much time: a bright, shiny paper-mache ashtray shaped thing. One track per side. Both use extensively sampling, but it’s unclear what is sampled: the sounds are wrapped, distorted, closed for further inspection. Like much of the other work by L.O.S.D. the main keywords are ‘dark’ and ‘atmospheric’, but with nice additions. Such as the light tickling rhythm on side A that has resemblance of microwave (and remember that the recording is three years old). Also side A is a more collage styled track, and side B is more in a continious drone mood. L.O.S.D. proof that it can operate well in both directions. It’s a pity we’d to wait for such a long time. (FdW)
Address:
VARIIOUS (2CD compilation by Intransitive)
Compilations, compilations, sigh: a consumers heaven (discover new bands!) and a reviewers hell (where to start?). Sometimes they get ignored for no good reason, like the double CD by Lowercase. That was an excellent introduction to minimal, microscopic and electronic composing. Why it was ignored by Vital, I can’t remember. ‘Variious’ moves in a similar territory and same names from Lowercase can be found here again. Packed in a jewel case (design by Richard Chartier) with not much further information, which is always a pity. One can regard this compilation in various blocks. There are outdoor/environmental sound processings (by Justin Bennett, John Watermann or Micheal Prima), pieces of more noise oriented music (Howard Stelzer/Brendan Murray, Voice Crack, Brume, Brutum Fulmen) and the quiet glitch & crackle music (Roel Meelkop (whose track has been switched by Jerome Noetinger, so do not mistake Roel’s track for Jerome and vice versa), Kevin Drumm or the more and more silent Richard Chartier). It’s good to see names here you don’t see often, like Watermann, Klas Augustsson or Jos Smolders, so this compilation serves both as a survey and an introduction. Tracks have been placed in a way that there is a great variety going on. In all, a very good compilation of the current scene of electronics. (FdW)
Address: www.intransitiverecordings.com
DAVID JACKMAN – MACHINE GUNS FIGHTING (10″ by Die Stadt)
David Jackman = DJ? “Machine Guns Fighting” can be regarded as the logical extension of his two previous 7″ with recordings of machine guns. On this four track 10″ he mixes these recordings, so it seems they are fighting. It sounds like the never ending thunderous roar of a train passing, the eruption of a volcano or the sound of machine guns. Like war, nothing happens that is fun. (FdW)
Address: <jschwarz@diestadtmusik.de>
ASMUS TIETCHENS – VON MUND ZU MUND 3 (7″ by Die Stadt)
What was to be expected, happened. In the final part of the trilogy by Asmus Tietchens using voices/vocal sounds, the voice has been entirely deterioted and transformed by electronica. Asmus Tietchens is at his best when transforming concrete sounds into his own unique blend of electro-acoustic music and these four pieces are Asmus’ trade mark pieces. Short but full of tension. Let’s hope that the entire trilogy will be released on CD to form the entire picture. (FdW)
Address: <jschwarz@diestadtmusik.de>
RUDIGER CARL & SVEN-AKE JOHANSSON – DJUNGELMUSIK MED SANG (CD by Hapna)
DAVID STACKENAS –
Even when these two musicians are on the free improv scene for a long time, I have never heard of them. Their last released recording dates from 1985. They play clarinet, accordion, drums and vocals. This recording was made in a bookstore and is an acoustic recording. I must admit that I had some difficulty with this recording. Maybe the instruments involved didn’t do much for me, and the five pieces hop over the place. Sometimes semi-droning, sometimes with drums and a dadaesque poem being recited. But nothing that sticked right on. Maybe it will grow on me.
I have a weakness for acoustic guitars. Whenever I see one, I have the urge to pick it up and produce weird sounds. Likewise I like recordings of it. The acoustic albums by Bailey or Chadbourne are small treasures to me. Its likely that they met, I found another gem. This first release by David Stackenas has the same power and aggression. He tortured the acoustic guitar with much attack, with hectic and nervous playing. Sometimes with total chaos, sometimes in a melancholical way (as in “Santa Colona”), but it’s always music that grabs you. Great stuff, and I’m sure there is more to come.
Both CD’s come in very arty, silkscreened carton sleeves (just as their first release by Tsunoda, which was less improvisation then these two). (FdW)
Address: www.hapna.com
AMT & PBK – TRANSPHERE 1997-1999 (CD by Erewhon)
PBK has been making music since god knows how long, but things were relatively quiet in the last few years. AMT did it the other way round: his releases are coming rapidely now. Even when both use the same sort of sounds, the process and the result they do and arrive at, are totally different. PBK seems, at least to me, the guy of the good ol’ analogue processings, making tapeloops, using analogue multitrack and processes of that nature. AMT is a person of the digital areas. This is best heard in Transphase 1. Both use the same set of sounds, but PBK’s recycling is thick, harsh ambient sound spheres and AMT’s piece is more fragile, with more eye for the detail. In Transphase 2 there is one PBK track, using different sounds from AMT, and vice versa but then with four tracks. It’s unclear to me if these tracks are further extensive recyclings of the first Transphase. Maybe so, as it seems more austere, as if all unwanted parts have been cut out. In this phase the results seem interchangeable, or better: if PBK adapted the methods of AMT. The last track is a filler: AMT recording disabled children working with paper and plastic while listening to the music of PBK. I have no idea why this piece is on here. The result of this collaboration is well-crafted, but didn’t lead to a surprising new thing. Not that this is always necessary. (FdW)
Address: http://radiantslab/erewhon
E’VAX – PARKING LOT MUSIC (CD by Audio Dregs Recordings)
I knew E’Vax from a handful of obscure 7″s on label as Static Worm and other purveyors of the new electronic popmusic. Here they present, I think, their first full length. Eleven tracks with the average length of popmusic. Rhythmmachines and simple lines on keyboard, no vocals. Like mid-eighties music that was released on cassettes, but now finished off on a computer. Nice, easy, laidback. What can I say? Gettidit. (FdW)
Address: www.audiodregs.com
BRUTAL POLICE MENACE (CD compilation by Broklyn Beats)
My only encounter with the New York police, whose aggresive behaviour is subject for this CD, was when I was in the same car which totally crashed another one because my friend who was driving talked to me. The officer was a nice guy, it seemed. He didn’t beat us up, in fact he didn’t ask me anything, so, as an illegal foreign musician, I got away easy. After hearing and reading this CD and it’s liner notes, I understand I was lucky. No doubt things are bad and the system is once again to blame. Could I tell by just listening to the music? Probably not, but then again, I believe instrumental music can’t hold a political message – just my strong believe. This is a collection of angry people doing angry music, rude techno, harsh ambient, taped voices and trip hop. Apart from Zipperspy no name was familiar to me. Most tracks were pretty rough edged and not very slick produced. Therefore this is a compilation with balls. If you support a good cause and you’re looking for one, here is one. (FdW)
Address: www.crucial-systems.com
EMRE: DARK MATTER (CD by SiRcom)
A beautiful package: hard cover slipcase, with two booklets (one with artwork and information and one with the same artwork remixed…) based around the theme Emre: Dark Matter. Subtitled: “Things which remain hidden and unconfirmed, without the presence of light, a place of fear from childhood to adulthood, the unknown”. No pleasant music here therefore. The overal atmosphere is that of darkness, emptiness and desolation. Emptiness such as in the loosely set piano-esque tones of Andrew Poppy, dark drones of Cyclobe and Ovum and the quiet, but structured building of sound blocks by Coh. Two pieces involve spoken word, by Source Research with Leif Elggren whose recognizable voice is processed and not easy to follow and Coil, whose track is more poetry set to background music. Having covered many of the tracks here in a few words, it can be said that this is a good compilation but, despite the elaborate packaging, not an outstanding one. Therefore it’s theme and the execution by the various artists are to normal. Aside of that, this is just a good compilation of dark music. (FdW)
Address: www.source-research.demon.co.uk
ONE DARK EYE – CHRONICLE OF DEATH FORETOLD (2CD by Non Mi Place)
One Dark Eye is an off-shoot of Macronympha, led by their frontman Joseph Roemer. Macronympha’s sound can easily be described as a one dimensional noise blast: feedback produced white static noise. One Dark Eye was started by Roemer to investigate more darker, harsh ambient music. So far their discography is relatively small (and enclosed in this package). This double CD isn’t really the sort of dark ambient, but a heavy cut-up style. Roemer took sound material from Macronympha and added extra sound material supplied by others to create a collage work of noise. I think this is by far the most interesting thing I heard from him. It reminded me of the 2LP by Merzbow (“Scissors For Cutting Merzbow”, in which Merzbow closes his first period by recycling sounds from his first period, before entering a new phase in his career. I am not sure if Roemer has the same intention, but nonetheless his sound collages are fresh, open and in constant change. Less rigid noise, but space. (FdW)
Address: <wviii@hotmail.com>
JASON KAHN – ANALOGUES (CD by Cut)
JASON KAHN – DRUMS AND METALS (CD by Cut)
Two solo CD’s by Jason Khan (known for his duo work with Toshumaru Nakamura as Repeat) in which he explores sounds from radio, drums and metals. He calls it on ‘Analogues’ soundfile assemblage. Five very long pieces that seem to be based around sampling, another word for soundfile assemblage? His tracks drone on and some, like ‘Stations’ or ‘Piano 2’ bear resemblance to Steve Reich’s phase shifting technique. Percussive sounds or even rhythms in a traditional sense of the word do not play a big role. Yet in his minimal, almost ambient pieces the continous waves become a rhythm by itself. ‘Analogues’ is dark and moody with very nice textures. Not innovative, but just nice music.
‘Drums And Metals’ is the total opposite of ‘Analogues’, as it deals with rhythm. Again long pieces, six in total, and per track the cover tells you which parts of drums are used hi-hat, snare, floor tom etc. Again highly minimal music but played with a lot of energy. Steady beats, stapled onto eachother, with bells, and it’s overtones, as the disturbing factor.
Both CD’s, while opposities of eachother, show two sides of the talents of Khan. (FdW)
Address: <kahn@attglobal.net>
MARIO RODRIGUE – ALCHIMIE (CD by empreintes DIGITALes)
Bells subsume into drainage systems and there is something quixotic about the cutting-up of water. And is identifying sounds winning out over listening to them? A taste of honey and a swirl of flies? Now shivering and wobbling, with an unidentified lowing beside. The cut-up review? No, as it coincides with the lowing laugh – that would be banal. Voices of children are trumped by more wobbling. Thumped? It could be read as such. Coo-koo. Applause. Is alchemy’s transmutation nothing less than an exchange of ideas? Something from nothing…
Telephone message – communications. Tones – questions. Voices – attention. Musique concrete – it is unclear.
Address: <http://www.electrocd.com/>
BASS COMMUNION v MUSLIMGAUZE (CDEP by Soleilmoon)
The snap and quiver rips forth from re-examined rhythms and speakers alike. A woman’s voice. Did Bryn Jones savour that particularly particulate sound? It drifts through so many of these recordings, haunting the proceedings and is the lament of a woman (or otherformed wail) – the chief symbol of the Middle Eastern struggle?
The undulating beat occasionally crack crack cracks and reveals gentle tones shining through, fluttering above the thrum. Track two slowly wends an asp of finger-cymbals and melodies from its silken bag. It doesn’t last long and one wonders why it doesn’t last longer.
Problematic and emblematic.
Address: <http://www.soleilmoon.com>
JAMES JOHNSON – ENTERING TWILIGHT (CD by Hypnos)
The quickest paranoia induced by recordings “intended for low-volume listening” is that they harbor some subliminal intrigue, laced with devious undertones. The second paranoia lies in the suspicion that they might sell low volumes, ho ho.
Like a tear borne by reunion, this recording is that strangest of fuck music beasts. It threatens to engulf but recedes. At its low volume, the listener pursues it. The hope is not that it is caught – but that one would have someone with whom it might be pursued. Pursued, perused and usurped in moments of wonder intwined. “What was that sound, babe?” “Which one?” And so on.
Address: <http://www.hypnos.com>
Corrections: this is really the e-mail address of klanggalerie:
klanggalerie@chello.at
(see Vital Weekly 249)