NERVE NET NOISE – VARIOUS AMUSEMENTS (CD by Hrnir)
AKIRA YAMAMICHI – SEMIOLOGIE (CD by Fire Inc.)
TV POW – MORT AUX VACHES: BEING NICE IS FUNNY (CD by Staalplaat)
ABBEY RADER/BILLY BANG ECHOES (CD by Abray)
JOE + N – PATTERNS + SPACE (3″ CDR)
NORIKO TUJIKO – SHOJO TOSHI (CD by Mego)
DAN ABRAMS – STREAM (CD by Mille Plateaux)
GIUSEPPE IELASI – 5 TRACKS (CDR by Absurd)
KID 606 – PS YOU LOVE ME (CD by Mille Plateaux)
NERVE NET NOISE – VARIOUS AMUSEMENTS (CD by Hrnir)
In a time where the probability of finding new Japanoise-releases at
your local record dealer approaches the probability of finding a
kangaroo in your flowerbed, it is a big pleasure to become acquainted
with fourth album from Japanese electro-noise-duo Nerve Net Noise.
Not that the sound of “Various amusements” has strong resemblances to
the overwhelming sound-explosions of artists like Merzbow and
Masonna. Nerve Net Noise operates in quite another level yet the
result is likewise hard-hitting. Where traditional noise from the
extreme noise-legends thrash you down like a tidal wave, the
expressions of Nerve Net Noise discreetly wriggles into your body and
shivers from the inside. The sonic output of “Various amusements”
works on a microscopic level with masses of analogue data efficiently
drilling and twisting into your consciousness. Nerve Net Noise sneaks
up to you, taps you on your shoulder, and before you know it, you are
hidebound to the sound of “Various amusements”. (NMP)
Address: <http://www.yk.rim.or.jp/~kumax/nnn/index.htm>
AKIRA YAMAMICHI – SEMIOLOGIE (CD by Fire Inc.)
Japanese sound artist Akira Yamamichi continues his voyage into the
world of micro-sounds on this follow-up to his well-acclaimed mini-cd
“Pulses beats” from 1997. The minimal textures of “Semiologie” first
of all concentrate on sounds from the outer limits of the spectrum
making the album as a whole range from silent expressions towards the
virtually inaudible. High frequency pulses reverb and alternate,
sometimes randomly other times systematically resulting in almost
danceable rhythm-structures. Whistling ambient-sheets and
low-frequency bass-drones penetrate the deepest sub-levels of the
music, resulting in a thrilling atmosphere, comparable to
Plastikman’s “Consumed”. On the final tracks Akira Yamamichi uses a
more jazzy approach, closing the show with a beautiful piece based on
processed piano. “Semiologie” is definitely a worthy follow-up to
“Pulse beats”. (NMP)
Address: www. fire-inc.demon.nl
TV Pow – Mort Aux Vaches : Being Nice Is Funny CD (Staalplaat)
The microscopic laptop trio from Chicago bring us an (un)easy
listening pleasure in the Mort Aux Vaches series. This is recorded
during the TV Pow’s european tour in late 1999. Loads of high and low
frequencies, pulses and clicks popping in and out in a sort of an
organized chaos. Sometimes the atmosphere completely breaks up by a
playback of different things, like recording of a crowd or an old
television advertisement. Even a melodic loop comes in. Full of
details, a pretty intense live recording therefor. A great add to the
ever expanding Mort Aux Vaches series, yeah it is microscopic for
sure but not sterile at all. And the titles are quite interesting,
like “thinking + learning” and “got any jokes about sandwiches?”. And
my favorite… “ostriches never learn”. Shall I say twisted(?), or
maybe they are just memories from being on the road in Europe, or
maybe they are twisted memories. Who knows, who cares. The CD is
recommended anyway! (HB)
Address: www.staalplaat.com
ABBEY RADER/BILLY BANG ECHOES (CD by Abray)
The duo of Abbey Rader (drums, percussion) and Billy Bang (violin)
have made a charged, radiant recording. In ECHOES these master
musicians elicit every reach of groove, and to me it comes across as
indicative of a deep spiritual intimacy. Bang’s violin forges a
provocative blend of free jazz and folk music, especially from the
Far East, while Rader’s drumming and percussion advances my notions
of rhythm as a form, structuring its musical character far out beyond
any of today’s melodic and dissonant persuasion. This is not suit and
tie jazz. ECHOES invokes an attitude of spontaneous invention and
conversational interplay, as Rader’s martial movements pulse and
thunder and bloom into fresh variations, driving Bang’s attack and
lyricism. The way this duo puts it all together sums up the mystery
of things words can’t close in on. This recording is a necessary
advance. (GS)
Address: www.abbeyrader.com
JOE + N – PATTERNS + SPACE (3″ CDR)
Clocking in at seventeen plus minutes, this disc contains field
recordings of trains, space between trains, echoes of trains and some
guitar cut in for good measure. Joe Tunis writes of his recording
that it is “an experiment in the (unintentional) patterns around us,
day to day, and in the spaces between.” I found patterns + space a
challenging, all-too-brief trip between the dense coordinates of
location and event and the compressed narrative of guitar groans and
drones and the sinister way the whole thing is coupled together. The
four structures of the project – “4.28.01, 3:15pm, CSX freight,
Winton Rd.”, “4.28.01, 3:32pm, CSX freight, University Ave.”,
“5.11.01, 2:22pm, CSX freight, Winton Rd.” and “5.1101, 3:15pm,
guitar, basement of Carbon House” – seem to be to be not linear but
within themselves woven into a complex skin over a space-time-axis,
being broadened into a session of free associations. I realized from
recurring aspects, that I was unwittingly circled and absorbed by
this often possessed, haunting set of motion and resonance. (GS)
Address: (www.carbonrecords.com)
NORIKO TUJIKO – SHOJO TOSHI (CD by Mego)
Noriko Tujiko is Mego’s latest found. She started signing in 1978-79
and bought her first synthesizer and sampler in 1999. This is her
second album, and Mego stomps us with another pleasent surprise. This
is not abrassive laptop stuff that some of the other Mego’s do, but
popmusic. Noriko plays around with material borrowed from techno and
builts her own version of popmusic, including vocals, which is a rare
thing (but necessary if you wanna play popmusic, isn’t it?). Noriko
plays crazy stuff and seems all over the place for melancholic songs
(as in ‘Girl Meets Boy’) or uptempo pieces like ‘Bebe’. Sometimes she
plays with the touch of a child, but then there are pieces, like the
fourth track (which has a Japanese title), in which she sings like a
child against the backdrop of what could be an Oval piece. Even when
there are no pieces here that qualify as ‘sing a long’ tunes, this is
a very nice CD, moving away from click and cuts into something that
is becoming popmusic. Great stuff. (FdW)
Address: www.mego.at
DAN ABRAMS – STREAM (CD by Mille Plateaux)
Why is it that artists who work under a particular name go with Mille
Plateaux under the own name? Mokira became Andreas Tilliander, Komet
became Frank Bretschneider and now Shuttle 358 becomes Dan Abrams.
The music doesn’t seem to be very different, so it’s not perfectly
clear to me. So far the Shuttle 358 releases on 12K weren’t bad, but
I wasn’t very enthusiastic either. Ambient with technoish elements,
not unpleasent to hear but also not adding very much to the genre of
clicks and microwaves.
On ‘Stream’, we find twelve new pieces by Abrams, which to me seem a
continuation of his previous Shuttle 358 CD’s. At times nicely
ambient (as in ‘Monsters’, which dwells around some simple ticks and
a warm, short repeating drone), at others rhythmic like Pan Sonic (in
‘Academic’) or SND (as in ‘The Theory’). The result are tracks that
are really ok (like the aforementioned ‘Academic’, ‘Grammer’ or ‘Sim
Sun’), but which is a bit faceless. A bit of everything, without his
own stance. But as said, the tracks itself are a nice blend. (FdW)
Address: www.mille-plateaux.com
GIUSEPPE IELASI – 5 TRACKS (CDR by Absurd)
Giuseppe Ielasi plays guitar and electronics and has been playing the
Italian improv scene a lot (aswell as with others like Phil Durrant).
The recordings presented on this CDR were made in Greece last year
during a solo concert. Ielasi’s music reminded me very much of Kevin
Drumm’s work: very sober and austere use of guitar sounds, with small
occassional cracks and hiss and sometimes static waves of sine tones
(which aren’t all loud or obnixious). This is minimal improvised
music with a great tension curve, placing great care on the small
details and attention for small sounds. Music like this should not be
heard unnoted, as it requires a lot of attention and concentration of
the listener. But it unlashes a lot of beauty. (FdW)
Address: <absurd@otenet.gr>
KID 606 – PS YOU LOVE ME (CD by Mille Plateaux)
Kid 606 is becoming one of the main actors of the clicks and cuts
scene, doing remixes everywhere, playing live a lot and getting a
good exposure. Reasons enough to celebrate his album ‘PS I Love You’
the remix treatment, and adding four new Kid 606 pieces to the feast.
The CD opens with a price winning track by Kid 606: warm, lush and
minimalist techno. Matmos show us some humour with a spoken intro
between the band members discussing which track they like to remix.
Other favourites of mine include the dub inspired minimalism of Pan
American and a likewise, yet entirely present piece by Rechenzentrum,
the ambience of Farben and kid’s own pieces ‘Sonqizzon’ and
‘Horseback’. The other tracks are pretty nice too, but more standard
to me. (FdW)
Address: www.mille-plateaux.com