COEURL/VERTONEN – SPLIT TOUR 7″ (7″ by CIP)
NIKO (Card size mini CD by MSBR)
KOZO INADA & PHILIP SAMARTZIS – f[ ] (CD by Digital Narcis)
JOHN HENRY – A GENTLEMAN’S ANAESTHETIC (Mini CD by Create.Transmit.Records)
KOZO INADA – D [] (Cd by Staalplaat)
ANDREA NEUMANN & TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA – ATON (CD by Rossbin)
Z.E.L.L.E. – N (CD by Line/12K)
OR SOME COMPUTER MUSIC 2 (CD by Or)
K2 – SEXENCYCLOPEDIA (4CD by Kinky Musik Institute)
IGNAZ SCHICK/ANDREA NEUMANN – PETIT PALE (CD by Zarek)
KEITH ROWE/BURKHARD BEINS – GRAIN (CD by Zarek)
PERLONEX – PERIPHERIQUE (CD by Zarek)
STEAMBOAT SWITZERLAND – AC/DB (HAYDEN) (CD by Grob)
STEAMBOAT SWITZERLAND – BUDAPEST (CD by Grob)
MUM – PLEASE SMILE MY NOISE BLEED (CD by Morr Music)
ANTENNA FARM – EARLY MESS (CD by Phthalocyanine)
COEURL/VERTONEN – SPLIT TOUR 7″ (7″ by CIP)
A neat 7″, produced in an edition of 133 copies, which were sold at the Vertonen/Coeurl US westcoast tour in june 2001. I guess it’s still available. Coeurl is the project of Jason Soliday, who is also in Gunshop (they had a CD on CIP before) and the laptop trio Mora (who have a CDR out on Bake Records). Vertonen’s side opens with a repitive drone sound on the guitar, before going into a segment of feedback like sounds (the screaming of fried insects gets close) with a likewise dark character. Austere sort of electro-acoustic treatments.
Coeurl takes the matter a little bit further and works solely around a low end drone versus a high end peep. Changing slowly, at first unnoticed, but leaving with buzz. Nice stuff on record, so I wonder how the tour went. (FdW)
Address: <vertonen@earthlink.net>
NIKO (Card size mini CD by MSBR)
Of course it was bound to happen: the card size CD sees it first release. And a fine release it is. Niko is Hitoko Sakai, one half of the MSBR team. This mini CD is something of an introduction into her solo activities as a solo musician. And one can hear her background quite clearly. The one track starts with distorted signals pulsing slowly. Added are noises, originating from overloading the equipment. The sound is direct and compelling. The track finishes with a beep and some glitches to stop suddenly with a thud. Very well done and: let’s have some more of this! (MR)
Adress: www.msbr.com
KOZO INADA & PHILIP SAMARTZIS – f[ ] (CD by Digital Narcis)
Having heard Inada play live, I can well understand the collaboration with Samartzis. As opposed to earlier releases by Inada, his live shows tend to be a lot richer in sound material, using quite a lot of field recordings, as Samartzis does as well. This CD features one long track, created from many different elements. The first part of the piece is pretty quiet, butt with a lot of space. And then slowly a tapestry of sounds is created, adding more and more fluttering sounds, untill these are faded out and we’re left with a soft, deep rumble and a high beep. Then, from the distance, some chords seem to appear. The rumble gets louder and so do other sounds, but only to leave again. The tempo is really slow in this part and the piece almost comes to a full stop. But then, things slowly get denser again, and here and there some sudden sounds interrupt the flow. The overall sound is now getting more electronic and leading to a crescendo, that suddenly stops and leaves us with a low sinewave. Small sounds appear left and right and a new part has started. Rumbles, beeps and high sines now span the spectrum. Development and changes are again quite slow, untill new sounds cut in. Again there’s a crackling like fire and the intensitiy of the sounds gets stronger. And again there’s a cut, and former material reappears for a short time. And then, after 36 minutes, the piece is over. This is a very good collaboration that deserves a lot of attention. (MR)
Adress: dnarcis@nifty.com
JOHN HENRY – A GENTLEMAN’S ANAESTHETIC (Mini CD by Create.Transmit.Records)
This small item contains 8 tracks by guitarist Henry, although this instrument is not prominently featured at a first glance. Using FX and other means to manipulate the original sounds, Henry creates short ambient pieces, a noisy interlude and a rythmic piece, ranging in atmosphere from light to disturbing. But things never really get too sweet or out of control. The duration of the tracks certainly helps to avoid this and could be an inspiration for other ambient projects. On the other hand, these tracks get little chance of a real development and sometimes sound as excerpts from longer pieces. Only the last track shows more of Henry’s ideas and abilities. A gentle flow of gliding sounds makes for a quite lofty piece that slowly leaves for another sphere. For a better review I would need to hear more… (MR)
Adress: www. create-transmit.com
KOZO INADA – D [] (Cd by Staalplaat)
Japanese sound artist Kozo Inada did a great job on his debut-album titled A[] released on Staalplaat’s Material Series. On second release, D[], he not only manages to stay on level with his debut. He surpasses it with an album that in all aspects seems just a little better than the otherwise great debut. According to Kozo Inada, the compositional works are created on a subconscious realm where all conscious sensory input has been ignored. That aim seems successfully fulfilled on an album where the sonic sphere has been concentrated on abstract sound textures with a few elements of concrete sound-samples. The minimal expression of the debut is continued on D[]. Every composition slowly builds up from the inaudible to trickling and clicking drones that turn harsher as time passes. Sometimes like an increasingly heavy rain shower. Other times like radio-frequency sine waves that gradually penetrate the sound picture. Once more Kozo Inada, proves that he is a sound artist, worth paying close attention to. (NMP)
Address: www.staalplaat.com
ANDREA NEUMANN & TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA – ATON (CD by Rossbin)
More music by Andrea Neumann (see also elsewhere), this time in duet with Toshimaru Nakamura, who plays besides his no-input mixer guitar here. The music was recorded in Berlin a year ago. It seems to me that the two improvise around a loop, a sample of any type of repeating sound that forms the backbone of a piece. They seem to be more interested in a continous sound piece, with ongoing sounds then to play loose end sounds. This gives the music a less improvised feel and makes it sound more coherent. At times, such as in ‘Aton 05’, they hit upon a dangerous groove and it becomes an almost noise affair. The second part of the CD is more noisy then the first half. Unlike some others in the improv field, these two go for the more raw, the more untamed stuff, which is again a delight. (FdW)
Address: <rossbin@libero.it>
Z.E.L.L.E. – N (CD by Line/12K)
Z.E.L.L.E. is the collaborative effort between Maurizio Martusciello and Nicola Catalano. The one might be known for his as Martusciello, together with his brother, in the field were computer and improvisation meet (including working with Tim Hodgkinson. Catalano has no background in producing music, but he was actively involved in music distribution, and now works for Italian radio and various magazines. Their first collaborative effort is one of those typical powerbook/computer CD’s. Lots of crackles, stretched out sine waves and sudden interruptions or changes. The CD cleverly builts up from a track with just one crackle towards, in track nine (no titles of course) a more complicated pattern of waves. Although much of this CD sounds alright, I have a bit of problem with it. It sounds like a path already taken by others (Ikeda for instance) and who have explored the genre better. It’s too normal, well at least for my ears. There isn’t a single movement in there which made me think: wow that’s nice, that’s beautiful or clever (or anything else). This CD is one of things that you put on, and one thinks, oh well, alright. When it’s over, it’s over and one moves on to the next thing. That’s pity, because the genre offers more possibilities then those explored here. (FdW)
Address: www.12k.com
OR SOME COMPUTER MUSIC 2 (CD by Or)
The same objections I had against issue one of the ‘Or Some Computer Music’ (Vital Weekly 189), are also valid for issue two. It’s a CD compilation with an extensive booklet of information, but I doubt wether it can be called a magazine. We find some old and new computer musics here. Alberto De Campo for instance is on the old side (even when he is not old himself), with his processing of church bells, nightingales and chanting. The result is an evocative piece, which tends to be a bit too dramatic (if you are allergic for too much reverb for instance). Phoenecia, of Schematic fame, are the younger ones who present their piece through powerbook and programme’s like Max and Logic and almost hit upon a beat, though they move away quickly. From a more conceptual perspective we welcome Atau Tanake and Eric Wenger, who have a piece here with the sonic translations of some pictures by Nobuyoshi Araki. They translated the image with Metasynth and the result is not just a nice idea, but also an interesting piece of music (and that is unique, me thinks). Jim O’Rourke explores the idea of plunderphonics further (like on his 10″ ‘Please Note Our Failure’) in a short and rapid sound collage. The booklet doesn’t supply us with information on Tom Wallace and his more traditional offering of computer music (samples rolling over eachother, sound effects) and Curtis Roads does something similar, even when it deals with microsound. The opening and closing statements are by Farmersmanual, with a very interesting crossover of laptop ambient. Powerful drone music, captured in a live event. The booklet (it is a magazine after all) contains at times short biographical notes or screenshots of impressive looking, self-built synths, but has no in-depth, theoretical article ‘on the history and future of computer music’ by some big shot… (and now I come to think of it, that might be the point). So, it leaves us to say that this magazine shouldn’t be appearing once every two years, but on quartely level… (FdW)
Address: www.orpresents.net
K2 – SEXENCYCLOPEDIA (4CD by Kinky Musik Institute)
K2 is a relatively well known player on the Japanese noise scene. He has had various releases out by himself, or on international labels. Also K2 is known for his various collaborations with others (The Haters, RLW, De Fabriek, Hyware, to name but a few). Recentely he gave me a copy of his latest release, a limited to 300 copies, a four CD set. K2 plays on junk metal, modulators (those little effect boxes heavy metal guitarists are so fond of), distorted voice and sometimes a synth. K2 is all about heavy industrial music, heavily distorted sounds and feedback. You get my drift. Four CD’s is a hard pill to swallow at once, but if taken in a small dose, let’s say a CD a week, this is actually quite enjoyable. K2 might be a heavy beast, but at least he’s one of the more interesting ones I know (next to Merzbow, who, just as K2, knows how to play the noise game without falling into the same trap). (FdW)
Address: <kinkymus@ya2.so-net.ne.jp>
IGNAZ SCHICK/ANDREA NEUMANN – PETIT PALE (CD by Zarek)
KEITH ROWE/BURKHARD BEINS – GRAIN (CD by Zarek)
PERLONEX – PERIPHERIQUE (CD by Zarek)
Zarek turns out to be a nice little label, releasing CD’s by Perlonex (the band behind…) aswell as various duets by members of Perlonex with others. One such is the CD by Ignaz Schick, the electronica guy from Perlonex, and Andrea Neumann, who plays the inside of a piano by preparing it and using it an electronical way. The two have recorded six pieces in multitrack form, which left them the possibility to mix the material afterwards. They work with clicks, buzzes, hiss and acoustic sound (even when it’s hard to recognize a piano in there for instance) and arrive at a more abstract improv record then usually. Schick and Neumann move cleverly through the entire spectrum of sound: from rather harsh (like the first half ‘Petit VI’) to sublte movements, sometimes even within one track (like the very nice ‘Petit III’). Very fine CD of improvised abstract electronica.
Burkhard Beins is the percussion player of Perlonex and he teams up with Keith Rowe, the guy put the guitar on his back and started preparing it. Beins too prepares his drums with objects and various odd objects to play it. That similarity led them to play together, so we are offered two studio pieces and one live piece. There is some intense playing on here throughout the the entire CD. From silence to outbursts and back, also highly concentrated on the prepared instruments.
Perlonex was called Perlon when I saw them play last year, but apperentely there is also a Frankfurt techno label called Perlon, so exit the name (hence Perlonex). The tour I saw them in my area, was an extensive one, and towards the end they recorded their set (at least that’s what I assume) on multi-track and mixed it. The combination of prepared guitar and drums in combination with live electronics, cum prerecorded sound, works well here. Probably due to the advances of the multi-track, the music sounds very coherent, with great flaws in soft and loud parts. From utter concentration to very loud parts. Everything seems to be carefully thought out and placed (or maybe mixed) in the audio spectrum. I’d could hardly call this improvised music, since it’s seems very much composed. Whatever, it is a great thing to listen to.
Address: www.zangimusic.de
STEAMBOAT SWITZERLAND – AC/DB (HAYDEN) (CD by Grob)
STEAMBOAT SWITZERLAND – BUDAPEST (CD by Grob)
Maybe Steamboat Switzerland are the new inhouse band by Grob? Two releases arrived here at the same time of a band I never heard of. ‘Ac/db (Hayden)’ is based around two compositions played by Steamboat: electric bass, drums & percussion and hammon organ, electronics and piano. They play a wild free improv music, that has many ties to both rock and jazz and thus is less improvised sounding then one would expect these matters to be. The drums operate in many tracks as the main component to the music, and thus results in a swinging kind of music. Kind of all the progressive music of the new millenium (excuse me if that sounds like something very boring – the music isn’t!). It combines the rhythmic changes of say Tortoise, but due to the fact that this is a live recording, it sounds more raw edged.
‘Budapest’ was also captured in a live performance, and is much denser at times, whilst at others it’s also more chaotic and frentic playing. This one, you might have guessed, is more improvised and less a swinging affair, except for the closing encore. Nice, but I liked the one better… (FdW)
Address: www.churchofgrob.com
MUM – PLEASE SMILE MY NOISE BLEED (CD by Morr Music)
Shame on me of course, but this is my first introduction to Mum, an icelandic quartet. They have a CD out, which I haven’t heard, but if it sounds the same as this, I should dig that out. Mum presents here only two new tracks and one short interlude. The second real track gets 5 remixes from the usual Morr posse. The two tracks by Mum themselves are atmospheric synth and rhythm doodlings which sound like they have been on Morr for several years. Melancholic, atmospheric, brooding but light at the same time. Styrofoam puts things into the light much more, by placing the melody in the open. ISAN on the other hand totally reverses things, making a dark, scratchy affair, like they have been trying to erase the original. Phonem offers a lenghty affair in which especially the beats are broken but maintain to evolve. Christian Kleine mixes in a shortwave radio voice, with a far away old drum cry and nice bass, plus following the melody. He’s the only one who remixes the first Mum track bytheway. Arovane’s mix is the most remote from the original one, with a different beat and arpeggio synths. Bernard Fleischmsnn chops both beat and melodies up in a more usual DSP vein. All in all a nice CD, which made me curious to hear more of Mum. (FdW)
Address: www.morrmusic.com
ANTENNA FARM – EARLY MESS (CD by Phthalocyanine)
One would expect the first Antenna Farm CD to be on Fat Cat, since the people behind the band have very close ties to that great label, but maybe it makes sense it isn’t. Antenna Farm is active since late ’98, jamming around with records, guitars, radio’s and eventually their own sampler and laptop. Their output is small, mainly tracks on CD compilations (and a very forthcoming CD collaboration with Main), so what is this fuzz about? Antenna Farm do a lot of field recordings, albeit not in the fields but in the city, their area, the Brixton, South London area. Much of the material here existed already, but apperentely everything is torn apart and put back in a different form with the powerbook as the superglue. There are rhythmic structures (workers in the city? jackhammer?) and the heavily processed sounds of traffic, people talking. Cleverly cut up into 19 short pieces, so that the weaker brothers among them go by unnoticed. Before you notice the CD finds itself in a different place. All in all a very nice debut of interesting noise music. (FdW)
Address: <phthalo@phthalo.com>