CHRISTIAN KLEINE – BEYOND REPAIR (CD by City Center Offices)
STEPHAN MATHIEU – FREQUENCYLIB (CD by Ritornell)
V.V. – THINGS COLLAPSE IN ON THEMSELVES (Mini-CD by Throat)
JOHN HUDAK + JASON LESCALLEET – FIGURE 2 (CD by Intransitive Recordings)
LIONEL MARCHETTI – KNUD UN NOM DE SERPENT (CD by Intransitive Recordings)
ZAMMUTO – SOLUTIORE OF STAREAU: DISC ONE (CD by Infraction)
GUNSHOP – THE MECHANICS ALWAYS HAVE A PART LEFT OVER (CDR by Absurd)
MNORTHAM – FROM WITHIN THE SOLAR CAVE (CD by Absurd)
AXEL DOERNER – TRUMPET (CD by A Bruit Secret)
LARRY KUCHARZ – TECHNO UNIT 32: MISC TRACKS (CD by Audiochrome)
TIMEBLIND – RUGGED REDEMPTION (CD by Orthlong Musork)
STILLUPPSTEYPA – STORIES PART FIVE (CD by Ritornell)
FRANCISCO LOPEZ/JOHN DUNCAN – NAV (Absolute Osaka/All Questions)
FRANCISCO LOPEZ/ZBIGNIEW KARKOWSKI – Whint (Absolute London)
JEROME COOPER – In Concert From There to Hear (CD on Mutablemusic)
CHRISTIAN KLEINE – BEYOND REPAIR (CD by City Center Offices)
Christian Kleine might be known from the duo he forms with Thaddi
Herrmann, who have various releases out on City Center Offices, who
now releases the first solo CD by Kleine. Eight tracks recorded in a
backyard in Berlin of guitar music (not that’s easy to recognize, but
alas), electronics and nice software. He plays atmospheric music,
held together most of the times by a beat, but still atmospheric and
melancholic in the lines he plays on his keyboards. At times sad
songs, down in tempo, but well thought out tunes. A simple beat, two
or more lines on the keyboards and an occasional computerized voice.
Eight tracks, the equal length of an old popmusic LP and not a
weakling among them. In all it’s simplicity beautiful stuff. A
release that could have easily been on Morr Music, who seems to have
patented this kind of music (their involved here is the distribution)
Address: www.city-centre-offices.de
STEPHAN MATHIEU – FREQUENCYLIB (CD by Ritornell)
The name Stephan Mathieu should be known by now from the pages.
Either under his own name, or under the monikker Full Swing he has
recorded music for Orthlong Musork, Ritornell and Staalplaat and he
has proven to be one of the more interesting ‘clicks & cuts’ artists
around, at least that’s what I think. Rather then so many other
Mathieu doesn’t use pro-tools as a sequencing programm for beats and
clicks, falling into a dull 4/4 beat, but the pro-tools here is used
to built small sound collages. Apperentely all of the sounds used on
‘FrequencyLib’ are from the public domain, read: internet, which
Mathieu downloaded and processed through a small number of software
programms (listed on the cover: soundhack, argeiphontes lyre and
max/msp for the initiated). Small pieces indeed, as this CD clocks in
at under 44 minutes, but with 26 tracks. Mathieu creates loops of
rhythms, voices and guitar sounds (to mention a few), which can be
recognized as such, with slight sound processing as the icing on the
cake. In under two minutes he creates a small atmopshere, before
creating another one. Melancholical at times, but of an entire
different nature then much of the music on Morr Music. Here it all
dwells around samples and not around synths or keyboards. Mathieu has
succeeded to create a sound of his own, unique from anything else I
know. And I am still puzzled about the track ‘Fur Frans’… (FdW)
Address: www.mille-plateaux.com
V.V. – THINGS COLLAPSE IN ON THEMSELVES (Mini-CD by Throat)
As far as I know, this is V.V.’s first release (but I could be wrong),
although he was kind enough to send me a CD-r some time ago. I was very
impressed with the sound world V.V. had created on this CD-r, consisting
mainly of hisses. This mini-CD is quite different: starting with the sound
of rain slowly fading in, other acoustic sounds are added untill at a
certain point a very simple acoustic guitar loop is set in. This gives all
the other sounds a certain rythm and melody and that is
pretty surprising. Another interesting effect is that the guitar loop
becomes just another noise. The piece gradually builds up and becomes
noisier, not unlike the tracks I heard before. A dense layer of sounds with
an occasional peak forces its way out of the speakers, although still all
sounds are evidently acoustic. The atmosphere slowly changes to a darker
one, in which the overall sound is more subdued. And after almost 18
minutes the piece ends as it started: with rain. This is certainly a very
good piece of work and a very nice introduction to V.V. as well. (MR)
Adress: www.throat.org
JOHN HUDAK + JASON LESCALLEET – FIGURE 2 (CD by Intransitive Recordings)
This CD contains five tracks, recorded live in a church, somewhere in the
USA. And somehow the nature of the music fits this kind of surrounding very
well. It’s almost as if both artists have a deep respect for this venue.
The sound of the first track is warm and gentle and things change very
slowly, without any hurry, with a deep drone as the base for all other
sounds. The second track is intenser, with a loop of high frequencies
setting the pace in the first part. When this ends the piece gets more
erratic, although there is still another loop playing. This must have
sounded very well in a church! Sounds boucing through the space….The
recording at least gives this impression, which is a very good thing of
course. The track ends with all of the sounds blending together. The third
track is the most open one, with small sounds and a lot of space. Then a
lo-fi loop fades in under a high buzz, and some crackling appears, gets
louder and disappears again. Track four starts wit digital manipulations,
accompanied by short clicks and other sounds. The atmosphere is quite
ghostly and would certainly have scared off church-goers some centuries
ago. Later one bell sounds are introduced and they even enhance the
ghostliness. But as with the other tracks, nothing gets out of hand. The
last track is the most quiet one. Low basses and far off sounds again
create an atmosphere of reflection and patience. A very good recording of
what seems to have been e very good concert. (MR)
Adress: www.intransitiverecordings.com
LIONEL MARCHETTI – KNUD UN NOM DE SERPENT (CD by Intransitive Recordings)
Having seen Marchetti perform live with Jerome Noettinger, this CD comes as
somewhat of a surprise. Starting with African music, followed by part of a
French chanson and parts of spoken word, this work obviously needs a
different approach. After reading the press release, things become clearer:
Marchetti has a strong interest in shamanism and tries ‘to make the
listener live with my mythology, more aware of the world’s potential
forces’. Collage seems to be the method to achieve this goal. All tracks
consist of numerous citations from music from all over the world and all
over the times. The result is a work that one can listen to over and over
again, because of the richness of its ingredients. Others can probably not
stand the complexity….(MR)
Adress: www.intransitiverecordings.com
ZAMMUTO – SOLUTIORE OF STAREAU: DISC ONE (CD by Infraction)
Zammuto is a name that is unfortunally is not a household name, but
last year he released a more then fine CD on Apartment B. That CD was
a selection of one CDR out of a series of three that Zammuto released
by himself in a small run. Now the entire first disc of that release
becomes available as a real CD. Zammuto is here in ambient areas, but
of a more crackling nature. In fourteen parts, the music is a
continious stream of sound of small beats, processed guitar, scratch
and hiss. Zammuto’s way of working can be compared to Oval and
Stephan Mathieu, but has enough differencies to those and makes his
own sound. The one flow aspect for instance makes this into a much
more ambient work then the other two. It’s the kind of ambient that I
like, mildy raw edged but nothing disturbing. Great stuff. Get this,
as your CDR will wear out quicker then a real CD… (FdW)
Address: www. riouxs.com
GUNSHOP – THE MECHANICS ALWAYS HAVE A PART LEFT OVER (CDR by Absurd)
MNORTHAM – FROM WITHIN THE SOLAR CAVE (CD by Absurd)
Gunshop is a duo from Chicago, earth’s hotspot for interesting
music, who operate in the improv cum noise areas. They had a CD
before on CIP and this is their first release on an European label.
Gunshop works their ways through noisy bits of scracthing sound and
crashing laptops. It all seems a bit randomly put together. There are
bits that were ok, but overall it wasn’t a release that could
thoroughly enjoy me.
Mnortham has a small catalogue of releases available, which all seem
to deal with processed environmental sounds. Like wind blowing in a
tunnel, rain on cactus etc. The three pieces here were recorded by
Mnortham using not just his own recordings (of air, metal, horsehair,
plants, larynx, rol-mo, harmonica etc.) but also material he recorded
with Co Caspar (the legendary builder of metallic instruments) and
John Grzinch (a fellow conspirator of Mnortham). The three long
tracks on this new CD evolve around drones, probably the processed
sound of wind with smaller events happening underneath, crackles,
more whistles or an occassional scrap on metal. Each track evolves to
a big extend, so that the drones don’t become too static. Mnortham
deals with powerful stuff here and delivers his most strongest
statement of this kind of music. (FdW)
Address: <absurd@otenet.gr>
AXEL DOERNER – TRUMPET (CD by A Bruit Secret)
Wind instruments are not among my favourites – my mistake probably,
but I have difficulties with saxophones, trumpets and what have you.
Axel Doerner, an improviser from Berlin who plays with loads of
people from the improv scene, plays trumpet, and nothing else on this
CD. Or at least there is no indication that he plays something else.
But listening to the two pieces on this CD, you know that can’t be
true. The first track for instance is a 25 minute piece of what
sounds like sucking a straw in an empty glass. I assume, but you know
I might be mistaken, Axel multi-tracked various recordings of this
kind of trumpet playing and then mixed it. The sound occassionally
becomes a jet plane taking off in it’s louder moments. In the second
piece it is more or less the same kind of blowing technique he uses,
but not stretched out as in the first track, but here small sounds
are featured, again playing with and against eachother. Quite an
interesting CD, which me think that if all trumpets sounded like
this, I’d be more then happy. (FdW)
Address: m_henritzi@club-internet.fr
LARRY KUCHARZ – TECHNO UNIT 32: MISC TRACKS (CD by Audiochrome)
More music by Larry Kucharz, again, like his last (Vital Weekly 248)
in techno veins. Each of the eleven pieces are called after a genre
in techno music: techno, drum & bass & strings, progressive classical
etc. To be honest I am not familiar with all the fine differences
between those genres, so I can only partly relate the accuracy of
these titles. Some seem alright, but some… well, I just don’t know.
Does this necessarily lead to great music? Humm, here too I have my
doubts. Most of these pieces seem rather static and flat. Maybe this
has to do with the machines used, but it all sounds quite cold…
Some of these pieces might work on the dancefloor, but overall it
didn’t do me much on my home stereo… If I want a catalogue of
various sorts of dance music, I’d be better get a cheap compilation
at the supermarket, I guess. (FdW)
Address: <intaudiocr@aol.com>
TIMEBLIND – RUGGED REDEMPTION (CD by Orthlong Musork)
Timeblind is Chris Sattinger, who released techno records on labels
such as probe, Kanzleramt, Black Nation, but finding himself with the
new Timeblind CD in different areas. Still dabbling with rhythms,
Timeblind is more obsessed by hip hop rhythms then straightforward
techno. The first few tracks on this CD are pretty strong. From the
raggamuffin opening to the dubinspired ‘desperado move’. But after
tracks like ‘Soulhole’ things go a bit more experimental and are less
under control. Not necessiraly a bad thing of course, but it sort of
breaks the CD in two parts. Not all of the more experimental tracks
could convince me (like “Sweet Depression” for instance), but overall
this was a quite alright CD with the best tracks at the beginning.
(FdW)
Address: www.musork.com
STILLUPPSTEYPA – STORIES PART FIVE (CD by Ritornell)
Stilluppsteypa are boys with a sense of humor. Somewhere on a roof in
Amsterdam, they pose in some weird clothing and put their pictures on
the frontcover (very much not done in their areas). And then they
start thinking about titles such as ‘Yes Sir Can I Improvise?’ or
‘When I Was Eight Years Old’. Armed with laptops these,
Stilluppsteypa still dabbles with music that is made of sound
collages, like they have been doing forever. But now it’s more
crackly, with smaller particles flying through the air. Quite bluntly
they throw a drummachines here and there, or they move to lush
ambient textures (the ambient of no synths, but processed and
strecthed out sound). It is this odd combination of seriousness and
cheerful play that makes this into a very nice CD that never has a
dull moment. (FdW)
Address: www.mille-plateaux.com
FRANCISCO LOPEZ/JOHN DUNCAN – NAV (Absolute Osaka/All Questions)
FRANCISCO LOPEZ/ZBIGNIEW KARKOWSKI – Whint (Absolute London)
Two double CD’s, two collaborations, one Francisco Lopez. On both of
these recent releases, we find one CD by Lopez and one by his fellow
collaborator, John Duncan and Zbigniew Karkowski. As far as I
understand, one each production both work on the same sound material.
Let’s see how the approaches work.
NAV-Gate is the Lopez side of the work with John Duncan. In 51
minutes he paints us much silence, or better near silence, and
sometimes more audible parts which occassionally rises out of the
almost silence. It’s almost perfect ambient music that is presented
here. Soft drones, an occasional bump and towards the very last
minute a more then audible sound. To even image where Lopez gets his
sounds from, is an impossible task. An airconditiong system, the
humms of motors, or just a microphone hanging in an abonned village?
It might all be possible, but Lopez will not reveal anything, not in
his music, not by writing about it.
NAV-Flex is the Duncan part. Knowing John quite a bit as a composer
of extremes, he moves here into the more subdued extremes, maybe it’s
the Lopez influence? Larger sections in this one piece opus are very
quiet, but not as extreme as Lopez, but still… Another important
difference is that Duncan works with various blocks of sound, lengthy
indeed, but various blocks he puts together with cross fades, other
then Lopez who seems to work with just one piece of sound (but maybe
not of course). It’s hard to tell wether they both used the same
sounds, but maybe that’s of lesser importance…
A likewise collaboration went between Lopez and Karkowski. I think
here the use the same material, and if I’m not mistaken it’s either
the amplification of hiss or a far away recording of the sea. Lopez
again plays a difficult thing with the listener with a few blocks of
processed sound, but also large blocks in which hardly anything
happens. If you crank up the volume in those parts, something is
there and the parts that were already audible become very loud. I
guess that’s the idea.
Karkowski on his side made a lot of sound treatments of the original
recordings and paints us a very nice collage of these processings.
Less noisy then some might expect, but more and more I think
Karkowski’s power lies in composing “softer” music. This work can
easily be ranked to his best yet… (FdW)
Address: www.allquestions.net
Address: www.touch.demon.co.uk
JEROME COOPER – In Concert From There to Hear (CD on Mutablemusic)
I always hesitate to use the word ‘jazz’. On the one hand the word
refers to a certain kind of music that belongs to the past. Although
there are nowadadys many groups that play a kind of jazzmusic from
this or that period, easy to recognize as jazzmusic for everybody,
this is in fact in contradiction with the spirit of jazz, namely to
improvise and not to repeat or copy. So this is not jazz, it only
‘looks’ like it. On the other hand if I want to use the word for
identifying musicians that are working in the true spirit of jazz,
musicians that play the jazz of the present, I find it difficult to
give examples. I find it hard to identify where the jazz finds her
real continuation. Traditional ‘borders’ no longer exist. Modern
music, ethnic music, noise music, etc,.this are just a few directions
from where jazz receives inspiration and vice versa. Take for
instance the newest work of Jerome Cooper. This drummer from Chicago
presents his new solo album. He plays a diversity of instruments:
cymbals, high-hat, chiramia, tomtoms, bass drum, balaphones, snare
drum, talking drums, drum synthesizer, electronich keyboard,
electronic tonal rhythmic activator. The chimaria is a wind
instrument from Mexico (“my voice synthesizer”). He not only uses
instruments from other cultures, he is also interested in the drums
and drummusic of other cultures.
Cooper played with Anthony Braxton, Steve Lacy, Alan Silva, Art
Ensemble of Chicago and Cecil Taylor to mention just a few. From
1971-1977 he was a member of Revolutionary Ensemble. Since the end of
the 70s he concentrated on playing solo. “If jazz is going to be
considered American classical music, all instruments must be able to
have the option of becoming a soloist. So this, for the past 30 years
and even before that, has been my goal: to improve the qualtiy of the
American music-Jazz”. Cooper describes his style as multi-dimensional
drumming and the cd offers 6 examples of it. 6 compositions performed
by Cooper at solo-concerts at the Knitting Factory and the Roulette,
recorded between 1995 and 1998. Sometimes it is hard Cooper to
imagine that he is playing everything live and simultaneously: drums,
chimaria and keyboards. But the keyboards are often programmed I
think.
All music is composed by Cooper, except that well-known tune “Goodbye
Pork Hat” (Charly Mingus) and “My Funny Valentine”( Hart and Rodgers).
Most pieces are built up upon repetitive phrases. This gives the
music a a strong ethnic or even ‘religious’ impression. It is not
hard to imagine a group of people dancing or performing a ritual. But
I think this was not the case. In my opinion these characteristics
makes his music very interesting and relevant. Because of this I
would like to ask what Jerome Cooper what he sees as the best social
context for his jazzmusic. Where can his music also truly function as
the expression of a broader group of people (DM).