KNUT REMOND – Deep Structure – Cosmics Vol.3 (CD on V RECORDS)
OREN AMBARCHI – PERSONA (LP by ERS Records)
KURT RALSKE – AMOR.0+01 (CD+ by Sub Rosa)
FANTASMAGRAMMA – AB (CD by Extrasensory)
DENIS DUBOVTSEV/MATTIN – BI RAK (CDR by W.M.O/R)
FUNERAL SONGS (Compilation Cd by Crowd Control Activities)
HEIMIR BJ÷RGULFSSON – MACHINE NATURA (AN INTERPRETATION INCONSISTENT
WITH THE ACTUALITY OF A SITUATION) (Cd by Staalplaat)
DEGENERATE ART ENSEMBLE – Rinko (CD on Unit Circle Rekkids)
DISCO OPERATING SYSTEM – YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORK TO BE MAD HERE (CD by RSI)
FIRST (CD by Operative Records)
AYR UNIT & MIDWICH – THE HAPPIEST MUSIC ON EARTH (CDR by Bake Records)
TARKATAK – (SMAKAKOR) (CDR by Bake Records)
ABSTRACT Q – STAINS AND SCRIBBLES (CDR by Bake Records) -REHBERG &
BAUER/FENNESZ/REHBERG (12″ by Raft Records)
EYE AND EAR CONTROL – WE HAVE NO SYSTEM (CDR by Consume)
SERIOUS NAAN – NAANTRAX (CDR by Consume)
RENE LUSSIER – DÈboutonnÈ (CD on OHM Editions)
KNUT REMOND – Deep Structure – Cosmics Vol.3 (CD on V RECORDS)
In the 80s percussionist Knut Remond toured in Holland several times
as a member of Unknown Mix, a “neue Welle” band from Switzerland.
What happened to them, I don’t know. In the case of Knut Remond, he
didn’t leave the music business. He played with 16/17, Voicecrack to
mention to other Swiss outfits. Also he played with Jim O’Rourke,
John Zorn, Elliott Sharp, Fred Frith, etc. Besides that he started to
develop himself as a composer of (electronic) music, experimenting
with electro-acustic music and computermusic in his studio. The
Cosmics Series document this aspect of Remonds activities. Vol.1 was
a maxisingle released in 1991; Vol 2 a cd (1996) and Vol.3 again is a
cd (2001).
The cd contains 17 tracks but they make up one piece, called ‘Deep
structure’, the result of 5 years of working in the studio. The work
is composed for soprano voice (Kornelia Bruggmann) and Imagineering
Portable Set (self built electronics I suppose, played by Remond
himself). In 1999 it was performed live. Listening to the cd, it
wondered me how voice and electronics blend perfectly together.
Bruggmann reads, speaks, sings a poem by the swiss writer Bernadette
Lerjen-Sarbach and selections from the work of the american writer
Jenny Holzer. The noises sound very processed. They proceed from
clusters on a one_manual organ of Italian construction of the late
Baroque period, Remond informs us. Most originality lies in the
composition technique of Remond I think. He is a very capable
soundarchitect. In a way the work sounds very ‘narrative’ to me, as
if Remond is telling a story. Ands let me tell you, a very
interesting one (DM).
Address: www.cosmicsonline.com
OREN AMBARCHI – PERSONA (LP by ERS Records)
This records sounds great, well what else can I say about all of
australian Oren Ambarchi’s releases. He has a rare talent to produce
very sensitive delicate pure sounds that still sound so raw and
rough, full of energy like they are just waiting to burst out. A
slight simularity there with some of Mika Vainio’s solo works
perhaps. This release, a limited edition vinyl only, is all done with
guitar like a lot of Ambarchi’s work. He manages to create somewhat
of a new thing with some kind of an old style method. I must admit it
is quite impressive that he hasn’t fallen into the “powerbook/laptop
thing” for producing and performing his music like just about
everybody else. (HB)
Address: http://radiantslab.com/ers
KURT RALSKE – AMOR.0+01 (CD+ by Sub Rosa)
This CD contains audio and video, but my computers do not seem to accept
the disc at all, which leaves the audio part. And that might prove a
problem, because listening to the three tracks on the album I had a strong
feeling that they were meant to accompany images (this was actually before
I noticed that there was video on the disc as well). The music is of a
technoid/ambient nature and very electronic, with some sampling here and
there, but kind of sparse. Now I am not referring to the overall minimalist
attitude of the last decade, but more to the fact that there seesm to be
missing something here. And those might be the images on the disc. Of
course, this is a verdict for the music as well. It is not strong enough to
stand alone. But that might just be the strength in combination with the
images…..So that’s about all I can say about this one. (MR)
Address: http://www.subrosa.net
FANTASMAGRAMMA – AB (CD by Extrasensory)
This is the first CD by the London based Extrasensory organisation. They
have been programming sound art events, concerts and multimedia events for
the last one and a half year in London and seem to be quite successful at
that. Their interest is mainly in the microsound/glitch scene and their
first release by Fantasmagramma proves it: 34 very short tracks of pure
glitch. I must add here that the title is in undercast with an arrow to the
right above it. The music is basically a lot like glitch should be: short
cuts, sinewaves and pulses. There seems to be a structure in the way the
tracks are divided, but it isn’t exactly clear to me what structure that
is. It would be easy to put the player on shuffle, because of the short
duration of the tracks, but that’s not really my interest, so I am looking
for a structure in the tracks thenselves, and there is one: tracks 1- 30
can be regarded as one and tracks 31-34 (which are a little longer) are
more individual tracks with something like a kick in there (although they
probably wouldn’t fill the ol’ dancefloor). In short I would say that this
CD is not bad at all, but I am not totally convinced. Partly because the
music is pretty much like a lot of other music of this kind and partly
because I may have heard a little too much of this. (MR)
Adress: www.extrasensory.org
DENIS DUBOVTSEV/MATTIN – BI RAK (CDR by W.M.O/R)
A CDR of a shorter length (just under 21 minutes) by Mattin, the guy
who plays computer feedback (and who released a CD of his with Eddie
Prevost and Rosy Parlane) and one Denis Dubovtsev, who plays soprano
sax. Recorded in august and september in a studio in London. I
expected a full blast affair, since Borbetomagus showed me how well
capable the saxophone is of producing noise music. But it’s not. The
eight pieces are all held back in nature, the soprano sax plays notes
and the computer produces the noise here, but that’s also held back.
The sound is like a cut up, playing a no single note twice with those
strange computer interceptions. A work of free noise jazz with the
computer as a new soloist. Strong stuff. (FdW)
Address: www.mattin.org
FUNERAL SONGS (Compilation Cd by Crowd Control Activities)
An interesting but far from jolly idea has formed the basis of this
latest release from Crowd Control Activities. “Funeral Songs”
presents thirteen profiles from the experimental scene and their idea
of how a funeral song could possibly sound like. Consequently the
atmosphere across the 74 minutes running time is unavoidably dull.
Spanning from dark folk, ethereal ambient, gothic, distorted noise
drones and dark ambient the listener is taken to many corners of the
dark experimental scene. Worth mentioning tracks are Amber Asylum’s
ethereal song, Australian Shinjuki Thief’s as always intense
acoustical oriented ambient, Raison D’Etre’s solemn ambient-scapes
including Gregorian chant and the compilation’s only seriously
threatening contribution represented by C17 H19 No3, who mixes drones
of power electronics into the mournful land of strings and ritual
percussion. “Funeral songs” is recommended to everyone else but
listeners searching for the non-depressive type of music. (NMP)
Address: www.crowdcontrol.cc
HEIMIR BJ÷RGULFSSON – MACHINE NATURA (AN INTERPRETATION INCONSISTENT
WITH THE ACTUALITY OF A SITUATION) (Cd by Staalplaat)
Tenth release in Staalplaat’s “Materiel Series” finds Icelandic
composer Heimir Bjrgulfsson in great form. Heimir Bjrgulfsson, also
known as one third of the powerbook-trio Stillupsteypa, already has
released two solo albums with “Discreet Journey Digitalis”, released
by Mille Plateaux’s subsidiary Ritornell, being the most attended.
Like other editions of the Material Series, “Machine Natura” has been
beautifully packaged in some rather unique cover artwork, which in
this case means green patterned wallpaper. As the main title
anticipates, the seven tracks on the 14 minutes long album operates
on a meeting point between digital and natural sound explorations,
with the sound expression mostly suppressed to the ultra quiet level.
However, compared to Bernhard G¸nter’s classic “Un peu de neige
salie”-album from 1994, the expression on “Machine Natura” is
considerably more undulated. Starring guest on one track is John
Hudak, who is mostly known for his concrete works based on
deconstructions and manipulations of found sounds. Clicks, digital
sounds, electronic crackles and subtonal frequencies are some of the
details that sneak out of the otherwise foggy silence. Like other
albums exploring the ultra quiet levels of sound “Machine Natura” is
best heard on headphones. Highly recommended! (NMP)
Address: www.staalplaat.com
DEGENERATE ART ENSEMBLE – Rinko (CD on Unit Circle Rekkids)
First cd by an ensemble from Seattle. They made quite a name for
themselves as The Young Composer’s Collective. Their most well_known
achievement under that name is the soundtrack they recorded for Fritz
Lang’s film Metropolis.
The Degenerate Art Ensemble is made up of 9 musicians playing violin,
bass, electric guitar, trumpets, sax, clarinet, bass clarinet,
persucussion, toy piano, roto toms and vocal. The music is composed
by Joshua Kohl who also conducts the ensemble. Scott Colburn, who has
also worked with The Climax Golden Twins and The Black Cat Orchestra,
engineered the album.
The group is not just a music ensemble but they incorporate also
dance, theatre and performance in their productions. ‘Rinko’ was one
of their first full-scale performances.
The music is based on ‘Rinko’ a butoh dance choreography and concept
by Haruko Nishimura who also does the vocals. I’m not familiar with
butoh dance and music so I cannot judge on the possible interplay
between the two.
The music moves between slowly swelling parts growing louder and
louder and percussive outbursts, making together a very dynamic whole
that lasts only 33 minutes.
The band is a sort garage avant rock ensemble that reminded me of the
Bang on a Can formula (Michael Gordon) , also bands like The
Ordinaires came to my mind and John Zorn of course.
For those interested in these kinds of electric orchestras, that play
violently their version of New Music the Degenerate Art Ensemble will
fascinate for sure as they are a bunch of fine musicians (DM).
Address: <rekkids@unitcircle.com>
DISCO OPERATING SYSTEM – YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORK TO BE MAD HERE (CD by RSI)
Disco Operating System are a one piece group from Manchester, and
despite their name it’s not disco but another form of rhythmic music.
‘You Don’t Have To Work To Be Mad’ is their third full length
release, although my first introduction to DOS. Gareth Bibby, he is
our man here, plays with electronics and rhythms a lot. The rhythms
are at times techno like, but at others more industrial (like in the
title piece or ‘Been Boiled’, maybe a Human League cover?) and Gareth
add his dose of synths to them, or maybe a set of software synths.
His rhythm approaches are very minimal, with not much changes through
out, so it’s kinda like Plastikman or Pole (without the same warmth).
Overall an interesting work with some lesser moments, but throughout
an album that combines the more accessible sounds of techno with the
more daring moments of electronic avant-garde. (FdW)
Address: www.rsirecordings.co.uk
FIRST (CD by Operative Records)
Operative Records is a new label ‘whose standard flourishes a
disparate and varied selection of ‘outsider’ artists’. None of the
names on their compilation mean anything to me, and I believe they
all hail from the UK, but maybe I’m wrong. All of the music can be
described in some way as experimental, but there is a variety here to
be detected. From sheer improvisation to sheer noise, to darker then
dark ambient. Knives for instance are free improv band, Shining Vril
are more ambient gothic, and Emblem sound like they heard too much
Current 93. Other artists include Antichild League, Leisurehive,
Knifeladder, Ruse, Muffpunch (noise), Naevus (more Current 93),
Andrew Liles and Antivalium (noise). There isn’t a standout track
here, that track which one thinks ‘wow, great, love to hear more of
them’. It’s well recorded (hurray for home technology), but it lacks
in the ideas. (FdW)
Address: www.opeartive-records.co.uk
AYR UNIT & MIDWICH – THE HAPPIEST MUSIC ON EARTH (CDR by Bake Records)
TARKATAK – (SMAKAKOR) (CDR by Bake Records)
ABSTRACT Q – STAINS AND SCRIBBLES (CDR by Bake Records) –
A collaboration between Ayr Unit (Scotland) and Midwich (Yorkshire)
featuring three tracks each little over ten minutes. Minimal
electronic drones, coupled with processed ringing/droning guitar
create long, stretched atmospheric music. The first piece adds a 2
note bass line to add rhythm and melody. The second track is for
electronics and violin, which repeatedly plays a melancholic line.
The last track is for guitar overload and more electronics. This is
the weakest track of the three and seems to fall apart before
anything interesting occurs. Overall this release is nothing earth
shattering and is rather simplistic in
its compositions, but a pleasant listen, and a nice coupling of
electronic sounds with live instrumentation. Best enjoyed at
semi-loud volume without headphones. Bonus points for having a cover
that reminds me of old Korm Plastics tape releases.
Loops, samples and drones are the main materials of Tarkatak. Ambient
tones and washes, environmental sounds, and occassional melodic
content are the forms they take. This release at times reminds me a
bit of Cranioclast and some of Eno’s ambient work. At it’s best the
work is very visual (some of the source material…a fog enshrouded
port in a decaying city?…) with frequent changes in sound, as best
embodied in the first piece, Utrymme Obekant. The other 2 tracks on
the release focus more on drones and tonal washes, at times for
extended periods. A smooth stream of sounds, but i must admit I was
hoping at times that something would jump out of the mix and shatter
the atmosphere that it creates. But still a very good work and an
enjoyable listen.
Straight forward electronic dance music. The first few tracks i found
to be listenable, despite not being my cup of tea. But the rest of
the release worn me down with its use of what sounds to be prefab
sounds, a cheesy piano sample, and other cliche sounds. Towards
the end the release ran out of steam and seems to suffer from a
dearth of ideas. The songs are
skillfully assembled, but unfortunately present nothing new. Perhaps
if Abstract Q utilized a
different sonic palette the music would invite repeated listenings. (JS)
Address: www.staalplaat.com
REHBERG & BAUER/FENNESZ/REHBERG (12″ by Raft Records)
Kinda odd release. One side has the length of a 7″ and is spread over
the 12″ as a 7″ (so lots of blank space at the beginning) and the
other side does the same with the length of a 10″. but probably Raft
Records, who find their home in These Records, had enough generic
packages, so it was pressed as a 12″. The 7″ side is by Rehberg &
Bauer and is another, probably the last mix, they did of their series
of mixes from a fridge (which started on Source Records years ago).
The track is short with loops and drones, the fridge is a beautiful
machine for remote sounding drones. This piece is much more rhythmic
and structured then most other Rehberg & Bauer and might be even,
euhhhuh techno like? That is the areas they come from, y’ know.
The other side is by Rehber and Fennesz live at These Records (which
beside a label is also a very nice shop in South London with off and
on live concerts). If ever you saw these boys live (and it might be
strange if you didn’t, because they have been performing all over the
globe in recent years), you know what to expect: scratchy sounds,
crashed beats on crashed computers (or at least those who seem to
crash) with plug in and real time editing programms running beserk.
Nevertheless, in a post production stage were these recordings were
edited, this is powerful stuff, with rhythmic passages with noisy
edges and sound less random improvised then going to a concert by
them. Great record, even for the small length. (FdW)
Address: <these@appleonline.net>
EYE AND EAR CONTROL – WE HAVE NO SYSTEM (CDR by Consume)
SERIOUS NAAN – NAANTRAX (CDR by Consume)
Eye And Ear Control are the’non talents of Neck Doppler and The
Render General’, so we read on the press message and are ‘armed with
no computer, no sampler, no planning, no direction and no obvious
skills’, well, loaded with negative I guess. The two offer three
lengthy tracks of a rhythm machine running on end and sounds running
along them. Underground techno like music of the more noisy kind. I
can’t say this is bad, but it’s just something that I find very hard
to like. It’s one of those things you can see the point, without
appreciating it very much.
Serious Naan is also a duo, this time Lonny Bashee and The Stare and
it something different. Distorted, vocoded voices, piano, organ, drum
machines. Sometimes inspired by The Residents, but at others maybe by
ambient music, but then played with a sense of naivety (as in ‘Random
Dancer’). Serious Naan move around in many styles, but they have
changed it, so that every track is their own and not a derivat of
something else or a hotchpotch of styles. Nice stuff here, and an
altogether varied release. (FdW)
Address: www.consume.freeserve.co.uk
RENE LUSSIER – DÈboutonnÈ (CD on OHM Editions)
A new solo cd by guitarking RenÈ Lussier. Not released on Ambiances
MagnÈtiques which is normally the case, but on another excellent
Canadian label of avant garde music: Ohm Editions. By the way it was
on Ambiances MagnÈtiques that Lussier released in 2000 a solo album
for electric guitar. Now it’s the turn for the acoustic guitar.
The cd offers us 13 solo improvisations for solo acustic guitar. No
overdubbing, editing, etc. has taken place. But the improvisations
were recorded by eight microphones and the final recordings as heard
on the cd were mixed from these eight different sources. This in
order to accentuate different points of hearing. So the use of
headphones are advised if you want to experience the spacial effects.
This process was also used in the case of ‘Solos de guitare
Èlectrique’, recorded in 1998 and released in 2000 for Ambiances
MagnÈtiques.
For this new one, all recordings were made during three days in
march, 1999 at the Avatar Studio, QuÈbec. The pieces give an insight
into the radical, unconventional and wide repertoire of Lussier
techniques. The music is sometimes lyric, poetic, humoristic,
powerful and very expressive.
Lussier plays with many different musicians from all over the world.
Here we have the opportunity to meet him solo and to discover where
he is at as a guitar player and improvisor.
“At first, it was a terrifying enterprise, since the road of guitar
solo performances is one that many musicians has been down –
including the big names – and because the result of the exercise is
unforgiving. It provides the improvisor with a kind of instant
snapshot, a self portrait taken with no make-up and no concessions.
When he listens to it, all he can say is……This is where I come
from, this is where I’m at!” Exactly. Take it as a honest invitation.
You won’t regret it (DM)
Address: http://www.meduse.org/