CLOUDCHAMBER – SAFARIS (CD by Fylkingen Records)
NIELS VAN HOORN – COLOURS (CD by Soleilmmoon)
NAD SPIRO – NAD SPIRO’S FIGHTCLUBBING (CD by Geomtrik)
I:WOUND – PUNISH THE GUILTY (2xCDR by Assemblage)
TONNE – SOUNDTOY (CD by Bip Hop)
THE INFANT CYCLE – EPHEDRIN BIRD SAMBA (3″CDR by Assemblage)
VELMA – BARCELONA BY VELMA (3″CDR by Testing Ground)
LCD – 20′ OF FREE IMPROVISATION IN SAO PAULO (3″CDR by Testing Ground)
JUHA VALKEAPÄÄ – SIBERIAN SUMMER (3″CDR by Testing Ground)
KNURL – KURTOSIS (CD by Harsh Noise)
NEW CULT OF THE SUN MOON (2CD by Soleilmoon)
FE-MAIL – SYKLUBB FRA HAELVETE (LP by TV5)
XPER.XR – … .. . …. .. (CD by Good Times Recordings)
BE VERY AFRAID (CD compilation by Dead Mind Records)
SUPERSOFT [14-18]/ANDY’S CAR CRASH (12″ by Partycul System)
PHILIP SCHEFFNER – A/C (CD by Pong)
CLOUDCHAMBER – SAFARIS (CD by Fylkingen Records)
Cloudchamber, that sounds gothic to me. I fear the worst, but seeing
this is released on Fylkingen Records saves it. As one may know,
Fylkingen is a Swedish concert space, record label and next to it are
the EMS studios (Electronic Music Studios). Cloudchamber is a trio,
consisting of Johannes Bergmark (playing ‘constructions’, analog and
digital modular synths, clavinet, saw, voice, objects), Martin Kuchen
(various wind instruments, metal barrel, sandwhich grill, guitar,
voice) and Soren Runolf (electric guitar, amplified objects,
electronic processors, virtual modular synth and cello). It is that
the cover of this CD says it has seven tracks, since it’s hard to
find the breaks between the tracks. The word improv is written in
capitals on this CD. From the calm improvising matters to the wild
improv stuff that hints towards freejazz, everything is present here.
Filled from top to bottom is this CD and that makes it not an easy
journey to sit through. Too much can be too much! With some editing
here, and some skipping there, this could have been a much enjoyable
CD, but now it’s just simply too much to swallow. Pieces in itself
are ok, but they last quite some time (anywhere from three to fifteen
minutes) and it could have been more powerful if it was cut in half.
If you like AMM played by Kapotte Muziek with a fresh dose of
Blowhole tossed in every once in a while, then this can be yours.
Otherwise it’s suggested to make an edit yourself. (FdW)
Address: www.fylkingen.se
NIELS VAN HOORN – COLOURS (CD by Soleilmmoon)
The fact that Niels van Hoorn is born in the very same city as I am,
doesn’t make him more sympathetic, but the fact that he is a member
of one of my more favourite bands, The Legendary Pink Dots does. In
the past I have been complaining about the quality of the bands more
recent recordings, but welcomed the works of their solo members.
Niels van Hoorn, who plays all the windinstruments of the Pink Dots
recentely delivered his first solo work, well almost solo work, since
it was made with Mark Spybey. In that sense ‘Colours’ might be his
very first solo CD, even when he gets help from Ryan Moore, former
bassplayer and drummer of the Dots, now his own Twilight Circus. I am
sure you know that I am a little reserved against the sound of
windinstruments (with the odd exception) and a CD entirely made of
wind instruments, plus some synths and loops, is a bit of trial for
me. The opens nice with a eerie, dreamy piece ‘Landscape’, but there
are also truely bad pieces on this CD, like ‘Traffic Jam’, in which
the saxophones sound like car horns. Childrens music, I’d say.
Overall, there isn’t much coherency in this work, it’s more a
collection of skills displayed. Van Hoorn is no doubt a skillfull
musician, but he wants to display this through a bunch of different
musics which are a bit of everything (minimalism, ethno, avant-garde
etc.), but it never sounds very convincing. Packed with a truely ugly
cover this is a missed chance. (FdW)
Address: www.soleilmoon.com
NAD SPIRO – NAD SPIRO’S FIGHTCLUBBING (CD by Geomtrik)
It was some kind of surprise listening to the latest release, titled
“Fightclubbing”, by Nad Spiro. Considering the title one might expect
something hard pushing or stylishly technoid. But that is not the
incident on this third solo album by Spanish sound artist Rosa
Arruti. The music is first of all built on guitar experiments,
samplings and Rosa Arruti’s trance inducing spoken vocals. Propulsive
electro rhythms and swirling psychedelic irruptions give some kind of
ritualistic atmosphere to the album. A spooky and drowsy ambience not
far away from earlier Coil, makes the album more suitable for
crashing out at home rather than being the soundtrack for some local
run amuck fightclub. A weird and quite beautiful sound experience!
(NMP)
Address: www.geometrikrecords.com
I:WOUND – PUNISH THE GUILTY (2xCDR by Assemblage)
Sascha Karminski, aka I:Wound is a world traveller. And whereever he
goes he brings his walkman. He records the sounds of the nearby,
middle and far east and pastes his recordings together and releases
them, mostly through CDRs. This double pack, lasting over two hours
is mainly unprocossed location recordings. As I am not much of a
backpacker, I don’t know which locations Sascha visited upon hearing
these recordings, but I must say that his work gets better all the
time. Occassionally he leaps into looped passages, small electronic
parts, but by and large an environmental work. I:Wound has found
himself a little niche in the world of sound environment works, which
are loaded with the political implications of the various areas he
has visited, without placing a judgement on them. With a chilly polar
wind hauling around the house today, the warmth of these recordings
is most welcome. (FdW)
Address: www.assemblage.freeuk.com
TONNE – SOUNDTOY (CD by Bip Hop)
Ever wanted to mix Scanner? or Hakan Lidbo? Or Si-Cut.db? or Tonne?
It’s all becoming possible via this release. Every sound on this CD
was made by these artists and they play around with these sound with
software, developped by Paul Farrington, aka Tonne. The software is
called Soundtoy and on the CDrom part of this CD, you can play around
with the sounds by the four people and create your mix in a very easy
way. It’s a pity that the software isn’t that open for creating your
own, using your sounds. Soundtoy is a sequencer based software, so
except some rhythm oriented music. Mostly techno related, but also
nicely subdued sounds by Scanner in ‘Guide Me By Surprise’ or
minimalist techno by Hakan Libdo in ‘Mon Xox’. It’s fun to compare
these tracks with the various sound inputs, and see for yourself how
you could have created an ‘improved’ version yourself. The eight
tracks, two per artist, are nice, but it nowhere gets really
exciting. In terms of ‘just’ music, there is nothing new under the
sun, other then eight nice tracks of techno related music. (FdW)
Address: www.bip-hop.com
THE INFANT CYCLE – EPHEDRIN BIRD SAMBA (3″CDR by Assemblage)
Quite modest are the celebrations of ten years of existence of The
Infant Cycle, three tracks spanning just under 20 minutes. The Infant
Cycle hail around in drone circles as far as I know what they are
about. The first two tracks are relatively short, the first with it’s
prefab samba rhythm couldn’t bother me me at all. A clickly rhythm,
taking from a ‘sliced vinyl record playout’ in combination with
processed shortwave in ‘Radio Flower’ is a much better piece and
serves The Infant Cycle better. The third piece ‘Applaud, It’s Over’
is the longest piece and by far the best. Shimmering drones, made up
from feedback and air traffic radio starts out heavy, takes back and
comes back in full dark ambient mode. This is how, at least, I like
it. Spacious yet rumbling darkness. Let’s hope that the first piece
is not a forecast of a chance of direction… (FdW)
Address: www.assemblage.freeuk.com
VELMA – BARCELONA BY VELMA (3″CDR by Testing Ground)
LCD – 20′ OF FREE IMPROVISATION IN SAO PAULO (3″CDR by Testing Ground)
JUHA VALKEAPÄÄ – SIBERIAN SUMMER (3″CDR by Testing Ground)
Velma is a trio from Switzerland, who have various releases on
various labels. They have a common line up: voice, guitar and
electronics and drums. Much of what Velma creates is made in close
collaboration with other art disciplines, such as film and theater.
The press text sums up a whole bunch of them, but it remains unclear
wether this new release was also part of something bigger. The
opening piece ‘Barcelona’ has luckily nothing to do with the bombast
of Mercury, but is a nice droning piece of electronics, resonating
sounds and the sound of a matrix printer. A very fine piece, although
hard to see when the drums and voice come in… The second piece
starts also out in electronic vein, until a Thom Yorke (that is of
Radiohead fame, in case you missed that) soundalike voice drops in.
Slightly more experimental then Radiohead, but it could have been a
missing track from ‘Kid A’. The third track is the shortest and is
the most conventional, sounds badly recorded, but I wouldn’t be
surprised if that’s part of the fun. It ends abruptly. Three totally
different tracks, that don’t seem to make much sense, but it’s
strange captivating at the same time.
From Sao Paulo, Brazil, comes another trio of people, who gather in
weekly sessions to freely let go and improvise. On this 3″CD however,
they have gathered the best moments from previous releases and edited
into a small delight of improvised music. Playing with synthesizers,
samplers, kaos pad, electronics, mac performa and apple II and
analogue guitar, they work their way through mostly electronic
improvised music, which sounds less improvised and push the random
button then it would suggest. Noisy when needed, structured when
wanted and letting go when requested. Fine small disc.
The final new mini CDR by Testing Ground in their Bside Project
series is by Juha Valkeapää, a vocal performer from Finland (a land
with a rich tradition in this respect), who has worked either as a
solo artist aswell as in groups, presenting his work in performances
and exhibitions. This release is a part of an exhibition on Siberia
and consists of long stretched, vocal procssed sounds – thanks, I
assume, to the ever so helpful Max/Msp software. Majestical but cold
– even when this is about Summer in Siberia. At one point one starts
to recognize some sort of voice stuff, but for the main part, it’s
stretched solitude. Nice ambient music that is, and hard to tell that
this is all just voice originals. (FdW)
Address: www.testinground.com
KNURL – KURTOSIS (CD by Harsh Noise)
Recorded back in 1996 and shelved for the last half dozen years Knurl
(Alan Bloor) lets loose his harsh demons on this recently released
bastion of noise product. The packaging doesn’t say much (or
anything) about the processes used here – but I would guess he is up
to his unconventional play with metal and other industrial material
as its sound source. This is not for the easily headache prone
amongst us. It’s a ball of fiery metal carnage with a serrated edge
and intense drive. Here Knurl blends your average junkyard symphony
with slow motion detailing its every twist and churn. Along the lines
of some earlier Daniel Menche and a plethora of Japanese noiseists
this recording is just ambient enough to act as the background noise
in any urban environment. Its appeal is an echoing of a 9/11 crumbing
metropolis. Shards and strewn waste, tattered, torn and burned out.
Knurl paints the vibration of luminous wreckage as passage to an end
game. (TJN)
Address: http://www.harshnoise.com
NEW CULT OF THE SUN MOON (2CD by Soleilmoon)
I must admit I am still puzzled by this CD and how to call it: is the
name of the band ‘New Cult Of The Sun Moon’ or is it the title, well
or both of course. On the outside of the CD, one isn’t able to note
any bandname, but the fine print inside that this is a collaboration
between Robin Storey (aka Rapoon) and Andrew Diey (aka Black Faction
and Foreign Terrain). As a plain down to earth person, I am a bit
wary for terms like ‘Cult’ and certainly when it’s a new cult of the
sun moon. Despite the nice Rapoon paintings on the cover, I don’t see
much relation with the music (but that might be just my
shortsighteness), which blends together the deep ambient, cum ethno
rhythm interest found on the solo works by these two. Spread out over
two discs, these guys play lengthy, pulsating tracks (with an
occassional hint of techno), dark ambient influenced. On disc two the
tracks are even more lenghtier, with only six that last in total an
hour or so. It’s music that is distant and remote, that is cold and
oddly enough also spreads warmth needed so badly in these cold winter
days. And ultimately: yes, it may also be music that is ment for
rituals. With it’s repeating patterns, dark undertones, one could
imagine a wood at night, full moon in the sky and people performing
an ancient rite that you don’t understand, but holds your
fascination. (FdW)
Address: www.soleilmoon.com
FE-MAIL – SYKLUBB FRA HAELVETE (LP by TV5)
As one can imagine Fe-Mail are two females producing music. I saw
them recentely do an improvised music concert together with Jaap
Blonk. Especially the more noisy parts didn’t blew me away, only in a
short unplugged moment, the improvising qualities were convincing.
Maja Solveig Kjelstrup and Hild Sofie Tafjord, for they are Fe-Mail,
improvise their way through a whole bunch of electronica (I forgot to
have a close look on stage back then) in a rather noisy way. There
are links to Merzbow, Mimeo (and at that a lot of other things on the
Erstwhile catalogue) and a lot of others in this field. Even when I
am big fan of say Merzbow, I must admit that this didn’t do much for
me. In terms of noise it’s quite ok, Fe-Mail mixes louder and softer
moments nicely together, but overall, I didn’t hear much new under
the sun. For the more daring lovers of improvised noise, and played
for a moment not by boys, this is of course a must have. On candy
pink vinyl too… (FdW)
Address: www.tevefem.net
XPER.XR – … .. . …. .. (CD by Good Times Recordings)
It’s hard to tell wether this new CD by Xper.Xr is strictly
plunderphonic. Xper.Xr, Hong Kong born, London based merry prankster,
has been delivering CDs at a very inconstant rate over the last
decade. Plunderphonics seemed to be his more lasting interests, but
here he comes with a new angle. Xper.Xr invited a whole bunch of
chinese people to the studio, bringing chinese instruments and they
play a whole bunch of classic pieces, from 2Unlimited’s ‘No Limit’
and ‘S-Express’ in a rather funny way and there were a whole bunch I
didn’t recognize at all. But as so ever a lot with things like this,
the novelty wears out quick. Even when this is not a very lenghty CD,
37 or so minutes, I had pretty much enough after some twenty minutes.
With the aforementioned two being my favourite, a 7″ would have been
enough for me (and probably with a greater impact), but no doubt the
Klaus Beyer and 386DX will find their joy in here. (FdW)
Address: <xper_xr@hotmail.com>
BE VERY AFRAID (CD compilation by Dead Mind Records)
A compilation brought to me from a new label in The Netherlands and
it deals, according to the frontcover with ‘electronica obscura’.
Whatever that is, one can find out over the course of twelve tracks,
which range from noise (Crank Sturgeon vs Outermost,
Buckettovsissors), techno (Ostomy, Dead Husbands), strange rock music
like Kamp Chaos and Tumour and sampled weirdness by Kingdom Scum.
Also the bands are found in a wide range. Unknown (at least for those
readers outside the Netherlands) dutch ones likes Truck Van Rental,
Kamp Chaos and Baglady, and then bands from the USA, Japan and Sweden.
Some of these bands are willfully lo-fi, and operate in a truely
underground way. But there are also some who sound like they just
started out and one can wonder if these early experiments are maybe
brought to us too early. Nevertheless it is a nice compilation that
reminded me of the very old compilation cassettes, which introduced
me to tons and tons of new names, of which some were great and some
were truely horrible. Let this serve the same purpose for the
adventurous listener. (FdW)
Address: www.blutistzeit.nl
SUPERSOFT [14-18]/ANDY’S CAR CRASH (12″ by Partycul System)
This is the first 12″ on Partycul System’s label that splits
Supersoft [14-18] with a guest artist, in this case Andy’s Car Crash
(do they champion for strange band names?). I never heard neithers
music before. Supersoft [14-18]’s first piece, ‘Mein Gott’ is an
improvised affarir, but one that couldn’t bother me very much. The
second piece by Supersoft [14-18] is a post rock affair, with
minimalist guitar strummings and likewise drumming, which makes an
aggressive impression but they can play sweet tunes too, as they
proof in ‘Valley Del Sor’, with a male and female voice. Whispering
like this should be done in these areas. Three totally different
pieces…
On the flip there is one piece by Andy’s Car Crash, which turns out
to be a five piece band. Also fiercly based in improvised music, this
is quite a strong piece. Quite complex with both electronica and
instruments, they built thick layers of sound, which occassionally
remind me of musique concrete and at other times, when the piano
tinkles again, at AMM and when the guitars howl, it tends more
towards King Crimson. Nice side this one. (FdW)
Address: www.partyculsystem.fr.st
PHILIP SCHEFFNER – A/C (CD by Pong)
This is the second release by Philip Scheffner on his own Pong label.
It marks a breakaway from his first CD, which found himself in a more
techno area. He combines cleverly spoken word and music. Basic sounds
and talk were recorded in Bombay in 1996 and it’s set here as a story
in music. It’s a journey; a journey to a place that doesn’t exist.
The music here can be easily classified as ambient, but probably
doesn’t entirely justify it. The instrumentation is mostly realized
by digital means and sound a bit unlike ambient, with it’s somewhat
harsher high end sounds. Scheffner cleverly processed bells sounds,
street sounds and probably some of the spoken word too. A firm take
off after his first CD (which was not reviewed in Vital Weekly) and
certainly a much more mature work. (FdW)
Address: <scheffner@pong-berlin.de>