GREG HEADLEY – A BULLETIN ON VERTIGO (CD by 28 Angles)
MU-ZIQ – BILIOUS PATHS (CD / 2LP by Planet MU)
NICK PARKIN/TOM GILLIERON – RED SHIFT (CD by Soleilmoon)
RAPOON & DESACCORD MAJEUR – SALMO SALAR (CD by Fario)
ROSS LAMBERT & SEYMOUR WRIGHT – LUCKY RABBIT (CDR by Two Thousand And)
MATTIN – GORA (CDR by Two Thousand And)
MANUAL – ISARES (CD by Static Caravan)
HERVE BOGHOSSIAN – RVB (CD by List)
SOUL JUNK – 1958 (CD by Sounds Are Active)
EM:T 0003 (CD compilation by Em:t Records)
BMB CON – #10 (CD by BMBCD)
MIDWICH/MOON – THE STARFISH EXPERIENCE (CDR by Burning Emptiness)
CHEFKIRK – MICROTEACHING LP (CDR by Tib Prod)
REYNOLS – LIVE IN STAVANGER (CDR by Humbug)
COTTAGE INDUSTRIAL VOL. 1 (CDR by Humbug)
GREG HEADLEY – A BULLETIN ON VERTIGO (CD by 28 Angles)
This is the fourth release by Greg Headley, after three CDRs (one on
Bake Records and two on 28 Angles) his first real CD. The first three
releases all explored the various possibilities of guitar playing, in
combination with analog and digital effects. For his real CD, Headley
made a whole bunch of guitar sounds and then processed them on the
computer, using programms such as Sound Hack, Argeiphontes Lyre and
Pro Tools and nothing such as Max/MSP or Supercollider. This makes
sense, me thinks, since CDs which have a large of dose Max/MSP on
board usually tend to be sounding more improvised, whereas with more
static programms such as the ones Headley is using here, things only
happen in the final mix and thus ‘composing’ becomes a bigger issue
here. There are nine pieces on this CD, and despite some rhythmic
outbursts (short looped rhythmic patterns, not beats of course),
Headley is for the larger part still a lover of drone related sound
material. Of course the whole notion of a guitar being the source of
these recordings is gone, and it might have been aswell basically any
other sound source. That I think is a pity. Even when the press
message raves that this is not ‘just another set of laptop music’ it
very much hears so. It’s executed with care, the pieces are nice and
the total is nice, there is not much sight of this being so much
different then much others in the field of microsound. If Headley
would have slipped in more of his guitar playing, things would have
been at least ‘different’. Despite this, this is still a nice CD.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.28angles.com
MU-ZIQ – BILIOUS PATHS (CD / 2LP by Planet MU)
Extreme editing is what this should be called. Essentially it’s 4/4
music by producers unable to keep their fingers off the controls.
Every single measure has been edited. With differences in soundcolor,
speed, delay, reverb, phaser, etc. Everything is shifting,
continually. I’d call it experimental music, albeit the shallow
variety. Some put it down as shere masturbatory mixology. But that’s
too easy; it depends on how you look at it. Music like this,
originating from the pop/dance corner has a very strong image.
However severe you break up a pop song it stays descernable in the
smallest splinter. John Oswald has played with this phenomenon and
recently people like Bit Meddler have gone over it again with more
recent technology. Because of the 4/4 basis people tend not to listen
closely to this music. But it has its brilliant moments. Were this
editor to start out of the dance area but with pure noise and/or more
abstract sound structures I’m sure the outcome would be very
interesting. This guy needs a guide. He’s a good technician and
really knows how to twist the knobs and slide the sliders but he his
compositions remain rather shallow. This becomes especially clear in
the works that are (somewhat) slower, more contemplative. In these
compositions the chord schemes are rather uninteresting and stale. In
all I’d say it’s promising music but halve of the time the choices
made are too easy. Maybe mu-ziq should team up with some hi-brow
composer. Both
parties might experience it as a refreshing shower… (IS)
Address: http://www.planet-mu.com
NICK PARKIN/TOM GILLIERON – RED SHIFT (CD by Soleilmoon)
This is richly produced drum and bass but it’s from 1998-2001, not a
very good period for D&B. But what does that mean as far as this Cd
is concerned? It’s professionally produced but nothing more. It’s as
rich in sound as the works of Optical but somehow it lacks the
tension the latter can build up. It also seems outdated to me. Indeed
it should have been released in 1998. Let me describe what I hear:
it’s decent old-fashioned drum and bass rhythm (3-3-2) with the right
drum kit. The bass grooves are alright. On top of this I hear layers
of synthesizers and even a shakuhachi. The music fills up and gets
thinner and fills up again. But somehow it misses that catchiness of
Bad Company or Ed Rush or Dom & Roland. It’s tempo should have been
higher, the riddims spikier, the basses meaner, the effects
crunchier. Nice of Soleilmoon to try their hands at this genre but it
won’t appeal to the classic D&B audience: the kids in the streets.
(IS)
Address: http://www.soleilmoon.com
RAPOON & DESACCORD MAJEUR – SALMO SALAR (CD by Fario)
When writing about music it is hard to avoid to compare one thing
with the other. And it’s never fun, I know. Everybody wants to hear
that their music is unique and unheard before. But to compare one
thing to another also serves another purpose. If the Rik Publik likes
band A, he might also like band B, because they sound like band A. A
band that sounded like Rapoon, at least in the past, was Desaccord
Majeur. Pseudo tribal ethnic elements, bathing in loads of reverb.
The Fario label, who specializes in releasing CDs that are have some
unique tracks by two artists and one collaborative piece of music,
backed Rapoon and Desaccord Majeur together so maybe we can see if
they sound alike. Rapoon, aka Robin Storey, former member of Zoviet
France, but since eleven years building a strong body of solowork,
plays his rhythms by using stones, wood, peebles, adding tons and
tons of delays and reverb on top of them and create a solemn
atmosphere of sounds. Majestic and atmospherical, but sometimes it
becomes also a cliche of it’s own. Desaccord Majeur has three lenghty
tracks on this CD and his rhythms comes out of a box – a drumcomputer
to be precize. Jerome Maudit, for he is Desaccord Majeur, built
clever rhythms on his drumcomputer, spices them with samples and
synthesizer sounds. It all sounds nicely done, but it’s also a bit
sterile, clinical and remote: it never grabs you by the balls. Their
joint piece by Rapoon and Desaccord Majeur combines the best elements
of both. The clinical rhythms of Desaccord Majeur and the heavenly
atmospherics of Rapoon. Ok, so maybe Desaccord Majeur doesn’t sound
like Rapoon when confronted with the two, despite some similarities.
That makes this joint release into a nice effort.
And by the way: Fario is part of the excellent French written
magazine Fear Drop, of which just issue ten was published, including
stories of Thomas Koner, Savage Republic, Oren Ambarchi, Chris Watson
and more. And if you don’t know what it sounds like, a CD with
thirteen tracks is also included. (FdW)
Address: <feardrop@wanadoo.fr>
ROSS LAMBERT & SEYMOUR WRIGHT – LUCKY RABBIT (CDR by Two Thousand And)
MATTIN – GORA (CDR by Two Thousand And)
Two new releases on that fine small label for improvised music. The
first one is by Ross Lambert (electric guitar) and Seymour Wright
(alto saxophone). Part of this release was recorded in Tokyo with the
help of Utah Kawasaki (computer), Tetsuro Yasunaga (computer) and Ami
Yoshida (voice). I played this disc throughout without noting too
much which track is what, so I can safely say that I didn’t hear much
difference between the the duo pieces and the extended pieces with
the Japanese people. This is very very much improvised music. With a
total length of over seventy minutes it is also an endurance test.
It’s more then a normal person like me could take at once; I felt
really tired after one complete listen session. That doesn’t mean
that this is bad release, no sir. Actually most of the pieces built
up in tension, work their way excellentely through the material and
all players know their trade very well. But it requires a lot of
concentrated hearing, for a long time and that is certainly no easy
task. Nice work, but next time in a smaller dose, please.
Of a different nature is the work of Mattin. Up until recentely he
lived in London where he organised improvised music evenings, mostly
with himself on the bill too. This release has four live recordings
from his 2002 tour. One of the shows featured here at Extrapool, I
saw and I do remember a full blast of computer feedback. Short (with
it’s nine minutes here, I think the entire show is on the disc) and
unbelievable loud. I have no idea how Mattin generates his sound, but
somehow the connects the soundinput to the output of his computer and
treates the self generating sounds. Good thing that one can control
the volume at home more then in a concert situation. High end sounds,
deep howls: this is certainly no pleasent music, but nevertheless
essential. Here the length of the disc is just enough (34 minutes).
The final piece is a live collaboration with Rosy Parlane and Julien
Ottavi. Ottavi’s guitar playing stands firm among the powerbook
mayhem of Parlane and Mattin and forms a moment of fresh air on this
CD – contemplation among the fury. (FdW)
Address: http://www.twothousandand.com
MANUAL – ISARES (CD by Static Caravan)
Already the third release by Mr. Manual, aka Jonas Munk from Denmark.
Four tracks in total for just under twenty five minutes of music. It
seems also to me it is in four different styles. The opening piece
with it’s heavenly voices loaded synthesizers, sound majestically and
the short ‘Stealing Through’ is built around guitar and in an almost
post rock tradition. It’s a pity that it’s so short, it seemed to me
that there was more life in there then just these sparse notes.
‘Wake’ is a sort of continuation of ‘Stealing Through’, but now with
drums, female voices, bird calls and guitars. A nice shoegazing track
that is. But the closing piece of the CD is absolute shite: ‘Horizon’
gives one long cosmic synthesizer garbage. Pretentious but
amateuristic synth mud – Manual unworthy. That’s a pity. It is a
short CD anyway and then at least one third is taken by such a weak
piece. The other three are fine pieces of music, nothing new or
shocking but alright pieces of popmusic. Next time more criticism
from either musician and labelboss, please. (FdW)
Address: http://www.staticcaravan.org
HERVE BOGHOSSIAN – RVB (CD by List)
Herve Boghossian might not be a very well-known name but he’s the
director of the label List, who has brought a very nice compilation
aswell as CDs by Sogar and Mou Lips. I didn’t know he was into making
music himself, and I must say I am pleasentely surprised. In the
first piece, Herve plays guitar feedback and sinewaves, aided by
Mathieu Saladin on bass clarinet and Ivan Solano also on bass
clarinet. A very fine piece of controlled sine waves, in which the
sounds of the clarinet and the guitar melt perfectely with the sine
waves. Phill Niblock meets Alvin Lucier – all the same sense of
seriousness. The second piece is a solo piece by Boghossian and
hoovers for the main part of the ten minutes below the surface of
audibility. When things begin to rumble, you know something is there.
In a strong curve things go up towards the end. A strange piece.
Saladin and Solano return in the third and final piece of the CD,
which is called ‘3 b’ (the title of the CD is rouge (red), vert
(green) and bleu (blue) – I think referring to the monochrome
character of the music) and also we find David Grubbs here on piano.
This is most ‘musical’ piece here, even when it evolves around a set
of dark electronics. All the sounds are pitched together very
closely, it a nice knit of woven sounds over which half way through
the piano of Grubbs arises with a fairly simple set of notes, but
which unmistakenly carry Grubbs’ signature. All together three
distinct pieces of music, all with a strong touch of minimalism, but
nevertheless all different. Strong stuff here! (FdW)
Address: http://www.list-en.com
SOUL JUNK – 1958 (CD by Sounds Are Active)
Sometimes we receive music that is so far out our usual wide fields
of interests, that the chief editor is stuck with whom to send it,
and then does it himself. Soul Junk is about samples and rap music.
Fifteen tracks of music, filled from top to bottom with samples of
anything under the sun of audio history, this is a less clear
production then the slick production I encounter while zapping along
MTV or some such music channel which I hasty skip. Soul Junk is much
rough edged and that is something that I like. But I have nothing
with rap music at all. Normal rap music sounds to me like they are
trying to break the world record of saying as many nasty words in a
second as is possible. Not that Soul Junk is that fast, but I have a
hard time understanding all the words, so I can’t say whether this is
social or sexual stuff – probably the first. Did I like this CD? Well
some parts I did, like the instrumental ‘Tasmanianpork’, but overall,
nay. Rap music and Vital Weekly – it seems like an unlikely marriage.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.soundsareactive.com
EM:T 0003 (CD compilation by Em:t Records)
Some weeks ago I reviewed the come back CD of The International
Peoples Gang and also the return of Em:t Records. I am now informed
that Em:t only do the distribution of that CD and that the ‘real’
comeback CD is one that is called ‘Em:t 0003’, and in true Em:t
fashion this is a compilation. So, as a youngster, you may ask: what
is Em:t? About a decade ago ambient music was the big thing. Ambient
in the true sense of Brian Eno, but spiced up with samples and
technoish rhythms. Music to either float by or chill out too. Em:t
was one of the more important labels releasing that kind of music
(alongside with Silent Records), due to the fact that they owned a
studio and had some fancy mixing system. Some of their releases
became classics (the one by Woob for instance). Some of the old
blokes are now back on this compilation, like the aforementioned
International Peoples Gang or High Skies (whom was previously called
Gas) and Beatsystem. So what to expect? Lazy, sunny rhythms, easy
washes of synths, a sample here and there (‘Alabama’ by Beatsystem
for instance is a catchy tune with the word Alabama being repeated)
and an overall laidback atmosphere. Nice? Oh yes, sure. The
temperature outside doesn’t call for any physical activity, so what’s
nicer then playing nice and easy music, read a book and zip a
cocktail (water in my case). Essential? Well, no not really. This
compilation is like a time machine. It puts you ten years back with
essentially the same type of ambient music that was big back then. I
am sure there is a niche somewhere for this, but unfortunally for
those who seek some progress in music, this is a slight
disappointment. I’d say I am one of them. On the other hand: I
haven’t played the older releases in a couple of years either, and
upon hearing this, I find myself with all those older releases in my
hand and picking another book and some more water. (FdW)
BMB CON – #10 (CD by BMBCD)
Maybe you didn’t keep up with the BMB con – but don’t worry: I did,
simply because I am fan. ‘#10’ is the first studio CD, after a bunch
of cassettes and a series of three inch CDs for Staalplaat (‘#7’,
‘#8’ and ‘#9’). Up until now much of their output was a registration
of their performances. These are always site specific, involving the
space, the performers and the audience, using sound of concrete
elements (rolling balls or making popcorn for instance) in a more
theatrical way. For their first studio CD, the working method is the
same (they claim). ‘BMB con set up a series of sound systems which
had their own complex life, and these recordings are the result of
the three performers playing with, interrupting and attempting to
control these systems’ – and what follows is a list of sounds used.
Highlights: high voltgae spark gap transmitters, crampons, sand,
leaves and dirt, bacteria and a drowning microphone. They also list a
couple of synths…
Their first studio is indeed a different affair then their previous
live CDs. The sound is more concentrated, evolving round a small
number of sound sources per track. A highly concrete sound elements
per track, including cracks and hisses (knowing that this time it
doesn’t come from a laptop). In some pieces one senses the controlled
live in studio element – which sadly also results at times in a
lesser sound quality (room recordings made with a microphone, such as
in ‘Pets Munching Leaf Mould’, the weakest brother here). However
that is not always the case. Throughout these eight pieces, there are
some fine pieces, like ‘Der Leierman Leads The Way’ – with the
processed sounds of a music box (and probably found it’s inspiration
in Dick Raaymakers’ previous work around Schubert ‘Leierman’ song) or
‘Wire Brushes, Grilled’ – many of these pieces actually describe the
process of the sounds. Just like Thu 20 (another Dutch
electro-acoustic group, as opposed to the usual solo composer), BMB
con is a very down to earth group in which the results counts and
there is no bull-shitting about. Overall a well done CD! (FdW)
Address: http://this.is/bmbcon
MIDWICH/MOON – THE STARFISH EXPERIENCE (CDR by Burning Emptiness)
As recentely noted, the French label Burning Emptiness have taken new
roads for their music. This collaboration between Midwich (aka Robert
Hayler of the excellent Fencing Flatworm label) and Moon (a duo with
D and DDN, they run the Burning Emptiness label). Midwich open up
with one long piece of a looped guitar and a groovebox. Quite a
static piece upon superficial hearing, but if you listen close enough
one hears all sorts of shifting patterns. Maybe quite close to an
electronic version of Steve Reich. Quite captivating.
The three cuts by Moon are shorter but nice aswell. The first piece,
‘Where To Die’ dwells mainly around a simple guitar tune and ‘Nemo’
is more an electronic piece. Warm and glitchy and a bit too short.
‘The Human Monster’ is the most noisy part of the whole release, with
a wall of distorted guitars and synths. This track is a bit too long
to be entirely pleasing and also doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of
the music. Otherwise, and then we are still looking at forty good
minutes of music, a fine release. The new road of Burning Emptiness
is a well-chosen one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.burningemptiness.fr.st
CHEFKIRK – MICROTEACHING LP (CDR by Tib Prod)
Behind Chefkirk is one American guy called Roger H. Smith. He has
twelve tracks on a CDR, released by Tib Prod from Norway. I played it
twice. Twice I thought it was one of the most boring, unimagenative
sampled based noise music. Distorted rhythm loops, noise below
(samples pitched down) and high end peeps (sampled pitched up). Not a
creative moment in sight. Maybe I am just getting very old and bored?
Sorry, but I am really lost here. (FdW)
Address: http://www.tibprod.com
REYNOLS – LIVE IN STAVANGER (CDR by Humbug)
COTTAGE INDUSTRIAL VOL. 1 (CDR by Humbug)
By now most of you are aware what I think of Reynols… I really
don’t see an interesting point in taking a guy with Down’s syndrome
and front him of a band of improvising music. Just very occassionally
I hear some music by Reynols that I like (‘Empty Tapes’ on Trente
Oiseaux, but that was one without Miguel Tomasin). Luckily I don’t
have to catch up with their many releases and just every once in a
while I pick one up. Like this CDR, which contains a recording of a
show in Stavanger during the spring Europe tour of 2003. I must admit
I quite enjoyed this disc. Overall it has a drone induced atmosphere
of guitars being played with ebows and sparse percussion. There are
some loops here and there and the feelings are bit dark and sinister
here. There is no such thing as just banging and hitting, as heard on
some of their other releases and overall there is a strong sense of
concentrated playing. So, this Reynols release ends up on my small
pile of good Reynols releases.
Cottage industry is a word I love. It sums so much up about the kind
of music you read in these pages. Imagine a small shed in the garden,
you and your CDR burner and laserprinter, making five copies of your
self-produced music, trying to gain some kind of recognition.
Sometimes it works, sometimes nothing happens. The cottage industry
is very old: it includes making 50 copies of a Sun Ra record to the
eighties cassette movement and the CDR releases of the more recent
years. On the first volume of ‘Cottage Industrial’ we find some of
the more active forces of home producers killing music industry. Many
of these musicians have their own small CDR labels. People such as
Midwich (running Fencing Flatworm), Nicolas Malevitsis (Absurd),
Crank Sturgeon, Jan van den Dobbelsteen, Ilios, Andreas Meland and
Jan Iversen. And these are just the names of people whom were
reviewed before in Vital Weekly. How about Earth Hum, Claypipe,
Lukasz Ciszak, Verde, Odd Job, A.M. or Id M Theft Able? All of these
people are new to me. It’s hard to find an outstanding piece here
that really caught my attention, wanting to seek out what this person
is about, but nevertheless an overall interesting compilation of
mainly noise oriented music (the title of the release is of course
the programm of this CD!). If you are an adventure type of person,
try this! (FdW)
Address: http://www.tibprod.com/humbug.htm