contents:
TWILIGHT CIRCUS – FOUNDATION ROCKERS (CD by M Records)
NOEL AKCHOTE – ADULT GUITAR (CD by Blue Chopsticks)
MOKIRA – ALBUM (CD by Type)
SAFETY SCISSORS – FRIDGELIFE (NEW AND IMPROVED REMIXES) (CD by Proptronix)
VA – ADVANCED PUBLIC LISTENING (CD by Laboratory Instinct)
ERAST – GOODAIR+MINIMISSING (CD by Laboratory Instinct)
DEADELUS – A GENT AGENT (CD by Laboratory Instinct)
THE VACUUM BOYS – SPACE BREAK DANCE CHALLENGE (CD by Takashi Mobile)
EM:T 0004 (CD compilation by Em:t Records)
RADIUM 88 – METAMORPHOSIS (CD by Lotek Recordings)
JASON KAHN – MIRAMAR (CD by Sirr-ecords)
NERVE EXHIBIT – THE HORROR OF AMUSEMENT E.P. (CD by Nex)
SHORT CIRCUITS – THE REBEL SOUND OF HATE & FUCKING (7″ by Electro Policy Sound)
MOGAMI (CDR by Public Eyesore)
KNOT+OVER (CDR by Public Eyesore)
DAY & BOARDMAN – ONE TO SEVEN (CDR by Public Eyesore)
KHOURY & SHEARER & HALL – BRAILLE (CDR by Public Eyesore)
JESSE KRAKOW – OCEANS IN THE SUN (CDR by Public Eyesore)
DISTORTED ANIMALS – POP SPELLED BACKWARDS (MP3 by Plakatif)
DISTORTED ANIMALS – COMMOCORE (3″CDR by Dstrtd Records)
TWILIGHT CIRCUS – FOUNDATION ROCKERS (CD by M Records)
This gem of an album is Mr. Ryan Moore’s 13th release from his pet dub project and with every release he is honing and polishing his craft with deft skill and superb production. Foundation Rockers features for the first time the premier vocal talents: Big Youth, Luciano, Ranking Joe, Brother Culture and Mykal Rose. This album took awhile for me to accustom myself with this new direction Ryan took this album. The lyrical content deals primarily with universal peace and anti-war sentiments which border on the naïve but then again mainstream Reggae in general has political messages for the masses. Now the dub mixes on this disc however is what the doctor ordered. With the addition of horns slowly swirling within the spacey rhythms gives these dub tracks a lazy and hazy feel that will definitely leave you reeling. As always, I continue to be a big fan of Twilight Circus’ music and the highlights for me are: “Dub Is What We Need”, “Alpha Skank”, “Dub Selector”, “Blue Motion”, “Jericho Dub” and “Love Dub Remix”. (CN)
Address: http://www.twilightcircus.com
NOEL AKCHOTE – ADULT GUITAR (CD by Blue Chopsticks)
The title refers to the first twenty-one years of recordings by Noel Akchote (in some countries you are an adult when you are 18, but alas). Akchote is a well-known improviser from France, who has played with Derek Bailey, Luc Ferrari, Fred Frith and Evan Parker to name but a few. His previous solo CD ‘Perpetual Joseph’ was well received by me (see Vital Weekly 355), but this collection of songs is a bit different. The oldest song around is from a demo when Noel was thirteen or fourteen, some jazz pieces (by Cornette Coleman or Dizzy Gillespie) and some live electric guitar pieces. Twenty in total (why not twenty one?) of some totally different guitar playing, some noisy, improv like but in the more melodic pieces, also showing his excellent skills in playing the guitar in way your parents would like to see this. Due to the shortness of the tracks this turned out to be a wonderfully varied CD, including a furious noise beast in the form of ‘Numero 122’. Very nice overview of an amazing guitarist. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bluechopsticks.org
MOKIRA – ALBUM (CD by Type)
We’re already familliar with Mokira’s previous outstanding albums for Raster Noton and Mille Plateaux by his actual name Andreas Tilliander, as well as the pseudonym Mokira. According to what those albums (Clip Hop, Ljud, Plee) had to offer as a sound, what I subconsciously expected from this Type Records release, was a more rhythm-oriented album. However, somewhere deep in myself I didn’t exclude the possibility that this album (also recorded in his studio repeatle) could be more ambiental. Which is the case. That fact doesn’t influence the impact in any way, perhaps it even makes it more interesting. Maybe the previous albums resembled each other’s style too much to repeat that same sound structure again. The album conceptually called ‘Album’ presents a mix of peaceful classical ambiental pads, drones, at moments shows signs of completely deformed and slow rythms, microglitches that come down to minimum and mutated voices. A completely relaxing album, which has the features of a relaxing background for any activity. From serious mental activity to no intentional thinking. We are now expecting his newly announced album for Mitek. This sound instability brings additional excitement in expectation of the sound on new album, for which we will have to wait for till its release. (TD)
Address: http://www.typerecords.com
SAFETY SCISSORS – FRIDGELIFE (NEW AND IMPROVED REMIXES) (CD by Proptronix)
Well what do we have here? Yet another outstanding record from the cute safety scissors. As always, overly fresh, entirely funky, fun and above all entertaining. In 2000 the second single for Safety Scissors appears and at the same time the first for the new label at the time, Force Tracks. You can find a track with lyrics for the life in the fridge initiated into a completely crazy melody and rhythm. Proptronix, a label owned by Safety Scissors himself, dedicated to fake electronics, this time released it with completely new remixes. Pj Pooterhoots together with Safety Scissors in the first track (spray?n?sponge mix) sing together the lyrics for the lonely life in the fridge. It’s cold in there, their lips are blue, and all their friends are food. In case you get hungry and open the door of the fridge you can run into them. Then Safety Scissors together with Watson Macletus (Plug Research) create a complete dance track (oxymoronic original remix) with the similar lyrics, only this time they?re in the background due to the techno rhythm. What comes next is a salad by John Tejada (Palette, Playhouse) in a cool man, keep me posted remix which doesn?t tend to tell something different from the rest ot the tracks. He tidies the shelves and throws out the leftovers. Its all about fridgelife. But still dancey. At the very end, Akshual Jkakshun (incomplete records), as he says, drinking from the milk directly from the crate, he creates Eelio’s Crisper mix. The most low-fi track, but that’s why all the more interesting, with additional vocals added by the author, with which the lyrics of the fridgelife hymn become even more beautiful. It is their fridgelife. Now, you get ready for food fight. (TD)
Address: http://www.proptronix.com
VA – ADVANCED PUBLIC LISTENING (CD by Laboratory Instinct)
This is a new label which will treat the contemporary aspects of music. But above all, it will probably be a not-so-trendy label, only that miho and ryo moved to berlin so as to run their label. This is their first release and as it goes, it’s a compilation that is supposed to present us their intentions and future plans. Yes, here you will notice their interests and the sound in general, that will appear in their upcoming releases. It starts off with erast aka nikakoi’s track that gives the basic definition of labaratory instinks’s sound. Hard and fast break sound wrapped in cut up vocal samples. This is the first artist that will appear on the second release for li. Then follows another similar break signed by deadelus (the second artist signed for li). The third track is by eigth miles high. And again we find ourselves in some sort of a drill break sound (although calmer), which brings us to the sound that we can expect to come next, not only in this compilation, but also in their future releases. Phoenecia are here to darken up the atmosphere with their repetitive beat oriented track. Slightly different but yet in the already established concept. Another artist who is trying to detach himself from the break sound is tomas fehlmann. And he succeeds, through his airy housey sound. Quite good for a change and quite soothing. Now get ready for a surprise. Sutekh! In the noisy intro an interesting alternative rhythm gets in. More so in proptronix style rather than classic. Yet another highlight on the compilation. Another legend follows…. Believe it or not luke vibert. Yes, he is well trained in the instrumental hip hop, break sound. While here he’s located somewhere between the two. And there comes another, even bigger legend. It’s atom™ of course. The usual, more experimental sound but in the means of the cut up rhythm. Fine! And freeform’s track is quite decent as well. The finish of this presentation of tracks and artists, while at the same time the end of this compilation is marked by soul center. Housey latin sublime of this track. Still in the spirit of the defined sound. I’m sure you already got the idea about the kind of sound this new label treats. Not at all trendy, because the break rhythm is unfortunately already dead. Anyway, here you may find artists the don’t usually create that sort of a sound, so they offer a different perspective. And what’s most important, everything is nicely polished with the contemporary production. The label is backed up with the stunning design of the covers, especially for this compilation, as well as their out standing website. Additionally if you want to find out how the next releases for this label sound, you can check out next two reviews…. (TD)
Address: http://www.laboratoryinstinct.com/
ERAST – GOODAIR+MINIMISSING (CD by Laboratory Instinct)
…We come back presenting you the next two laboratory instinct releases. Don’t forget that this is not a trendy label. The very concept of the sound they treat makes you conclude that. The already established general break concept with the opening compilation, is fully developed on their second release. These are actually two ep releases (li002ep and li003ep) signed by erast. You might be already familiar with erast under his other name nikakoi. Goodair is full of solid break sound with a contemporary production on one side and warp reminiscence on the other. Hard rhythm that meanders from break into drum n bass in which string parts are penetrating. Right away the fast and contemporary jungle takes over everything. The second part i.e. minimissing is here somewhere continuing from where goodair has left, between the break/drum n bass rhythms, strings and speedy plaid and idm moments. In a way transporting the exciting nightlife of Tokyo into music. Everything is very fast, powerful, intensive, but likewise ends too soon. The impression is strong. At the very end there is a remix of “georgianintokyo” by the well known latino freak atom™. With which he tries to add in his own noisy experimental moments, cut ups and latino aspects in an electro variation. Quite interesting interpretation. Plus the release has a perfect design (by as1, <http://www.infinitranfoprmation.com/>www.infinitranfoprmation.com). Although we’ve already concluded that drum n bass and the break rhythm, as well as the idm and warp sound are passé, their interpretation today with the contemporary production offers some possibilities. After all this is not a trendy label and it doesn’t release a trendy sound. (TD)
Address: http://www.laboratoryinstinct.com
DEADELUS – A GENT AGENT (CD by Laboratory Instinct)
Deadlus releases the fourth release for laboratory instinct (li004lp), which is logically a sequel to erast along with the previous li releases. Break and drum n bass rythm in a more sophisticated form. Sudden rhythm drops. Jungle. Evident influences for Alfred Weisberg-Roberts aka deadelus are hip hop and idm music, in which he implements cinematic sounds that remind of the 60s or audio sources coming from the 70s. From time to time instrumental hip hop, ninja tune and mo wax moments that quickly become warp oriented. The vocals vary between simple speeches, cut up vocal samples, shouts to dancehall and reggae. Strings and string bits. And of course here are the influences that come from the labels plug research and mush for which he has already released, although here he works differently and appears more experimental. You surely remember the releases of dj Krush, Kid Coala, dj Cam, Sukia, Luke Vibert, even Squarepusher…well we’re there somewhere but still with a production of the now. (TD)
Address: http://www.laboratoryinstinct.com/
THE VACUUM BOYS – SPACE BREAK DANCE CHALLENGE (CD by Takashi Mobile)
So, here is yet another adventure of those young daredevils, the Vacuum Boys. This time they have to save earth from evil aliens, hovering in the atmosphere in their space ships, sucking up humans to feed on them. The aliens offer Earth one chance: beat them in a break dance contest and they’ll leave. Of course, the Vacuum Boys were called and they won, judging by the fact that we’re all still around……In good style and with very fitting design by Meeuw, this disc is filled with nine travks, all based on early hiphop and electro beats. The tracks are short and quite simple, but all have a distinct character and keep attention focused. There are many subtle sound sources layered over the beats (most of which are sampled, I believe), the most interesting of which is actually the guitar (!!!). This instrument adds just the right amount of weird distance to the otherwise pretty clean sound. Of course, this disc is very funny, but that is not all. It is really god as well. The length of almost 18 minutes is perfect, it never bores. Good stuff yall! (MR)
Address: www.vacuumboys.com
EM:T 0004 (CD compilation by Em:t Records)
RADIUM 88 – METAMORPHOSIS (CD by Lotek Recordings)
The Em:t label is back, for real this time. Last year they released a compilation CD called ‘Em:t 0003 and now they produced another compilation under the highly unexciting banner ‘Em:t 0004’. The ten tracks featured are all lenghty ones, giving a good impression what these boys (and maybe girls can do), which is to play top class ambient music. But it must be said, they play ambient music according to a very specific set of rules. Stretched patterns on keyboards, field recordings of water and birds, an occassional voice sample and of course rhythm. The rhythms are partly techno, partly tribal. This is the classic Em:t sound, which brought them much fame in their first incarnation, about 10 years ago. In that respect nothing much changed there. Many of the previous compilation return here, such as High Skies, Beatsystem, Andy Hughes (formerly of The Orb) and International Peoples Gang. But it also includes people that are unknown to me, such as Pueblo Bonito, Red Leb, Sub, Fognode, Farfield and Gel Sol. All of the tracks are really nice, but after this second showcase, I think it’s about time that Em:t released a full work by one of these guys. I suggest starting with Beat System or Andy Hughes. Ultimate chill out mix!
On the ‘Em:t 0003’ compilation there was a band called Radium 88, who just release a new album on their own label. This certainly breaks out of the ordinary ambient waves, but I’m not sure if I like that much. Mostly uptempo songs, with loads of techno oriented ideas in there, but also guitars and lots of vocals. Especially the female vocals are Enya influenced – heavenly voices there were once called. It’s an odd combination of styles (trip hop, drum & bass, ambient, rock) going on here, that could have easily fitted on the old Hyperium label, ages ago, but that fail to impress me these days. (FdW)
Address: http://www.emitrecords.net
Address: http://www.radium88.net
JASON KAHN – MIRAMAR (CD by Sirr-ecords)
It’s hard to re-desribe what Jason Kahn exactely does on his latest CD, but basically it’s all about rooms, microphones, analogue synths and percussion. Sound is being fed from the synth to resonate the percussion and the frequencies are picked up by eight different microphones. In the five pieces there is no edit just a little bit of post-production (equalization and phasing of the different microphones). A highly straight forward conceptual approach taken by Jason Kahn here, which only has one person to compare it with: Alvin Lucier. Much of the five pieces reminded me of ‘Music On A Long Thin Wire’: slow but vibrant pieces of music, on an utter minimalism. In the first piece soft tinkling is brought in, but that’s about as far things go, in several of the other tracks, just the pure sinewaves exist. Certainly not easy music to digest, but played at a considerable louder volume this music starts to work the space you are in. When one moves his head the frequencies seem to change and take another course and the small details of chance can be noticed. The only problem I had though with this release that five pieces, playing over seventy minutes is maybe a bit too much for me. Three pieces with maybe forty-minutes would have been brilliant, now it meal is too big for me. (FdW)
Address: http:/www.sirr-ecords.com
NERVE EXHIBIT – THE HORROR OF AMUSEMENT E.P. (CD by Nex)
I have always claimed that the early eighties era of Skinny Puppy was my favorite period for their music and apparently I am not the only one who feels this way. Introducing an individual by the name of Johnny Nero and the name of his project is called Nerve Exhibit. This independently released CD sports 5 tracks of classic electronic/industrial sounds and rhythms. The vocals range from processed singing to the distorted kind that Nivek Ogre trademarked in the Bites and Remission stage of the pre-Dwayne era of Skinny Puppy. Mr. Nero surely wears his influences on his sleeves and proudly displays and broadcasts them with this release. I think however this release will only appeal to persons who have a taste for this kind of retro electronic style. I wish Nerve Exhibit all the luck with his torch carrying.
(CN)
Address: http://www.nerve-exhibit.com
SHORT CIRCUITS – THE REBEL SOUND OF HATE & FUCKING (7″ by Electro Policy Sound)
The man behind Short Circuits is Vegard Waske, a legend in the hardcore scene of Norway, but also a journalist, a manager (of Jaga Jazzist), a musician (in Thunderbolt and Crooked Beer for instance) and a while ago after working hard for a couple of days he came home, switched on his computer and started fiddling around with some music software. The 7″ by Short Circuits is the result. The a-side takes the whole hardcore, grindcore or whatever core there is, into the areas with electro music, with quite a furious piece, though maybe sometimes getting off the rail. The b-side, ‘Where The Pieces Are Right’, is a much more slower slab of music, with heavy but slow rhythmic backdrop and almost ambientesque synth and distorted voice samples. I think I liked the b-side better than the a-side, but hey it’s a nice one anyway. (FdW)
Address: http://www.lighthouserecordings.nu
MOGAMI (CDR by Public Eyesore)
KNOT+OVER (CDR by Public Eyesore)
DAY & BOARDMAN – ONE TO SEVEN (CDR by Public Eyesore)
KHOURY & SHEARER & HALL – BRAILLE (CDR by Public Eyesore)
JESSE KRAKOW – OCEANS IN THE SUN (CDR by Public Eyesore)
Public Eyesore strikes again, thus becoming the biggest CDR label I know of. Much of their music is based on the ideas of improvisation, but this can be straight forward band improvisations, but also computers. The latter is represented by Jeff Arnal and Ryan Smith. The first plays amplified percussion and the second computer. I don’t know anything about them. Ten tracks are to be found here, two are quite long (around ten minutes) and the others are considerable shorter. In the long opening piece ‘Radio Telescope’ there seems to be a fine balance between the two, but in many of the other pieces, the more gritty noisy elements, generated by computer me thinks, take over. Sometimes ok, but also a bit tedious at times. For me this worked better in their more subdued moments, like in ‘Trilobites’ or in ‘Spiral Scan’, two tracks that last longer than the others, but in which with more minimal means things are worked out better.
Knot+Over is also a duo, of H. Konishi on banjo and T. Okazaki on electronics. It’s of course easy to compare this with Nogami, but there are considerable differences. First of all, Knot+Over play four long tracks but, more important, through out these four tracks, the balance is well-kept between banjo on one hand and the electronics on the other. I think the electronics must be mainly understand as sound effects being applied to the produced banjo sounds, and not elaborate computer processings. Although I thought the ideas were quite nice, I also though that two tracks, say roughly the first half of this disc, was enough to please and the second half was a mere repetition of the same idea.
Unless the taisho-goto is something electronic, there isn’t that much electronica on the release by labelboss Bryan Day and Alex Boardman. Besides the aforementioned taisho-goto, the mainly play guitar and Day also radio. Seven parts of rather soft improvising guitar music, placing great care on space and silence, sometimes going down to inaudible music, but throughout this was a lovely CD. A sort of stripped down version of AMM for two electric guitars, or Derek Bailey playing a duet with himself. Very nice improvisation CD.
Still on the lines of improvisation but more traditional than the other ones is the disc by Micheal Khoury on violin, Jason Shearer on saxophone and Benjamin Hall on percussion. Kind of an odd combination of instruments here, but it somehow works alright. Unnoticed I played this CDR at a considerable low volume two times in a row, and it’s slight dissonant music with slight klezmer influences were just very pleasent to play around, while doing all these other things and not noting the music all the time.
Leaving improvisation areas, we come across one Jesse Krakow, who plays keyboards and sings. Sometimes his lyrics are short (“I respect you” are the complete lyrics of ‘I Respect U’) and sometimes much longer, but Jesse plays still no less than thirty-one tracks in just over forty minutes. Very lo-fi recorded, this is man and his groovebox is surely fun for a while, but I’m not sure if I would spin this very often. But maybe those who also digged Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, will find good competition here. One thing that I didn’t understand about this: why are so many tracks so brutally faded at the end? (FdW)
Address: http://www.publiceyesore.com
DISTORTED ANIMALS – POP SPELLED BACKWARDS (MP3 by Plakatif)
DISTORTED ANIMALS – COMMOCORE (3″CDR by Dstrtd Records)
In Vital Weekly 349 I reviewed Distorted Animals debut release on Mik Musik, which at seventy-seven minutes was quite long. But for his release on Jyrgen Hall’s (aka Gunter Adler, aka Groenland Orchester) net label Plakatif, he keeps things concise. Mashing up all sorts of popmusic (techno, pop, country) in the big blender called the computer, he cookes up a dish that could have been easily served by the likes of Tigerbeat6. Unlike his debut, when things are things are this concise, it makes much more sense.
So something similar can be said of the 3″ CDR on a new Polish CDR label, Dstrtd Records. In twelve minutes, Distorted Animals play five tracks, which are even more poppy that the other release, with a more definete electro-clash style all over it. Here it becomes almost real popmusic and this is by far the best work I have yet encountered by Distorted Animals. (FdW)
Address: http://www.plakatif.net
Address: http://www.da.terra.pl