THE DEAD TEXAN (CD/DVD by Kranky)
MIMI SECUE – FORST (CD by Karate Joe)
BLU TRIBUNL (CD by Inflatabl Labl)
TEN BELOW (CD compilation by Petite Sono)
ASHTOOL – ELECTROSOUNDPHRASESINTH(OU)GH(T)S (CD by Into my bed)
TIM OLIVE & FRITZ WELCH – SUN REVERSE THE FOOTPEDAL (CD by Evolving Ear)
BLEVIN BLECTUM – MAGIC MAPLE (CD by Praemedia/Bleakhouse)
ASHTRAY NAVIGATIONS – TO YOUR FUCKING FEATHER’D WINGS (CD by
Absurd/Gold Soundz)
FROTTEMENTS: OBJETS ET SURFACES SONORES (CD/Book by Musee National
Des Beaux-Arts Du Quebec)
P16.D4 – WER NICHT ARBEITET SOLL AUCH NICHT ESSEN! (LP by Was Soll
Dass Schallplatten)
OBSERVER DRIFT (Double CD-R compilation by a-version)
POSTBLUE – THE HOT HOT ICE BOUND (3″CDR by Absurd)
ACCELERA DECK – HEREAFTER (CDR by Piehead Records)
THE DEAD TEXAN (CD/DVD by Kranky)
Maybe you are, like me, a big fan of Stars Of The Lid? And maybe you
can’t help thinking: where are they? It seems quite for a long time,
and there is no new Stars Of The Lid CD in sight, but there is always
the Dead Texan (maybe wishful thinking for George W.?). The Dead
Texan is Adam Wiltzie, who is one half of Stars Of The Lid. While
still staying in Brussels he recorded this album together with his
lady love, who sings on a couple of tracks and plays mellowtron
[sic], but who is also responsible for the films on the enclosed DVD.
The music can be seen as soundtracks to the films, but it took me
some time to sit down and watch them, so I enjoyed the music first.
Musicwise The Dead Texan is of course along the lines of Stars Of The
Lid, but it has it’s own distinct feel and subtle variations. First
of all there is the voice which is new element. The addition of new
instruments such as the mellotron, double bass and piano make this
into much more of a modern classical album.
But ofcourse some elements remain present: the pastoral, empty,
desert-like sound. Great open spaces-music, that glides away, like
the rain clouds that fight with the sun on an autumn day like this.
If one season is fit enough for this kind of music it must be autumn
and it works best on a quiet sunday afternoon, when there is no
phonecalls, no e-mails, no mail – nothing. Sitting down with a book
of poems (newspaper in my case will also work), and simply enjoy this
of haunting beauty. (FdW)
Address: http://www.kranky.net
MIMI SECUE – FORST (CD by Karate Joe)
‘Forst’ is the third album from this Austrian band from Vienna called
Mimi Secue. I haven’t heard their previous releases, but this one is
a really great surprise! Their sound here might be called post-rock,
but then you have to have in mind the more atmospheric and ambient
side of that sound, like Labradford and Pan American. This music
sounds as good as any better music released by Thrill Jockey, Kranky
or Morr Music. Imagine a crossover of Pram’s intimacy and Isan’s
ambient. Mimi Secue’s sound on this album can be compared with Sigur
Ros too, the vocals in the 4th song ‘In front of an angel’ are very
much alike. But this Austrian band is original enough to stand on
it’s own. Imaginative long and calm soundscapes recorded near the
blue Danube, somewhere in west Hungary. The leading instruments seem
to be very slowed down guitars and drums, but there are also piano,
violin, horns, trumpets, vocals and the programming plus the
post-production (mix/mastering) are by Martin Siewert of
Trapist/Thrill Jockey/Mosz. This album offers nice perspectives in
the long gone musical expression known as post-rock. Very well and
sometimes brilliantly done when it’s most personal, then it sounds
most inspired and inspiring, even though the ideas are sometimes too
stretched. Their 4th album is nearly finished and is planned for
early 2005. Watch out! (BR)
Address: http://www.karate-joe.com and http://www.mimisecue.com
BLU TRIBUNL (CD by Inflatabl Labl)
Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen, nobody knows my sorrow… But
maybe you know Inflatabl Labl is run by Matt Haines aka The Rip Off
Artist, I’ve mentioned that here before. So I guess it’s Matt’s idea
to ask some electronic artists to make music they’re not known for.
This is the second volume in the ‘tribunl’ series, the first one was
dub, now the challenge is: blues. The line-up is great: Akufen,
Freeform and The Rip Off Artist himself. All 3 of them known from
their previous releases. I’ve heard one older album by Simon Pyke aka
Freeform recently (it’s ‘Heterarchy’, Worm Interface/1996) and I was
very pleasantly surprised, excellent ambient music. His blues tracks
here are the most atmospheric ones, in a way, specially ‘Blue movies’
and ‘Blue Too’. Marc Leclair’s Akufen cut-up housey beats are
recognizable. Matt Haines is sometimes quite trashy (like some Uwe
Schmidt’s Geez’n’gosh music), like in the excellent ‘What kind of
blue’ or the great cover of Ray Stanley’s/Julie London’s (who are
they?) ‘Must be catchin” where he even sings! Yeah! Blues is far
away from my interests, still, seeing Win Wenders’ documentary about
it I got interested in the early blues from the early 20th century.
But what I like about this release is that it’s not sarcastic or
ironic in the approach, it’s done with good humour and decent
intentions. And it’s good fun! I’d really enjoy to play this music
when I have a chance to dj sometime… But the world won’t listen,
and it’s a sad story I know, babe… (BR)
Address: http://www.inflatabl.com
TEN BELOW (CD compilation by Petite Sono)
Petite Sono is a new Canadian label (from Montreal I think), the
first 2 nice album releases (by Nathan Mcninch and Aidan Baker) are
on CDR and now this is the 4th release in the catalogue and it’s a CD
compilation, with 10 tracks/artists and about 45 minutes length.
There is a general sound characteristic about this compilation and
that’s ultra-minimalism (with big M) and lots of quietness. Kind of
music you should listen in a very quiet place, turn up the volume
more than usual and, of course, concentrate on the music. One of the
tracks I noticed first is Bokor’s ‘Lost horizon’, the most ambient
sounding piece here but in a very minimal way, more interesting than
the usual ambient. There’s no info on the cover (which is very nicely
designed), but I guess Bokor is Zac Keiller from Australia. Nathan
Mcninch’s (who runs the label) piece ‘Winter fold (part 1)’ continues
the sound of his album, very silent droney sound, based on obscure
and not recognizable field recordings among other things I think.
There are field recording (or alike) sounds in other tracks too, by
Tore H. Boe, Dale Lloyd, Anders Ostberg, Ben Owen… Very small
sounds combined with other silent (often droney) sounds or treated.
There are no dynamic tracks here, the whole release is very tame and
peaceful. The track from Brekekekexkoaxkoax is based on a sinewave
that turns into drone and disappears in 3 and a half minutes. The
other artists included are Andrew Duke, Mathieu Ruhlman and Liquid
Sphere, all a part of this nice showcase of minimalism in the
contemporary music. (BR)
Address: http://www.petitesono.com
ASHTOOL – ELECTROSOUNDPHRASESINTH(OU)GH(T)S (CD by Into my bed)
Ashtool is Mirco Rizzi and all material on this release is done by
him using guitars, machines and something more to make music sounds,
except some special guests that are supporting him on some of tracks.
As we can conclude from used instrumentation this album will fit into
electroacoustic sound. And as we can hear from the release we can get
same idea as well as from the title. Despite that’s not all and there
are much other combinations, fusions and variations in the sound of
this release. It begins with pure electroacoustic combination. Mellow
guitar melody and electronic sounds. But when tracks switch to number
two it is becoming more noisy with hard metal rhythm. As it seems
this is one of tracks with hard sound that are making the hard part
of this release. Than again it switches into more calm and
minimal electro acoustic sound. Than switches into longer dark
electronic rhythm oriented tracks in which you can find nice guitar
melody. Calm beautiful electro acoustic sound dominate on the rest of
the album (except those that fits into hard part). Fine guitar
pieces, delay, feedback, melodic electronic variations, non concrete
rhythms, dark moments and even vocal samples. On moments interesting,
beautiful and nice, on moments strenuous and hard this release is
nothing new in the huge ocean of hyper production in music but at
least interesting piece to listen to it and enjoy it in some moments.
Of course you can choose what moments will be. (TD)
Address: http://space.virgilio.it/ashpool@tin.it
TIM OLIVE & FRITZ WELCH – SUN REVERSE THE FOOTPEDAL (CD by Evolving Ear)
This duo is consisted of percussionist Fritz Welch (Brooklyn, USA)
and guitarist Tim Olive (Canada/Japan) and this is their first CD
release. We already know Fritz Welch from his previous work as
percussionist/drummer in Brooklyn duo psi and of course
collaborations with many other artists and projects. Tim Olive is
also working with many other artists (as Jeff Allport, Nisikava
Bunsho) or as their live support (Nakamura Toshimaru, Akiyama Tetuzi,
Otomo Yoshihide, Sugimoto Taku, Unami Taku, Yoshida Ami). This album
as improvisational collaboration between this two artists is recorded
in 19th century barn in mid-winter and it feels like per-tape of
field recording of nocturnal activity in an empty building.
Standalone
long guitar squeaking, bursts, empty sounds, echoes. Endlessly
minimal, calm and quiet it really gives feeling that this sounds were
produced with some 19th century torture devices or are product of
some mystical dark ritual. Tracks are long but not so much is
happening in them,except morphing and stretching of guitar feedback,
noise and squeaking. Sometimes, but just sometimes, some sound as
human or animal scream is appearing supported with louder blast of
noise. If you get engrossed it gives complete relaxing feeling,
giving you various pictures depending of what is into your mind and
experience. But if you know that this release was recorded in winter,
into empty barn that dates from 19th century pictures are already
determinated. (TD)
Address: http://www.evolvingear.com
BLEVIN BLECTUM – MAGIC MAPLE (CD by Praemedia/Bleakhouse)
This is fourth release on San Francisco based label Preaemedia and
first as collaboration release between Praemedia and Bleakhouse.
Bleakhouse is from other side new label organized by Blevin Blectum
and Lesser. And this release is Blevin’s third solo release, first
since “Talon Slalom” on Delux Records (2002). Blevin Blectum is
renowned artist from contemporary
experimental, electronic, glitch scene, formerly hailing from.
Blectum from Blechdom and now member in Sagan multimedia extravaganza
project consisted of Blevin Blectumm, Wobbly, Lesser and Ryan Junell.
Or said on other way: formerly aka d84, formerly aka 1/2 of Blectum
from Blechdom, currently aka 1/3 of Sagan. This album launches from
the remains of her previous solo release “Talon Slalom” into the
outer cosmos. It is pure glitch release. A pure glitchy cut up sound
massacre. Cut up vocals, vocal samples, samples variously pitched and
stretched, distorted rhythms, noisy melodies, noise. And yes “Magic
Maple” really gives impression of its real namesake. Crystalline
structures of sharp sounds are spreading on every side. It also
includes vocal manipulations by Dina Emerson (Meredith Monk Ensemble)
with Jonathan Segel (Camper Van Beethoven). What more do you need? By
the way this release will also coincide with premiere CD/DVD release
by Sagan on Vague Terrain. Can’t wait for the next one. (TD)
Address: http://www.praemedia.com
ASHTRAY NAVIGATIONS – TO YOUR FUCKING FEATHER’D WINGS (CD by
Absurd/Gold Soundz)
Although it’s not a daily question for me, I must admit I sometimes
to wonder about some people. People whose work I strongely admire but
that somehow seem to disappear. Where are they hiding? One such
person is Phil Todd, aka Ashtray Navigations. A few years ago he had
a stream of releases, mostly on CDR or very limited vinyl, but I
don’t recall seeing something new from him. So you can’t believe how
delighted I was to see this new sign of life, a real CD under the
banner ‘To Your Fucking Feather’d Wings’ – and I wasn’t the only
since two labels are responsible for this release. Maybe I missed a
couple in the recent years? In case, Ashtray Navigations play lo-fi
guitar noise, recorded on probably the shittest means around. All in
good order to get that signature Ashtray Navigations recording sound.
I imagine Phill Todd in his garage, with his guitar and maybe two
effect pedals, a fuzzy amp, a cheap microphone and an old reel to
reel tape-recorder, playing the guitar with fingers, brushes, toys or
pieces of scrap metal. Maybe I’m a hopeless romantic fool. There are
three tracks here, the first two are quite short, but the title piece
is some forty-five minute epos of guitar scraping. Noisy but minimal,
sort of like a solo garage version of the ‘Theatre Of Eternal Music’.
In these long pieces, Ashtray Navigations are at their best. Lengthy
psychedelic lofi guitar improv noise. Quite a mouthful, but worth
every penny. Welcome back. (FdW)
Address: http://www.anet.gr/absurd or <goldsoundz2003@hotmail.com>
FROTTEMENTS: OBJETS ET SURFACES SONORES (CD/Book by Musee National
Des Beaux-Arts Du Quebec)
This CD and book documents an exhibition and concert of ten different
artists from Canada, all gathered round the concept of ‘Frictions:
Sound Objects And Surfaces’ (as the title translates). In the booklet
it says ‘the exhibition concentrates on simple activities, all of
which either generate or carry sound’. The booklet, a small art
catalogue, size CD booklet, shows us these examples, but it’s hard to
see what sound they would have made, although there are some fine
descriptions in the booklet that might give some clue. The CD that
comes along is of course of much more interest, because it’s always
nice to hear what it sounds like. In some of these tracks, it
literally deals with ‘scratching the surface’. Pens and paper are
used in pieces by Diana Burgoyne and Rober Racine. In other pieces we
hear the sea and wind as part of the installation (Joycelyn Robert),
turntable pieces by Daniel Ohlson and Martin Tetreault (who gives the
most noisy piece here), musique concrete like in the hard to define
piece by Jean-Pierre Gauthier, finally ending in the most abstract
thing around here, which is the computer processed music of
Skoltz_Kolgen. CD and book work really well as an art documentation
in the classical sense of the word. It’s something that one wishes to
have witnessed. (FdW)
Address: http://www.artexte.ca
P16.D4 – WER NICHT ARBEITET SOLL AUCH NICHT ESSEN! (LP by Was Soll
Dass Schallplatten)
Probably I used this line before: “when the CD arrived I couldn’t
imagine that all these obscure records I had where to be re-released
on CD”, but now, some twenty years later I am proven wrong. In my
wildest dreams I could not imagine for the same reason either that
old cassettes would be released on CD or LP. But with such labels as
Vinyl On Demand (who have a catalogue of LPs that they handpress of
old cassette masters), Was Soll Das Records (regular small vinyl
pressings) or the soon to materialize Tulse Tapes (releasing old
cassettes on CDR) keeps the hope alive that many obscure but great
works from the early 80s cassette scene will be re-vitalized. ‘Wer
Nicht Arbeitet Soll Auch Nicht Essen!’ (no food if you don’t work) by
P16.D4 is one such awaited classic. This is the first release by
P16.D4, Ralf Wehowsky’s band after he disbanded PD (and whose work is
mostly re-issued already on vinyl and CD). Apperent still on this
work is the rock approach, albeit it’s free rock with jazz and
psychedelic influences and the musique concrete and cut up methods
from their later period is only here in an embryonic stage. Some of
the pieces were also in different versions played by PD, such as
‘Alltag’ and ‘Tanzmusik’, but come here in a new version and this is
where the musique concrete element comes in: recycling and adding
sounds to the previous versions. With all these extensive re-issues,
the picture becomes clearer and clearer. Soon there will be nothing
to wish for. (FdW)
Address: http://www.wsdp.de
OBSERVER DRIFT (Double CD-R compilation by a-version)
This is a huge release: two discs full of unedited and unprocessed
field recordings and found sounds from artists all over the world.
This is very interesting material of course: where were the
recordings made and by whom? All this info can be found at the
a-version website, which is a smart move really. It invites one to
check the rest of the site as well (which is interesting enough).
And of course this info is at least half the fun of the record. The
trouble with these recordings is that they tend to get a little
boring after a while, so it helps to know how and where they were
made (and what we hear). Don’t get me wrong: the tracks are very nice
and agreeable, but a double disc full to the brim is a long run. The
first disc starts with two recordings by Lasse Marhaug, the first one
a very serene track of water and rain (?) in a very quiet place in
Norway, the second one in a plane somewhere over Malaysia, which is
quite serene as well , somehow). Tracks 3-6 are by Dave Phillips. All
from Thailand. Nr. 3 is absolutely gorgeous, made in a national park
with lots of animals singing their evening songs. Absolutely
mesmerizing and stunning. Track 4 is very nice: the sounds of bats in
a cave with someone singing. Weird. Track 5 features insect larvae at
a road side, but truely, I wouldn’t want to meet these animals: they
must be huge! The combination with traffic works very well. Track 6
is a very short impression of a kick box fight. Track 7 is by Mark
Beazly and was made ina street in Switzerland while it’s raining (?).
Some very strange electronic sounds happen: probably some kind of
warning signal for a railroad or something. Tracks 8 and 9 are
public sounds by Leafcutter John, probably from a shop or something,
with voices and people talking. Pretty weird, because I have no clue
what they’re on about really. I hear genres of music being named, but
then? Tracks 10-14 are by Work Experience, recorded at Car Shows in
Geneva, Paris and Birmingham. Voices explaining about the new
features of cars, background music, and axctually a gamelan piece are
heard through the steady throb of people. Track 15 is a Bomb
Ballistics Building, a mix of hiss and rumble and distance. Very
strange and very interesting soundscape, because of the strange
spatial features. It is impossible fore me to interpret track 16: an
electronic sound represents marks in the rural landscape, measured at
47 meters hight from a hill…….Marcus Kurten plays the riddler
here. Jliat has been recording in Barsham during what seems to be a
sunny summer day with a brisk breeze, buzzing flies to end track 17.
Up next is Mike Shiflet with “Kentucky Crowd”. Judging by their
reaction the gig must have been quite amazing! Last track on disc
one is by Cheapmachines, called “Domestic 010804”. So my guess is
that these are domestic appliances all turned on at the same time.
Noisy stuff and pretty cool.
Disc two strats with a track by Janek Shaefer, a gang of sheep or
cows in a rural area, all tinkling their little bells. Beautifully
light. Track two by Francisco Lopez, featuring the famous japanese
‘semi’ or cycada. Their sound is almost electronic and quite
astonishing. On track three the Ultra Milkmaids are waiting for
their train at what seems to be a very small (or at least quiet)
station. Ethereal sounds from a normally rough place. Anla Courtis
decided to freeze a walkman recorder for 5 minutes and see what kind
of result that yields: a humming sound that seems to slow down during
the piece. No wonder……Track 5 is by Michael Thomas Jackson and
was recorded at an intersection in Greensboro in North Carolina, a
thunderstorm preparing itself in the distance. Tracks 6 and 7 are by
Scott Tayllor, 6 being a boiler, producing a steady hum with
surprisingly high overtones, very beautiful; track 7 is a busking
singer in Barcelona (don’t know what kind of singer that is, but it
seems to be out in the open). Smell & Quim recorded the sound of a
very high bridge (with a piezo it seems) from which quite a few
peoplke have jumped down to kill themselves. Also they went to the
pub and had a drink each and recorded during their stay. Last track
is a 20 minute collage of recordings from Sweden by Frans de Waard.
This one is a ‘Klankschap’. Meaning it is a workj in itself. It takes
the listener inside, outside and in all the places inbetween…..(MR)
Asdress: <http://www.a-version.co.uk/drift>www.a-version.co.uk/drift
POSTBLUE – THE HOT HOT ICE BOUND (3″CDR by Absurd)
Postblue is a Greek group with Aris Stathis, Panagiotis Spoulos and
Theodoris Zioutos. From their website I understand they are more a
rock band, but these five songs on this 3″CDR proof me wrong.
Postblue is a band that moves along the lines of (post-)rock and
improvisation, sometimes in a droning affair in ‘Lux Laterna’ and
sometimes, such as in ‘Time Runs faster Today’ in a lofi manner. In
between they even move towards psychedelic music with fuzzy guitars
and analogue synth rumbles in ‘Outline Pen’. The recording quality is
not overall really good, which adds to the lofi character of this
recording. It’s a pity that the songs are pretty short, maybe too
short to get an overall impression of what Postblue could sound like.
A nice starter that made me curious to hear more. (FdW)
Address: http://www.anet.gr/absurd
ACCELERA DECK – HEREAFTER (CDR by Piehead Records)
Chris Jeely, the man behind Accelera Deck, is a strange man. I do
recall him announcing no longer to record under the Accelera Deck
monniker, but in stead as Your Favourite Horse (under which banner he
released on a previous Piehead Records release), but apperentely he
is back on the Deck. Four of the five pieces were recorded live in
New York and one is from 1996. That’s all a bit strange. And finally
Chris’ music is always strange, but that’s a good thing here. You
never know what to expect. Sometimes low resolution samples,
sometimes with beats, or even acoustic folk songs, but always the
guitar is present, except maybe in ‘Wild Awake’, which sounds like a
heavy computer treatment of sounds running amok. In ‘Feedback Song’
his guitar drones away nicely, but in all four live tracks are top
heavy in sound in terms of process and not a for weak of nature,
light of heart, even in the Fennesz like ‘Wide Awake’. To show his
many different talents in making such varied music, the final track,
‘Immaculate’ from 1996 is an almost post-rock affair, with gentle
drones, set against a background of grainy samples. This piece forms
a complete counterpoint to the the other four pieces. Great stuff
from a strange guy. (FdW)
Address: http://www.pieheadrecords.com
Correction: the CDR that comes with the Government Alpha/Thirdorgan
7″ (see last week) is actually a real pressed CD.
And the right URL for Artridge (same issue) is:
http://www.artridge.org