CDATAKILL – THE CURSED SPECIES (CD by Ad Noiseam)
MOTHBOY – THE FEARS (CD by Ad Noiseam)
REVERBAPHON – OUR HEART BEATS WITH JOY (CD by Benbecula)
ANDREY KIRITCHENKO – INTERPLAYS, IN BETWEEN (CD by Ad Noiseam)
KAINKWATTET (CD by Schraum)
HINTERLANDT – NEW BELIEF SYSTEM (CD by Alias Frequencies)
ATELEIA – SWIMMING AGAINST THE MOMENTS (CD by Antiopic)
MUCK- ROC (CD by PAXRECORDINGS)
IAN YEAGER – MUSIC FOR GUITAR + COMPUTER (CD by PAXRECORDINGS)
ULTRA-RED – (JACK)(TACTIC) (LP by En/Of)
MERZBOW – 1633 (LP by En/Of)
MAJA RATKJE – ERWARTUNG (LP by En/Of)
ROBOKONEKO – SHADES OF GENKI (CDR by Piehead Records)
AIDAN BAKER – FIELD OF DRONES (CDR by Arcolepsy Records)
FREIBAND – DRONE WORKS #5 (CDR by Twenty Hertz)
KAN DAISUKE – DEMO (CDR self-released)
SM (CDR self-released)
P.S. STAMPS BACK – LIVE ACT MAY 04 (CDR by 1000+1 Tilt)
SPARK – HARMONIC SEISMOLOGY (MP3 by En:peg Digital)
KONRAD BAYER – SHALL WE GO TO THE PARK? (MP3 by Autoplate)
CDATAKILL – THE CURSED SPECIES (CD by Ad Noiseam)
MOTHBOY – THE FEARS (CD by Ad Noiseam)
The Berlin based Ad Noiseam label specializes in various kinds of
electronic dance related music, be it breakcore, be it hip hop or be
it clicks and cuts. Their recent autumn campaign shows these various
interests very well. Somehow I missed out the first CD by CDatakill,
aka Zak Roberts, but ‘The Crushed Species’ leaves a good impression,
even when I am not a lover of breakcore per se. If I decide I would
like to hear breakcore it should be in a concert hall with the amps
turned up in a way I can’t do at home. Then it makes much more sense.
But listening to Cdatakill on my set of simple speakers at home may
not be the real thing, I did enjoy the broken drum & bass beats, but
above the somewhat darker undertones, hoovering below this set of
beats. As said, I haven’t delved the genre to the bottom, so I
couldn’t possibly say wether this is an original set of breakcore, or
following standards. Quite nice for a change.
Also with trip hop I am only vaguely known, through a few CDs that I
have of say DJ Shadow and a compilation on Ninja Tune. It’s music
that I like though. The slow beats, the psychedelic sounds in the
background, musique concrete made into dance music. Mothboy is Simon
Smerdon, formerly known as Ocosi. After splitting up, Smerdon
continues solo as Mothboy. With guest musicians as Scorn’s Mick
Harris, Larvae’s Matthew Jeanes, MC Akita The Don and Micheal Palace
(Horchata), his debut album ‘The Fears’ is a combination of “50% live
instruments and 50% electronics”. The beats are of course fat and
slow as ever, but it’s the instrumental parts that are really nice
here. Dark is the code-word in place here, with chords in the lower
region of the synths. Once this music connects to rap, as in ‘All The
Wrong Places’ I am not so much interested, as I simply don’t have
anything with rapmusic. Lucikly that’s only one track, out of
thirteen. The twelve other ones use occassionally vocal samples,
which work quite well. It’s music that works well at home and I
assume it also works well on the dance floor. Great, hallucinating
music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.adnoiseam.net
REVERBAPHON – OUR HEART BEATS WITH JOY (CD by Benbecula)
This is the second release from Benbecula that I’ve had a possibility
to listen. And as far as I can hear from this release they are still
into some pop oriented music, mellow and calm. Despite that, there
are some differences from their previous release. ‘Our Heart Beats
with Joy’ is a very calm release and it has more connections with the
post rock sound. However I can’t define it as pure post rock. First
of all, because there is no such thing as post rock in its original
meaning anymore, but also because there are more styles fusioned in
its sound. It actually starts as pure post rock with folk elements,
but already in next song the pop electronic influences can be heard.
Still there is the guitar element which gives us that post rock
feeling. The rest of the album is directed in same way: electronic
construction, rhythm or melody with implemented guitar structures.
There are also some pure folk moments, vocals and singing, peaceful
atmosphere. that gives an impression of a neo country sound. Pure
desert sound, very calm, relaxed and nice. (TD)
Address: http://www.benbecula.com
ANDREY KIRITCHENKO – INTERPLAYS, IN BETWEEN (CD by Ad Noiseam)
Ad noiseam is one of the most interesting labels that are releasing
experimental music nowadays. They are releasing various styles in
electronic experimental music. From dark hop variations of Horchata,
sound collages of Wilt, micronoise minimalistics of Cordell Klier,
melodic and rhythmic electronics of Andrey Kiritchenko… After his
first Ad Noiseam release in 2003, he is back with a new one. Kniga
Skazok had a more rhythmic and melodic orientation with the concept
of interpreting traditional fairy tales. This time he shows his sound
and style interests in making a crossover with these two favorised
styles. On one hand you can find microglitches, clicks, subtle
melodies and controlled rhythmic clicks n cuts. And on the other hand
more experimental sounds: from rough field recordings, noisy
frequencies and distorted voices to sinewaves and continuous
glitches. But the richness of sounds does not stop here. In all these
electronic combinations you can also recognize acoustic instruments
and use of strings which gives it another dimension, a human touch
and emotion. The arrangements are repetitive and hypnotic giving the
album trancey feeling. Although this is a quite dark release, it is
also very subtle, calm and quiet. (TD)
Address: http://www.adnoiseam.net
KAINKWATTET (CD by Schraum)
A new Berlin label, run by musicians Merle Ehlers, Axel Haller and
Torsten Papenheim and their first release is by Kainkwattet – not
kwartet of course as they are a trio: Antoine Chessex on saxophone,
Axel Haller on bass and Torsten Papenheim on guitar. The label wishes
to focuss on ‘contemporary creative music’, which can be improvised
or composed. Kainkwattet falls clearly in the first category, that of
free improvised music. The seven cuts on this CD were recorded in
september 2003 during a session in a studio. Although noted as seven
different cuts, the music comes to the listener as an endless stream
of sound. The saxophone playing is that of the modern kind, the way
Axel Dorner plays his trumpet or Alessandro Bosetti his clarinet:
producing wind sound through the mouth. More soundpoetry than actual
saxophone playing. Objects of all kind are placed on the bass and the
guitar and one realises this is really free music. Although I must
say I quite like this CD, I think there is one point of criticism to
be made: the lack of dynamics. Everything seems to be made in one go,
and while mixing it, not great care has been used to make a nice
balance between the seperate instruments. It would have been nice to
see some counterpoint, some crescendo or decresendo happening. Even
when this CD is only some forty six minutes, it’s not an easy thing
to digest. There is a certain lack of tension that this music would
need. Some more mixing would not be a bad idea. In smaller doses this
is a nice CD anyway. (FdW)
Address: http://www.schraum.de
HINTERLANDT – NEW BELIEF SYSTEM (CD by Alias Frequencies)
If the mailman arrives and I get my daily feed of new CDs for these
lines, I never know where to start, but today the task was easy.
Hinterlandt has already made some nice releases, including
‘Poprekordt’ (see Vital Weekly 404) as the highlight so far. But the
main reason was of course seeing ‘Making Plans For Nigel’ on the
cover, and that happens to be one of the first 7″s I bought when I
was fourteen or fifteen. And a cover it is, because all the other
songs are written by Jochen Gutsch, except ‘Nigel’ by Colin Moulding.
Gutsch stays very close to the XTC original, except that everything
is slowed down. Hinterlandt needs nine minutes to make plans for
Nigel, but otherwise follows the song exactely. Unlike the stuff
Hinterlandt released after ‘Poprekordt’, this new album is much alike
that previous master piece. Five long tracks (‘Making Plans For
Nigel’ being the shortest and ‘Deckchair Anthem’ with fifteen minutes
the longest), which aren’t exactely poplengths, but still Hinterlandt
delivers a perfect blend of electronic popmusic, through synthpop,
drum & bass, techno and ambient. Sometimes uptempo and then
downtempo, melancholic and atmospheric, and all of this in one track
of course. Singing is brought in of course, as should be in good
popmusic. Hinterlandt doesn’t surprise me as much as he did with
‘Poprekordt’ I must admit, but sitting next to that record is this
one. It is a fine way to go, and only one step away from starting to
write three minute popsongs. (FdW)
Address: http://www.aliasfrequencies.org
ATELEIA – SWIMMING AGAINST THE MOMENTS (CD by Antiopic)
This is the debut album by one James Elliott, aka Ateleia and I don’t
know anything about him. Antiopic tries to sell this as a cross
between ‘pop’, ‘ambient’ and ‘electronica’, but I am not convinced,
most certainly not by the pop part of it. The fact that Ateleia keeps
his tracks short doesn’t mean it’s popmusic. Rather in all of the
eight tracks, Ateleia shows to have a keen ear for the world of
glitch and microsound, and like with many other the work of Fennesz
is never far. Slightly distorted organ sounds, fuzzy and grainy
guitar processings and an occassional glitch rhythm. Don’t get me
wrong, I thought this was a nice album, but nothing I heard in here
sounded really new or fresh. Nice, but already a well-covered area.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.antiopic.com
MUCK- ROC (CD by PAXRECORDINGS)
What to make of this one? A typical Pax Recording release, that=s for
sure. Low profile, slow rock and soundscapes. Albert T.Carmichael
(aka Ability to Communicate) whispers and murmurs the texts written
by Tina in the microphone, like somebody who is daydreaming and who
isn=t really speaking to someone. Sort of ‘interior monologe’.
Together with And Gnat Vomit, Albert uses a diversity of instruments
and techniques: tape, guitars, keyboards, synths, electronic
percussion, sequenced beats, 4-track manipulations, bass, 60hz,
sampler, acoustic guitar, mic stand, vocal loops, sk-1 siren whistle,
pitchpipe, turntable, drum machines. All these instruments are hard
to identify in all 7 pieces. Both musicians built abstract sound
environments around the lyrics, as if you are entering the inner
world of someone. It’s music – sometimes almost ‘songs’- that comes
directly from the subconsciousness level. Listening to this cd, my
eye fell on another record here in my room: ‘Vocoding
Life/Psycho-Akustik’ (1980) by german Maran Gosov. Yes,
psycho-acustic music that’s the term I was looking for. This
describes perfectly what we hear on this strange, but convincing cd.
(DM)
Address: http://www.paxrecordings.com/
IAN YEAGER – MUSIC FOR GUITAR + COMPUTER (CD by PAXRECORDINGS)
For his debute release Ian Yeager choose a title that clearly and
simply states what it has to offer: music for guitar plus computer .
Yeager works in the Bay Area as a composer and performer. As an
improvisor he played with many musicians including Ernesto
Diaz-Infante, Bob Marsh, Joseph Zitt, Rent Romus, Phillip Everett,
a.o. That’s about all I can tell about his whereabouts.
On his solo-release Yeager shows another side of his musical
identity. He offers a very ambient-like music. Friendly and gentle
guitar melodies and riffs prevail. The computer is used in a more
additional sense. Let this be my first compliment to Yeager, because
the use of a computer often leads to meaningless complexity. As far
as I can judge about it, I have the feeling Yeager uses only a
limited range of computertechniques in order to give the pieces the
finishing touch. Often he seems to seek a cascading effect. Most
pieces are of a pretentiousless simplicity that make this one a nice
ambient – absolutely non new age – cd. (DM)
Address: http://www.paxrecordings.com/
ULTRA-RED – (JACK)(TACTIC) (LP by En/Of)
MERZBOW – 1633 (LP by En/Of)
MAJA RATKJE – ERWARTUNG (LP by En/Of)
The En/Of label releases nine LP’s a year, and everyone comes with a
real work of art – with cataloguenumbers 024, 025 and 026 at hand
here I don’t think I really need to introduce the label anymore.
Somehow En/Of brings out the better known artists to present a
musical work, which is a surprise, since all the releases are limited
to 100 copies only. Ultra-Red’s LP comes with a work by Henrik
Olesen, an ‘inner record sleeve’ (and like before I never get to see
any of these artworks, sadly enough). It sounds like appropiate work,
since on the A-side Ultra-Red spins records. Disco records from the
period 1973 to 1983. Not just one or two or ten, but I am told there
are about 700 records spinning at one point on this side. None of the
usual protesting crowds here, even when the political message (here
about Aids) is still a present feature on this record. A strong
collage. On the b-side, Ultra-Red presents a likewise collage, with
voices and rhythms. Quite disjointed an uneasy material going on
here. But fascinating indeed. Slowly Ultra-Red becomes a more and
more favourable act for me.
Which Merzbow of course is since twenty years. I already forgot what
I wrote about Merzbow a few weeks ago, but indeed there is no need to
have all the Merzbow records, unless you are a true dedicated fan –
like me. Merzbow, unlike on the recent Merzbird, is on common grounds
here. ‘1633’ is all about noise, a slight touch of rhythm (with some
mean percussion on the b-side) and more noise through. Full speed,
full blast ahead. A common, yet great Merzbow. I am biased. I know.
The art with this record is by Kendell Geers and is a felt slipmat.
Maja Ratkje can no longer be described as the upcoming lady of
Norwegian Noise. After her work with Fe-Mail and Lasse Marhaug,
aswell as her solo work, she’s already the leading lady of Norwegian
Noise. ‘Erwartung’ (a beautiful German word bytheway, meaning ‘hope’)
has two LP sides of her voice improvisations. This is less about
noise, I must warn the lovers of noise and more about sound poetry –
but poetry of no words. She uses her voice to make breathing sounds
and carefully plays around with silence. Electronics play only a
small part in this particular work, and is only there to form an
occassional backdrop which she uses to make her improvisations, with
a growing intensity on the b-side. Nice record, even when it’s a bit
too much on the esoteric side for my taste. This LP comes with a
broken glass plate by Monica Bonvicini. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bottrop-boy.com
ROBOKONEKO – SHADES OF GENKI (CDR by Piehead Records)
Even when Melinda Taylor aka Robokoneko (which is Japanese for
Robotic Kitten) started making music in 1996, she released her debut
album in 2003. Maybe she is something of a slow worker, but her
Piehead release consists of four of her own pieces and four remixes
others did of her work. Under thirty-eight minutes this is a short
album… In her own sound Taylor harks back, without trying to cover
things up, to the artificial intelligence days of a decade ago.
Melancholic keyboard work, a stuttery rhythm all embedded under a
warm blanket. The remixes are made by artists from the Couchblip!
label, a label run by Talor among others. Himuro, Disjunction
Reunion, Bloq and Pellarin are the remixers and their remixes stay
close to the same genre (the originals were not heard by me), so that
one could easily be mistaken to hear the originals – or easily assume
all eight tracks are by Robokoneko. Pleasent afternoon home disco
music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.pieheadrecords.com
AIDAN BAKER – FIELD OF DRONES (CDR by Arcolepsy Records)
‘Field of drones’ is one of the releases by Aidan Baker in 2004 and
it’s a part of a live recording from a performance that, as it’s
explained in the info that goes with the nice looking self-designed
cardboard cover, lasted 3 hours and was a part of a festival in 2003.
It also says that all sounds are created by electric guitar (it’s
known from the previous releases that Aidan Baker uses electric
guitar as a main instrument to create his drone oriented music) and
no computer was used in the making of the sounds on this release.
It’s a very calmed down elementary drone ambient music with a
dominant guitar bass sound. All 3 pieces on this release are quite
long, all more than 20 minutes, the first and the last are 27
minutes. Not too many things are changing during the tracks and
they’re developing very subtle and slowly. That’s maybe reasonable
having in mind that they were performed live and if the artist wanted
to be more safe controling the sound. I found this to be a nice
release, well thought-out, well executed and recorded. I don’t
remember these 3 tracks (‘twilight’, ‘darkness encroaching’ and
‘shadows’) from Aidan Baker’s other releases I’ve heard, maybe
they’re only here or maybe I don’t have the album versions. However,
they suit well for playing live and this is a very nice album with
live music in Aidan Baker’s terms. (BR)
Address: http://www.turn.to/arcolepsy and http://www.listen.to/aidan
FREIBAND – DRONE WORKS #5 (CDR by Twenty Hertz)
Some time ago, in Vital 433, Frans de Waard reviewed some releases
from the label Twenty Hertz (including ‘Drone Works #3’). Now here he
is with a Freiband EP on the same label. Though it’s not written on
the cover or on the CDR which is the label, I found that out from the
envelope in which this release arrived. ‘Drone Works #5’ is a drone
piece of exactly 20 minutes, number 5 in the ongoing series of drone
works in the label’s catalogue. It starts with a longer fade-in of
few minutes, when the few layers of the track show up, slowly and
patient, but present enough to keep the attention. As the music
unfolds sinewave sounds appear, bordering the high end of the sound
spectrum. While there’s always the low end present, later with more
bass from the background. It’s a nice track, with carefully balanced
sounds and a certain harmony. At the end it fades out slowly with
only small microsounds for about 2 minutes. Drone music seems to be
one of the most potentially creative musical expressions today and
other artists could join the series of ‘drone works’ on Twenty Hertz.
(BR)
Address: http://www.twentyhertz.co.uk
KAN DAISUKE – DEMO (CDR self-released)
Longer time ago I reviewed a CDR by Kan Daisuke, in Vital 397. I told
you he’s a friend of Aoki Takamasa (they sometimes play live
together). Recently I got another new CDR from Kan with 8 tracks. The
first CDR had 5 and all of them are included here too, plus 3 more.
Listening to the same music now again, about one year later, it still
sounds interesting and very nice to hear again. And the new tracks
are also good. It’a a very very laid-back music, kinda zen-absent
Japanese post-rock with the acoustic side pointed out. Equally good
as Mimi Secue that I heard recently (Vital Weekly 440), or Town &
Country or Sigur Ros, only stylisticaly different, more elementary,
simple and not so dramatic this time. I think Kan is looking for a
label for his music. Contact him if that’s your job and if
Aerial/Papa M is your thing. (BR)
Address: http://homepage.mac.com/gumcum and <borderick@par.odn.ne.jp>
SM (CDR self-released)
Under the monniker of SM is a group of audio and visual producers
from Lithuania. They are Gytis Skudzinskas, V. Manomaitis and Donis.
The latter was also in Wejdas, a known ambient band from Lithuania. I
am not sure if SM is just an one-off project or ongoing. The
recordings on this CDR were made during the Baltic & Adriatic Seas
country Contemporary Arts Festival, in july of this year. The three
lengthy electronic improvisations are only vaguely connected to the
world of ambient music, via some synth parts, but the major thing
here are the processed acoustic sounds via means of computer
treatments. Only partly interested, as the recording sometimes falls
back in just a few looped sounds and some distortion, but which seems
to be lacking tension or structure. The final piece is the most
ambient one, and when no new paths are walked here either, it feels
nice: a walk on a sunny autumn day. On the CDR is also a film of the
entire event, so you can see what it looked it. A pity that they used
the microphone sound here, instead of the mixing board sound, as on
the audio part of the CD. (FdW)
Address: http://www.autarkeia.org
P.S. STAMPS BACK – LIVE ACT MAY 04 (CDR by 1000+1 Tilt)
The name of this band reminded me of the old days when we was poor
and treated the stamps on the enveloppes so that the sender could
re-use them – it’s the economy, stupid. I am clueless as to who P.S.
Stamps Back are but the release at hand is a live recordings made at
the Mechanorgy DIY fest in Athens in May 2004. The musical territory
P.S. Stamps Back cover is best described as ‘rhythmical industrial’.
Mechanical, machine like rhythms are used as a firm backbone in the
music, and everything else that goes along with this is the icing on
the cake. Analog synths are triggered with the rhythms and spacey,
ebowed guitars form a solid wall around it. Even when not every
moment is great – I assume this release appears in it’s unedited form
– throughout it’s an enjoyable release.
Less enjoyable I thought was the double 3″CDR by Sindre Bjerga and
Jan M. Iversen. On these two discs they layer a very thick pattern of
sounds over which they perform mutations, adding more sound effects
or plug ins, but somehow the material fails to grab me very much. It
drags on and there is not an interesting point in sight. I heard much
better material from these two. (FdW)
Address: http://www.geocities.com/tiltrecordings
SPARK – HARMONIC SEISMOLOGY (MP3 by En:peg Digital)
Here’s something that would fit nicely in the catalogue of Zod
Records or any other label supporting inventive and lighter breakcore
music today (Mirex and Adaadat are perhaps even harsher). I don’t
know who Spark is, but there’s a Spark CD release on n5MD (see Vital
446) and this new net-label En:peg Digital (the mp3s are not free,
you should buy them) is set up not long time ago this year by the
same people from n5MD. All that’s said for Spark’s CD release (which
I haven’t heard) can be said for this release too: melodies in the
background hidden by the abrasive noisy rhythms, mostly controled but
sometimes too harsh, like in ‘Plastic People’, disturbing or
absorbing you, depends on what you like or dislike. Spark’s music can
hardly function as a background (maybe only the calmer tracks, which
are rare), so you have to take a side, like it or not. This is not a
kind of music I listen too often, but I can enjoy it when it’s done
as good as this. I better burn the En:peg mp3s on CDs soon. (BR)
Address: http://www.enpeg.com
KONRAD BAYER – SHALL WE GO TO THE PARK? (MP3 by Autoplate)
Konrad Bayer is a German artist from Munich who have released a CD
album before on a less known German label Genesungswerk, a nice album
with very decent personal ambient music and a good cover design. Now
this year the net-label Autoplate released 8 mp3 tracks by Konrad
Bayer, a release called ‘Shall we go to the park?’ with a length of
almost 28 minutes. It’s quite personal music, similar to Manual’s
sensibility, or Pub, although different in sound. The mellow guitar
sound is often present here, mixed with well chosen other electronic
sounds, soften beats sometimes, chimes more often, blurred voice
samples… Looped little melodies, catching the attention repeating
through the tracks, which are like sketches, catching a moment to
present it through sound. Some tracks are a bit stripped down and
don’t have the full sound of some previous Bayer’s releases. Very
good intimate music with sketch and ambience qualities. (BR)
Address: http://www.autoplate.org