BRUCE GILBERT – NERVEPATH (Double 7″ by Ash International)
Two one sided 7″s with the intention to played together in say a DJ live
set (who has at home two turntables?). Not an original thought, since any
two or more records can be played together at any time. As you may be aware
of, Bruce Gilbert plays as DJ Beekeeper and he puts on 5 copies of the same
record simultanously, so my obvious thought was that these two records were
identical, but it wasn’t (maybe the 5 of the same boxset will be his next
Instant Shed?). Both tracks are heavily transposed samples – DJ should be
clear that this contains no dance music! A sort of heavy, almost
industrialized sound source is put on. This is not bad at all, but as said
it could have been any two tracks… (FdW)
Address: <ash@touch.demon.co.uk>
FARMERS MANUEL – DOES NOT COMPUTE (12″ by Tray)
Tray is a new label run by Ash International (from London) and Mego (from
Vienna). Farmers Manuel is one of the groups behind Mego and here they
present two entirely different pieces. The A-side is a drum and bass thing
with jazzy guitar samples and breakbeat rhythms. The other side is a
flowing piece of synths and sounds whriling in and out of the mix. Towards
the end even the sound of Macintosh is heard. Hard chill music at its best.
(FdW)
Address: <ash@touch.demon.co.uk>
STARFISH POOL – RESPECT WAX (12″ by Silver Recordings)
Silver is building an interesting catalogue of minimalist techno with CD’s
by Unit Moebius, RA-X and Lowground. But dance music has to be on vinyl
too, so here is the first 12″ black plate by Starfish Pool (also known as
Koen Lybaert who runs Silver Recordings), 5 tracks in total. They all are
well crafted slaps of minimal techno, with breaks to use in the DJ mix. In
general these 5 new tracks are less aggressive then his previous CD
‘Interference’, but more sort of relaxing dance floor stuff. (FdW)
Address: <silver@net4all.be>
APHASIA/DACHISE (CD by Realization Recordings)
The second time around for Aphasia to appear on CD, his previous experience
was a split CD with Brume. I am told that this is older, thus more rough,
material. Aphasia belong to that group of musicians running around to tape
whatever sound from real life: street sounds, animals etc. In the studio
this material is chopped up, looped and collaged in to pieces of music. The
seperate elements are carefully placed and interruptd by pieces of silence.
It is this silence stuff that gives Aphasia their own character. This kind
of music work best on CD, because the fine dynamics are at their best then.
Dachise is new to me, and their over the top industrial music didn’t do
much for me. Not much tension or ideas… (FdW)
Address: Richard Johnson – Aldersyde – Station Road – Banchory –
Kincardineshire B31 3XX – Scotland – UK
DELPHIUM – BREEDING BAD BLOOD (7″ by Outsider Records)
Out of the school of UK guitar bands (like Splintered, Band Of Pain, Husk
etc) who combine experimentation within the rock format, Delphium is
somewhat different: they explore dubby bass in combination with sampled
techno rhythms and guitar freely express themselves over that strong
fundament. This works best for me on the title piece which lasts 6 minutes
and is the best refinement of all the elements.
Address: Outsider – 10 Yarborough Rd – Lincoln, Lincs Ln1 1HS – UK
THE ANSWERING MACHINE SOLUTION (CD by Staalplaat)
66 tracks on this 100th release on Staalplaat. Touted as aCD of messages
for your answering machine (and on the odd occasion as a message to leave
on somebody else’s), it features work by 47 composers, most of which clock
in at 30 seconds or less.
There are two beautiful atmospheres by A Small Good Thing, with vocals by
the same manic preacher who appeared on their last release on Soleilmoon,
‘cool,cool water’.
There’s also some great audio collage by Kingdom Scum, a poetic, poignant
moment by Brunnen. Something French, someone coming, a wonderful paradox
and the King of KREV(twice).More French this time from from Dominique
Petitgrand. The Konstruktivists encourage espionage and self-induced
emissions. Sinister stuff from Richard Bone. Karl Blake contributes three
absolute classics (and then two speechless items later on) to this CD; the
second being the most exquisite. Bad Sector are very good at being bad.
Disaster Area start ‘Prologue’ good, then falter. Automaticity submitted
some stuff from a language course which is wonderfully appropriate and then
there’s F.Kelly who sets three or four loops in motion and bungs’em through
a delay pedal to good effect.
Then there’s ‘just sounds’, which are just that…an extremely odd
collection of tracks which, if the CD is played at random as musical item,
add a certain zest to the ensuing mix. The relatively long and effectively
moody piece by Ultrasound made me check the tracklist to see who it was by.
Brume’s (second) track on this collection is really by someone else.
There’s a moment of madness by Circus of Pain, a moment of truth (or
slander) from ENE. Symmetrics go to the motherfuckin’ Bronx. And Nigel
Ayers puts it all in the right context by so generously and graciously
allowing an extremely rare original field recording of a Yermoney Shamanic
Song celebrating the installation of telephone equipment. Thank God and
Nigel (and the Yemanis) that I’ve finally heard it…my life is so much
better now.
Thanks to to Staalplaat for this entertaining and fitting tribute to their
lunatic tendencies and tenacity. Well chosen. Well done. (Do I get to keep
my copy now…please) (MP)
Address: <staal@euronet.nl>
ANNA HOMLER AND THE PYLON KING – VOICES OF KWAHN – (CD by Northsouth Records)
Well, this one got me going for a while, but I got away.The last I heard
from Anna Homler was on the excellent CD ‘Switchbox’ which was a
collaborative project with David Moss and Frank Schulte and which was from
a different space and time entirely to this release. Sadly the Voice Of
Kwahn hearken from a much closer place; indeed from here and sort of
now…or even yesterday. I must hasten to point out that this is a
beautifully sampled and programmed CD, gleaming with pristine production by
one named ‘Pylon King’ (who him ?)
I was greatly distracted by the vocals though. There are very few vocal
stunts (those that are there are mostly sampled), some of Anna’s invented
languages and an awful lot of what sounds like Sally Oldfield (brother of
the famous Ronnie Oldfield) circa ‘Mirrors in the sky,And we brightly
shine’, plus a dash of Toyah (wife of the famous Ronnie Fripp).
It’s from track 4 that the music starts to get slightly odd, especially
during the instrumental sections. Track 6 is an absolute samplefest (hats
off to Mr. Pylon). There’s Holger’s trumpet and Igor’s horn. This track is
for me the strongest on the CD. Shame about the vocals here
too…fortunately on this piece they are kept to a minimum with sampled
stunts playing at leadst an equal role. I guess it’s because this vague
(Red) Indian-type singing gets my back up. It hovers around almost as an
afterthought and is far too simple, normal and unoriginal for my taste.
Sorry Anna. Well done on the music though. (MP)
Address: Northsouth Records – 10 Tiverton Road – London NW10 3HL – UK
REZNICEK – STUBE (CD by Odd Size)
Some impressions…the first track of this very unusual CD (made entirely
without instruments and samplers) is gritty and granular…an extremely
intense shredding…somone working with a roar right there where it hurts.
Next track sneaks in, rolls around…what are these sounds…Track 4 is a
rather vile grating, massed and mad on nitrous oxide. Best left alone…Two
cups scraped on the floor while someone puts unnatural strain on a fan.
Next piece is excellent…pushy, demanding and rattlin’. This is followed
by the all too brief Ostkreuz 77. Track 8 hints at the alien again…some
sounds so dense they sound like bursts of compressed information. Track
9…soft birds hooting. Track 10 reminded me of Brume and the last
piece…’Song Of The Rhizomorphs, starts with a mesmerizing slow pant,
loses it, regains it and fades out. Certainly one of the stranger CDs I
have had the pleasure of suffering to this year. See for yourself. (MP)
Address: Odd Size – 24, Rue de Laghouat – 75018 Paris – France