JOHN BUTCHER – WEIGHT OF WAX (CD by Weight Of Wax)
ASMUS TIETCHENS & RICHARD CHARTIER – FABRICATION 2 (2CD by Auf Abwegen)
DAVE PHILLIPS – ? (CD by Heart & Crossbone)
MATHIAS DELPLANQUE – PASSEPORTS (CD by Bruit Clair/Cronica Electronica)
OJRA & ANDREY KIRITCHENKO – A TANGLE OF MOKOSHA (CD by Nexsound)
NICHOLAS SZCZEPANIK – DEAR DAD (CD by Basses Frequences)
ERCKLENTZ NEUMANN – LALIENATION (CD by Herbal International)
:PAPERCUTZ – DO OUTRO LADO DO ESPELHO (LYLAC AMBIENT REWORKS) (CD by Audiobulb)
D_RRADIO & LIANNE HALL – MAKING SPACES (CD by Sentence Records)
HATE-MALE – GREATEST HITS (CD by dogbarkssome discs)
PIERRE ALEXANDRE TREMBLAY – LA RAGE (DVD by Empreintes Digitales)
DEAD VOICES ON AIR – THE SILENT WING (LP by Tourette Records)
TEMPELHOF – LEAVING HOME/CAGE (12″ by Distraction Records)
GW SOK & OLI HEFFERNAN – 2-2-3 FRIDGES/RID (7″ EP at Sick Room Records)
SIMON WHETHAM – BENEATH THE SWINGING BRIDGE (CDR by Mystery Sea)
MADAME P – IL COLOMBRE (CDR by Setola Di Maiale)
THE SULPHUR YETI & FEVER SPOOR : TOY HORSES IN INTERZONE (CDR by Anima Mal Nata)
STIRNER – AFGESCHREVEN (CDR by Sum Rex)
STIRNER – VREDE EN WELVAART (CDR by Scum Rex)
DOODSHOOFD – GEENHEIDSWORST (CDR by Doodshoofd)
DOODSHOOFD (CDR by Doodshoofd)
OBSOLETE OFFICE EQUIPMENT – MADFUCK STIRNER COMP (CDR by Scum Rex)
ROEL MEELKOP – GREY MASS/GREY MATTER (double 3″CDR by 1000Fussler)
JOHN BUTCHER – WEIGHT OF WAX (CD by Weight Of Wax)
If you stick around long enough, everything will return. Quite rightfully a lot of times. Forgotten classics from yesteryear, re-released. John Butcher re-releases his own ‘Invisible Ear’, which was released by the no longer active label Fringes in 2003 on his own Weight Of Wax label. I listened to this re-issue and then re-read the original 2003 review: “First of all I need to correct something on John Butcher: in Vital Weekly 374 a CD was reviewed by John Butcher, Thomas Lehn and Andy Moor, and it said that John Butcher “is associated with musicians such as Fred Frith, Misha Mengelberg, and Derek Bailey.” That is not true, Butcher worked with Phil Minton, Derek Bailey and Gerry Hemingway. Butcher plays soprano and tenor saxophone. In general I am not particularly fond of saxophones, and always say that Borbetomagus is the only saxophone I can stand. I’d like to add Butcher’s CD. He uses close miking and feedback in addition to his saxophone playing that makes it hardly possible to recognize any of it. Of the twelve pieces, only three are multi-tracks, the rest is recorded in one go. Somewhere, somehow you may recognize the wind sounds but can you in ‘The Importance Of Gossip’? Vague rumbling, almost percussive with some beeps going on. Nothing like a saxophone. Blowing sounds can be recognized in some of the solo pieces, but here too it’s hard. Taking the common playing of a saxophone a bit further is of course something that is much welcomed by me. The most regular saxophone
piece here is ‘atelier’ and this nice short piece is actually quite alright. Maybe for the more regular lovers a relief after the crazy experimentation, maybe the die-hard improv lovers will see confirmation that this guy can really play, but for me it’s just a ice addition to a great CD.” Although I heard lots of similar playing afterwards, I think I still share the view of the previous review: a timeless classic, which is excellent to see in print again. (FdW)
Address: http://www.johnbutcher.com
ASMUS TIETCHENS & RICHARD CHARTIER – FABRICATION 2 (2CD by Auf Abwegen)
The first collaborative result between Richard Chartier and Asmus Tietchens was called ‘Fabrication’ and released together with the rough sound material on a bonus CD. Apparently that was a way of working which both artists like, so its now continued on ‘Fabrication 2’. The first ‘Fabrication’ was an exchange, back and forth, of sound material between the two, on this new one things are a bit different. One disc is the rough sound material composed by Chartier and on the second we find the reworks as carried out by Tietchens based on the Chartier piece. That piece, lasting thirty-nine minutes, is an odd one by Chartier. It is called ‘an unusual improvisation’ by him, and perhaps its so indeed. It has that, perhaps by now, ‘classic’ Chartier approach in sound: low, minimalist, drone like, with a minimum of clicks but its all indeed a bit more roughly put together, like more by accident than design. That adds a rather nice perspective to the piece and with those odd changes also perhaps the right source material for Tietchens. He knows his ways with material like this, and created eight different treatments of the material in a classic Tietchens manner. Classic by now, as it continues the sort of interest Tietchens developed in the 21st century, his ‘Menge’ series. Very sparse electronics, with an emphasis on drone like sounds and treatments in some click like sound. Simply great music, but perhaps I’m not the most objective person about Asmus Tietchens. I don’t think I ever heard a bad thing from him. ‘Fabrication 2’ is a damn fine work among other damn fine works, and nothing that leaps out of that catalogue, but ranks with the best. (FdW)
Address: http://www.aufabwegen.com
DAVE PHILLIPS – ? (CD by Heart & Crossbone)
Noise. There are people out there, mainly youngsters devoted to noise, who think that I don’t like noise. They are mistaken, and should check their history lessons. But these days, noise doesn’t have my full attention anymore. I just heard too much of that, I guess, in those grey forgotten days. However sometimes I see something that is maybe ‘noise’ live and sometimes it blows me away. Sudden Infant for instance, very recently, and last year Dave Phillips. The former member of Fear Of God, a grindcore band, is connected to the Schimpfluch gang these days and his concert was a carefully constructed set of noise and silence. I may not have cared for the political overtones of his work, his noise went down pretty well. Its therefore with some anticipation that I played his new CD ‘?’. It was recorded ‘during a period dominated by severe disturbances of loss, mental abysses and despair’ and yes, we are not in for some fun for the next eighty minutes. Normally I would complain about the length of such a release, but somehow it all seems to make sense here. The shortest piece is just over one minute, the longest just under sixteen. And it seems to be without the sort of noise those earlier mentioned youngsters care about: Phillips uses loops, piano, concrete sounds, very little sound effects, so all the sounds are as a dry as possible, cello, accordion and voice material (sighing, moaning, crying) and the sounds of torture the human body. Like I said, nothing conservative noise here, but quite a depressing album altogether. Low bass sound here and there, obscured field recordings and such like make up the backbone, and top these repeating sound fragments of instruments and voices. Bleak, dark stuff. Not much information on the cover to go by, but depression has not be made that clear in quite some time. A creepy record, not for the weak of heart and mind. That’s true noise for you. (FdW)
Address: http://www.HCBrecords.com
MATHIAS DELPLANQUE – PASSEPORTS (CD by Bruit Clair/Cronica Electronica)
The ever so active, but perhaps these days even more active Mathias Delplanque delivers another album here, co-released on his own Bruit Clair label and Cronica Electronica. This is a sort of thematic album, in which Delplanque uses field recordings from transport related areas, such as train stations, harbors, parking lots, transit areas all over France (Nantes, Lille and Dieppe to be precise). These sounds were played at home in various rooms, and then recorded along with sounds from outside. A working method that reminded me a bit of his empty room exploration of ‘Ma Chambre Quand Je N’Y Suis Pas’ (see Vital Weekly 560). There are no doubt all sorts of sound effects at work here, although perhaps mainly in the equalization part of this, this is ambient music pur sang. Music to fill an ambience with music to transform an ambience and to be transformed by an ambience. If you get my drift? Its not easy to say wether this was made when the field recordings were processed, or wether this is the actual result of some live-at-home mixing situation, but the music is quite good. Warm, glitch like drones swim around with all sorts of outdoor sounds leaking through in the mix. A refined combination of field recordings, microsound and electronic music, culminating in ‘Passeport 7 (Nantes)’, a most spacious piece of swarming drones and warm fields. Great one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bruitclair.com
OJRA & ANDREY KIRITCHENKO – A TANGLE OF MOKOSHA (CD by Nexsound)
My predicament of Eastern European electronic musicians combining with folk songs to be the next big thing never set through, which was a pity since it could have been a really interesting thing, but perhaps its a slow wave: now there is a CD by Andrey Kiritchenko, the electronic hero from the Ukraine, who recorded a work with Ojra, a four piece band from the world of folk music. The opening piece ‘Svity Misyachenko’ reminded me of Dead Can Dance circa ‘Aion’ (a private favorite for whatever reason). It sets the tone for this release. Folky singing is of course what is at work here, but the instruments added make up a fine blend of music. On one hand there is the kazoo, violin, guitar, bass, dulcimer, kalimba, sopilka, dvoyanka, drymba, bayan and buhay (and I admit for some of those I have no idea what they look like) and on the other hand there are the electronics and field recordings of Kiritchenko. An odd combination perhaps, but the music is wonderful. Ancient perhaps, but also very modern. I am not sure if the instruments are ‘processed’ in any way – I think so, as sometimes there are loops and such like of those sounds – whereas the real instruments keep on playing in real time. The modern version of an old folk dance? Sometimes even augmented with almost techno music. This is exactly the combination of styles I thought would be the next big thing a few years ago, and hopefully now it will be pushed. This is an absolutely great disc which show the way out for laptop musicians wanting to do something radically different. Hardly folktronics, I’d say, but something entirely new altogether. (FdW)
Address: http://www.nexsound.org
NICHOLAS SZCZEPANIK – DEAR DAD (CD by Basses Frequences)
Besides running his Sentient Recognition Archive label, Nicholas Szczepanik is also a composer in his own right. His previous release was not on his label, but on Basses Frequences, ‘The Chiasmus’, and for ‘Dead Dad’ he returns to that label. Its a handmade edition of 200 copies, although I have no clue what it looks like. Much to our guidelines (most overlooked I guess), this is a CDR copy. Szczepanik’s dad asked him, as a kid, to write him a letter, which he never did, but he does now with this ‘audio letter’. No words here, but perhaps there are vocals here. Heavily processed to form a large choir like cloud of sound. This is fed through some sound effect, and perhaps there are some other instruments – I think mainly the guitar. Almost thirty-eight minutes in ‘When I’m No Longer Afraid Of You’ (which sound like Freud material to me) which makes this quite a long drone piece of music. Its drone music of a more heavy kind – loud and present. It builds up in one stroke and ends with sheer noise. Seems like a somewhat troubled relationship with dear dad. Much shorter is ‘Forgive To Forget’, clocking in at thirteen minutes. A similar approach to composing here, but then entirely made with analogue synthesizers (or perhaps digital versions thereof). No noise ending here, but a gradual decline of the sound. If the first piece would have been around twenty-five minutes and no exploding noise end it would be, together with this piece, a great release, now its rather nice, but a bit sad in the extra minutes of the first piece, which are not needed. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bassesfrequences.org
ERCKLENTZ NEUMANN – LALIENATION (CD by Herbal International)
Quite a deceiving cover here which looks like the poster of a b-movie. Yet the music is nothing like that. Sabine Ercklentz plays trumpet and electronics and Andrea Neumann plays inside piano and mixing desk. Especially music by the latter we came across in the field of improvisation, and this disc is surely another fine work in that direction. But its also an expansion of their territory. Somewhere in the second piece, the title piece there is all of a sudden a rhythm coming in, which must be like heresy in the world of improvisation. The whole work is pretty vibrant with the trumpet being the sole fighter on the side of all things acoustic. It seems to me that the electronics play the main role here. Things are punched in and out and adds a certain roughness to the recording. Its a wild affair this one, with that trumpet in the middle of that battle of electronics, which are played as a collage like patterns. Sometimes Neumann plays rhythms on her piano, and even there is a bit of spoken word on ‘Twin Quartet’. An excellent, most daring release of improvised music. Also included is a film for the title track, which is hard to believe – but a b-movie in itself. A most confusing ending to a great CD. (FdW)
Address: http://www.herbalinternational.tk
:PAPERCUTZ – DO OUTRO LADO DO ESPELHO (LYLAC AMBIENT REWORKS) (CD by Audiobulb)
D_RRADIO & LIANNE HALL – MAKING SPACES (CD by Sentence Records)
The press text says nothing much about :Papercutz, other than ‘:Papercutz is about adventurous pop music. Pursuing a balance between acoustic and electronic sounds on instrumental and vocal tracks, Bruno Miguel’s young band has resulted from his love of live instrumentation, organic electronics, dream like melodies, pop vocals and cinematic piano ambiences’. Maybe I missed out something and they are the next big thing (so everything is already known?), but they get a full remix treatment here, which is a bit difficult for a reviewer who hasn’t heard the originals. The title means ‘from the other side of the looking glass’ and seems to be remixes from an album called ‘Lylac’. Maybe I am entirely wrong. We get here remixes by Taylor Deupree, He Can Jog, Feu Follet, Jasper TX, Austici to mention a few names I recognized as well as Emanuele Errante, Simon Scott, Rameses III, Chris Bissonnette, The Astroboy and Helios. Like said, the original is unknown to me, but I can guess how it sounds based on the remixes. I doubt wether I would like it very much. The vocals are a bit too soul-ful for my taste, even when they are embedded in hot beds of swirling electronics, processed guitars and tinkling piano’s. But perhaps that’s all my problem: maybe I am not the biggest lover of vocal music. So my favorite remixes are those which are largely or completely instrumental, which are not a lot, I’m afraid. There is some great music here, but the trip-hoppy voice is just something I am afraid I don’t like very much. I have no idea which audience is targeted here: fans of :Papercutz? Fans of Deupree and such like? What’s there to gain for all of these? Actually quite an alright and decent remix CD. I assume.
Pretty much along similar lines we find a CD by D-RRadio together with Lianne Hall, a singer who was called ‘one of the great English voices’ by John Peel. Of course there are differences with the :Papercutz record. The music is more coherent obviously as its recorded by one band and the nine pieces here are more straight forwarded singing than the sometimes chopped up singing on the remix album. But Hall’s singing is also from the world of trip hop (read: Portishead inspired). The music by D_RRadio is more post rock like, with some nicely strung set of stringed sounds. It adds a nice orchestral feel to the material. I think I prefer this release over the :Papercutz remix CD, although its still not entirely my cup of tea. Its perhaps a bit too straight forwarded pop with jazzy influences. Not bad, just perhaps a bit too much out of line for Vital Weekly. (FdW)
Address: http://www.audiobulb.com
HATE-MALE – GREATEST HITS (CD by dogbarkssome discs)
This CD is a remix of material from the 10 years that Hate-Male has been producing works, i.e. 1999-2009. Though ostensivly a reworking of material in the first 8 tracks, the work still shows how over a decade the harsher ontologies of noise have moved in that on some if not most tracks pitch and rhythms appear, as well as recognizable vocals, form things which could only be described as songs, esp. track 3, with pulsing rhythms and drone like soundwashes of electronica, though on others, the latter ones, white noise predominates, elsewhere the musicology and aesthetic is clear. It is only with the final track 9 which is made from compiling all the previous material do we get a “white out” of sound. Historicising is always difficult, especially with actual source material, and I suppose a kind of eclectic mix is inevitable, as with all “best of” and “greatest hits”, these are only ever exercises in nostalgia. There would be some, and I include myself, that would argue that noise’s “data without information ” should preclude any kind of geology at all, and yet here we do see definite strata, which may have been intentional, it marks a clear spot on a map, a definitive date and time – unlike the HNW vacuum, however that might be an irrelevance for the trajectories here are hard to tell where they are heading, back to definite electronics or into the noosphere of HNW? (jliat)
Address: www.myspace.com/hatemalenoise
PIERRE ALEXANDRE TREMBLAY – LA RAGE (DVD by Empreintes Digitales)
Tremblay is a man of many talents. He studied classical guitar and composition. He is engaged in improvised music and jazz as well as pop music. Besides he developed himself to an important composer of electro-acoustic music. Of this “La Rage” is his most recent proof. It is a work inspired on the novel of the same name by Louis Hamelin. It was realized in 2004-2005 at the studios of the Montréal university and the composer’s studio, and released now as an dvd-audio. It is a work of some 50 minutes divided into 30 sections. Free jazz drummer Stefan Schneider plays a prominent role. In most pieces his drumming is not excessively treated and recognizable as real drumming. I think it is often played as heard. But you never know for sure. Besides the drumming we hear electronically generated sounds by Tremblay. I enjoy this work most for the beauty of the sounds, the soundmaterial. Also I think the integration of free improvising in the context of electro-acoustic music is not often met and well done by Tremblay. From time to time parts of this composition come close to jazz and rock idiom, and are dominated by rhythm. Although a diversity of influences are well worked-out and interrelated in this work, as a composition, as a whole I had difficulties with it. Because it is such a lengthy piece, it is difficult to grasp what binds all this together. (DM)
Address: http://www.empreintesdigitales.com/
DEAD VOICES ON AIR – THE SILENT WING (LP by Tourette Records)
Mark Spybey, also known as Dead Voices On Air, just slowly builds on his never ending discography. Here he adds a particular coherent record to the list ‘The Silent Wing’. His previous releases, as far as I heard them I must admit, always seem to limp on various ideas: partly rhythmical, even kraut-like if you wish, partly atmospherical. Not a bad combination, but indeed well spotted to go for a record that would focus on one of these. As the title implies the ambient side of Dead Voices On Air prevails here. It seems to me that Mark locked himself in with a bunch of analogue synthesizers, some sound effects and taps into the same barrel as a lot of others who recently (re-)discovered cosmic music. Sustained sounds, bits of very light weight rhythm, some organ like/light sounds. Perhaps it seems all made with great ease, but that’s ok: the result is great. Highly atmospheric in approach, quite dark most of the times, but also with small stripes of sunlight. Spring is coming, ladies and gentlemen (at least on this side of the equator). A delicate record, some excellent late night mood music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.touretterecords.com
TEMPELHOF – LEAVING HOME/CAGE (12″ by Distraction Records)
A limited release on an one sided slab of vinyl, but unlimited in the form of downloads is this two track piece of vinyl by Italian duo Tempelhof. Tempelhof play post rock, in which they use lots of keyboards (piano here mainly), drums, and vocals and seem to dwell less on the use of guitars. ‘Leaving Home’ is a template song for this kind of music. Its not favorite here. ‘Cage’ is darker, with a nocturnal set of stringed sounds, ghostly drums and more vocals. Perhaps its the vocal part of Tempelhof which I don’t like that much? But as said ‘Cage’ is an ok song, but throughout its all a bit too regular for my taste. (FdW)
Address: http://www.distractionrecords.com
GW SOK & OLI HEFFERNAN – 2-2-3 FRIDGES/RID (7″ EP at Sick Room Records)
GW Sok was singer of The Ex for many, many years. He stopped in January 2009 with this experimental post-punk band after 29 years with more than 1300 gigs all over the world, a great amount of albums and lots of collaborations with other musicians and bands all over the world. Just when he stopped Oli Hefferman requested GW Sok to participate in a new project. Oli played in the band Shrug from Middlesbrough and The Ex knows this band since the end of the eighties. Although the musicians haven’t met each other alive they started a online cooperation.
Oli Hefferman had a lot of old tapes four track recordings, loops and fieldrecordings. At his opinion the compositions are this good that he decided to release them in a renewed version. Although he could not sing, he invited several singers like The Champagne, Mike Watt (Minutemen/Sonic Youth/The Stooges), Jimmy Mc Gee (The_Bobby_McGee’s) and GW Sok. He send to GW Sok two compositions made by bells, piano, (distorted) guitar and more. Inspired by the music GW Sok wrote two lyrics in his typical way. Critical, rhythmical and with a dose of black humor and recorded the vocals in Amsterdam and send them by email to Oli Heffernan.
Oli Heffernan uploaded the several collaborations on his My Space website and the label Sick Room Records asked Oli to release them at this label. So they serial Detective Instinct started and the label released already four limited 7 inch EP,s. The project continues and I am curious to the other results. The lay-out is beautiful aswell. Old woodcuts of animals from an old book are used for the cover and gives a nostalgic atmosphere. This EP is nice intermezzo in the musical career of GW Sok and I really hope he will continue with this kind of small projects, because the EP sounds good and fresh. (JKH)
Address: http://www.sickroomrecords.com
SIMON WHETHAM – BENEATH THE SWINGING BRIDGE (CDR by Mystery Sea)
Since 2005, when traveling to Iceland, Simon Whetham concerns himself with field recordings. His work has been released by various labels, such as Entr’acte, Con-V, Gruenrekorder, 1000Fussler and now he finds home on Mystery Sea. I assume that for this recording, given the title, Whetham found himself under a bridge, recording the boats passing, the water on the shore and all of that captured in the space found under the bridge, capturing the reflections these sounds make in the high ceiling. Maybe not of course. Then at home he puts all those sounds on his computer and starts playing around with them. He uses a lot of filtering on the sounds in order to get out those frequencies he thinks are interesting in his composition. Then he moves them around in various blocks, so there is a part that deals with water, or with boats passing etc. Its a great work I must say. Very sparse, but never quiet, a slowly evolving composition with lots of room to breath and gentle movements between the parts. Maybe in terms of field recordings and microsound nothing much new under the bridge, but done with a great love for the material at hand. Excellent piece. (FdW)
Address: http://www.mysterysea.net
MADAME P – IL COLOMBRE (CDR by Setola Di Maiale)
A few weeks ago I reviewed a work by Maurizio Bianchi and Oliva Patrizia, now the latter returns as Madame P, her solo guise. This work was recorded as a long improvisation in 2007, spliced out into ten tracks. To refresh your memory: Madame P primary source for music is her voice. This she feeds through various effects, of which the loop device is the most important. There are also keyboards used here, although, I think, not a lot. The music is what we could call personal poetry. These ten tracks last almost fifty-five minutes and I think that’s a bit too much. Especially in those pieces in which she takes her time, seven or eight minutes, this is too long. Also there is too much uniformity among the pieces. The lyrics are not always to be understood (again: I think), but rather are about setting the mood for a piece, although its not clear what this mood is (joy, fear, anger, sadness?). About half way through this CD I had a pretty clear picture of what this was about and I wanted to give up. I continued but didn’t find that much needed difference. So not entirely bad, but just a bit too much. (FdW)
Address: http://www.setoladimaiale.net
THE SULPHUR YETI & FEVER SPOOR : TOY HORSES IN INTERZONE (CDR by Anima Mal Nata)
Marcel Herms is very active artist for many years. He makes drawings, paintings and music. His work is simple and direct and is coming direct from the heart. He works with the concept of William Burroughs : “in painting I see with my hands and I don’t know what my hands have done until I look at it afterwards. It’s when I look at the completed canvas that I know what the painting is about”. He created his own fanzines, exhibitions and was active in mail-art. His DIY Amina Mal Nata label has released the 93th CDR. Mostly it are split-releases with his own musical projects and a guest musician. For now it is a split with for me the unknown band/musician The Sulpher Yeti from the U.K.
The music of The Sulphur Yeti is experimental, acoustic-electronic and has an open and naive character. The sounds are built up with different layers where rhythm and a-rhythm are important ingredients of the musical palette. Many sound-sources has been used, like piano, plastic, synthesizer, guitar, found objects and many more. The music fits really good to the title of the CDR. Playing with all kinds of musical sources and make your own atmosphere. The strength of the music is that it will not result in chaos, but that it is still a controlled childish style. I am curious how The Sulphur Yeti will grow in making music, but it has great potency. Fever Spoor builds further on the concept of The Sulphur Yeti and uses electro-acoustic sounds, but less experimental and open. The sounds are more repeated in a droney way instead of the rhythmical manner. A nice follow-up of The Sulphur Yeti and makes the album more complete and variable. (JKH)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/animamalnata
STIRNER – AFGESCHREVEN (CDR by Sum Rex)
STIRNER – VREDE EN WELVAART (CDR by Scum Rex)
DOODSHOOFD – GEENHEIDSWORST (CDR by Doodshoofd)
DOODSHOOFD (CDR by Doodshoofd)
OBSOLETE OFFICE EQUIPMENT – MADFUCK STIRNER COMP (CDR by Scum Rex)
The genre of noise whose origins are debated has given rise to the subgenre of HNW, Harsh Noise Wall, whose origins begin with the work of The Rita – (Sam McKinlay) and have associated artists such as The Cherry Point and Richard Ramirez which has provoked and divided many, given associations with and opposed minimalism, Dadaism et al. At times pointless descriptions of just what HNW is, and more interestingly if it can go anywhere – if not backwards. Its worth reiterating, something which HNW does all the time! Just what it represents, especially in the work above which seems to revolve around a Dutch collective focused @ a bland neat & suburban row of modern terraced houses which have the feel of the council estates I’m familiar with in England, but here its very neat and leafy with no graffiti to see – google street view is a wonderful toy. As the proliferation of releases and low fi packaging with what even in HNW is extreme in that little or no change occurs in the distorted white noise – there are no “events”, ideas of theme progress or even time- marks the point of HNW which is opposite to everything that western culture was and is at its most popular and at its most cultured, at its most radical and conservative. Its quite amazing and quite obvious that these works – some of the best HNW that I’ve heard are from such an architecture which denies arche -” ‘beginning’, ‘origin’ or ‘first cause’ and ‘power’, ‘sovereignty’, ‘domination'”- is a reversal of that- i.e. “‘ending’ ‘destination’ ‘last event’ ‘weakness’ ‘uniformity’ ‘freedom’. “best” HNW as it marks such a non-arche point, whatever happens next these works mark a critical paradigm. Excellent! (jliat)
Address c/o Tony Mulder Hoornbladstraat 194 7601 SR, Almelo The Netherlands
ROEL MEELKOP – GREY MASS/GREY MATTER (double 3″CDR by 1000Fussler)
The press text by Meelkop himself is pretty sketchy. He tells us that the tracks on this release have come ‘together in a very satisfying way’, although he doesn’t give a reason for it. What is clear though is that all the sounds were taped in his environment (at home or when traveling) and that no electronic sounds were used. We have to believe him of course, but some of the sounds do seem electronically generated. No doubt he throws his sound material into the computer and then starts transforming each one beyond recognition. He uses all the tricks in the book to change those sounds. Then, in the next stage, he starts to compose with those sounds. Unlike so many other who don’t get beyond the point of transformation and who are merely interested in showing their transformations, without presenting an actual composition. In that respect Meelkop is much closer to the original musique concrete composers than many of his peers (and those of the next generation). Relying both heavily on field recordings and computer treatments, Meelkop is more a traditional composer than a modern one. For him the beauty doesn’t lie in the fact of being experimental or not, but in the beauty of everyday sound, which is so perfectly well suited for composing. The six pieces on this double release are just another perfect example of that. It made me wonder: why didn’t he rise to the same fame as others have? Curious. He deserves it. (FdW)
Address: http://www.1000fussler.com
1. From: michaela <michaela.treffil@patpongrecords.com>
Dark Droid – SUCK MY BRAIN (digital EP by patpong records)
The Belgian artist Christophe Brassinne aka Dark Droid presents us on his first EP a mix of oldschool electronica and modern IDM sounds. The complex compositions are reminds a little bit the early days of electronica, far away from the, in parts, itchy percussion disasters of nowadays. Smooth beats, extraordinary and unintrusive, and warm and dreamy harmonies feature this excellent release. The very pithy use of vocal samples gives the tunes a special character, like a cherry on a cake All in all this EP contains a really relaxing and intense collection of tunes by an extraordinary artist. At the moment Christophe Brassinne collaborates with Daito, part of the dance music producer and Dj team Vats & Yana, composing new tunes by he’s working on his next release and we’re sure, this will be exceptional, too.
Address: http://patpongrecords.com/dark_droid_suck_my_brain_prm.html>