PUIN + HOOP – DOOR (CD by Narrominded) *
D’INCISE – LETHARGIE & AUTRES ANIMAUX RUGUEUX (CD by Audio Tong) *
MARCUS FISCHER – MONOCOASTAL (CD by 12K) *
SCOTT CORTEZ – TWIN RADIANT FLUX (CD by Line) *
LARVA 108 – 99.09 INSIDE THE STONES (CD by Greytone) *
MOLJEBKA PVLSE – ZOJO (CD by Greytone) *
ANDREA FERRARIS & MATTEO UGGERI – AUTUMN IS COMING, WE’RE ALL IN SLOW MOTION (CD by Hibernate Recordings) *
MARK HARRIS – THE BOY OBSERVES THE OCEAN (CDR by Hibernate Recordings) *
ARTEFACTS OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC 1930-1973 (CD by Shame File Music)
TANGERINE NIGHTMARE – SYNTHICIDE (CDR by Shame File Music)
PIIPTSJILLING – WURDSKRIEME (CD by Experimedia) *
STEVE RODEN & RUTGER ZUYDERVELT & SABINA BURGER – LICHTUNG (DVD-R by Galerie Vayhinger)
HERION – OUT AND ABOUT (CD by Hypnos) *
SEREN FFORDD – ARYTHMIA (CDR by Hypnos) *
LOCRIAN – TERRITORIES (CD by Bloodlust!)
ERIC LACASA – WATER & WIND (2CD by Herbal International)
K11 – THE SACRED WOOD (CD by Old Europa Cafe) *
ZEITKRATZER – ALVIN LUCIER (CD by Zeitkratzer Records) *
JENKS MILLER & NICHOLAS SZCZEPANIK – AMERICAN GOTHIC (CD by Small Doses) *
HUSERE GRAV (CDR by Small Doses) *
WILL GRESSON – VENEDIG (CDR by Small Doses) *
ANDRE FOISY – THEORY OF PROGRESS (3″CDR by Small Doses) *
GERRITT – WITTMER VESSEL (LP by Misanthropic Agenda)
NOT BREATHING – VESICA PISCIS DESERT (7inch by Misanthropic Agenda)
STEVE MOORE – PRIMITIVE NEURAL PATHWAYS (LP by Static Caravan)
MOHA! – KRIISKAV VALGUS (7 inch+ booklet by Le Petit Mignon)
ISA CHRIST CRUUDEUCES – HUMAN ERROR (7inch by Idiotunderground)
ROSS HAMMOND – LO-FI SOLO THINGS (CDR by Prescott Recordings)
BYRON BLACKBURN’S LABOR DAY SESSION (CDR by Prescott Recordings)
ELECTROPOETIC COFFEE (CDR by Prescott Recordings)
MECHA/ORGA – 40:49 (CDR by Echo Music) *
NULA – 55505 PAREIDOLIA (CDR, private) *
THE INFANT CYCLE – PLAYS FENDER BASS GUITARS AND BIRDCAGES OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN, EXCLUSIVELY (MP3 by The Ceiling Undiscs) *
GONZO CIRCUS 100 (Magazine)
AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE (Magazine)
PUIN + HOOP – DOOR (CD by Narrominded)
Sadly I missed out on the local appearance of Puin + Hoop (sorry guys), but I was told it was quite good. I am not surprised. Following a string of small scale, private CDR releases, its now time for a real CD, by the ever expanding Narrominded label. Now we learn that Puin + Hoop is a trio of Roald van Dillewijn, Remco Verhoef and Etik Uittenbogaard. At their disposal is a wide array of electronics, self-built instruments and real instruments. I think I may have spotted a guitar and a piano in here – I might be wrong of course. Its hard to say what their working method is: is it ‘just’ improvisation, or do they edit their improvisations? I am inclined to think its the latter. Especially here more than it was before, it seems that Puin + Hoop have organized their improvisations, through meticulously editing. That brings a point of rest in their music, it gives the music time to breath and develop in a more spacious manner, especially in such pieces as ‘Ceci N’est Pas Une Puin + Hoop’ and ‘Zuurstof III’, with its extended percussive sounds, tinkling electronics and sparse piano sounds. This CD is a major step forward for Puin + Hoop. By the time you read this you missed the two hour CD presentation, but you could invite them for a party yourself. (FdW)
Address: http://www.narrominded.com
D’INCISE – LETHARGIE & AUTRES ANIMAUX RUGUEUX (CD by Audio Tong)
From Geneva hails D’Incise (or d’incise, as he
likes to spell it), who is a member of Audioactivity, a collective of visual and musical artists as well as Diatribes and various other improvisation projects from Switzerland. The CD doesn’t tell us much about the recordings or instruments used. Like before (see VItal Weekly 705 and 688), I assume (!) that D’Incise uses both field recordings and sampling thereof as well as acoustic objects, to create something that is perhaps best labelled as ‘mildly bizarre’: the field recordings are sampled and packed in blocks of sounds, with sometimes a dash of rhythm. It doesn’t always work as fine marriage, I must say. Sometimes they pieces are a bit long and undirected. Maybe D’Incise would call it ambient (but without the synthesizers), but I think it lacks direction. And then all of a sudden things fall back on their feet and you go ‘wow, that’s an interesting piece of music’, and that might happen within a piece. I think some of these pieces could be ‘saved’ when they were edited down a bit, but what I like about D’Incise is the use of electronics to transform his field recordings. A bit raw and not particular careful. Its throughout less rhythmic than some of his previous releases, which perhaps is a pity as it gave his music an even stronger character of its own. I must say that I have mixed feelings about D’Incise. Some of it is alright, some not, some of the new, less rhythmic direction is alright, but perhaps not. All a bit paradoxical… I just don’t know. (FdW)
Address: http://www.audiotong.net
MARCUS FISCHER – MONOCOASTAL (CD by 12K)
SCOTT CORTEZ – TWIN RADIANT FLUX (CD by Line)
Two artists that I never heard, or at least I thought I never heard of. First there is Marcus Fischer, about whom we learn next to nothing, other than he hosts the DustBreeding blog. Going up and down the West Coast of America inspired him to do this album, which incorporates field recordings and ‘found’ sounds, such as piano and metal wrenches. I am not sure how you find a piano (is it on the street somewhere?), but Fischer plays with tape-loops transforming his material and that adds a certain warmth to the music. The music, so writes 12K, fits ‘the current aesthetic of the label: a passion for acoustic and found sounds, a minimal of obvious DSP and synthesis, and a natural warmth created by analog recordings and the use of physical space’. That might all be very well true, and the music is actually great too, but at the same time, I must admit I didn’t hear that much news here. Fischer surely plays some excellent music, where indeed the emphasis lies more on the use of acoustic instruments (piano, guitar, ukelele, harps) and his use of hiss from cassettes adds perhaps a slightly odd feature in this world of digital music, but its very much a continuation of what we already than necessarily something new. Fans of Seaworthy and Deupree’s own recent efforts in the field however pay attention to this new star on that particular firmament.
I thought I didn’t recognize the name Scott Cortez, but of course, he’s the main instrumentalist of Loveliescrushing, a band which I always had slammed down as ‘gothic’. But maybe it was always more a case of ambient dream pop. The work here is under his own guise and was recorded somewhere between 1997 and 1999 and previously unreleased. Cortez plays guitar here and the nine parts form one whole piece of music. It was recorded on four track, using guitar and effects and is a work of drone music. Obviously, I’d say! A work that lasts an hour of spacious guitars, pitched down below to create that dark atmospheric sound so necessary for this kind of music. Excellent stuff that fits a moody, grey winters day, where you never know its gonna rain or snow. An endlessly meandering atmospheric sound and of course not much new under the sun – not even back in 1999 when it was recorded, as this stands firmly in the tradition of the Isolationists – but a very fine work anyway. (FdW)
Address: http://www.12k.com
LARVA 108 – 99.09 INSIDE THE STONES (CD by Greytone)
MOLJEBKA PVLSE – ZOJO (CD by Greytone)
Greytone is an Italian label with a keen interest in ‘artists in the deepest side of contemporary music expression’. They only release CDs and vinyl. The latest two are on CD and are by Moljebka Pvlse, no stranger in Vital Weekly, and Larva 108. That’s the new name here, and behind it we find one Guido, who started to create music in 1999 using a PC and an ancient bit of software called Fasttracker. He finds his inspiration in nature and uses his music for abstract visual productions. Twelve pieces here on this release, which takes over an hour. That, I must say, is a bit long, even when Guido tries to take the listener on a varied trip. Throughout he plays atmospheric music, which branches out to the world of ‘real’ ambient at times, sometimes a bit more noise based and sometimes with a firm dash of rhythm. Maybe its this variation that is a bit in the way of an unified album? I am not sure. I like it best when the mood is subdued and spaced out, like in ‘Snowstorm and The Number 8’, in the percussive ‘Larva P11’ or the dark menace of ‘Radice Nebbia Gole’. Some of the shorter tracks were more sketch like, which I guess was nice, and some of the longer tracks certainly needed a bit more editing and could have been trimmed down. Throughout however quite a nice record, which is perhaps overlong.
Three long pieces on Mathias Josefson’s album ‘Zojo’, which he released under his moniker Moljekba Pvlse. Its been quiet from my end of the telescope for Josefson in recent years, but its good to hear his music again. Not that there is much change, I must admit, as Moljekba Pvlse still does what he does best: creating drone like music, based on metal sheets, with contact microphones and played with bowes. Perhaps the sound was enhanced with the use of electronics, but I am not entirely sure. The odd, new, element thrown in now is the use of voice (by Michiko Kashiba), which adds some wordless singing to the music. The sounds ring in the world of overtones, and it all happens in a rather gentle manner, which sometimes goes a bit up the scale, such as in ‘Daylight’, when it all sounds a bit like a violin played inside the motor of an airplane. Maybe all three pieces are a bit too long, and could have been say five minutes per piece shorter. But throughout however a very refined album of textured drone music. For those who like Organum, I’d say. (FdW)
Address: http://www.greytone.eu
ANDREA FERRARIS & MATTEO UGGERI – AUTUMN IS COMING, WE’RE ALL IN SLOW MOTION (CD by Hibernate Recordings)
MARK HARRIS – THE BOY OBSERVES THE OCEAN (CDR by Hibernate Recordings)
From the ever so vibrant music scene of Italy (or
so it seems from the outside) two musicians with a background in experimental (and) ambient music, Andrea Ferraris and Matteo Uggeri, who receive help from Mujika Easel and Andrea Serrapiglio (I must admit to have never heard of them). The cover lists extensively the various sound sources. Lots of field recordings and electronics (Uggeri), but what can be noticed here is that the acoustic instruments, mainly the guitar (played by Ferraris) but also cello (Serrapiglio) and piano (Easel) play an important, if not crucial role. Like the title suggests, the music seems to be in slow motion. To me the whole thing sounds played like a few nice afternoons of improvisation. ‘Let’s sit together and play a few sounds from the computer and add some instruments’. In the subsequent mix this intimacy is saved, which is a great thing, I’d say. A not too difficult album with elegant ambient pieces, lots of acoustic instruments and an overall laidback atmosphere. Excellent dream music with a nice edge.
Mark Harris took part in ‘Birmingham Sound Matter’, organized by Francisco Lopez, but he has a background in visual arts. He created some software applications himself and feeds it with samples from bowed guitar, saxophone, violin and some field recordings. Its good that Hibernate mentions this, because otherwise it would not be easy to note this. Harris stretches his sounds out a bit and creates some finely woven ambient music, with an almost classical music feel to it. Its that Gorecki died last week (and hence I played that symphony again), but Harris’ music reminded me of the slow built up of the first movement of the famous Gorecki piece, but its not as dramatic nor does it burst out at any point. Harris’ music stays on the gentle, meandering side of sound. Perhaps in terms of ambient music – like happens so often with this kind of music – there is not much news going on, but it surely is a very fine record. Excellent mood music, with a nice edge by itself – the classical connection (although not entirely new either of course). (FdW)
Address: http://www.hibernate-recs.co.uk
ARTEFACTS OF AUSTRALIAN EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC 1930-1973 (CD by Shame File Music)
TANGERINE NIGHTMARE – SYNTHICIDE (CDR by Shame File Music)
Three years after the first volume of Artefacts, which spanned the years 1930 to 1973, we now get the second volume, continuing in 1974, leading up to 1983. Here we bump into various names that got big (Severed Heads, with a very early recording), legendary (The Loop Orchestra (a recording of their first performance), Primitive Calculators) or just very serious (Warren Burt). It spans the whole range of what we could consider avant-garde music – from the serious electronic (Ros Bandt, Paul Turner and most of the pieces found on the first CD), via post-punk to industrial music and more low key sound collage like music. There is a whole bunch of people I never heard of (or perhaps didn’t recognize from the old days). Odd pieces are by Essendon Airport and Tsk Tsk Tsk. Perhaps the mystery here is the absence of SPK, although other early industrialists are there such as Voigt/465 and Purple Vulture Shit. Throughout a pretty varied compilation, which I guess is not easy to like if you happen to like only genre. However, and I hope that’s more ‘Vital style’ to have an open mind and like the sheer variety on offer. I know I did like it a great deal, as it learned me – again – a great deal of new (old) music.
Humor comes in with a release by Tangerine Nightmare, ‘Synthicide’. Gettit? To play on a bunch of analogue synthesizers cosmic is dead easy, but of course, and that’s perhaps the whole point of Tangerine Nightmare the idea of this excursion, you can also play noise music on those machines. So while not entirely a bunch of pure noise outings, things are a lot harsher than one probably associates with the world of cosmic music. If anything to compare it with, I’d say it’s getting towards the old sound of C.C.C.C. or Astro. Loud obviously, but with a strange psychedelic quality to it. A full on synth based sound, but with some odd melody shimmering here and there in this static wall of effect loaded sound. Five heavy nightmares indeed. A good take on the idea of cosmic music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.shamefilemusic.com
PIIPTSJILLING – WURDSKRIEME (CD by Experimedia)
STEVE RODEN & RUTGER ZUYDERVELT & SABINA BURGER – LICHTUNG (DVD-R by Galerie Vayhinger)
If you are in Tokyo right now, this week, then you can catch Piiptsjilling live and when I first heard about that, I was amazed. This quartet, with Romke Kleefstra, Rutger Zuydervelt and Mariska Baars on guitars and Jan Kleefstra delivering poetry in the Frysk language (which to us Dutch is like from another country) seems like an odd thing to bring to stages in Tokyo. Friesland, a part of The Netherlands, has their own language and even here it sounds strange. I couldn’t say what Kleefstra’s poetry is about (although I could guess sometimes), but ‘moody’ is certainly a word that springs to mind. Thank god the cover provides translations in English. You should not think of Piiptsjilling as a continuos reading of poetry, but its ‘merely’ an instrument that is used every now and then. The way the voice is used recalls the same wide open space as the surroundings in which these words were written and which is used in the music also. Drone like guitar patterns, dreamy wide open guitar music, depicting not a dessert. Its not a road movie. The music is more about green fields up to the horizon, with a lighthouse at the end. The land of Kleefstra I’d say. In the opening ‘Unkršd (Ill Weeds)’, Baars (whom we also know as Soccer Committee) adds her voice. A great follow-up to the debut (see Vital Weekly 627), with perhaps not a lot of changes, but with the same expanded textured music. I really wonder what they make of this in Japan.
This work contains excerpts of an audio-visual installation which you can actually still visit, up to December 5th at the Galerie Vayhinger, Radolfzeil, Germany. The work is a collaborative effort of Rutger Zuydervelt and Steve Roden, both responsible for the music an Sabina Burger, who did the visual component for this work. The later shows reflection of trees in water, or rain drops falling in water. The music is a duet between Roden and Zuydervelt and seems to be combining the best of both ends: the acoustic sounds of Roden (chimes, bells, cups) and Zuydervelt’s careful electronic manipulation thereof. The music and film go together really well, I’d say. Poetic, silent and light. An excellent three way combination. (FdW)
Address: http://www.experimedia.net
Address: http://www.machinefabriek.nu
HERION – OUT AND ABOUT (CD by Hypnos)
SEREN FFORDD – ARYTHMIA (CDR by Hypnos)
Probably there aren’t many groups on Hypnos: this ambient label usually releases albums by artists who work alone on their electronic, ambient music, but Herion is a group, a trio from Italy, with as its members Emanuele Errante, Enrico Coniglio and Elisa Marzorati (the latter of whom I never heard). Two firm names from the strong Italian ambient scene. The instruments at their disposal includes not just things with keys and knobs, but also field recordings, guitars, harmonica, bells, gong, rainstick, piano plus a guest role on some of the pieces by Piergabriele Mancuso on viola (or perhaps all tracks?). This gives the album a great quality, breaking away from the traditional ambient music, and expanding into the world of classical music with all these acoustic instruments. Especially the violin plays a strong role in defining that classical sound. The music here is pretty strong. Definitely moody and atmospheric, but also quite warm and acoustic. I was reminded of the CD by Modern Institute on Expanding Records (see Vital Weekly 518), which was also, curiously enough, Italian. A highly refined work.
On CDR we find the second re-issue of work by Seren Ffordd, just like ‘Stellar Nurseries’ (see Vital Weekly 712), which was also first released by Umbra. Like before the instruments are listed here: singing bowls, chimes, voice, gourds and Korg 016. The idea behind the release is about cycles, patterns and rhythms, but do not expect some beat related music, but simple patterns that slowly evolve and revolve. The fourth part of this has rhythm ‘as we know it’, but in the other four pieces Ffordd uses loops of varying lengths which he cleverly layers together in ever changing patterns. Not just some isolationist droning experience, but an always changing pattern of a wide variety of sounds. Streetsounds, bells being strum with a bow, rhythmic playing of chimes and such like gives us five examples of how this relatively simple idea is worked out. Quite a different album than ‘Stellar Nurseries’, but throughout a very fine album of changing, cyclical mood music. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hypnos.com
LOCRIAN – TERRITORIES (CD by Bloodlust!)
Somewhere else we look into a solo CD of Andre Foisy but here is a CD by his band Locrian, a duo of himself and T. Hannum. They played guitars and electronics. Seeing this release on Bloodlust! its hardly a surprise that it contains noise. A slow menacing sound of pounding drums, piercing electronics (derived from guitar playing? I am not sure here) and more loud guitars. That is the opening track ‘Inverted Ruins’, which includes Mark Solotroff, head honcho of Bloodlust, on vocals
but Locrian has more to offer than just that. Each track seems to be recorded with the help of other people, so that’s why things are probably more varied, beyond the boundaries of pure noise. ‘Between Barrows’, the second piece on the CD, is a much more subdued piece of music, carefully improvised. Although Locrian don’t return to the careful style in this album again, its not said that every piece is one of loud noise only. The closing statement, ‘The Columnless Arcade’ is a finely driven motor like rock song, bursting out half way through, full of energy. ‘Ring Road’ sees the burning of a guitar (metaphorically speaking of course), like a giant dark beast bursting out, while ‘Antediluvian Territory’ is an almost ambient like guitar tune. The epic ‘Procession Of Ancestral Brutalism’ is then the noise centre of this album. Locrian delivered a great album with this CD. Here too we are dealing with the notion of noise that is varied, like we have discussed more recently: not that endless walls of feedback and distortion, but a varied bunch of pieces, some of which happen to be very loud and some not. But Locrian does all of that outside the world of pure electronics and that is a great achievement. An excellent CD! (FdW)
Address: http://www.bloodlust.blogspot.com
ERIC LACASA – WATER & WIND (2CD by Herbal International)
This double disc is a collection in at least two ways. Firstly its a collection of pieces that have been released before on various compilations and secondly they are thematically grouped. On the first CD we find pieces that deal with water sounds and on the second pieces of wind sounds. All of that to be taken literally. For many years Eric LaCasa has recorded sounds of water and wind, and built pieces out of that. How he does that is not entirely clear, I must say, but no doubt I said that before. Is a piece of music here a straight recording of water running down the stream, or wind blowing through tree tops, or is it a combination of sounds, mixed together to make a piece of music? That’s the question, and my best guess at answering that question is that its the latter. The water disc has pieces recorded from streams, but perhaps also rain and/or a combination of both. Its not easy, I must admit, to enjoy these discs. The water pieces at one point made me want to run for the toilet. A bit more variation, such as short and curiously EQ-ed ‘Les Oscillations Part 1’, was perhaps needed to be the perfect counterpart to the water pieces. In that respect the wind CD is much more interesting. Here too I am a bit clueless as to what I am actually hearing, but the wind seems to be moving objects around – objects of origins unknown obviously – and there are other noises moving around too, like street sounds, car passing and other motorized objects. This makes the whole disc more varied and when you don’t look at the CD display, it almost makes a seventy minute soundscape piece, slowly moving from section to section. This ‘Wind’ disc is pretty damn fine listening experience, perhaps more mysterious than the ‘Water’ disc, or maybe more ‘obscure’ is the appropriate way to say that. Mixed feelings here about the whole thing, but throughout quite enjoyable. (FdW)
Address: http://www.herbalinternational.tk
K11 – THE SACRED WOOD (CD by Old Europa Cafe)
Pietro Riparbelli, also known as K11, is suddenly very active with releasing his music. Following two recent releases (see Vital Weekly 729 and 731) here is another one, with source material recorded at the Sacred Wood of Bomarzo, a wood covered with huge statues, ‘one of the oddest places on earth’, K11 writes on the cover. To these field recordings, Riparbelli adds radio signals and voice. I could have been fooled as I would have as easily thought K11 would be using guitars and synthesizers, but perhaps its the nature of sound effects used that makes things sound otherwise? The distortion pedal along with chorus, flanging and feedback make it hard to recognize any field recording, radio signal or voice. Only in ‘White’ some transmission came to us. In ‘White 2’, the closing piece of the CD, K11 reaches out the furthest into noise land, but the other tracks are also pretty heavy weights. Like before I only liked parts of this and not the entire thing. K11 performs his music with a certain crudeness, which, no doubt, is part of the plan, but somehow not to well spend on me. Its a bit too noise based for me and there is a certain lack of detail, though K11 also has its moments, when things get more subdued and spaced out. Mixed feelings but overall quite alright. (FdW)
Address: http://www.oldeuropacafe.com
ZEITKRATZER – ALVIN LUCIER (CD by Zeitkratzer Records)
Old School is a series of works performed by Zeitkratzer Records dealing with one composer, although they are not always ‘old’ (as in ‘still alive’). Following James Tenney and John Cage (see Vital Weekly 724), the ten piece ensemble performs here works by Alvin Lucier, another particular hero of mine. Lucier doesn’t just compose pieces of music, he explores sound, and the way they move around in space. Zeitkratzer keeps to the scores, most of the times, such as in ‘Silver Streetcar For The Orchestra’, in which the triangle plays an important role or in ‘Opera With Objects’, where the orchestra plays with small objects indeed. These are the compositions by Lucier which are ‘free’ in a way: a set of instructions to be performed and Zeitkratzer is, as we know, good at that. The more fixed pieces here, ‘Violynn’ and ‘Fideliotrio’ (which I must admit have never heard performed anywhere else) seem to be following the score more careful, i.e. playing the right notes at the right time. Zeitkratzer does an absolute great job at that. Lucier’s originals are expanded here into small ensemble pieces and each instrument gets his own place in the composition. Five excellent executions thereof. Old master pieces. (FdW)
Address: http://www.zeitkratzer.de
JENKS MILLER & NICHOLAS SZCZEPANIK – AMERICAN GOTHIC (CD by Small Doses)
HUSERE GRAV (CDR by Small Doses)
WILL GRESSON – VENEDIG (CDR by Small Doses)
ANDRE FOISY – THEORY OF PROGRESS (3″CDR by Small Doses)
Nicholas Szczepanik is someone whose work in the field of dark ambient music has been reviewed before. He created ‘American Gothic’ together with Jenks Miller, whom we could know as Horseback. Not a lot of information is otherwise forthcoming to go by, say as to sound sources used etc. This release sees, at least for me, Szczepanik moving out of his dark ambient textured music and go out in the land of more ‘intelligent noise’. It has the usual suspects of sine waves, rattling of contact microphones and piercing electronics, but also moves along finer lines of organ like sounds, both to in the mellow end of the sound spectrum and the harsher sounds. The most surprising aspect is probably that the whole is more musical than I probably anticipated. The organs sometimes split into small melodies, the drums occasionally bang a rhythm and all along hiss and burn the electronics underneath. It fits the more recent trend of creating noise music that is engaging to listen to and doesn’t dwell in just sonic overload. These two gentle men created a work of sonic richness, embedding a great deal of detail and love of sound. Its hard to see where the ‘gothic’ comes in, except perhaps in the Grant Wood like image on the front cover of this CD, but throughout I thought it is a great CD and thank god it’s a real CD and doesn’t come in a small dose.
I am not sure if I ever heard of Husere Grav, or what he does. Not much information to go by here, but some of these pieces are collaborations with other people such as Franklin Teagle (Anathema Sound, Meditations), Ryan McGill (Bones Of Seabirds) and Metal Rouge. The label describes this as a mixture of dark ambient, black metal and drones, and I guess that is very much true – no sense in arguing there. Its music that is hard to define in some way, simply because the music is not very defined. Clusters of dark sounds, played on guitars (perhaps), organs (perhaps) and electronics (surely), but the recordings aren’t very well defined. Sometimes indeed a bit noise based, I count that as the black metal influence, and at other times more ambient. A marriage of two ends that doesn’t always work too well, I think. Some of this I thought was alright, but overall I have a problem with the muddy sound – that is no doubt part of the aesthetic of this.
Likewise I don’t think I ever heard of Will Gresson, who also plays the drone/ambient card, while using the guitar. There is an experimental edge to this, or so it seems. In the opening piece, ‘Learning To Sleep In An Adult World’ there is some of sort of distortion, which I am not sure if part of the deal, or a fault in the recording. It has a sine-wave like quality that could be nice. The elements of distortion return, in one form or another, also in the other tracks. I am not convinced that this is the right thing to do. Some of the ideas are pretty much alright, although perhaps a bit too simply in their execution, but the added elements of noise seem to do no justice to that. It has its moments for sure, but as a whole not entirely my cup of tea.
Andre Foisy is one half of Locrian, a more noise oriented band, but here the true ambient music comes out. Foisy plays guitar and adds a bit of electronics. The music is very mellow and relaxed. Foisy uses e-bow or other bows to play his guitar, adds a substantial dose of reverb to create a great textured sound, but keeps the effects within a fair, controlled state. Over the course of the piece things are build up, but not extensively and never in a hurry. A delicate and refined release. (FdW)
Address: http://www.small-doses.com
GERRITT – WITTMER VESSEL (LP by Misanthropic Agenda)
NOT BREATHING – VESICA PISCIS DESERT (7inch by Misanthropic Agenda)
Gerritt Wittmer is a sound and performance artist… his work uses “theatrical lighting” and “body performance”, unfortunately not presentable on audio vinyl, because the cover art shows an old wooden trunk or chest, and there is talk of physical confinement and isolation – which is penetrated and so a vast new world is suddenly accessible. That’s not me I’m paraphrasing the press release, most of the LP is near silent, with a bit of heavy breathing, muffled human and what sounds like rodent noise. I’m supposed to say something else, my mind is a blank with indifference, I don’t understand what any of this is about, the phrase ‘pretentious nonsense’ drifts through my mind like the smell of Italian cooking, but I like Italian cooking.
Not Breathing uses more found sounds, mains hums, whales? Though probably not, synth swathes which fade into operatic singing and fire bells, Vesica gives us rubbing noises in an old piano frame, escaping stream, echoy feedback with reverb and a side serving of garlic bread, if only. Perhaps the best of the offerings though, Motown meets Darmstadt? (jliat)
Address http://www.misanthropicagenda.com/releases.html
STEVE MOORE – PRIMITIVE NEURAL PATHWAYS (LP by Static Caravan)
One my all time favorite compilation LPs happens to be ‘Flowmotion’, with Chris & Cosey, The Legendary Pink Dots and David Jackman, but also music by Ian Boddy, Paul Nagle and other cosmic synthesizer artists from the UK. That album is from 1982, and something of that album re-sounds in this new work by Steve Moore. One half of ‘synth-rock’ duo Zombi and also working as Lovelock, he uses exclusively synthesizers and drum machines here, harking back to those synth masters of the early 80 but of course also Tangerine Dream or Jean-Michel Jarre from the seventies. Arpeggio’s fly over low, sequenced rhythms tick nicely and it makes five wonderful pieces of music. Totally and utterly retro kind of music at work here, and I should slag it down for having no imagination, but I won’t. Simply because I love it so damn well. Now I don’t care about this being ‘old fashioned’, but this spacious trip is just excellent. The best record of this week, for being so uncool and yet so warm and great. Topped off in a great cover too. (FdW)
Address: http://www.staticcaravan.org
MOHA! – KRIISKAV VALGUS (7 inch+ booklet by Le Petit Mignon)
I will try to be as least obscure as possible. The Le Petit Mignon label has produced some remarkable material bringing together graphic art and extreme music in beautifully crafted and presented 7 inch vinyl releases, and this current release is no exception. Moha! A drum guitar duo pour out a stream of high octane sounds of beats and noise which is both harsh, alarming and beautiful. Anyone interested in extremes of musical production which pushes playing into noise or noise into playing would find both sides of the white vinyl a delight. And now sounding like one of those daytime TV sales shows – ‘It doesn’t stop there!’ because as well as the sonic gem, hopefully a fitting crystalline metaphor for the sound, you get a 12 page screen printed book by of Bongozt. (Berlin based graphic artist duo). It’s a perfect match, I love the wonderful transparent layering of rich screen ink in vibrant florescent reds, dull black and greens of photomontage and abstract imagery. That together with the white vinyl and its caustic rhythms and sound washes makes the whole production into a beautiful object. I should say art object, it’s a pity when so much mediocre ‘stuff’ is to be found these days that these releases don’t get more credit. Anyone from musician to graphic designer should check out this and the rest of the series, because I’m sure they will one day be seen as something significant in whatever the future will call this period in art history. I can’t say it
any simpler than that can I? (jliat)
Address http://www.staalplaat.com/search/catalog/309
ISA CHRIST CRUUDEUCES – HUMAN ERROR (7inch by Idiotunderground)
Cruudeuces, as I’m in descriptive mood, sounds like seagulls and drone synth, low key and is not surprisingly called “gull slang”, my best put down would be ’40 years ago and a ton of L.S.D. this wouldn’t be half bad… ‘ ouch!… moving swiftly on…Isa Christ is next up. More sound effects, distorted car crashes against the sounds of the Martians from the old War of the Worlds film, some submarine noises, and disco cows in a dentists, actually when it all gets jamming this sounds very good, kind of The Clangers do Bob Marley (for non UK residents & youth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HArUmqqiL0s) oh and the soup dragon, escaping in a motor boat – or is it the Queen Mary, being attacked by a U boat – manned (or whatever cows do) by above mentioned cows some of whom are stampeding whilst playing saxophones. Brilliant, simply brilliant! Absurdity unlike the other material pushed to the extreme becomes literally
ecstatic and *does* creative bizarre stupendous new worlds. Bravo! (Jliat)
Address http://ghettonaturalistseries.blogspot.com/
ROSS HAMMOND – LO-FI SOLO THINGS (CDR by Prescott Recordings)
BYRON BLACKBURN’S LABOR DAY SESSION (CDR by Prescott Recordings)
ELECTROPOETIC COFFEE (CDR by Prescott Recordings)
Earlier I have reviewed a bunch of records from this local label from Sacramento. Again it is the name of Ross Hammond that connects these new releases. One is a solo album by him, another one a duo, and the third one has a group featuring Hammond. ‘Lo-Fi Solo Things’ has Hammond playing guitar, bass, lap steel and drum machines. Looped guitar sounds are the basic element in most pieces, combined with long extended slow guitar solo work. The music comes close to ambient atmospheres, sometimes combined with electronic beats. Some moments I had to think of Durutti Column. The record comes in a simple carton cover of recycled paper with a stamp on front of it. Almost a statement. “Electropoetic Coffee” has again guitar-based ambient-structures with a rhythm. Functioning this time as a background and vehicle
for the voice of NSAA who sings, speaks, recites his poetry. Again a sympathetic work, but not earthshaking.
“Byron Blackburn’s Labor Day Session” features bassplayer Byron Blackburn in his last performance before he died from illness two weeks later. He is surrounded here by his mates: Tony Passarell (saxophone), Ross Hammond (guitar), Phillip Greenlief (saxophone), Jaroba (saxophone, bass clarinet) and Tom Monson (drums). So this must have been a very special meeting for all of them. No wonder the interplay is what impressed me most from this one like in the fourth improvisation. Their improvisations however contained not much surprises for me. All is done with care, but no real interesting musical maneuvers if you ask me. (DM)
Address: info@prescottrecordings.com
MECHA/ORGA – 40:49 (CDR by Echo Music)
Although the name Mecha/Orga, the project of Greek Yiorgis Sakellariou, pops up in the announcement section every now and then, it has been quiet with releases for a while. This new one, which lasts forty minutes and forty-nine seconds and is divided into eight sections, was created from field recordings that took place in Abeliona village in Greece. I couldn’t find anything special about this place, but maybe its the rural aspect of the village that attracted Sakellariou to create this music. Mecha/Orga is, to be put it somewhat crudely, one of the laptop guys. He treats his field recordings inside the computer and puts it back out in the form of musique concrete like sound collages. Not in a way of cut ‘n paste, but usually as ongoing, drone like, sounds, with highly minimalist changes appearing throughout every now and then. Quite hypnotic music, and Mecha/Orga is not a shy man, i.e. not entirely just working with the notion of microsound. If anything, Mecha/Orga, derives his interest from the world of musique concrete in combination with the field recordings of Luc Ferrari and Xenakis. The pieces on this new release are forcefully elegant and mildly noise based. Quite great, like usual with the work of Mecha/Orga. Moving between a variety of field of music and making his own mark. (FdW)
Address: http://www.echomusic.gr
NULA – 55505 PAREIDOLIA (CDR, private)
The latest project of Lloyd Dunn is called Nula. Dunn is perhaps best known as The Tape-beatles (one of) and Public Works, both taking their work from other sources and re-combining these sources into an original new work. Plagiarism as we used to call it (how long was it since I last used That word?). Now Dunn is back and it seems that he continues his search for sounds to ‘steal’ on the internet. Although this was delivered on a CDR, I strongly believe that all of this can be downloaded for free also. Dunn uses sounds, images and/or words which can be downloaded and expanded further upon, and in that respect I have no idea at which stage the four pieces on the CDR are. The music doesn’t sound at all like that of The Tape-beatles or Public Works, but much more abstract, and perhaps less politically inspired. Or perhaps it moved to another level. Of the four pieces, three are a bit long. ‘55510 Locomotive’, for instance, deals with sounds of trains and moving about. Nice for sure, but not the entire sixteen minutes. I thought these pieces were all pretty interesting however (if not a bit long), of minimalist sounds layered together and mixed with microscopic small changes between them. A sort of Steve Reich ‘Come Out’ quality was found among them. Nice enough, although perhaps a bit unclear what it is all about. Time to investigate. (FdW)
Address: http://nula.cc
THE INFANT CYCLE – PLAYS FENDER BASS GUITARS AND BIRDCAGES OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN, EXCLUSIVELY (MP3 by The Ceiling Undiscs)
So, yes, we don’t review MP3 releases, but this was delivered on a CDR with a neat cover, so maybe if you ask for one to buy, you can also get it…? The Infant Cycle has been around since 1992 and have been available on more traditional formats, such as CDs and 7″s, but here comes as a MP3 release. I have no idea how literal we should take the title of this release, but yes, it might very well be a Fender bass guitar and birdcage(s). The three tracks, spanning merely twelve minutes, are subdued outings in the ambient land, of droning buzzing vibrating sounds. Its nice, but ever so short. These pieces could have at least been twice the length! The music deserves it very much. And of course a proper format! (FdW)
Address: http://www.theceiling.ca
GONZO CIRCUS 100 (Magazine)
AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE (Magazine)
For once (and not enough, I know), we’ll have a look at two magazines. Mainly since I was traveling last week, and needed some light reading I brought these two. Gonzo Circus, a magazine in Dutch with origins in Belgium, reached the number 100 and celebrates that with writing only about Dutch and Belgium artists this time. I have been with this magazine since the very early days and I always liked it a lot. The main portion is music, but they also write about comics, film, literature and art, which makes this the best underground magazine this/these countries ever had. Including two free CDs.
A larger magazine which is not likely to reach 100 issues anytime soon is As Loud As Possible, from the house of Harbinger. The first issue is 144 pages and like the title implies this is all about noise. Some twenty-five pages are spend on writing about the history of Broken Flag, which details just about everything. Less extensively, but still pretty big are the pieces of Runzelstirn & Gurgelstock, The Haters, No Fun, Putrefier, Sewer Election, Cheap Machines, Storm Bugs, Zone Nord and tons of reviews. Some excellent writing in here. I imagine a great issue every year. (FdW)
Address: http://www.gonzocircus.com
Address: http://www.asloudaspossible.org