LAGOWSKI PRESENTS LEGION – FALSE DAWN – 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (2CD by Zoharum) *
SYNAPSIS – OFFICINA FERRARIA REWORKED (CD by Zoharum) *
PIOTR KOLECKI & MOLOK MUN – THE SPICES (CD by Zoharum)
GUY KLUCEVSEK – POLKA FROM THE FRINGE (2CD by Starkland)
FLUO – ENCORE REMUANTS (CD by Circums-Disc)
MIA ZABELKA TRIO – WEIRD TALES & ELEGANT MOTION ( CD by Monotype Records)
TAYLOR DEUPREE – FAINT (2CD by 12K) *
MUU FOR EARS 10: SOUNDTRACKS (CD by MUU)
EUGENE S. ROBINSON & PHILIPPE PETIT – LAST OF THE DEAD HOT LOVERS (CD by Truth Cult) *
HATZATZ – LIVE AT LOOS (CD, private) *
PLAAT 1 (compilation LP by Tape)
HARRY MERRY – AUSTRALIAN SUN (7″ by Meeuw)
ADEGA ENSEMBLE – BLACK VAN IN A SMALL SQUARE (CDR by Ilse) *
ILIA BELORUKOV – NUDOKSA (CDR by Ilse) *
(THE) SOLAR PLEXUS – SUSHI ROLE (CDR by Chump Tapes) *
HOLZKOPF – TRESPASSING (CDR by Attenuation Circuit) *
B*TONG/EMERGE (CDR by Attenuation Circuit)
MINOY & PBK – CLOISTERS (CDR by Attenuation Circuit) *
STEVEN VINKENOOG – PROGRESSION & INDETERMINATE HARMONIES (CDR, private)
STEVEN VINKENOOG – STRUCTURE & RANDOM HARMONIES (CDR, private) *
LAGOWSKI PRESENTS LEGION – FALSE DAWN – 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (2CD by Zoharum)
SYNAPSIS – OFFICINA FERRARIA REWORKED (CD by Zoharum)
PIOTR KOLECKI & MOLOK MUN – THE SPICES (CD by Zoharum)
To create a work of legendary proportions is not easy, to create two is ever more difficult. Back in Vital Weekly 804 I told you about SETI’s masterpiece ‘Knowledge’ and that I think it is very hard for Lagowski to do any more work as SETI afterwards that I thought was equally great. I forgot, probably, that Andrew Lagowski is also responsible for a great CD under the name of Legion, called ‘False Dawn’, which was released in 1992 and which I always regarded as a master piece of dark ambient. When I had aspirations to be some sort of ambient DJ, this is the one I always brought along. Especially the thirty five minute opening ‘Colossus’ was an excellent piece to stick on, with it’s long synthesized, sustaining melodies and sounds dropping in and out, with the right amount of reverb, which could be used to drop in more sounds, voices perhaps or head to the bar and get another beer (let’s be honest about that). Its one of those CDs that I played a lot, and after a certain point hardly again. Maybe I didn’t hear this in, say, ten years, but it sounds strikingly familiar. Odd, although I am not sure if I would hear this for the first time today, I would think it would have the same impact as back then. But obviously I heard so much more music in the mean time, and so much more music with similar ideas as this. But no doubt very few do it like Lagowski did back then, with a set up of synthesizers and Cubase on an Atari, which was played in an improvisational way. Early digital, and partly analog. The other long piece, ‘The Plasma Pool’, is an excellent long form form quiet ambient music, with in the middle a more rhythmic short piece, an interlude between the long ambient pieces. On this double CD you’ll also find bonus tracks from the same period, as well as a farewell to ambient piece from 2008, and one created especially for this re-issue from 2012 but ‘Tunnelvision’, from an extremely rare 7″ (edition of sixty copies) and if that’s not enough three remixes of the original three ‘False Dawn’ pieces by three Polish artists, Geomantic, Zenial and Maciek Szymczuk. That’s what I would call a massive re-issue, and a mighty fine one indeed. A true genre defining classic in an excellent re-issue package. Nice to have it so complete.
Just today I had, via e-mail, an interesting discussion about remixes, as good friend mailed me about some re-issue of an 80s band which come with a bunch of ‘great’ remixes, whereas I know him as someone who in general thinks that remixes hardly ever surpass the original. I argued, and actually voiced this opinion in these pages too, that remixes are usually an attempt to get a certain album or artist across to an entirely different audience, hoping that the audience will be tempted to seek out work by the other. So The Orb remixes Mike Oldfield, Orb lovers get out and buy everything by Oldfield based on this great remix and Oldfield fans do the same. That’s the ideal marketing technique ‘out there’, in the ‘real world’ (which I doubt actually still works these days). Now in our cosy, niche world of underground music, remixes are usually mere masturbation – ‘since we love to work with sound, any sound, we might as well work with your album’, and most of the times its a case of who knows who. In this particular case, Synpasis reworked by thirteen artists, I don’t know the original, the ‘Materia’ album from 2007 and many of the remixers are also unknown to me, save for Tomasz Krakowiak and Zenial, I believe. That makes reviewing this particular compilation of remixes not an easy task. I am not sure, after hearing all of these remixes, how the original album sounds nor can’t I imagine. Perhaps a little. A bit ambient, and a bit industrial, but no doubt that’s a bit vague. But that’s the impression I get from this remix compilation. It has some mighty noisy music (even something that sounds like early Etant Donnes! Something you don’t hear every day – Self Inflicted Violence), ambience, field recordings, a bit of repeating sound blocks which may be rhythm – it’s all there. None of these tracks stand out and they are all equally good/bad/mediocre – it might very well depended on what your position is in terms of remixes, how well you know this particular original and such like. It pleased me for as long as it lasted.
The final new release on Zoharum is by Piotr Kolecki & Molok Mun. I never heard of the latter, and perhaps also not that much of the first also. He was a member of a Polish experimental group called Atman, which only vaguely is reminded here, but the details are lost in history. I must admit that of these three new releases, this is the one that was least liked by me, but it’s perhaps a highly personal matter. The music spans many years, with pieces from 1993 to 2012. There are hints here towards pseudo-ethnical percussion, flutes, whispering voices and there is that aura of magick around this, which is never really too much of my liking. The whole album sounds a bit improvised, which I guess was nice, but it also had the idea we are tapping (or taping I guess) into some sort of private ritual thing. Its after a while the album threads other territory, such as in the old piece ‘Pepper’ and ‘Chili’, which have a trumpet and sound a bit more jazz like and ‘Rosemary’ reminded me, far far away, of Michael O’Shea’s record on Dome. A varied bunch of pieces which somehow don’t seem to fit together. There are surely nice ones around here, like the ones mentioned, but also various which just don’t have it, for me, that is. (FdW)
Address: http://www.zoharum.com
GUY KLUCEVSEK – POLKA FROM THE FRINGE (2CD by Starkland)
I clearly remember my first encounter with the work of Elliott Sharp. It was his ‘Nots’ album, released through Glass Records in 1982. The only track that I still remember is ‘Happie Chappie Polka’. For me, totally into experimental music, this was an unwanted element between the experimental stuff I was looking for. I was supposed not to like it according to my standards, but I did. Later I became more open for folk and world music influences in experimental contexts. A beautiful concert of Klucevsek and David Garland in Eindhoven was very helpful for this personal development. I started to follow Klucevsek. I especially liked his ‘Flying Vegetables of the Apocalypse’ on Experimental Intermedia Foundation from 1991. Numerous albums followed. Also for Starkland: ‘Transylvanian Softwear’ (1999) and ‘Free Range Accordion’(2000). Who is Klucevsek? He operated in Downtown NY in the 70s and 80s, played with everyone who was around in those days. Because of the Slovenian roots in his family he became interested in the musical traditions of these areas and led him to embrace the polka. Educated in classical accordion and its repertoire, he became interested in bridging polka with elements of new and experimental music. So he started composing polka’s in the mid 80s. In 1992 he initiated ‘Polka from the Fringe’. This project is now rereleased by Starkland as a set of two CDs containing 29 polka’s, partly composed by him and all played by a selection of top musicians from the downtown scene: David Garland (vocals), John King (guitars, violin, dobro), David Hofstra (bass, double bass, tuba), Bill Ruyle (drums, marimba, triangle) and Guy Klucevsek (accordion, vocals), plus several other musicians in guest appearances like Bobby Previte, Eric Friedlander,etc. A beautiful artifact of an development that had its parallel in the uprising of Klezmer, that also had a base in New York (John Zorn, etc.). Of some experimental downtown recordings from these same musicians, one can sometimes say, oh yes that was typically for that period and place. But with these polkas this is not the case. The music still sounds fresh and enjoyable. Enthusiastic and fine performances. Polka’s did exist already for some time and so they will stay for a while to. So it was a good idea to make these recordings available again. (DM)
Address: http://www.starkland.com
FLUO – ENCORE REMUANTS (CD by Circums-Disc)
One of the most pleasant surprises so far this year was the release by Toc, a post rock-oriented group from Lille, France. No wonder I’m happy to receive a new release from this scene. It is the third release by Flu(o), a quintet with members we already know from Toc. They take time to develop their material. Their first one dates from 2000, and a second album from 2004! It is a quintet of trumpet, guitar, drums, bass, and piano. Music that is hard to pin down. There is jazz, rock, improvisation, chamber music, integrated in strong, but eclectic compositions. All pieces are composed by piano player Stefan Orins, except ‘Fluo’ that comes from a group improvisation. There is a main role for the trumpet played by Christian Pruvost. Interesting things happen in this music, but irritating ones also. Fine arrangements and very disciplined playing. They are effective in the way they built gradually layer for layer energetic patterns and textures, that end with an unexpected turn into something else. Because of the eclectic nature of the compositions one feels sometimes as if one is landed in another composition. Nearly at the end of the opening piece ‘Devorait l’air’ we are in very lyrical and melodically section, to be followed by the complex rhythm-based structures that we now from the beginning. The playing is excellent. All players take time and space to excel and demonstrate their talents. Pruvost is the most impressive one with his use of extended techniques, like in the opening of the closing piece ‘Polly’ where he paints beautiful free improvised textures. To be followed by a hard rock like section that is followed up by an impressive solo section for Peter Orinins on drums, etc. Although influences are numerous, in the end it is fair to say it is jazz, fused with rock, minimal music. At moments it is a bit too much of an idiom only that they play, but luckily always in the context of original composed and focused pieces. Looking for interesting and relevant developments in European new jazz, I can advise a trip to Lille. (DM)
Address: http://www.circum-disc.com
MIA ZABELKA TRIO – WEIRD TALES & ELEGANT MOTION ( CD by Monotype Records)
Zabelka is a violin player (and more) from Vienna, Austria. Her career started in the 80s. Over the years she recorded with John Zorn, Pauline Oliveros, Franz Hautzinger, and many others. In 2011 her first solo-album appeared, ‘M’, released by Monotype. It has Zabelka playing electric violin, voice, contact microphones, live-electronics. Now she returns with her trio that has Pavel Fajt (drums, live electronics) and Johannes Frisch (double bass, electric bass) as its members. In the past Fajt played a lot with another female violin player and improviser: the very talented Iva Bittova. Johannes Frisch is playing already some 30 years in the fields of avant garde music, playing with Lol Coxhill, Le Quan Ninh, Peter Hollinger, etc. The opening track ‘Backyard Funk’ reminded me a lot of Miles Davis in his electric period. Similar pulse and groove is hidden in this track. But this track is not representative for the rest on the album. The trio continues with free rock, jazz improvisations, soundscapes, etc. I like these improvisations for the sounds they paint, for the spatial textures they create. Tight and dynamic improvisations in a way. But on the other hand it remains quite often unclear where they are hiding at. A bit unfocused and fragmented. The most lengthy piece ‘The Order of Things’ is the positive exception to this. Here they take time built some engaging soundtextures (DM).
Address: http://www.monotyperecords.com
TAYLOR DEUPREE – FAINT (2CD by 12K)
Whoeehee. Now here’s a nice boxed set, that is the limited edition only. The CD, well, is just the CD, but try and get the double CD boxed set, which has besides these two CDs, twelve photographs on sturdy stock made by Taylor Deupree with a plastic hand-built 35mm camera, which look like Rohtko paintings erased with acid. Very nice, and very fitting the music of Deupree. It has that highly abstract feel, but if you look closer you may see faint (indeed) traces of forms, in the music moving as small melodies. Such as in ‘Sundown’, which has something like humming voices, which reminds me of Eno’s first ‘Ambient’ record. Shimmering melodies are also present in the four other, lengthy pieces, but here with guitars it seems (although only one track is credited as such, with guitar playing by Cameron Webb) and perhaps such things as field recordings. Now obviously there is an extensive amount of computer processing in play here, but it all has that overall warm glow to it. Of faint (again) sounds, from a distance, humming across far away fields, in empty rooms with radiators, or a man tinkling his guitar in ‘Stutter’ (the one played by Webb actually). This reminds me all very much of Brian Eno indeed (also ‘Apollo’ comes close in this piece), and Deupree is not a copy-cat but an equal peer to Eno, creating some of the finest and richest ambient music I know, but perhaps just a bit shorter than mister Eno does. On the bonus disc, we have something long form Eno way, ‘Thaw [Reprise]’, which lasts almost thirty-nine minutes and spans out any of the events of the shorter version, found on the main disc, into a mild flowing, expanded piece of music, in which there is no hierarchy in sounds, but everybody gets an equal share in the proceedings. It’s a first rate Deupree release, but perhaps I didn’t expect anything less. (FdW)
Address: http://www.12k.com
MUU FOR EARS 10: SOUNDTRACKS (CD by MUU)
MUU is an artist initiative from Finland, which organizes exhibitions, performances and concerts. Since 1987 they present the work of artists engaged in new and experimental art forms. One of their activities is the release of compilation CDs of sound artists who come from Scandinavia, Finland, the Baltic States and Russia. The great advantage of compilation CDs is that you can become acquainted with many different artists. The major drawback I think that sometimes chaos reigns and that there is no line in the CD’s and I believe that the curator is a little selective in determining a direction of the CD. MUU for Ears is now in its tenth edition. This compilation is the second compilation CD with soundtracks for short experimental films. The previous edition was a surprise to the ear, because there is a certain line was detected. The first numbers start as I believe beautiful “soundtracks for the blind” to repeat an album of the Swans. Hunna Karjalainen combines the sound of an old typewriter with the atmospheric play of a piano. Images are triggered by the associative element in the music. Jarno Jhuni Harakkammäki know a voice repeating an oppressive atmosphere to generate, which is supported by low dark noise. Tommi Mattika also know musique concrete elements made from the sound of paper and pencils to combine piano that electronically manipulated. Beautiful soundtrack without the image of a movie. Off course it is not necessarily need that a soundtrack evokes an image. Often the soundtrack supportive, to increase the image, and an atmosphere to generate. An example is the composition of Panu Johansson for the movie “Men at Work” A nice eighties beat combined with airy synth sounds. The soundtrack for the movie Girl Nina Lassila, which deals with child anger is again creating images. The sound is rewound, what suggests an evil character to the soundtrack. The other tracks on the CD are wonderful songs that fit nicely in pictures, but unfortunately still less fit in generating images. Nevertheless MUU for Ears 10 a beautiful collection of ear pleasing music. (JKH)
Address: http://www.muu.fi
EUGENE S. ROBINSON & PHILIPPE PETIT – LAST OF THE DEAD HOT LOVERS (CD byTruth Cult)
This is the second collaboration I encounter with Philippe Petit handling musical duties and Eugene S. Robinson doing the vocals and writing the words. He’s the frontman of Oxbow, whom I don’t know, and has worked with Lydia Lunch, DJ Rupture, Xiu Xiu, Zu, Black Sun, Old Man Gloom, Barry Adamson, Marianne Faithfull, Klaus Flouride, Allen Ginsberg, Bevin Kelley from Blevin from Blechdom, Todd, Capricorns, Jarboe and many many more. There is here also words/voice by Kasia Meow, whom I don’t know. I wasn’t blown away by their ‘The Crying Of Lot 69’, which is, no doubt, entirely my problem: I am not the biggest lover of story telling set to music (perhaps with a few exceptions, such as Randy Grief’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’) because I like to hear music more than I like to hear stories; I rather read stories. The story is sometimes in the way of the music, which is then not always clearly to be heard. And that’s the case here, again. While it’s all cleverly put together, with various layers of voices, whispering, shouting, telling and intense music with no doubt fill up what is necessary here, it’s also something that I like to hear once or twice, but would not return to all too easily. Now I was thinking: maybe this is perhaps something to be seen live, seated in the dark and let it all come? I could imagine that would do well. (FdW)
Address: http://www.southern.com
HATZATZ – LIVE AT LOOS (CD, private)
Sponsored by The Netherlands Foundation For Israeli Culture, this is indeed a meeting from Israel and The Netherlands. The musicians are from Israel, and are Maya Felixbrodt (viola, electronics), Ilya Ziblat Shay (double bass, electronics) and Tomer Harari-Kaplan (harmonium, singing saw, ipod, electronics) but recorded in The Hague, The Netherlands, last March at Studio Loos, in front of an audience. It was the result of a year of playing together, and they are somewhere in between composed and improvisation. They refer to the pieces on this CD as compositions and there are six of them. I rather would think of this as ‘improvised’ music and of a more traditional kind. All of these instruments sound ‘like intended’, and play perhaps a bit stranger music, which has perhaps a slight modern classical feel to it. I guess it’s not bad, but I thought it was very hard to get into this. It all remained a bit too distant for my taste. Its tempting, I think, not to say anything about the fact that they are from Israel, since, why should that have special attention? But occasionally I had the impression that it had influences of traditional folk music, but, as a non-expert, I might be totally wrong. Like said, it’s alright, but perhaps it’s not my cup of tea. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hatzatz.com
PLAAT 1 (compilation LP by Tape)
Tape is no doubt the best coffee bar in Arnhem, a Dutch city not far away from Nijmegen, where they also serve Ethiopian Beers. And occasionally put on a concert, usually of the more daring singer songwriter kind. Now they released a LP which leaves me with a bunch of questions. Why is there no info on any of these artists, eight of ten I never heard of. I do know Visitors, that excellent new synth project by Bertin (unsigned, labelowners, pay attention to this, check out his soundcloud or watch the various nice space ship/robot videoclips he did for these songs) and I do know Korla Pandit. Yes, I raised my eyebrows too. The nine other bands are all playing pop music, so where exactly does the exotica from the already deceased Pandit fit in? The cover lacks context I think, but then the website does have the liner notes – in Dutch. Mytron and Bdmntn are from Arnhem, Tropical Ooze and Never Ending Kicks are from America, like Pandit and the others are Dutch (De Mus, Visitors, Flamingo Pudding, Crookram and Riverdistrict. Like said, this is all pop music in one form or another. Synth pop, The Cure like, exotica, singer songwriters, electronica – at times it all sounded quite 80s, when alternative pop was on labels as Cherry Red or Les Disques Du Crepuscule.
You could wonder what the hell it is all about, or decide not to care. I choose the latter. I hate reviewing compilations. I don’t mind listening to some and this surely colored my day with joyful colors! (FdW)
Address: http://www.ilovetape.nl
HARRY MERRY – AUSTRALIAN SUN (7″ by Meeuw)
Various friends of mine go wild over Harry Merry. They think he’s witty, a genius, an outsider, a true composer in a new tradition or anything something alike. I don’t belong to those people. I think Harry Merry, a singer and keyboard player, is a clever man, who carved with weirdness a niche for himself, performing at alternative art locations and every now and then releasing a new record. Here he has one on Meeuw Muzak – now there’s a favorite label of mine! – produced by Dear Listener Martin Luiten, who by now has the role of in-house producer for Meeuw – and which label does have such a producer these days? Here he has a song where he sings along a barrel organ, with a song someone carved into the organ book. There are microphones every where, so we also the pages going through the organ, which add a very weird quality to the song. In fact it’s so weird that this easily might be the very first record I hear from Harry Merry that I truly like. Perhaps because I can’t stand barrel organs out on the street? Will I listen to these differently next time I pass on? Negative plus negative makes positive? Curious little record with an instrumental version on the flip – now there’s a daring move. Crazy indeed. (FdW)
Address: http://www.meeuw.net
ADEGA ENSEMBLE – BLACK VAN IN A SMALL SQUARE (CDR by Ilse)
ILIA BELORUKOV – NUDOKSA (CDR by Ilse)
It’s been a while since I last heard something by Ilse, a fine home for all kinds of experimental music on CDR, and these two are indeed quite different. First we have the Adega Ensemble, which is Henry Krutzen (tenor saxofone, objects), João Parrinha (drums, percussion), João Pedro Viegas (bass clarinet), Luís Vicente (trumpet, objects), Manuel Guimarães (guitar), Paulo Chagas (flute, oboé, sopranino clarinet), Paulo Curado (flute, soprano and alto saxophones), with a recording they made in 2011 in Lisbon, Portugal. This improvised music with a strong tendency towards anything free and anything jazzy. There is an excessive amount of wind instruments heard here, which makes that the guitar and drums/percussion is a bit far away in the mix. The add a necessary bit of color here and there, but not a lot. All of the wind instruments fight to get their place in the mix more upfront and it makes this release quite busy with a lot of similar tonal movements. It’s all a bit too much for me; too much free jazz, too much regular free jazz I should add, and too many wind instruments that one could possibly soak in on one day. At least by this listener.
Of a totally different nature is the release by Ilia Belorukov from Saint-Petersburg. He plays alto saxophone and laptop and is a member of such bands as Wozzeck, Wooden Plants and Totalitarian Music Sect. In April 2011 he toured Europe, visiting Frosinone, Rome, Taranto, Bari and Riga. From these concerts he cut ‘n pasted a thirty minute piece of music, which perhaps gives us an impression of how concerts by him sound like. There is a lengthy, spanning more than one-third of the entire pieces, cut of harsh sounds, high pitched sounds, transposed notes on the computer and it’s hard to say wether he is actually playing his saxophone in this piece. The best is however to come after this onslaught of sounds, when he mellows out with an almost ambient feel to it, with sustaining tones – no doubt thanks extended to the computer here. I wondered (afterwards indeed) if Belorukov played any saxophone here at all on this release. When the music becomes more quiet it will not return to noise, but also doesn’t ‘easy’ anyway. It’s a time stretched, heavily treated sound and it sounds pretty good, once you get across the noise. Again, it’s hard to say which of this involves a real saxophone as at times it sounds like it is all like computer treatments, but all together it makes a pretty fine release. (FdW)
Address: http://www.ilsemusic.info/
(THE) SOLAR PLEXUS – SUSHI ROLE (CDR by Chump Tapes)
You remember Posset? We reviewed some of his dictaphone induced music before. He here teams up with one Isaac, also known as The Gloom. A father and son duo, but I don’t know who’s who. They play together at Halloween for the last three years – and this is this year’s effort. I never figured out what the hell halloween was about, although you see it more and more in a country like The Netherlands – the U$A culture marching on? Anyway, (The) Solar Plexus play sampler, kung fu, cup, fork, marble mouth, cymbal, chair, thunder machine and plinkerty-plonk on all humps. Which they do in four pieces that last eighteen minutes. I am not sure how serious this all is supposed to be. Maybe it is much more serious that we expect? Maybe not. But it’s an edition of ten copies so go figure. It’s hard to define what we hear. Not because it’s inaudible or extremely loud, but it’s rumbling, rattling, improvised, home made, played without too much thought (which I assume is the idea) and two people have a fine time at Halloween. Who they are entertaining here is a bit hard to guess, well, other then themselves of course. Did it scare me? Hardly. Did I like it? Yeah, sure, why not? Should it have been much longer? – No, these kids know when to stop right on time. (FdW)
Address: <sweetflagfour@blueyonder.co.uk>
HOLZKOPF – TRESPASSING (CDR by Attenuation Circuit)
B*TONG/EMERGE (CDR by Attenuation Circuit)
MINOY & PBK – CLOISTERS (CDR by Attenuation Circuit)
Holzkopf already released on Attenuation Circuit (see Vital Weekly 786) and also send us some of his own releases (Vital Weekly 832), of which I liked the latter. The first one had a lot of fast beats as this all has to do with free style breakcore, alternative dance beats, glitchy, distorted, weird, and what I think is hardly danceable anyway. But perhaps it’s hard to find me dancing anywhere these days, I wondered. Much of what Holzkopf from Canada does is beat oriented but it’s very rarely put together in such a way that we head and tails, compositions if you want, but a chaotic, chopped up, beat oriented sounds, which needs a lot of drugs to make your feet move (I didn’t try this out on grey thursday afternoon). A moment of rest we are allowed in ‘W Slaylor Moon’ (indicating a track recorded with a person of that name), which has no beats but dark ambience. Now perhaps that’s more of my liking indeed. I did mention such in the previous review.
The release by Swiss B*tong and Emerge was released on a highly limited LP and no doubt sold out, but it’s also available as a unlimited CDR release – which is what I have here. Emerge is ‘man behind the label’ and active force B*tong has had a couple of releases on this label already. They both work extensively with computers to process whatever sounds they have at their disposal. B*tong uses his own sound sources here, although we are not told which ones they are and Emerge uses the same sounds for his composition. There are more similarities: both operate from a rather dark end of the sound spectrum. Atmosphere, space, ambience, they all play an important role in this music. And perhaps minor differences. Here we have the sons of Legion (see elsewhere) playing their own version of dark ambient music. Using concrete sounds, feeding it through vast amounts of computer treatments, they create a sonically dark, layered, atmospheric piece of music – each one of them. B*tong’s piece is a bit more bass like and Emerge’s take on that is a bit more higher pitched at times, with nastier frequencies and might accounted for as something a bit more industrial than by B*tong, who stays on the more ambient side of these matters. But the margins on such divisions are quite small. You could as easily thought that this release was by one and the same band for all I know. I didn’t hear much new for either band, but for the record, I’d like note that both works are particularly strong, in the case of Emerge probably the best I heard from him.
The name Minoy didn’t pop up in Vital Weekly, not even to announce his untimely demise in 2010, but in the 80s he was an important factor, a vital representant of the lively movement of cassettes and music by mail. He kind of stopped when everybody went digital. He worked a lot through mail, and one such person was Phillip B. Klingler, also known as PBK. Back then active in the ‘scene’ and since a few years again – although probably never really disappeared. Here we have three lengthy cuts recorded in 1987 and remastered by PBK in 2008 and one of the few (so far) digital releases by Minoy available. These long form experiments evolve around a few battered old synths, primitive forms of sampling (the SK1 anyone?) and likewise primitive electronics to processes the sound even further. Occasionally drowning in too many of these effects (reverb, delay), but still after all these years it’s great to notice, albeit privately, that I still like that ambient industrial sound, buzzing and ringing, but now sounding better than ever, but hey, I liked going digital when it became affordable. Beneath the electric storm we find the buried screams of Minoy – personal trademark of his, this sort of vocals – which accounts, I guess, for the more industrial side of these things. But as it’s never really ambient, it’s also never really industrial, and those seemingly opposites meet up well. You’d probably call this drone music these days, but the differences are rather distinct: there is so much more happening in here than in many of the current drone music. If you want to step in and need a point of entry: this is a very good one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.attenuationcircuit.de
STEVEN VINKENOOG – PROGRESSION & INDETERMINATE HARMONIES (CDR, private)
STEVEN VINKENOOG – STRUCTURE & RANDOM HARMONIES (CDR, private)
If ever you saw him in action when he plays guitar and sings with drummer Donne in their free improv duo Donne & Desiree, it’s hard to imagine he would create such contemplative drone music under his own belt: Steven Vinkenoog from close by (for our vantage point that is) city Arnhem. But that’s what he does when it comes to his solo work, which is more often than not created as part of art installations. For both of these new releases goes that they started life as ‘text scores’ and could have been played by six guitarists at the same time, but for the sake of recording Vinkenoog played all parts himself and multi-tracked his own guitar playing. You could wonder why he would release two titles at the same time, but once you heard them you know why, as there are important differences. On ‘Progression & Indeterminate Harmonies’ he continues to explore what he set out on ‘The Feedback Etudes’ (see Vital Weekly 837): long sustaining sounds, which come across like sine waves, along the lines of Alvin Lucier or Phill Niblock, and it’s hard to hear a guitar in this, but perhaps created with e-bows or magnetic fields through guitar strings. Music designed to be played at a soft(er) volume, because when you play this ‘loud’ it’s simply not enjoyable anymore. But soft this will expand in your own space in it’s own way. Move slowly through you space and you’ll notice. It’s great music, but I’m a sucker for this kid of radical minimalism. The other release is also with six (layers of) guitars but here we recognize them as such also, which some may find a nice thing. There is (perhaps) some kind of mechanical device playing the guitars here, but for all I know it’s something that Vinkenoog plays himself. Here too we have a highly minimal approach, less the sine waves but more of strumming kind. There is no additional processing of sounds, either by stomp boxes or computers and everything sounds nice and clean. It’s good; not just because it’s something different than his other works, but also because it’s something that is alike that other work, yet it sounds quite different. Two excellent releases! (FdW)
Address: http://www.stevenvinkenoog.com