KLANGWART – INKIEK (3″ CD by Staubgold)
>From the very active and noteworthy musicscene in Cologne a new band and a
new label. Klangwart is a duo, being Markus Detmer and Timo Reuber, who are
helped by who’s who from Cologne: Markus Schmicklers studio and Frank
Dommert’s cover photo.
The two hoover around with electronics and electro-acoustic sounds. From
the opening feedback, sounds shift and swirl. Some of the sounds are
drenched in heavy reverb and delay. Scraping and scratching of objects
intermingle with electronic sounds of various kinds and built up
particulary in the second track to a hugh crescendo. From all the recent
Cologne music, this might be the one that is most hard to pin down in some
category (not techno, postrock, ambient), but definetly one that is most
daring and experimental. And thanks to the lovely little format a good
introduction.
Address: <a2581949@smail.rrz.uni-koeln.de>
STARS OF THE LID/LABRADFORD – THE KAHANEK INCIDENT (12″ by Trance Syndicate)
Apparentely the third in a series – I am unfamiliar with the others. But I
had to get this, as one of my favourite ‘guitar’ bands is on it: Stars Of
The Lid. ‘Guitar’ band is an inappt description of this band, since
although they use guitars (possibly maybe), they have transformed to a
great extent. Only after several minutes you can recognize the six strings.
Before the drones swirl out of the boxes, and some metallic sound sample –
but hey that can also be made by a guitar. Bythe time you recognize the
guitar as a guitar, you also recognize a bass and very slowly they are
playing a tune. Far away there is throbbing sound. Then the melody (or
whatever you want to call it) is removed and light hearted drones come in.
As spooky and trance like possible this side. Not post-rock, but simply
very very good drone music.
Labradford is probably more known (I don’t know, as I live on the wrong
side of the ocean), but I’m quite unfamiliar with them. The side spins at
45 (but that I found out after playing it 3 times – and mind me saying
this: try it at 33). It might the title of this piece, ‘Texas’, but there
is a distinct western/desert feel – the click that returns every now and
then could be an insect and the whole atmosphere is one of desolation. High
time I checked out their other works. (FdW)
Address: P.O.Box 49771 – Austin, Texas 78765 – USA
JOHN DUNCAN – JOHN SEE SOUNDTRACKS (CD by RRRecords)
It might be a known story: after moving from USA to Japan, John Duncan did
some work in the Porn business. In a recent interview he states the
pornography is a hidden side of society that is, at least in Japan, also
quite schizophrenic. Pubic hair and sexual intercourse are not allowed to
be seen.
This CD contains five soundtracks to various porn films and were originally
released on a limited picture disc LP. The CD version also contains one
extra piece – the soundtrack to the performance ‘Move Forward’.
As one can expect there are various sighs to be found here against
backdrops of dark atmospheric music (to avoid the ‘ambient-industrial’
tag). In ‘Breath Choir’ the sighing towards the end gets more mechanical –
maybe a resemblance of the mechanical affair the porn industry sometimes
is? There is also ‘Breathchoir Mix’ and here the vocals sound like pigs
screaming. Quite haunting! ‘Inka’ is a collage of delayed sounds with
clicks and pops – I wish to see what scene belongs to this (the problem
with soundtracks without the screen of course). ‘Power Love’ is one of the
few rhythmical Duncan tracks I know off with some weird ethnical chanting.
It is the sounding of energy that comes from having sex.
‘Move Forward’ is an archetype of Duncan’s music: shortwave sounds being
layered and processed to a great extent. Maybe from all the pieces on this
CD, the only piece that can be thoroughly enjoyed without having
experienced the performance or film that are also part of it.
(FdW)Address: RRRecords – 23 Central St. – Lowell, MA 01852 – USA
CELLULOID MATA – FANCY BINARIES (CD by Noise Musuem)
Les Folks de Noise Musuem en France confuse us continously. They start a
series of 12″s with weird ambient/techo cross-overs, but then number 3 in
the series is a CD, which is not so ambient at all. The unknown Celluloid
Mata gives as inspirational music groups a.o. The Aphex Twin. And upon the
first stroke of this CD it is a very obvious inspiration. Many tracks have
the same harsh rhythms (area ‘I Care Because You Do’), but are simple and
more direct. But it’s the sort of rhythms that do well on a loud volume.
That Celluloid Mata also listened carefully to ‘Selected Ambient Works Part
2′, is clear on ‘Lost Where U’re Lost’ or ‘Out Of The Day Talking About D.
Judd’. Clearly Celluloid Mata copies a lot from his hero, but I am in a
mild mood, and I didn’t care not getting ‘Richard D. James’, so I find this
a well subsitute. (FdW)
Address: <N.Musuem@infonie.fr>
TONE REC – THUGNY TRUGNY (CD by Sub Rosa)
Some labels are dedicated followers of fashion – and Sub Rosa is one.
Always on the intellectual edge of things, but with keen eyes on the music
magazines. They embrassed Drum & Bass, and with Tone Rec also Postrock
(maybe before with Rawfrucht – but I disliked that so much…). Wether that
is good or bad, I leave to be discussed by others. I just care about good
music. Tone Rec is a new group, and the information is pretty scarse (if
not: non-existent). At a typical Post-rock length (41 minutes seems
standard in these areas), but with 5 lengthy tracks this is rather good.
More rocky then the above mentioned Stars Of The Lid/Labradford, the drums
play an important role. But the whole rock format of song structure is
destroyed to a great extent, and from it’s remains a wild pastiche is built
of slowly evolving collage, interrupted by sampled drums and ovalesque
soundscapes. Less jazzy or lounge then say Tortoise, and less retro then
Trans Am, Tone Rec certainly add something on their own, not heard on many
other Postrockers. And with music like this, remixes could be made
endlessly! (FdW)
Address: <guymarc@switchon.be>
STARFISH POOL – REMIXED (CD by Silver Recordings)
This an anticipated release and shows the big family (incestious?) music
business sometimes is. Silver Recordings is the label from Starfish Pool,
and so he invited a bunch of friends to remix his previous work on his own
label. One can argue what a remix could possibly add to the original. Is
the band not satisfied with it, or is it showing how many friends we have
or is it a promotion in new musical terrain? Certainly not the last, since
many of the bands on ‘Remixed’ stay close to Pool’s original. I can’t judge
wether the first two aspect should be considered. But in any case many of
the involved artists add a few tricks or as you will, trademarks of their
own. Riou for instance is in his usual lo-fi sampling made, and Unit
Moebius is downright minimal techno as usual. And so each takes some
elements as bricks for their own house to be built, and techno music
presents itself once more as a very open form of music. Unit Moebius and
Mark Broom/Dave Hill are my favourites, but overall no real bad tracks
included. (FdW)
Address: <silver@net4all.be>
CATORCE INDEX (CD by
In a silkscreened carton envloppe (text barely to not readable) we find a
pitch black CD. I tried deciphering the cover, but I failed. Not a good
start before playing a CD. But I am blown away! Apperently all acoustic
recordings here, in which the recorded environment plays an important role.
There is banging, scrapping going on of what could be tunnels, the room
next to the recording microphone or closely miked. Sometimes frightenly
close or remote and distant. Almost unbelievable that no samples or sound
effects have been used to create this. Imagine Asmus Tietchens without the
reverb, or an audible Bernard Gunther and you are close to Catorce Index.
So add this name to the list of sturdy intelligent experimenters like F.
Lopez, Michael Northam, Toy Bizarre, Roel Meelkop or the forementioned two.
And never mind that the text is not readable.
Address: P.O.Box 93491 – Los Angeles, CA 90093 – USA