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Editorial news: we have decided to stop reviewing MP3 releases. Please
do not send any discs with MP3 releases. Just send me an e-mail with a
link and a short description, so people can download it. The amount of
releases pile up every week and I can no longer devote time to MP3s.
Whatever you see coming in the next few weeks are the last ones. Please
do not send anymore. Also: releases that do not contain the original
artwork will most likely be no longer reviewed. The real thing is
necessary for a real judgment. If you wish to send us not the real
thing, please contact us first. <vital@vitalweekly.net>
SPOELSTRA - THE ALMIGHTY INTERNET (CD by Narrominded) *
MICHEL F. COTE & A. DONTIGNY - LA NOTTE FA (CD by Et Records) *
PHILIPPE LAUZIER & PIERRE-YVES MARTEL - SAINCT LAURENS (CD by Et Records) *
NDE - KRIEG BLUT EHRE ASCHE (CD by Cold Spring)
IRON FIST OF THE SUN - BEHAVIOURAL DECLINE (CD by Cold Spring)
WICKED KING WICKER - GOD IS BUSY… SAVE YOURSELF (CD by Cold Spring)
KYLE BOBBY DUNN - A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO KYLE BOBBY DUNN (2CD by Low Point) *
ILLUSION OF SAFETY - PROBE (CD by Perdition Plastics) *
LAURA ANDEL ORCHESTRA - DOBLE MANO (CD by Rossbin)
TIM HODGKINSON & MILO FINE - TESHUVAH (CD by Rossbin)
BALMORHEA - CONSTELLATIONS (CD by Western Vinyl) *
SLOW SIX - TOMORROW BECOMES YOU (CD by Western Vinyl) *
BURNING STAR CORE - INSIDE THE SHADOW (CD by Hospital Productions) *
CARLOS GIFFONI - SEVERANCE (CD by Hospital Productions) *
COD CAVE - CREMATIONS (CD by Hospital Productions) *
WYNDEL HUNT - SUNSHINE NOIR (CDR by Dragon's Eye Recordings) *
TL0741 - MAGNETIC INJURIES (CDR by HC3 Music) *
LUNAR MIASMA/ONDO (CDR by Tuguska)
TERJE PAULSEN - HORISONT (CDR by Mystery Sea) *
EZRA JACOBS & BAS VAN HUIZEN - ATONOTOOP (DVD-R by Etherkreet)
TOY BIZARRE - KDI DCTB 216 [DATA #7] (3"CDR by Kaon) *
FREIBAND - MARTIN SEVEN [NEW] ASPECTS (3"CDR by My Own Little Label)
FREIBAND - MARTIN ONE [LIVE] ASPECT (3"CDR by My Own Little Label) *
NO MOLL LONELY NIGHTS : MY PERSONAL CHRISTMAS ALBUM (Compilation 3"CDR by My Own Little Label)
NAMAZU DANTAI - BLACK LILY IN A WHITE POND (cassette by 2:00 AM Tapes)
SPOELSTRA - THE ALMIGHTY INTERNET (CD by Narrominded)
Following stints in bands like Boutros Bubba, De Reizende Verkoper,
Gone Bald, Quarles van Ufford en CSMD, Spoelstra finally he decided to
leave the rock area and to leave any other names, other than his own.
He switches on the synthesizer, a sampler and sounds effects and
created 'The Almighty Internet' an 'study into the necessity of
information technology of our current society' - do we need all this
technology that invades our privacy - hey, which we all use to share
out privacy even. I already played this album three times before I
wrote this, simply because I thought it was an enjoyable album, and I
still haven't found the answer to his question (actually the Dutch
queen already gave it in her christmas speech). I know the answer
already - shut down Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and go that nice bar
around the corner, and have some of this great music, preferably played
by Spoelstra, sweating over his equipment. Loud is best, cold beer in
your hand (a cigarette would be nice, but
Vital Weekly shouldn't advocate smoking in the current time, right?),
and Spoelstra's quirky electro beats, chopped up synth lines, bits of
noise will do the rest. Afterwards you hand the man a beer too, and be
friendly to him. You really, really, really don't need to share your
privacy online, if something like this would go on around the corner.
And if it doesn't, get this CD, phone (not text-messaging, or facebook
invitation) all your friends for a private party. The almighty internet
is just useful to get the word out about such nice music. And a great
cover too, it might actually have words on it. (FdW)
Address: http://www.narrominded.com
MICHEL F. COTE & A. DONTIGNY - LA NOTTE FA (CD by Et Records)
PHILIPPE LAUZIER & PIERRE-YVES MARTEL - SAINCT LAURENS (CD by Et Records)
No doubt this label is in a lucky situation: the only mail arriving
today where these two CDs, which included the 2008 release by Michel F.
Cote and A Dontigny, which is well beyond the six months that I usually
have for accepting promo's. This to avoid labels sending me complete
back catalogues, and not because of being lazy. We know Et Records as a
label from Canada with improvised music, but these two stretch the idea
thereof. A. Dontigny we know as someone from the No Type Records label
with some highly charged musique concrete cut up music, whereas Cote is
a known as an improviser on drums. That's what he is playing here too,
along with percussion, micros, tapes and electronics, and Dontigny gets
credit for cut-ups, drum machines and dsp. A bunch of (un-)invited
guests also appear: Bernard Falaise, Alexandre St. Onge, Alexander
Macsween and Jean Rene. I am not entirely sure how this was conceived,
but I think this is the result of recording together some long night
on drums and
electronics, and then taking the recordings to the computer to
effectively and extending mixing, chopping up, editing to create some
wicked, crazy music. Hardly to be recognized as improvised music as
such, this owes much more electronic music on one side and free rock on
the other. Say Moha! or Rock Out but then a bit softer, a bit more
structured and perhaps more electronic in their approach. Its however
not an album that we can apply such words as 'careful' or 'gentle', as
the music is a bit too mean for that. A high energy trip all around.
Each track is in full speed mode, with tons of small sounds happening
all around. One that doesn't leave you untouched. One crazy fucked up
form of improvised music.
The second release is by Philippe Lauzier on saxophones, bass clarinet,
tubes and melodica together with Pierre-Yves Martel on prepared viola
da gamba, two inch speakers, radios and contact mics. I assume, seeing
this was recorded over a two day period, that this is a studio
recording, which was later mixed by the two musicians, along with Dave
Bignell. Improvised music of course, but quite an odd one. The nine
pieces are relatively short and in a strange sort of way quite noisy.
Strange because the bigger part the music is acoustically made, but
with that bit of amplification that makes all the scraping sounds
wandering off every now and then in the realms of feedback like
sustained sounds, this is certainly not an easy work to access. Its
however one, I think, that is quite beautiful. The sustaining sounds
produced by what seem to be the main instruments (saxophone and viola)
are already quite nasty, but in addition to whatever they are doing,
this is a great work, totally
demanding
full concentration of the listener, but also totally rewarding. Excellent discs, both of them. (FdW)
Address: http://www.etrecords.net
NDE - KRIEG BLUT EHRE ASCHE (CD by Cold Spring)
IRON FIST OF THE SUN - BEHAVIOURAL DECLINE (CD by Cold Spring)
WICKED KING WICKER - GOD IS BUSY… SAVE YOURSELF (CD by Cold Spring)
NDE is a Belgian project that belongs to the darkest spheres of
electronic music. The artwork of the cover is pure grey-tone colors
without any warmth or happiness. There are no sign of contact details
or reference to information sources on the cover to the band.
Furthermore the band has no myspace or website, leaving the band in the
deep underground. In that sense the surroundings nicely fit the musical
containment of present release titled "Krieg blut ehre asche" (In
English: War blood honour ashes). The album is the debut from NDE and a
very nice one indeed! Eight pieces of sonic brutality is what you get
here. Deep rumbling drones of power electronics moves along screeching
harsh noise and martial percussions meanwhile the vocal side consists
of evil screams and guttural expressions with much reference to the
black metal-scene. To strengthen the dark atmosphere samples of distant
voices and subtle orchestration leaves the listener cold and isolated.
A very interesting work
appealing to listeners of darkest electronics. Pure evil!
Next album from Cold Spring also belongs to the harsh side of
electronic expressions. As was the case with aforementioned NDE, anger
and extreme aggression saturates the compositions of the album. In
comparison to NDE, Wicked King Wicker moves in more abstract spheres
with no sign of rhythm texture and almost non-existing vocals though
signs of human roar seems to be somewhere in the tick fog of sheer
brutality. Last album in the line comes from British power electronics
artist Iron Fist Of The Sun. Present album titled "Behavioural decline"
separates from the aforementioned albums with its old school oriented
approach to the noise scene recalling the early days of Industrial
pioneering. As you listen to the eight tracks of the album associations
towards compatriot legends in Whitehouse shines through, though there
are plenty of moments with high-tech violence to prove its existence in
the presence of contemporary harsh noise scene. Again the vocals are a
dominating parameter to
create the brutality, but the vocal sound on this one is more human in
expression with some pure shouting without the witchery hellish black
metal screams of first reviewed album from NDE. Three great new
exercises in extreme aggression from British essential label Cold
Spring. (NM)
Address: http://www.coldspring.co.uk/
KYLE BOBBY DUNN - A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO KYLE BOBBY DUNN (2CD by Low Point)
Yesterday I had dinner with some friends and we talked about how old
cassettes seemed to be booming business, probably, as someone
suggested, its the last thing which hasn't been fully re-issued on CD
yet, so people (collectors scum was the word used) have the idea to buy
a genuine item. Much to my surprise I read on the press text of Kyle
Bobby Dunn's double CD that its a reissue of something that has been
previously available as a download. Those cassettes, no doubt, will
follow soon on CD, if the market is already up for re-issuing download,
I reckon. Its not the first time I hear the music of Dunn. His
'Fragments & Compositions' CD was reviewed in Vital Weekly 629 (and
other releases on This Generation Tapes, Housing and Kning Disk I never
heard), and while it was quite alright, its also something that wasn't
entirely exciting. Dunn uses real instruments, such as guitar, strings
and brass (often played by others) which he conducts and records and
then reworks on the computer. Not
that we hear such instruments, I must admit, well, not as such. For all
you know this is something that is just created on a computer. There
are instances, such as on 'Bonaventure's Finest Hour', in which we
recognize the brass and strings and have a beautiful Scelsci like
sound, but in others it wasn't that clear. At least, I didn't know
until I started reading the press text, somewhere half way through the
second CD. Up to that point I assumed this was another disc of glitch
ambient, the warm sustaining sounds of harddrives slowly burning. That
was a wrong assumption. But it also says something, I guess, about the
music. Its music that is not bad, but perhaps also a bit unsurprising.
Drone like music, not unlike Mirror, Ora or Monos or perhaps someone
like Olivia Block. Don't get me wrong: its done with absolutely great
class, and the execution is great, but perhaps not with enough of his
own. (FdW)
Address: http://www.low-point.com
ILLUSION OF SAFETY - PROBE (CD by Perdition Plastics)
This is not a review but merely a historical, personal ramble. In 1992
I started working for Staalplaat, buying and selling stuff, and helping
out getting those strange packages done. One of the bands that already
had a great package, before my time, was Illusion Of Safety, whose
'Historical' was packed in a leather pouch with a real bullet. Both
Staalplaat and Korm Plastics, my own small venture, were in contact
with Illusion Of Safety's main man Dan Burke and Jim O'Rourke, who was
then a main collaborator with Burke. This resulted in 'Disengage',
still one of the top 10 releases by Staalplaat, along with 'Probe' by
Illusion Of Safety. The first 500 were packed in a wooden box with a
real Italian coin and toy money from former Eastern Germany (an
additional 500 were sold in the same wooden box, but without the
monies). Illusion Of Safety were on a peak with that CD, or perhaps a
watershed mark (otherwise you may think they never reached another peak
again) is a better word. Before
that Illusion Of Safety was, perhaps, 'another' fine band of harsh and
less harsh industrial music as a bigger outfit with a varying line up.
Towards the end of the era of releasing cassettes, which culminated in
the fine but highly obscure 'RVE' tape, Jim O'Rourke became a member,
bringing a love of composed music to the table, not just musique
concrete but also the like of Scelsi. The music of Illusion Of Safety
changed and on 'Probe', as said being here just Dan Burke & Jim
O'Rourke, this culminated in that first highlight. All of the
influences from before and new ones, melted together in this great disc
of musique concrete. Many field recordings are used, along with
piercing electronics at times, bowed guitars at others. Sometimes
stretching out seemingly ad infinitum, but then sometimes abruptly
changing color, speed, intensity, mood, texture and/or atmospherics. An
absolute great work of sound collage, bridging musique concrete,
electro-acoustics, improvisation, industrial
music and ambient. Still a highlight of a career, and great to see back
in print - even when the cover is not on par with the original. (FdW)
Address: http://www.perditionplastics.com
LAURA ANDEL ORCHESTRA - DOBLE MANO (CD by Rossbin)
TIM HODGKINSON & MILO FINE - TESHUVAH (CD by Rossbin)
Laura Andel comes from Argentina, but lives and works in New York
nowadays. It is here that she formed here orchestra that has the
following eclectic line up: Taylor Ho Bynum (Cornet), Stephanie Griffin
(Viola), Matt Bauder Clarinets), Raul Jaurena (Bandoneon), Carl Maguire
(Fender Rhodes), Ursel Schlicht (Piano), Ken Filiano (Double Bass),
Danny Tunick (Vibraphone & Gamelan Instruments), David Simons
(Gamelan Instruments), Laura Andel (Composition & Conducting). She
did already two other recordings with her orchestra, making 'Doble
Mano' the third one. The recording dates from 2007 and was done at The
Kitchen. In Argentina she was a woodwind player and made her degree in
tango performance. In the US she studied jazz composition and music for
film. As a composer she is interested in the concept of identity linked
to the search for ambiguity." I feel very strong the question of my own
identity, perhaps in part because I am an immigrant myself" she tells.
Different identities are
reflected in the curious combination of instruments we find on 'Doble
Mano' (= a two-way street, or anything with opposite directions on the
road). For example, 'Part 1' starts with gamelan, joined later on by
the bandoneon. The bandoneon again appears in the first part of 'Part
2'. Often the bandoneon is played very much in a tango vein. Like in
'Part 4' where bandoneon and cornet are involved in a beautiful duet.
'Part 6' opens with free improvisation. Andel blends not only
instruments from different musical backgrounds, but also the typical
playing style that belongs to these instruments, especially in the case
of the bandoneon. The overall perspective is that of modern classical
composed music making use of different ingredients like free
improvisation, and ethnical musical identities. In another way 'Doble
Mano' is a stripped down composition. All useless details are skipped.
What remains are the simple, concentrated melodies, harmonies, etc that
tell the story. She makes good
use of the instrumentation, making different combinations of the
instruments. We never hear all players at once. In my case this music
started to work after repeated listening. I was not charmed immediately
by her compositions, but the music began more and more to talk to me.
It is very non-aggressive, modest music. And at the same time there is
something mysterious here that attracts one's attention to this music.
'Teshuvah' reflects a first meeting between of two experienced veteran
improvisors: Tim Hodgkinson (Henry Cow, Konk Pack, etc.) and Milo Fine.
The career of Fine goes back to 1969 when he started The Milo Fine Free
Jazz Ensemble. Throughout his career he was dedicated to free
improvised music. I guess both gentlemen are more or less of the same
age. Also Hodgkinson has a longlasting relation with free
improvisation, as it was already part of the Henry Cow. They combined
rock and free improvisation. In the last few years Hodgskinson tours
regularly with his trio Konk Pack (Roger Turner, Thomas Lehn). During a
concert in Minnesota he met Fine and the idea for a duo-session came
up. It was realized in Fine's home, on a day in march 2008. Two long
extended and one short improvisation made it to the CD that has Fine
playing piano, drums, b flat clarinet and voice and Hodgkinson on b
flat clarinet. While listening one feels the joy they had in their
fabulous interactions. Never a dull
moment during these sparkling, catch-me-while-you-can improvisations (DM).
Address: http://www.rossbin.com
BALMORHEA - CONSTELLATIONS (CD by Western Vinyl)
SLOW SIX - TOMORROW BECOMES YOU (CD by Western Vinyl)
The first album by Balmorhea from Texas was reviewed back in Vital
Weekly 611 and their chambient - that is ambient music that sounds like
a chamber orchestra - was well received here, even it some of the
pieces were a bit too similar and perhaps a bit too dramatic. Guitars
and violins, bass and drums, and a bit of piano : an odd combination
perhaps but effectively nice, gentle music. In between there was a
remix record and now a second album is out, 'Constellations'. I listen
again carefully - well, like always, I suppose, and I was thinking
about the previous album and the set of the remixes. The thing that
sprang to mind here: there hasn't been much change at all with the
previous work. Now that raises a question of course: is that bad? No,
its not. Two albums that sound alike in the span of two years, that's
not a bad thing I should think. My main objection against the first one
was that "after about two-third one (say the average old LP length) I
had pretty much enough and
wanted
to change the tune. That doesn't happen and Balmorhea remains the same
throughout, but it's all a bit too much drama. Great, in a smaller
dose, nice but a tiring as a whole." That very much can also be said of
this new album. While I enjoy individual pieces, the modern classical
approach, the post rock edge, the minimalist Wim Mertens piano playing
and all of that packed into one album, the whole thing is perhaps a bit
too esoteric for me to take it at once, even with such a modest length.
Back in Vital Weekly 592 I was more positive about another band on
Western Vinyl, called Slow Six, from New York I believe. Here too we
find a combination of modern classical music and rock music, but in
this case its more contrast-like than with Balmorhea: here the drum
rock, and the violins play very open minimalist tunes. The opening
piece 'The Night You Left New York' is almost like Steve Reich's
'Violin Phase' set against some rock drumming. Its a strange
combination, but one that actually works quite well. It sets the tone
for the rest of the record. Not as grey as the music by Balmorhea, this
music sounds like a fresh freeze on a spring day, joyful in approach.
Post rock, well, post anything I'd say. It moves away from 'Private
Times In Public Places' which seemed more ambient and atmospheric in
approach, more inside music than outside. Here the music is more
outside, telling the world: we're here, don't ignore us but let's share
a party. Probably there is a whole market out
there for this kind of clash of contrary cultures - the academic world
of classical music and the rock world - see Bedroom Recordings, Fat Cat
or Western Vinyl - but as vivid as this new Slow Six is rarely heard.
(FdW)
Address: http://www.westernvinyl.com
BURNING STAR CORE - INSIDE THE SHADOW (CD by Hospital Productions)
CARLOS GIFFONI - SEVERANCE (CD by Hospital Productions)
COD CAVE - CREMATIONS (CD by Hospital Productions)
One look at Hospital Productions website will tell you this is a noise
label - right from the design to the various artists they release.
First we have C. Spenser Yeh, also known as Burning Star Core, who by
now has gained quite some fame (or so I believe). Hospital releases
'Inside The Shadow', which was originally released as tour item in
2005. Yeh plays his usual violin, but also chimes and bells and
electronics, to create a fine tapestry of noise base improvisations in
drone land - if you get my drift. Its neither just improvisation, nor
full on noise and perhaps quite drone based indeed, but then of a more
violent nature. That adds a great spicy character to the music, which
actually is not as noisy as I assumed it would be.
And that might also apply to the work of Carlos Giffoni, who probably
releases much more than what is reviewed in these pages, so who am I to
say something about his work and the development thereof? It seems to
me that over the years in his own work, as well as in the releases he
put on his own label No Fun Productions, the tone is more towards edgy,
experimental and electronics, away from the pure noise onslaughts.
Which of course is something I more than welcome. The whole pure noise
is perhaps fun to create for a while but not an everlasting career. As
such Giffoni delivers with 'Severance' a release that is more than
pleasant. He found a great balance between the real noise - more
towards the end of the CD - and minimalist, sequencer like pieces at
the beginning - 'Knife' being almost a wicked piece of dance music.
Blocks of sine wave like drone material is somewhere in between. Still
not easy listening, which is perfectly fine of course. Giffoni is all
over the place with what
I
think - again, with my limited knowledge of the entire catalogue of his work - his best work to date.
I never heard of Cold Cave, and on the website it says that 'Cremations' is a
"collection of early demo/live/and unreleased tracks" but the cover
lists all tracks save two as being released as a EP, cassette and LP.
Likewise 'genre defying electronic music', which also is said on the
website, is something that might not be entirely true either. They play
songs rather than pieces, I think, which are heavy on subjects as
pornography, religion and such fine subjects of all good things
industrial. The backdrop is made of synthesizers, sound effects and
rhythm machines. More the USA version of industrial than the UK one -
more rhythm than feedback. Here too its not the noise that prevails but
the song structure. Dark synth based songs, which on the tracks of the
cassette sound a bit thin, compared to the pieces from vinyl. Not
entirely my cup of tea, and certainly when this lengthy, but a small
dose of this was highly enjoyable. I must admit I didn't notice the
lyrics that much, but the music was nice enough. (FdW)
Address: http://hospitalproductions.com/
WYNDEL HUNT - SUNSHINE NOIR (CDR by Dragon's Eye Recordings)
A new work by Wyndel Hunt, who has previously released on this label,
both solo and in collaboration with Thom Heileson. Unlike before we now
get to know what he uses: Ableton live, Reason 2.5, Casio MT-520 and a
guitar. When I called this 'computerized blissful drones' in Vital
Weekly 577, I wasn't off the mark. This is what he did, and still does.
In the eight pieces here he creates a form of drone music that is
'louder', more 'present' than many of his peers. Sounds swell and decay
like all good drone music, but it seems he needs less time to do so
than many others. The music is fuzzy, like a shoegazing form of laptop
music. In such cases I am supposed to say that its a pity there hasn't
been much progress since the previous release, but its also not a
matter of over-production I guess, which is also a nice thing. Its fine
to have music that is away the typical ambient glitch sound (that is
sometimes also loudly present in this label's catalogue) and is
something of his own. Again
the pieces that are more collage like are a bit stronger, but I must say that throughout this is a highly pleasant work. (FdW)
Address: http://www.dragonseyerecordings.com
TL0741 - MAGNETIC INJURIES (CDR by HC3 Music)
Pat Gillis is TL0741 and also one half of Northern Machine. His 'Back
To Minus' was reviewed in Vital Weekly 641, following a concert I saw
by him about a year before that. He plays a modular synthesizer - I
don't know which one - effects and tape manipulation and starts out in
heavy noise mode, which is short, luckily enough. There are more noisy
bits on this release, sometimes by themselves or part of a piece, but
its always relatively short. The real power and the true beauty of the
music of TL0741 lies for me in the more subdued pieces, where drone
meets ambient in quite a heavy way. Gillis plays his synthesizer in an
improvised way, but has things well under control. Sounds flow about in
a nice but uplifting manner, mean but beautiful. Maybe its all a bit
long, being just over an hour worth of music, as not every track is
equally strong, but throughout this is again an interesting release of
improvisation and electronics. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hc3music.com
LUNAR MIASMA/ONDO (CDR by Tuguska)
C.J. Larsen's Ondo project has already a small number of releases,
sometimes solo, and sometimes with others. Here too he shares a release
with one Panos Alexiadis, who works as Lunar Miasma. He gets credit for
analog synths, guitars and effects, but in a strange way his piece
sounds very digitally made. See how wrong one can be actually. It
starts out in a big glitchy, organ like manner, with synthesizers
crashing along, but over the course of the pieces things go to a more
quieter place. A great piece. Ondo uses guitar, synths, field
recordings and laptop manipulations, and continues where Lunar Miasma
left us. 'Return To The New Age' his piece is called and that's not
entirely true. You couldn't sell this anyone interested in new age
music. This is a dark piece of music that sounds less coherent than the
Lunar Miasma piece. Its more improvised, over a number of sound layers,
which have then been mixed together. There are percussive bits here in
a bed of electronics, but its a
somewhat uneasy marriage. It grows at the end towards a bit more noise,
which also seems a bit tedious. Altogether not a piece, but rather a
bit too easy, and not on par with the Lunar Miasma one. (FdW)
Address: http://www.pactasuntservanda.se
TERJE PAULSEN - HORISONT (CDR by Mystery Sea)
The new kid on the block Terje Paulsen, from Kristiansand in Norway,
proofs to be as active as his country man Sindre Bjerga and Jan-M.
Iversen. Following releases on netlabels like Homophoni, TecnoNucleo,
Q-tone, Resting Bell, Rain Music, Con-V and some compilation
appearances, its now time to move to the next level, that of releasing
CDRs. What sets him apart from many of the other artists on Mystery Sea
is that he's not just interested in using water field recordings, but
he also adds real instruments to the picture. Although I'm not sure
what those might be, it seems to include bells, or gongs even, is about
the only thing I recognized. Otherwise there are of course the dripping
sounds of rain and running water, all set against the wall of
sustaining sounds. Maybe they are the real instruments mentioned, but
then heavily processed - I am not sure. This one piece work is however
a fine work in the crowded fields of sea wave recordings - it has some
fine minimal changes and never
bounces into boredom. All the right moves at the right time. (FdW)
Address: http://www.mysterysea.net
EZRA JACOBS & BAS VAN HUIZEN - ATONOTOOP (DVD-R by Etherkreet)
At the Scheltema Complex in Leiden, The Netherlands, there is a
wavefield synthesis loudspeaker system, which has no less than 192
loudspeakers and Ezra Jacobs, known from his previous work for
Etherkreet, composed a work for it. Its released on a DVD-R and no
doubt there is a surround sound version on it (although the low level
package has no information at all about anything really), but also a
stereo version, which, due to the lack of equipment here is played by
me. I'm not sure if I can capture it all, as I read on the website:
"For this composition, the loudspeaker-system was used to diffuse
densely layered masses of sound which would otherwise lose definition
and impact on a conventional loudspeaker-system". The visual side here
is provided by Bas van Huizen. So maybe I don't get the 100% right
picture of the work, but the densely layered work is quite nice. All
sorts of sound events bump and collide into eachother. Its hard to say
what those sounds are. Radio waves perhaps,
computerized versions thereof perhaps, or... well, I simply don't know.
The visuals created by Van Huizen are along similar lines. Highly
abstract spots and stains, smoke and cellophane flowers are projected
on top of eachother and form a great supplement to the music.
Everything, sound and image, are densely layered. Maybe the work is a
bit long I thought. After a while the idea is clear and whatever comes
after that doesn't seem to add much news. So while the idea is great,
the execution is fine, it may lack something as a composition. But
then, of course, I must admit that the lack of 192 independent
loudspeakers may have clouded my judgment. (FdW)
Address: http://www.etherkreet.com
TOY BIZARRE - KDI DCTB 216 [DATA #7] (3"CDR by Kaon)
The seventh installment already, twelve more minutes by Cedric
Peyronnet. After the fifth and sixth being surprises of a kind, the
sixth being a drone piece of some kind. This is now continued on this
new release - again built from wether conditions in Athwerthon Gardens
in Australia (Thursday September 24th 2009 to be precise for once) -
except that the drone is broken somewhere half way through. It dies out
slowly and then abruptly starts building again. Even more obscured than
the previous one, this hardly gives any clue as the sound sources used.
A sizzling sound being effectively and dramatically built up until it
reaches its peak, and this repeated one more time, in what seems to be
more a more 'louder' territory, with crackling sounds (rain?) and
ending on a sustained tone. Nice toned storm and thunder. Excellent
drone material. (FdW)
Address: http://www.kaon.org
FREIBAND - MARTIN SEVEN [NEW] ASPECTS (3"CDR by My Own Little Label)
FREIBAND - MARTIN ONE [LIVE] ASPECT (3"CDR by My Own Little Label)
NO MOLL LONELY NIGHTS : MY PERSONAL CHRISTMAS ALBUM (Compilation 3"CDR by My Own Little Label)
Three new releases from Dutch "My Own Little Label" - a label that
aimed to present works by interesting sound artists first of all from
the Netherlands. Two of the three present releases comes from Dutch
project Freiband. First album is the 31st release from M.O.L.L. As is
the case with a good part of the MO.L.L.-catalogue, the expression of
the album titled "Martin seven [new] aspects" is abstract in the most
alluring sense of the word. It is a re-issue of a 3" CDR originally
released on the Tib Prod-label, and now released on the occasion of the
Freiband-concert held in Brussels a bit more than a month ago - on the
11th december 2009. Opening track is a pure percussive work consisting
of concrete percussive sounds bouncing from right to left speaker. Next
track is a minimalist high-pitched long-stretching tone, that slowly is
overtaken by subtle percussive sounds. After that, follows a
non-percussive track of pure ambient built on a thick buzzing noise
drone, until another
rhythm-based minimal track penetrates. After that comes an almost
inaudible ambient piece of distant shortly after giving way to sixth
piece - an interesting ambient piece that thanks to its distant melodic
drone assisted by cow-bell reminiscent percussions recalls moments of
Biosphere's masterwork "Substrata". If the album should ever be used to
satisfy clubbers, seventh and final track is the one to go for. A
catchy yet very abstract rhythm texture moves along echoed concrete
sounds. Very interesting! Where aforementioned release was originally
recorded back in 2004, present release is a live recording from the
aforementioned concert of Freiband, held at The Public School in
Brussels on the 11th December 2009. The album consists of one long
piece running 17 minutes. It is a pure ambient piece that slowly
develops from inaudible to slightly higher volume without ever getting
loud - Alluring work! Last album, the 33rd release of M.O.L.L. is a
mini compilation consisting of five
tracks
from three different projects. As the title suggests all five pieces
circulates around Christmas as a subject, but do not expect any sweet
tunes for Christmas eve on this one. Despite the great nostalgic
photograph of a family in front of a Christmas tree, decorating the
cover artwork, this is a demanding work! First track "Bell phase" is
piece by concrete noise-project Kapotte Muziek composed in 1989, a
short piece of electro acoustic noise drones probably derived from
bells as sound sources. Next piece Stph (2001) is from Freiband and
expressively it belongs to the opposite camp of first track being a
more tranquilizing piece - a very nice atmospheric work indeed. Kapotte
Muziek returns on third track titled "Audio plagio 7" this time with a
less loud work never the less just as interesting a piece. Fifth track
is the most Christmas-like tune with a small gentle melody of a musical
box opening the piece. After that come the distant sounds of field
recordings assisted by a
Dutch-spoken voice. Last track is the short but quite effective track
from Kapotte Muziek with the rather saying title "The normal x-mas
records destruction". Three very interesting new titles from "My Own
Little Label". (NM)
Address: http://www.kormplastics.nl/moll.html
NAMAZU DANTAI - BLACK LILY IN A WHITE POND (cassette by 2:00 AM Tapes)
On this attractive, limited-edition C20, we encounter a devilishly
unattractive harsh noise wall from Sascha Mandler's latest project,
Namazu Dantai, following several years of recording under the Izanami's
Labour Pains moniker. Mandler dedicates this live recording to "female
cruelty and my willingness to receive it" -- not the first tidbit of
women-targeted ire to grace a harsh noise release, though one must
assume that, despite the wording, he's aiming his anger at only those
who've spurned him in the past. Or so I need to think, as a misogynist
blast of this intensity would be merely inexcusable. Mandler erects
this wall seemingly in mid-phrase, commencing side A's blistering
duration without even a figment of an attack curve. It's an abrupt kick
in the testes - one which pummels along for a pulverizing ten minutes
before switching sides for yet another passage of carnal
noise. This is full-on, pedal-fervid abrasion, with HNW's trademark
volume maximalism and stylistic minimalism. Imagine buildings
collapsing and thunderstorms ravaging, as the noise shifts from harsh
to harsher to less harsh to harsh in a smoothly shifting cycle whose
'calmer bits,' I assure you, can be identified only in relativistic
terms. This is solid stuff, and at twenty minutes it's quite the right
length to brutalize the listener effectively yet justly. I could live
without Mandler's choice of muse, but there's no sense condemning this
hefty racket. (MT)
Address: http://2amtapes.com/home/
--
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