Vital Weekly 556
TobiasDEAD LETTERS SPELL OUT DEAD WORDS - OLD GHOSTS, NEW GHOSTS, ALL GHOSTS CD (CD by Ideal Recordings)
Listening to Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words has always been a
hallucinatory endeavor with its ability to conjure imagery of wandering
through the bowels of some ill-defined decaying urban atrocity. With
"Old Ghosts, New Ghosts, All Ghosts" the landscape has changed, moving
to the innards of a decaying heart. The inhabitants here are
ghosts-ghosts of lost, attempted, and rejected love manifested in
sound. The tracks are numbered yet not all are titled, as if one cannot
name them or is too afraid to articulate their names. Such are the
sounds that emanate: strange articulations of scratching, clicks,
objects being dragged in the mud in one continuous flow. Sometimes a
form takes shape and arises from the muck, repeating drones that raise
our spirits then succumbs to its inherent flaws. Unlike a lot of what
falls under the loose genre of microsound or digital musics this one is
best played at maximum volume. (Jeff Surak) Address:
http://www.idealrecordings.com
CHRISTIAN WEBER & HANS KOCH & MICHAEL MOSER & MARTIN
SIEWERT & CHRISTIAN WOLFAHRT - 3 SUITS & A VIOLIN (CD by
hatOLOGY)
CHRISTIAN WEBER - OSAKA SOLO (privateCD)
Two CDs by the young austrian (or swiss?) musician Christian Weber.
Christian Weber, who did his musical studies in Graz and Linz, is
active in several projects of improvised or composed music. Current
projects include WAL (with Bruno Amstad & Joke Lanz), WWL (with Urs
Leimgruber & Christian Wolfarth), Korber-Weber-Wolfarth,
Wiesendanger-Weber-Ulrich and Space Madness (with Richard Koch and
painter Zasd). Regular performances with ensembles for contemporary
composed music (a.o. Collegium Novum, RSO Vienna...). With '3 Suits & a Violin' he presents his own ensemble and music.
Accompanied by four musicians from Austria and Switzerland, they are
exploring dynamics, sound and textures in Amm-like improvisations. From
the last sentence you may conclude that we deal here with a typical
european kind of improvisation or avant garde music with Amm as an
important point of reference. A kind of music that fortunately still
attracts younger musicians nowadays and audiences (I hope). The line up
is: Koch (bass clarinet, saxophones, electronics), Moser (cello),
Siewert (guitar, lap steel, electronics), Wolfahrt (drums) and Weber on
doublebass. Moser and Siewert you may know from Polwechsel. The music
for this CD arises from a open concept that Weber composed and that is
worked out and giving shape by all five improvisors. All of them are
equally involved in coloring these soundscapes. While listening to the
music it is my experience that it has strong sense of direction and
structure. Whether this is the result of the structuring quality of the underlying concept, or of
the improvisational qualities of the players I am unable to judge. But
the raw and subtile noises, are well-tempered and -balanced interwoven
into a whole that succeeds to keep the attention of the listener. The
recordings already date from 2002 and are now at last released by
HatOLOGY. So I am not sure whether we are talking here of history,
meaning that the ensemble does no longer exist. I don't hope so,
because their improvisations are satisfying and imaginative. If not you
may derive some comfort from the solo-recording by Weber. The privately
released 'Osaka solo' captures 18 minutes of Weber in a solo concert on
march 12, 2006 in Japan. A very concentrated and energetic piece, that
proves Weber is also perfectly capable on his own feet in making
exciting noise-oriented improvisation. It starts with deep growling
noises in the lower regions. Then soft and silently, Weber makes a new
start in the higher regions, playing gradually louder and with deeper drones and a rhythmic pattern. Nicely recorded by Jason Kahn (Dolf Mulder)
Address: http://www.hathut.com/
Address: http://www.christianweber.org/
MATTIN - PROLETARIAN OF NOISE (CD by Hibari Music)
With intervals of two or three weeks, Mattin produces a new work, and
more and more released on 'real' CDs. I am a bit unclear what his new
work has to do with 'King Of Noise' by Hijokaidan, but besides using
the title, he also uses the cover of that release. in 'Computer
Music/Post-Fordism' he uses the sound of typing on a computer keyboard,
which I thought was a great example of computer music. In the next
three pieces, Mattin plays his more usual barrage of noise music. Lots
of feedback, but in 'Attitude Fetishist' there is also a rhythm machine
banging. That is a new feature, but also the fact that Mattin uses
lyrics these days. He spits the words out like in a good ol' Steve
Ignorant style type of singing. More than half the CD is taken up by
'Thesis On Noise', which is mainly silence, interrupted by a female
voice reading the thesis (also printed on the cover). By itself a
strong statement (and with a difference to text which I won't spoil
here), but perhaps also not the newest thing to happen around noise and silence as a musical theme. And of
course as a music piece a bit hard to listen to. But through Mattin
makes a strong point in all five pieces. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hibarimusic.com
ULTRA MILKMAIDS - POCKET STATION (CD by Ant-Zen)
Many musical territories have been crossed during the thirteen years of
existence by French band Ultra Milkmaids. Starting back in 1993 as a
hardcore punk band the project moved across experimental free jazz into
a techno-based sound sphere until they decided to find themselves
somewhere in the borderline between electronic and acoustic sound
expression. On this latest release Ultra Milkmaids stylishly makes my
thoughts go back to glory days of German krautrock. With the blend of
experimental rock added some punk attitude and lots of free flying
psychedelia, the expression turns my minds back into early 70's
krautrock albums such as Neu's "Neu 2" and Faust's "Faust IV". This is
cheerful music with a nice dose of pensiveness. There's not much
electronic interruption here, just pure guitar-driven rock at its best.
From the emotional track of true melancholy, "Why?", to the simple yet
very effective tune "My star" with great vocals reminiscent of
something in-between the guttersnipe-vocals of Mick Jagger and the distant and unpolished voice
of Ian Curtis (Joy Division). "Pocket station" is a great album.
Another great achievement by the band with the funny name! (Niels Mark Pedersen) Address: http://www.ant-zen.com
STRANGE ATTRACTOR VS DISINFORMATION - CIRCUIT BENDING (CD by Adaadat)
It has been a long, long time since I last heard something by
Disinformation, also known as Joe Banks, who uses electrical phenomena
of all kind to produce some highly charged electric and electronic
music. I have no idea what he is up to these days, but here we find him
working with Mark Pilkington, also known as Strange Attractor, of whom
I know next to nothing, other than he also runs the Strange Attractor
journal. On 'Circuit Bending' they use 'vintage, high-voltage
electromedical apparatus to achieve an effect described by the artist
and sound engineer Richard Brown, who reported accidentally using Tesla
waves to trigger spontaneous music in a toy electronic keyboard'. To
bend circuits you have to open an electric device and touch the
electrical wires and knobs inside, or you can modify them yourself. It
can open up a whole world of sound, if you know what you are doing. The
twenty-seven minute work, spanning nine tracks here, are culled from
six hour of performance recordings, and is surely a crazy work. Notes are seemingly randomly played, there
is distortion and crackle and throughout there is a strange sense of
hectic and nervousness about this music. Because of a power failure
today, I was forced to listen this on headphones and a CD walkman,
which made the overdose of hectic going straight into my brain, making
me partly nervous and wanting to throw away the headphones. But there
is something truly captivating about this release. All of the random
patterns start making sense, a line is to be discovered, perhaps even a
structure, how illogical at times it may sound. And some tracks are
just plain sweet, such as the fourth one. The 'old' Disinformation
sound is still in there, but it has opened to new fields of sound. (FdW) Address: http://www.adaadat.com
BRENT FARISS & BILL THOMPSON - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER (CD by Spectral House)
This is my first encounter with both Spectral House as well as Brent
Fariss and Bill Thompson. The first plays 'prepared contrabass,
electronics, field recordings' and Thompson plays 'electronics,
amplified percussion and field recordings'. Both studied composition at
Texas State University in the mid 90s, and they cross lines of modern
composition, electronics, noise and free improvisation. As far as i
understand both pieces on this release were commissioned by an arts
organization to be played live but the result were thus nice that they
decided to go into the studied to do a full, good studio recording of
it. Rightly so, because this is music that deserves to be heard. In
'August' things start at the long drone end, with a wall of
electronics, but gradually over the course of this piece, things move
towards letting the instruments be heard as such and even ends with a
desolate bowed string. The second piece, 'September' works along less
well defined lines, and is more an open ended collage form piece of music, moving through various textures, both
electronically and acoustically. Both pieces are great works from the
world where composing and improvising meet up. No doubt we'll be
hearing more from them. (FdW) Address: http://www.spectralhouse.com
BEN FROST - THEORY OF MACHINES (CD by Bedroom Community)
Like the previous release on Bedroom Community this one comes with
extensive liner notes on the artist and the recording, almost in a
modern classical way. Daniel Johnson tells us about Frost's fascination
for the Swans, about films and about the pieces. I didn't want to spoil
my fresh opinion about Frost, as this is the first time I hear his
music (other than a remix on a Room40 compilation). Frost lives in
Iceland, has had work released on Room40 and a release as School Of
Emotional Engineering. His main instrument is the guitar and sound
effects and to a lesser extent he uses drums. His main goal is to
create a wall of sound. No exactly in a traditional noise manner, but
perhaps in Swans like manner. Layers upon layers of (wether or not
processed) guitars, with minor changed pitches form the massive body of
this work. That can be loud but also soft such as the piece 'We Love
You Michael Gira'. Drums don't play necessarily a good hook, but rather
bang out a good groove, on end, without much variation. If they arrive at all. In each piece it seems
to be taking a while to get there and they sound like they have been
filtered through some computer plug in section. Pieces are long but
never too long, as the changes aren't that minimal that they arrive
unnoted. In every piece something changes rather quickly. Five tracks,
just, no more, but with great, exhausting, power. One to leave you
behind rather tired. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bedroomcommunity.net
PAUL DEVENS - TESTING GROUND (DVD-R by Moab Records)
PAUL DEVENS & 10:21 AM - LATITUDE (DVD-R by Moab Records)
From the southern part of The Netherlands hails Paul Devens of whom we reviewed 'Gunpop' in Vital Weekly 504. Here are
two works that deal with video and audio - or audio and video, which
you prefer first. For 'Testing Ground' it's best to play it a high
volume and on a surround sound system. The first I can do, but not the
second. There is a stereo mix. 'Testing Ground' deals with space and
sound. Speakers play strict separated sounds, high and mid range on to
speakers facing the ceiling, with the bass rhythm rumble bouncing
around. It's a bit hard to describe and the way I played it, probably
hardly justifies the real thing, but the video gives an impression of
things looked like. The bass rhythm (which isn't in anyway a dance
thing) provides a strong backdrop, on top of which the high end comes
around in a vicious, dirty manner. Explosive work.
Together with someone who calls himself 10:21 AM, there is also another
DVD-R release, but here no video, just a black screen for the first
two-third of the work. Again the work is probably best heard in
surround sound, but again no such thing. Over the course of almost
eighteen minutes, the two merge rhythmic particles together in a very
minimal way, but with great care and style. Minimalist changes and in
quite a noisy and crude way. Perhaps influenced a bit by Pan Sonic, or
rather Mika Vainio's solo work, this is an austere work. Once the video
kicks in, things also change sound-wise: it becomes thicker, due to
heavy layering of sounds. Like before, this review is only like
listening to it with one ear. A surround sound as a present for
christmas tree, is what I want! (FdW)
Address: http://www.pauldevens.nl/
HATI - MANTRA 1: PREHISTORY OF HATI: VOL. 1 (CDR by Eter)
HATI - RECYCLED MAGICK SOUNDSYSTEM: LIVE (CDR by Eter)
HATI - RECYCLED MAGICK EMISSIONS (3"CDR by Malachit)
Quite recently Polish Hati did a small tour together with z'ev. No
doubt Hati is one of those bands that use concerts to sell CDs and
perhaps for that reason they released these three CDRs. Hati is a drone
group who use a variety of instruments: animal horns, bamboo pipes,
steel jingle bells, wooden pipe, plastic tubes, cymbal, steel lids,
wood wind chimes, and much more and the outcome is both atmospheric and
occasionally rhythmic. On 'Mantra 1: Prehistory Of Hati: Vol. 1' we are
transported back to the past, to the very first sessions by Hati in
1997. Here they still use loops, guitar, effects, voice, found objects
and a drum machine. Especially the drum machine makes a big mark on the
music. It rambles on like there is no end. The entire sound spectrum is
smeared with sound effects. Very trance like, but for the weak of mind,
this can turn out to be a bad head trip. Sometimes a bit noisy, but
such as in 'Suntan 1' a nice cross-over between the old zoviet*france
and the more recent Troum.
We leap forward to 2006 and find 'Recycled Magick Soundsystem: Live'. I
am not sure why people spell magic as magick, as I hoped it would have
been over by now. It distracts me a bit of the music. Between 1997 and
2006 Hati has turned off their volume, worked on structure and balance
of their sound and working with z'ev has influenced quite a bit. Their
sound has softened and became more deeper, but it still uses
extensively sound effects and synthesizers. Nice, but a bit too raw of
a combination. But this is a live recording so it's also a bit more
rough, at least more rough that the 'Recycled Magick Emissions', which
is a 3" CDR where they reach the perfection of their sound. Densely
layered, using reversed sounds, minimal changes and throughout mostly
acoustic sounding. I must say I prefer the shorter recent studio
recording over the longer live recordings. The all acoustic sound works
quite well. It's drone related, but acoustic and highly atmospheric.
Soon a 7" to come on Drone Records, apparently along similar lines. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hati.info
Address: http://www.nefryt.serpent.pl
SHIFTS - BRANCHES (3"CDR by Taalem)
Derrida's idea that the "semantic horizon which habitually governs
the notion of communication is exceeded or punctured by the
intervention of writing." which "..does not give rise to a
hermeneutic deciphering".. is key to understanding the difficulty of
locating the 'drone' within the idea of music which is "western" - i.e.
teleological, which is written contra the arguments given in S.E.C.
And though we have passed through such a teleological epoch we are only
now in the light of post modernism reconsidering the alternatives, i.e.
'turtles all the way down'.. the eternal return of the same. and
alternative mythologies - Buddhist, Jain, Hindu .. even Wagnerian prior
to Parsifal... And so this 'music' is open to the critique of those who
wish to enforce a teleology upon us. (And the usual ploy of leveling
ethnocentric critiques on musics which are not part of this great
tradition of the west! - and its teleological meta-narrative - i.e.
Christian / Jewish / Islamic / Marxist). This piece avoids the latter critique, its very Conrad-esq beginning
locates it within modern western culture despite its use of the
de-tuned string instrument. Its development, and that's a very
dangerous word to use here, is something subtle - it does not so much
hide the development but points towards a cyclic anti hermeneutic work
- and this is perhaps my only 'valid' point of criticism of this
otherwise excellent work, and maybe not that valid - but given a piece
of music (normally) has to be temporally located this provides an
obvious challenge to the drone work - (unless repeat play is used) -
maybe via an mp3 disk this temporality could be extended but never
breached, but this is not a significant philosophical challenge to the
drone work as its not surprising that our technology supports the
western idea of a teleological universe even though there is a likely
alternative - eight track tape as the anti-Christ! (jliat) Address http://www.taalem.com
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