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Vital Weekly 660

  Tobias

CLEW OF THESEUS - MERIDIAN (CD by Cathartic Process)
Although Clew Of Theseus is a new name, Ben Brucato has been recording music since 1997 when he released his first 7". There have been releases on Chondritic Sound, Cipher Productions, Harsh Noise and Deadline Recordings, and even when we reviewed some of those labels, somehow we missed out on this man before. The first two tracks of the album - there are seven in total, spanning more than sixty-five minutes - may mislead the listener. The scraping of metal, drenched in reverb, could be all too easily mistaken dark atmospheric drone music, but when track three kicks in - after the abrupt ending (bad fade out) of the previous piece - things end up in noise land. Loud, vicious feedback and distortion. It never seems to return to the opening (long) bits but things howl on end. Maybe this is a bit too much on the noise side of things for me, and I would have preferred a more balanced mixture of the first two pieces and the noise that follows, say a 50-50 balance, but like it is, I guess these weeks, lots of noise entering the weekly. Clew Of Theseus is certainly one of the more interesting noise bands around, which is a reputation he gathered mainly because of the first two pieces. You know he can, its just that he should it more. The label announces also Eric Lunde's reissues and the only Daniel Menche CD for 2009 - certainly most promising releases to look out for. (FdW) Address: http://www.catharticprocess.com 

SACRAL SYMPHONY (CD by EE Tapes)
With their roots in the world of cassettes, its hardly a surprise that EE Tapes continue on CD with a fine tradition: compilations. There has been an excellent trilogy on drone music called 'The Walls Are Whispering', also already three compilations as 'Table For Six: All Quiet?', and today its time for 'Sacral Symphony'. No mentioning of a volume, so perhaps its a one-off. The nice thing about the recent compilations on EE Tapes they contain only six or, such as in this case, five artists playing longer than usual pieces. Thematic the approach here is about religion, in whatever form it manifests itself. Although playing this I can't help thinking of all five as church goers. Perhaps not to pray and contemplate, but if anything to tape their source material. Best exemplified in the Rapoon piece, who sampled the Kyiv-Chamber Choir and his own voice for 'choirboy melody'. In the piece by Cisfinitum and Troum, heavily processed church bells and organ seem to play a similar role. Maybe it has something to do with them really being religious, or perhaps a youth trauma. I don't know, but somehow I expect the first more: why otherwise contribute to a compilation called 'Sacral Symphony'. Not being religious myself (nor having trauma's in this area), but a true lover of sound, I like churches, the reverb of them, the choir singing, the organ playing. Its a fascination I share with these guys. Rapoon's 'One Last Breath' is the stand out here, but all five are quite alright. 1000Schoen shows to be a good student of old zoviet*france, Troum's monk chanting and First Human Ferro being the most experimental one around here, with a kind of low resolution sampling. Non spectacular under the ambient sun, but even the non religious folks/ambient heads will surely find lots of pleasure in here. (FdW) Address: http://www.eetapes.be

LES POULES - PHÉNIX (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
ENSEMBLE SUPERMUSIQUE - Y'A DU BRUIT DANS MA CHAMBRE (CD by Ambiances Magnetiques)
Les Poules is a trio made up of Joane Hétu saxophone, voice, Diane Labrosse
(sampler), and Danielle Palardy Roger (percussion). Their collaboration as Les
Poules has a history going back to 1986 when they released their first record ('Les contes de l'amère fou'). To be followed by 'Prairie Orange' in 2002. But under the names of Justine and Wondeur Brass their history goes back even further. All three of these women are very experienced improvisors and composers. All three of them have their own projects going own, and also they participate in even more projects and groups. From time to time they decide to write another chapter in the Les Poules-book. 'Phénix', their third project, is comprised of 24 tracks divided in six sections. All tracks are under 3 minutes and the tracks within each section make up one continuous whole. The recordings took place on two days in january 2008. Hétu contributes most (and best) of the time with her voice, making all kinds of noises that go well with the disciplined use of the sampler by Labrosse and the percussionwork by Roger. They create moods and textures through improvisations that concentrate on the qualities of sound. All three take also part in the Ensemble Supermusique that is completed by Jean Derome (sax, objects, voice), Pierre Tanguay (drums) and Martin Tétreault (turntables). Recorded live in september 2007, the CD offers four improvisations for which respectively Hétu, Roger, Labrosse and Derome delivered the leading ideas. 'Canot-camping' is a conducted improvisation by Derome. Yá du bruit dans ma chambre' originated from a improvisation concept designed by Danielle Palardy Roger. '8 moments brefs' is also a conducted game-improvisation by Hétu. In this improvisation "Each sequence lasts exactly one minute. Every minute, all musicians switch material at random." Also for this ensemble this is a third effort. The improvisations on both records have a similar outlook. Non-rhythmic percussion, vocal sounds by Hétu and others. Detailed pictures full of small and delicate sounds and noises. At times the music becomes loud and cacophonic, but most of the time, the improvisations pass by in a steady stream full of little and small sounds and noises. The longer you look in this river, the more fishes you discover. Of both records I like the one by Ensemble Supermusique most. Improvisations on this one have many exciting moments and dynamics. And personally I'm always having a good time by the turntables-contributions by Tetréault in line ups as these. (Dolf Mulder)
Address: http://www.actuellecd.com

ANDREA POLLI - SONIC ANARTICA (CD by Gruenrekorder)
The mail never arrives early here, which is in itself not a bad thing: it gives me time during the day to work on what I got yesterday. However when the cover has only very fine print, reading may become difficult and I have to crawl under a lamp to read what is going on. So I understand that this a new CD by one Andrea Polli, whom I don't think I have heard of before. The Gruenrekorder website however provides us with an extended biography, of which I pick the highlights: "She is currently an Associate Professor of Film and Media at Hunter College. Polli's projects often bring together artists and scientists from various disciplines. She is interested in global systems, the real time interconnectivity of these systems, and the effect of these systems on individuals. She has exhibited, performed, and lectured nationally and internationally. She currently works in collaboration with atmospheric scientists to develop systems for understanding storm and climate information through sound (a process called sonification)." She works with natural sounds, from the atmosphere, weather and such like. This brought her to the Antarctica, where this work was recorded. Basically this work has two components: pure field recordings of the south pole and interviews with people who work there. Unfortunately they are not on a 50-50 balance: the pieces with talking in it outweigh the pieces that purely deal with sound. That is a pity. Not because I don't like talking, but after I once took the information in, I doubt wether there is a second time of doing that. The scientists that talk about data or the fact that Darwin was a geologist rather than a biologist is interesting (certainly in the Darwin year a nice bit of trivia to throw in at a party), but would you play it again? I doubt that. The sound pieces however are quite nice, the penguins, the snow and telecommunication lines. I wish there was more of that, accompanied by a more readable book, which would provide all the text parts. A strong eco-comment however. (FdW) Address: http://www.gruenrekorder.de

ASHTRAY NAVIGATIONS/FAMILY BATTLE SNAKE/STELLAR OM SOURCE - HOW DO SIAMESE TWINS ARRANGE THEIR LOVE LIVES (LP by Editions Zero)
There was a time when I heard a lot of Ashtray Navigations, and I could be classified 'a fan', but then at one point not much seems to be released and I lost my interest a bit. I still hear the old stuff with lots of joy though. Maybe things were just really quiet, I don't know, but receiving a new LP, which I think was always the format for his music, filled with lots of excitement, and I am not at all disappointed. It seems to be - the cover is not entirely a work of detailed information - a collaboration with one Family Battle Snake and Stellar Om Source, both of whom I don't think ever heard. Even this is supposed to be a collaboration, its not Ashtray Navigations 'plus', but rather 'times three'. I imagine three guys, three guitars, lots and lots effect boxes on the floor, and then they branch out onto their own musical obsessions: minimalist drone music, noise, heavy metal, stoner rock and krautrock. In each of the two pieces, one per side, they go with ease through these obsessions, in a very interesting interplay these styles. One side (no titles, white labels) is a bit softer than the other, and that one was preferred here, although both sides are great. It made think to play some old Ashtray Navigations to start the new year. (FdW) Address: http://www.noise-below.org

BURROW - LOOM (CDR by Power Silence/Somnimage)
IRR.APP.(EXT.)/MYKEL BOYD (7" by Somnimage)
PAINTING PETALS ON PLANET GHOST/MYKEL BOYD (7" by Somnimage)
These are noisy days. The fireworks outside and the Vital pile inside. Lots of noise last week and lots this week. Odd, and perhaps just a concidence. Burrow is the collaboration of the Blake Edwards we know as Vertonen and one Bryan Tholl, and together they are armed with electronics, turntables and metals. Three pieces were recorded on a radio programm, and one is live cut. All pieces are long, between eleven and fifteen minutes. 'Cyclical Damages' and 'Mud Stick' open up the release and takes you on a good twenty-four minute ride on the noise waves. Metal crashes, sounds rotate and make odd twists, feedback fires it arms and Merzbow is never far away. Nice, but easy also. I though 'Anemone Drowning', an exercise in more upbeat drone music was much more interesting. Electrical circuits being amplified and making a sizzling high end piece of drone music. The live pieces returns to noise, more feedback and distortion than crashing happy metal, but that is nice however in all its minimal, strict linear approach.
On the same label also two split 7inch releases, and both have one side played by Mykel Boyd, the labelowner. Irr.App.(ext.), one of the lover boys of drone music and a member of Nurse With Wound these days, is represented on one side, and one could wonder if the format of a 7" suits his music, but his small piece of guitars, drones and some field recordings is quite nice. One of those things which go by too quickly to easy. Quick changes in the mix reveal there was more in this. Perhaps something similar could be said of Boyd's piece, although his piece is more about what it is. There is nothing more than this. His entire piece seems to be made out of field recordings, wind sounds mostly, processed to form that endless drone, with insects in the pond. Less changing and exactly fitting the length of a 7".
Behind Painting Petals on Planet Ghost are The Opalio Brothers from My Cat is an Alien along with Ramona Ponzini, who are all members of My Cat Is An Alien. Here we enter a more 'pop' based land, with Japanese bells, wind chimes, acoustic guitar, voices and field recordings. Chimes in the wind, guitar intro, heavenly Japanese like vocals. Gentle atmospheric music without the darker edges that comes usually for free with this territory. And I guess which is on Boyd's side. Recording sounds at the All Saints Cemetery, in the snow, in 2006 and 'manipulated and shaped' in 2007. A darker piece than is on the other 7", this flies low over the surface. For all I know this could have been the lowest note on the organ transposed a few more octaves down the spine. A shivering piece that fits this particular cold, but snow free, day. Here too, but then on both sides, the 7" format works wonderfully well. Both on white vinyl and both limited to 200 copies. (FdW) Address: http://www.somnimage.com

JOY (CDR compilation by Zaftig Research)
Posted three days before christmas kicked in, this of course arrived well after new year, which perhaps is a bit late to listen to a music compilation celebrating christmas holidays in an alternative manner. Zaftig has been releasing compilations for this holiday for about ten years now, and 'Joy' is the last one and that they exhausted the topic. I think I reviewed only five in total, including this one and the good thing is that the whole christmas aspect is moved back even further on this compilation. If you wouldn't know any better (say looking at the cover and see titles like 'Night (Bethlehem Mix'), 'Jerusalem' or 'Bells Jingled... Check') then this could altogether be easily mistaken for another eighty minute CDR release of experimental, electronic and noise music compilation. There is some religious tunes scanned in for the season pleasure, but throughout the 'bands' play noisy bits, electronic chants and are perhaps like me: glad the whole christmas/new year thing is over by now. Besides name checked people like Thee Virginal Brides, Tzesne, Mystified, Karl Bosmann lots of new names, such as Dead Shall Not Have Died In Vain, V.I.K.I., Astrogenic Hallucinauting, Atas-400, Ctephin, Der Tribologe, Fail, Gorgonized Dorks, Humanextermination Project, Goose, Stolen Light, Black Saturn, RS-232 and Thunderwheel, which seems to be a new name for Chaos As Shelter. Nice compilation for all seasons. (FdW) Address: http://www.zaftigresearch.com

ARSZYN - FON (CDR by Sqrt Label)
Almost a year ago, Polish musician Arszyn surprised us with an interesting work of spoken words of Polish emigrants in London, mixed with sounds of the city. It was called 'Emigrant' (see Vital Weekly 617). On his new work 'Fon' he doesn't seem to have such political and sociological implications, but returns to five pieces that deal only with sound. I believe its still the basis of of field recordings that forms the fundament of this music, with lots of electronic manipulation going on top of this. As such Asszyn plays music that is best described as a mixture of microsound, ambient music, drones and glitch. It seems that he moves per track into these various areas. In the opening piece 'Filip', loops swirl around in heavy ambient drone fashion, whereas in 'Czu' its highly microsound ambient glitch and in 'Linalool' things work in a more rhythmic vein, Ikeda/Pan Sonic styled rhythm. This makes this release a pretty varied affair, which is nice to hear. It harks to various other styles, and all of which were heard before, but the combination of styles, be it per track and not inside the track, is a nice twist. (FdW) Address: http://sqrt-label.org

PRICK DECAY/VIOLENT ONSEN GEISHA - DADA JUNK SPEW! (CDR by Studies For Audio Orgies Records)
The vague department rings again. What is this? Who released it? It looks like bootleg, but in the world of CDRs you can never be sure. It says on the cover 'Prick Decay/Violent Onsen Geisha', and it has three tracks. Is this a split disc of solo tracks and if so, who did what, or is it a collaboration? Not clear. What can you expect then? Three slabs of noise, tape collages, psychedelic singing, record spinning and even a lengthy section with rhythm on 'You Two Scumbags As Innocent As Puppies', which works in a nice krautrock like manner. The second piece 'It's Kasso, As In Asshole' is a more pointless exercise in spinning records alongside too much noise, but the electro-acoustic noise outing of 'Silver Afro Funeral March' is on the other hand quite a nice piece. And that sums up all the words found the cover. Strange world it is, sometimes. (FdW) Address: none given of course

(VXPXC) - BAKED POTATOES (CDR by Dim Records)
On two previous occasions I heard the music of (VxPxC), the trio of Justin McInteer, Grant Capes and Tim Goodwillie, out of Los Angeles. I now learned that the name stands for Vast Psychdelic Cassettes and that they recorded since their inception some material worth of thirty CDs, which seems a bit much. Their two previous releases, as reviewed in Vital Weekly 577 and 627 were received with some mild anticipation. The three boys, locked in the shed they call their recording studio, improvise over 'spiked coffee' on a variety of instruments, with guitar, bass and rhythm machine headlining. Recording techniques have been limited to a cheap stereo microphone which hangs from the ceiling, somewhere in the middle of the shed. This means that the rhythm machine is consistent low in the mix, boiling like a tea kettle in the background. Still, also this new one, is a nice lo-fi affair. The guitar is a bit tuned off, the singing a bit false, the compositions are a bit long and not always to the point, but this all has a great charming quality. One can feel the pleasure they had when they recorded this, it has a great sense of naivety filled with this improvised doodling. Sometimes music is not about delivering the best quality but about the sheer pleasure of making music, with all the imperfections that come with it. (FdW)
Address: http://www.myspace.com/dimrec

JEAN BORDE - MORCEAU EN FORME DE LA (CDR by Appel Music)
DAN WARBURTON - LIFE IN THE GREENHOUSE (CDR by Appel Music)
Among the many noise based releases of this and last week, these two apples come as a relief, a moment of tranquility, even when the first one leaves me a bit puzzled. I think the band is called Jean Borde, and their piece is 'Morceau En Forme De La' (a piece shaped as), which reminds some perhaps of Erik Satie 'Morceau En Forme De La Poire', if I remember correctly. Here its a chamber music like piece for two double basses, a violin and a piano. I am not sure if its improvised or composed, but if its improvised than its a damn fine, elegant job they are doing here. Slow music, with tension and suspense, elegance, sustaining sounds, silence, a plink here and a plonk there. Perfect easy listening (but without being cheesy) modern classical music. The more I hear it, the more I realize its an elaborate improvisation for four instruments. I have no idea what it sounds like, as my modern classical vocabulary fails here, but I did enjoy this quite a lot.
Warburton's release is for solo violin and was recorded inside a green house which was set up as part of an installation by Peter Coffin. He invited various musicians to plat inside the greenhouse 'to entertain the visitors of the gallery and amuse the plants', which is a great idea, but who knows if plants like music? Maybe to find that out, Warburton suggests on the cover of the release, the release should be taken into a greenhouse and the effects could be scientifically tested on the plants. I can't do it, as I have no plants. At forty-four minutes and forty-four second this is quite a long album for a single solo improvisation on one instrument, even when Warburton has all the right skills needed to play such an instrument. He moves up and down the strings, hits them, strikes them, plucks them. In terms of new improvisation - the instruments as an object - he doesn't do much, the violin here sounds as a violin and nothing else. Perhaps the conventional character of the improvisation is something I have some trouble with and I could have easily settled for a release that lasted twenty-two minutes and twenty-two seconds. (FdW)
Address: http://www.appelmusic.org

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