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Vital Weekly 669

  Tobias

SYNAPSCAPE - AGAIN (CD by Ant-Zen)
MARCHING DYNAMICS - THE WORKERS OF HAITI (CD by Hymen Records)
Two new albums from the hard pounding Anz-Zen camp proves that this is the place to be if you're looking for catchy brutal power noise. First album comes from the dynamic duo from Bielefeld, Synapscape. Philip Münch of Synapscape also works under projects where the style is electro-pop as The Rorschach Garden and in more electro-industrial veins as Rasputeen. In his collaboration with Tim Kniep however the brutal side of expressions dominates. With the debut almost 14 years ago, Synapscape has been shaking the audience both in concerts and with a number of albums that combines distorted vocals and harsh noise expressions with hard pounding rhythm textures. Even though the duo has impressed me with every new release, latest album titled "Again" unquestionably find its way to the top among their approx. ten full lengths. Despite the focus on harsh industrial, Synapscape on this album widen their stylish approaches from listenable club-tracks to violently distorted noise. From clubbish technoid tracks such as the trance-like "Countercroque" and the instrumental floor-filler "Requirement" across cynic Vromb-reminiscent ambient-scapes of "Ring the bell" to the aural machismo of "Who painted my cat black" and "Purge". Synapscape has always had the talents of creating progressive rhythm textures, but "Again" seem to beat earlier efforts from the hyper-energetic combo: Hyper-fast but always with an alluring catchiness making sure that the body of the listener will feel pleasantly restless throughout the 57 minutes. Awesome comeback from the grand old men of Power Noise. Next album comes from the sister-label of Ant-Zen: The technoid oriented Hymen Records. "The workers party of haiti" is the follow-up to the awesome debut "Nailsleepeer" from the L.A.-based composer Shane Talada. "The workers of haiti" continues the style of "Nailsleeper" with a hypnotic mixture of moody ambient-techno, breakbeats and a few moments of industrial interventions. The name Marching Dynamics neatly describes the ability of the composer to create on-going almost militant-like rhythm textures that in combination with the tribal atmospheres makes the album an excellent club-album. Best moments on the album comes with the two atmospheric technoid tracks "Ability to distance" and "The apparition speaks", but also the dub-reggae meets distorted bass drones-track "Confederate". Another excellent moment (so many of them!) is the joint venture with label-mate Tonikom on the track "29" - a minimalist piece with tribal beat-textures and droney ambient-scapes swirling in the background accompanied by distant spoken words. Brilliant follow-up from Marching Dynamics. (Niels Mark)
Address: http://www.ant-zen.com/
Address: http://www.hymen-records.com

THIS MORN' OMINA - INFERNO (CD by Spectre)
MIKA GOEDRIJK - PELLICULES (CD by Ant-Zen)
Since the opening of the new millenium, Belgian composer Mika Goedrijk has feed the world with an unusual blend of tribal trance and harsh industrial under his alias This Morn Omina. Unusual because the integration of danceable trance is a quite unheard territory in the world of Industrial. Never the less This Morn Omina succeeded his mission and has released a number of albums under the concept. Latest album under the flag "This Morn Omina" leaves the tribal rhythm textures behind and exclusively focus on drone-based dark ambient. The album titled "Inferno" is released on the interesting Belgian label Spectre. "Inferno" is divided into three lengthy and untitled intersections running from 15 to 18 minutes. The atmospheres are dark and alluring with subtle buzzing drones surrounding the listener meanwhile distant voices creates a nightmarish feeling. Another new album from Mika Goedrijk has just been released, this time under his birth name. Again the original tribal trance/industrial-sound has been suppressed. But in contrary to the non-rhythmic "Inferno"-album there are rhythms on the album titled "Pellicules" released on German label Ant-Zen Recordings. The rhythms are more downbeat than the earlier style, meanwhile the texture is more complex thus approaching the classic IDM-style of early Warp Records with a combination of atmospheric ambientscapes swirling along rhythms of complexity sometimes reminiscent of early Autechre or The Black Dog. Distant voices and conversations keeps a mysterious feeling on the album that balances between threatening and alluring atmospheres. Both albums is quite a different take from Mika Goedrijk alias This Morn Omina, and might capture new listeners but also fans of the original style will be fascinated on these ones. (Niels Mark)
Address: http://www.ant-zen.com/

CONRAD SCHNITZLER - WINDVOGEL (CD by Waystyx)
JOHN WATERMANN - DENIAL OF RICKET (CD by Waystyx)
PBK - UNDER MY BREATH (CD by Waystyx)
There are a few similarities between Monochrome Vision and Waystyx: both labels are from Moscow and both have a strong love for new music by 'old' musicians. There are differences too: whereas Monochrome Vision's releases are unlimited and a strong black and white cover esthetic, Waystyx releases are highly limited (Schnitzler to 187 copies) and complex, great covers. And most of the times no information. The Schnitzler release has nothing at all. I am a big Schnitzler fan, even without having heard all he did. I even may not like all his music, but what I really like is his total independent approach to electronic music, away from hypes, styles and scenes. He's one of my heroes, along with say John Cage. This means I am hardly an expert when it comes to actually reviewing a work of his and placing it in the right corner of his vast discography. It seems to me that this is a fairly recent recording, with great emphasis on using sampled rhythms, rhythm machines and analogue synthesizers. Fifteen short(er) pieces of quite pleasant electronic music, with some tracks a bit too sweet for my taste, but throughout it fits his non-keyboard approach well - using all the filters of a synthesizer rather than playing a sound using the keyboard. Excellent mood music.
I am not sure if the title of the Watermann CD is right. His old website says 'Denial Of Cricket', but it really says 'Denial Of Ricket' here. We can no longer ask Watermann since he passed away in 2002. Like with Schnitzler, who is about similar year of birth as Watermann, I like the
independent aspects of his work, and not always the actual music. Watermann has some great releases, 'Calcutta Gas Chamber' being a particular highlight, but also some weaker brothers. 'Denial Of Ricket' is among that latter phase I'm afraid, but its the sound which made his music become more well-known across the ocean. Short sampled segments of voices create a rhythm of their own and form the basis of the tracks. On top of that Watermann adds more sound snippets, electronics and sometimes even a real rhythm machine. Not unlike his 'Illusions Of Infinite Bliss', 'Ambiguity' and 'Dummyhead' releases. These are pieces without head or tail. They start and go on in a rather loosely improvised manner. Sometimes nice, certainly the first half of each track, but its all a bit too lengthy for my taste. Its good to see it on CD though and Brume did a great job making a fine re-master.
Younger than Schnitzler and Watermann is PBK, even when he has been around for a long time, including a long absence. But he's back since some time, and he is attached to the old and the new, the younger generation of sound artists. Pieces on 'Under My Breath' were recorded with people like Akifumi Nakajima (Aube), Christian Renou (Brume), Dale Lloyd, John Wiggings, Nigel Ayers, Slavek Kwi (Artificial Memory Trace), Tore Boe and Wolf Eyes. PBK uses 'natural or man-made acoustic sounds, digital glitching and turntable noise', but its his goal to create music that is 'organic' and not (too) noise based. He blends his various source recordings together and makes up a sound that falls half way in the old ambient industrial school and the other half shows an interest in using computer processing for his sounds. Eleven tracks in nearly eighty minutes is perhaps a bit much, but throughout the material is quite strong. PBK successfully updates his own 'old' style and makes something new out of it. A pity that the track titles are printed in reverse - that was a bad joke before with someone else, and still is. (FdW)
Address: http://www.waystyx.com/

KONSTRUKT - AKUSTIKELEKTRIK (CD by WM Recordings)
Konstrukt is a trio from Istanbul founded in 2008 with Korhan Argüden (drums), Özün usta (percussion, voice) and Umut Caglar (guitar, electronics) plus Korhan Futaci (reeds, flutes, voice) as a regular guest. All members have their background in a diversity of experimental bands in Istanbul. Through the Russian Clinical Archives-label they released their first CD in june 2008. Dutch WM Recordings makes their second effort available. From the first moments it is evident that this improvising combo is inspired by the free jazz from 60s and 70s. The opening track begins with a long intro, slowly culminating in a hectic brew. Throughout, their improvisations are dominated by drums and percussion. Futaci is a Brötzmann-like powerplayer. Most characteristic and appealing however is Gaglar with his use of electronics and guitar like in "Kaptan Swing". He is the most virtuoso player of this quartet. The interlude by guitar and sax in the middle of "Ilk Hareket" and guitarsolo a little later, are one of the sparse moments that kept my attention, because here they try to do something different . The players do their job with verve, and they do reach moments of great intensity, but musically spoken they do not have many surprises for us. It all sounds too familiar. On the other hand, the hardcore free jazz of Konstrukt makes curious about more is happening in the clubs of Istanbul. (Dolf Mulder) Address: http://www.wmrecordings.com/

THE LANGUAGE OF - COMPILATION (CD by Quiet Design)
Truly a very nice and high quality release that deserves to be noticed. It is a compilation of 10 compositions by 8 young composers from New York. A variety of exciting and well played compositions. An excellent example that new music can be very emotionally appealing. The CD opens with 'Nucleus', a short work by Alex Mincek for tenorsax, played by Mincek himself and Ian Antionio on drums. A convincing and disciplined work with sax and drums equally involved as solo-instruments. The finale of this work is most remarkable. After a Henry Cowish first part we go to end first with a long percussive outro to be followed by some very tiny last remarks by the sax. Excellent. It is the first of four other compositions on this CD for duo-format: 'Switches' by Sam Pluta for cello an drums, dominated by over the edge cello-playing by Dave Edgar in a piece that is built accordingly to the esthetics of noiserock. Another duo-piece, "I am the Beat that waits for you to see me" by Clara Latham for drums and flute, is more close to improvised musical exercises. The work by Kate Soper for accordion and saxophone is an example of intimate chambermusic. In between we find, for example, three solo pieces by Jeff Snyder that breath a completely different atmosphere: short and very abstract electronic works for Buchla, that sound organic at the same time. Another solopiece is "Shruti" by Ales Ness. A fantastic composition for viola, very passionately performed by Amy Cimini. An exuberant composition that is rooted in Indian music. A highlight! The longest work takes 16 minutes of dueling violins in a quartet by Eric Wubbels. The titletrack comes from the composition by Jim Altieri for solo cello. It takes too long to comment on all the compositions enclosed here. So may I conclude, saying that this is very tasteful selection of new compositions by young promising composers. (Dolf Mulder) Address: http://www.quietdesign.us/

JEAN-LUC GUIONNET - NON-ORGANIC BIAS (2CD by Herbal Records)
The work of Jean-Luc Guionnet deals at times with organs, church organs, pipe organs. Only one piece here with organ sounds. All three are granted a text to explain what they are about, but they aren't too easy to understand. Likewise I don't know what Guionnet does to his organ sounds. Are they played in real time? Are they layered? Are they processed? I simply don't know. In 'Espace Bas' it seems this is not the case, and its played 'as is', with lots of air sounding through occasionally played tones and small clusters of tones. The shortest piece, the title piece, which doesn't seem to have organ sounds, but what it is that is played here I don't know, but this seems to be a much more electronic sound of a hardly identifiable nature. Feedback? Electronics? Enhanced room acoustics? Quite a heavy piece of music here, almost noise based, which seems unlike Guionnet. 'Estuaire' is the longest piece on this double set, which is also very unclear what the sound event is, but its a much more 'mellow' piece than previous piece (which are on the same disc). Slow humming - a motor, an engine, perhaps - with very minimal changes throughout. This is a beautiful piece, the best out of three. Its a piece of ambient music built from all sorts of frequencies that just by themselves wouldn't qualify as relaxing ambient music, but in the drone like capacities work absolutely nice. Very refined this one, whereas the other two are good, and the title piece is the least convincing one. (FdW) Address: http://www.herbalinternational.tk

BEEHATCH - BROOD (CD by Lens Records)
In Dutch the word 'Brood' means 'bread' and to some it might refer to the deceased Herman of the same name. I am not sure if Phil Western and Mark Spybey are aware of that. Its their second CD, following their self titled debut CD which was reviewed in Vital Weekly 623. Their background reads like a long list of post industrial music projects (Skinny Puppy, Zoviet France, Download to mention three). Their debut could not entirely convince me, but I must say 'Brood' is much nicer. Whereas their debut suffered from a big variety of musical styles, this new one seems much more coherent in approach. Rhythm plays an important role, and the delve in the mines of Krautrock and cosmic music, and the pieces sound coherent together as well as coherent inside a piece. Sometimes pieces are merely electronic moods, but then easily followed by a piece using rhythm and guitars, along the omnipresent synthesizers in 'Turkische Hasa'. Every other track has a vocals on it, which sometimes have just repeated lines, or wordless 'oh aah' singing. This is an important step forward for Beehatch. (FdW)
Address: http://www.lensrecords.com

PRURIENT - THE BLACK POST SOCIETY (CD by Cold Spring)
It is not every day, you find such a brutal artwork as is the case with latest album from american composer (or rather sound destructor) Prurient on the top of a charts list. At the moment his album titled "Black post society" ranks as #1 on the TOP 5 Downloads-charts of British label Cold Spring. And let's get it clear from beginning: It couldn't be more deserved. Behind the Prurient-project you find the Brooklyn-based artist Dominick Fernow, who apart from the Prurient-project also is the man behind the label Hospital Productions. For the last decade Prurient has launched a giant number of releases on various medias counting cassettes, 7" and 12# plus CDRs plus quite a few CD-releases with this latest out on Cold Spring. What makes this extremely expressive noise-album such an alluring experience is the combination of full throttle digital aggression and fragile soundscapes of sonic beauty drifting somewhere in the deeper levels throughout the eight pieces on the album. The noise part of Prurient is built on crushing power electronics that operates in such a depth that the listener might start getting worried during playback his audio equipment. Another important element on the album is the vocals from Dominick Fernow, vocals that ranges from whispering to full-throttle screams, sometimes high-pitched screams as on the black metal-reminiscent piece "Domina milking" to the monstrous growling on pieces like "Wooden weapons" and "Egyptian bondage". Favorite moment comes with the work "Wooden weapons", a cruel beast that during its eight minutes running time opens in calm never the less ultra-destructive crushing drones waving a long subtle (un)human growls, until hell breaks loose towards the end with some desperate growls balancing between anger and sorrow. This balance between sonic aggression and fragile sorrow is what makes "Black post society" such an emotional noise work. In a moment of global regression and ongoing deterioration of the global environments, "Black post society" is the perfect soundtrack to describe this present state of global chaos. Unquestionably the strongest work of noise-related art I have heard in quite some time... (Niels Mark) Address: http://www.coldspring.co.uk/

RAIONBASHI - IN TEUFEL'S KÜCHE (10" by Absurd/Ignivomous)
To say there is a lot of information on the cover of Raionbashi's 'In Teufel's Küche'... well, no. I came across the name Raionbashi before, on two compilations, but I have no idea who or what it is. The label says 'All Voices, Noises, Instruments, Body-Functions & Apostrophes by DL' and that this is a follow up to 'Kollekte', a LP for Hanson Records in 2006. The music is great, yet hard to define. Is it musique concrete? Perhaps one could say it is. There is the use of piano sounds, various objects picked up with contact microphones and perhaps some voice material. But what Raionbashi does with this material is not drown it in electronic processing, but built in various layers of unprocessed nature. Lots of layers it seems, but with various moments of silence built in. I perhaps wrongly expected some noise, but this is far from it. This is some great obscured music (as opposed to obscure music), with some intense moments. Not easy listening, but one that grows every time you play it. (FdW)
Address: http://www.noise-below.org http://www.ignivomous.org

FRANK ROTHKAMM - FRANK GENIUS IS STAR STRUCK (CDR by Flux Records)
Record labels make claims that aren't always true but they sound nice. "Frank Rothkamm is one of the few conceptual sound artists that can honestly be labeled 'original'" are actually Rothkamm's own words, but its true. He never seems to do the same thing twice. His previous release 'Opus Spongebobicum' was a piano work, 'Just 3 Organs' an electronic ambient work, and here on 'Frank Genius Is Star Struck', he goes back to his first release from 1994, 'Planet Genius', which I surely heard but forgot. He calls his new work an 'autobiographical "digital cantata" - set in San Francisco in the years A.D. 1990-1991', recorded with a Yamaha TX16W Sampler and TX81Z + FB01 synthesizers, programmed on Atari, in 1990-1991 and assembled on PC in 2008-2009. This is again something entirely different. As Frank Genius he plays popmusic. Robotic voices, electronic break beats, electro rhythms, sampled strings and uptempo synthesizers. Dance music with a great bite. The twelve tracks are throughout short and very much to the point, with tracks flowing into eachother. I was reminded of some of the earlier works by Greater Than One - still an ipod favorite here. Upbeat music that puts a big smile on this face. Frank Rothkamm is Frank Genius - never letting down on the surprise side. (FdW) Address: http://www.fluxrecords.com

CHEFKIRK - BURL!!! (CDR by Quagga Curious Sounds)
Roger H Smith on no-input mixer + sampler- 12 tracks of experimental noise and now only two left so get in your order now!- staccato hiss and feedback sounds, clicks et al. obviously modulated which is the problem here, well the problem is letting the modernist grand narrative in by the backdoor - "experimental" noise - like military intelligence, an oxymoron of huge proportions through which pin prink a thousand dead philosophers appear and not so much walk as talk again the dead weight of history the modernity of technics and experiment, the curse of all zombies is to feed of the living, you see a zombie is an oxymoron also as is the idea of killing one by a bullet in the head.. "Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-twentieth century, particularly in North America, and whose most famous and influential exponent was John Cage (Grant 2003, 174). More loosely, the term is used to describe music within specific genres that pushes against their boundaries or definitions, or else whose approach is a hybrid of disparate styles, or incorporates unorthodox, new, distinctly unique ingredients" - and that is not noise is it playmates? Or is a no input mixer pushing against any boundaries- there are non - once again everybody say 'Il n'y a pas de hors-texte' - and again 'Il n'y a pas de hors-texte'. (jliat) Address: http://www.myspace.com/quaggacurioussoundsandoddities

FREIBAND - MUSIK FOR NO TITLE (3" CDR by My Own Little Label)
BEEQUEEN - ATEM (3" CDR by My Own Little Label)
FRANS DE WAARD - HEERLEN HISS (3" CDR by My Own Little Label)
Three new releases from the "My Own Little Label"-company has seen the light of the day. M.O.L.L. is owned by Dutch sounds artist Frans De Waard with the aim of launching the works of his many aliases plus a number of other interesting artists of the Dutch sound art scene. First of the new albums comes from the project Freiband, which is the latest alias of mr. Waard, a project that first all focus on exclusive digital sound textures. Present work released under the title "Music for no title" was originally released in 2003 under the Polish label Mik Musik as part of five remixes. The seventeen minutes long piece opens with glitching drones that shortly after fades out giving space for a wide spectre of digital pulses and buzz drones. Expressively the piece lies somewhere between abstract sound art and drone ambient, ending out with a hidden melodic atmospheres drifting underneath some alluring hypnotic glitchy buzz drones. Next 3" comes from the project Beequeen. By the way it is the longest running piece by the two man-project consisting of Frans de Waard and Freek Kinkelaar. Originally released in 1996 but now out of print, present MOLL-issue, gives the listener the chance to experience this organic drone piece of Beequeen. Compared to the aforementioned MOLL-release from the Freiband-project this piece is more dark and sinister with almost threatening drones slowly building up. It is a minimalist piece giving some great opportunities for soul drifting. Last album is released under the birth name of Frans De Waard. It is a 19 minutes running single piece. "Heerlen hiss" is a remix of three different pieces that focus on hisses from old cassettes as well as field recordings of faulty cassette mechanisms. The work combines studio recordings with live recordings. The piece opens subdued in expressions. Rumbling hissing sounds slowly builds up but never turns harsh. The piece remains in the more subtle levels with a minimalist approach to the hissings. Anyone interested in drone-based sound art should these three MOLL-releases out. You can hear sound clips from the releases via website of the label. (Niels Mark)
Address: http://www.kormplastics.nl/moll.html

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