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Vital Weekly 678

  Tobias

ASTRO - SHELL STAR SPICA (CD by Cipher Productions)
Composed by Hiroshi Hasegawa (of C.C.C.C.) this is a re-release of a double 3inch CDR. Arriving with suitable Hubble telescoped imaged photographs it contains two tracks of analogue synthesized waves of cosmic sound effects drenched in reverb. I guess from his myspace site and all to familiar modulated waves that a Synthi AKS is playing a significant part in this very 60s sounding spacey sci-fi offering. It has that strange unsophisticated sound of Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett, and fireball XL5, and I guess should be listened to dressed in a cheap polythene space suit. Apart from what one could call ideological simplicity there is perhaps in the underlying nostalgia the idea that the past offered a future quite unlike this present which resembles evermore the cold materialism of the 1950s. (jliat)
Address http://www.iheartnoise.com/cipherproductions/

MAEROR TRI - YEARNING FOR THE SECRET(S) OF NATURE (CD by EE Tapes)
Recently I was looking at Discogs to look for some Maeror Tri information. It struck me that there was quite a lot re-released but not everything, as I probably expected. And now, a little later, this rolls into my box, and I am delighted, as this was one of those things that I didn't get when they came out. 'Yearning For The Secret(s) Of Nature' was originally released as a cassette only on Fool's Paradise, and might be one of the first releases of Maeror Tri outside their native Germany. It's dedicated to nature and has two tracks of around thirty minutes, the a and b side of the former cassette release. The title track comes second and its the better of the two pieces. 'Timeless Transcencion', which opens up here, is Maeror Tri as a pretty chaotic affair and not the refined ambient industrial troupe you may recall them, the forebarers of Troum. Occasionally this piece has nice moments, but its all a bit distorted (without being true noise of course), of various pieces recorded in rehearsal stuck together. But the title track does the (Maeror Tri) trick: a fine blend of processed guitars, field recordings, and god knows what else they were using at that time (I seem to remember, voices, oil drums and accordion also). Here too things can get 'louder', but throughout it seems to fit the right tension curve Maeror Tri were aiming for. This is the 'true' Maeror Tri sound, the one we love so much and which found its way into Troum later on. Fans of Troum should not miss out on this, and of course Maeror Tri completists shouldn't either. (FdW)
Address: http://www.eetapes.be

WET HAIR - DREAM (CD by Release The Bats)
Raccoo-oo-on is no more, welcome Wet Hair, the band that started as a solo project of Shawn Reed, but is now a duo with Ryan Garbes. 'Dream' ('recorded in December 2012' it says on the cover), is their first release on CD, following some tapes and a 12", and has four long tracks of drums, organ and vocals. More Suicide than Silver Apples. Spacious but punk oriented, especially in the rhythm part of this. Spacious in a psychedelic sense as these pieces aren't short and to the point, but rather long. 'Black Sand' with its rhythm machine ticking away, and soaring vocals reminded me of Pseudo Code. Wet Hair combines krautrock length with punk intention and taps into the barrel of early 80s cassette music. Maybe I would have preferred things to be a bit shorter, but its quite nice, and made me curious to hear more of this. (FdW) Address: http://www.releasethebats.com

ZENLO - SKELETHAL ANTCIS (CD by Porter Records)
WOMAN YEAR - AEON CENTERS FADED (CD by Porter Records)
THE NETHER DAWN - WELL SONG (CD by Porter Records)
These three very different releases by Porter Records have in common that they all are solo efforts. They bring us to very different parts of the world. Zenlo is a mysterious artist from Italy. It is said that he played in experimental and psychedelic groups in 60s and 70s. But mainly he lives the live a complete musical outsider and it is impossible to connect him with other groups or persons he worked with. I suppose this is first appearance on the 'vinyl' as a solo artist. Everything on 'Skelethal Antics', except for one track (1990), is recorded in 1983 in London. Zenlo plays soprano sax, harmonica, cough, casio, organ, untuned upright piano, electric guitar, synthetics and grand piano. A typical product of a free spirit. Loosely assembled instrumentals, based on improvisations. The music is a bit timeless. It could come from the 70s or the 90s as well. "Beaming Greetings on a far away Beach" reminded me of early work by Terry Riley. 'The Big Dish Suite' has krautrock allure. 'Psitunion' refers to cosmic music. The recording plunged every track in an archaic sound bath, giving this cd an interesting and attractive atmosphere and mood. It is not a forgotten treasure or some missing link that Porter dived up for us. It belongs to the 'curious'-section.
Behind The Nether Dawn we meet Antony Milton from New Zealand. He appeared on the scene of New Zealand in the mid-90s and has already several CDs and CDRs out. "Well Song" is the first cd I hear from him. Milton is clearly into folk and drones. With his new cd he delivers his 'midnight drone blues'-project as he describes it. It is recorded in an old bunker, a room that attracted Milton because of its acoustic qualities. The music looks for a position somewhere between atmospheric soundsculpting on the one hand and lengthy bluesy improvisations on the other. Environmental sounds are combined with his guitar playing and other instruments, and off we go. "Still watch the Sky" is a great drony piece, and closing title "Step through the Night" also. Gradually and proportionally Milton builds some nice captivating trips.
Woman Year leads us to the US. Under this name Michael Saalman performed and produced "Aeon Centers Faded". A collection of odd, quirky and funny songs. His singing is central in most of the songs. He plays a whole bunch of instruments: guitars, keyboards, drums, etc. In most of the songs Saalman hided some surprising twists but remaining with his feet on the ground as a singer-songwriter. (Dolf Mulder) Address: http://www.porterrecords.com/

AARON DILLOWAY - CHAIN SHOT (CD by Hanson Records)
Perhaps I am one of the few non Wolf Eyes fans? I think their music is alright, not the best noise can get, not the most original and the fact that a 'major' released is fine for them, but hardly says something about the quality. Plus there is a lot of Wolf Eyes, and I gave up before I even started. Likewise I didn't follow the respective solo careers, but occasionally I hear something, like 'Chain Shot' by former Wolf Eye Aaron Dilloway. Previously released as a LP by Throne Heap, and now re-issued with a twenty-eight minute bonus track. 'Tape-loops, metal, horns' it says on the cover, whereas I think the banging of metal and horns, horns on metal, metal on horns are cut to tape-loops and being played with Dilloway having a keen ear to filter out the hiss of the tapes and add those as an extra instrument. If one is familiar with the very early works of Merzbow, 'Material Action', one can see the straight line going from that to 'Chain Shot' and the somewhat more noise oriented 'Execution Dock'. Both work as strict linear compositions. Starting, building, the end. I must say that 'Medusa', the bonus piece here is my favorite one. Its long, but it works as a more thought out composition, made from tape hiss, tape loops, maybe even field recordings and it builds very slowly up, until it lands in a more electronic and electro-acoustic territory. An excellent piece, away from the true noise, but never really leaving it. Well thought and made. A fine disc. (FdW)
Address: http://www.hansonrecords.net

THE YELLOW MOON BAND - POLARIS (12" by Static Caravan)
"File under 'utter retro'" I wrote when reviewing the 7" of The Yellow Moon Band back in Vital Weekly 613. I died and was shipped back to the past and the Yellow Moon Band play seventies tunes. But time has passed, 65 weeklys separate the 7" and the LP and no more west coast imitation, but The Yellow Moon Band opt for a more proggy, krauty type of sound. Is this the same band? Yes and no. It has, if I'm correct, a remix by Time And Space Machine and four remixes by Xela. Perhaps its just them who take the material into an entirely new direction, and does The Yellow Moon Band still sound the same? Obviously we don't know. But I must say that all of these remix business going on is certainly highly enjoyable. Xela takes the material into a more electronic ambient drone area, which quite nice, but its the Time And Space Machine that is the great gem here. A driving rhythm, and 'ah oh' sampled from a chorus line, a bit Beatles like. A great rework taking the original into a new territory, making this into a fine record. (FdW)
Address: http://www.staticcaravan.org

K2 - TARGET TO NOWHERE (CDR by Cipher Productions)
This is perfect. That said I suppose more should be said - but it need not. Why I continue is not for self gratification but as an act of providing public information- much as I would tell you if your house was on fire. If you already accept TTN is perfect - or know that your house IS on fire - read no further- phone for help? Of the 4 tracks 3 are of splits and cutups- sections placed across the stereo field - of manipulated / mutilated harsh noise - feedback, distortion, some voice- punctuated and staccatoded magnificence. Track three stands out in being mono? Of a more limited dynamic range, still noise and its sources as before but not as cutup. The applause at the end of this track makes the summation that this is a live recording obvious, whereas the others which seem to be more edited or de-edited I suppose are studio work. No matter the live track documents though grainy an excellent noise performance, the others are simply splendid. Its not often I hear what I consider a definitive work, which this is, so why only limited to 100? Ok if you've read so far and are the least bit into noise - buy this. Can I now do the so called "pseudo-intellectual bit"?- (climbs on high horse) Noise (this kind of noise) either marks the completion of western music's teleology - evolution, dialectic - "whatever" - or directly opposes the idea of any structural grand narrative, it can simultaneously occupy both positions - it can be art and not art 'at the same time' (therefore resisting closure in a transcendental signified - its immanent becoming..) though not purring quite like Schrödinger's cat, and though *only* occupying the *most* significant position in light of its anti dialectic contra-eschatological ontology its summits can be descended from as well as climbed up. (spot the cute mountain metaphor - K2 get it?) Still the view from the top is splendid, and the going down both Nietzschean and with the faint glow of Moses on his decent. (jliat & trigger) Address http://www.iheartnoise.com/cipherproductions/

ALTERED NEUROLOGYCAL FUNCTION VOL. 1 (Compilation CDR by R.O.N.F.)
Spanish label R.O.N.F. has been on the stage for some years by now. Established in 2006 the name is a shortage of "Regression Of Noise Freaks" and the focus on the label is releasing albums that lie in the abrasive areas of musical expression from harsh Noise to¬ÝGrindcore. Over time the label has come up with a number of interesting compilations and solo-releases from both underground artists and more established artists such as Richard Ramirez. On this 30th shot from the powerful gun, the full throttle noise expressions have been substituted by more subtle ones. As the title suggests, "Altered neurological function vol. 1" is an album of a more introvert nature than is the case with the main number of almost brain-damaging sonic freakouts coming from the¬Ýlabel.¬ÝThe thirteen pieces of the album swirl in atmospheres of dark ambient. The pressure on the album is put on the drone-based style though this is not an album drifting away to, since a number of tracks contain elements of subdued noise. More likely the compilation takes the listener on a¬Ýhallucinating and sometimes creepy acid trip into the secret corners¬Ýof human sub-consciousness. Stylishly I find much similarity to the excellent triple disc dark ambient/noise-compilation "Release your mind vol. 2" (Relapse/Release Entertainment, 1997): Just like¬Ýthis twelve years old compilation-box attracted me in its very own strange nature, this new compilation from R.O.N.F. does the same. Everyone interested in edgy drone ambient should definitely check this out. (Niels Mark) Address: http://www.ronfrecords.com/

SAUL STOKES - METACOLLAGE (CDR, private)
In a nice wooden sleeve comes a new release by Saul Stokes, whom we know from his various releases for Hypnos. Stokes belongs to the scene of ambient musicians in the USA that seem to play the same tune over and over again, even when Stokes occasionally adds some rhythm elements to his music. That doesn't seem the case on 'Metacollage', but its also not the typical ambient album we would expect from him. In some curious twist his music allows also some classical synths to drop in - like drops of water, such as in 'Out Of True', thus avoiding the endless sustained synthesizers which this scene is known for. That sets him a bit aside of the regular pack of ambient musicians, and it makes 'Metacollage' into that something that is a little bit different than the usual pack but that never looses it origins in the world of ambient music. It still has that relaxing quality of good ambient music, but a little bit more spicier, without falling too much outside with the rest. Nice one indeed. (FdW) Address: http://www.saulstokes.com

C-C - MUSE ICK FACT OR Y (CDR by .x.)
This I got handed last friday by Andrew Chadwick, also known as Ironing, then part of Slaughterin' Slobbersville (among Lucas Abela and Blectum from Blechdom), which was a hilarious show. I must admit I forgot a bit what Andrew said about this release, though maybe the time of night had something to do with it. It was originally released on Custom Muisc Records in 2007, and re-issued by .x. as part of Ironing's euro tour, although its not under that name but as Cocacolah or C-C. See? Things are confusing, but then so is the music. Plunderphonics at work here, and especially the work of rap, hip hop and scratching which are put together in quite a crude way, quite raw and noisy, but it never hits the tab of real noise. I don't know what to make of this. Its not bad, but seeing that rap, hip hop and such like aren't exactly my favorite things, I think I preferred out of this lot 'This Is Cuban Bass' best. Noisy and raw, but funny, whereas the others were funny at their best. (FdW) Address: http://www.myspace.com/cocacolah

CHUBBY WOLF - MEANDERING PUPA (4x business card CDR, private)
You may wonder who Chubby Wolf is? Its the solo project of Dani Baquet-Long, one half of Celer, who is responsible for 'all music, voice, processing, titles, painting and photography' on her first solo release 'Meandering Pupa', which comes not as a 3"CDR, which this material could have easily fitted on, but as a set of four business card CDRs in a rather dull, not too sturdy cardboard box. Musicwise there is not much difference with the music of Celer. Five pieces in total, three of them around four minutes and two a bit shorter, of highly atmospheric music, highly processed field recordings, or perhaps instruments, or perhaps just electronics. Not entirely worked out, which is perhaps the best things about it. It still has, far away, that rough edge, such as the not yet completed composition 'Golems Caving In To Rebels', which shimmers a bit through in what we hear, but its a nice gesture. Nice stuff, but altogether very short... Its of course a bit of a drag to get up every time to switch a disc, but then I thought it is perhaps a nice perversity on behalf of Chubby Wolf. (FdW) Address: http://www.myspace.com/chubbywolfsounds

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