Vital Weekly 705 + 706
TobiasTHOMAS WATKISS - ANCESTOR PHASE 2: MACHINE (CD by The Seventh Media)
As announced back in Vital Weekly 623, Thomas Watkiss is busy to release a trilogy. 'Silence' was the opening, now its time for 'Machine', which comes in the form of a double CD. One CD has phase two, the other has a live recording from Norway from Autumn of 2008. The new album moves away from the dark ambient music of 'Silence' and the machines are set in motion. The landscape he depicts is that of an empty industrial site - at night of course. Hit perhaps by a nuclear blast a few days ago, smoke everywhere. Or maybe after an invasion of bugs. Its certainly not a pleasant world - but perhaps its our modern world indeed. Maybe the reality is not so pleasant? More than before, but this is merely an assumption, it seems to me that he is using synthesizers, sound effects and computer manipulation, rather than guitars, or bass like on the previous. Well, perhaps he does play them, but then its less obvious. In the live version, spanning two long pieces, in which things are a bit more stretched out then in his studio work, taking more time to develop his music. Here he seems to be combining the dark ambient of 'Silence', with bits of the more bleak industrial nightmares of 'Machine' - a combination that works wonderfully well. It made me curious to hear the third part by now. (FdW) Address: http://www.thomaswatkiss.net
QUARTET OFFENSIVE - CARNIVORE (CD by Morphius Records)
This one was lost for a few weeks. It strangely disappeared after a nightly ride. But happily it surfaced yesterday, and I can complete my review of this one at last. "Carnivore" is the debut release of a group from Baltimore: John Dierker (reeds), Eric Trudel (sax), Matt Frazao (guitar), Adam Hopkins (bass) and Nathan Ellman-Bell (drums). So a quintet rather dan a quartet. They are around since 2007 and already shared bills with Tim Berne, Jack Wright and others. The recording was done live and no overdubs or editing took place. This exemplifies how they work. Each performance is unique, performing a show twice is not what they are interested in. They play written as well as improvised stuff, making an original mix jazz and rock. They are residing in the same in-between-land as groups like Claudia Quintet. To call it avant garde goes a bit too far. But they are original and refreshing in their approach. However not engaging and convincing from beginning to end. Sometimes the power an togetherness is gone, and at other moments I,m not sure in what direction they are moving. But at many other moments they show they are capable of effectively structuring their music, and building up pieces gradually towards a climax. Also they demonstrate that they don't feel afraid to move from very slow and patient passages to very loud and rocky interludes. Easily they switch from almost easy listening atmospheres like in the beginning of "Goodbye, Cavendish", to straight rock like in "O.D" or the opening track. They also feel at home in abstract improvisations leaving many conventions behind them. Frazao attracts attention with his electronically processed guitarsolo in "Heavy-Light". He is responsible for some convincing solowork also in "O.D", whereas the reedplaying in this track lacks this same selfconciousness. I like them best in cacaphonic passages like in the closing track "The MSB". All together a promising debut from a band that can tab from many sources (Dolf Mulder) Address: http://www.morphius.com/
FACET - CONSCIOUS MENTAL FIELD RECORDINGS (CD by Satelita)
A (new?) trio of improvisers under the banner of Facet: Maciej Sledziecki on guitar, Joris Rühl on clarinets and Adrian Myhr on double-bass. They say they are inspired by northern minimalism, no wave music and electronic sound collages. The latter I can vouch for, but the other two influences are a bit harder to see. Although minimal is certainly the right word for their work. These boys don't play a lot of different notes and tones. They keep things to a minimum. Their improvisations are usually of a more traditional kind: the instruments sound like they are supposed to. Quite intense playing at that actually, held backed, controlled, with each player receiving the space they need. As said this is quite a conventional disc of improvising, which is not a bad thing. The real beauty lies in the improvising densities they create with their music. Nice one indeed. (FdW) Address: http://www.satelita.de
DREKKA - COLLECTED WORKS VOLUME ONE (2CD by Morc Records)
Someone sent last week's issue as a reply back to me, saying he never heard of any of the artists featured. Which I guess is good. Download the podcast and find out, I'd say. It also proofs there is some much music out there that deserves to be heard and that I never heard of. Drekka for instance, the project of one Micheal Anderson, has been around 1986 (though since 1996 as DRekka) and now gets a collected works release, which are basically his first two cassettes and some assorted other work from his earliest days as Drekka. Morc Records says that if you like folk, shoegaze, drones and/or minimal songwriting this is thre right place. Actually I do like some of that, to some extent or another. And seeing that this is my first introduction to his music, from his earliest days, a good place to start. Although two discs is a lot of music to take on at once, I must say I m quite pleased with the music. Drone like is the best word to describe this, but played in a lo-fi manner, with a nice emphasis on the guitar and field recordings. Quite raw at times, but never noise based. Maybe its all a bit much with twenty-two tracks, of which some are quite lengthy, but the counterpoint lies in using occasional vocals here and there. Not in all tracks, and not always throughout. Those pieces are not always what I like, say the 'minimal song writing' thing, but here it works quite well. It prevents the CD from being too much of the same thing, which is always good thing. Nice moody, textured music, with nice rough edges to it. Lo-fi drone noise music. Great introduction. (FdW)
Address: http://www.morctapes.com
NIKASAYA - ONE SUMMERHEIM (CD by Someone Good)
AKIRA KOSEMURA - POLEROID PIANO (CD by Someone Good)
When playing the disc by Nikasaya I was contemplating - not that the music invites you to, but about the music on offer here. Nikasaya is Nikaido Kazumi from Hiroshima and Saya of Tenniscoats' fame. They meet up at the Guggenheim house in Shioya, overlooking the bay of Kansai, they sit down and write songs. Voices and guitars principally, using the architecture of the building for some natural reverb. The music sounds very Japanese, a very particular kind of Japanese music of course. Not the noise thing, but the dreamy pop of Tujiko Noriko, well, or perhaps Tenniscoats, and various others whose names elude me right now. They elude me for the reason that I find lots of this music not particular interesting or engaging to listen to. Its not because I don't understand the words (to which, I must admit, I never really listen anyway), but perhaps its all a bit sweet for me. I can listen to say Carpenters on a rainy sunday afternoon, but that's about it for that. I must say though that the singing on this particular CD by Nikasaya is very good. Great close harmony, almost in a medieval style at times.
While not a bad CD by Nikasaya, I found much more pleasure in the release by Akira Kosemura, who plays the piano here. Just like the poleroid mentioned in the title, this CD captures moments, and it colors them, just like a poleroid. He plays ten of these pieces in a room of small noises. Or perhaps they were added later on, I am not sure, but they play an important role here too. Where in other recordings of plain piano music they are kept out, they are deliberately in here: the foot on the pedal is obviously the best reference (that is if you know what it takes to play a piano). Music along the lines of Debussy and Satie, careful, melodic, silent. One that could have easily fitted on Brian Eno's Obscure label. Not really pop like, which you may except on a label like Someone Good, but then also way to 'normal' to be on Room40. A sort of record that is beyond any categorization. Whatever you think - pop, classic, experimental - this is damn fine record. (FdW)
Address: http://www.someonegood.org
JAN-KEES HELMS - SUMMER (CDR by Q-Tone)
Earlier this year Jan-Kees Helms returned to creating music again, after a hiatus of some years, following his Little Seed cassette project in the late 80s, early 90s. Since his return it seems as if he is active as before. This particular release is not on his own Lor Teeps, but on Germany's Q-Tone and consists of three pieces based on field recordings of a naturist camping in Soest and on the island of Texel, both in the Netherlands. The pieces are based on what Helms thought to be remarkable sounds of those locations. I have not been to naturist camping so I don't know what could be remarkable in those locations, but no doubt its not different from any ordinary camping site. Hard to tell here what they are, but the weather didn't seem very good: some rain fall. The Texel sounds are split into two pieces and all three pieces are quite nice excersises in processed field recordings. Not always easy to spot, save for the rain, birds and a boat, they are dense, but also open in approach. Its already a major step from his two previous 3"CDRs, with compositions being more structured and worked out, spaced out in longer sequences, this is surely the right path to follow. Nice one indeed. (FdW) Address: http://www.q-tone.com
TOY BIZARRE - KDI DCTB 216 [DATA #5] (3"CDR by Ingeos)
Its been only two weeks that I reviewed the previous installment of this series and I noted that "to keep this series interesting and be a bit more different, change is necessary, I think." Maybe Toy Bizarre is psychic? The fifth one is different. It opens with a looped voice that says 'sun', phased along Steve Reich's 'Come Out' and then spoken word. It turns out that this fifth work is all about the human voice. I am sure there is some sort of connection to the weather being here, the word 'sun' in the opening piece is of course the best example, but also in the two other parts I seem to detect some connection to the weather. This piece is divided in three clearly distinctive parts, all dealing with looped voices and sparse electronic processing thereof. The phasing of the voice material is not unique but Toy Bizarre uses it in a highly effective manner. This is the big chance in style I was hoping for. Imaginative, strange, sound poetry alike, this is a great piece. Now I am even more curious as to what the rest will bring us. (FdW) Address: http://www.ingeos.org
MARK CETILIA - ANEMOI (3"CDR by Quiet Design)
Maybe the name Mark Cetilia doesn't ring an immediate bell, but he is a member of Mem1, part of Redux, curator of Ctrl+Alt+Repeat festival and travels the world to do residencies. 'Anemoi' can be seen as a sort of conceptual work. Cetilia created a square loop antenna 'capable of detecting any changes in the electro magnetic field with 10 miles: lightning, atmospheric conditions'. Shortly after he created this antenna, power was cut because of a tropical storm flying over. In his piece he tries to recreate that experience, picking up all those signals, and avoiding any radio sounds. The first ten minutes sound like long wave crackles and then dies out. In the second half a more drone like sound builds slowly up and then dies out again. Quite a nice atmospheric (pun intended) release. If you wouldn't know any better, you could all too easily think this is some laptop musician doodling around with plug in stuff, but after you read the story on the cover you know better. Great piece of a nice concept turned into a nice piece of music. That's something more people should do. (FdW)
Address: http://www.quietdesign.us
SIMON BALESTRAZZI & MAX EASTLEY & ALESSANDRO OLLA & Z'EV - FLOATING SIGNAL (CD by TiConZero Records)
Perhaps a little known fact: Z'EV might be best known as a player of all things metal, in an improvised way, but he also plays what is commonly known as improvised music. This disc shows us his capacities in that direction by playing a quartet with Max Eastley on arc, Simon Balestrazzi and Alessandro Olla, both on laptop and amplified objects (with guitar by Marco Cappelli on two of the nine pieces). These four recorded three different sessions between September and December 2007, but it seems not altogether. First Z'EV with Olla and Balestrazzi, then the three Italians and then Olla and Balestrazzi along with Eastley, using the two unedited previous session. The result were four hours of music, of which this CD is the edited form. In these nine pieces its no longer possible to recognize which session was used, as there all sort of overlaps between the various sessions, and it brings out some nice interaction between the various sound input done by these four (five). Z'EVs rolling metal percussion are at times the starting point, whereas the three others seem to concentrate on 'small sounds'. Yet this work is never anywhere near really soft. Long sustaining sounds (bow on autoharp, arc, strings - nice photos here in the cover!) make long form movements, along with sparse doodling on the laptop. Dense at times, open at other times. An intense affair, but also refreshing to hear. An excellent meeting of like minded spirits. (FdW)
Address: http://www.ticonzero.org
TELL - TONAL/NAGUAL (CD by Rossbin)
CHRISTIAN WOLFARTH - ACOUSTIC SOLO PERCUSSION VOL. 2 (7" by Hiddenbell Records)
An odd meeting, or so it seems at first sight. Christian Wolfarth is of course by now a pretty known improviser of percussion who teams up Joke Lanz, whom we know best as noise musician Sudden Infant. Not a likely person to dabble with improvised music that may or may not involve any form of silence. Yet they now work together as Tell (as in Wilhelm Tell?) and recorded this work already in June 2008. Lanz plays turntables and electronics, Wolfarth percussion. I must say that this release is pretty good. Throughout its the work of improvisation, and it moves along those lines, the input of Lanz makes this also a work that moves along the borders of noise. Its hardly anywhere going over that top, but there are some brutal seconds to be spotted, and throughout this is a highly audible release, as opposed to some improvised music which is hardly 'there'. There is an interesting interplay going on here in some more rhythmic material, courtesy of the percussion and the revolving matters happening at the turntable. A very refined disc of improvised rhythm and noise. Great.
Yesterday, when this arrived a young man (21) was over here and picked the second solo 7" by Christian Wolfarth up. "What's this?", he said. I realized that no longer everybody knows what a 7" record is, which struck me as odd. So I explained a bit, compared it to CD single, to which he concluded 'ah a mini LP'. Different times it is. Hardly a mini LP, this second 7" on solo acoustic percussion. Percussion? Hard to tell on 'Side C'. A continuous droning affair. If something mechanical is placed on a drum skin and produces overtones. A great piece. The 'Side D' is percussion for sure, but altogether something weird also. Like tapping your fingers on a resonant surface. Two entirely different pieces, rounded off nicely to fit on the format. Excellent colored vinyl. (FdW)
Address: http://www.rossbin.com
Address: http://www.ch.wolfarth.ch.vu
NEXT ORDER - LIVE-REFINED (CD by Order Tone Music)
Behind this colorness bandname hides an interesting Japanese band, formed in 2002. With 'Live-Refined' they deliver their fourth release. The band has two guitarists, Yuji Muto and Takumi Seino. Completed by Atsutomo Shigaki on bass and Hiroshi Gori, Matsuda on drums. Takumi Seino you may know from earlier reviews in Vital Weekly: his duo album with Antoine Berthiaume; the album 'Trees' of his Blue Willow Tree and more. Yuji Muto, graduate of the GIT Musicians Institute, is the leader of this jazzfusion band. Both have an easily identifiable style and sound. Seino is a jazzguitarist with a style common to Scofield, Holdsworth a.o. Muto has a more tough electric rock-oriented sound. All four members contribute with compositions for this live recording. Most, four to be exact, come from Takumi Seino.
In the opening track 'Death Mental' the music immediately and misleadingly reaches its boiling temperature. As the title clearly suggests, this piece is inspired on death metal. Hoping for more of this up tempo and tightly played piece, I became however disappointed. For the rest of the album Next Order remain in jazzy atmospheres. We have to wait for the closing track "Angry Stone" to enter rock territories again, with real Frippian energy near the end of the piece. But after repeated listening the other tracks started to reveal their beauty. Energy is channelled here in a different way. 'Oro Campo' for example is a very satisfying piece, evoking old Canterbury days with guitarist Phil Miller. It is pleasure to listen to the subtle playing by Seino. 'Simm 55' is a fantastic composition by Matsuda, a highlight on the album. They in trade in different styles, but the necessary unifying force comes from their musical approach and teamwork. It is a good thing they choose to record their compositions live (Jazz Inn Lovely & Gaia). When this kind of music comes from the studio often all life andspontaneity is mixed out of the recordings. (Dolf Mulder)
Address: http://order-tone.com/
I/DEX - LAYERS (CD by Lagunamuch)
While I was listening to the music of Vitaly Harmash, also known as I/Dex, I was doing some manual labor: cutting bits of paper for someone. It means that, while being busy I could quite get to the music. Harmash is from Novopolotsk, Belorussia, where he works since the 90s with analogue synthesizers, radio, guitars, field recordings and above all computers. In that almost hour that passed I didn't have the feeling I heard anything spectacular new. Oval like ambient music. Glitchy, but warm. Actually, I must say, I very much enjoyed this. No prize to be given for its originality, but its created with great care and an absolute love for that great warm sound. A bit poppy, largely ambient. What more is there to say? I wasn't finished with my manual labor when this was over, so I played it again, straight away. (FdW)
Address: http://www.lagunamuch.com
BRUCE GILBERT - THIS WAY (CD by Editions Mego)
OREN AMBRACHI - INTERMISSION 2000-2008 (CD by Touch)
Re-issue time here. In the first case we have Bruce Gilbert's first solo record from 1984. Right after his work with Dome (along with his solo work, my favorite Gilbert work) and before re-uniting with Wire for the first time, he recorded two pieces of music for choreographer Micheal Clark. The music was released on LP, and later on CD, but that missed out on a piece (because it was combined with 'The Shivering Man', Gilbert's second solo LP). Its been a while since I last heard this I must admit (partly due to Vital's workload I must say), but I still thinking this is a gorgeous record. The lengthy 'Do You Me/I Did', in three parts, is a moody, reflective piece that unfolds slowly. Gilbert takes his time to develop his sounds, first on the synthesizer and then on the guitar, ultimately combining the two with rhythm in the third part. Eerie, grey music that hasn't aged at all. Excellent still. Let's hope Editions Mego will re-issue all of Gilbert's solo work!
The second re-issue here is not an entire re-issued work, but a collection of hard to get pieces by Australia's Oren Ambarchi from the period 2000-2008. Pieces from compilations and limited vinyl releases, plus a previously unreleased cut. Likewise with Gilbert, I haven't heard Ambrachi's recent output, but its good to have a release like this. I don't think I have any of these releases, so it fills in a gap for me. Quite pleasing to hear the vocals on "Iron Waves", or the quiet silent introspective strumming on 'The Strouhal Number'. These pieces do not shed much new light upon the work of Ambarchi, but it has all of his trademarks in it: the sustaining guitar, the sinewave like sounds and even some more louder exercise in 'A Final Kiss On Poisoned Cheeks', with some nasty, noise frequencies. A nice 'in between' release, while waiting for something new. (FdW)
Address: http://www.editionsmego.com
Address: http://www.touchmusic.org.uk
STARKE - A LETTER FROM YESTERDAY (CD by Mu-nest)
For a moment or two (better would be: for a song or two I thought I was dealing with a new release on Someone Good, Room40's sub division for all things (Japanese) pop. But it isn't. Its a release by a label called Mu-Nest but its indeed by two Japanese musicians: Shunichiro Fujimoto (acoustic guitar, acoustic and electric piano, found sounds, programs) and Ysuhi Mori (drums, percussion, keyboards, string arrangement), plus some additional help on voice, guitar and cello. A record of slow, quiet, peaceful music. Folk music without too many vocals, entirely updated to the new millennium. One long road trip. This is, strange as it may seem, music to travel with. Put this on your car stereo and drive away, on your ipod while on the train to a far away, unknown destination. Music for a rainy day (perhaps no surprise that today is such a day). Sweet music, no aggression anywhere around. A bit of microsound, which made me think this could also have been on the current 12K roster. Nothing new as such but Starke has produced a fine album of small delight and elegant tunes. (FdW) Address: http://www.mu-nest.com
RAUDIVE BUNKER EXPERIMENT - RBE (2LP/7" single by You Don't Have To Call It Music)
The past is no longer a mystery, it slowly unfolds. The first time I heard about Raudive Bunker Experiment was most likely also the last time I heard about them was when I heard a track on a great, highly limited cassette compilation release called 'Endzeit'. A great soft moody synthesizer piece. I also assumed since then (I think we're speaking 1982 here) that this band/project was from Germany. Maybe it sounded German to me. Anyway, much to my delight, I now hold this double album plus 7" in my hand. Along the lines of Vinyl On Demand, You Don't Have To Call It Music re-releases old and forgetting gems. There is a box set with additional booklets, which I didn't get, so I can't comment too much on the band's history, but apparently its the project of one Andy Wilson, who also played with Bourbonese Qualk (which I didn't know either), these days operates as Sunseastar and The Grand Erector, and who also wrote a book on Faust. So besides those two nice, soft pieces I never heard anything and therefor this package comes as a surprise. This set includes a re-issue of a LP from 1982 and assorted other pieces from other (compilation?) releases, while the 7" also uses voice, unlike the material on the two LPs. The music of Raudive Bunker Experiment floats in various directions: it can soft and not too outspoken, but also wildly rhythmic and industrial, such as in the aptly called 'Industrial Estate', or improvisations with electronics and guitars as in 'A Knot'. Although I would love to say the music hasn't aged, it has. That is not bad - this music from a certain time made on certain equipment that we would call no longer up to date. That's totally fine. But one of the things that I like about this is that not every moment is great. Very much like of those days, when all was recorded and released. In some of these pieces we hear him search for some sound or structure, but doesn't quite get there. That's lovely (and probably wouldn't be acceptable by today's experimental standards), since its very much a sign of those times. A highly varied bunch of music, from minimal synth to ambient and industrial banging. A more than excellent release of an overlooked classic. (FdW)
Address: http://www.youdonthavetocallitmusic.de
NOKALYPSE - WHERE AVENUES MEET AT NIGHT (CDR by Ripples)
Themistoklis Pantelopoulos is the man behind Nokalypse and his Triple Bath label. He has released one LP and four CDRs and various works with others, and now branches out to Italy's Ripples label. The cover says 'several layers of sound were recorded in real time', but it doesn't specify which kind of sounds. I assume they are all from an electronic origin. Like the title implies, you could see this as roads meeting up. Imagine you are in a helicopter and you see all these roads - at the same time, with headlights from the cars at night, driving in various directions, opposite directions, same directions but on different roads and you may have an idea what this music sounds like. Various events in sound, going in various directions, alongside each other, some shorter, some longer. But its dark. Its dark outside where those cars are, but also dark inside, where Nokalypse plays his music. An excellent soundtrack, a homage to driving at night. I almost wished I had a drivers license. (FdW) Address: http://www.ripplesrecordings.webs.com
TETUZI AKIYAMA & ERIK CARLSSON & TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA & HENRIK OLSSON - IN SEARCH OF WILD TULIPS (CDR by Bombox Bombax)
SKOG OCH DAL - SKOGAR, BERG OCH DALAR (CDR by Bombox Bombax)
ERIK CARLSSON - LET'S FALL IN LOVE (CDR by Bombox Bombax)
Swedish label Bombax Bombax doesn't release a lot, usually three a year, but I am sure these three will be available before the date mentioned on the press release, December 14th 2010. These releases come in an edition of 165 copies in a nice silkscreened cover (although the small print is not always easy to read). Bombax Bombax deal with improvised music, mostly by Swedish players. The first however is by two Swedish guys, Erik Carlsson (selected percussion) and Henrik Olsson (drum, cymbal, five glasses and a bowl) along with two key players on the scene from Japan, Toshimaru Nakamura (no-input mixing board) and Tetuzi Akiyama (acoustic guitar). Their release is simply great. An excellent combination of Nakamaru's sine wave like sounds, cracks and hiss from the mixing board with the acoustic input of the other three. Each piece is a live cut. In Malmo things sounds piercing from Nakamaru's side, but Olsson's wine glasses, the bow on a cymbal and Akiyama's sparse input on the guitar make this into a true delight.
Skog Och Dal is almost like a Swedish answer to Mimeo. It features Erik Carlsson (selected percussion), Anders Dahl (electronics, pump organ, pitch pipe), Magnus Granberg (piano, saxophone, guitar, glasses), Henrik Olsson (bowls, cymbals, glasses, microphones, amplifier, walkie-talkies), Leo Svensson (cello) and Petter Wastberg (electronics, various objects, electric guitar). Effectively its a collaboration between Anders Dahl and the improvising chamber ensemble Skogen. Highly improvised here of course too, but I must say its also a bit more regular playing that is going on here. Each of the players does whatever he (no girls here!) does, and does that well, but tension seems to be lacking in this interplay. It carries on as it is, and that's it. Its not bad, don't get me wrong there, but no as exciting as the previous release.
The one constant factor in these three new releases is the presence of Erik Carlsson and on his solo release 'Let's Fall In Love!' he still gets credit for solo percussion. In his solo work he is much louder, well or so it seems, than on his other work, with other people. Things buzz, bang and crack at the beginning of this release like a good free improv noise record. But Carlsson shows his qualities as improviser. In 'Vanity Captured Me Once Again' he plays around with the total opposite of this: near silence, closely miked small percussive sound, whereas in 'We Could Die' he applies a bow to create long sustained sounds and small tinkling bell sounds. I would think that Carlsson would apply multi-track recording in his work, especially in that final piece, but who knows: this might all be just some damn fine live playing. (FdW)
Address: http://bombaxbombax.com
BRUNO MOREIGNE - ANEMOS VOL. 1 (3"CDR by Kaon)
Just like Toy Bizarre, Bruno Moreigne, started a series of 3"CDRs for the French label Kaon. Moreigne might not be the most active composers, having released so far two CDs on Kaon (in 1997 and in 2004), but he is an active hunter for sound. He goes out into the woods and records natural events. They are describe on the cover: lots of small villages in France. The main thing he recorded here is the wind, which will be running through all five releases. Of course we hear other sounds as well, birds, water, rain, but its the wind that matters. He presents it as one piece, but these events are rather by themselves, one by one, and not composed into one piece of music. That is nice, for this one, but I am not sure if this would be altogether interesting for the rest of the series. Maybe the approach is going to be different for the other four? I do hope so. For now its quite a nice start! (FdW)
Address: http://www.kaon.org
The complete "Vital Weekly" is available at: Vital Weekly