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Singles Albums Compilations Video and DVD
Last updated 4th February 2005
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Various - Alternative Blueprint Volume 1
'Laidback' is still the order of the day with the arrival of Automated Acoustics, whose brand of syncopated electronic Jazz marries a lyrical double-bass to space-aged synth pads and oscillators in a marvellously chin-strokey manner -- radiophonic, man! Next up are Optikatechniqua, who break with the prevailing atmosphere and lead us into much darker, edgier terrain, combining heavily-filtered breakbeats with dissonant bass riffs and stabs of sound that wouldn't sound out of place on an Ed Rush and Optical tune. Repeated over the top at regular intervals is a short sample of a man grunting, or perhaps crying in pain or beginning to retch - it sounds ghastly, but it works much better than this description would have you believe. Occasionally the bass motif tries to key-shift into a lighter, less sinister mode, but is pulled back down by the stifling beats and the unhappy man. Good stuff. Armor Veneris - another finely-named outfit - complete the roster with a couple of tracks that again recall earlier Aphex, sawtooth glissando and crunchy post-Dub beats and all. Of these, the CD's closing number "Snow Angels" is the winner in my book, it being the more psychedelic and dreamlike, and lacking the somewhat forced jollity of "Music For Specialists". The production is impeccable in both instances, but the ideas aren't really anything new; one might level the same criticism at the whole EP, there being a very real danger for new labels in this field to come across as Warp imitators. However the moments of inspiration - the grunts, the double-bass and the fractured child - stave off mediocrity quite effectively, and make this debut worth checking out for fans of leftfield Electronica. -Andrew Clegg- |
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Various - Electronic Bible Something of a label sampler and a precursor to a compilation album of the same name, The Electronic Bible features three tracks. First up is Large Number's excellently outrageous spacegoing stomp "I Shot Her At The Setting Of The Sun", a churning analogue riff monster shot through with squirls of shrieking synth and rolling along on a vintage drum machine undercarriage. Ann Shenton's skyscraping vocals are drenched with almost as many effects as the tune, and the whole smashes its way from ear to guts and back out again through any available orifice, giving the feet a good tickle along the way. Kings Have Long Arms mix up a sort of post-Country, post-Tom Jones swingle with a deviant Electroboogie groove and a lecherously down to earth vocal on "F1 Nymphomaniac". Dirty, more than a little sleazy and probably bound to be a firm favourite wherever Electro clashes with sweat, sending shivers of naughty oscillator stabs down the spine. Last up is the synthesizer and drum machine roll groove of "Who's Afraid Of The Red White And Blue", and a moment's listen wil bring about the realisation that Pat Riot is in fact none other than Richard H. Kirk getting back to his roots in a lo-fi style, splattering the sounds with vim and no less vigour while growling threats through FX and pushing stabs of evil and Housed-up treble and smacked down bass through as much distortion as he cares to throw into the mix. All of which makes the forthcoming Electronic Bible proper a bit of a mouthwatering prospect. -Linus Tossio- |
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Various - Freq_out: 0 To Infinity Freq_out is a sound installation consisting of twelve individual audio works that are then mixed into a whole. Each person is assigned a frequency range with which to work. The idea is to explore space and how frequencies work (or not) with the space surrounding them. The installation attempts to find the innate properties of frequencies and the possibilities of combination. Swedish artist and curator CM von Hausswolf assembled 12 composers, producers, visual artists, and mathematicians including Mr Foetus himself, J.G. Thirlwell for the first event of this sound installation. The result is twelve distinct and individual pieces moving from edgy high frequencies to the low frequency subsonic earthquakes of Franz Pommasl and Finnbogi P�ursson, from pure oscillator tones to processed instruments/voices and even something approaching minimal Techno along the way. The common thread that ties all the pieces together is theme/process of frequency manipulation. The twelve pieces are then presented as a collective arrangement by BJ Nilsen, (sometimes known as Hazard). The way in which the performers are set to work is reminiscent of the chance methods John Cage and the working practices of 70s experimental/situational composers such as Cardew. The work consists of instructions and guides rather than notes on paper/sequencer, which leads to personal interpretation, indeterminacy, and of course never the same performance twice This CD does not always make for easy listening. One of the innate properties of high pitch tones, for me at least, is that they tend to make me feel on edge. The microtonal high pitch oscillations of Petteri Nisunen and Tommi Gr�lund are particularly unsettling. Hans Sydow produced a much gentler series of dissonant high pitch beeps beeps and processed voices. I suspect this gentleness is as much to do with personal taste as it is to do with the qualities of the frequencies themselves. Jana Winderen's piece, lower in frequency, is an aggressive filtered warbling noise that captures the blaring harsh distortion unique to midrange sounds. Jacob Kirkegaard's richly-textured exploration of processed instruments is about the furthest removed from pure tones of an oscillator. BJ Nilsen's own piece is a deep pulsating rhythm that comes close to being minimal Techno ... of the Pan Sonic variety at least. This, along with PerMagnus Lindborg's slow Ligeti-like drones, would be the piece that grabbed me the most. -ap- |
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Various - Money Will Ruin Everything
Sticking with the book for a moment, apart from the artwork there is an interview with the label’s founder, Rune Kristoffersen and essays by Rob Young of The Wire and design writer Adrian O’Shaughnessy. These are all very readable and informative in different ways – I was particularly interested in finding out more about the man who chose to launch his record label with a three volume package of hardcore electronic improvisation, Supersilent 1 - 3. Anyway, all that and his vision for the future is there in the interview which is conducted by the ubiquitous Hiorthoy. So what about the music ? Well, it is indicative of the label’s broad spectrum with key tracks from the catalogue, like Maja Ratkje’s “Intro” from her Voice CD. I enjoyed revisiting its Joycean electronica as much as I felt glad to be re-acquainted with the high decibel excitement of Scorch Trio’s “ Taajus”. These two may seem to inhabit different worlds but Ratkje’s voice and Raoul Bjorkenheim’s coruscating guitar are among the most exciting and fascinating sounds to come out of the Rune Grammofon roster. Also worth another listen is Arne Nordheim’s gently glistening electronic composition, “Hovering” which is quite a way from the approaches of Ratkje and her co-explorers in the field of noise and electronics, SPUNK. Whereas Nordheim’s work is reminiscent of small bright objects being tapped and struck softly, the SPUNK track, “Kamelmusikk”, is full of sinister voicings and dark electronic samples as well as some conventional instruments. But the two are equally worth investigating. Coming from a different angle, Jono el Grande’s Jazzy “Tango On The Crest Of Reality” sounds as though it has absorbed some of Zappa’s compositional techniques and use of instrumental colour. Saxophones and xylophone explore the turns and deviations of melody, employing the precision that the great Mother himself was so fond of. It is by turns sprightly and reflective and promises much from their new CD. Apart from these previously available tracks there are many exclusive contributions from the somewhat melancholic Jazz of Food through the percussive electronics of Supersilent with that strangely hoarse cry of Arve Henriksen’s trumpet. It is a fairly restrained piece and may well tempt a few more wavering souls to plunge in and hear more of what they do. Henriksen also contributes another atmospheric track, akin to some of his solo album. This one ranges from deep, didgeridoo-like drones to airy flute tones. I’m certain the acoustics of wherever it was recorded play a part in creating these diverse and haunting resonances. I’m sure some people will be expecting something appropriately Nordic and icy and the nearest to that is probably Supersilent’s Helge Sten in his incarnation as Deathprod. His “Deerstalker” has nothing to do with the headgear but is a bleak trawl through some cold but not unattractive landscapes. Also the Hardanger fiddle, harmonium and acoustic bass of Nils Okland’s “Hertervig Skisse” are somewhat redolent of chilly mountains and frozen lakes. It is, however, still an attractive sketch, mixing folk elements and searching improvisations, especially from the fiddle. Personally, I don’t feel that the label’s music conforms to any Nordic, electronic or other stereotypes. In fact much of it has a warmth that is often missing from Electronica and related music, as in Alog’s folksy Gamelan excursions, for example. This CD and book represent an individual and distinctive vision which has shaped the output of this label, the covers and the contents throughout the last five years. Kristoffersen seems to have a healthy disregard for the commercial potential of the artists he records, preferring to release what he likes, hoping others will too. It will be interesting and rewarding to follow his idiosyncrasies through the next five years and beyond. -Paul Donnelly- |
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Various - Rump Comp Volume One
Surprisingly, for a collection of twelve comparative newcomers (at least to insular British ears), there's nothing here that hints at cliché or predictability. "Black Silk" by Latvia's Kriipis Tulo immediately brings to mind Angelo Badalamenti's Twin Peaks music, but more in the manner of a knowing, affectionate pastiche rather than a copycat. Manual & Syntaks (good name) hit us with "Videodrone" (good name), a fractured Hip-Hop war-cry in the same sort of broad style as Cannibal Ox. Taking a much more minimalist approach are Pellarin, whose "Dependency7" could be called Techno but only in the same way as Biosphere at his subtlest. Most of the rest of the tracks are unclassifiable in that laid-back, jazzy electronic sort of way that is never lacking in ideas but stops short of being too challenging. If I have one particular objection to this compilation it's just that; that it tends towards being a little too pleasant and perhaps a bit lacking in cojones. But then, like in the original Ambient genre that this kind of melodic, downtempo Electronica has all but eclipsed, the intention is not to startle or unsettle the listener. It's probably no accident though that the tunes (above) that caught my ear were the darker ones. It is possible to evoke a lighter mood within this paradigm without starting to sound like post-modern elevator muzak, but it's a fine line to tread, and it requires a certain degree of subtle experimentalism in the production process. The tracks by oRfeUs and Skyphone demonstrate that principle competently, but some of the others might want to take a leaf out of their book. -Andrew Clegg- |
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Various - Spire+
The apocalyptic drone of "Royal Organ" by Leif Elggren is as much to do with politics as it is about aesthetics and processing sound. It is an instrument dedicated to the Swedish King Carolus XII who remains a focal point for extreme political views and left Sweden devastated and bankrupt. Leif Elggren's track has a feeling of the exhaustion in the wake of continual warring. "Breath" by BJ Nilsen is a long slow interplay of layered tones. The organ emerges out of clattering noise of the church surroundings, growing from noise to low murmuring to the dissonant rasp of a full bodied organ. The processing is restrained, acoustic sound is processed as little as possible. The sound is layered and clearly has been processed, but the sound is the sound of an organ. "Breath" is not processing beyond the point of no return and all recognition. The track is an eerie 25 minute long inhalation and exhalation and is given the delicate production that is appropriate. Zephyr and Marcus Davidson's "Organ Psalm V" are also results of Nilsen's recordings (with Charles Matthews playing the Organ at St Mary's Church, Warwick). The two pieces are the closest to the archetypal pipe organ sound. Zephyr is an intense and improvised doom-laden blast. Nothing comes close to a pipe organ when it comes to unleashing power. "Organ Psalm V" is a piece of contrasts. One moment it is gently lyrical the next intense and threatening. Elsewhere, artists on Spire+ built their own organs. For the track "Diabolu"s, Finnbogi Pétursson constructed a 16 metre long cylindrical tunnel. Through this enormous pipe two tones are amplified which result in the interval (diminished 5th) called Diabolus in musica in medieval times. The question he asks us is: whether by any misfortune we might again fall for the idea that only the beautiful and harmonious is ideologically correct. Toshiya Tsunoda's "Layered" is probably less conceptual in its intent, but also originates from an instrument built by the artist. He arranged a series of pipes of different length, played short-wave radio noises through them, and then layered the sounds together. The result is a long breathy drone with the chattering radio interference in the background. Finally, of course, there is the air itself. An organ would be silent without air. Chris Watson makes this point in a particularly meteorological way with "Askam Wind Cluster", which is a recording of wind. Past Present and Future. This is an interesting sub title. In the compilation's approach the present should be heavily underlined ... but I suspect the same is true for most compilations. The past is of course inescapable. It is something we sometimes struggle against, whether politically as in the case of Leif Elggren or aesthetically in the case of Finnbogi Pétursson. -Alaric Pether- |
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This debut release from the newly-formed Alternative Blueprint organisation is
a six-track CD (the 12" vinyl EP only has the first four tracks; everything is also available for download form the label website) showcasing the label's first four bands. The artwork features manipulated images of an old-fashioned turntable, a digital audio workstation and a bass drum muted with blankets, and this gives a pretty reasonable impression of where they're coming from. First up are the
amusingly-named Minimal Pig, whose "Autoharp of Moby" layers jangly harp-like
sounds over a laidback Electro beat and liberally dusts the result with an
assortment of analogue beeps and bloops. Where the Moby connection comes from,
I'm not sure, but I'm not an expert. Later they return with "Welcome to Alt
Blue", which initially doesn't sound a million miles away from Aphex Twin in
his ambient phase. It pulls the listener into a lush thicket of melodic
electronics and glockenspiel sounds, which is all very pleasant if not
particularly innovative, before introducing the heavily-processed sound of a
child's voice, given a disturbingly eerie quality via cut'n'paste digital
manipulation. Nobukazu Takemura eat your heart out.
If you are a fan of Kim Hiorthoy’s CD covers, and I am, then there
will be plenty to pore over in the celebratory hardback Rune Grammofon have put out to mark its first five years and thirty releases. Hiorthoy designed the book and his work features throughout, as you might expect, in the form of a gallery of all the Rune Grammofon CD packages or parts of them. So the book is a celebration of his and the label’s work. It may also be seen as a very large and extravagant CD cover in itself since it houses two discs featuring thirty tracks from all those who have featured on the label in
various combinations.
A fine slice of Danish bacon, this second cut from the Rump after label mainman
Jens Berent Christiansen's Rumpistol debut seems set to establish these guys as Northern Europe's answer to Staubgold or Warp. I can't say I'd heard of any of these artists before, Copenhagen's avant-garde scene not exactly being my specialist subject, but collectively they take a set of sounds and moods not a
million miles away from the grown-up minimal instrumentation of Ehlers, Balanescu, Groenland Orchester and the like, and marry them to hi-fi Electronica and lo-fi experimentalism. The sleeve design even resembles the clean lines of Ehlers' seminal Plays anthology, only dirtier and less homogenous. Intentional maybe; evocative, certainly.
A compilation of organ music from the past. That's JS Bach, right? A compilation of modern organ music ... now that would be Messiaen. Not in the case of Spire+. The pieces selected are wide ranging, but all have a strong experimental sensibility. The organ is the source of the music, but in many cases not a direct source in the sense that these pieces are played at said instrument. When they are, recording and microphone positioning are pursued with avant-garde passion. Elsewhere, the sound of the organ is processed as a starting point for electronic manipulation. New types of organ are built. Pieces are discovered, in the case of Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson's "Details of a New Discovery", or rediscovered in the case of Jacob Kirkegaard's tribute to Rued Langgaard.
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