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Ampersand Etcetera – 2002_17
Ambient & microwave & electronica & experimental lowercase & postclassical
& minimal & techno & etcetera
A varied selection, ordered alphabetically by label – why not.
To come – new from eM, Joel Stern, Svstriate, Michael Hartmann, Absurd and
Pyrrhic Victory, Public Eyesore and more as always .
jeremy@pretentious.net
&
http://ampersandetc.virtualave.net/ampersand.html
&&&&&&&&&&&&
Opaque
Your Wording Here
Consume CoN007
Neck Doppler vs Goldfrapp
CoNEX001
http://www.consume.freeserve.co.uk
The latest consumables from Consume (after 2002_19 and 2002_01).
To be honest, I don't usually review disk while mowing the lawn – it is hard
to make listening notes and the sound of a four-stroke Aussie mower tends to drown
some of the subtleties. But the lawn needed doing and the liner notes said 'this
guitar based noise/improv trio play LOUD and dark' and nodded to Sonic Youth and
Merzbow. Despite an engaging tongue-in-cheek, Consume liner notes are fairly accurate
so I thought this is what I needed. Luckily it is only 45 minutes long, or I might
have done the neighbours too – to the motor accompaniment it was dense, loud
but with some noise-lighter aspects thrown in. A more audio friendly environment
confirmed this response.
Unnamed numbered tracks – the opener is big echoey screaming feedback with
chords and ringing guitars, directionless noise that disguises some of the structure
of further tracks. The second track is a long percussive grind – a couple
of minutes of whooshy feedback and rapid guitar, then the drum kicks in and provides
a ground for the grinding squeal and drones. There is music in there, and this
is driving and musical, somewhat muscular, but a powerful full fun which loosens
to the end. Almost ambient next (in this context) with a gentle whoosh and pulse,
brooding guitars emerge and a rapid cymbal which is the focus as it changes through
to the fade.
Lighter sinewy noises and picked guitar in four, then the fifth track with simple
drums, cymbal and picked/strummed guitar echoed. It gathers pace, rollocking along,
density builds to an intense ringing driving wall. After that long belter into
six, electro squeals over chords and drones, a bass and drums (there seem to be
more than three!) and spiralling pulse. A high interference tone impinges and
the track seems to change direct into a live group wind down. Seven is a quiet
slow strum with echoed picking alongside, very improv, developing a harsh edge,
and the final track is another gentle start with strumming, long tones and percussion
into a big finale over a simple drum pulse.
A fine and exciting noisey release for those with an interest – not for quiet
dinner parties, but I sometimes find myself that noise like this can slip into
an strange ambient. Anyway, more than just mowing music.
CoNExistent is described, in typical Consume fashion as the 'paralysed limb dealing
in the ultralimited providing Consumers with unique rare products that exude flexibility
but maintain an aura of intangible carthetacism'. The 27 copies of this are Doppler's
reinterpretation of Goldfrapp's songs based only on the titles. And a net search
tells me Goldfrapp appear to be Mute's next-big-thing and these titles do exist
– but I doubt in the format that Doppler delivers.
Seemingly straight pop on 'Lovely head' with drums, rhythms, a bloopy synth, whip-synths
and pulsing organ are the slightly off-beam ground for Neck's distorted and sin(g)toned
vocals. The lyrics (included) demonstrate that this is indeed cracked and demented
emphasised by the slow menace of the music and delivery. A skewed pop construction,
blippy solo, organ chords, further the weirdness. 'Utopia' attempts to pacify
us with a modernist piano solo, searchingly strident for notes and atonal chord
combinations, with simple picked guitar, bass and soft drums – actually quite
delightful.
Then 'Deer stop' whose lyrics are mainly 'deer, you better stop running now' but
over the 11+ minutes Neck implores, entreats and threatens using the same words
with different intonations, but also expands in relation to either a hunter or
a truck (it is not certain which the deer should worry about). The vocals are
processed and layered to add to the menace and music, which is provided by a buzzy
synth, tuned percussion, piano and a groovy rhythm. The track meanders, little
instrumental or phone breaks, as the tone varies before reaching a wild musical
and lyric climax in the last few minutes, before relaxing and fading. Weird but
actually quite musical and memorable. Finally, on this minialbum, 'Human' which
has a tinky driving percussion, dense and complex and reminiscent of the Residents,
especially the vocal, less processed, and slightly sad ('they tell me I am human,
but I don't believe them'). But in the second half the lyrics and vocals become
quite a bit wilder and the music becomes quite demented and loud and atonal and
percussive. And eases in the last few seconds.
On the cover there is a quote from The Wire 'Neck D does it again. Someone please
stop him' – well I for one am glad they haven't because there is well and
truly a place for his absolute weirdness – perverse pop for now people.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Hinterlandt
Studien fur Piano und Whitenoise
(demo)
Jochen.gutsch@bigpond.com
The email address indicates who Hinterlandt is, Jochen is Sydney based artist
who has had 25 releases as Buckethead, Snob Club and Feedback Recycling since
1991 (tape, vinyl, cd and MP3). He sent me this demo which contains tracks available
through MP3 sites (and there is more material not on here) plus some other stuff.
Go to the sites for what you can get, or contact Jochen for exchanges.
The first four track form parts of the title series. ''Studie 1' opens with slow
pulsing drone interrupted suddenly by loud white noise bursts that shift rhythmically
across and through the soundspace. Little tings provide a percussive focus as
the piano enters – slightly manipulated to give it a subtle edge. With a
drone behind, the juxtaposition of the lyrical piano, forceful white noise and
percussion create an unusual and exciting drive as they interact or run separately.
A gated noise buzz in 'Studie 8' hides some piano, and a drifting high tone provides
a melody of sort, then the piano emerges as the noise decreases, before returning
for the final parts. The piano is more foregrounded in ''Studie 7' forming a deep
rolling substrate for layers of mores-like clicks of varied speed and pitch, then
picked notes which echo and pan before settling again. And finally ''Studie 6',
mainly loud white noise whooshes that hide a piano interrupted by a brief period
of silence.
The two 'Winterlandschaft' pieces are the same length but quite different. The
first is based on a thick layer of lovely rumble bubbly drones, over which a choppy
rhythm loop, white noise bursts, crackles and machines drift across. The drones
become a little excites and start to loosen, moves to the foreground and develops
separate organ tones that deliver some swirly music. More voice-like pulsing drones
support the second, through which a fast pulse runs and layers of phasers. The
drones are manipulated, pulsing and swelling, the rhythm returns, twisting, and
an organ music enters. A deep throb starts to develop, and becomes the main event
in the final part as a distorted beat that sticks and plays, eventually becoming
briefly clear.
Sine waves – love 'em: the way they ring through your skull is quite amazing,
some warm some piercing. Hinterlandt offers us four of his 'Sineworks'. The first,
'4' takes a deep base adds dancing tones, higher pings and then a machine gun
chatter. The deeper elements alternate with ringing, more gunfire and ping, occasionally
noisey. With '7' a descending motif, boingy booble and faster shorter sounds create
a rhythmic musical piece. And then '2' where rising/falling tones, echoed pulses
build layers with a woo-woo and theremin-like tone over, spooky with edgy tones
cutting through and pulsing music.
Then there are four 'Flavourofthemonth', this time presented in numerical order!
The first is a short conjunction of wild percussion and deeper tones, which eases
and sets off again. Then a longer rhythm and melody built from simple tones, simple
and light. An assault by more percussion, phasers and sped up samples amongst
other sounds before the fourth, where a naïve simple loop has various eruptions
over it – mellodian tunes, horn samples, violin and spoken.
Finally, the 26 minutes of 'Tagedieb' which is 'constructed from bits of other
peoples music'. This is an exciting and shifting plunderphonic piece, starting
with classical piano looped to wildness, some improv with rumble cymbal into whooshy,
strident then searching, an group improv (drum, horns). Then an extended section
with flutes, puttery base, 'aah's that alternates with driving sax and piano.
There are squiggles through, manipulations and additional layers. A very wild
section, with a demented voice apparently in there, eases again, the piano/flute
loop sticks and burrs, a big band, acoustic guitar. Then finally forceful piano
drums and sax that swirls into an ambient whirling end. Well worth downloading,
if you aren't exchanging demos.
Jochen has created some very interesting pieces that cross a few genre walls.
There is some noise, rhythmic techno, plunderphonics, abstraction and minimalism.
His incursions into each (and few of the pieces stay put in one box) are stimulating
and new, and together this makes for a very nice album. Definitely someone to
check out the downloads, exchange with or consider releasing if you have a label.
MP3 sites
http://www.2063-music.de <winterlandtschaft 1 & 2 coming soon
http://www.octagone.net <tagedieb
http://www.everything.does.it < 1 track
http://www.geekgirl.com.au < 3 tracks
http://www.mp3.com/hinterlandt <7 tracks
&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Larry Kucharz
Unit 34: Assorted Pieces
International Audiochrome IA34
Intaudiocr@aol.com
Larry needs little introduction to regular readers, to the newcomers have a look
through the back issues where the growing Kucharz oeuvre has been regularly featured
(most recently 2002_07). Here we have a further exploration of beated techno.
'U341' gives us an idea of how Kucharz is playing with the genres – there
are fast tings, washes, deep throbs and swells providing a fast exciting techno,
with breaks and variations, opening up and settling down, but the solo instrumental
rhythms are a little off kilter (oddly syncopated in Kucharz notes – if I
sound like I know what I am talking about, it is thanks to the PR) lightly undermining
the overall drive and lightening what can be the denseness of the genre.
More ambient in 'U342' with a bass throb deep under delicate piano and synth duet,
switching and shifting, a pulsing delight: all these tracks work through extended
variation and movement, rather than just being set in motion and left to go. Like
'U343' which is a minimal workout based on propulsive percussive loops –
snare, cymbal, key pulses, bass etc. Things speed up again for 'U344' with layering
and a dubby melody that regularly changes key (noticeably, but explained in the
notes) as is the classical structure of exposition/development/recapitulation
and both provide a strong underpinning and movement.
There are major and minor changes in 'U345' in the washes that cross the hyperactive
keys, strong thud and vocal synths, accompanied by some sci-fi effects, which
Kucharz feels combine to provide a retro feel. Gentler in 'U346' as cycling bells,
taps, long tones combine with a nice beat and more tings and high tones to provide
some bright ambience. Fast bas, ticktick ans shimmery jumpy strings in 'U347',
keys kick drum and a little melody, really quite relaxed. Especially before the
hardcore assault of 'U348' – wild mad exciting, percussion piano loop, descending
motifs, phasers, boobles: wonderful handling of varied density and pace with some
classic-techno strings: the whole box and die. And then…
One of the many pleasures of an International Audiochrome release has been the
reinvention of some earlier compositions. On previous releases it was often extremely
minimal works. The final track here 'Blue through city night lights' takes a voice-work,
the title words repeated and layered and layered as individual units in a musical
rhythm to create a hypnotic concrete poem that creates auditory illusions of other
words. Added to this is a simple ambient backing of slow rhythm, organ pulse and
bass through which occasional sirens, dit sequences, horny bloops pass, the banging
of a distant train rumbles through an extended passage, and there are stray pulses.
A crackle slips in to draw to fade. The result is a metonymic vision of the city
at night, a place of monomaniacal mutterings, distant sounds and suggestive danger,
and yet strangely appealing. A delightful close after the earlier exhilaration.
So once again, an intense and varied album from International Audiochrome. I suspect
that techno-philes are unlikely to find it, and some ambienteers may find the
doof-element a little hard to take: But if you enjoy your music and are willing
to take the ride with Larry, both his enjoyment of the genres and his skewed vision,
this is very enjoyable addition to the essential Kucharz section of your cd collection.
(Does he still fit in the modern classical section!)
&&&&&&&&&&&
Drawing Room
The Garden
KRkRkRk Recordings kRk111
http://go.to/krkrkrk
DiS
Inferno
KRkRkRk Recordings kRk095
http://go.to/krkrkrk
Drawing Room is David Khan, whose Evolving Sequence we looked at in 2002_08: unlike
that soundscape this explores the 'song/lyric aspect'. This album has the feel
of a suite of songs, based around voice and piano, overlaid with soundscapes and
synths. Khan's voice carries the song with a well controlled combination of strength
and delicacy, recalling various performers (particularly new romantics), but definitely
with its own timbre and tone.
'The lie' opens with slow keyboards, deep swells and high scraping tings and a
big metal percussive punctuation which will run through the track. Voice tones
enter this menacing soundspace and then the voice, soft in the verse more forceful
for the chorus. A percussion/noise break before a return of piano and chorus for
a softer ending. Soundscapes to open tracks is a recurring theme, and 'The garden
(prelude)' has dripping wind and a buzz before piano countdown replaces it, followed
by a sweeter song, combined with oboe and light percussion, and then solo piano
with a garden sound-sample. This continues in the third track with light panning
percussion, swelling darker synths and vocal tones. This is one of a number of
interludes – there are eight named songs, but 11 cd tracks.
A running noise flows into 'Cold season', underlining the linkages, which has
a more strident piano and vocal, waves wash through and percussion shimmers. Through
into 'In limbo' as a cloud of fireflies together with percussive tones into the
key and vocal section, shimmering swells punctuating, through a solo piano and
back. Someone walks across the soundspace and lights a match to start '1000 rooms
(dust)' with dramatic piano that eases into the vocal passage before rising again,
and then replaced by the breathing ocean, layered whoosh and tones to the fade.
The second interlude, a slow low piano solo with subdued distorted words.
A deep rumble with spirals through builds the atmosphere in 'Over darkness' for
piano chords, slow voice and high ping. Whooshes pass through this stately progress,
a small solo emerging. A solo opens 'In blindness' with synths waves and voice
tones; it slows and woodwinds support the vocal, with a little burst at the end.
Panning ditdit percussives and a gently building rumble whoosh introduce 'Never
lived'. Then a single repeated chord creates a rhythm with a note burst solo,
together with a ratchetting, into which a slow deep industrial style vocal, alternating
with some extended syllables, create a dark song. Half way through it starts to
speed up leading to a pounding drum, a high banshee soft-sounds, almost noise
as the voice also becomes clearer; then drops to a swirl of soft voices and strings
to a fade. There is three minutes of silence at the end of this track, before
a final song – lovely piano with synth into vocal with high distant tones,
a gentle song to conclude the album. And a time to mention the clarity of the
vocals – the lyrics are generally quite clear.
In short, a delightful album presenting a beautiful and strong song (though obviously
you have to enjoy piano songs), and one can only hope David's lyrical break is
not too long.
&
Khan is also a member of DiS with Justine Sharp and Peter Wright (surveyed in
2002_01, including his album with David Khan) and Inferno is a series of four
soundscapes based on Gustav Dore's illustrations (which are included in the 'premium'
packaging – black folded card sleeve with black insert plus the four illustration
on smaller cards). Finished in 2000, David 'never sent many away' [for promotion]
which is a pity as this is a strong and dramatic set of soundpieces.
As should be expected we start from 'The gates of hell' where we abandon hope.
And yet this is quite an uplifting piece – it moves from a muttering whispered
reading of the text (I think) representing the obscure wood, swelling synths,
scraping and high shimmers around, drifting and dark. Big tones become dominant,
quite resonant and billowing, eventually hiding the earlier parts, a tonal music
within which could be distant voices. A rolling organ emerges, with a whooshing
drone and tones behind, building slowly in the final few minutes with a voicey
component. Perhaps the sense of calm reflects Virgil's presence.
The ease is removed by the 'Burning graves' where a white noise substrate and
often over layer, seems to represent the burning torments. It crackles and flows,
appropriately, with tones and deep scratchy music hidden within. A strange crying
noise, a cross between a horn and a voice enters with a whistling wind as our
journey moves through the inferno. The second half becomes noisier as the crackling
builds, maintains a harsh plateau with the horn cries there, pulsing, and then
builds to a distorted climax.
Water dripping into hollow vessels, chime tzings and metallic percussion transport
us to 'Cocytus' a frozen river in the heart of hell. The chimes stop and swirly
spirals and a deep gloom-drone with sliding drills place us in the icy waste.
Melancholic mood of female voice, chopper sounds, rumble fades to a wind swept
industrial plane, wobbly tones and string-screams follow the travellers out.
And finally 'The poets emerge' – pizzicato strings and a low tone melody
build for their departure, then soft manipulated woodwind and tones emerge, a
vibrato added, mournfully swirling with a jangling hiss. Voice tones, organ sustains
and a wind accompanies the poets into the light, voices emerging (latin or gibberish)
providing a ceremonial mood. The journey slowly fade, first the organ drops, then
the voice drifts with the wind.
A really sensuous and delightful version of parts of the Inferno, suggesting it
is a shame that DiS is no more, though luckily the members still create music.
Dark, beautiful and forceful – to play while reading the book (my favourite
version is Tom Phillip's, and this music enhances his words and images).
&&&&&&&&&&
Aidan Baker: I Fall Into You (PE52)
Silt Fish: Zabranda (PE55)
Old Boys and Bombs Away (PE56)
Mason Jones: The Crystalline World Of Memory (PE59)
Public Eyesore
http://www.sinkhole.net/pehome
The latest cds – vinyl coming soon – from this prolific label overviewed
in 2002_10, Hollydrift in 2002_15.
Aidan Baker combines a dark ambience and sci-fi reflective soundwork on his album.
'Lapse' opens with two minutes of luscious pulsing string drone before a subtle
rhythm loop enters, then sireny squiggles, long tones suggesting a slow melody
and woody tones that all slowly build. As it fades, the squiggles become more
obvious as tape play and there are distant words. A female saying 'I fall into
you and replicate' begins 'Lysis' a 25 minute long drama – after some ambient
tones, a picked motif, whoosh and panned tape effects, we get the first vocal
section, with the words echoed and phased to become an instrument. A mingling,
falling into, chromosomally recombinant poem that runs through the whole album.
This track shifts between musical and vocal movements: through swelling tones
that drop to a pulse then the voice looped and layered over a low melancholy;
light guitar and choppy melodic to drum loops and low tunes, edgy with high tones
and distant whispered voices building and driving; a whistly signal and male and
female speakers before the final minutes where backward tones build with a soaring
guitar solo, scratchy tape fx and a cloud of soft voices that lead to a scrabbly
end before an echo of the opening.
After that more protean track, 'Symbiosis' is more straightforward, and quite
different: Baker demonstrates his guitar skills with a light delicate picked work
with subtle highlights, including some pizzicato and scraped strings and long
tones. Quite a different character to earlier parts, although some whispers with
tones and soft pings join later.
A brief round of the female voice over a slow male rhythm in 'Phage' and then
the 'Lethe' takes us away. A complex tape play – backwards voices, squiggles,
clicks, noises – then building voice tones and another lovely long-note guitar
solo, finally over a pulsing tone wash to fade.
Not really a spoken word album – those sections are quite minimal –
and where voices occur they augment the music as much as anything, leading to
a dense and varied ambient album, skilfully constructed and very listenable.
&
Silt Fish (Mr Quayle, Andy K and Jez) exemplify the willingness of PE to explore
diverse musical fields. The Fish are part of a long line of quirky folkish acts
– there are aspects that remind me of the Incredible String Band, an Australian
outfit Tlot Tlot, aspects of Tull and more. The instrumentation is based on guitar
and bass but with some synth and other adjuncts, and the songs are focussed on
the vocal line which is nonchalant with an unusual English accent. Lyrics are
clear and twisted folk.
Track titles give an idea of what's going on. 'Plant a fruitful walking stick'
leads us into the voice and guitar with some background hums and accompaniment,
then 'We've come to sea' is a jolly sea-shanty with some squeeze-box sounds (possibly
backwards tones). 'Nosing hot pennies', more melancholy; 'Navvy work' has a working
rhythm and metal clanging; 'The tarmac of the town' with electric guitar; a sliding
disorientated guitar in 'Where are the pills for my head?'
Bird sounds are appropriate behind 'There once was a worm' which includes panning
buzz, tonal play and a more Spanish guitar. Carnivalesque keys and kazoo romp
around 'Grandma's dressing gown', restrained light guitar in 'The house with the
dreadful nibbling in its roots' and a gentle instrumental conclusion with long
aaahs. 'Beyond the last house' is more complex in its backing, a little contemplatively
spooky and finally, though earlier in the album, the title track. This is the
longest piece, has a Theremin wash running through it, some organ and a nice little
musical break.
It goes beyond the obvious to say that this is not likely to be for everyone,
but most of us enjoy a change of pace, sound or variety, and this adds a lively
string to the PE bow, with humour and musicality.
&
The split disk, number 56, combines two unusual lo-fi acts.
Old Bombs present 'Old bombs 3', a 15 minute piece which combines a shifting layer
of analog noises with a sub-text of sound manipulations. The upper level crackles
and hisses, electro-scratches, percussive dits, whistles, cable buzzes and humms
in an unstructured but intriguing way. Underneath there is hidden music, street
samples, messed loops, strings, snatches of music, percusses. The layers are almost
independent but play against each other beguilingly, so that where each alone
may be ignorable, together they become stronger.
'WCBN 2/8/2001' is 26 live minutes of Wolf Eyes – and a strange murky beast
it is. There is a number of separate songs – probably 3 – that merge
into each other. Rumbling percussive noise, thuds, distant voices, squeals and
pops in the first part extend into a thud-climax after which a more consistent
rhythm and obvious vocal with lyrics (though indistinct). A pause and then a slow
beat with guitar and synth highlights added, building to full on siren-synth,
the vocal and soft squelchy squiggles. I am somehow reminded of The Fall, though
I never saw them, but there is something of them here. An almost-flute and we
drop back to a tone and drums. Rebuilding takes place, drones, squiggles, voice,
pulsing squealy feedback before another vocal, with some nice synths that fades
into a final segment which has drums, keyboards and an echoed vocal line which
is closest to a song, and a fine place to close.
&
Mason Jones, from Subarachnoid Space whose albums I have reviewed in the past,
pops up with an album of 'solo guitar recorded direct to DAT, edited, reconstructed
and mastered in June/July'. He pulls out all stops for 'Snow in the morning' with
picked loops, drones, fast runs behind, a bit of slide squeal out of which a broody
electric solo sort of emerges, there is some feedback and then a clearer solo,
with ringing – a smooth blending of a range of possibilities, combining the
solo skills with the engineer's reworking to fine effect. Another possibility
is demonstrated through 'A distant light' which has whistly noises and is very
chopped and reconstituted with a rhythmic guitar solidity – a more straightforward
solo develops and is then back to a more constructed chop, messed around. It ends
with a twangy slipping into spirals of sound that continue into 'The last remembered
moment' where a simple picking is played over a scrapey loop. A second solo drops
in, becoming more active and stormy and finally bassy chops.
Big feedback and then an exciting fast, almost Spanish, solo over high swirling
and squeals in 'What if…' segues into '…it's all final' where a solid
solo runs over fading elements of its predecessor. Continuing the directness,
'The crystal view' is a simple, slow solo – forceful with some echo-effects
– over which squiggly highlights slide. The big electric guitar featured
in 'That which we leave behind' is answered by an easy going response from 'So
it is'. And finally, a reconstructed experimental approach in 'The difficult life
of the interstellar loner' with a spacey combination of guitar parts providing
a decentred conclusion.
A simple guitar album that goes well beyond being simply guitar or simple. Very
enjoyable.
&
Once again, Public Eyesore impresses in both the quality and variety of its output
– something for everyone, and the open minded explorer will find it all fascinating,
challenging and/or enticing.
And expect another update real soon – some vinyl and another cd. That's another
amazing side of PE – the speed at which it is growing.
&&&&&&&&&&&
[des]integracao
Permute
Sirr sirr2009
http://www.sirr-ecords.com
An unusual piece – based on an earlier Sirr release – Cage of Sand by
Carlos "Zingaro" (which, looking at my emails, they were going to send
me – it never arrived so sorry if I haven't reviewed it) – it is a live
recording in Lisbon (Sirr is Portugese) of 6 other artists 'reinterpreting/reconstructing'
the original under "Zingaro"'s control as live mixer.
The result is a fascinating live Musique Concrete piece that reminded me of Philip
Samartzis and some of the Empreintes Digitales. There is a lot of looping small
noises, burrs and clicks, with various levels of access to what I understand to
be the source material, a violin improvisation. These come through a short notes
sampled and looped, drones and percussive tapping which is probably on the sound
box. (As usual I could be totally wrong – I got a lovely email from Hollydrift
about the sources of some of the sounds I spoke about, including a totally aberrant
'Saturday night'!)
'Segment 1' emerges slowly out of silence, a burring surrounded by percussive
clicks and tocks, light ringing tones and buzzes. A string scrape enters, long
swelling tones, in fact the whole thing sounds a little like a creaky boat at
anchor at times. It eases, a passing buzz tone, creaks shimmers and high tone,
rising and falling with string sounds – string insects buzzing away. Long
spectral tones, bell buzz scrape, chitter and spacey percussion. Two thirds in
(11 from 15) we move towards a crescendo in activity and volume, plateau and then
up again, lots of little noises, then wind back to fade. A shorter segment, droning
tones percussive scrabble and chitters, echoed, flowing. String scrape plucks
and hollow tapping increase, dits and what sound like voices (distant) fast percussive
tings to fade.
The third and final segment, middle length (the total is a little over 30 minutes)
starts with box-taps, short and longer string samples, thuds, twitter and a whizzling
tappity of pizzicato strings. The percussion is quite visceral, vibrating, with
shimmers and more distant voices. A deep rumble and there is almost a feeling
of purgatory as a scrambling layer of voices seems to emerge. As it eases the
drones that have been there a while become more obvious and mellow whooshy, almost
melodic, ambience takes over to the fade.
As I said, quite an unusual release that seems to work well – its dense atmosphere
of sounds that ebbs and flows reflects both the source and the method of creation,
and a surprising consistency and atmosphere has been created.
&&&&&&&&&&
Troum
Tjukurra (Part two: drones)
Transgredient Records TR01
http://www.troum.com
Five long ambient pieces: 'these are dreams, dreamed by dreamers who are awake'.
'Scurphen' opens with mysterious scrabbling scrapes with electrical spikes in
through which a humming emerges and replaces it with layered drones that pulse
twitch and slide at the heart of the track. A hollow scrabble is in there, then
higher longer tones add a slow hornlike melody, there is a wind and voiced aspects.
The drones drop to a rumble and in the final minutes a dawn occurs with swelling
tones, washes and shimmers.
An emergent rumbly pulse, soft tones and restrained machine washes are the base
for 'Dhren' along with soft chordal music. Later a scrape-futz joins and builds,
with a rimbly active chugginess. In 'Trahan' a high resonant tone and machine-press
loop with echoed ticks have organ pulses over. A distorted crackle enters hal-way
through, related to a drone and rising/falling pulse. Again there is an active
drive, possibly some voice and a slow hum tune, all quite intense.
Slow crackling develops in 'Afgod' with blowy pulsing and a deep shaking rumble,
driven by a percussive pulse. The pace increases, long tones moving in, briefly
opening up before returning with a slight distortion and voice tones in. A ringing
whoosh adds to the complexity, layers and volume building. Finally 'Tiffenrausch'
is a more mellow concoction of bubbly tones, long airy synths, rumble and mellotron-like
reedy tone. A pulsed guitar note joins, and the layers approach you equally, none
more foregrounded, it swells and stabilises, sound slashes lightly crossing and
higher tones joining the mix, to continue its gradual progress to conclusion.
These are deep yet active drone works with tight focus and mesmeric quality, eminently
listenable and intensely detailed in their slow and steady development. Excellent.
(My one misgiving is the title and cover that appropriate Aboriginal Australian
culture – I feel a little uneasy about that, but then look at my Muslimgauze
collection and realise that cultures are open slather).
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
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