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Ampersand Etcetera – 2003_b
Ambient & microwave & electronica & experimental lowercase & postclassical & minimal & techno & etcetera
As usual, a particular pleasure to showcase some local material with Clocked Out and Hinterlandt – not downplaying the fact that I love the fact that &etc inhabits such a global community. Hence the genesis of this issues title as we sweep around the globe listening to music influenced by that same diversity (though virtually every issues has had similar continental hopping content).
On hand – three from X-ZF, two new Bip-Hop, four San Diegoans, Schaefer, Formatt, a couple from Absurd, a celtic harpist etc (and as a caveat, not always reviewed in received order: sometimes things go together).
Jeremy
ampersand@pretentious.net
&
http://ampersandetc.virtualave.net/ampersand.html
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The Nordic Miracle: We Shall Provide (#09)
Duo Kanel: Livsopplevende dikt (#10)
Edward Ruchalski: Moveable Sites (#11)
Culver: Resent Metal Openings (#12)
Humbug
Tchartan@yahoo.com
2002_14 saw the first batch of Humbug – a noise/improv/experimental label from Norway, and here are the latest four. With them Anders (Gjerde – label boss) also sent me a Wytcyst document (to recount, I thought it was a compilation when I first heard their cd). This collage of typed thought flow, absurd responses to questions and some reviews shows that Wytcyst is a New Zealand musician who has produced an enormous number of limited edition cold-cut vinyl and tapes (and a few cds) – basically records and releases everything he records, so the Absurd collection is a entrée to a huge back catalogue. Was amused to see the cover sheet with the artist spelt W&etcyst.
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Disappointing as an artefact from this hand-made label (see the last set of reviews or below), The Nordic Miracle comes in a jewel case. But this collaboration between Lasse Marhaug and T H Boe does not disappoint. Self described as 'pure noise' 'that comes in your face, rattles your bones, makes your ears tingle within safe limits' with no Origami Republika appurtenances. These three live tracks and a couple of compilation appearances are the sum total of the groups output.
And it is direct and intense noise. 'Bright bright lights' has electronic pulsing futz, banging and crashing, whooshing; brief moments of light and shade; a bass in there, the fuzzing at times sounding like a voice; later on a tone in, squirls, guitar, softens and breaks down. An intense 26 minutes, which (ironically) contains a Lopez sample. The tribute track 'Bach: die johannes-passion BMV 245' has feedback, deep tone, banging and computer squiggles. It is more fluttery, the suggestion of voice, feedback; hints of music (though not obviously Bach), computers, deepness.
A real voice is looped as 'While my guitar gently weeps' "may there be peace" – but no. Very whooshy and fuzzy with periods of almost single sounds, very much guitar feedback noise building and simplifying, vibrating, high tones, the last few minutes sounding like destroyed equipment.
Like all good noise albums, there is enough contrast without withdrawing the raw visceral appeal. Noise is 'music' that asks no questions, raises no expectations of song structure or musical theory, but exists: something to immerse yourself in. A powerful burst.
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Duo Kanel: here Absurd meet the handmade-unique aesthetic: the cover is made from recycled albums cut up and reconstructed (mine is part of a Roger Whittacker's New World In The Morning) and then there is a pack of inserts – children's colourings and writings, a small collage, a mini Julie Felix album cover copy, photos, cdr photo cover. The text continues the childlike theme with the title and group in kiddy scrawl. Some notes are present, and an internet translator suggests they are Swedish but the translation was pretty weird.
The main instruments are guitar, drums and some keyboards with processing and the like, tracks melding different sections together. 'Flyttebil' passes through heavy guitar chord, buzz and sample drums to a very distorted popsong and the an improv of harpsichord (I strongly think, though possibly very short guitar) with string sample and bass, verging on the melodic, but overlaid with buzzing crackle and samples. Looseness in 'Mekaniske oooye' where cloud tones and tapping, crackles and guitar breakup, more guitar, new tapping and feedback, which sounds/reads odd but comes together. Various people recite 'Lyset slokka under kassa' with crazy sampled rhythm loops (from a cd collection?) with a longer loopy section before an extension of the phrase ends the track.
Soft tapping and improv scrape guitar and a distant voice opens 'Vi ma le pa senteret', the guitar loosens up with some doodly singing, then plinky piano, bass, distortion, the bass solos. Echoes and drops out to talking over a little doodling (studio discussion?), guitar and white noise. Highly musical, '1, 2, 3 ABC' is parallel guitar and bass solos, the guitar looping melody and the bass grumbly and loose, working together very nicely.
Something of an extended opus 'Du dur dur du du pa fotball kamp' compbines lots of pieces: there is a basic rhythm running most of the way through, creating a sort of bolero feel and continuity. The title seems to be the opening vocal, together with a power-chord, then the drum, guitar and string start to build, joined by tones, bass and then sticking computer sounds. This signals a deconstruction of the rhythm section which jumps and sticks like a broken cd. Over this there are various strong guitar pieces – acoustic and electric solos. This plies intriguingly until near the end where short loops and additions jump in during the last few minutes. 'Siri og victoria' is a duet for pounding piano melody and computer-phaser assault, driving and dramatic, which like a good horror movie seems to die but returns with a vengence.
While the more coherent tracks - 'Lyset …', '123' or the final two – seem to work better for me, the whole album is engaging and holds together as a totality that is well worth a listen.
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Ruchalski uses 'field recordings … as the primary source material' but they are not always obvious in this collection of compositions (in many senses of that word). The first four tracks appear to form an interrelated suite: 'Nohl mix' starts with tape flaps, gongs, voice clouds and a rattling that ebbs and flows, mysterious, with a rapid tapping, rattle and fade. The same tapping (a site or perhaps percussion) emerges in 'Steered from afar' here with clatter, chimes and tones. Rustling longer tones and big guitar note, a chant, the movement centred around a chimey heart. Then in 'Water song' more rapid percussion, water samples (people playing in it), metal drones, tones, percussion. Then 'More train' with crowd recordings, bells and rattling, layers of noise, echoing and hollow, metallic end.
Then a piece for voice (Michael Burkhard) reading a poem 'A voice he had learned' while Ruchalski taps and rubs an artillery casing that responds as a gong. 'Snake story' takes children's voices talking about the sanke, adds an atmosphere of tones, zit, calls, rattles and light processing to something a little spooky. Then a dreamscape of 'Field' where buzzes pulse around a deep tap, with faster tapping later, processed percussion and highlights sliding past.
A second collaboration – 'Moss lake' with Matt Broad: music box, zither, toy piano and found percussion are in a 'composed' piece – rehearsed for three months including the score (order of instrumentation, length, mood), form, rewriting parts. The final piece (or this take – one of eight) meets the description 'rather quiet' as the parts run slowly and wistfully through the instrumentation, undemonstrative and contemplative.
More field recordings: 'Off main, williamsville' is like a collage – running through water, kids calling splashing, insects, trains and cars. Then 'Elegy for V' where a piano piece forms the centre (a sample? It is quite skilled) with clockwork sounds, scratching (end groove), fuzzy pulses and finally street sounds. There seem to be '9 locations' in the next piece, a shifting from a party to percussion over fast tapping, slow gongs, whooshing, cars, talking, bottle blowing/train horns and light ringing. The 'Oswego river' runs from the inland to the sea, a hollow rushing rumble, scraping. Birds, cars fading to washing waves.
And finally the not-so 'Private harmonies' which is more active than a lot of the previous pieces, building quite a head of steam from drilling and resonant gongs, adding a mechanical tapping, calling, then whistling tapping echoing to a climax before easing off to its end.
Complex pieces that build moods and atmospheres, this intriguing set has depths I have yet to plumb.
&
A pulse, harmonium-type notes develop around it and 'Forrest priest' from Englisher Culver gets going. A simple loop medley develops, weaving and gradually extending the tones around the subtly modulating tone. Bordering on melody and music, beating within, the minimal magic suddenly ends.
The first part of 'Death on black water' is a simple acoustic guitar solo, possibly looped and layered, with a wind tone and then possibly backwards tones. The guitar suddenly stops while the tones loop on (this is about halfway through the track). A scrape/strum becomes louder, then adds a squiggly squelch; the loop shimmers, becomes more active and fades – a well-balanced piece.
A buzzy shimmering electrochord, increasing crackles and a pulsing note inner-drone which suggests a rhythmic melody, with squelching and spreading other notes. 'Razor pin-up' goes through a number of stages as tones enter, the drone drops out to jitters and a white susurrus drone. The jittering goes while the noise continues with some tones, becoming more textured, a deep rumble in and statically drives for a while seeming to change, then bounces and fades.
Three very enjoyable minimalist drone excursions – card cover with a reproduced ripped-paper collage cover.
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Tasty Humbugs indeed – four different directions that each have their own interest and value. Support the independents, email Anders.
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Askild Haugland
Taming Power: for electric guitar and tape recorder
Early Morning Records EMR10"-10
Earlymrecords@yahoo.no
More music from Scandinavia – EMR is Haugland's vehicle for releasing his music to the public. With the email he sent to let me know this was coming was a list of previous releases. This includes some seductive sounding sets – three 12" disks of early works and one of a composed/improvised piece, on 10" an electronic triptych, the trio that the release here is from, a couple of 7"ers and a (promo) cd-r.
The music on the record will perhaps take less space to describe. The first side is a single long piece (recorded on my birthday by coincidence) which Askild describes as 'based on a series of flageolet chords recorded in stop motion technique'. The result is a series of ringing bell-like tones which steps through a melodic cycle. There is a deep basal tone over which the notes resonate forming overlapping groups. There is some distortion, higher twangy aspects, and a general ebb and flow through this extensive ambience.
On the flip side a series of six short works is a sequence of shimmering pulse moments – there is an impression of chording guitar that delves into a deep layered sound, looped, inside a whispering distortion. Each part has two dates/titles – I am not sure what they refer to – but each moment coheres. Each piece has its own sound – a soft density in the first; then high ringing with deep pulses in; stringy ringing weaving a pattern, high and striated; spiralling organ and a big wave. The distortion adds warmth and complexity: I have put this on a number of times, at various volumes and as close listening or background, and it keeps revealing aspects.
Presentation is appealing – a black sleeve with beautiful fjord photo's and hand lettering which is carried through onto the label: nice hefty vinyl too. The evidence of this disk suggests that the ongoing releases will form a very interesting varied album.
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Martin Archer: English Commonflowers
Martin Archer, Geraldine Monk and Julie Tippets: Fluvium
Discus 14cd and 15cd
http://www.discus-music.co.uk
A second appearance from Martin Archer and his Discus label – which overcomes some of the production and development costs through advance subscriptions, whose names appear in the cover.
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While numerically second, I will look at Archer's solo album first. Many of his works are 'constructed' – the solo organ on the opening track was the first part and the other components added – and on this album he returns to using sequencers, giving it a rhythmic underpinning. The results often coalesce around a sense of juxtaposition – instrumental solos against the electronic base, sequences for different instruments.
A flutter and bubble of electronica into which what sounds like a Farfisa organ enters forms 'I'm yr huckleberry', dancing lightly and nicely, some notes tweaked, sax in there. A deeper current becomes apparent, a bass, darker sounds, tapping, taking the tune into murkier waters, before brass riffs ply in towards the end. As with most writings, this does little more than scratch the surface of the track, and most on the album are similarly intricate and exciting.
Sax peeping in 'Fantastic individual' with atmospherics pulls into a sweeter solo. 'English commonflower' encapsulates how Archer uses his instrumentalists. A slow stepping bass sequence with synth washes grounds the track, throughout there is a resurfacing streetscape recorded by Chris Melcohe and keyboard pulses. But then there are instrumental overlays – first a jazzy trombone solo, then acoustic guitar, steel guitar, acoustic joins, trombone recurs and then all three to a cool conclusion. The final construction has an organic feel to it.
A version of Nick drake's 'Know' follows with a guitar-like sequence, long keening tones (electric guitar or harmonica) and a synth melody. A lightly manipulated Drake sample occurs in the second half. The next two extended pieces follow the structure seen earlier: deep rumbly synth basses, tapping, chopped choppy percussion sequencer ground for clarinet, big dirty electric guitar, sax and piano to interdigitate and overlay in the big building 'Water grid'. While the long 'Mall bunnies' brings back Bartholomew's guitar and includes flute and piano over electronic birds and tuned percussion in its first half. Then, after a flute solo and some chopped synth notes, there is an extended jazz improv trio of piano, flute and double bass.
There is a spacious feel to the twangy acoustic and steel guitars accompanied by scraping cycles, flutey-synths and strange tappings in 'Down the road'. Archer's second sax solo moves through a variety of modes – blowy, pulsing, sustained – with support from recorder, scraping violin, electronica building and easing: and surprisingly 'Still life with absinthe and pomegranates' has a synaesthetic pictorial quality. And finally 'Trash white tonal' has a deep tonal base, with bloops and twangs over, then the double base and trombone join for some night music, guitar enters churning, and it ends dense and dark with the base building.
This is not an easy album – the pieces are complex and demanding. However, life wasn't meant to be easy (as Malcolm Fraser said) and as with many difficult albums reviewed here, they deserve and repay the attention.

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On Fluvium Archer (on electronics, sax, melodica) is joined by Monk and Tippets on voice. Geraldine Monk writes the words and declaims/sings/projects them in a slightly rough voice (which reminded me somewhat of Marianne Faithful) full of drama and Dada seriousness. Providing a more operatic/scat component is Julie Tippets' soprano support. And weaving through these is Archer's electronica, moving with the voices, supporting and enhancing the s(ung)poken component.
There are four parts to Fluvium. 'Espial' creates an overture from treated vocal fragments that form a squeaky voice-like web with electronic atmospherics and scrapes, piano and then whispered fragments which flutter around before the text proper emerges after a sax solo. It is dramatic and varied, Monk using the full range of her voice. An industrial mechanical ringbuzz opens 'Fusile', then the voicesinging notes, chanting as wind instruments pulse with the melodia: more 'musical' or lyrical. The music bubbles, and the track ends with a fragmented layering.
Tingly electro and then just the voice on 'Ghast' joined by waves of simple metallic fragmented electronica. The sax joins in for a sequence of expanding sentences before the ghosts of the final lines are raised in word and music. Long descending tones shiver in 'Metablathers' as the sax and voice join in a plosive presentation, scatting and pulsing. Piano and popping electronica form a crackling pop fading coda.
'Aftershock' is a second work presented on the album, and is more abstract both in the electronic musical substrate and the work of Monk and Tippets as they sing growl whisper declaim chant phonemes notes and words.
This album presents an elaborate listening experience – the 'spoken/poetic' sections are well balanced and sufficiently abstract to allow them to merge with the music if you don't want to focus. Musically it edges into abstract modernist electro jazz, continuing the themes of the solo album. Not easy music, but textured and intricate with many strands to explore.
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Francisco Lopez: Untitled (1998)
Cornucopia: Vibroacustica
Generator Sound Art GSA-01 and GSA-14
http://www.generatorsoundart.com
Two disks arrived unannounced from Generator Sound Art – and a trip to their website showed why. The label is run by Gen Ken Montgomery whose retrospective on XI was reviewed in 2002_20. The package contained the first release from the Sound Art list (Lopez) and a recent one. Looking at the catalogue is very mouth watering – Hudak, some of Gen ken's multidisk works hinted at on the retrospective, David Lee Myers' return and much more, each with individually designed packaging. Then there is the archive of re-releases like Arcane Devices last concert and others from the Generator gallery, GK's cassette years, more Small Cruel Party, Chop Shop etc. And then a series of lighter releases. You could easily spend a small fortune. So what was I lucky enough to receive?
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The first release was one in the continuing Untitled series from Lopez. It comes in a double clear plastic sleeve, the disk on one pocket and a clear blank in the other. There are seven tracks on the album, not in composition order. When I first listened there seemed to be a lot of silence, so I checked the wave forms: tracks 1, 3 and 7 (untitled #85, #79 and #86) are each 11-12 minutes long and look blank – but as you zoom in there is a subtle waveform, audible on most equipment at high volume.
The first track has a susurrating hissing complex white noise which emerges to form an almost inaudible sounds – where you hear little aspects within it. The second track, #80, emerges after almost a minutes silence as a metallic vibration, a buzzing cloud, drilling, mechanical shimmering intensely ringing and then fading. #79 is another long emerging silent noise adding layers and probably the most audible. The next three pieces, #81 #83 #82, are a relatively active sequence – the first is big and whooshy, deep rumbles, pulsing and tones in the density, fading to a gentle deep resonance with lighter tones (almost guitar too) that itself slowly fades; then ringing tones, rumbles and zings, building quite some intensity, almost noise; then a brief whooshing resonance. And then the final soft rumbling #86.
This is a strange album – the long tracks are relaxing but can draw you into their concentrated near silence, but then the intervening tracks are like exciting jolts – meditative music which you couldn't easily meditate to. But an intense musical/sound experience.
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Fast forward to a more recent release – Cornucopia have created a collection in response to the US navy use of Puerto Rico for military exercises. Vibro-acustica is a physiological response to deafening noise waves, and is based on sounds recorded on the island (manipulated and processed), and is directed at a quieter environment utilising microsounds and loops.
Pulses of interference build in 'Circulos viciosos' adding cracks and pops, synthy zingers that take over, bird like twitters, echoey metal sounds. The shifting soundscape becomes even more so with 'Particle.loop.live.bomb' which dances through 7 or eight parts in its 10 minutes: slowed sounds layered and melodic, machinery squiggle, high jittery with deep pulses, resonant deepnesses, scratchy loops, bubbling tones, all coming to a brief climax before a short fade.
A beach, whooshing wash, deeper rumbles shifting to another quieter beach with soft running is 'Hydro 1'. Before 'Hydro 2' with more water running through pebbles, 'I.g.s.' squeaks and pulses run and then fade under voice washes, a fast tapping joins together with a deeper one, and all the elements build together. A throbbing has been running through, joined by choppy noises and a typewriter-tap, more washes and long tones together for another climax.
Echoey pings, tings and background twitters and chimey musicality in 'Cristal', developing burbles and tones later. 'Hydro 3' then adds tzingling rattles to the water sounds. Buzzing clicks of slow insects slowly modulates in 'Las antenas' before fading under a rumble wave and sonar, twiddles develop and key pulses, before the final 'Hydro 5' with running water and soft bass rhythm.
'Vibrostatica' has noisey scrapes with a deep sine pulse, softening to a flapping noise and stepped pulses, siren-horns of music, before a harsh crackle builds becoming whistley. And finally insect sounds, slow and fast, chitters behind, slowly builds, deep tones becoming a choir or symphony, eventually fading back into the 'Noche metalurgica'.
Divorced from its political aims, this is an interesting glitch/sample work. It works best for me in the longer tracks which modulate slowly and/or the ones where some of the island sounds (water, insects, animals) are more obvious: which is most of the album.
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Clocked Out Duo: Water Pushes Sand
Erik Griswold: More Than My Old Piano
Clocked Out Productions COP-CD003 and 004
http://www.clockedoutproductions.com
Erik Griswold and Vanessa Tomlinson originally from Melbourne now in Hill End, Queensland are pianist and percussionist respectively for the variety of Clocked Out projects (solo, duo, trio, various productions).
A Chinese influence that we will see in the solo album is present on the duo's: the opening title track begins with woodblocks and cymbals with a prepared piano creating a choppy percussive feel that combines Eastern melodic sensibilities and minimalist loops. The deeper, slow middle leads to a recapitulation with lovely gongs and bells. A Chinese street-scape in 'Bicycle groove' slowly shifts from the bicycle bells and horns to gentle percussion and piano, relax/ed/ing that re-fades to the street at the end.
The first of a number of balloon pieces – 'Dear judy' is a dramatic duest with piano, the balloon squeaking and arcing. The two later ones are 'Motorcycling through the city of churches' (the album was recorded in Adelaide) where the balloon plays the machines engine as light resonant gongs (actually the piano) are the church bells developing melodic runs, a very restrained piece which segues into 'Waltz' which is melodic and rhythmic as the kazoo like inflated seems squeezed and bowed with slow piano.
In the interim 'We move by intuition' opens in the city with bright piano and typewriter– taps/ting/slide – joined by glass tones as the piano moves in and out of loops and the percussion builds and drops. A pastoral central section with dropped pebble rhythms before returning to the city to end. Piano and perc step together in 'The theme 1', get stuck in a loop, change velocity, the percussion breaks out then ends with a Chinese note progression.
All manner of toy instruments – percussion, the mouth piano, whistles, clappers and more – get a run in the light hearted 'Felaminikuti', driving and witty leading to a squeaky toy climax and clockwork fade. A choppy and wild improv based around discontinuous samples of percussion in 'Delicious ironies (sichuan)' with a quieter centre before a second short piece from a production of Ur Sonata 'The theme 2' – a bouncy light coupling that slides from melody to a little madness and back.
A joyous and playful album that hides its artistry most of the time while entertaining and questing.
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Griswold's solo album is subtitled 'old and new music for prepared and toy pianos', and there is a picture of him sitting at a piano with a small keyboard on his lap with a tube into his mouth – the toy piano creates harmonica like sounds (like a melodian or a melodica, I forget which). Also on his lap is his infant son George. An insert informs us 'all tracks were recorded live with no overdubs' which is significant as there is some layered complex material in here.
There are three parts to the album. Opening it are three works based on Cuban and Brazilian percussion styles. In 'Guaguanco' there seem to be many hands playing rapid rhythms with picked out note melodies, looping and varied, at times sounding like a picked guitar (there are moments throughout the album where it sounds like Griswold also has a small piano string set that he plucks). Some of the varied sounds must come from well selected preparations. A melody from Carlos Embale weaves through the second part. Slower, with a prepared rattle on the deeper notes, 'Maracatu' has a light melody, a similar developing loop structure (reflecting the percussive origin) and a twang-preparation, and the 'Batucada' with slower sections but also bright and lively.
The second section alternates three traditional Sichuan folk songs with short playful pieces. The songs are beautifully arranged for piano, the notes short and almost plucked or struck to suggest Eastern instruments and the combination of that with the piano harmonic is entrancing and evocative. From the sublime to the ridiculous, the shorter works are light and breezy – 'The hippo's coming' mad boogie for standard and toy piano, 'Georgie porgie georgie porgie' where the deep piano supports a mouth-harp melody that rhythmically reflect the title and collapses, while 'The gris is getting his' has very rattly prepared piano on rhythm, mouth piano melody and a more choppy atonal feel. The three pieces are fun and catchy, but to my mind present to great a contrast to the folk songs.
The final section is a group of covers and an extended piece. Duke Ellington's 'Solitude' actually came earlier, as the fourth track, and is a lovely piano and mouth-piano piece. The other covers are 'Don't you worry 'bout a thing' which is a mellow version whose instrumentation reflects the South American and Chinese sounds earlier, 'Tired of being alone' where the preparations shimmer through the melodic line and 'More than my old guitar' where some guitar-like notes creep in at the end. The other track (Haggard's actually ends the album) is 'Peace for january' written during the first Gulf war and 'oddly symmetrical to release this version on the brink of another'. As with some other tracks, this was originally written for a quartet and has been rearranged. It opens with an expressionist feel, a low melody and high prepared rhythm, the mouth-piano enters and there is a 'duet' that becomes strident. Some very fast handwork as we shift from one keyboard to another, the piece is bright and energetic, flowing intricately.
The combination of straight piano, well considered preparation, the toy piano, varied tones and rhythms with Griswold's skill create an enjoyable and satisfying piano album.
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Hinterlandt
T[raumdeutung]
C.U.E. records qcd-0012
http://www.cavestudio.org/cue
We first heard German/Australian Hinterlandt on a demo in 2002_17, and now we have his first official release from a cd-r label based in Kobe. It is a mini-album, only 26 minutes long, structured as a drama.
'Scene 1 – a bit awkward (first encounter)' takes us from a big guitar chord, some echoey synth winds and looped tuned percussion, lightly musical, through crackles with a gong with a simple beat and a bubbling undercurrent into a fuller forward rhythm loop and wild synth and keyboards that eases and slides into randomish electronica before returning to the opening tones. Awkwardness finely tuned. Voice loops - low, high and manipulated' open 'Scene 2 – the embryo questions the old woman' with a typewriter rhythm section, shifting into some twangs, bloopy music, twitters and rattling with rapid taps then again regaining the voices.
More samples used effectively in 'Scene 3 – our protagonist strolls the market' where noisy shouting loops get shorter and shorter until they are choppy music bouncing from side to side that segues into a bloopy melody that transforms, returns to the sample and is again reworked. A bright musical piece. A mechanical looping with voices in (one clearly saying culture) in 'Scene 4 – fairwell on the rain train' becomes a base for a mellow horn solo that drives the track before a rumble end. And finally 'Scene 5 – back home: drifting thoughts on the front veranda' is a more ambient (drifting) based on chimes, swirling, buzzing, crackles, bird twitter and noises that weave a varied spell.
A lot is happening across this, and it is very enjoyable and fascinating. Would have loved to hear more!
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And of course, all past issues, with hundreds of reviews, on site.
Copyright for these reviews remains with me, Jeremy Keens. Artists and labels are free to use and quote them as long as they acknowledge Ampersand and don’t mess with my words! And if anyone else happens to mention one of these reviews, do pass on the web address or my email address so new readers can find me. Thanks.

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