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Ampersand Etcetera – 2003_f
VA chlorophyll & VA slapart & shinjuku thief & psi & melusine & cremaster & mitre & dead letters spell out dead words & aidan baker & po & 'gypt gore & trio & balai mecanique & a_dontigny/labrosse & coin gutter & edwards & instruction shuffle & flaming fire & pothole skinny
Ambient & microwave & electronica & experimental lowercase & postclassical & minimal & techno & etcetera
The mix here is as eclectic as one could want and exceptionally long again! This bumper edition just about cleans out the draw! Probably not an end of financial year clearance – but.
It starts with a couple of compilations, for variety, then some individuals (Melusine, Cremaster and Shinjuku Thief) and the some label related parts – Dreamland, No Type, Zenapolae and Transparent Recordings.
Coming soon and next – Stasisfield, web label overview as it, like No Type, goes real. Then whatever builds up after the self-imposed shut off date; Guerra & Stern arrived just too late, so will lead off 2003_h. And now includes some new material from Public Eyesore and Absurd.
Jeremy
ampersand@pretentious.net
&
http://ampersandetc.virtualave.net/ampersand.html
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Various Artists
Muslimgauze remix 12" [1]
Chlorophyll Records CH-01a
http://www.brokenbeat.com/chlorophyl.html
I saw this item listed on The Messenger discography and contacted John
Goff who sent me a cd-r of this release. It is the first in a series of three 12" 45s (limited to 500 copies) which collect remixes of a Muslimgauze track. Goff somehow got a previously unreleased piece and has asked a range of people to rework it – some of whom I am familiar with, others not (for what it's worth).
As a Muslimgauze fan my first listenings to this were focussed on trying to triangulate (quadrangulate?) the original track from the reworkings, thinking that it would be possible to extract the common elements mentally and get a handle on the Muslimgauze. The first listening indicated that that would be hard, later ones demonstrated it was impossible. While there are hints of what it might have been, the artists have moved it on and left little concrete. I hope that the track may appear on the last disk (that would be my recommendation) but as it stands we have to hear this as something other than Muslimgauze.
Chris and Cosey kick of with shimmering light metal music that eventually attracts a beat, surrounded by a bass, ringing bells and an echoed bop that sound a little Middle Eastern. Then a big descending doah, some synth lines join, echoed and voicey and the track rumbles along, some deep tones and rapid dirrits falling in along the way, musical and entertaining.
Spacious bells and drum initiate Bobby (Higher Intelligence Agency) Bird's track. A deep tone and then Indian chanting and tabla that slides from channel to channel – this suggests a Muslimgauze origin, but could have been constructed to resemble it! It is rubbery and jangling, beats sliding in and the whole track cycles on very nicely.
Jonah (Spacetime Continuum) Sharp begins with shimmers echoed bells and a deep bass figure, rhythm with slaps push things into a groove, as descending swirls light the way for bells. Slow and sensuous, little blurts, squiggles and echoed burrings dance over the surface.
Finally John (Silver Wizard) Goff echoes thuds that shift around the sound space, light and spaced, a hollow hiss as rapid beats and plings slide through rubbery figures. An odd varying buzz plays along as the echoing gets a little dubby, building breaking and rebuilding.
So, four very different tracks with varying degrees of 'might be Muslimgauze' elements. I must admit to being in two minds about its Muslimgauzeness and whether it sits comfortably in the discography: 'Occupied Territories' is there which is a precedent, but there were some Bryn Jones remixes on that and I assume he had some input. Putting that to one side, more interestingly these are four very enjoyable tracks, and I think that the set of three releases will (on the basis of this part) add up to a strong set – and it's always good to see vinyl releases.
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Various Artists
Did You Mean To Search For: Clipart?
Slapart Slapcdr001
http://www.slapart.com
N Kra (Nicholas Krappel) appeared in &etc first as a contributor to the No Compression festival compilation (2001_15) and then in the next issue with a cd-r set. Since he has created Slapart a web-based label that releases MP3s. PDF literary works and videos. They made an initial real-world venture with the retro Slaptapes with releases from eM, Jeremy Carter, Kra and Stevenson. Now there is a compilation of 17 tracks by 11 artists (most of whom have Slap-mp3 releases, some tracks from which feature on the album). The first 50 come in a hand made 'case' – each unique, have a look on site – then there is a more simple but limited general release.
Probably the best way in – always hard to decide with compilations – is each artist in turn as they appear, but adding their later tracks:
* V Stevenson opens out with a brief degraded crackling music with little uptones – something of an indicator. He returns as the interestingly named Dr Mouldy Fingers takes samples a rapidly chops through them, looping into a groove with scratching over, building up and then back to tapping in 'Tinfoil'.
* N Kra gives us 'Johnny's tunnel' where long stretched tones appear to be manipulated words or music, deeply dronal; 'Three v.2b' softly pulses, voices suggested, looping ambient, a click pulse develops a big cloud of sound, then samples or site recordings in the second half, hidden well underneath; another brief hollow drones, layered and shimmering in 'Sadness is not depression'; and then as Nicholas Kramer 'Bath (Ibiza mix)' which uses water/wave samples as rhythmic elements, becoming shorter as the track progresses, joined by a buzzing which adds edginess in the later parts.
* Jon Vaughans 'Posing 2 bodies/cities' is bouncy squiggly cracked music, cycling and looping, distorting, and quite groovy (baby).
* 'Twelve' by So Red is a strangely compelling mixture of irregular beats, a bloopy squeaky melody, distorted swirling chitter (games stuff) that sometimes sticks and some held tones – quite musical.
* Hearts of Darkness is a fast wild combination of bouncy melody with a distorted degraded voice-based pulsing over ('Teacher's lounge')
* M Berk's first appearance is 'Elide my I' which has gentle music box like sounds with beats and rhythmic loops behind, a light break then a futzy synth joins. While 'Idiom neutral reformed' is a wonderful combination of long tonal ambiences and wild drum and bass breaks.
* 'Shedding' is a long piece from Clone that continues the rapid beat electronica that is one of the streams here – buzzy blurst, strings in a big melody with rapid beats under, swirling and leaping, breaking in to ambience and then back to beats. Returning with 'Metric hex' which again brings fast changeable beats together with squiggles spiral and shudders developing to a melody and easing in the second half.
* Paul Paradiso – continues the theme of juxtaposition – 'Skyrock' has a choral loop, a building machine pulse with notes in. A pulsing interference develops, crackling like a loose cable, the music continuing underneath with big guitar added. Or 'Newdirt' where the whistly melody has interference rhythms supporting it, deep drones and squelchy keys providing a slow melody that pans around, adding a warbling Theremin at the end.
* Glomag have a brightness in 'Naught' as little bloops slowly build to a rhythmic melody, with some deep music.
* Made Not Found give the album a wonderful send off with '2001 was a gas' – a wonderfully extended meditation on organ drones: there is a deep drone, pulsing and little figures which loop and vary minimally, some changes in texture and buzzing crackle later, but hypnotic.
So, a varied compilation with definite coherence – a nice mixture of ambient/semiambient pieces with the more melodic and fractured techno. And well sequenced by Kra – not really shown in my overview, but it flows well, with longer pieces leavened towards the second half, and good changes of pace. While some of the pieces are on site (if you wanted a test run) getting a hard copy is always good, and I would jump in and get one of the limited edition covers if I were you: the musical content is very enjoyable and the hand-mades look delectable.
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Shinjuku Thief
Medea
Dorobo 018
http://werple.net.au/~dorobo
Shinjuku Thief's latest is the soundtrack to a performance of Medea, and as that story would warrant, is intense and disturbing, combining the orchestral impact of the Thief's sound with an even greater exploration of the voice.
'Lachrymose/The moan is loss' brings us the wind and a voice paralleling organ stepnotes, gradually diverging. It is spare and the sound is disturb/ed/ing. Strings and percussion build underneath and the vocal becomes clearer singing with the other instruments, with a deep base stops below. The track fades to a pulsing rumble, which recurs as a link between all the pieces. Long tones rise through 'A possibility. A room' with higher softer voice tones there, slow percussion pulsing, birds and insects calling as the music fades.
A chorus creates waves of sound, singing notes together but not in harmony, over the insects to a rising cry in 'City of the future'. There are words and then another cloud of sungsounds under a machine hum and crackles. The voices waver behind, gain the foreground only to fade. Atmospheric sounds open 'Un-think' – rumbly whoosh, distant percussion, whispering, a squelching, electronic shimmers thunder sheet all building with horns and a brief chanting in a climax that fades to whispering then haunted voices of torture. A release in 'Sailing without a map' which is almost a pastoral with twittering and long tones, water sounds and a deep male voice processed. Bells, drums strings and a music box, rumbling percussion and the creaking timbers as we take sail.
Singing 'Miserere' haunts the appropriately funereal track with crackling whooshes and soft voices, rising to a crack then dropping out as a tone and crackle take the fade. An electrostorm with devilish voices through drops at the opening of 'Medea of nowhere' to a visceral beat-loop and murmuring singing. Then the noise returns with choral voices, tones and the solo female. 'Sullied flesh (frozen pain)' has a growling burp and layered choral voices, then percussion and scrapes with a falling big noise.
'Agnus dei' is sung by a boy soprano over long strings with the choir, a light rattling and peeping in a calm, restrained piece that is extended and gorgeous. Finally 'Catastrophe' a crumhorn, rustle (rain or electronic interference), the female soloist and a mad choir suddenly cut off. Darkness.
These words don't do justice to this work, as usual. The recurring elements of rhythm, music (including wonderful clarinet and viola textures from Phillip Pietruschka) and voice make this into a self-contained whole. While I can see the Shinjuku Thief elements within it, and eschews the glitch/electronica/electroacoustic of the Darrin Verhagen 'label', this complex and mature work deserves an audience that extends beyond the 'gothic orchestral soundscape' suggested in the Dorobo classification spot or that the Thief supposedly appeals to.
Dorobo releases are always highly recommendable, and this is no exception. Subtle complex exciting demanding – get it.
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Psi
The ___ Who …
Evolving Ear/Aqui/humansacrifice EE06/AQUI02/HS005
http://www.evolvingear.com
The title of this new cd from a trio of Jaime Fennely (electronics) Chris Forsyth (guitar – and heard across a few albums through &etc) and Fritz Welch (drums/percussion) is much longer – a whole sentence, full of spaces, which is reproduced as the sequence of track titles (& you can reassemble it from the info below).
In a genre which revels in undercutting expectation it is always going to undercut itself in a deconstructive manner. Drums, electronics and guitar suggests some sounds and strategies, but these are rarely approached on this disk. For example, the long opening track 'The _____ who had begun his career' is a protean combination of shimmers, buzzes, crackles deep hornsiren, woobles, tones, reverbs, clattering, scrapes and more that defies us to try and identify which sounds are electronic, which extracted from the guitar and whether processed percussion could be the go. A brief proffering of guitar notes is a ruse before more electronica, as it builds and falls, loose cables chatter, a complex web of sound when suddenly at about 12 minutes a pulsing improv guitar and percussion escape chased by a high tone that tries to overwhelm them before it fades.
'As a useful ______' is a brief percussive piece (bells, tapping, drums) with scraped guitar followed by the brooding 'Of the _____ court' as scrabbling guitar and percussion are joined by blowy electrotones (sax-like) with some noisey moments and samples incorporated in the edgy conclusion. A heavy buzz runs over some fast guitar/percussion flourishes in the opening to 'Later became', slowing as the buzz rises and falls, then shifting to some feedback tones with scrapes and some short-string guitar that builds before fading.
Another interlude 'The _______ of' an electro assault of deep booms, whiz, twings, hiss and sizzle. '________' has loose twangy guitar and dropped percussion –perhaps the percussion is dropped on the guitar – scrapes, cycling and shimmers. A big percussive start to 'And the ________ of' which is processed and modulated, speaker futzing, samples fast taped, guitar. Then goes quiet slowly re-emerging with a percussive storm after which the closing '______' (not to be confused with the earlier similarly named track) is a lighter tone and scrabbling, bells building to a buzz, then scraping pocks at the end which is gentler and offers an easing release.
A fine example of a current trend in improv – very intense and could perhaps do with a little more shading.
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Melusine
The Aqua Path
N-heptane Studios nh#1
Melusine@n-heptane.com
From San Diego comes an album of watery 'File under: new age, ambient, electronic'.
'Feather-star' opens with a deep drumble, bamboo flute and the sound of dripping/running water along with some chimey-shimmers. The sound is somewhat Celtic, and warms as a second instrument, perhaps a clarinet, doubles the flute and creates harmonium-like tones. An underburbling of water runs through 'Remember to rise' with long drone tones and short voice samples through which provide an edge as they are cut and looped. Melody tones sweep in and a 'nya ya ya' vocal joined by tuned percussion that drives the song as it builds to a climax, then drops back to drone, bubble and a new percussion line, more restrained, but then joined again by the voice as it builds to a final crescendo.
Gong patters, low and high, run through 'Rain chains', along with rain and a high synth line that is quite intrusive (turn the volume down). Voice tones and flute drop in, then probably clarinet and then cello as the piece ebbs and flows. Watery washing, guitar, synth lines and an attractive flat vocal in 'Seaglass', harmonised with a vocoder, and brightening for the chorus, and a keening synth solo, making nice song. The gongs return for 'River dragon's daughter', together with water-gongs and drums and create an exciting movement as deep speaker shaking drones pass by. Chimes and drones alternate and then in the last minute some Chinese string synths take the title further.
The title track is guitar and synths that shift from flutey to warbling and final big string dramatic, easing out at the end. Plinky tones, like picked music boxes, run through 'Barriers', some spiral tones, longer tones and then a thunderstorm with pouring rain, moving into a languid dance with clarinet and violin. Another song, 'Gelid' with guitar (sustained notes), chordal synths and warm strings. And finally 'Cream soda' which shifts the balance with a fast rhythm loop, moving almost to techno, with a high tone melody that has twinkles in, bass and a slipping-disk like wavering.
Some people will be put off by the New Age tag on the cover, and others by the attractiveness of this album. But it is one in the continuing Ampersand tradition of albums that are enjoyable but not without edges and excitement, and melodic without being mindless. Definitely for those more mellow moments, which it suits faultlessly.
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Cremaster
Infra
Antifrost afro2015
http://www.antifrost.gr
Cremaster – an anatomist can't go past a muscular name – is Ferran Fages on feedback mixing board and pick ups with Alfreddo Costa Monteiro on 'objects on electric guitar' and hail from Barcelona. But you can't hear much Spain in here, nor that much guitar.
What you do get is four tracks of glitchy edged soundscaping noise that is unrelenting and unforgiving. Composed mainly of crackles scrapes squalls high-tones scrunching puttering scrabbles (that sound like rubbed mikes) and more (pretty indescribable in any meaningful way) the music rises and falls, ebbing and flowing through. There are moments of rhythm and percussive loops, but mainly and improvised electronica. The guitar is apparent in less obvious ways – a patter that is probably tapped soundboard, a rubbing noise that is the wood stroked, probable string scrape. But we are far from the instrument.
There are 4 tracks: 'Infra 921' is the longest at 15 minutes and has a number of climaxes and releases, with a long restrained ambience in the centre. In 'Infra 444' there is a suggestion of voices (and I mean suggestion, could be an emergent property), building putter rhythms to begin with, some loose cabling, building with some almost organic sounds. Another longer piece 'Infra 742' has deep rumbles rapid bips and rhythmic scrapes and an almost moaning and also has a very soft extended passage before a noisey squarl build up. Finally 'Infra221' has a more woody sound with the taping, and a quite rhythmic scrape giving it a more focussed structure (as it is only 4 minutes long).
Intense and demanding, played low this can just about become an atmosphere, but the harsh edges undercut it. Its place is as a direct and upfront sound to fill an environment or space. As such it is exciting and the varied pace and assault provide contrasts.
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Mitre: Sympathy For Agamemnon
Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words: The City Is Dead Or Dying
Aidan Baker: Cicatrice
Dreamland Recordings DR002, 004 & 005
http://www.dreamland.antisound.net
In 2003_d I reviewed Bokor's 'The Field', knowing only that he was a Melbourne artist. He contacted me when he saw the review, which was in the same issue as a Jorge Castro project who Zac 'Bokor' Keiller has collaborated with, and found that he lives about 20km away and was starting a 3" label. So here are reviews of the next three releases from Dreamland.
Mitre's Sympathy For Agamemnon' is a guitar album of poised beauty. The opening title-track hides some guitar inside rolling pulses of reverbed strum with a slow melody in – slow and stately, it loops into a drone rumble that builds and varies surrounding a full feedbacky guitar solo, keening, as additional drone layers are suggested at times. The guitar squelches before a rumble drone out. 'Interlude' is short, a simple guitar solo over some Fripp-like long tones. Then 'A thousand small boats' where bagpipe-like drones cycle and weave with sitar-guitar that plays repeated motifs and longer melody. There is also some sine wave in there and the guitar emerges cleanly in the last minute or so. This is not demonstrative, but a fine short collection.
Dead Letters… presents a single track in 'The City Is Dead Or Dying'. In the opening section a wind becomes a drone that underlines and then dominates as soft rustles, fluttering stutters, voices or fast tones ply the surface, then a scritching scrabble. A new drone that is higher, more of a tone gradually takes over for the next part, with another wind, bubbling and key pulses like breaths. This central section is extended as a buzzing, organic scrabbling, the pulsing coming in waves, gradually changing texture. In the final section long harmonic tones become dominant, varying over a twinging as the piece suddenly becomes very active and forceful before it fades. This is one of those audio-hallucinogenic pieces where you keep hearing other sounds emerging from actual material. It is a mysterious, subdued world that invites entry.
While it is described as being guitar-based, Aidan baker's 'Cicatrice' doesn't give much of that away. Building ringing voicey drones open 'Cypher', a bass in soft and resonant. Tones flow in, rolling, and a plinging, waves and spirals creating a very subterranean sound. The final buzz segues into 'Cicadas' which adds a wavering sci-fi tone, puttering and deeper tones. Very resonant, there are high whistles and tones, puttering into 'Circuitry'. A high sine pulse-tone bounces from ear-to-ear through the sound world as the background from the previous track fades. An added buzz and deep tone melody woork with the pulses, building and swelling to a musical propulsion before a deep drumble rolls into. 'Cicatrice' where a wiry music develops in the drone, which is churning and the most prominent aspect. A swirling wind and cragged percussive scrape eruptions lead to tonalities that seem vocal. The final minutes have an almost religious-choral mood as it rolls into a final brief swooping guitar. An entrancing set.
I actually used this word in the draft of each section of this review – impressive. They emphasise that you can find some damn fine music close to home, but that as most of you live quite some distance from Keilor, it is well worth checking out small labels in far flung places. And that the local is global – these releases come from Canada (Mitre) Sweden (Dead…) and the US (Baker).
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Po: Provocative Operations
'Gypt Gore
Trio: Presence
Balai Mecanique
Collected as Montreal Free!
No Type IMNT0306/09
http://www.notype.com
For once I have split the label reviews – there are two other No Types in here – because of the variety. Recap the story – web label (with host of wonderful free music) mentioned often times in &etc went 'real' last year in conjunction with Diffusion I media (purveyors of the Empreintes Digitales electroacoustic label, also seen across the issues, most recently the last). The first batch of releases were reviewed here (2002_3, 7 and 8), and now we see the next fruits.
The first release (number 1&2) was the double compilation 'Freest of Radicals' that introduced us to some of the people featured on the 'web – but with new tracks. In an even more extensive production, here we are presented with four studio albums from improv groups representative of the new sound of Montreal, particularly centring on the Casa del Popolo, featuring a slightly overlapping membership. So into it.
First, this is improvised free jazz – furious, complex, intricate, dense and frenzied. To buy it you would have to be interested in the music – 220 minutes is not for the faint hearted. I find that I listen to it somewhat like the music – in bursts. And in the right mood – my first encounter with Po was fairly negative as I was a bit tense – not relaxing music. And finally it is also hard to describe – so these reviews will be more overviews rather than the usual detailed description. I will also work through in a non-sequential order on the basis of accessibility (to me).
The Trio is Chris Burns, Nicolas Caldia and John Heward on guitar, bass and drums, and that more traditional lineup delivers the most accessible album. While the instruments are all given fairly equal value in the mix, the guitar predominates, probably because you can do more with it in sonic terms – even more as we'll see on the other albums. The first six tracks, titled 'Presence #X' are relatively short, between 3 to 8 minutes, shift through relaxed twangy guitar and a solo in #1, through the faster #2 with some sliding-ping guitar, to the bass driven #3 in which the instruments gradually coalesce but remain tentative. Strange creaks twangs and scratches on #4 develops a western guitar and buzzy bass, while #5 opens with a melodic guitar/bass set, becoming scratchy and edgy before a short drum solo that presages a more extended solo in #6 with light bass and guitar behind out of which some bendy guitar builds. The final track is a more extended 20 minutes and sees the group work through moods which have been presented individually in the shorter pieces, building from a very soft scrape through some buzzing to a drum pushed noise guitar solo, dropping to a brief drum solo joined by restrained guitar and bass, then almost silence before another gradual development to a shimmeringly percussive climax then fading. The instrumentation is well balanced and the approach never gets too harsh on this disk which makes it the easiest listening - though none are easy.
Next to Belan Mecanique, the superest-group here – six members on sax, trombone, bass, keyboards, guitar and drums. This was my second choice – I initially had favourite, but this set is too diverse for favourites – because while the size of the group tends for a full explosive sound, the diversity of instrumentation provides a broad sound palette which offers the most variation. The group offer a mixture of three short pieces – basically 1 or 2 minute full on aural explosions, and four much longer pieces which allow them to explore their dynamic. The tracks tend to be precipitous rolling sound works where each member is driving away, separately but somehow providing some cohesion, easing back at times. The ear either picks out particular instruments or the engineers place people at different places in the mix at different times. 'Gypt Gore use the idea of action painting in one of their titles, but it works for this too. 'Les elephants n'oublient jamais' for instance turns through fast honking sax with drums and sliding trombone added, keyboards whizz almost sci fi. A quieter period before the drifting vortex gets bigger and bigger, easing to allow the piano to be heard, then the trombone moves forward, gtr sax and xylophone into a restrained minimal section, piano sax and rim drums swinging in to a soft end. There is a mysterious mood throughout 'Rouages' that builds to a choppy quacking centre before drifting back to a lighter touch via some descending guitar and trombone laughter. Some more ambient periods (in relative terms) through 'Brule-pourpoint' emphasise the range that the group can work in while the final 'Racines' has some nice sax swing and even beer house piano. While there is more democracy in this group, the wind instruments probably are more distinct in the wall of sound with the guitar playing a more supportive role. The keyboards – which include some electronica – provide interesting shading while the rhythm section keeps things moving. The dynamism seen here, and the variations, make this disk very re-approachable.
'Gypt Gore is primarily Philemon (sax) and Sam Shalabi (guitar) who were also in Balai. They carry the energy from that group, but the music is constrained by the instrumentation. The music is exciting – they are like a perpetual motion machine as the sax blows wildly and the guitar picks and plays short fast and furious. Luckily there are periods where the playing is slower or more restrained – the slow and sensuous opening to 'Flakes' for example or 'Narcoma action painting' which has the speed but seems somehow more relaxed. On a couple of tracks Thierry Amar (bass on Balai) joins and the playing becomes more relaxed: in 'Corridors tresses' it adds a depth and the solos are gentler and then 'Blue soon' has a slow bass entry and the sax and guitar are gentler and there is a sensuous sax solo – perhaps having the rhythm instrument gave the group a more grounded approach. An additional guitar (Andrew Dickson) appears on two tracks and again there seems more restraint on 'Flakes' and there are drones and some nice duets in 'Navigation pacifique'. The full intensity and focus of this album are what make it less easily absorbed, but it is absorbing and dramatic.
Po present seven 'Provocative Operations' that combine drums, two guitars (including prepared) and double bass in what was for me the most difficult album. It may be that the instruments have been most removed from their 'natural' sounds here making it more demanding or the more oblique attacks. It opens with brief warming up before a bubbling machine of sound – scrapey guitar mumbles as the music drives on, and there appears to be some bowing as the music get quieter. In the second part scratching and squeaks with a slow percussion, sounds like violin and piano, building puttery, then ringing prepared guitar, strong bass stepping, a sort of static momentum of sound; lots of short notes with a Chinese feel; growls purrs and plitterplatter to a big climax. The third part has squeaks and growls (of wind?) that dialogue with twangy guitar into a dense web of notes (that sounds like some multitracking but the suggestion is these recordings mirror the live experience). An uncertain rhythm builds through the fourth, the maelstrom of sound including some sitar-guitar, and a rolling drum keeps a couple of guitars in chop. With the fifth piece Po show they can create atmospheric filmic moods, subtle with a Theremin or bowed-saw sound from the guitar. In six things hot up again, the band futzing along as a melodic guitar plays, then paralleled by a fast guitar in a duel/t, softening and rebuilding before some motor-bowed guitar. Finally another more contemplative piece, tinkling, strumming, a hollow percussion (prepared guitar), building a little but held back. This album takes the sounds further and generally brings the listener along with them, if the ears are open and clear.
This is a daring product for No Type to come out with – people who know the Montreal scene will be drawn to it, but in the wider world there may be more uncertainty. While I wouldn't recommend this to everyone (in fact I wouldn't for most things I review – we all have such different tastes and preferences) I would suggest that people who are interested in improvised music, tending to the jazz end, seriously consider it whether as an introduction to the form or an addition to their collection. I enjoyed these disks more than I thought I would – improv is an area I am developing my listening skills in. The variety between and within the performances means that there is much that will interest most people, and it offers a great opportunity (at a good price) to listen to some mainly intense music (though there is some light and shade which allow you to recover) which may stretch your expectations, and should definitely excite you.
(I don't generally do this, but I looked on site and this set costs $40 (can) and had a 10% discount when I was there. As a single album costs 25, this is great value)
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A_Dontigny & Diane Labrosse
Telepathie
No Type IMNT081
http://www.notype.com
(See above for No Type intro). This is part of the No Type single series (and the difference in numbering places them in sequence with the on-line offerings) some of which will be 10" vinyl, though this is full length, at EP price.
Dontigny (computers) is a founder member of Napalm Jazz, half of Morceaux_de_machine which has a No Type release and appears across the web-based catalogue, while Labrosse (samplers) has been in bands and is part of the Montreal music scene. This disk was recorded live at Casa del Popolo – the club reflected in the Montreal Free set.
The sound is what you would expect from the listed instrumentation – shifting miving comprised of generally small elements manipulated and modulated. And thus it is in 't.s.f.' where scrabbles whooshes blurt over a base of looped/slowed/sped musical samples. There are lots of echoes and it is as if we are adrift in a sea of sounds. A rhythm enters midway through and settles the music down somewhat but movement is the focus.
The second track 'Antenne parabolique' is in similar territory, with a soft thuddering, chittering, machine rumbles, squeaky scrapes with the tonal computer providing a basal stability. It continues with more elements – clattering percussive, computer music, long tones, whippoorwills and squeaky hiss. I was listening to this coming from the car where our horses are agisted and in the distance I could hear a wind pump creaking – and it fitted in beautifully.
There is a lighter more immediately ambient feel to 'Photo satellite' with a hissing that has notes and tones through, a musicality. This sequence lasts for some minutes – a greater stability. Spirals emerge, whoozy whoops, a brief wind storm and deep music. Mechanical waves crash – or it could be a train – and a lovely long slowly changing period ensues, gradually building but never exceeding.
Finally a more electroacoustic directness in 'Media tactique' as an extended vocal sample speaks through metal wash and deep throbs and bangs. Then choppy samples are woven together – disco beats, music fragments, some reggae dub – to create a dramatic rhythmic energy, over which some squeaky door electronics and growls swirl.
I was impressed by the variety across this album – there was much more than I expected. This makes it an interesting album to listen to, and also one which can form surprising backdrops to the world around us in a lowercase manner.
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Coin Gutter
All Your Dreams Are Meaningless
No Type IMNT0310
http://www.notype.com
(See above+1 for No Type intro).
A Canadian duo, this is their first label release and contains two demos – the single long track and a second series of short pieces. The packaging (obliquely) and title appear, from their 'manifesto', to relate to architectural and social dreams for a better world which always fail. 'I am fatigued by dreams of a better world. They are so many, they no longer inspire'. I read that before listening to the music, and was worried by the sense of ennui – and wondered how the sounds would reflect this.
Indulge me while I look at the second half first. There are seven tracks in about 30 minutes, and while they track across three years, they are almost an addendum to the opening track. 'Lullaby' starts with slow backwards voice and tones and then swaps to a piano, almost straight, and soprano (singing a probably well known aria) that is very subtly and skilfully looped. Big crunchy tones, industrially ambient, with a voice entering later, ending woobly in 'Terminal' before the brief 'No5' where more big noises segue into tonal pulses. Something of a trend is emerging with 'Solitaire' when pulsing industrial ambient with hypno-tape is overtaken by a building buzz, then a tapping over that before the voice loops at the end. The oldest piece on the disk is perhaps the most immediately striking (and makes it onto the sampler). A haunting ambience of scrapes tocs and washes is joined by a disturbed voice saying variants of "he's gone". Small breath cuts create percussive effects, then we move to ticking scrapes and heavy thudder as a different voice talks about "she's crying". 'Tlia3ml' travels from a high scraping buzz that drops under soft tones but returns refreshed with some percussive, then another short compilation of rumbles choppedsamples ping and other noises rapidly alternating in 'Scission'. The final track is 'Southern yukon/northern bc (and perhaps parts of alaska)' a slowly burning combination of soft buzz, crackles and binaural ticks that gains little tonalities, puttering, a deep dronal tone, cycling wash, pinging scratches, pulsing and clicks building to a very active state at 10 minutes, some voice, a brief dip and then a full noise assault for a minute which suddenly ends. Snap.
These tracks demonstrate a fair bit about Coin Gutter – they construct and assemble their pieces, more akin to the electroacoustic style; in that construction they shift the sound of a track quite a distance across its length; they are not averse to either noise or mellifluousness; their sound palette is broad and they focus on the details. As an album in its own right, this collection would not be uninteresting, but the wow-factor on the album comes during the 36 minutes of 'Lift with the knees'.
The first time I played/scanned this album, just to get an idea of it, the track turned me off, and it was only when I went into full listening did I get into it. The opening few minutes is a noise assault as a high buzz becomes white noises which has things in it but is quite in-there. It slips to one channel and gradually fades to a crackle, after which the piece moves into its more enfolding phase. It is a sequences of musical constructions that slide effortless into each other as an interlocking suite. Composed of all manner of sounds – tones, crackles, drips, phone tones, beats, piano, little noises, blurts and more it is varied and yet consistent. Echoes and shimmers, loops and gradual modulations, changes of pace and mood create a series of musical images, pictures at an exhibition that we are walking through, the aura of one touching onto the next and affecting our view as we bring it into focus. Some are small pictures while others are larger or more intricate. It would be difficult to try and describe each, some reflect the activity in the shorter pieces, though there is less voice in there. The whole coheres and the parts are impressive.
Either half of this release would be worth hearing and having, together they make a great impression. But definitely one where you need to listen to more than the opening 30 seconds.
The disk is part of an 'abstract' (less dependent on beat?) series – Magali Babin was the first and another is slated for later in the year. I was lucky enough to get a promo-sampler, and the material on that from the forthcoming albums suggests the next lot (Books On Tape and Bonarelli with 10" vinyl and a Headphone Science album) derive from the third arm (aside from improv) of intelligent and exciting 'techno'.

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Paul Edwards: To Six Billion
Instruction Shuffle: Open Sad Circuit
Zenapolae Zen003 and 005
http://www.zenapolae.com
A couple more from Zenapolae, first seen in the last issue
Paul Edwards starts in an unexpected way (this was the last of the three I listened to) with 'Burn' where acoustic bass, clicks, drums and a club/jazz female (Sierra Hurtt-Akselrod) vocal bring to mind a variety of acts. A fast groove drops in, then a loopy click, then all come together, nicely looped and layered, with single possibilities. The rest of the album goes in different directions. 'Sonoluminescence' is long tonal ambience with a fast bloopy rhythm under providing a juxtaposition, emphasised with more melodic tones. Gentle spirals and warbles shimmer at the end.
Acoustic guitar, drums and a very retro squelchy squealing keyboard are found in 'Skywriting', joined by an electro-sax, later there's a choppy solo, but a very loungey mood. 'Drug&brace' line a deep slow squelching over fast beats, with some voice tones from Sierra, in a bright and jolly piece that varies nicely. More minimal ambience in 'Mattaesque' as metalic tonechords drift over a beat that comes and goes as trills skim through, refining to a metronome beat and slow drifts. A gentle rhythm loop, twangy bangs and loose tones form the base as a bass enters 'Vega', then a high stringish melody is added with a slow thud and colourations, that slips into a loose groove. A haunting slow melody into a long fade.
The loop 'stretch your mind' slides through the almost eponymous track, along with big billows, bloops, rhythms, strange horns and Theremin calls together with jaunty keys continuing the combination of melody and ambience. A relaxed mood in 'Blooming' with mysterious tones, a horn-like sound and strange noises join the beat. Then 'The box opened' which opens with some delightful drifting ambience of pulses, soft tones and deepnesses, cut into by a slow beat that shifts in and out, a relaxed/ing conclusion.
This is a nicely balanced album, moving from the bright jazzy opening into varied ambient/techno and concluding with a subtlety that offers a perfect out. Enjoyable.
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The most recent album is Instruction Shuttle's 'Open Sad Circuit' which purveys an industrial ambience. Glitchy rhythms moving in and out of phase and varying volume ride through '2ml' with synth washes and a zitherish melody, 'Champagne' a whoosh pulsing, blowy has rhythm notes in and long organ tones through it to fade, and in 'Talltowers' a substrate of bubbling rumbles that could be distorted radio loops has an oddly atonal combination of high horn tones, voice and synth washes.
Long echoed metallic tones, rumbling machines with a building crackle a little melody in 'Chimertimer'; dark atmospheres through a long slow tonal melody in 'My love for animals' is offset by a chirpy rhythm; choralish voices with a following crackle are quite pretty in 'Rome approaching' and the twinkles and cutlery clatter add touches before a drifting fade. A plant room seems the recording site for 'Quartz coarse land' pulsing semirandom clutter and building tones as the machines coalesce into movement, and then move into 'Visible brush strokes' before tones then a harsh edgy melody take over, drifting to a wash end, showing a strong structure.
'Dustbunny' sees beats recur, ear to ear looping, with scritching shimmey woobles and deep tones as it rolls along; frogs or their electronic equivalents croak through 'Kevlar family album' as tones swoop and dzits fly. The natural feel continues in 'Sectorspectre' which sounds like waves of rain on a tin roof, with long tones swimming through and futzy modulation. Another electronic factory, 'Dnadegrade' buzz and crackles in a rhythm loop with echoed phasers over, distant sirens, strange and growing. And the long ambience of 'Goodbye' flows us out as panning fuses in a big empty space with thuds and voice tones shifts to big tones and a swirling, eases to a drone that is succeeded by burbling synths before spiral drifts and then a crackling fire take the fade.
Well balanced and pitched at an approachable not too dark/not too light level.
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Flaming Fire: Songs From The Shining Temple
Pothole Skinny: Time Shapes The Forest Lake
Perhaps Transparent Recordings PT007 & 008
http://www.perhapstransparent.com
Out of nowhere (well actually New York) these two disks arrived. And quite a surprise.
Flaming Fire is Lauren Weinstein and Kate hHambrecht (on vocals, Kate also drums), Patrick Hambrecht (on vocals, guitar, sounds and probably roup 'leader' as he writes) Jonathon Ackerman on guitar and John Mathias on bass (with a few people occasionally helping). The result is hard to describe – at times I was reminded of Patti Smith, more often the B-52s, death metal here and there with a bit of folk thrown in for good measure on 11 songs (with vocals, lyrics on the cover: unusual for &etc) in 35 blistering minutes.
'The way you kill me' is very Smith in the verse with driving drum, power bass and fuzz guitar, heavy guitar and B-52 girl chorus, punky then a simple folky jangling middle. The 'Fire of love' is fast and choppy with a bangling percussion loop, shouted vocals and big noise chorus, dense with synths and guitar. Twisted blue grass 'Kill the right people' swings with ahhahhh female voices and a growling male, piano and picked guitar in there, a straighter vocal on the chorus, and very catchy.
Shift to weirder with 'Your love belongs to me', where puttery drums, little noises and game sounds form a base for the music which comes from the voice. 'Goddess of war' is simpler with voice and keyboard, some cymbals and bass, building gently through the song. Somehow the Incredible String Band came in to mind with the chorus on 'Centralia' – a long poem, the verses are read rapidly over squarly guitar, broken sounds and a strong beat before the female/acoustic guitar chorus (I remember Licorice). Then there is a Shaft-like section with some white-rap that builds, shouting with choppy scratching band behind. Death metal sounds and growls in 'Gun through a razor' alternate with jangly guitars, as male and female vocals also trade lines, becoming a little lighter.
'Foreign car' has a drawly male over acoustic guitar and rhythm, while the female parts have strange 60s echoes, after which 'Cut the reaper' combines more Patti Smith, noisey guitar and organ, some death metal and a piano/60s guitar spoken word section! Traded vocals in 'There is a sky' build to a call over choppy then swirling synths, easing for the chorus and a nursery rhyme piece before the calls again. And then 'Onward forever' whooshing wind, acoustic guitar, flute becomes driving metal in a joyous drive, twisted Arabic-ish guitar, voices and a final call of 'Onward! Onward, Forevermore'. A perverse mixture of styles defying trends and expectations, an undertext with Christian suggestions, while the overtext isn't that clear ("Foreign car, he's workin' for the law, Subaru over an open sea…That bastard's working for Christ and God's grease monkeys don't play nice" clear or what?). A dramatic and surprising, exciting demented-pop piece, full of hooks, mystery and singalongs. Seek out at your own discretion.
&
After which Pothole Skinny is much clearer. Stephen Connolly and Frank Murphy (guitars, banjo plus) and Scott Freyer (drums) joined by others at times, offer an acoustic garage rock/folk album of songs and instrumentals.
'Kroghs' whisper' is a brief introduction of mysterious gongs and rumbles that leads into 'The sussex railroad song' that demonstrates the groups intentions. It opens with a strong acoustic guitar melody and the Connolly's voice which is pleasantly nasal (and reminded me of the Nirvana unplugged stuff). Drums and a flute enter for a break which builds and had a feel of early King Crimson, probably as much the instrumentation as anything) before the banjo joins before the fade. And into another short piece, 'Dream of labia lament' which tentatively sorts out some string suggestions.
The folk element continues with 'Antique gasoline' with guitar, light percussion and Connolly's high voice that slips into a very pleasant instrumental which has flute, drones, shimmering pulses (the bowed psaltry?) and a melancholy beauty to it. The pace picks up in 'Scroll of westport bay' which is brighter with electric guitar and a puttery beat, becoming chimey percussive with clacks and gongs, the guitar returns slower over what sounds like an aggressive field-recording (shouting perhaps) and what could be rain or a kitchen, to end with little backwards sounds. Bits of distant electric guitar open 'The ernest equinox' that develops an improv randomness in percussion and additional guitar, mumbling vocals, building then relaxing back down again. A lovely cello-drone underlines ''May-gun explosive flower', and three guitars weave together, the electric putting out power chords.
I once thought the Doors were the perfect combo – I was taken by the organ then – and there are echoes of it in 'Beneath the frozen pond' a strongly beated song. Simple melodic guitar, shimmer, banjo create a light melody in 'When morpheus calls for slumber' and then a big gong is struck and rubbed (maybe looped) for a reverberative final couple of minutes.
A very enjoyable journey – sort of folk-lofi-progressive singersongwriter musician stuff.
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