VITAL WEEKLY 17 Week Number 43 SCANNER- SULPHUR (CD by Sub Rosa) Are you still there? Scanner gets bigger and bigger. ..His recent media upheaval (about Bjork sampling 'Mass Observation') once more kept his name in the pages of the big magazines. In March this year there was a concert, and this CD is the result of that. Where to start? The bad recording quality. ..it sounds like recorded in the back of the auditorium, with rhythms sounding hollow (and not dancey at all) .The telephone tap? I really can't decipher what they are about. I wished Scanner would concentrate on a story per track, building small radio-like plays. The thing that really turned me off was the fact that it is dedicated to Lee Newman (half of Greater Then One and many other house names, who died in August) .No doubt Scanner knew her (it's a small London world after all) , but now it is more like name dropping. I'd rate this -5. // Address: Sub Rosa -P.O. Box 808 CM -1000 Brussels -Belgium CM VON HAUSWOLFF -RAYS OF BEAUTY (CD by Sub Rosa) Hauswolff is a busy man: as an executive producer for some of Fylkingen's new CD's (see elsewhere), his works with Phauss, label boss for Anckarstrom and the Elggaland/Vargaland project. Some of his previous work, formerly released on his own Radium 226.05 label, is now available again on this CD. Two long works (around 23 minutes) and two shorter pieces. The two long pieces have really low end droning sounds, slow but disturbing. The third track has a loop of a match (or something) repeated every 15 seconds or so, with distant voices. The last track, as far as I can tell, is unreleased, and again has droning sounds. For those who love the darker Hafler Trio stuff (incidentally Andrew McKenzie wrote liner notes) this is very highly recommended. Address: as above MNORTHAM -MANY RIVERS MOVE ALONG THE SURFACE OF THE MAGNET (C40 by Isomorphic Records) Some may know Michael Northam as a long time collaborator in the excellent ND Magazine, or from his collaboration work with Martin Franklin (released as a CD by SDV in 1994) .This cassette-only released was recorded this summer and is fascinating ambient soundscape of resonating sounds (sources unknown) that slowly change throughout. Reminded me of Thomas Koner, or Arcane Device's softest outings. It's a pity it is only on tape, as a wider audience should be reached. Great package! // Address: Isomorphic -17709 108th Ave SE -Renton, WA 98055- USA KENT TANKRED -ORDINARY THINGS (CD by Fylkingen) As far as I know Kent is one half of the duo Guds Soner, known from their CD in the Anckarstrom series (actually one the least interesting as far as I am concerned). His solo CD is released one the state subsidised highly official Fylkingen label. As the title suggests, most of the stuff on this CD was recorded by using 'ordinary things' : found sound per se, treated within the electronic studio to create this combination of musique concrete with industrial soundscapes. Every time I play this CD, something new is revealed. A very release! // Addres: Fylkingen -P.O. Box 4269- 10266 Stockholm -Sweden CANDICE PACHECO -IF THEN. ..ELSE (CD by Hearts Of Space) Candice Pacheco is co-founder of D'Cuckoo, both are unknown to me. According to the cover she lays down her techno/global vision. "Groove food for intelligent lifeforms", it is also really tacky stated. Need I decribe the music? Housy, yet not too much, rhythms, catchy synths and in every track a number of sampled voices. Sometimes entertaining, but in the end 11 repetitions of the same techno (that sounds like a lot others in the ambient-dance field) .Never realized the 'intelligent' part of this music though. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice CD. Address: ROBERT RICH & BRIAN LUSTMORD -STALKER (CD by Fathom) Some weeks ago I spotted the current flow in Brian Lustmord's work, and here is a collaboration that comes to me as a big surprise. Rich is not really known for his industrial work, so it is a strange thing seeing him work with one of the former industrial big-shots. This collaboration is a bit of both their work. It is on the experimental side for Rich and on the ambient side of Lustmord. The latter's trademark, being tons of reverb put over every inch of sound on this CD is apparent here. This is easy listening ambient, but it goes deep, way deep. Another fine CD. Address: as with Hearts Of Space LIGHTWAVE -MUNDUS SUBTERRANEUS (CD by Hearts Of Space) Lightwave's LP 'Tycho Brahe' was long in demand, and earlier this year re-issued on CD by H.O.S. That record had a.o. Hector Zazou playing. ..Now there is this new CD by this French-Austrian group. Although indexed as 10 tracks it is heard as one long flowing track. Lots of synth washes, but also distant violins and guitars. This is quite traditional space music, so not really new or innovative , but I don't believe that is in demand here. Address: as above MESMER VARIATIONS ( 2 CD by ASH International) Releases on ASH have never really failed to interest me. Particular favorites are The Runaway Train (I wish it was on CD ), Aurobindo and S.E.T.I Knowledge. My only impression of the original vinyl release of Mesmer was that it was good to use in a mix -as an isolated work it quickly bored me, was easily forgotten and does not reside in my collection. Ash have now followed this up with a 2CD package of remixes which far surpasses the original release. The guidelines were simple. ..composers were given a copy of the vinyl release and asked to compose something influenced by the work of Friedrich Mesmer, animal magnetist and Mozart's chum. There were no further instructions and the original composition didn't need to be referenced at all. What a healthy attitude to the often uninspired field of remixing. The result is 18 tracks spread over two CDs in perfect sequence. Put Put open the first CD with an exceptional track -their first studio recording apparently. Their thick shifting slabs of noise are followed by a spacious track by Koji Marutani. Bruce Gilbert's piece sort of 'happens' as does the track by CM v. Hauswolff. Sandwiched between these two are a liquid contribution by Daniel Menche and a rhythmic excursion by Drome (NUF). Track 7 is an interlude comprised of a Mozart piano loop. The last 3 tracks on CD1 are by Rene Hassinger, Steve Williams and Ryoji Ikeda (who wastes an awful lot of digital time by filling it up with loads of silence in an all too long (24'00 ) piece. CD2 contains a marvelous set with the exception of Edvard Graham Lewis who once having made his point irritatingly returns several times from fade- outs. SETI, Quest and Robert Hampson provide the glue which binds this 2nd CD together. There is also a contribution from Resolution. .. is this Mr. Colin Newman by yet another name ? PITA end this set with a seductive languid dronescape which left me floating in space. As usual with Touch/Ash releases, great care and attention has been paid to packaging. Mesmer's life story, work and meetings with Mozart have been chronicled and I think that Kev Martin's Isolationist Compilation on Virgin may have finally been superseded. Well done. .. Address: Vital Weekly is published by Frans de Waard and submitted for free to anybody with an e-mail address. If you don't wish to receive this, then let us know. Any feedback is welcome . Forward to your allies. Snail mail: Frans de Waard -P.O. Box 11453 -1001 GL Amsterdam -The Netherlands // All written by Frans de Waard, except (Mesmer) by The Square Root Of Sub.