Vital Weekly 39 Week 21 Number 39 SHIROSEASONS (Compilation CD by Shirocoal) First release on a new label set up by Daniel Menche. This CD features 4 artists, each doing an interpretation of a season. Opening is the spring season as seen by Aube, a slowly in volume rising piece with a loud middle part. Sound source unknown, but sounds like falling objects. US Small Cruel Party is doing the summer part with another excellent excursion in organic sound exploration. Much concentration on the sound itself. Probably as good as his track on that split LP with Aube we reviewed a while back. Daniel Menche's dark sounds of a really indefinable nature is a thick, misty field of autumn woods. The seasons are ended by K. Mizutani with what sounds like tape-looped feedback and distant voices, which don't seem to go far away, but here too one has to listen carefully to all the changes. In all a very interesting compilation with 4 of today's best industrial music makers. (FdW) Address: Shirocoal - P.O. Box 83296 - Portland, Oregon 97283-0296 - USA HALANA #1 (Magazine plus 7") In the past we had sometimes a small feature about new magazines, but this one is kinda special, I think. The magazine is excellently type set and nicely printed. In the editorial it is called 'a quarterly labor of love dedicated to the discovery and glorification of music, sound and culture that transcend the usual & help to elevate their participants above the mundanity of everyday' ... kinda spiritual affair. In this first issue you will find a lengthy interview with La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela and also Loren Mazzacane Connors, Matthew Ship and Harry Bertoia. Also featured is Alan Licht's Minimal Top 10. Furthermore there is a small section of reviews. On the 7" we find improvised piano music by Matthew Ship and improvised guitar music by Connors, as well as two lock grooves with sonambient pieces recorded by Val Bertoia (the son of the late Harry Bertoia, who made sounding sculptures). Excellent mag! (FdW) Address: ASMUS TIETCHENS - PTOMAINE (3 LP Set by RRRecords) Some two years ago, RRRecords celebrated their 100th release with a special 7" single. This 7" had 100 lock grooves by as many people. It was kinda hard to decipher who did what, but it was big fun. Either to play at home, or to mix with as a DJ. RRRecords thought it would be a nice idea to ask Asmus Tietchens to 'recycle' the 7" and this 3LP set is the result. Asmus used 48 out of the 100 grooves for this work. Each result lasts about 2 minutes and then is locked again. Tietchens methods of working take the original beyond recognition, which is o.k. I really enjoyed this set, and I even lost some weight walking to my stereo to change the needle. I wonder who the next one is that will recycle Ptomaine... (FdW) Address: RRRecords -151 Paige Street -Lowell, MA 01852 -USA BRUME vs APHASIA (CD by Atmoject) Atmoject's first CD after a couple of cassette releases. Aphasia is sort of 'group of the label', and Brume, well, that should be a familiar name to you. Brume opens up this CD with three tracks, in total about 35 minutes. All three are called 'Cliche', but I don't to what Brume is referring (if at all!). Brume is the master of collage. With what seems a relative easiness he blends together a wide variety of sound sources, either taped from objects, instruments or from 'environment' sounds. His compositions jumps back and forth, editing is done in the right places. Again, this is another fine work of Brume. Aphasia I heard on a couple of tapes, but their sound didn't came off too well. Dynamics seemed to be playing a big part in his compositions, and on tape silence becomes hiss. So CD is the right format for this kind of work. In the first part of the 4 part perforation of punctured tension', this becomes apparent. Sheer silence being interrupted by sheer noise. So far nothing new. But Aphasia mixes these sounds quite nicely, and his work can easily meet with the more well-known and likewise conceptualists in the field. More then Brume, Aphasia uses outdoor recordings, which give you a nice disoriented feel if you play it with windows open, like I do on this hot night. (FdW) Address: Atmoject -Aldersyde -Station Road -Banchory - Kincardinehire AB31 5XX -Scotland -UK »ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@ T@ST@@LPL@@T« Visit us in Amsterdam or in Xyberspace Staalplaat's shop: Staalkade 6 -Amsterdam »ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@T@ST@@LPL@@ T@ST@@LPL@@T«