Vital Weekly 40 Week 23 Number 40 FRED GIANELLI -TELEPATHIC ROMANCE (CD by SAHKO) Sahko have always surprised the music market since their inception a few years ago. Their artists redefined the minimal end of techno and inspired a plethora of insipid copycats to try and duplicate what had already been released in a definitive form. This latest release by Fred Gianelli, onetime member of Psychic TV, I think, is perhaps their most surprising to date. I have heard a little by Fred, lately on the SWIM label, which I found reasonably appalling and so this shiny disc caught me quite by surprise. It consists of two pieces... the first titled 'Telepathic Romance' clocks in at 45 minutes and should have been spread across the entire CD. It consists of a low bass drone which rumbles out of the bass port like slowly oozing sap. Sporadic orchestral surges color this drone, sublime, cool and unexpected. It works in the best way. Sadly the second track should be relegated to a tardy cassette release and left to repose, unsold in one of those Aquarian type shops that reek of sandalwood and corporate ideas of the cosmos sold to people who need to pay to find out what they really think. Cruel but fair. Get this product and repeat track 1. (MP) COSA - THE MAP OF LOVE (CD by Incoming! ) Touted as a slither through the ambient undergrowth of jazz. Took me by surprise. Bloody hell. The second track was included on the 'incoming' shopping trolley promo end '95ish and embodies the mood of this CD. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but there is something about this release that grabs me every time I listen to it. It falls fresh and clear on me ear...perhaps because of the inclusion of so much real (my god) instrumentation played by people made of meat. The core of Cosa is comprised of Trevor Reekie and Daniel Barnes, who deserve several large lumpy accolades for their production of this wonderful excursion into joy. Shining stars are Greg Johnson on trumpet and Bill Lattimer on guitar. There is only one silly track as far as I am concerned... the title eludes me for the moment, but it has a bloke reciting the alphabet... shame about the voice as it does the music on this one no justice. Narration is also included on the track 'digging malochite' and this time to good effect. (Will somebody please tell me who this voice belongs to...I've heard it before and it is beautiful and I want to use it too). I was considering my top ten list for 1996 purely as a mental wank and came to the conclusion that so far I have two titles on it (Percy's palmic punishment was brief). This one and The Black Light District CD by Coil. Two completely opposite sides of the coin marked comfortable. I love the rough familiarity of The Map Of Love, right down to the (possibly) blurred nipples on the cover. (MP) HISS - ALIEN BASS SOUNDSCAPEs (CD by Agrocalm Recordings) Hiss is composed by Jaz and Omen... first release on a new label. No hiss included, but a fucking lot of rumblings at the bass end of this CD. The warning to play this CD on a system with good bass response is well received. However do not expect deep bass drums, but low frequencied synth lines. This is what some define in ambient as 'deep' , I'd hasten to say: utterly deep! This album reminded me of the two Legion CD's. Deep flowing lines with sparse melodies on top. According to the CD there are 5 tracks on this, but your CD indexes 23. The last 18 tracks are short, and go beyond the limit of what my humble system can reach. Here the bass is at it's far deep end... an intriguing CD of hard chill music. (FdW) Address: JLIAT - THE OCEAN OF INFINITE BEING (CD by Jliat) The third CD is as consequent as the other two. One long flow of electronics, to be filled in your local store under 'meditative electronic religious music' (MERM). About an hour long this thing, and indeed it flows like an ocean. I am playing this CD while I sit on the balcony, watching the evening fall. The sky is getting darker and darker and the background is filled by this gentle wall of electronics, in which I could discover three instrumental voices (the holy trinity -because this one is dealing with God again). Maybe you will get bored by the idea of a third CD of exactly the same concept (however you never fail to buy the latest ambient, techno, jungle etc. thing without ever asking the question of originality) -again I was carried away by it's beauty. (FdW) Address: Jliat -13 Wellss Road - Walsingham Norfolk -NR22 6DL -UK UNIT MOEBIUS -STATUS (CD by KK Records) Straight from the underground of the Dutch city The Hague comes of one of the most interesting and promising bands in the field of techno music. They have released their records on equally underground labels such as Hot Mix and Bunker. They played raves as well as parties in squats. Now their name is on all our lips. The Unit Moebius sound is monotonous, melodies are virtually not there or mixed to the background. Yet they succeed in giving each track something of its own. The first time you hear this the tracks have something familiar, like something you have known for ages. If you don't know Unit Moebius then this CD is a good start. If you are familiar with their work, then it gets a warm place in your heart. (FdW) 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. 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