\ / | ----- /\ | \ / |== |== | / | \ / Week 20 \ / | | / \ | \ /\ / | | |/ | \ / Number 80 \/ | | / \ |--- \/ \/ |__ |__ |\ |__ | WE HATE YOU: A SMALL TRIBUTE TO THROBBING GRISTLE (CD by Jazzassin) Strictly speaking for myself now, Throbbing Gristle were one of the bands (if not the) that changed my view of music completely. Through them I found out a lot more. Again strictly speaking for myself, I can't remember the last time I played a TG record. However when I glanced at this package I could easily hum along very track that was covered here. Not that many stayed close to the original. In Illusion Of Safety's "Weeping" we recognizze the original, and his acid version of "Discipline" is hilarious and close. Others go about the material more freely, or take the TG idea into something new. Like Aube using computer sounds to re-create IBM or Kapotte Muziek speeding up the "Cease To Exist" soundtrack, just as TG sped up "United" on D.O.A. The final category are free homage tracks to inspirators. Famlende Forsok have a cranky analog old sound, and Eugene Chadbourne has improv drumming in "Jungle Gristle". In all this is a more varied tribute compilation then the one RRRecords put out last year, and has a tasty package. (FdW) Address: REGENERATION DEGENERESCENCE (2 CD by Kaon) In the two ages that the Industrial Revolution is going, only to find it self lately transforming into a communictation revolution, a lot of factory sites have been abonned, and they form the perfect setting for films and music. This particular set of recordings is inspired by such sites (to be located in mid-France). All the participants were send a DAT with sounds recorded at an old factory that produced tennis balls, soles, gloves and other latex. The artists were asked to give a sound interpretation of the place. The original sounds where put after each track for about 30 seconds. Needles to say that many of the tracks (which are all around 4.30 minutes) have an industrial character, even though many take the idea of decay in them. A rotten conveyer belt. Some people take just the offered sounds, others (like Maeror Tri) seem to be adding musical instruments. Asmus Tietchens scratches the DAT against a drony backdrop, and ORA has the usual Organum bowing sounds. The set reads a like a who's who of industrial music: Small Cruel Party, Illusion Of Safety, Achim Wollscheid, Cranioclast, Hybryds, Inanna, Aube, John Watermann, Crawl Unit, Hands To, Kapotte Muziek, Brume: they are all included and should be bound to sell a few copies. But act fast, as they only made 500 copies. The cover is carton sleeve with a piece of metal glued on it and adds to it's industrial character. The only negative point might be that the tracks are put on the CD in alfabetical order, rather then in an order where it might sound better, but hey one can always programme the player! (FdW) Address: Kaon - 5, Impasse Des Mineaux - 87100 Limoges - France BALAAM GALANG - WE RAN OUT TO (CD by La Charrue Par Les Cornes) Mysterious stuff coming from Canada here. Under a different name also present on the Batarr compilation we reviewed in Vital Weekly number 1. This CD is subtitled "12 Movements about escaping", which made me raise an eyebrow (why do I expect new age when I read something about escaping?). Luckily this is a varying affair. There are washes of synths to be found here, but it never gets tacky or ambient cliche. There some technoish rhythms to be found here and there, but they stay on the minimal side (and less noisy then the Panasonic side of minimalism). An interesting CD which was a pleasent listening throughout. (FdW) Address: P.O.Box 494 - Lac Carre - J0T 1JO - Canada SUBARACHNOID SPACE - ETHER OR (CD by The Unit Circle) I can be short about this one: tons of fuzzy guitars, tons to psychedelic drumming and no vocals. That what made F/i ages sounding outdated, but is totally cool nowadays: space rock. These girls and boys jamm their brains out and are on a far away astral trip. And I even like it! Address: The Unit Circle - P.O.Box 20352 - Seattle, WA 98102 TELEPHERIQUE - TRANSZENDENZ (CD by Noise Museum) Telepherique is a prime example of a prime example of band with a slowly growing reputation. More and more they seem to be getting out of the cassette scenery and have various LP's and CD's out. Telepherique uses a lot of synthesized sounds and sequences to create an unsettling atmosphere. There is a nice continous flow throughout as thick masses of sound swirl into each other. Maybe unfortunally there is no track that stands out above the rest, and makes this CD into a good but average affair. (FdW) Address: HAZARD - LECH (CD by Malignant) Malignant never ceases to surprise us with totally unknown names and totally no info on who these people are. Sometimes these bands turn out to be a disapointment, but here is a nice surprise. Actually Hazard is a new name, but an old acquitence: Benny Nilsen recorded 3 fine CD's as Morthound for Cold Meat Industry, but decided to do something new. All of these track breath a deep dark ambient industrial atmosphere, with in some tracks a slow groove of clicking sounds and slowed down gamalans. Hazard takes you on a cold trip in the snow covered areas, and through empty woods. Dark clouds with rain dropping. Evocative music! (FdW) Address: DELPHIUM - HOW CAN YOU HIDE FROM WHAT NEVER GOES AWAY (CD by Outsider) Long awaited - at least by me. Delphium has released a whole bunch of 7"s on a whole bunch of labels - some of them really limited (my favourite was a 7" released in an edition of 50!). What I like about Delphium is the mixture of beats (which are dubby, trip hop-like) in combination with synths and guitars (the background of Delphium can be found in the UK guitar noise scene). The opening track is dark synthi affair, to which you expect drums coming in - but they don't. The bass riff in "There Is Nothing Than Other" seems to be lifted out of a Joy Division record, but the guitar plays a melody that sticks immediatey into your head. There are dark, moody tracks in combination with more up-tempo beat songs. Some tracks go into the direction of dance music, but it never will be totally techno and that is what gives this CD that something special. A varying CD which never bores (taking almost 78 minutes!). So if you missed out on the 7"s, here is chance again, don't miss out now. (FdW) Address: Outsider - 10 Yarborough Road - Lincoln, Lincs - 1N1 1HS - UK STEINBRUCHEL - ONZ END (7" by Stockwerk) Interesting obscure little record by some guy from Switzerland. One side is a low end throbbing sound, with a slowly envelopping pulses on top. The other side is continuation of the other side, and the beating is more intense, but still rumbling in the low end. A sort of austere version of Panasonic. Really odd, and underground thing. (FdW) Address: distribution These: fax: + 44 171 582 5278 SLPINTERED/ASP (10" by Fourth Dimension) Keep supporting small labels! More then ever they need you. Fourth Dimension is one of those very sympathetic ones that go through rough times. Even though they still release nice underground records. The two tracks by Splintered go with a too long story to repeat here, but especially the first track is a great thing. Feedback guitars, pounding drums and repitive solo guitar to which a voice loop and shortwave sounds are added. "Blood Orchid" is a more up-tempo track that more or less takes the same inputs, but synths and/or effects bring on the juice in this piece. ASP is a sort of Splintered side project. Steve and Richard on guitars and loops. More primitive then the Splintered side, this track 'Albatross" (not a cover of Fleetwood Mac I suppose) builts in three parts around the loops with drony guitars. Probably limited, so grab them while they last (FdW) Address: Fourth Dimension - P.O.Box 63 - Herne Bay - Kent CT6 6YU - UK FREQ 63 (12" by Noise Musuem) The second release in the Oblique Soundscapes - a new series by Noise Musuem. They release white sleeve 12" with the sort of dance music that would never make it to the dance floor, and is well enjoyable at home. Freq 63 is produced by Batchas - who emerged some time ago with their odd mixture of dance and industrial music. This 12" opens with a long pulsing sound and bass to which far away synths are added. The short track on this side are high end synth sound with deep pulsating bass sounds. The drones that open the b-side are really really low end to which slowly pitched synths and Ovalesque scratches are added. No swing mood here. The second piece of side 2 is a slowed sample of exotic sounds, and eerie synth and the basspulse. Quite a nice record, and added to the first 12" on Oblique (by Ultra Milkmaids who never made it into Vital Weekly, but which should certainly not be ignored) a most promising start of experimental listening music (read: experimental dance music). (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. Snail mail: Frans de Waard - P.O.Box 11453 - 1001 GL Amsterdam - The Netherlands All written by Frans de Waard (FdW), The Square Root Of Sub (MP), Ching-Chong Jing-Jong (CP), Radboud Mens (RM), Sister Clika (RTH) http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/tbennett/staalplaat/st-home.htm. -- 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: Vital Weekly/Frans de Waard -P.O.Box 11453 - 1001 GL Amsterdam - The Netherlands All written by Frans de Waard (FdW), The Square Root Of Sub (MP, ), Heimir Bjorgulfsson (HB), Dolf Mulder (DM), Meelkop Roel (MR), Brian Lavelle (BL, ), Gerald Schwartz (GS), Niels Mark Pedersen (NMP), Henry Schneider (SH), Jeff Surak (JS), TJ Norris (TJN), Gregg Kowlaksky (GK) and others on a less regular basis. This is copyright free publication, except where indicated, in which case permission has to be obtained from the respective author before reprinting any, or all of the desired text. The author has to be credited, and Vital Weekly has to be acknowledged at all times if any texts are used from it. Announcements can be shortened by the editor. Please do NOT send any attachments/jpeg's, we will trash them without viewing. Backissues may be found at: www.staalplaat.com and http://www.aesova.org/vital