\ / | ----- /\ | \ / |== |== | / | \ / Week 34 \ / | | / \ | \ /\ / | | |/ | \ / Number 91 \/ | | / \ |--- \/ \/ |__ |__ |\ |__ | MERZBOW - SPACE METALIZER (CD by Alien8) KEIJI HAINO - SO, BLACK IS MYSELF (CD by Alien8) Two grand daddy of the Japanese noise scene, and both developping their own style. We haven't been reviewing much Merzbow lately, but here is another one, and one that is fairly interesting. Some of this is hard stomping beat stuff with the usual Merzbow blasts on top. More and more Masami finds his way into synthesizers to refresh/update his sound. Especially a track like 'Son Of Zechen' is a clear example of this. Anybody thinking these kind of overproductive people do not innovate their sound, so check out this particular new Merzbow. I always have some trouble with Haino's material. I can't stand his singing - I'm truely sorry. But this disc is different: it's a single piece, 67 minutes, and it's along droning thing. Maybe a synth, maybe processed hurdy gurdy - who knows. Maybe their is also a droning voice. There is stumbling below. At half an hour there are bent strings and at 45 worldless singing. The whole thing has a great minimal impact, and I found myself enjoying this most while playing it at a soft volume. I wish he did more of this. (FdW) Address: SOLVENT/LOWFISH (12" by Suction) Hard to find out what is what on this, other then 2 bands doing a split of some sort together on a new label. It's definetely influenced by dance music, mainly techno, but it has a wicked twist. The 'flexidisc' track (I'm sorry but that is really the title) is a sort of Solvent doing Aphex Twin pop tune thing. Other tracks are likewise minimal and rawly recorded and produced. As you know I am always in favourite of the fairly unknown who might be the imitation, but if underground dance music means something to you, then you should check this out too. Address: DIETER MUH (CD by Carnifex) How much more new label and new artists can you bear? Dieter Muh is not a person, nor he is German, but a UK band of three guys who recorded their first baby in Colin Potter's studio. The first track starts out with a sample, to be which the sound of a conveyer belt is added. This track is crossfaded into the second one 'Eurasienstab' (a film and performance from Joseph Beuys bytheway - who is an interest for more bands). High pitched droning organ sounds open up here and half way through dark samples are added. 'Morche' on the other hand is an attempt at producing rhythmical music and guitars in full stereo effect - but misses a point (and is out of place with the rest). The three remaining tracks find Dieter Muh in more ambient/industrial territory with shortwave processings. Apart from 'Morche' a well succeeded debut CD with future promises. Also: only 500 were made. Address: P.O.Box 376 - Nottingham - NG7 6NL - UK FRANCISCO LOPEZ - ADDY EN EL PAIS DE LAS FRUTAS (CD by ND) After the release of his two CD's by Trente Oiseaux, Lopez is the new loverboy of intelligent noisists - don't get upset, this is nicely ment. This partiucular work was recorded in Costa Rica - at least all the sounds usedin here, and the whole work was processed etc. in Madrid, Koblenz (at Bernard Gunter's studio) and at the radio studios in Hilversum (that is in Holland...). The work of Lopez is to be divided in roughly two categories: either you get the full blast or you hear nothing at all (or so it seems). The long second track falls in this second category. It seems like a van blowing wind in your face (hey with the current heat this auto-suggestion is great), which only in it's last two minutes get more volume. If you crank up the volume you hear a lot more going on underneath. The first and third track are more noisy, with tons of insect sounds, more louder wind blowing. Changes come and go more abruptly here, and there is more collage into this. Together with people like Bernard Gunter, John Duncan and Micheal Northam, Lopez belong a growing school of composers who take environmental sounds into the studio and create a minimal atmosphere with maximum impact. And imagine: I only hear half of it on my plywood speakers - what if I had the real stuff? (FdW) Address: NOISE MAKER'S FIFES - INVERSAGE (10" by Twin Tub & Beaver) These Belgium are mucho favourites of mine. Another damm fine release. Side A is filled with music for some 'conceptual performance which combines sound, video imagery and choreography'. No idea what this is, but alas the music sounds great. Slowly the drones are faded up, snares are scraped (you could imagine David Jackman/Organum being a member), and then slowly a distant trumpet plays a silly tune all over. Silly, but utterly captivating. The second part is more 'noisy' without being too loud. The b-side describes the music by it's title: 'Collage' (preceeded by the third part of the a-side). Bits and pieces of various NMF recordings are pasted next to eachother, but still remain to create an organic atmosphere. There is more snare scraping to be found on this side, so both 'Inversage' and 'Collage' belong to the same group of tracks by NMF. Limited to 300 copies on brown vinyl in full colour sleeve - no comments as I'm doing it with a testpressing here. (FdW) Address: 7 Home Farm Close - Witherley - Atherstone - Warwickshire CV9 3SP - UK CCCC/JALOPAZ/ALCHEMY OF THE 20TH CENTURY (CD by Freak Animal) Each of these 3 bands get 20 minutes to show what their sound is like. CCCC is most known, but somehow disappoint me. A long track of noise whaling along. Maybe not really bad, but maybe just too standard. Jalopez is new to me. Their piece is a live recording which crackles a bit. The piece uses cello and 'various electronics'. A sort of primitive Organum, raw and intense. Not a bad thing for a first experience. Alchemy Of The 20th Century is a name chosen by the guy of Grunt for more 'ambient' noise music. Slowly evolving bass lines with added metal sounds on top. Exciting stuff, really itense power going on, with no harshness included. Definetely a coming name, and I wonder what a whole CD from this guy would sound like. (FdW) Address: P.O. Box 21 - 15141 Lahti - Finland ORGANUM - CRUSADE (7" by Robot Records) I gave up collecting Organum - sorry but I am not rich enough to collect all the limited stuff. This 7" has a bigger edition, maybe 300 or so (as there is info included except band name and title - apperently the same for both sides). We find Organum in an unusual noise blast release. The scraping sound has been cranked up and drenched in reverb. Maybe as hard driving as the sought after 'Pulp' 7" by Organum and The New Blockaders. Some people don't seem to loose the trick of their trade. (I am still waiting for somebody t release all the 7"s on a CD!!) (FdW) CONTAGIOUS ORGASM / USE YOUR PAIN - Split (10" by Kadef/ Dreizehn) This is a new (limited to only 202 copies) 10" in bright yellow vinyl, on the small label Dreizehn (run by Kalojan Witanski who releases music under the name Kadef). Expecting rather harsh noises from the japanese group Contagious Orgasm, this came as a full surprise, as their one and only track "Subconsciously Scrutinize Sampling Music" (which follows their concept of SSSM - tracks) begins rather smooth and soft with pulsating synths and some background noises, then we hear samples from violin-based film soundtracks mixed up with voices telling something in german that can be hardly understand, but it seems to be a Nazi-propaganda-speech which I don't like normally as too many have used it before, but together with the melancholic violin-sound it sounds rather strange and appealing to me. This long piece then develops into something more tribal and rhythmic, which ends up dark and atmospheric. Use Your Pain is a side-project of Kadef, which had some tape-releases out on the Kadef-label. The music of Kadef is usually also quiet harsh, but with Use Your Pain he seemingly wants to build up his own kind of dark ambient music. Based on throbbing & droning synths, one can hear some strange noises underneath, but never something real concrete. This piece is not as complex as the C.O. - track, but still worth listening. This is a surprising good record for a democratic price, which unfortunately has a rather poor cover (thin paper in plastic-vinyl-inlay, nothing more). (BAr) 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), BAraka[H], (BAR) webpage: www.staalplaat.com -- 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