\ / | ----- /\ | \ / |== |== | / | \ / Week 35 \ / | | / \ | \ /\ / | | |/ | \ / Number 92 \/ | | / \ |--- \/ \/ |__ |__ |\ |__ | ZIPPER SPY - WATCH YOUR DAMAGE (CD by Vinyl Communications) For me a newcomer to the world of noise, or at least that's what Zipper Spy says: "all noise was recorded, sampled, arranged and decomposed...". Samples play an important in the first couple of tracks. Waving sounds, almost like a conveyer belt, with lots of high end sounds and sampled machine mania. The second half are more industrial rock inspired. 'Election Day' with it's back drop of screaming sounds, could have been recorded at a live show of The Haters. And other tracks are inspired by the sounds falling (with or without echoes) and have quite a live character. Not a bad CD, although some tracks are a bit lenghty, and could have been cut somewhere in the middle. (FdW) Address: THE SPACEWURM - ARMY OF GOD (CD by Vinyl Communications) First of all: this is a good CD, more on that later. I am a little put off by the cover remark: "experiments in intelligent gabber". How come people think that music can be something as intelligent? I haven't learned anything by listening to music - I better read books or talk to people. Another assumption: why is it that dance music in its various forms need the classification 'intelligent'? Intelligent jungle, techno, ambient and now gabber? Is there some sales tag that reads: dumb jungle etc.? Or is just (quasi-) intelliget people who happen to like dance music, but who are ashamed to say so, because dance music is for the masses, and the mass is stupid? Leaving all questions aside: this is a good CD and it's not gabber. The hardstomping, over 200bpm beats are not here, nor silly samples. Instead this is more up to Esplendor Geometrico's alley, with hard driven rhythms and triggered synths. Definetly more techno inspired then industrialist kids, but fun of playing. And I am still nothing more intelligent then 40 minutes ago when I started playing this CD. (FdW) Address: as above PROJECT DARK - IT'S D.A.R.K. AT NIGHT (7" by Outsider) Project Dark spent much time releasing extra-ordinary records - not necessary following vinyl or hand cut plastic - but also chocolade or biscuits. This record - on vinyl - is a documentation of various live actions by Ashley Davies and Kirsten Reynolds were they play their own releases and mix them with lockgrooves of other records. A particulary noisy affair they put on, these noisy DJs. Two minor points: with records like this, I think it's silly to state '33 rpm' as the fun lies playing it at any speed, and lockgrooves could have added more fun to the total. (FdW) Address: 10 Yarborough Road - Lincoln - LN1 1HS UK EXIT - SET (CD by I Records) Second CD for the guy that fucks around with the six string instruments and apperentely spent 47 minutes on recording this CD, as it lasts that long and it is recorded live. 'Am Nil' starts out with almost flute like sounds - lots of overtones are created with occasional feedback. In some way I reminded of Phil Niblocks blocks of sound. This is were post-rock goes ambient and it has no drums at all. 'Idiot House' opens with the guitar beig strummed and then the feedback is being controlled. Gradually the feedback comes a trance inducing tone that slowly changes pitch and colour. As a follow-up to the first, which was maybe a bit too static noisy, a well made CD. (FdW) Address: THE NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS - SUNSPOT ACTIVITY (CD by Soleilmoon) The Nocturnal Emissions is a band always to check. Many of the more recent CD's may not appeal to those come from the true early industrial days or the following ambient style, but among the recent one there are some not to be missed. Last years 'Autonomia' was one, and this most recent is another. Apperently a concept album, with fourteen relativly short tracks. The known low resolution samples come up with an almost cosmic album, with maybe to some, nostalgia to the Nocturnal Emissions at 'Stoneface' areas. As the tracks on this album flow into eachother, there is no particular favourite of mine. As a whole, this is a very good CD. (FdW) Address: STILLUPPSTEYPA & IRR.APP.(EXT.) - TPITH & TTAPTH (CD by Fire) The odd trio from Iceland (who are usually mentioned at the same with People Like Us and Stock, Hausen & Walkman - but does anyone know why?) come up with an album recorded with a band I am unfamiliar with: Irr.App.(ext.). Apperentely a US group, and this album was recorded in their respective native countries and in Japan. The sounds on this album are treated to great extent into hissing drones, with raw cuts for that necessary sense of collage. Sometimes far away things to be recognized, such as a melody line towards the end of number nine (which has no title - just like the rest). But overall the tone is experimental and if anything like that is needed, this CD is more in veins of Hafler Trio, and shows which directions that trio could have taken also. (FdW) Address: PRINTED MATTER Too many magazines come in. Sometimes with the request to write about them, but somehow we fail... Anyway here is recent round-up. The first few are all in German - which is a pity for most of our subscribers, but luckily I watched enough German TV to catch up on the language. A lot of German magazines are really well written. Auf Abwegen Number 22 contains interviews with John Duncan, Organum, CM Von Hauswolff and something about 'apocalyptic folk' (wether or not being nazis, which is apperentely a hot issue in German). Furthermore tons of reviews in a wide area of styles. Address: Bad Alchemy number 30 comes with a 7" with the sound of shellac - great stuff to DJ with (if only I was one). Not really a lot of articles, but many intelligent reviews and more and more Bad Alchemy left the improv field to re-orientate in the electronic music. Definetly one of the best around. Address: Buzz Number two is more dance music oriented, and printed in a large run on news paper. Many interesting articles (Ritchie Hawtin, Love Parade) and a seperate part with just reviews. Address: www.buzz.de Absurd 3/4 is a publication by that crazy greek guy that goes by the name of Nicolas Genital Grinder and basically sums up all the news in industrial music around. This time the magazine is printed, and for free (so send in a few IRC's to cover postage). All in English. Address: P.O.Box 62140 - 15201 Chalandri - Athens - Greece Also for the lovers of true noise is Freak Animal number 10. People interviewed have also a track on the 7": Aube, Bastard Noise, Maconympha, Richard Ramirez and Black Leather Jesus. Plus reviews. Address: P.O.Box 21 - 15141 Lahti - Finland CEM bulletin is published by the CEM studio - an electronic studio in Amsterdam with strong educational purposes. Their magazine sums up projects, electronic gear and news from people who worked there (like Francisco Lopez). 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), 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