CODES: - Drone Records

DR-85: MURMER - In their homes and in their heads (US/UK/FR; 

captivating field recording compositions and a crazy handmade cover!) 

DR-86: LICHT-UNG - kristall (Germany; feedback & high-tension 

impro-drones from these new radical german artists) 

DR-87: SEETYCA - The Lake (Germany; poetic acoustic landscapes, 

organic drones) 

DR-88: HATI- Recycled Magick Drones (Poland; archaic trance 

music played on gongs & ethnic instruments) 

SECOND EDITIONS (price € 6.00 / * € 7.00) 

MUSIC for the INNER 

EXPANSION, EC-STASIS, ELEVATION ! 

"listen with new ears, create your own new neurons!" [Barakah] 

"Ganz gewiß ist Musik das sublimste Mittel, unsere 

geistigen Fähigkeiten in einer allgemeingültigen, 

abstrakten Weise auszubilden; nämlich, Schwingungen 

und Schwingungsverhältnisse, Organismen und 

Prozesse von Schwingungen wahrzunehmen, um 

zunehmend wacher, intelligenter, gedankenreicher, 

polyphoner, gefühlsreicher und feinfühliger zu werden." 

[Karlheinz Stockhausen] 

"Die verborgenen Harmonie ist wichtiger als die 

offensichtliche" [Heraklit] 

NEWSLIST DRONE RECORDS 

10. DECEMBER 2007 

- VINYLS – CASSETTES – CDRs – DVDs - CDs – PRINTMEDIA – 

THIS NEWSLIST / SUPPLEMENT SUMMARIZES A SELECTION OF 

NEW ENTRIES HAVING ARRIVED HERE IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS 

SINCE THE LATEST NEWSLIST (MAY 2007) . 

THE FULL MAILORDER PROGRAMME WITH ALL TITLES IS LISTED 

IN THE DATABASE on www.dronerecords.de 

PLEASE STATE PRICES WITH YOUR ORDER TO AVOID DELAYS 

BITTE IMMER PREISE MIT ANGEBEN ! 

ALL PRICES IN EURO !! 

NEW LISTED STUFF HAS A STAR ( * ) IN THE FIRST LINE 

DR-10: TAM QUAM TABULA RASA - Cotidie morimur (Italy; 

outerworlds brain-wave-music, monotonous and hypnotizing loops & 

rhythms) 

DR-29: AMON – Aura (Italy; haunting & shimmering magique as 

coming from an ancient culture) 

DR-34: TARKATAK - Skärva / Oroa (Germany; atmospheric drones 

with a special touch from this newcomer from North-Germany) 

DR-39: DUAL – Klanik / 4 tH (U.K.; mighty guitar drones & massive 

sub bass undertones that evoke feelings of total transcendence and 

grandeur) 

* DR-41: DRONAEMENT–Wassermond (Germany; debut vinyl of east 

german Drone-Composer; wonderful drone-music based on 

watersounds) 

DR-42: REYNOLS – 10.000 Chickens Symphony (Argentina; this 

obscure outfit from Buenos Aires works on the sound of – at least – 

10.000 chickens – an amazing & mindblowing field recording - 

experiment!) 

DR-46: REUTOFF – Reutraum IV (Russia; vinyl-debut for this trio from 

Moscow – a mixture of rhythmic industrial with dark & depressed 

ambient tunes, made in the heart of the decay) 

DR-50: ULTRASOUND – Death comes from the left 

(Netherlands/USA; very emotional guitar drones at its best, this is pure 

yearning transfered into sounds..) 

* DR-58: URE THRALL - Premonition 9/11 

(USA; Californian artist creating the most impressive soundscapish 

depth-drones with an incredible emotional depth) 

SUBSTANTIA INNOMINATA 10" VINYLS (price € 12.00 each) 

( "EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN" ! ) 

SUB-01: DANIEL MENCHE - Radiant Blood 10" brown-black 

vinyl. ed. of 500, artwork Robert Schalinski (COLUMN ONE) 

LAST COPIES!! 

SUB-02: ASIA NOVA - Magnamnemonicon 10" red-white / pink 

vinyl, artwork by Ure Thrall 

SUB-03: NOISE-MAKER'S FIFES - Zona Incerta 10" insect-sounds! 

two different vinyl-colours, artwork by Mars Wellink (VANCE ORCH) 

SUB-04: CISFINITUM – Devotio 10” sacral church-bell sounds, 

white vinyl, artwork by TILMANN BENNINGHAUS 

SUB-05: BIG CITY ORCHESTRA - Drone Gnomes 10" pure acoustic 

impro-trance music from San Francisco's drone-magicians! 

SUB-06: RLW - Contours Imaginaires 10" three mesmerizing hightension 

pieces by the legendary ex-P16.D4-member 

0. AVAILABLE LABEL–RELEASES DRONE 

RECORDS / SUBSTANTIA INNOMINATA 

The following DRONEs and SUBs are currently available: 

DRONE RECORDS 7”-SERIES FIRST EDITIONS (price € 7.00 each) 

DR-77: LUNAR ABYSS QUARTET - Brusnika (Russia; ethno ambient 

Industrial with a shamanistic & hallucinogenic aura from this rising star 

from the St. Petersburg scene!) 

DR-79: AALFANG MIT PFERDEKOPF - Fragment 36 (Germany: 

experimental drone-ambience with high dynamics and philosophic 

approach) 

DR-80: RYN - Whistle and Ill Come to You (U.K.; power-drones 

based on field recordings to flood you mind away) 

DR-81: WÄLDCHENGARTEN – The Leech (Danmark; heavy-gravity 

drones, raw & sluggish) 

DR-82: PETER WRIGHT – Air Guitar (New Zealand / U.K.; guitarmantra-drones, 

obscure & lovely guitar explorations & field recordings) 

DR-83: HELICE PIED – Conduit No. 2 (Greece; ex-NIXILX NIJILX – 

processed field recording-drones with symbolic & conceptual interrelations) 

DR-84 YUI ONODERA - Synergetics (Japan; oceanic contemplation 

drones shimmering like light-reflections)

1. VINYLS 

* ALOG - Amateur do-LP (Rune Grammofon RLP3063, 2007) 

€ 22.00 

Limtierte Vinyl-Version, full info: siehe CD-Sektion! 

* ALVA NOTO - Xerrox Vol.1 do-LP (Raster Noton R-N 78-2, 

2007) € 16.00 

"Eine neue Serie von Tracks, die definitiv nicht den Alva Noto zeigen, 

wie wir ihn kennen. Hier ist nicht alles Sinus und Klarheit. Hier können 

auch schon mal Momente digitalen Kratzens auftauchen, oder große 

elegische Stücke mit warmen Akkorden, es darf gezurrt werden und 

Musik weit in den Raum gehängt, Echos dürfen wehen und die 

Stimmung kann Anlass geben in sie einzutauchen. Sehr experimentell 

und - manche würden vielleicht sogar sagen - dronig. Aber vor allem ein 

feines Konzept in einer sehr überraschenden Realisierung." [deBug] 

"Double LP version. Xerrox is the new, self-contained project of Alva 

Noto, which like his transall-series (Transrapid, Transvision and 

Transspray, Raster-noton 61-63, 2002-2004) is intended to be released 

in five parts during the next years. On Xerrox, Alva Noto works with 

samples from muzak, advertising, soundtracks and entertainment 

programs. These sounds we hear randomly in everyday life and thereby 

they become an always present and available public domain. With 

Xerrox Alva Noto manipulates these recognizable melodic (micro) 

structures by the process of copying. He alienates them beyond 

recognition so the results manifest their connection to the original only 

suggestively. In this respect: the original is copied to the original. Alva 

Noto used several samples from these sources: Narita airport Tokyo, inflight 

program Air France, telephone wait-loop Lufthansa, hotel Apollo 

Paris, Suizanso hotel Yamaguchi, seven-eleven Tokyo, forma London, 

reaktor, www.kkmovie.com. Xerrox vol.1 will be the first release in a 

series of five." [label description] 

"Like most Raster-Noton releases, the latest from Alva Noto begins with plenty of 

stutter and squelch, sinewaves and dog whistle tones, subterranean rumble and 

digital clips, but it's actually kind of misleading, as the rest of the disc exists in a 

sonic landscape much closer to the Kompakt sounds of Pop Ambient, or the hissy 

soft focus ambience of Tim Hecker, than the lowercase world of glitch and 

squeak. The first three tracks are strange minimal sonic experiments, plenty of 

hiss and scrape, static and hum, but it's track four, "Haliod Xerrox Copy 3 (Paris)", 

where suddenly things get downright pretty. Soft distant swells, mysterious slow 

motion loops, hard to say whether the sounds are synthesizers or tape loops or 

field recordings, although according to the liner notes all the sounds here are 

drawn from airports, in flight announcements and telephone hold music, but by 

'xeroxing" these sounds over and over, and letting each copy degrade just a little, 

Alva Noto takes those degraded sounds and shapes them into lovely blurred 

dronescapes, eventually wrapping them in soft prickly layers of digital hiss, which 

only adds to the soft focus romance and dreamlike otherworldliness. 

The tracks are named and grouped thematically. The ultra short "Astoria" tracks 

seem to act as brief respites, tiny sonic events separating the longer more song 

based tracks. The focus seems to be on those particular songs, each named 

"Haliod Xerrox Copy" and numbered or given an extra title in parentheses, these 

are gorgeous fuzzy, blown out dreamy drifts, all reminiscent of "Haliod Xerrox 

Copy 3 (Paris)" but each, with its own distinctive flow, seemingly drawn from the 

same sonic template and utilizing a similar melodic theme, but softly molded into 

subtly different shapes. In "Haliod Xerrox Copy 2 (Airfrance)" it's all warm fuzz and 

muted white noise, a dense buzz, that is more soothing than abrasive. Moments 

later, in "Haliod_Xerrox_Copy_6" the buzz becomes washed out, pulsing louder 

and then quieter, while off in the distant, we are able to observe gentle lilting sonic 

events, as if viewed through a dense fog. Later on, "Haliod Xerrox Copy 1" returns 

to the billowy bliss of track 4, offering long soft contrails of sound, floating 

weightless amidst swirls of smeared radio static and and the sound of TV channel 

snow. The disc finishes with the lengthy "Haliod_Xerrox_Copy 9", the most 

dramatic of the bunch. The melody is again similar, there is still plenty of hiss and 

fuzz and white noise, but the low end is more intense, giving the track more 

weight and emotion, the peaks and valleys too are more pronounced, a much 

more dynamic musical journey, a much heavier drone element. This is intense, 

brooding, beautiful too, but haunting and ominous, a gorgeous minimal sonic 

smear of M83 fuzz, Tim Hecker-ish sepia toned blur, and Basinski-esque looped 

dreaminess, all wrapped in Noto's thick fuzzy ambient buzz. 

The cd comes packaged in another striking and strange oversized Raster- 

Noton package, a multiple panel fold out sleeve, with die cuts holding the disc in 

place." [Aquarius Records] 

* AMBARCHI, OREN - Stacte Motors 12" (Westernvinyl 

WEST043, 2007) € 9.50 

Neues Vinyl von AMBARCHI, im Prinzip die Fortsetzung der "Stacte 

Motors"-Serie, Saiten werden mit kleinen Motoren in Vibration versetzt 

und erzeugen metallene, sehr feine Drones, sehr nah & 

durchdringend... 

"Oren Ambarchi's Stacte Motors is the most recent addition to the 

Western Vinyl portrait series. Additionally, these pieces continue the 

Stacte series started in 1998 with Ambarchi's first self-released solo 

recordings. Similar to the 4 previous editions of the series, which 

explored one idea at length, Stacte Motors is an experiment in exciting 

instruments with a spinning motor with strings attached. The resulting 

recordings are metallic walls of minimalist drones, both fearless and 

dreamy." [press release] 

* ASHTRAY NAVIGATIONS - Throw up in the Sky LP (Qbico 

Records QBICO58, 2007) [ed. of 400] € 17.00 

"...Ashtray Navigations give a real far-out trip with Throw Up in the Sky/ 

With Fine Clinking Magnets. It takes it’s time and slowly builds, the whir 

of a computerized space mixes with distorted tunes and tones floating 

about, electronic fluttering… but what does build works itself into a 

digital meltdown frenzy…and that’s just side one. The flip side grabs 

you by the oblongata and takes you on a drunken stumble down the 

back stairs." [Foxy Digitalis] 

"....I'm not even sure if anybody else is playing on this record or if it's 

Todd multitracking, but it's got his acid-stained visions all over the place 

regardless. Both sidelongs work with an idée fixe - building off of and 

decorating glorious foundations of sound. "Throw Up in the Sky" is the 

more "traditional" AxNx piece, if you want to put it that way (it reminds 

me a lot of what was heard on his fantastic 2006 outing "Four More 

Raga Moods"). It's a beauty of a slow-moving sheen that starts out with 

quiet roaring electronics and tinny snare hits that eventually congeal 

into a heavenly, soupy gloss. Amidst said cascading backdrop is a 

whole pollution of syrupy synth calls lifted from the same whooshing 

vein that Acid Mothers Temple are usually so keen to hit on. The loping 

percussion ushers along Todd's swirling guitar rag, but the track is 

never in any hurry to get anywhere - all the sounds wind up splayed out 

in the sun and are allowed to melt freely into one another until either 

they evaporate or day creeps into night. Todd's mastery of everything 

even remotely in tune with psychedelia is here in its spangled, sprawlin' 

glory though he never shoots even so much as a backwards glance - 

Ashtray Navigations are pushing on into the 41st century and bucking 

"revivalism" so hard I got saddle sores. It may well be down to an exact 

science at this point in the game (15 years on!) and I'll still be first in line 

to guzzle whatever swill's in the beakers. "With Fine Clinking Magnets" 

hoists itself up on a grainy, space-vaccuum type drone, with Todd's 

guitar adding assorted some gasps, some yawns, and plenty of strungout 

liquid tonality echoing and reverberating until the next strings are 

plucked and coerced. The mechanical underbelly lends a disorienting 

urban feel to an otherwise heavily stoned session of front-porch guitar 

ramble...even more so when Todd's guitar adopts a sound somewhere 

close to a banjo stuck with a wah pedal to lay out a supreme 

bluegrass/psych shred. Or maybe it's Robert Fripp with a Mellotron 

letting loose on a concrète backing track sniff. All'n'all it's denser and 

not as gorgeous as the other side (with an ending that's much more 

"noise" than anything I've heard from the band in recent daze) but it still 

manages to be a sweet ride and as worthy of your precious time as 

anything else on the planet..." [Outer Space Gamelan] 

* AUBE - Blau + Rot 7" (Auf Abwegen aatp_difficult, 2007) [ed. 

of 500] € 6.00 

Limitierte Single zur 2007er Europa-Tour ! 

"on these two tracks, released for the first european tour by AUBE in 

eight years, akifumi nakajima worked with an old roland sh-12 

percussive synth. the result are two long tracks (each over 6 minutes) 

with a nice floating mood that sometimes changes into aggressiveness 

without losing its warmth. a great little record by one of the most 

important experimental musicians from japan." [label info] 

* AXOLOTL / MOUTHUS - 12-25-04 LP (Olde English Spelling 

Bee OESB03, 2006) € 16.50 

KARL BAUER & co in Höchstform, ein einzige low-fi Sumpf, sehr 

bizarres improvisiertes Zeug, alles sehr langsam und quäkend, 

feedbackend, aber slowly.... sloooowwly.... 

"It’s Christmas time, 2004 in Brooklyn, NY and BRIAN SULLIVAN and 

NATE NELSON of MOUTHUS meet up with KARL BAUER of 

AXOLOTL for some drug enhanced sonic celebration and let the tape 

machine roll. What they created was this psilocybe-inspired scoop of 

shimmering and stumbling drone-zone sludge ragas. “I think I’m gonna 

puke but in a good way” [label info] 

* BLACK TO COMM - Rückwärts Backwards LP (Dekorder 014, 

2006) [ed. of 222] € 15.00 

"Dekordermacher Marc Richter macht mit Rückwärts Backwards 

(Dekorder 014) nach seiner BLACK TO COMM-Debut-10“, die er 

ebenfalls auf dem eigenen, im Format von 3“, 5“, 10“ bis12“ flexiblen 

Label herausgebracht hat, einmal mehr selbst die Musik. Aus 

Feldaufnahmen mit Bienengesumm und Vogelgezwitscher, dem 

nostalgischen Knurschen von Vinyl- und sogar Schellackloops und 

eingestreutem Rumgealbere werden Erinnerungen an die Kindheit im 

Schwarzwald an die Elbe geholt. Endlosgerillte Orgeltöne, stehende 

Gitarrendrones und schrillende Autohupen - oder ist es ein 

Orchestercluster - versuchen die Zeiger der Uhr links herum zu 

drehen. ‚Es gibt kein Morgen‘ Und wenn man sich noch so sehr 

dagegen stemmt, der Schnee von heute ist morgen schon der von 

gestern, sonst bräuchte sich niemand ne Zeitung zu kaufen oder Heute 

zu glotzen. Aber gibt es denn ein Gestern Heimwärts zu schauen,

wie der Engel bei Wolfe, führt das nicht erst recht zu You-Can‘t- 

Go-Home-Again-Tristesse ‚March of the Vivian Girls‘, ein 

stagnierender Trauermarsch mit Schafottgetrommel, kulminiert in einem 

sirenenhaft aufsteigenden Heulton und zersplittert dann in schleifenden 

Störungen, ein einigermaßen verstörender Effekt. Aber noch nicht das 

Ende. Den Schlusspunkt setzen hitziges Grillengezirpe, ein 

schaukelnder Mbiraloop und wirres Geklöppel. Eine Schwarzwaldalm 

als - ‚inneres Afrika‘ Anderthalb Millionen Jahre backwards in die 

Olduvai-Schlucht und dann da capo" [Bad Alchemy] 

Limited Vinyl-Version of the first album !! 

"black to comm is an alias for dekorder label owner marc richter's audio 

excursions. "rückwärts backwards" is his debut full-length album 

recorded between 2003 and 2005 in his adopted hometown hamburg 

and his childhood home in the black forest located in the south of 

germany. with a background in many musical styles (from psychedelia 

to pure computer music) btc's music is never easy to pin down. this 

album is essentially created from scratchy shellac and vinyl loops 

merged with ambience field recordings (with some voice manipulations 

and kitchen gamelan thrown in for good measure). the warm hiss of 

analogue recording techniques combined with the apparently antique 

sounds of vintage organs, acoustic & electric guitars, pianos, 

glockenspiel and mbira used on these tracks generate a kind of 

hyperreal, fake nostalgia playing with one's perception of a pseudorecollection. 

the layering and hypnotic repetition of short loops extracted 

from old psychedelia, free jazz, vaudeville and traditional records reveal 

a haunting melodic quality sometimes not distinguishable within the 

original source material, evoking a hovering feeling of bittersweet 

melancholy with an omnipresent, slightly disturbing atmosphere hidden 

beneath the surface. the 8 songs constantly sway back and forth 

between simple, almost naive arrangements and dense surreal drones 

with rare, yet intense distorted climaxes making this album one 

constantly absorbing listening experience." [label info] 

* BLACK TO COMM / AOSUKE - same LP (Dekorder 021, 2007) 

[lim. 500] € 12.50 

"....THE TWO BRAND NEW TRACKS BY BLACK TO COMM ARE 

CONTINUING THE MASSIVE ORGAN/VOICE DRONE ALCHEMY OF 

THE LAST DOUBLE-LP WHILE REFINING AND PERSONALIZING 

HIS SOUND, REACHING NEW HEIGHTS OF BLAZING SONIC 

MYSTICISM. AOSUKE HAVE DECIDED TO HOME-RECORD THEIR 

NEW MATERIAL, CONTINUING THEIR LOOP-ORIENTED, 

MONOTONE YET HIGHLY MELODIC AMBIENT JOURNEYS. 

WORKING WITH REPETITION AND SMALL ABSTRACTIONS, ALL 

INSTRUMENTAL "LOOPS" ARE PLAYED BY HAND AND RECORDED 

LIVE WITHOUT OVERDUBS (ONE OF THE MAIN PRINCIPLES OF 

THE GUITAR/ELECTRONICS DUO), CREATING SURPRISINGLY 

CONCRETE DORMANT AND SOMNAMBULISTIC SOUNDSCAPES 

WHILE FORTUNATELY COMPLETELY LACKING THE WASHY AND 

DROWSY EFFECTS OF MOST AMBIENT MUSIC. 

BLACK TO COMM IS THE ONE-MAN PROJECT OF MARC RICHTER 

WHO IS THE BRAIN BEHIND THE DEKORDER LABEL AS WELL. SO 

FAR HE HAS RELEASED TWO ALBUMS ON HIS OWN LABEL 

("RÜCKWÄRTS BACKWARDS" AND "WIR KÖNNEN LEIDER NICHT 

ETWAS MEHR ZU TUN..."). AOSUKE IS THE DUO OF TOBERT 

KNOPP AND ULF SCHÜTTE, THE LATTER BEING A LABEL HEAD 

AS WELL (TAPE TEKTONIKS). LAST YEAR THEY HAVE RELEASED 

THEIR DEBUT "MONOTONE SPIRITS" ALBUM CO-RELEASED BY 

HAMBURG'S AUDIOLITH LABEL AND SOUTH GERMANY'S 

MEUDIADEMORTE LABEL." [label info] 

"...A nearly sidelong track that begins with a wavering Goblin-y 

synth, that buzzes warmly and endlessly, an epic stretch of near 

static drone, drenched in overtones and subtly flickering variations 

in texture, and surrounded on all sides by distant barely audible sci 

fi melodies and field recordings. Eventually this synthdrone is joined by 

another tone, this one more grinding and distorted, that slowly builds 

and builds along side the first, the intensity growing and growing as well 

as the volume, and the various surrounding sonic events seem much 

more frenzied, until everything levels off in some sort of Niblock style 

drone, the various layers beating against one another, notes and tones 

shifting subtly, the sound seemingly alive, flecked with shards of 

melody and bits of buzz and swirling effects. It's a glorious sound that 

enraptures and entrances, eventually, fading out and releasing the 

listener from their glorious trance. The side finishes off with a brief coda 

of humid late night soundscaping, the sound of the moors, or the plains, 

some mysterious dark emptiness, droning and ominous, with creepy 

reverbed vocals and all sorts of night sounds tangled up in the track's 

undulating shimmer. The flip side features a group called Aosuke, who 

we weren't all that familiar with, but whose sounds are as dark and 

gorgeous and Black To Comm's. But where BtC focus on sound and 

drone, Aosuke focus on melody as much as texture, with guitar being 

the focal point, a blissy soft focus guitar ambience, crystalline notes 

drifting through clouds of space-y effects and strange processed and 

blurred vocals, it sounds almost like how you might imagine a Durutti 

Column record on Morr Music might sound. Organic melodies, natural 

sounds, all tangled up in strange electronic soundscapes, very 

meditative, a little krautrocky at times, and so so pretty." [Aquarius] 

* BOHMAN, ADAM - Burnhill Row LP (Paradigm PD19, 2006) 

[numb. ed. of 500] € 17.50 

Incredible weird recordings from 1980 from this one half of todays still 

very active duo BOHMAN BROTHERS ! 

"1980 was an incredibe year for London's experimental music scene 

with many different strands. Recommended Records were rereleasing 

the first two Faust LP's, L. Voag had found 'the way out', Swell Maps 

were 'in occupied Europe'. Throbbing Gristle and other industrialists 

were giving plenty of live actions. Nurse With Wound had just released 

their first LP, as had This Heat. The other great LP on Piano Records 

by Steve Beresford was also on the shelves. Meanwhile, elsewhere in 

the capitol Adam Bohman was making his first recordings working with 

two budget cassette recorders. Bunhill Row was the first complete 

album of material, but whilst the aforementioned artists were pressing 

up their recordings and making them easily available via Rough Trade 

or the Recommended Records shop, Adam's releases remained in tiny 

cassette editions made for friends or exchanged on the mail art 

network. So here for the first time is Bunhill Row, released as it should 

have appeared at the time - on vinyl. It must be said that this is quite 

unlike any of Adam's other releases, and quite unlike his work with 

Morphogenesis, or his work as one half of The Bohman Brothers. This 

is 'songs' - 30 in all, and the main instrument used is a trumpet (an 

ordinary trumpet), along with a variety of other acoustic instruments and 

objects, many of which are still part of the Bohman armoury as known. 

The overall feel sits somewhere between R. Steevie Moore and 

Caroliner Rainbow, but this is British of course. Somehow it all works, 

and all in all opens another window on to the incredibly fruitful astral 

alignment that occured over London at this time. Adam also has a solo 

CD on Paradigm Discs, and also appears on 'Variations - a London 

compilation' the first CD released on Paradigm Discs." [label info] 

* BURNING STAR CORE - Amelia 10" (No-Fi Recordings NEU002, 

2007) € 15.00 

Rare 10" auf dem in letzter Zeit hochaktiven britischen Psych/free 

Drone-Label NO FI, 3 Stücke mit sich überlagernden, minimalen 

(Synth)-Polydrones und bizarren, auf konkreterem Material 

basierenden Geräuschlandschaften... sehr eigen und schön... das 

Material befindet sich auch auf der do-CD "Mes Soldats Stupides". 

"First in the series of six 10"s by C. Spencer Yeh entitled 'Mes Soldats 

Stupides 96-05.' Hard-to-find reissues on vinyl for the first time. Includes 

insert with design by guest artist Robert Beatty (Hair Police). 'Three 

very different but equally captivating electronic pieces, this may be 

some of the most focused work Spencer has produced to date.' --Rock- 

A-Rolla Magazine" [label info] 

* CASHMORE, MICHAEL - The Snow abides 12" (Durtro Jnana, 

2007) € 14.50 

Sehr anrührender Ambient-Folk von CASHMORE, der hier von diversen 

Gastmusikern unterstützt wird. Auf "Snow Abides" gefallen uns v.a. die 

Streicher & Antony's unglaublicher Gesang! 

Dies die limitierte Vinyl-Version (lim. 1000 weisses vinyl), schon rar !! 

"MICHAEL CASHMORE, vor allem bekannt als Haupt-Songwriter von 

CURRENT 93, kommt mit "The Snow Abides", einer EP, die seinem 

Solo-Debüt "Sleep England" folgt. Das Werk besticht durch 

musikalische Grenzerfahrungen zwischen Elektronik, Ambient und Folk. 

Vor allem die Stimme von Antony (ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS), der 

auf dieser EP als Gastsänger fungiert, lässt dieses Minialbum strahlen" 

[Cargo] 

"Durtro Jnana is delighted to release The Snow Abides, a new solo 

mini-album from longtime Current 93 guitarist and contributor Michael 

Cashmore. Comprised of five thematically linked songs, the album was 

written and performed by Cashmore with song texts composed by 

David Tibet (Current 93) and vocals contributed by Antony (Antony And 

The Johnsons). Cashmore has enjoyed a long and successful 

partnership with Tibet and his compositions have appeared on some of 

Current 93's most acclaimed albums including classics like Thunder 

Perfect Mind, Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre, Soft Black Stars, All 

the Pretty Little Horses and Black Ships Ate the Sky. Presented in an 

elegant, full-color digipak, The Snow Abides is Cashmore's most 

accomplished and poignant work to date, solo or otherwise." [press 

release] 

* CHAUVEAU, SYLVAIN - S. 10" (Type Records 030, 2007) 

[ed. of 500] € 11.00 

Five pieces, composed for the dance show "Au nombre des choses", 

very reduced material, single notes on guitar, piano, electric hummings 

& micropatterns, gives a lot of room and silence, quite special & 

intense!

" 10" vinyl version to accompany the long-awaited sixth release for 

French composer and electro-acoustic producer, Sylvain Chauveau. 

Since his 2000 debut Le Livre Noir Du Capitalisme, Chauveau has been 

a pioneering figure in the world of modern classical/electronic music. 

This status has seen him inhabit the same creative space as Max 

Richter, Jóhann Jóhannsson and Ryan Teague, and Type welcomes 

him to their label and community, beginning with the issue of this brand 

new mini-album. S. sees Chauveau taking a daring new direction since 

his last record, moving away from the haunting strings and piano work 

of his best known works and temporarily stepping into the world of 

minimal electroacoustics, using the guitar as a focal point." [label info] 

* CLOP NEPLAT - untitled do-LP (Some Place Else HAM011, 

1999) [lim. 200] € 12.00 

Last copies found of this nice release by a project of an ORIGAMI 

REPLIKA-member (covers look a bit scuffed), lim. 200, with remixes of 

LASSE MARHAUG, KAPOTTE MUZIEK, NIKO SKORPIO, etc.. 

* COLECLOUGH, JONATHAN & ANDREW LILES - Torch Songs 

do-LP (Die Stadt DS93, 2007) [lim. 500] € 22.50 

"'Torch Songs' is a collaboration between Jonathan Coleclough and 

Andrew Liles. They met in October 2004 when they both performed at 

Intergration 3 in Preston, UK. Liles subsequently reworked the 

recording of Coleclough's solo performance from that evening. He went 

on to add, subtract, multiply and divide further live recordings supplied 

by Coleclough, and the eventual result was this double LP. 'Torch 

Songs' is packaged in a gatefold sleeve featuring 'I dreamt I was a 

river,' a poem composed and painted by Geoff Sawers during a 

performance with Coleclough in Geneva in March 2005. The sound of 

Geoff's brush painting this lettering can be heard on side B of 

'Torch Songs'. The album comes in a beautiful full colour gatefold 

sleeve with full colour inner sleeves in a limited edition of 500 copies. 

180gr. Vinyl !" [press release] 

"Much like the entire back catalogue of John Duncan, British 

avant-drone artist Jonathan Coleclough has often buttressed his work 

through an ongoing set of collaborations, each of which push his work 

into interesting territories while maintaining that essence of Coleclough 

that makes all of his albums so enthralling. His 2006 collaboration with 

Murmer was easily one of the best drone albums of that year, twisting 

field recordings and quiet sessions with electric objects into a gauzy, 

crepuscular blur that even made those at Artforum perk up their ears 

and listen. Torch Songs came to fruition when both Coleclough and 

Liles performed in Preston (probably at the request of the evercharming 

Colin Potter) in 2005. In fact, much of the source material for 

Torch Songs originated from Coleclough's performance to which Liles 

went on to "add, subtract, multiply, and divide" further. The 

fundamentals of Torch Songs are primarily Coleclough's signature 

moves: swelling, resonant drones manipulated from acoustic sources 

and distilled into tonally vibrant beams of pure sound. Yet, Liles (who in 

and of himself is a fine technician of sonic alchemy to the point where 

he has often graced the stage alongside Steve Stapleton, Colin Potter, 

and Matt Waldron in Nurse With Wound) interjects his own sidereal 

gestures with wooden creaks, digital time stretching, radiant eruptions 

of dissonant couplings with Coleclough's drones, and occasional jaunts 

of heavily filtered tin-can and rubber-band rhythms that parallel much of 

the output from Liles' recent 12 part Vortex series. Yet for all of Liles' 

baroque flares for the sonically surreal, it is Coleclough who authors the 

strongest material on Torch Songs through his sublime use of the 

drone. The first 300 copies of Torch Songs comes with a bonus CD that 

documents Coleclough's aforementioned Preston performance back in 

2005." [Aquarius Records] 

* COURTIS, ANLA - Psi Gtr Avalanche 7" (Smittekilde SMK R 

003, 2007) € 7.00 

"Psychokinetic Blues" from the former REYNOLS-mastermind on this 4- 

track EP, ultra-strange sounds that are almost beyond description or 

classification on Side A (probably made on some kind of strings), a kind 

of challenging noise-blues on Side B.. though its not really noise, not 

ambient, not drone, just weird sounding! A great one! 

Yellow vinyl, multicoloured thick silk screen cover. 

* CURRENT 93 - Black Ships ate the Sky do-LP (Durtro Jnana 

2112, 2006) [lim. 1000] € 21.00 

Die auf 1000 Stück limitierte Vinyl-Version in atemberaubend schöner 

Artwork! 

"NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!!!! BLACK SHIPS ATE THE SKY is the 

new 76-minute masterwork from CURRENT 93, this time with the lineup 

of DAVID TIBET, MICHAEL CASHMORE, BEN CHASNEY, STEVEN 

STAPLETON, and JOHN CONTRERAS with WILLIAM BASINSKI, 

WILLIAM BREEZE, and AMY PHILLIPS. Black Ships Ate The Sky is 

the long-awaited studio follow-up to 2000’s Sleep Has His House. It has 

taken David Tibet four years to complete, and features some very 

special guests including MARC ALMOND, ANTONY, BONNIE 

“PRINCE” BILLY, SHIRLEY COLLINS, BABY DEE, and others. Black 

Ships Ate The Sky is Current 93’s most powerful and challenging 

recording, and looks set to be the most important Current 93 release to 

date." [label info] 

* DÄLEK - Abandoned Language do-LP (Ernest Jenning Rec., 

2007) € 17.00 

Vinyl-Version ihres neuen Albums, Drone-Pop oder Sphären HipHop 

par excellence !! 

"Als wir das letzte Mal auf DÄLEK trafen, hatten die gerade "Absence" 

losgelassen, einen düsteren Ausflug in die Welt des Underground- 

HipHop, der sowohl Fans als auch Kritikern die Kinnlade auf die Brust 

fallen ließ. Und wenn es auch durchaus als gute Idee erscheinen 

könnte, den Charme des Albums auf dem nächsten Werk zu 

duplizieren, haben sich DÄLEK einen ganz anderen Weg ausgeguckt; 

einen Weg, der an einen Ort namens "Abandoned Language" führt. 

Lassen wir DÄLEK, den MC und Produzenten, zu Wort kommen: "Wir 

haben auf jeder Platte bisher regelrechte Noisewände aufgebaut und 

mit "Absence" haben wir dieses Konzept soweit ausgereizt, wie es nur 

geht. Der Sound auf "Absence" war extrem hart und dicht, während der 

Fokus auf der neuen Platte auf Komposition und einzelne Noten 

ankommt, die wir spielen. Die verschiedenen Schichten sind noch 

immer da, aber die Instrumente klingen ganz anders." Tatsächlich 

breitet "Absence" von den düsteren Streichern bei "Lynch" über den old 

school HipHop-Flavour von "Isolated State" bis zur kopflastigen Melodie 

von "Tarnished" eine komplexe Palette aus, die Fans des Avant Noise 

voll befriedigen, aber auch Freunden des Mainstream-HipHops gefallen 

wird. // Double vinyl version, deluxe gatefold sleeve. "When we last left 

off with Dälek, they had released Absence, a dark and dirgy romp 

through hip-hop's underground that left countless listeners and critics in 

awe. However, while it would probably be a good career move to 

replicate that album's noisy charm, Dälek have once again reinvented 

themselves with their fourth and most accomplished full-length, 

Abandoned Language. 'We've been making wall of noise records for a 

long time and I think with Absence we realized far as we wanted to go 

with that sound,' Dälek (the MC/producer) explains. 'That sound was 

just so heavy and dense, but the new one is about composition and are 

playing. The layering is still there, but the instrumentation is totally 

different.' In fact, from the sinister strings in 'Lynch' to old-school hiphop 

flavor of 'Isolated Stare' to the heady melodicism of 'Tarnished,' 

Abandoned Language is complex enough for fans of avant-noise, but 

accessible enough for mainstream hip-hop audiences." [press release] 

* DIJKSTRA, RAYMOND - Maskenstilleben LP-Box 

(Crouton No.36, 2007) [lim.100] € 88.00 

Neue unklassifizierbare Sound-Art von RAYMOND DIJKSTRA, der 

behauptet, seine Musik nicht für die Öffentlichkeit, sondern nur aus 

"metaphysischen" Gründen zu machen. Das 'Maskenstilleben' besteht 

hier aus obskuren quietschend-schneidend-konkreten Objekt-Noises 

(von Glas, Metall, Holz, Messer..) die nur mit kurzem Analog-Echo 

versehen werden, "dahinter" leise disharmonische Harmonium- oder 

Synth-Akkorde... hat eine ganz eigene Dynamik und Atmosphäre, kein 

Anfang und kein Ende, kein Spannungsbogen, keine Entwicklung.... 

"es" ist einfach DA... das ganze kommt in einer wunderschönen, 

bemalten, aufschiebbaren Holzbox, mit Golddruck-Prägung, in 

nummerierter Auflage. Das ist ziemlich weit weg von allem was man 

kennt oder sich vorstellen kann, ganz weit draussen... 

"We are very pleased to present this enchanting special edition LP from 

sculptor, painter, drawer and composer, Raymond Dijkstra. Since 2003, 

his recorded work has been released in very grandly designed (though 

extremely small editions) on the Le Souffleur label, all of which are out 

of print and not easy to obtain. Those who have, discovered the odd, 

yet personal world of Raymond Dijkstra, whose recorded output relies 

heavily on the acoustic side of electro-acoustic music. 

In Dijkstra's own words: 'My overall philosophy is to keep my kitchen 

closed. And the lid on the pot. I need to build up pressure; the only time 

I release pressure is when playing music. It's all about transformation. 

I guess I need to have some distance between me/my music and the 

public. In fact I like to see the public as non-existent. Releasing my work 

I only do for metaphysical reasons; to keep all psychic and physical 

channels open, and maintaining a healthy system. It is not much more 

then relieving yourself in the toilet. If not, there'll soon or later come a 

point when your system gets clogged, the energy flow will cease, and 

the transformation into music stops... I need complete isolation to 

protect my work.' Maskenstilleben will be released in a limited 

numbered edition of 100 in a painted wooden box on 200 gm virgin 

vinyl." [label info] 

"It's perhaps no big secret that I am a big fan of the work of Raymond 

Dijkstra, and maybe reviewing all of his previous work, entitled me to a 

copy of each of this: a big black wooden box with golden text, in an

edition of merely 100 copies - the preprogrammed art item or well 

calculated collector's item (You decide) [...] 

Sound wise Dijkstra continues the road he choose now for a while. A 

while ago I saw him in concert, with Timo van Luyck, with whom he has 

an ongoing collaboration, and their set up is very simple. An ancient 

loop echo, a small table and a small bunch of objects that are played on 

the table, like glass, knives, forks and wood. On 'Maskenstilleben' 

Dijkstra continues this. Somewhere in the back there are the 

disharmonious drone like chords he plays, seemingly at random, 

whereas in the foreground there are scrapings and scratching of the 

surface, which are fed through the ancient echo machine (which, to be 

honest, could have been a little less). Perhaps the use of echo makes 

this 'electro-acoustic' music, but its merely a deception to call it like that. 

This is acoustic music in optima forma and one of a highly original kind. 

Composition Not of great interest for Dijkstra. Structure Nope. Being 

part of a scene Which one, or in fact is there one Not for Dijkstra. He 

claims to work best in strict isolation, building up the pressure and when 

he plays his music, he releases his pressure. Inside his closed system 

(both mentally and in the real world), he derives the sounds which he 

likes, plays them ad infinitum, without beginning or end. This is noise 

music, but stepped outside the relatively known genre of overload. This 

is improvisation, but not as we knew it. Total outsider music, as it's hard 

to come across Dijkstra, who hardly plays concerts. Not part of the 

serious music world, the underground noise scene, microsound or the 

laptop flock, he persists very much in his world... [...] 

We hardly complain about people using guitars and drums, so why 

should we complain about Dijkstra using objects like glass and metal 

It's not the same song repeated three times. Each is genuinely different 

from the previous or the following record. The instruments remain the 

same, the 'composition' remains the same, yet, like a good 

monochrome painting, the differences are in the detail. 'Die Sonne' I 

thought was a bit more minimal than the other two, more sparse, while 

'Maskenstilleben' was a bit more dense, and 'Die Wille', although close 

to 'Die Sonne' fell sort of in between the two. After a bunch of selfreleased 

records, the release for Crouton may open more doors for 

Dijkstra, and probably he doesn't care, but at least the public should 

care. Three great LPs, by all means, although Art (big A in place) 

doesn't come cheap." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* DILLOWAY, AARON - Concealed LP (No Fun Productions #10, 

2007) [lim.300] € 16.00 

Quite hypnotic stuff here from the ex-WOLF EYES man, raw but not 

noisy & rather obscure loops evolve into... something.... which is 

continued on Side B... at the end there are only overtunic feedbackwaves 

left, which sound quite appealing.. 

"In the brutality of the ecuatorian line jungles there are no second 

chances. Technology, human strength, vitality are all meaningless when 

you have a horde of wild animals chasing you, and yet, you need to kill 

one in order to have something to eat. Patience, Intelligence, and ability 

to conceal yourself with the right attire and until the precise moment to 

leap out in full animal ferocity is how we survive in here. 2 side long 

epics in raw looped tape and disfigured electronics sound from 

Michigan's finest mangler. Limited to 300." [label info] 

* DJ ORDEAL - Sea / Seagull LP (Entr'acte E39, 2006) [ed. of 

200] € 15.50 

"DJ Ordeal has been creating his progressively strange tape collages 

for the best part of a decade. Following more than a dozen releases, 

mostly on his own Sparticus Stargazer label, Sea/Seagull may well be 

his oddest recording yet. Based on a multi-tracked and speeded-up 

vocal riff, played alongside recordings of sea breakers, voices, 

orchestral and seagull sounds, this is a painstakingly constructed audio 

tapestry, the result of intense, hour-upon-hour, tape-to-tape work. Get 

acquainted with DJ Ordeal via a fun Q&A with Dave Heaton of Erasing 

Clouds…" [label info] 

* DRONAEMENT - Wassermond 7" (Drone Records DR-41 2 nd , 

2007) [ed. of 300] € 7.00 

Re-release of this much requested Drone, 300 copies on grass-green 

vinyl with inlay & full-colour cover designed by Mr. Dronaement himself ! 

"DRONAEMENT is a newcomer from a small village in East Germany, 

who is also active in DAS RHYTHMISCHE ORNAMENT and 

D:RHYTHM:O and his small cassette-label NAUZE MUZICK. After a 

few amazing tapes, this is the very first vinyl issue for DRONAEMENT, 

containing two flowing tracks based on water sounds, entitled 

"wassermond" and "wassertank". Sounds go up and down like waves, 

pulsate soft and tender, surround you like cotton wool, being added up 

by sensitively created electronics. This is a kind of hommage to water, 

symbol for life, moving and development. Listen to the endless 

streaming and flowing of life." [original press release January 2000] 

* DRONE FOREST - Amy's Arms / Metacollage LP (Vuzhmusic 

VUZH 022, 2007) [lim. 219 copies] € 18.50 

Diese LP ist das erste Ergebnis eine Mail-Art Aktion, die von C. 

REIDER angestossen wurde, der das ausgetauschte Material auch final 

zusammengesetzt hat. Enthalten sind 2 Seiten mit "sich entwickelnden 

Drone-Szenarios", sehr geräuschafte, manchmal fast ins objektlose 

driftende Klang-Emanationen, die morphend ständig die Gestalt 

wechseln... 

"Drone Forest - "Amy's Arms / Metacollage" LP - This ultra-limited vinyl 

is the debut from a group of artists who exchange source material over 

the internet - so there's no 'band' to speak of, just individual composers 

adding their parts to create a cohesive whole. Consisting of two 

extended side-long pieces, there's plenty of experimental atmospheres 

and oddly surreal sound journeys here, none of which approach any 

semblance of conventional rhythm or melody. 'Amy's Arms' floats from 

haunting urban futurescapes to environmental ambience, and summons 

forth visions of a fantastic and colorful planet that is certainly not our 

own. When it all ended and the turntable stopped, I was sad to leave... 

Side B, titled 'Metacollage', is a similar experience, with diverse noises, 

drifty tones, and an almost-rainforest vibe that can be the perfect 

accompaniment for a quiet time at home or a trip to the outer realms. 

Noted ambient/psychedelia composer and Vuzh label owner C. Reider 

assembled these wonderful sound voyages from many hours of raw 

collaborations, many of which are available for free download at 

www.droneforest.com. So if you need a soundtrack to relax to, or just 

something to escape the mundanities of the working day with, this is a 

fine, fine release of unconventional sound that resounds with heart and 

soul." [Godsend - review] 

* DUSA - Ljung LP (Akultur AkA 11, 2006) [ed. 300] € 14.00 

Kaum beschreibbarer höchst seltsamer Experimental-Folk dieses 

schwedischen Projekts oder Band. Ein nostalgisches Flair wird 

verströmt, alles geschieht im low-fi Bereich, kleine Melodien tauchen 

wiederholend auf aber auch viele Geräusche, Stimmen, Radio, field 

recordings, wie Ereignisse aus vergangenen Zeiten... eine ganz 

besondere Platte mit ingesamt sehr ruhiger & melancholischer 

Ausstrahlung.... 

"Half lost images of landscapes and early memories, a haunting 

nostalgia. Heaths and shrubbery. Dull audio collages of creaking, dim 

ambiances coupled with folk sounds, foggy melodies and the humming 

of a graybeard organ. 12" LP, 32 minutes. Edition of 300 copies with full 

color insert and 7 postcards. The first 103 copies comes with an 

additional vintage (1900-1950) postcard." [label info] 

"... Folk like electronics, like some of the music on Häpna (also 

Swedish, perhaps no surprise), but dwelling more on field recordings 

than say Tape. Going outside, the empty land in Sweden and recording 

the atmosphere, rather than a particular sound event. A bird flies over, 

but it was intended in capturing that particular sound. Then the radio 

comes in and leaves without a trace almost instantly. The guitar tinkles 

away, and there is a violin somewhere. Highly unfocussed this music, 

but that is surely not its aim. That might be to create a dense, 

atmospheric sound that oddly enough is also empty at the same time. 

Whereas the Norwegians have their noise, it seems like the Swedish 

have their folk tronics. Dusa is a rather fine example thereof." [FdW / 

Vital Weekly] 

* EARTHMONKEY - Be that charge (deluxe ed.) 3 x LP (Beta- 

Lactam Ring Records mt049deluxeLP, 2007) [lim. 200] € 35.00 

"Deluxe 2xLP + bonus LP edition limited to 200 numbered and signed 

copies in a deluxe 5 color gatefold sleeve and 220 gram vinyl with a 

hand painted insert by Earthmonkey. (Please note this album is very 

heavy for shipping purposes.) Honey...looks like the monkey's been in 

the mushrooms again! Yes, the unstoppable Peat Bog has once again 

raised his pulsating colours and thrown himself, and us, into a cosmic 

oblivion. And though scientists have recently proven that a person can 

swim as quickly through syrup as through water, syrup is still the more 

delicious swim. And syrup is the pool that Peat offers up for your 

musical laps. This latest has both kinds of music: stoned and stoneder. 

The record opens with a kind of Duulish slow groove that one might find 

useful while laying in the middle of a field staring at clouds. Before long, 

one is laying in the middle of a cloud staring at fields. Peat's production 

shows that his sixth form spent in Nurse With Wound school paid off. All 

the tracks are quietly layered with subtle backdrops, voices and swells 

of thick fuzz. As ever, however, no matter how close Peat brings us to a 

need for rehab, Earthmonkey is fat with rhythm and even the occasional 

need to, perhaps, ever so slightly, bang the head. A nice electro punker 

in the middle not only invokes the spectre of Chrome, but is also sure to 

grow a thicker, healthier mullet faster than any other traditional hair 

remedy. Looking for that modern something a little 2066-And-Then-olicious 

and also a little Galactic-Supermarket-o-rama Earthmonkey is 

your Kraut-tastic choice! And somehow I managed to get through this

whole thing without mentioning the word psychedelic. Until now. 

Dammit!" [label description] 

* EINHORN, KLAUS - +++arbeiten+++ LP + 7" (You don't have to 

call it music YOUDO 02, 2007) [lim. 500] € 18.50 

"Nikolaus Einhorn (geb. 1940), Mitherausgeber des S Press Tonbandverlags, 

erprobt Zeitstrukturierungen mit Materialien verschiedenen 

Charakters. "Arbeiten" ist ein akustisches Modell, in dem Einhorn den 

Implikationen der Reprise nachgeht. Drei Tonbandschleifen, die das 

Wort "arbeiten" enthalten, gesprochen von drei Stimmen, bilden das 

Ausgangsmaterial. Es entsteht eine Sprech- bzw. Hörsituation, in der 

sich der Sprechvorgang als Arbeitsvorgang verstehen läßt und die drei 

Tonspuren - obgleich das Material, aus dem sie bestehen, identisch 

bleibt - in wechselnde Kommentarbeziehungen zueinander treten. 

Nikolaus Einhorn - geboren 1940 in Dresden, studierte Germanistik und 

Anglistik in München; er ist Lehrer an einem Gymnasium in Düsseldorf, 

gibt zusammen mit Angela Köhler und Michael Köhler die S Press 

Tonbandreihe heraus und baut ein Archiv für internationale akustische 

Poesie auf; veröffentlichte in Zeitungen und Zeitschriften Aufsätze über 

experimentelle Poesie und die Avantgarde des 20. Jahrhunderts; gab in 

der Reihe "Text und Kritik" ein Heft über die literarischen Arbeiten von 

Kurt Schwitters heraus; machte und macht Rundfunksendungen über 

Autoren akustischer Literatur." [S Press 1973 / label info] 

"Featuring two sound poetry recordings from 1973, "Arbeiten - ein Stück 

für alle" (already released as tape on the S Press label back in 1973) 

and "Cudrefin (minuit) - Found Music No.1" (previously unreleased). 

the first 250 copies include an onesided bonus 7inch with his track 

"Don't you may be, the ssential interview" from the famous "Futura - 

Poesia Sonora" boxset (Cramps Records). 

"Nikolaus Einhorn is a young German writer who has already produced 

a good number of sound poems. He is trying to realize a non-abstract 

oral poetry free from all written notation, a construction which comes 

directly from the mind and memory. "Don't you may be, the essential 

interview", composed in 1975 represents a hypothetical interview with 

the U.S. musician John Cage, the representative of non-music, that is, 

of that school which, by rejecting the forms and structures of 

composition, has brought about a crisis in traditional and contemporary 

musical composition, and which, using different techniques principally of 

the aleatory type, affirms the validity of musical silence, also on 

ontological grounds. In our opinion this "essential interview" establishes 

a series of tautological circularities, underlined by the repetition of 

Cage's "smile / little laugh". [S Press 1973 / label info] 

* EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN - Alles wieder offen do-LP 

(Potomak LC07149, 2007) € 18.00 

Vinyl-version of the new album, gatefold-cover, for detail infos see CDsection! 

* ELEH - Floating Frequencies / Intuitive Synthesis II LP 

(Important Records IMPREC 158, 2007) [ed. 500] € 14.00 

"Pure Tone. Pure Sound. Pure Analog". Teil 2 der super-minimalen & 

durchdringenden, multiplen Sinuswellen-Drones & Pulses, rein analog 

erzeugt. Die Mikrobewegungen, Pulsationen und allmählichen 

Frequenz- und Wellenverschiebungen vermögen den auditiven Sinn in 

höchstem Maße zu sensibilisieren und können für tiefste Versenkungen 

in den "absoluten Sound" sorgen.... 

"ELEH’s Floating Frequencies/Intuitive Synthesis Volume 2 requires 

dedicated and careful listening. High volume and/or headphone use is 

highly recommended for maximum experience--especially on the B-side 

which is focused on ultra low end bass pulses being slowly modulated 

by bass frequencies well below the level of human hearing. Side A is a 

detailed account of the emerging frequencies resulting from the 

carefully crafted meeting of seven sine waves. Pressed in an edition of 

500 on 200-gram vinyl, and packaged in deluxe letterpressed jackets." 

[label info] 

* EMIL BEAULIEAU & JASON LESCALLEET - Rock'n'Roll / Toys in 

the Attic 7" (Absurd #33, 2007) [lim. 333] € 8.00 

EMIL BEAULIEAU (aka Rrron Lessard) beglückt uns auf dieser 

Jubiläums-Single des Athener Labels mit seiner zeitgemässen Version 

von "Rock'n'Roll" (2 Stücke); das ist die totale DEkonstruktion und 

Verwandlung in lärmende, exaltierte Klangkegel. JASON LESCALLEET 

geht noch weiter mit einer kleinen, alle musikalischen Parameter hinter 

sich lassenden, sehr konkreten Geräusch-Symphonie... 

das ganze kommt in einem ACHT-eckigen Klappcover, zwei mit 

Luftballons spielende Kinder darauf. Tolle Single! 

"split 7” release honoring the 50 years since the birth of rock 'n' roll and 

late at it.... cover insipred by a rolling stones sleeve. edition of 333. (half 

the devil, twice the punch..)"[label info] 

* ENDUSER - Bollywood Breaks 12" (Ad Noiseam ADN41, 2004) 

€ 8.50 

"bollywood breaks is enduser's homage to the bhangra music of the 

hindi film industry, whose singing is here mixed with his infectious 

breaks and distorted beats for maximum efficiency. added to the flavour 

is extra curry by larvae (who have played live on several occasions with 

enduser) and the break wiz-kid mad e.p., as well as by line47, the other 

founder of enduser's sonicterror label." [label info] 

* ENSEMBLE SONDARC & REINHOLD FRIEDL / MARCEL 

TÜRKOWSKY - Valenz / Tin thin tape music (splitting series, 4. 

Folge) LP (Happy Zloty 010zloty, 2006) [ed. of 200] € 12.50 

Das ENSEMBLE SONDARC besteht aus fünf Kontrabass-Spielern (u.a. 

REINHART HAMMERSCHMIDT), diese vierte Ausgabe der Split-Series 

auf HAPPY ZLOTY verewigt einen Auftritt mit REINHOLD FRIEDL 

(ZEITKRATZER) an der Orgel und fesselt mit spannender Improvisation 

zwischen Drone & eruptiver Dynamik. Die Rückseite gehört dem 

Berliner MARCEL TÜRKOWSKY, der aus vielerlei back-tapes, Orgel 

und Effekten kreatürlich-chaotische Cut-Up'n'Drone-Soundscapes 

erstellt, low-fi, charmant und in mitunter in jeder Sekunde neu, wobei 

auch herrlich rauhe Dronesphären entstehen.. 

Nur 200 Stück gibts von dieser wagemutigen Kombinations-Platte, wie 

immer in schönem Siebdruck-Cover! 

"One of the nicer, smaller German labels is Happy Zloty Records, who 

have a small catalogue of ten releases so far, which hoover on the 

borders of improvisation, and each release comes in nicely silkscreened 

cover. On the ten releases, the latest four are all split LP's, of 

which the latest contains music by Ensemble Sondarc on one side and 

Marcel Türkowsky on the other. Ensemble Sondarc is a group of six 

contra bass players, living all over Germany, and of which only Jürgen 

Morgenstern and Johannes Frisch rang a bell here. On this recording 

they team up with the leader of Zeitkratzer Ensemble, Reinhold Friedl, 

who plays the organ of the Erlöserkirche in Hannover, Germany. The 

recording is also from 2002, but still sounds as exciting today as it might 

have been back then. Each of the bass players is in total control of their 

instrument, improvising in an extraordinary way, with the church organ 

being the central player, even when Friedl plays his notes carefully. 

Only one outburst in the piece, but that keeps the tension very well 

present. A great, powerful piece of improvised music. 

On the other side we find Marcel Türkowsky, who in the past worked 

together with F.s. Blumm, Ignaz Schick, Andrew Cvar and Guido 

Moebius, among others. His solo 'Tin Thin Tape Music' was recorded 

live in two Berlin places 'Kule' and 'Ausland' and Türkowsky uses an 

organ, walkman, four track, loop machine, delay, big muff and no less 

than twenty-two cassettes of sound diaries made in Berlin and Paris. 

This is entirely different than that of the other side. Loud, dirty drones 

played over a bunch of fuzzy sound cassettes, with all sorts of obscure 

sounds stored on them. Sometimes things get softer or operates in a 

more collage kind of way. It's however quite nice music, despite me 

saying things like 'loud and dirty' and 'fuzzy'. Maybe at times a bit too 

haphazard put together, but it breaks with many traditions, such as 

improvisation and drone music, and that is always a good thing. 

Türkowsky tries and find his own ways. A road to continue." [FdW / Vital 

Weekly] 

* FAUST - same LP (Lilith Records LRLP138, 2007) € 16.50 

Russische Wiederveröffentlichung des ersten Albums von 1971 (als CD 

von ReR wiederveröffentlicht) in Reproduktion des Original-Covers auf 

klarem Vinyl. 

".... "Faust", in vielen Discographien auch als "Clear" geführt, erschien 

auf durchsichtigem Vinyl in einer ebenso durchsichtigen Plastiktasche, 

auf der das Röntgenbild von "Zappi" Diermaiers Faust neben dem 

Gruppennamen zu sehen war. Auf einer wiederum durchsichtigen 

Plastikfolie waren in Rot die Texte und Produktionsdaten abgedruckt. 

Ähnlich eigenartig wie die Verpackung war (ist) auch die auf "Faust" zu 

findende Musik. Eine bizarre Mischung aus Psychedelik, 60s-Punk, The 

Velvet Underground, Pink Floyd, Klangkollagen, Dada-Durcheinender, 

Elektronischen Sounds, Ton- und Gesprächsfetzen und Musique 

Concrete setzen Faust hier dem Hörer vor, die ausgesprochen wild, 

wenn auch nicht sonderlich schräg, laut oder heftig geraten ist. 

Hauptsächlich herrscht hier ein ziemliches Durcheinander. In 

Deutschland wurden Faust recht kritisch aufgenommen (sie verkauften 

weniger als 1000 Kopien ihres Debuts), während die auswärtige Presse 

meist voll des Lobes war. Bis heute spalten sich wohl die Meinungen 

über dieses Album. Für die einen ist es einfach nur ein dilletantisches 

Tohuwabohu, für die anderen ein geniales Klangexperiment, mit dem 

sich Faust einen Platz in der vorderen Reihe der Rockavantgarde 

gesichert haben...." [Achim Breiling / Babyblaue Seiten] 

"Legendary German post-rock band formed in 1971 by undisputed 

noise pioneer Uwe Nettelbeck, Faust garnered an immediate following 

due to its artistically extreme experimentations with music cut-ups and 

other mixed sources hinging on cacophony and distortion. Don't miss 

their 1971 cult classic debut, now reissued with its original clear printed 

sleeve on clear vinyl." [label info]

* FEAR FALLS BURNING - Once we all walk through solid objects 

5 x LP Box (Tonefloat TF35, 2007) [lim. 500] € 62.00 

Hammer! Da kommt mal als Gitarren-Drone Fan kaum dran vorbei, an 

diesem ultimativen, massiven Boxset mit 10 Seiten-langen Remixen 

von neuem FEAR FALLS BURNING-Material von diversen 

Berühmtheiten aus der Experimental, Post-Rock und Ambient-Drone 

Szene! Auf dem belgischen Tonefloat-Label. 

"when fear falls burning and tonefloat got together in early 2006 to 

discuss the project once we all walk through solid objects, we knew it 

was going to be a complex release. what we knew then was only the tip 

of the iceberg. the artwork alone was something that took over six 

months of preparations to get it the way we wanted - and even required 

a completely new sleeve format at the plant. what followed was back 

luck upon bad luck with the pressing itself. that said, we're relieved to 

say that the set is finally ready to be shipped. we thank you all for your 

patience and hope you will enjoy the 10 tracks as much as we do! 

once we all walk through solid objects collects 10 original and brand 

new fear falls burning pieces, reconstructed by renowned artists 

including bass communion (steven wilson of porcupine tree; uk), final 

(justin k broadrick of jesu; uk), (frans de waard of beequeen/freiband; 

holland), harvestman (steve von till of neurosis; usa), birchville cat 

motel (new zealand), byla (of dysrhythmia; usa), aidan baker (of nadja; 

canada), johannes persson (of cult of luna; sweden), jefre cantuledesma 

(of tarentel; usa) and stefano pilia (of 3/4hadbeeneliminated; 

italy). all tracks showcase the wide context of the music of fear falls 

burning. not only by the origins of the musicians, from postrock to 

industrial, but also by the way the original material was treated. not only 

by reworking their way, but also by adding scapes, tools and 

instruments. each and every contribution makes up a full vinyl record 

album side. the clear vinyl has been pressed in 180 grams quality. the 

packaging concept with custom x-ray style metal ink printed pvc inners 

comes with custom printed file copy type sleeve which is open to one 

side. this implies that some minor folding might have happened to this 

side of the sleeve - only adding to the unique character of the concept 

in our opinion." [label info] 

* FENNESZ - Fennesz plays 10" (Editions Mego 020, 2006) 

€ 11.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der maxi-CD (Mokai, 1999), zu der wir damals 

vermerkten: "Fast schon genial zu nennende Coverversionen von 

PAINT IT BLACK (Rolling Stones) und DON'T TALK (PUR YOUR 

HEAD ON MY SHOULDER) von 1966; Fennesz transformiert die alten 

Klassiker ins digitale Zeitalter, ohne ihnen Atmosphäre und Sensibilität 

zu rauben (eher fügt er ihnen noch etwas hinzu), es knistert und knackt 

an jeder Ecke, cut-ups und extrem-Frequenzen tauchen auf, und doch 

scheinen Harmonien durch das Soundgefüge hindurch... sehr kurze 

maxi, die es in sich hat, veröffentlicht auf dem Chicagoer Label 

MOIKAI." [old Drone Rec info] 

"Two tracks: Paint It Black. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My 

Shoulder). 'Plays was orginally released as a 7 vinyl by Mego in 1998 

and a CD single by Moikai in 1999. Its seen by many as the 'turning 

point' between early Fennesz electronic abstract works such as the 

Instrument 12 and Hotel Paral.lel CD, and the more guitar based works 

such as Endless Summer and Venice. The two tracks featured; Paint It 

Black and Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder) were intially 

released as cover versions of songs by The Rolling Stones and The 

Beach Boys respectively. Since then, the relevant mechanical and 

publishing rights societies have ruled that these tracks are so far 

removed the originals, that they should be considered as homages 

written by Christian Fennesz." [label info] 

* FIN DE SIECLE - Nine barns LP (OPN Records OPNLP001, 

2007) [ed. of 300] € 14.00 

Project from France doing a quite particular hybryd of dark electronic 

ambient, classical chamber-music and film-music, very nostalgic and 

melancholic... if you imagine RACHELS or SYLVAIN CHAUVEAU in a 

more cold ambient way, that could come near to what FIN DE SIECLE 

play here on 12 tracks, using piano, viola, samples, voices... (no real 

singing though), at time quite droney, and times very harmonic. 

* FLOWER-CORSANO DUO - The Radiant Mirror LP (Textile 

Records TLP11, 2007) € 14.00 

"chris corsano has gained a well-earned reputation as one of the 

hardest-working drummers around. equally at home with intense kinetic 

explosions of energy and concentrated near-silence, he effortlessly 

flows from one idea to the next, always sympatico with his fellow 

musicians. he has recorded and gigged with, among others, paul 

flaherty, thurston moore, jessica rylan, jim o rourke, nels cline, jandek, 

greg kelly, daniel carter, six organs of admittance, evan parker, 

sunburned hand of man, mv&ee, keiji haino, dredd foole, vampire belt, 

joe mcphee, carlos giffoni, christina carter and heather leigh murray. 

mick is the founding member of the british avant garde collective 

vibracathedral orchestra, one of the most seminal uk acts in the free 

music scene pioneering an approach that has influenced a tribe of other 

outsiders. mick occasionaly plays with sunroof and sunburned hand of 

the man." [label info] 

* GERRARD, LISA - The Silver Tree do-LP (Subway, 2007) 

€ 18.00 

"Erstes Soloalbum der Sängerin und Soundtrack-Komponistin („Whale 

Rider“) seit 1995. Lisa Gerrard, die 1981 mit ihrem Partner Brendan 

Perry die Formation Dead Can Dance gründete und zu Weltruhm 

führte, ist seit 1995 auch solo unterwegs und das keineswegs weniger 

erfolgreich. Die australische Sängerin und Komponistin ist für eine 

Vielzahl von Soundtracks sehr erfolgreicher Filme verantwortlich, u. a. 

„Der 13. Krieger“, „Whale Rider“, sie sang die Titelmelodie zu 

„Gladiator“, schrieb Songs für „Mission Impossible II“ und „Black Hawk 

Down“. Wann immer sich Gänsehaut im Kino breit macht, ist die 

Stimme von Lisa Gerrard zu hören. Nach der Reunion-Tour von Dead 

Can Dance 2005 begab sich die Tonvirtuosin ins Studio, um ihr zweites 

Soloalbum aufzunehmen. „The Silver Tree“ ist ein Werk, das Lisa 

Gerrards einzigartige Stellung als Komponistin und Interpretin 

elegischer Klanggemälde und schaurig-schöner Lieder einmal mehr 

unterstreicht. Die luxuriös gestaltete Vinylausgabe erscheint als Doppel- 

LP auf 180-Gramm-Vinyl im Klappcover." [Indigo] 

* GRAILS - Burning off Impurities do-LP (Temporary Residence 

TRR118, 2007) € 16.50 

Limitierte Vinyl-Version des neuen Albums mit ge-etchter D-Seite. 

Details siehe CD-Sektion. 

* GROWING - Vision Swim LP (Troubleman Unlimited TMU188, 

2007) € 15.00 

Neues Album der Gitarrren-Droner aus Olympia, Washington mit ihrem 

Mix aus Post-Rock und Vibrato-Drone, sie gehen hier neue Wege und 

integrieren stärker experimentelle Sounds & elektronische Geräusche.. 

"GROWING returns with their most focused and intense work to date. 

The twin guitar attack is complimented by a wall of amps and deafening 

volume--and just the right amount of extreme quiet and delicacy. 

Growing have ventured into uncharted territory, where sheets of noise 

meld with metallic noodling and blissfully numbing drones and 

exploratory electronic manipulations. LP packaged with die-cut sleeves 

with full-color inner sleeves." [label press release] 

"...From the opening track, a simple repeated riff, a super processed 

effects soaked guitar part, repeated over and over, a strange subtle 

progression, backed up by a super simple bass drum pulse, and 

streaked with bits of backwards guitars and whirling shimmer, it's 

obvious that Growing are no longer content to just rock out and drift off, 

they are looking for weird sounds and figuring out how to make those 

weird sounds sound beautiful. The second track, 15 minutes plus, is 

thick with grinding low end guitars, chopped into staccato pulses, laced 

with almost techno sounding Nintendo melodies, and loads of hiss and 

ambient flutter. That's only the first few minutes, there are long 

stretches of fuzzy reverbed guitar, but even those parts are dotted with 

bursts of glitched electronic bbzzzzzt. Near the end, thick swaths of 

buzzing guitar pile up into gently swaying Teenage Filmstars-esque 

walls of sound. The next track, another long one, eschews all the 

effects, at least the obvious ones, and instead lets an ocean of guitars 

swirl and shimmer, tangle and untangle, flip backwards and then 

forwards, a million melodies pulling apart and coming back together in 

different shapes, pretty, but definitely a lot to take in sonically. 

The last two tracks are brief, "Emseepee" is a churning pulsing 

damaged krautrock drone, with lots of electronic buzz, gnarled bits of 

synth and lots of damaged glitch, all over a relentless, almost new wave 

sounding Goblin bassline. Finally, the record winds down with 

"Lightfoot" a Tim Hecker-ish soundscape, of gently pulsing fuzz, 

indistinct melodies, fragments of songs allowed to drift on a constantly 

shifting sonic sea, before suddenly pulling apart into a dizzying squall of 

sound shards, hiccuping and stuttering and throbbing and eventually 

crumbling into what sounds like a skipping broken cd player. Woah. 

Not nearly as soothing as past efforts, but that no longer 

seems to be what they're going for. The sounds are alien and 

difficult, the arrangements confusing and convoluted, but Growing 

manage to reign these problematic sounds into shapes that are both 

fascinating and strangely soothing." [Aquarius Records] 

* GROWING - live do-LP (Conspiracy Records CORE047, 2007) 

€ 19.50 

"...72 Min Live 2xLP of complete drone bliss, contains two complete live 

shows. These recordings were released on cd through Archive 

Recordings and are long sold out. “While Growing continually return to 

that near-ambient tranquility, the record is a series of meandering 

excursions into MASSIVE slow motion, melted-riff soundscapes, notes 

and chords unfurl impossibly slowly, as if someone had doubled the 

gravity and the sound waves were actually visible, drizzling lazily to the 

floor like molasses or honey, rich golden globs of thick distorted throb.

Like Earth and Skullflower meshed into one buzzing blurry soundfield, 

all muted melody and crunchy riffage, a pulsing swirl of feedback and 

guitarral grrrr! The sound is basically phenomenal…” (Aquarius) 

Growing is a band from Olympia, Washington that was formed by Kevin 

Doria, Joe Denardo, and Zack Carlson (who left the band following the 

release of their first album) in 2001. They play instrumental drone rock 

with elements of noise and ambient music. Their live shows are known 

for being incredibly loud, playing straight through their set without break 

or pause. They have released albums on Kranky, Animal Disguise, 

Archive and Megablade, and currently have a new full length album out 

on Troubleman." [label info] 

* HAFLER TRIO - Who gave you the ability to envisage perfection 

7" (Plinkity Plonk Records PLONK21, 2007) [lim. 333] € 12.50 

This new H30-Single wins not just only the price for the best coverartwork 

in this list. The sounds are genius too ! 

The shimmering poly-drones pressed on side A of this clear 7" appear 

to us as "imploded music", where all categories and seperated things 

merge into one timeless entitiy, when the gentle female voice at the end 

comes in it feels almost like a revelation. The B-side is different, with 

two over-reverberating drone/organ -extensions. A perfect release! 

"when we make a room ready, it's not a given that the appointment will 

be kept. furthermore, what used to happen in the old days, and will now 

start to happen again, is that random visitors will appear. it's only 

natural after all. so when this particular slice of tangerine was severed 

from the tree, it had purposes that were commensurate with that 

particular time: but now we gaze on the visage of something bigger than 

had at first been anticipated. revel in the ending that gave way to a 

beginning, although the path is not yet clear. there are no methods used 

here - but there are more things to tell when the bus reaches the 

terminus. as it will on completion of this piece of homework. 

Heavy vinyl and heavy vellum cover." [label info] 

"Being pressed on clear vinyl and wrapped in a printed transparent 

vellum cover, the Hafler Trio's latest 7" is surrounded by a splendid aura 

even before you actually hear the music. The image on the front cites 

Christian iconography with the motif of Judith holding the head of 

Holofernes, albeit in a great 1920s photographic soft porn version. On 

the back there is a text that is printed on the inside of the sleeve and 

thus appears mirror-inverted on the outside, which nicely corresponds 

to the hermetic nature suggested by the text itself. The music lends 

itself to (albeit rather helpless) poetic visual metaphors: distant, yet 

most sensuous drones, blurred as if heard through a fine acoustic haze, 

with sounds moving about like bizarre shadows, devoid of sharp 

contours. One might wonder if the 7" format is the right choice for this 

kind of music, and in the case of this release the answer is a definite 

yes. There are some particularly fascinating moments on these tracks, 

most notably the final passage of side one and the trembling, slowly 

speaking female voice on the flipside. The latter is unmistakably human 

and even sounds familiar in a way, but at the time it is of an highly 

unnatural, almost ghost-like character. The former is marked by a 

limited frequency range and a use of distortion which hint towards the 

aesthetics of gramophones or antique loudspeakers, without actually 

citing it, thus evoking a sense of nostalgia while keeping away from any 

obvious references. It's the sheer fact that the 7" formats emphasizes 

the ephemeral nature of these passages that makes them even more 

precious - indeed, this release is a precious artifact throughout, exciting 

and unsettling in its beauty as well as in its exquisitely auratic 

appearance." [MSS / Vital Weekly] 

* HALO MANASH - r.A.S.H.n.k.a.-RA LP & DVD (Kaosthetik 

Konspiration KSTK 004, 2007) [lim. 500] € 22.50 

New shamanistic noise for the anti-rational mind ! HALO MANASH, 

maybe the "main" project of the AURAL HYPNOX-stall, with a new 

album on this french label; it sounds amazingly harmonic & dense, 

more "arranged" than before, still there's a wonderful tribal archaic 

"primitivism" inside the music which feels highly authentic & powerful. 

Many different instruments have been used, howling voices & 

whisperings, metals / gongs & percussion-elements are often present, 

absolutely stunning & hypnotizing! These are pulsating Ur-drones with 

lots of energy & emotion! 

On the DVD recordings from a shamanistic ritual held in finnish woods 

are shown, with different soundtrack. Comes with great gatefold-cover 

& artwork, plus A2 poster! 

"HALO MANASH, redrobed and clothed in ash, has completed a helical 

cycle, r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA. Archaic sounds and visions from the heights 

and depths, elemental ambience and primal thundering. 

Various instruments such as horns, kanglings, bells, cymbals, drums, 

singing bowls, damaras, rattles, chimes, bones, selfmade instruments, 

vocals, voices, and the elemental sounds themselves give form to a 

work that is sometimes serene, sometimes fierce and chaotic. 

Everything is in pairs: thus r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA itself consists of two 

distinct creations/ destructions. "In 4 Elements" (DVD) was 

realized/received in 4 circulations of the sun and consists of 4 parts. 

Serpentine silver sounds ascending and descending, moving and 

flowing in the upper realms, through the elements and elementals. The 

sounds of spilling seed. The film reflects this rite-of-passage, showing 

r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA taking form in the primal landscapes and in the 

elements themselves. "In PolarDual" (LP) is the dark twin, and was 

received/realized in 2 circulations of the sun, consisting of two parts. It 

is very intense, fierce and chaotic: a tearing down, a dive into the deep, 

screams to and from the depths. The sounds shedding skin. From these 

twins an elemental initiation and revelation, r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA, is formed. 

r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA is a total creative and destructive cycle, a very real 

and intense experience where Halo Manash itself was the canvas of 

birth and death. r.A.S.H.n.k.a-RA was received/realized in Summer 

2005; completed and sealed in Winter 2006. The circle is closed, yet 

remains ever open. Comes in full-colour gatefold LP covers including a 

DVD (incluing one audio track of 30 minutes) + A2 Color Poster and is 

limited to 500 copies." [label description] 

* HODELL, AKE & DAVID GRUBBS - Igevär / Yellow Sky LP 

(Kning Disk / Hall Tjäften KDHT001, 2004) [lim. 327 copies] 

€ 20.00 

Rare Scheibe mit zwei unveröffentlichten Stücken des legendären 

schwedischen Sound-Poetikers AKE HODELL (unglaubliche Stimmen- 

Drones, von 1963 und 1965, extrem!), dazu hat HODELL-Fan DAVID 

GRUBBS eine theatralisches Hörspiel-artiges Stück komponiert! 

Weisses Vinyl, Klappcover, ausführliche liner notes. 

"The first release by Kning Disk is a 12 vinyl, consisting of two 

legendary works (one previously unreleased) by Swedish text-sound 

pioneer Ake Hodell; Igevr (1965) and General Bussig (1963), coupled 

with a specially composed piece by the north American popexperimental 

musician David Grubbs; Yellow Sky (2004). The cover is 

created by Swedish artist Elis E. Eriksson." [label info] 

* JESU - Conqueror do-LP (Conspiracy Records CORE046, 2007) 

€ 19.50 

First edition! More info see CD-section! 

"J. Broadrick triumphantly returns with his second, and quite 

appropriately titled, Jesu full-length (the follow-up to last year’s critically 

acclaimed Silver EP). Packed with eight gorgeously hypnotic tracks in 

just over an hour, Conqueror exhales a dreamlike mist of weighty 

celestial ambience, underwater phantasms and slow-rolling nebulae, 

fomenting the kind of kaleidoscopic rapture—brimming with lush 

electronics, dulcet guitar textures, massive riffs, and lavish atmospheric 

hues—that makes you swear you're on drugs." [label info] 

KALLABRIS - Shanghai Dortmund 12" (Genesungswerk GW15, 

2002) [ed. of 300] € 10.00 

Wieder ungewöhnlich! Kallabristischer Pop! „Mir träumte von Matrosen 

…“ ist ein textlicher Bestandteil dieses düster-marinen slow-mo obskur- 

Hits mit schleppendem Basslauf und einer surrealen Atmosphäre. 

“This is popmusic at its best! Rough and with edges to every side. A 

shanty-ballad, a waltz and droning chillouts, perfectly arranged, 

showing the overwhelming musical skills and poetic genius of Kallabris. 

This 12” submarine will take the club-scene by storm, definitely. 

Popmusik, wie sie sein muß! Rauh und kantig. Eine Shanty-Ballade, ein 

Walzer und dröhnende Chillouts - perfekt arrangiert -demonstrieren 

Kallabris’ überwältigende musikalische Fähigkeiten sowie sein 

poetisches Genie. Dieses 12“ U-Boot wird unzweifelhaft die Club-Szene 

im Sturm erorbern.“ [Ellen Persons] 

“Kallabris have musical craftsmanship, artistic vision and a sense of 

finding the balance between humor, entertainment and melancholy that 

makes them rather unique. As the first release I heard by them I think

they're definitively one of the most outstanding acts of current German 

music and not to miss.” [Brainwashed] 

Ist also genauso strange und einmalig wie das beschriebene hier klingt 

und kommt in einem recht schäbig aussehenden 12“ –Cover, aber so 

ist das nunmal bei ECHTEN dance-12“es!! 

BACK IN STOCK LAST COPIES!!!! 

* KARJALAN SISSIT - Tanssit on loppu nyt LP (Eternal Soul 

ESlp02, 2006) [lim. 399 copies] € 15.50 

Wer KARJALAN SISSIT jemals live erleben durfte, erinnert sich sicher 

an einen aggressiv-klaustrophobischen Act mit ekstatischem 

Alkoholeinsatz... das entsprechende Album dazu ist "Tanssit On Loppu 

Nyt", wo alkoholschwangere Fotos im Booklet, apokalyptischbedrohliche 

Klassik-Samples und Industrial-Lärm mit gesprochenen 

oder geschrienen Lyrics eine Einheit bilden, die in tiefe menschliche 

Abgründe führen... intensiv & beklemmend authentisch, von 

zermalmender Kraft & Verzweiflung .... Omnipotenz-Phantasien und die 

totale Selbstdestruktion liegen hier dicht beieinander... 

Dies ist die Vinyl-Version des Albums welches als CD by Cyclic Law 

erschien! 

"4th full lenght and 2nd for Cyclic Law from one of Sweden's most 

respected Martial/Industrial act. Quoted from Markus Pesonen himself 

"This is my personal W.A.R. against everything that reveals my hate! 

You are the enemy! "... so you can expect a logical follow up to his last 

album where Anti socialism, Bitterness and Alcoholism are still at the 

center stage of his purpose and where harsh industrial passages, 

aggressive vocal lines and soft ambient textures collide with intense 

bombastic outbursts. The album was again exquisitely produced by 

Peter Bjärgö at Erebus Odora. " [press release Cyclic Law] 

Vinyl-Version of the album that appeared as CD on Cyclic Law! 

* KEMIALLISET YSTÄVÄT - Alkuärkä LP & 7" (Beta-Lactam Ring 

Records mt122 & mt066, 2007) € 23.50 

In der Version mit 7" soll es nur 150 Stück geben, das neue Werk der 

finnischen Geräusch-Folker, mit ihrem dadaistisch kreatürlichen Chaos- 

Primitivism Drone-Psych.. (oh was für ein Wortgebilde, die Musik 

scheint zu wirken..) 

"One of our favorite slabs of freaky Finnish forest folk, now 

available on lp!! Pressed on thick vinyl in a deluxe jacket with a 

printed inner sleeve and all new artwork! 

The 18 tracks found here are a riotous festival of Finnish 

folk-psych. A pagan parade in a forest glade. Abstract, druggy, dark, 

delightful... We're always entranced by Kemialliset Ystavat's damaged 

improv folk mystery, and Alkuharka is yet another reason for us to 

keep saving our pennies in order to afford a trip to Finland (lucky 

Andee's been there once already). Anyone into anything along the 

lines of Tower Recordings, Thuja, Trad Gras Och Stenar, Six Organs Of 

Admittance, the whole Broken Face 'zine scene (to whom Kemialliset 

mainman Jan Anderzen used to contribute much art) will want/need 

this. Horns flutes guitars drones bells tapes voices feedback. 

Wheezing buzzing bliss. With contributions from honorary Finns Dylan 

Nyoukis (Prick Decay) and Campbell Kneale (Birchville Cat Motel), Jan 

and company are the true underground krautrock heirs, making music 

so long haired that it's furrier than any Animal Collective. Music from 

the soundtrack to The Wickermoomin, perhaps" [Aquarius Records] 

* KIRCHENKAMPF - Probe 7" (Cohort Records CRV001, 1997) 

[lim. 300] € 6.00 

Kam überraschend nochmal rein, das allererste KIRCHENKAMPF- 

Vinyl! Allerletze Kopien! "Auf einer Seite weisse Artwork (Farbe) auf 

schwarzem Vinyl, auf der anderen ein feines Stück elektronischsphärischer 

Klangkunst; erste Single von diesem Projekt aus Indiana, 

USA. Auflage 300 Stck Cohort Records 1997" [Drone Rec. info 1998] 

"Wow. This 1-sided 7" really took me by surprise. This is a virtually 

indescribable piece of music, managing to sound completely 

otherworldly, and much more dense than one would normally expect 

from a 7" single. It sounds like the inner workings of some alien 

spacecraft, operating by robotic insects. The tone reminds me of 

Phaedra-era Tangerine Dream. Exceptional." [Thad Engeling, ND #21] 

* KTL - same do-LP (Aurora Borealis ABX014, 2007) [ed. of 700] 

€ 26.00 

Luxus Vinyl-Edition (Klappcover, Poster) der ersten VÖ des neuen 

Projekts von STEPHEN O'MALLEY und PITA. Sanfte Drones und 

geheimnisvolle Gitarrensounds, aber auch mächtige Sub-Bass-Walzen 

& Akkorde die eher nach SUNN O))) klingen, elektronisches Sirren & 

Rauschen.. die Synthese aus Laptop-Glitch & Drone Metal Doom... 

"Threatening new collaboration taking in parallel worlds of Extreme 

Computer Music and Black Metal. KTL is Stephen O'Malley (SUNNO))), 

Khanate) and Peter Rehberg (PITA). A six part collision amongst the 

increasingly fading prescences between the light and the dark. This 

work came about as the two were composing sound and music for a 

piece by Gisele Vienne and Dennis Cooper, entitled 'Kindertotenlieder'. 

Pieces were recorded in a resistance fortress in southern France during 

a thunderstorm. Others in a wintergarden drenched in the sunlight. 

Amazing collaboration between Peter Rehberg (PITA) and Stephen 

O'Malley (SUNN O))), GINNUNGAGAP). 

Distro LP version on black ("night") vinyl, edition of 700 in this colour. 

Comes in double printed inner bags, in a double printed deluxe gatfold 

jacket with an A1 poster on heavyweight paper." [label info] 

* KTL - 2 do-LP (Thrill Jockey 188LP, 2007) € 16.50 

Vinyl-Version des zweiten KTL-Albums (CD auf Mego Editions), 

Klappcover. 

"KTL is Stephen O'Malley (Sunn O))), Khanate) and Peter Rehberg 

(Pita) -- a threatening collaboration taking in parallel worlds of extreme 

computer music and black metal. 2 is the devastatingly beautiful four 

part follow up to the acclaimed self-titled debut and was recorded in a 

former abattoir in Angers, as well as a 16th century manor in the 

extreme west of France. Taking the blueprint that was laid out on the 

first record even further, with the ecstatic build up of 'Theme,' the near 

psychedelic 'Abattoir,' and closing with the twisted romanticism of 'Snow 

2.' An upgrade both artistically and emotionally. As with the first album, 

elements appeared in the finished version of the theatre piece 

'Kindertotenlieder' by Gisele Vienne and Dennis Cooper, which was 

premiered in Brest, France, in March 2007." [label info] 

"... Not a year later, and KTL are back, with another sprawling 

journey, trawling through the bottomless depths of some hellish 

underworld and drifting weightless through a starless black sky. A 

bleak, but occasionally jarring landscape of sonic mystery rife with 

plenty of drone and buzz. The opener is a bleak expanse of 

claustrophobic sound, the sound of waking up in pitch blackness, wet, 

cold and alone, wandering blindly, feeling your way, hands rubbed raw 

from sliding along rough stone, the tiniest sounds magnified into some 

lurking beast ready to pounce, gusts of warm wind rush past, as do 

strange slithery shapes underfoot, you can hear the wide open space 

towering overhead, but you can feel the walls closing in, suffocating. 

Gorgeously dark and bleak, ominous and so creepy. The perfect music 

for being buried alive, miles below the surface of the Earth. As the first 

track dissipates, a strange percussive thump gradually surfaces, a 

heartbeat maybe... a dense layered backdrop of shimmering low end 

and muted pulses undulates beneath the murky throb, very slowly 

building in intensity, as streaks of high end grit and buzzing glitch, and 

strange high pitched melodic fragments begin to materialize all around, 

like suddenly finding yourself inside a lightning storm, it's almost pretty, 

but still sharp and jagged. As the upper register peals intensify, they 

suddenly coalesce into some sort of deafening angelic chorus, a 

gorgeous layered textural wall of dreamlike skree, some demonic string 

section, surprisingly melodic beneath all the sonic barbs and white hot 

buzz. Hard to describe other than to say it's a bit like Nadja or Jesu, run 

through a bank of alien FX pedals and broadcast through a million 

tweeters. So intense and gloriously blown out. 

The next step in the journey involves visiting the "Abattoir" (much of 

this disc was in fact recorded in an actual French abattoir) , and it 

sounds just like you'd imagine. A bit like O'Malley's SUNNO))), with 

layer upon layer of constantly shifting coruscating guitars, a drone metal 

Niblock maybe, stretched out and hypnotic, the texture of the guitar 

constantly ever changing, going from smooth and washed out to rough 

and sharp, a bit like Spacemen 3 or Loop at it's most propulsive, a sort 

of churning distorted chordal whir, and a lot like SUNNO))) at its most 

static. But all throughout, the rough raw shimmer is disrupted by all 

manner of textural disturbances, bits of grit and muted glitch and subtle 

shards of fragmented melody. 

Finally, the record winds down with an extended coda, thick 

shards of glistening guitar suspended in gauzy clouds of electronic 

flutter and swirls of soft sonic snow. Eventually the sharp edges are 

worn away leaving a strangely haunting slightly degraded Basinskiesque 

drift that is smoothed even further out, into shimmery spacey 

synths and sweet chordal swells that drift away leaving nothing but 

static." [Aquarius Records] 

* KRIWET, FERDINAND - Hörtexte / Radiotexts 3 x pic-LP Box 

(Edition RZ 9003 / 9004 / 9005, 2007) € 54.00 

"Sechs Hörtexte von Ferdinand Kriwet (*1942) in einer edel gestalteten 

3-LP-Picture-Disc-Luxus-Box

Ferdinand Kriwet (*1942) begann 

seine Radioarbeit 1961 mit dem 

Sprechtext "Offen". Es folgten 

"Sehtexte", die das traditionelle 

Medium Buch verließen und in 

Ausstellungen und auf 

Plakatwänden veröffentlicht 

wurden. Parallel dazu entwickelte 

Kriwet theoretische Manifestationen 

zur akustischen Literatur, die zur 

Grundlage für seine Radioarbeiten 

wurden. Bild und Ton komponierte 

er zu "Textfilmen", die in Mixed- 

Media-Shows in Kunsthallen, 

Ferdinand Kriwet (*1942) Kirchen und Kinos gezeigt wurden. 

Für seine vielfältigen Aktivitäten 

wurde er mit internationalen 

Preisen ausgezeichnet. Das Klangmaterial für seine "Hörtexte" 

entstammt hauptsächlich Rundfunk und Fernsehen, einem Sound-Pool, 

der uns auf allen Wellen ständig umgibt. Organisiert nach semantischen 

und musikalisch-rhythmischen Gesichtspunkten, fügen sich die 

Medienzitate zu eindrucksvollen auditiven Collagen. Die hier 

präsentierten Hörstücke verarbeiten die massenmedialen 

Repräsentationen der ersten bemannten Mondlandung (1969) und der 

amerikanischen Präsidentschaftswahlen 1973, Fragmente aus 

Sportreportagen und weiteres Sprach- und Klangmaterial aus dem 

Rundfunk. Mit "Voice of America", "Apollo America", "Campaign", "Ball", 

"Radioball" (Karl-Sczuka-Preis 1975) und "Radio" werden hier sechs 

seiner legendärer Radioarbeiten erstmals auf Tonträger veröffentlicht; 

auf den sechs Picture-Disc-LPs sind sechs seiner legendäre "Sehtexte" 

reproduziert." [Verlagsbeschreibung] 

Six radiotexts (created 1969 - 1983) and six great looking (so called) 

"viewtexts" of this german (sound poetry, etc.)-artist, reproduced on 3 

picture-LPs, comes in box with 12"-booklet, edition of 1000 copies. 

* KUUPUU - Yökehrä LP (Dekorder 016, 2006) € 12.50 

"jonna karanka aka kuupuu is one of the main movers of the 

(deservedly) much hyped finnish psychedelic free folk scene. originally 

hailing from tampere she is known as a core member of avarus, 

anaksimandros, kukkkiva poliisi and maniacs dream. additionally, she 

has recently started hertta lussu ässä with lau nau and islaja and has 

collaborated with tomutonttu (aka jan anderzen of kemialliset ystävät) 

and paavi (as lussu ja paavi). "yökehrä" is the first of two vinyl-only lp's 

on the dekorder label compiling the best material from her first four cd-r 

and cassette releases, all of which immediately became much sought 

after collector's items. this lp is a beautifull collection of haunting 

(sometimes spooky) home baked freeform folk songs, strange lo-fi 

loops, vocal drones and psychedelic cut-ups, made using weirdly tuned 

plucked and strummed strings, bells, clattery percussion, unidentifiable 

wind instruments, backwards tape loops and a ton of other noisemakers 

all played and recorded by herself; accompanied by her distinctive voice 

(often looped and layered) with vocals sung and whispered in her native 

finnish language making the whole atmosphere even more haunting 

and mysterious. jonna karanka creates an intimate space where the 

listener feels like sitting next to her in a small chamber or outside in the 

woods where kuupuu sings a lullaby just for him. housed in a full colour 

sleeve with beautifull design / drawings / collage artwork by jonna 

karanka herself." [label info] 

"...Compared to Uton, her music is more introspective, made with a 

wide range of acoustic instruments, voice, cheap electronics and toys 

and continuously shifting between harsh noisy drones and fragile 

improv clatter, often with a song-like quality, but rarely actually turning 

into a consistent tune. The sound is usually a bit muffled and together 

with Jonna singing and whispering in her native language, with its soft 

intonation and all its beautiful sharp sounds and long vowels, this adds 

a highly intimate quality to these tracks. Despite her way of singing, her 

frequent use of toys, and the simple compositional structures of her 

pieces, I would hesitate to call Kuupuu's approach to sound and 

composition naïve, child- or even pixie-like, as it can be read here and 

there in reviews. There is, however, something raw and very direct to it 

that evokes an atmosphere of joyful curiosity on some tracks and 

introvert, monochrome intensity on others." [MSS / Vital Weekly] 

* LESCALLEET, JASON - The Pilgrim pic-LP (Glistening 

Examples GLEX0601, 2006) € 35.00 

Ein sehr persönliches Dokument und Sammlerstück vom USamerikanischen 

Geräuschmusiker JASON LESCALLEET (seinem 

verstorbenen Vater gewidmet), das einen in seiner Intimität und 

Privatheit irritiert. Picture-LP, Farbbooklet, Klappcover, und CD. 

"An audio documentation of this electronics-and-tape artist's coming to 

terms with the death of his father. The LP documents a performance 

JASON LESCALLEET gave after discovering his father had terminal 

cancer; its floor-rattling flux of abrasive, low tones invokes the purr of a 

Chevy's engine Lescalleet's father discusses in a letter reproduced on 

the record jacket. A snippet of the final conversation he had with his 

father is buried in a heat-haze of tape hiss and air conditioner hum. The 

CD further extrapolates on Lescalleet's father's email; its 74 minutes 

move from dreamlike bell tones, through abraded, metallic hum, 

escalating into fierce, brutalizing waves of noise which then cut to a 

recording of Lescalleet's daughter singing the Irish folk song "Molly 

Malone" at her grandfather's request. The book in which the CD is 

mounted has plenty more text and images. If you aren't staggered by 

The Pilgrim, there's something wrong with you." [label info] 

"....For The Pilgrim, Lescalleet has created an incredibly emotional and 

moving tribute in sound, to his father, who found a strange and 

surprising appreciation for his son's music. A combination of field 

recordings, old tape recordings and live performance, this set is both 

musically ambitious, and sweetly personal. A combination that in less 

capable hands could have turned into something maudlin and 

schmaltzy, instead, The Pilgrim is simply beautiful. The picture disc 

features two recordings, both moving in their own way. The first is a live 

performance recorded shortly after the discovery that his Father's 

cancer was terminal. Lescalleet begins the set by reading an email from 

his father, where he explains how much he liked his son's music, and 

how it reminded him of being young and laying on the floor of the car 

and feeling the vibrations rumble through his body. And the sounds of 

bells. Both rich memories for his father. So Lescalleet performs a piece 

incorporating those elements, the parts of his music that so moved his 

father. And it is indeed lovely. Deep rumbles, subtle whirs, slowly 

drifting from barely there shimmer to cavernous roar, but usually 

hovering dreamily somewhere in between. Toward the end, the sound 

grows more corrosive, with subtle rhythms surfacing amidst the crackle 

and buzz, before winding down to silence. The second recording is a 

little difficult to listen to, and is extremely intense and personal. While 

Lescalleet's father was in the hospital, he gave him a hand held 

recorder, thinking it might lift his spirits to be able to record messages 

and his thoughts. But his father was incapable of having long 

conversations, so the whole side is a recording of a hospital room, with 

bits of mumbled speech, footsteps, snatches of conversations in the 

hall, very stark and lonely sounding, the room giving the recording a 

strange natural reverb. Incredibly moving... 

The cd is a new 70 minute piece based on those same sounds 

Lescalleet's father found so appealing: bells, chimes, rumbling 

vibrations. And it's a gorgeous piece of minimal dronemusic. Murky and 

bleary eyed, a slow almost funereal drift, the low end sometimes 

throbbing like the engine of a car, but just as often glistening in abstract 

smears. Part way through, more and more melody surfaces 

amidst the dreamy drones, before the track devolves into some serious, 

and very cathartic noise, crumbling, ultra distorted howls of white noise 

and blown out buzz, eventually fading out, leaving just the voice of 

Jason's daughter singing to her grandfather while he was in the 

hospital, an old Irish folk song. As her song ends, the record drifts off 

with a dark and barely audible coda of softly struck bells. So intense 

and poignant and absolutely gorgeous to listen to. 

The packaging is divine as well, a deluxe gatefold sleeve, a rich 

blue on the outside, inside a painting by Lescalleet's brother of their 

Dad, as well as the printed out email. The lp is a picture disc, one side 

an old fashioned tape reel, the other a photo of Lescaleeet's Dad eating 

cake. Inside is a deluxe booklet, with the cd in a pouch on the inside of 

the cover, lots of liner notes, photos, notes on each track and the whole 

story of this record." [Aquarius Records] 

* LOPEZ, FRANCISCO & MYKEL BOYD - Untitled # 157 / 

Megalithium One 10" (lathe-cut) [lim. 60] € 23.00 

Sammlerstück mit prächtig arrangierten rauschigen Sample-Loops & 

Cut-ups von LOPEZ und fast subsonischen anmutenden Stonehenge 

field-recording drones von MYKEL BOYD... 

"Maybe you have seen the word Lathe Cut before, and you don't what it 

is It's a piece of thin plastic, in which grooves are cut with music. It's 

done only (as far as I know) by Peter King in New Zealand. There are 

several people who collect what he cuts, since the editions can be very 

small - fifteen is the minimum I believe - and they can turn out to be true 

collectors items. The sound is not always too great, and can't be 

compared to vinyl. On the split record by Mikeal Boyd and Francisco 

Lopez - limited to a mere sixty copies - this disadvantage has been 

used as an advantage. Mikeal Boyd, who released this on his own 

Somnimage label (who also released an excellent set of three Hafler 

Trio 7"s in a wooden box), uses field recordings from Stonehenge, and 

which sound like a small campfire and a far away overhead plane or car 

passing. The static crackles of the fire are perhaps (!) processed into 

loops, and mingle nicely with the crackles of the lathe cut itself. 

Something similar does Francisco Lopez on the other side. Here he 

manipulates eight two second samples by one Luis Marte. It's not easy 

to tell what these samples should sound like, but Lopez creates a dense 

pattern with them, and after a slow start, things go up in volume quite a

it and the hiss and crackle become alive. At one point half way through 

there is even a bit of rhythm to be traced and that is something which is 

really an odd ball in the work of senor Lopez. When it cuts out towards 

the end, Lopez cleverly leaves some space blank on his master, but of 

course on a lathe cut there is nothing such as silence and the blank 

space is therefore nicely filled with more hiss. Nice exploitation of what 

some could see a disadvantage. Great record." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* MASONIC YOUTH - Going down 7" (Smittekilde SMK R 002, 

2006) € 7.00 

Melancholic low-fi (electronic ghost-folk) stuff from this dutch project, 

quite obscure and nice! 

"A Danish 33rpm 7" release from this spooky Dutch group. Includes 

samples from Erik Satie, Klamman & Abraxas an www.incubala.org. 

Comes with a two-sided 11" x 17" gatefold poster featuring a glory and 

hilarious Chick tract parody." [label info] 

* MLEHST - Vilification of the english peasant class LP 

(Diophantine Discs n=11, 2007) [ed. of 300] € 15.00 

Eigentlich müsste MLEHST Preise gewinnen für die aussergewöhnlichste 

& einfallsreichste Titelgebung. Der Titel dieser LP heisst 

übersetzt etwa "die Herabwürdigung der englischen Bauernklasse".... 

klanglich ist das wieder äusserst herausfordernde, zermürbende Musik, 

mit eher hochfrequenten, Sinuston-artigen Drones, Cut-Ups, 

Feedbacks, insgesamt weniger krachig und "auskomponierter" als auf 

den Tapes der 90er, obgleich es auf der B-Seite harsche Rauschfelder 

gibt . Exzellent ! 

"Diophantine Discs is pleased to announce the release of a new LP... 

Mlehst - Vilification of the English Peasant Class. 

After an extremely active period of recording between 1992 and 1998, 

Mlehst returned in 2005 to bring back his unique experimental noise 

music in a fashion as focused and intriguing as ever. "Vilification of the 

English Peasant Class" is a 3-track LP composed of invigorating and 

often unsettling music replete with drones, feedback, and cut-ups. The 

first side is very structured and precise, whereas the second side 

presents a more improvised and intense variation on the themes 

presented in the former. This is sure to appeal to fans of noise, drone, 

and experimental music in general. 

Releasing an extensive number of recordings since 1992, England's 

Mlehst has always managed to capture the more experimental regions 

of noise music. His own Bandaged Hand Produce label was rather 

prolific in this realm as well. With his return in 2005 (and the 

establishment of Belief Recordings) we can only hope this trend will 

continue. Mlehst has released on a variety of labels over the years, 

including Self Abuse, Mother Savage, Absurd, Drahtfunk, Nihilist, and 

The Locus Of Assemblage. Additionally he has collaborated with or 

been released on splits with Runzelsturn & Gurgelstock, Brume, Smell 

& Quim, Crack Fierce, and Macronympha. 

Pressed on clear vinyl and housed in a clear sleeve with sticker affixed 

to the front. Limited to 300 copies." [label info] 

* MNEM - Engrama LP (Segerhuva SEGER19, 2007) [lim. 270] 

€ 14.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der lange vergriffenen fantastischen ersten 10" 

des finnischen Projekts & Drone Records-Artist, dazu ein langer Bonustrack 

aus dem Jahre 2000. 

"This material is a re-release of their first 10" which originally came out 

on Kaos Kontrol in late 1999, limited to a mere 100 copies, and as this 

work certainly is one of their best we promptly decided to make it 

available again, this time with a long bonus track recorded in 2000. 

Undoubtedly calmer than the "Golyma" LP yet still intensive 

experimental industrial with post-electroacoustic undertones. 

Organically flowing drones and hypnotic, grinding loop sounds of 

vintage analog sound processing via old reel-to-reel tape recorders and 

treatments. Some even time-stopping moments included here. Limited 

this time to 270 copies in black sleeves with cut n' pasted front and back 

covers." [label info] 

* MOUTHS / HAPTIC - 1V2E / Danjon Scale LP (Entr'acte E37, 

2006) [ed. of 200] € 15.50 

"Mouths is a project by Jon Mueller and Jim Schoenecker using 

percussion, analogue synthesizer, shortwave radio, and human voice. 

Their focus is on combining elements to create a chorus of sorts, 

culminating in all ‘mouths’ emitting their voices together without 

negating one another. This version of 1V2E, recorded live in concert in 

Milwaukee last year, features the addition of Werner Moebius on 

computer and devices. Haptic, a Chicago-based trio, consists of Steven 

Hess (Pan American/Dropp Ensemble/On/Fessenden), Joseph Mills 

(Jonathan Chen/Dropp Ensemble), and Adam Sonderberg (Civil 

War/Dropp Ensemble). Initially conceived as a vehicle for live 

collaboration, Haptic has since incorporated a different, rotating fourth 

member for each performance. For Danjon Scale,Haptic’s 

second published composition, the emphasis was on constructing a 

larded unfurling of sonorous information." [label info] 

* N - Bergen do-LP (Genesungswerk GW17, 2003) [ed. of 300] 

€ 16.00 

"N ist das Soloprojekt des MULTER-Mitglieds Hellmut Neidhardt, und 

diese do-LP nach einer vielversprechenden 7“ das erste längere Werk 

von ihm. Auf BERGEN türmen sich träge monolithische Gitarren-drones 

und -feedbacks zu beeindruckenden Klangmassen auf. Die Atmosphäre 

ist meditativ und von gravitätischer Schwere. 

THOMAS KÖNER hat hier übrigens beim Mastering ausgeholfen. 

Absolutely recommended for guitar-drone fans (STARS OF THE LID, 

WINDY & CARL, etc..).. more than one hour of finest guitar-drones of 

[multer]-guitarist Hellmut Neidhardt. Mastered by Thomas Köner. 

BACK IN STOCK LAST COPIES !! 

* NEUROSIS - Given to the Rising do-LP (Neurot Recordings NR- 

050, 2007) € 17.50 

Limitierte Vinyl-Version im Gatefold-Cover, Detail-Info siehe -> CDs 

* ONE ENSEMBLE OF DANIEL PADDEN - The Owl of Fives LP 

(Textile Records TLP4, 2003) € 14.00 

Erste Solo-LP des VOLCANO THE BEAR-Mitglieds! 

"in much the same way as richard youngs and simon wickham-smith, or 

the early third ear band, padden uses traditional folk structures as the 

basis for much of songs here. but other, even more esoteric, influences 

are at work here as well: southeast asian traditional musics, acoustic 

jazz flourishes, perhaps even the mystical minimalism of terry riley. so 

what does all this mean for the listener a strange and beautiful 

amalgam of (mostly) wordless vocals, stumbling piano, scurrying cello, 

mournful kazoo interludes, deranged waltzes, and stuff that's totally 

unidentifiable combined into padden's skewed and wayward outsider 

music." [label info] 

* ORGAN EYE - same LP (Staubgold 74, 2007) [lim. 250] 

€ 16.50 

Traumhafte Kombination zweier unserer Lieblings- Minimal & Drone- 

Projekte, OSSO EXOTICO und MINIT! Hammond-Orgel, Violine, Synth, 

eine Bass-Trommel und mit Bogen bespielte Klavierseiten formen zwei 

lange Drone-Mandalas, die eine überraschend rauhe Gestalt annehmen 

und volle Aufmerksamkeit erfordern... 

Die Vinyl-Version im wunderschönen Siebdruckcover ist auf 250 Stück 

limitiert ! For more infos, see -> CD section ! 

* O'ROURKE, JIM - 6 Oscillators 87 - Guitar 88 LP (No Fun 

Productions NFP-04, 2006) [lim. 500] € 16.00 

Rares Material aus O'ROURKEs experimenteller Drone-Phase !! 

Low-fi Oszillationen und Gitarren-Gongs, ruhig & geräuschaft auf Seite 

1, die B-Seite spannend & schwelend & sezierenden Noise 

ausbrechend. Geheimnisvolle Dronescapes. 

"'A lost piece in time from 1987 and a lost piece in time from 1988. 6 

oscillators announces destruction and the future thats today, as gigantic 

synthetic sound bounces your brain to to total meltdown, only dust 

remains. guitar rebuilds you and prepares you to face the reality of life. 

thet time for battle is now. unreleased until today, limited to 500 no fun 

style artwork. Jim rules." [label info] 

* PACIFIC 231 - Ethnicities LP (Rotorelief ROTOR002, 2006) 

[lim. 400] € 17.00 

Das Industrial-Projekt von PIERE JOLIVET, der auch Bestandteil der 

fantastischen VOX POPULI! gewesen sein soll. "Ethnicities" ist eine 

Zusammenstellung von bisher unveröffentlichtem Material. 

Dies ist die limitierte Vinyl-Version, sie erscheint auf dem gleichen Label 

das auch kürzlich die COILECTIF-Compilation herausgab. 

"'Ethnicities is an electro-acoustical scope of unreleased recordings of 

Pacific 231's post-industrial period. Successive and consecutive cuts 

were made until he put together the concept of the album as: pluricultural 

diversity of the sounds, tropical steams, exotic journeys & 

electronic man-made build-up manipulations, urban dins and industrial 

mazes, ' Ethnicities ' is a psychedelic and unexpected patchwork from 

Pacific 231." [label info] 

* RLW - Contours Imaginaires 10" (Substantia Innominata SUB- 

06, 2007) [ed. of 500] € 12.00 

RLWs Beitrag für unsere Reihe über das 'Unsagbare' benutzt als 

Klangquelle nur ein kurzes Piano-Extrakt mit Stimme, aus welchem 

dann drei Stücke sozusagen re-fragmentiert werden, die intensive und 

hochspannende Trips in RLWs "Imaginäre Konturen" ermöglichen... 

Titel & Klangmaterial stehen dabei in komplexen Inter-Relationen, sehr 

emotional & tief gehende Sounds und ein ausgefeiltes Konzept stehen 

hier wieder in einer perfekten Balance. Das ganze auf gelb-orangenem 

Vinyl mit ungewöhnlicher Textur, das Cover kommt vom Oldenburger 

Artworker OLIVER JAKOBI.

"After a break SUBSTANTIA INNOMINATA is back with a terrific 3-track 

10" by the prolific german composer RLW (who started his activities 

back in the early 80's and was the main member of the legendary 

german experimental outfit P16.D4). The full title is: CONTOURS 

IMAGINAIRES. The whole composition is based on only few seconds of 

piano-sounds and vocals (the rest is "imagination") and the track-titles & 

pieces offer strong inter-relations in a complex way. 

The used sounds develop through imagination & decay ("denaturing 

transformations") and appear in the pieces with different emphases. 

The "classical" piano-sounds and its highly processed permutations are 

set in contrast with the highly emotional voice-material, like entering a 

convoluted labyrinth of voice-frazzles, drones & fragmented strange 

sounds...... 

Being on a microlevel ("phantasized cell"), judging the decay of 

shadows. Are these the memories of single cells The shadow of 

abrasion-processes The slow decay of imaginations 

A fantastic work where conceptual thoughts and emotionally driven 

acoustics merge in a perfect way. 500 copies, colour-vinyl, full colour 

artwork by Oliver Jakobi" [label description] 

* SCHNÄBI GAGGI PISSI GAGGI - same 12" (Tochnit Aleph Punk 

Series Volume 4 / TA068, 2007) € 12.00 

Dada-Noise supergroup with RUNZELSTIRN & GURGELSTOCK and 

SUDDEN INFANT-members! You have been warned! 

"Tochnit Aleph Punk Series Volume Four. Featuring Joke Lanz - 

Ventilatorbass, Celèste Urech - Drums & Lyrics, Rudolf Eb.er - 

Vacuumvocals. Recorded live in Kölliken, Switzerland 92-02-27 at 3pm. 

Written by Celèste Urech (3 years of age + the son of Joke), except 

"Elisabeth Kopp" written by Joke Lanz & Rudolf Eb.er. Limited Edition of 

519 copies." [label info] 

* SHIFTS - Trees / Leaves LP (Entr'acte E43, 2007) € 14.00 

Dies soll die allerletzte SHIFTS-Veröffentlichung sein, dem reinen 

"drone" oder "minimal" Projekt von FRANS DE WAARD. Zwei 

wunderbar organische, aber sehr "nahe" und konkrete Drones, die eher 

nach Streichern klingen (aber auf einer viersaitigen spanischen Gitarre 

beruhen) breiten sich hier aus, etwas fuzzy, auf "Trees" mit 

Glockenklang-artigen Überlagerungen und Obertönen.... eine 

überzeugene Abschiedvorstellung von SHIFTS! 

"This record is Shifts’ probable farewell, following over a decade of 

recordings and concerts. Initiated by Frans de Waard for a ‘soft guitar’ 

record on Richo Johnson’s Fourth Dimension label in 1995, the project 

has evolved to include many releases, all distinguished by their singular 

instrumentation (including two deviations from the guitar — Sonates 

and Interlude uses the piano, while One Piece for Cymbal has a single 

cymbal). Trees/Leaves was made with a four-string Spanish guitar 

de Waard bought for one Euro on Koninginnedag (Dutch Queen’s Day) 

in 2004. Besides running his Korm Plastics label and recording 

variously as Kapotte Muziek, Goem, Freiband or Captain Black, Frans 

de Waard is also the founder and editor of Vital Weekly, the music news 

and reviews bulletin he had been publishing 48 times a year since 1987 

— an impressive commitment in our fickle times. First edition of 200 

copies" [label info] 

"Added liner notes to a release are a bliss for both the listener as the 

reviewer: they put the music into context, often adding an additional 

perspective to the composer's work. On this album the liner notes 

include the full history of Shifts as well as an explanation why this work 

was recorded. In short: Shifts was formed in 1995 when Frans de 

Waard (Shifts' main- and only man) discovered the electrical guitar, 

which is interesting when you realize that De Waard is not an 

instrument-man at all; he is best at working with sounds rather than 

playing them on an instrument. Over the years, De Waard created 

many Shifts pieces, which are mostly layered re-workings of guitar 

sounds in a traditional Steve Reichian-way. Personal favorite of Shift 

records is the limited album "Leaving/At Last" which is well-worth 

hunting for if you got time, money and patience (as it is limited to 25 

copies!). However, after a number of vinyl and CD releases and live 

performances, De Waard decided to stop working as Shifts. The reason 

was that he felt he had reached his limitations of what he considered 

possible by using the electrical guitar as sound source. This is a praise 

worthy decision and I know quite a few artists who would benefit from a 

similar decision. When, in 2004, De Waard bought a 4 string 

Spanishguitar he recorded the final three Shifts pieces; Trees, Leaves 

and Branches, two of which appear on this album. Both Trees and 

Leaves are long minimal layered guitar experiments, with just enough 

variation and depth to warrant your attention and enough similarity to 

lull you into a comfortable listen. Those qualifications are what makes 

this album great and probably the best Shifts album out there. One 

small, but very important point of criticism though. The Entracte 

releases do not come in an LP cover. Instead, they are packed in 

plastic with the record in a plastic inner sleeve and a flimsy piece of 

paper. This is an insult for the artist and his/her music. Do not let the 

packaging stop you from getting this album though; it's the best Shifts 

you'll ever buy!" [FK / Vital Weekly] 

* SIGUR ROS - In a Frozen Sea: A year with Sigur Ros (Vinyl 

Collection) 7 x LP-Box / Map (Artists in Residence AINR001, 

2007) € 180.00 

Irre Veröffentlichung, das Gesamtwerk von SIGUR ROS auf Vinyl (7 

LPs) in einer Art dickem Photoalbum mit Extra-Farbbooklet, unglaublich 

schön aufgemacht, auf 5000 nummerierte Exemplare limitiert. Der Preis 

ist heftig aber dies ist eine absolute Ausnahme-Veröffentlichung. 

"Encased in a hard cover album, this deluxe version contains a repressing 

of 3 classic Sigur Ros LP's: Agaetis Byrjun, ( ), and Takk. As a 

special bonus, Smaskifa which has never before been released in a 12" 

format is included in the set (7 total pieces of vinyl). These LP's slip into 

seven individually customized vinyl sleeves which are designed with 

original photography from the 2006 Takk tour. The classic publication is 

included in this package, and slips into a customized jacket inside the 

back cover." [label info] 

* SONIC YOUTH - Sonic Nurse do-LP (Goofin' Records GOO- 

006, 2004) € 15.00 

"After twenty-three years of explosive creativity Sonic Youth throws 

down what may be their heaviest classic since the genre-breaking 

Daydream Nation. Nurse is the nineteenth long player by the New York 

City supernova, an action explosion Time magazine has already tagged 

as "Sonic Youth's most adventurous and soul-stirring release to date, 

by a goddamn country mile." Ten songs of American beauty and sonic 

death: on "Pattern Recognition" Kim Gordon takes Justin Timberlake's 

hand and sticks it in a tendon-shredding meat grinder; they gay 

marriage the hell out of religious zealot war pigs Cheney, Rumsfeld, 

Bush and Ashcroft with the meditative "Peace Attack"; Bare Trees-era 

Fleetwood Mac jams with Jealous Again-era Black Flag on the heartpounding 

"Unmade Bed" and "I Love You Golden Blue"; the core 

reactor awesomeness of "Paper Cup Exit" reduces such legends as 

Led Zeppelin and Yes to just so much British schoolboy whimpering." 

[label info] 

* SONIC YOUTH - Destroyed Room: B-sides and raritites do-LP 

(Goofin' Records GOO-012, 2007) € 15.00 

"Now available on vinyl!! A totally fantastic collection of Sonic Youth b- 

sides and rarities spanning the years 1994-2003 with the bulk of the 

material coming from the Jim O'Rourke years of 2001-3. This is Sonic 

Youth at their most expansive. Except for three tracks, this is an allinstrumental 

Sonic Youth. Sprawling guitars, layers of sound, 

building tension, dreamy passages, all the elements that have made 

Sonic Youth one of the best bands of the last quarter century. In 

many ways this recalls some of their more experimental works released 

on their SYR imprint, while managing to still be very listenable and 

rewarding. It ends with an even longer version of their epic beauty 

"The Diamond Sea" which for many of us is the perfect snapshot of 

everything great about Sonic Youth. Once again, showing that their 

music is as relevant and timeless as ever!" [Aquarius Records] 

* STARS OF THE LID - And their Refinement of the Decline 3 x LP 

(Kranky Records KRANKY100, 2007) €18.50 

Vinyl-Version des neuen Albums (nach 5 Jahren), orchestraler und fast 

schon neo-klassischer zu nennender Breitwand-Ambient, so subtil und 

langsam wie es nur SOTL hinkriegen... full info at the CD-section! 

* SUDDEN INFANT & CARLOS GIFFONI - Oslo Oscillation LP 

(Entr'acte E40, 2007) [ed. of 200] € 15.50 

"This collaborative release has its origins in a joint performance which 

took place in ‘a shady pub in London’, according to Carlos. Recordings 

have since been exchanged and reworked, and finalised when the two 

played together again in Oslo last year. Based in Berlin and London, 

Joke Lanz toils ceaselessly to create new sounds. He crafts an abrupt 

musique concrète, a bewildering edifice of no-fi electronics, turntables, 

and unexpected and disorientating sound sources. Since 1986 he has 

appeared under a variety of guises, including Schimpfluch-Gruppe, 

Schnäbi Gaggi Pissi Gaggi, WAL, Catholic Boys in Heavy Leather, 

Opposite Opponents, and the ubiquitous Sudden Infant. 

Carlos Giffoni is a Venezuelan artist based in New York. His 

compositions utilise analogue and digital synthesis, modular 

manipulation, feedback systems, and rewired electronic instruments. 

He is a prolific performer, appearing with Thurston Moore, Jim 

O’Rourke, Kid 606, Merzbow and Smegma, amongst many others. 

Carlos is the curator of the annual experimental music No Fun Fest in 

Brooklyn, and also a member of no wave/noise/rock trio Monotract. 

First edition of 200 copies" [label info] 

"Two masters of noise team up. The old master from Switzerland is 

Joke Lanz, also known as Sudden Infant since about twenty years and 

Carlos Giffoni from Venezuala but since some time in New York. They 

met four or five years ago and have played together a number of times.

The record now released by Entr'acte was recorded in last two years in 

London and New York. For some reason I expected the full forty minute 

noise blast, but not so. Of course this record is not the softest discussed 

this week, but it turned out to be one interesting slab of sound collating 

through skipping vinyl, looping of sounds (which could be from reel to 

reel recorders) and manipulations through computers. Occasionally 

these things explode into noise, but throughout everything sounded 

more through out than I anticipated. After the recent release by Sudden 

Infant on Absurd which I didn't enjoy very well, this is a real blow in the 

face. Intelligent noise, well crafted." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* SUNEATERS - Cosmic Insight, Baby (Part 1) 10" (Reue um 

Reue RuR 005, 2007) [ed. of 347] € 16.00 

"Experiment! Zauberkessel aufstellen, als Zutaten zwei Musikverrückte" 

hineingeben und kräftig durchrühren. Ergebnis Das neue Projekt 

Suneaters, welches aus den Herren Tobias Fischer (Feu Follet, 

Einzeleinheit, Ex Ovo) und Mirko Uhlig (Aalfang mit Pferdekopf, Ex 

Ovo) besteht. Fernab ihrer sonstigen Wege komponierten Sie "nicht" 

neue Melodien für Millionen, aber ergeben sich dem Charme der "Alten 

Berliner Schule". Ungewöhnlich erschien mir im ersten Moment die 

Tatsache, dass Tobias Fischer und Mirko Uhlig nicht Suneaters auf 

ihren eigenen Labels Ex Ovo bzw. Einzeleinheit herausbringen. Der 

gewählte Weg, "Cosmic Insight, Baby (Part One)" auf der Ratzeburger 

Tonträgermanufaktur Treue um Treue (bzw. Reue um Reue) das Licht 

der Welt zu schenken, erscheint schlüssig, da diese Arbeit 

hervorragend in deren Konzept passt. 

Wer den Begriff "Alte Berliner Schule" nicht zuordnen kann, hier eine 

kleine geschichtliche Zeitreise. Mitte der 70er Jahre entwickelte sich in 

West Berlin ein eigenständiges elektronisches Genre durch 

Protagonisten wie Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze und Ash Ra 

Temple (Ashra). Die wichtigsten Elementarien der Richtung sind 

Synthesizerklänge und Mellotronsounds, die durch Drehen an 

Gerätereglern neue Atmosphären erschließen. Klaus Schulze blieb 

dieser Szene treu, hingegen Tangerine Dream wandert in den 80er 

Jahren in die konventionelle Musik ab. In den 90er blühte der Stil durch 

Künstler wie Bernd Kistenmacher, Mario Schönwälder, Frank Klare, 

Thomas Fanger, Detlef Keller und Uwe Saher neu auf. Die besten 

Zeiten der "Alten Berliner Schule" sind vergangen und werden wohl 

nicht wiederkommen. Heute tauchen einige Strukturen der "Alten 

Berliner Schule" in den Stilen "Trance" und "Goa Trance" auf und 

begeistern die Massen weltweit. 

Passend zu dieser Publikation "Cosmic Insight, Baby (Part One)" holten 

sich Tobias Fischer und Mirko Uhlig als Gastflötisten Steve Joeliffe, 

welcher auch bei Tangerine Dream und Supertramp tätig war. 

Die Kooperation "Suneaters" von Tobias Fischer und Mirko Uhlig 

könnte als reine Hommage an die 70er Jahre aufwarten. Nein, Sie 

haben es hier nicht mit einem zweiten Aufguss oder gar einem billigem 

Abklatsch zutun, sondern erhalten ein innovatives Angebot, welches 

zwar dem alten Zeitgeist gerecht wird, aber mit neuen modernen 

Einflüssen in die Welt der Träume entführt. Eine Kreuzung aus alten 

Synthesizer- bzw. Keyboard Klangflächen gepaart mit 

traummalerischen Drones ergießt sich der geneigten Hörerin bzw. dem 

geneigten Hörer auf "Cosmic Insight, Baby (Part One)". Von treibend 

bis atmosphärisch erstrecken sich die zwei langen Stücke 'Embryonic 

Pancake Empire' und 'Solar Suneaters Transmission' auf der A- bzw. B- 

Seite. Kein Frage, dieses Vinyl stellt für Fetischisten der alten 

elektronischen Klänge sicherlich ein Highlight dar, hingegen Freunde 

der modernen Elektrokunst sollten vor dem Kauf reinhören. Das 

Tondokument 'Solar Suneaters Transmission' bietet zu den 

hervorragenden Flötenparts von Steve Joeliffe, wundervoll leicht rituell 

anmutenden Gesang an, der den magischen Charakter des Oeuvres 

ein weiteres Mal unterstreicht. Die "Sammler und Jäger" schließen 

"Cosmic Insight, Baby (Part One)" definitiv in Ihr Herz, eine 

strenglimitierte Auflage von 347 handnummerierten Kopien, welche im 

goldenen 10inch Vinylgewand besticht. Fazit: Die Musik- bzw. 

Untergrundpioniere Tobias Fischer und Mirko Uhlig schaffen mit 

"Cosmic Insight, Baby (Part One)" den Spagat zwischen Oldschool und 

Moderne. Wer eine Kreuzung aus leichten Drones mit überlagerten 

Synthesizer- bzw. Keyboard Klanglandschaften sucht, kommt an 

"Cosmic Insight, Baby (Part One)" von Suneaters nicht vorbei. Ein 

weiteres Highlight der "Musikverrückten" Tobias Fischer und Mirko 

Uhlig. Hoffen wir, dass die Protagonisten uns schnell mit einem 

Nachschlag von Suneaters beehren, damit weitere Reisen in die 

Traumwelt gesichert sind. " [Feindesland] 

"The electronics of the legendary 70s "Berliner Schule" are coming back 

to life again! Tobias Fischer (Feu Follet/Naarmann und Neiteler) and 

Mirko Uhlig (solo/Aalfang mit Pferdekopf) are openly displaying their 

love for floating pads, pulsating sequencers, dynamic melodies and 

freely breathing soundscapes. The duo combines the warmth and 

deepness of analogue "cosmic music" with emotional drones and 

contemporary electronics. References are plentiful, ranging from the 

great pioneers Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze as well as Kluster 

and Eno to the magical musical territories of Coil, Robert Fripp and 

Mirror. Featuring the guest appearance of renowned ambient and 

classical composer Steve Jolliffe (founding member of Supertramp and 

Tangerine Dream) on flute." [label info] 

* SUNN O))) / BORIS - Altar 3 x LP (Soutern Lord SUNN62lp, 

2007) € 33.00 

Selten zuvor durften wir eine so eindrucksvoll gestaltete LP-Cover- 

Mappe, oder sollte man eher sagen "Buch", in den Händen halten.. 

dies ist die Vinyl-Version des epischen ALTAR-Werks, alles auf gelben 

Vinyl, mit Edel-Booklet, alles im Überformat !! Insgesamt soll es davon 

2000 Stück geben, was für SUNN O))) wohl inzwischen nicht mehr 

wirklich viel ist... 

"ALTAR" ist die langerwartete Zusammenarbeit beider "Avant-Metal"- 

Bands, die das Metal-Genre in Richtung Drone & experimentelle Klänge 

erweiterten.. neben tiefschwarzen Drones und Sumpf-Metal gibt es 

auch sehr überraschende Stücke & Passagen (unglaubliche 

Geräuschparts, aber auch melancholische Gesangstücke mit Piano- 

Einsatz (!), trancig-verträumte Flächen,...) und wieder sind diverse 

Gastmusiker dabei. 

"Okay vinyl nerds, the wait is finally over. The ultimate sludge doom matchup, 

East meets West, is now, in fact, available on vinyl!!! An insanely deluxe elaborate 

triple lp in an impossibly oversized sleeve, gorgeous matte finish, with gloss 

varnish filigree. Inside, a deluxe oversized 12" booklet of color photos, liner notes 

by Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, each of the three lps pressed on swirled green 

vinyl, housed black sleeves, printed in glossy black ink with various symbols. The 

whole thing is pretty mindblowing. Much like the music inside. PLUS!!! This deluxe 

version includes the 28 minute bonus track which was originally included as a 

bonus disc with the first few thousand cds, the amazing three way team up "Her 

Lips Were Wet With Venom" which adds Earth to the already stellar SUNNO))) / 

Boris mix. Phew!! These triple lps are limited to 2000 copies, we got a bunch, but 

odds are they will be gone in no time! And while the sticker on the front claims that 

there is a libretto included, it is actually referring to the picture book, so don't freak 

out when you can't find the 'libretto'... Anyway, here's what we had to say about 

the music: It was inevitable really. The Japanese masters of Orange Amppowered 

drone-sludge and the robed priests of low end doom. How could it not 

happen In fact, if you remember the 2005 April Fool's AQ list, we actually jokingly 

predicted this epochal event! Although in our version it also included Earth, each 

band playing one note of the world's heaviest E chord. The real question was 

never IF it would happen, it was when. And how. Especially how. C'mon, how on 

earth can you fit that many amps in a recording studio. They must have used an 

airplane hanger, either that or they filled a high school gymnasium with Sunn and 

Orange stacks and microphones, and actually played in an entirely different room. 

Regardless, it happened, and it sounds as good as you might imagine. Both 

bands completely compliment each other. SUNNO))), whose slow motion riffing 

borders on pure ambience, is given a serious propulsive shove, with more 

structured riffing and the addition of DRUMS!!! Boris get dragged back into the 

gloriously glacial tarpit of their older records, discarding their current garage rock 

rrrooooaaar for that classic slow motion doom trudge. However you look at it, 

it's basically the best record either band has put out. It's like an EVEN heavier 

SUNNO))), with bigger riffs and pulverizing doom rock drums, and of course 

wailing psychedelic leads. For Boris, they've taken their blown out grooves and 

dipped them in tar, added a million more pounds of guitar firepower and made the 

best Boris record since Flood. But it's not all pulverizing doom riffage. There's 

plenty of dark droning ambience too. Huge stretches of swirling guitar rumble, 

dreamy swaths of wispy steel string shimmer. murky and haunting, processed 

vocals and minor key melodies swimming in a black sea of echoey ambient 

guitars and sizzling cymbal shimmer. The strangest track is probably "The Sinking 

Belle (Blue Sheep)", sort of the Boris / SUNNO))) version of a torch song, with FX 

smeared piano, strange buried rhythms, and hushed vocals, like a doom metal 

Mazzy Star. The closer "Bloodswamp" is 14 minutes of churning downtuned 

guitars and shimmering Sunroof! like ambience. No riffs really, or if they are there, 

they're stretched into thick streaks of black fuzz. A furiously epic coda to a fucking 

amazing record. The first 2000 copies of the Altar lp include the bonus track "Her 

Lips Were Wet With Venom", a single 28 minute epic guest starring Dylan Carlson 

from Earth! Before we go any further... are you thinking what we're thinking... April 

Fool's SUNNO))) and Boris And Earth!!! And I bet you at least some of the bonus 

track is in E!! Boy, did we call it. And actually Atsuo from Boris confided in a friend 

of AQ that indeed, part of the reason they got Dylan to guest was because of that 

April Fool's review! How cool is that! 

Anyway, the bonus track is a monstrous wall of churning guitars, with 

occasional howled almost death metal vocals buried way down in the mix, and 

languorous Earth Hex-like twang guitar draped lazily above a churning blackhole 

ambience. So good. Besides Dylan Carlson of Earth, there are lots of other guest 

performers including Jesse Sykes, Joe Preston from Thrones (also ex- Melvins, 

ex-Earth), Kim Thayil from Soundgarden (aha) and Rex Ritter from Jessamine. 

So awesome!" [Aquarius Records] 

* SUNN O))) - Oracle LP (Southern Lord SUNN77, 2007) € 14.00 

Vinyl-only Veröffentlichung mit zwei Stücken, die für eine liveperformance 

mit dem New Yorker Künstler Banks Violette entstanden... 

herrlicher dark drone-Morast umfängt einen hier, sehr schön & fast 

elegant sonor der Beginn, bevor sich der Flüster- & Krächz-Gesang von 

ATTILA CSIHAR breitmacht (als Gesang kaum zu identifizieren), 

dazu Sounds eines Presslufthammers (), weitere Ritual-Choräle, 

rauschendes Metall & Gongartiges, auf Seite 2 kommen die SUNN O))) 

- typischen tiefbassigen Gitarren-Riff Strukturen zum Einsatz... 

insgesamt bleibt es im rituellen & grottigen dark-drone Bereich, 

zwei fantastische Stücke! Bisher nur auf Vinyl erhältlich, Edel- 

Klappcover, schweres Vinyl!

"Das kalifornische Duo Sunn O))) ist für seine Doom-Metal-Orgien 

berühmt. Stephen O’Malley und Greg Anderson komponieren ihre 

Musik aus langgehaltenen, mit elektronischen Mitteln geloopten, 

gepitchten und sonstwie manipulierten Gitarrendrones; dazu laden sie 

sich gern Gäste ein, die aus Erdhöhlen oder mikrofonierten Särgen dem 

Klangmulm untote Geräusche aufpflanzen. Auf ihrem neuen Album 

»Oracle« ist es der ungarische Kunstgrunzer Attila Csihar, der die 

beiden klaustrophoben Drone-Sessions »Belülrol Pusztit« und 

»Orakulum« mit verzweifelten Wimmergeräuschen bereichert. Csihar 

wurde vor allem durch seine Zusammenarbeit mit der norwegischen 

Black-Metal-Band Mayhem bekannt. So wirkte er auf deren legendärer 

1994er-LP »De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas« als Sänger; auch auf dem 

aktuellen Mayhem-Werk »Ordo Ad Chao« ist er zu hören." [Spex.de] 

"...Imagine a sealed white room, an otherwise-empty space with the 

cowled-in-black SUNNO))) set up on black risers, their massive 

backline of amplification and instruments also duplicated as full- scale 

frozen white sculptures manufactured of cast resin and salt by 

NYC artist Banks Violette. Entombed within, the band plays alone to 

no audience, the massive resonation of their sub-sonic prayers selfreferentially 

worshipful, a cosmos unto itself. This LP contains 

music written as the soundtrack to such a performance, which took 

place at a gallery in London, England in June of 2005. These actual 

recordings, though, were studio-recorded in 2006 and feature the core 

SUNNO))) duo of Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley joined by 

guests Atsuo (of Boris), Joe Preston (of Thrones), and Hungarian black 

metal icon Attila Csihar (of Mayhem). There's two side-long tracks: 

"Belulrol Pusztit" is a creepily quiet, hushed ceremony, Attila's 

whispering reptilian rasp met with rattlings and rumblings, hinting 

at the waves of distortion and feedback to be unleashed on the 

louder, heavier Skullflowering of "Orakulum"... DOOM!!" [Aquarius 

Records] 

* SUTCLIFFE JUGEND - Transgression LP (Dogma Chase 

DOGMA 004, 2007) [lim. 500] € 17.00 

"We are proud to announce the new album of the true innovative power 

electronics band from UK. SUTCLIFFE JUGEND 'Transgression' 

follows 'This Is The Truth' on Ground Fault Recordings and Hospital 

Productions. It comes absolutely standing and disturbing electronics 

noise which is thorough aggressiveness and total directly fierce vocals. 

Its tension is ultra violent including seditious for all of need it. We are 

sure that you feel strongly again they are still outstanding and are 

growing toward into the living truth. We would like to dedicate it for all of 

the human living with strength that continue to be honest and real 

NOISE fanatics. This release was sold at their first Japan tour in April. It 

comes on pure white vinyl with a A4 sized insert in textual sleeve with 

embossed band name. Limited to 500 copies." [label info] 

* TARENTEL - We move through weather do-LP (Temporary 

Residence Limited TRR67, 2004) € 16.50 

Vinyl-Version des Albums von 2004 mit Poster! 

"Though hardly a pop record, We Move Through Weather is the band's 

most focused album since their 1999 debut, From Bone To Satellite. 

However, the similarities stop there. Now stripped to a trio (SONNA's 

JIM REDD completes the lineup on drums), the sound is almost entirely 

intuitive. Virtually every song is built from expansive improvisations of 

sweeping drones and walls of discordant feedback all driven by 

ferocious drumming. Eight tracks strong." [label info] 

* TARENTEL - Ghetto Beats on the Surface of the Sun Vol. 3 LP 

(The Music Fellowship MF23, 2007) € 17.50 

"When we first heard the title of this new Tarentel FOUR LP 

series, Ghetto Beats On The Surface Of The Sun, the first two of 

which we raved about a little while back (both of which we still have 

in stock, although there are only a handful of copies left!) we were 

pretty sure they were being ironic, or facetious, or something, and 

there would be no beats, ghetto or otherwise, to be found anywhere, 

just their usual gorgeously slow shifting epic postrock soundscapes. 

But actually, these lps ARE all about the beats, not sure if they're 

'ghetto' or not, but they sure are dense and funky and weirdly 

rhythmic, from blissed out shuffling skitter to super propulsive 

krautrock pound, these discs are definitely a whole new side of 

Tarentel. A much more raw and ragged, caustic and groove based 

beast. 

It almost sounds like Tarentel covering This Heat, or a krautrock No 

Neck Blues Band, or maybe even Tussle via This Heat with a bit of 23 

Skidoo thrown in for good measure. 

While the framework of most of these songs is some dense web 

of percussive clatter or some sort-of-funky drum jam, these 

gorgeously hypnotic skeletal rhythms are surrounded on all sides by 

thick swaths of crumbling ambience, disembodied guitar loops and 

rumbling bass, thick swells of warm whir and all sorts of other 

random dreamlike shimmer. Often building into seriously caustic 

squalls, big churning white hot sonic swirls, each wrapped around 

beats that seem on the edge of falling apart, or splintering into 

rhythmic fragments. Maybe that's the ghetto angle, the beats are 

super lo-fi, blown out, strangely recorded, so they sound sort of 

alien, with lots of strange FX and stuttering stumbling variations. 

So fucking awesome. 

On volume three, the group start out by moving even further 

out into space (rock) on the ten minute "Stellar Envelope", blown out 

crumbling sheets of distorted psych guitar and dizzying FX wrapped 

around propulsive tribal beats, feedback everywhere, it almost sounds 

like Hawkwind with all the structure sucked out, leaving a huge 

swirling mass of psychedelic tribal ambience, while managing to still 

rock somehow. The rest of volume three area gorgeously obfuscated 

drift through a sonic landscape at once rough and lo-fi and 

blissfully lush, strange industrial clatter and clang is muted and 

smeared into mumbly ambience, guitars are looped into hypnotic 

stretches of throbbing drone, bits of dreamlike melody, simple 

spacious piano, are wreathed in fuzz and warped into gorgeous slabs 

of pop ambient fuzz, the whole thing is surprisingly tranquil and 

shimmery, especially after that opening salvo, and the dense rhythmic 

intensity of the first two volumes, but within the context of 

Tarentel's epic 4 part Ghetto Beat symphony, it couldn't sound more 

perfect. 

As much as we love pretty much everything Tarentel does, 

volume three of Ghetto Beats only further convinces us that this is 

by far the best stuff we've ever heard from these guys. So fantastic!" 

[Aquarius Records] 

* TARENTEL - Ghetto Beats on the Surface of the Sun Vol. 4 LP 

(The Music Fellowship MF24, 2007) € 17.50 

Vierter und letzter Teil der umwerfenden "Ghetto Beats"-Reihe! Post- 

Rock von grosser Intensität und grenzenüberschreitender 

Experimentierfreudigkeit! 

"Tarentel's predominantly instrumental compositions read like chapters 

of an epic novel - vast and absolutely breathtaking. Tarentel's tidal force 

and blissful elegance elicit the kind of ecstatic response their name 

suggests. This album is being released as a series of 4 limited 12" LPs, 

each between 30 and 40 minutes... 

The four LPs are comprised of studio and home recordings from 

September '04 to April '05, Ghetto Beats On The Surface Of The Sun 

isn't your grandma's Tarentel. It will eat your face, make you shake your 

ass, with a healthy dose of psychedelic fever and blast off moon landing 

thrown in for good measure. Take your medicine! " [label info] 

* TARENTEL - Home Ruckus: Double-sided Air 7" (Type 

Records TYPE 011, 2007) [lim. 500] € 7.00 

Rare 7" der kalifornischen Post-Rock / Drone-Band ! 

"Home Ruckus: Double-Sided Air is the latest emission from San 

Francisco's shape-shifting post-post rockers, Tarentel. With references 

to the clattering percussion of Chris Corsano, the droning ambience of 

Mirror or Stars of the Lid and the hefty improv of Sunburned Hand of the 

Man, the band have found a fresh voice. Made up of two tracks, both 

part of one all-encompassing whole, these are home-recorded gems. 

Strictly limited to 500 copies, this is the perfect follow-up to the band's 

long-sold out Home Ruckus LP on the Root Strata label. Cosmic." [label 

info] 

* Asmus TIETCHENS - 4K7 4 x LP-Box (Vinyl-On-Demand 

VOD40, 2007) [lim.500] € 59.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung vier früher TIETCHENS-Werke aus den 80ern, 

bisher nur als MCs erhältlich ! Wieder in einer LP-Box de la noblesse 

aus dem Hause VINYL ON DEMAND. 

"The 4LP box set contains his first 4 tapeworks from the mid/late '70s, 

released in the early '80s on Yorkhouserecords (YHR) in limited editions 

of 50 (Musik an der Grenze, Musik im Schatten, Musik unter Tage and 

Musik aus der Grauzone)." [label info] 

* TOMUTONTTU - same LP (Beta-Lactam Ring Records 

mt123, 2007) [lim. 400] € 18.50 

Äusserst absonderliche und kaum zu klassifizierende Solo-Platte eines 

KEMIALLISET-Mitglieds zwischen Dadaismus in Reinform (allerlei 

Casiosamples, Bilig-Synths, low-fi Instrumente und Gemurmel, 

Gesinge, Getrommel, Tierstimmen, etc. ) und einer Art liebenswert 

verwunschem Märchen-Folk-Drone.... irre Musik! 

"Ed. of 400 copies on 220 gram vinyl. Kemialliset Ystävät member 

Tomutonttu (Jan Anderzén) plays a bit like Dome to KY's Wire. The 

Ystävät-ness is there, but stripped down to the frame with a minimal 

synth breeze blowing through it. Beautifully lyrical in its layered 

abstractions, there is a sort of finely hewn composite of experimental 

dada electronics (ala early, early, early Die Todliche Doris or early, 

early, early P16.D4) and composerly elements (ala Rimarimba, Andrew 

Poppy or Meredith Monk). A few little Kraut-isms top off the tonic at no 

extra charge. Oh, and there's a bit that gets all spacey and chirpy like 

when the Virgin Prunes go completely bonkers (that's sure a helpful

eference point... well, we like it). Basically, this is the music that the 

mothership had in the tape deck just before dropping KY off in the 12th 

century." [label info] 

* TOTAL LIFE - same LP (Animal Disguise ADR 061, 2007) 

€ 13.50 

Solo-Scheibe von KEVIN DORIA von GROWING, Wiederveröffentlichung 

einer limitierten MC von 2005 mit zwei Seiten-langen 

verzerrten PsychDrone-Mandalas, wo im "Innern" schnelle 

Mikrobewegungen (Synths) und Verästelungen aufblühen... 

"Total Life is the solo project of Kevin Doria who is also a member of the 

atmospheric/noise/drone group, Growing. This is his debut release that 

we originally released as a limited edition cassette in 2005. This album 

displays an obsessive sense of composition and an absolute mastery of 

harnessing chaos to create a solid masterpiece. Heavy electronic 

washes, multiple layers of feedback and shifting harmonics create a 

powerful wall of sound that at first seems overtly harsh, but repeated 

listenings reveal a hidden beauty and natural soothing effect. Fans of 

Growing shouldn't be disappointed, but to make the comparisons to 

them would be much too easy. Total Life stands on its own, and walks 

its own path." [label info] 

* TROUM - Nargis 7" (VivaHate Records VHR-45-002.1, 2007) 

[ed. of 500] € 6.00 

Sehr rauhes, etwas älteres Material, basierend auf verzerrten e-bow 

Gitarren & extrem verlangsamten Gesang... majestätisch & unheimlich 

zugleich... die "heavy" Artwork stammt von MARS WELLINK (VANCE 

ORCHESTRA), fullcolour cover & inlay. 

"Latest slab of guitar based whir and drift from these masters 

of the drone (they do in fact run the DRONE record label after all). 

Formerly Maeror Tri, Troum embody the drone, they live, breathe, eat 

and sleep drones. And it shows. Their records are gorgeous and epic, 

but seem so effortless, as if the sounds they create are simply 

channeled through their corporeal forms, but have been created in 

some fiery forge at the center of an alien planet. 

The first half of this single still sounds like Troum, but is 

unlike anything we've heard from them, strange looped high end 

guitar, what sounds like backwards chords, almost choral vocals, 

dramatic and haunting and cinematic, very much like some super 

stylized horror movie music almost, warbled and wavery, over a 

distant grinding low end tone drifting way off in the background, 

washed over by epic sweeping swells.. 

The other side is a bit more raw and intense, a seriously 

corrosive guitarscape, distorted and crumbling chordal buzz, looped 

and layered into a strange glacial riff, strewn over deep dark swirls 

of slow shifting sound and haunting minor key melodies. It manages to 

be intense and fierce but also gloriously washed out and blissful. 

Super swank, full color covers, full color inserts, and 

pressed on nice thick vinyl. And of course limited, just not sure - howlimited..." 


* URE THRALL - Premonition 9/11 7" (Drone Records DR-58 2 nD , 

2007) [ed. of 300] € 7.00 

Re-release of this much requested Drone, ed. of 300 on red-black 

striped vinyl, full-colour cover designed by Mr. URE THRALL himself & 

updated liner-notes on the inlay! 

"URE THRALL is an american artist from Houston, TX (living since 

years in the Bay Area) who is long active in the more atmospherictranscendental 

experimental US-scene – in former days he was a 

member of the pre-VOICE OF EYE project CRUOR and later with ASIA 

NOVA, and he also participated in the two first V.O.E. – CDs as a guest 

musician. Now, apart from being a member of SMOOTH QUALITY 

EXCREMENT, he works solo and creates most impressive 

soundscapish depth-drones with an incredible emotional quality, 

harmony & sadness melting together into beautiful aural visions. 

This 7”, his first vinyl-release as URE THRALL, contains two long tracks 

(> 8 min.) with an organic, filmic & sublime quality, using echo-flutes, 

bass, e-bowed guitar & restrained percussion underneath. THE 

TRAVELER with all its majestic harmony seems to be like an endless 

travel through emotional fields of melancholia - expressing the endless 

search for something once known which is lost forever and you can’t 

even remember what is was, but you feel that you need it back 

existentially ! Perfect music for endless drives on highways (both 

physically and spiritually) ... The title track PREMONITION 9/11 is less 

relaxed and more of a threatening quality, using faster percussion and 

strange bass-patterns with oriental sounding flutes & swirling soundeffects. 

This track also uses field-recordings from the tragical events 

happened on 11. Sept. 2001 in NYC and must be also seen as a 

treatment of traumatic experiences. The whole 7” is a personal 

statement about the politics of the USA after this tragic day, which is 

expressed also in the cover-artwork and the liner-notes: “THE COVER 

ART is an effigy of the American Flag in decay and is composed of an 

extreme close-up shot of the World Trade Center moments before its 

collapse, its occupants leaning out the windows fully aware of their 

impending transition to the next plane of existence.” 

[original press release January 2003] 

* UTON - Alitaju Ylimina LP (Dekorder020, 2007) € 12.50 

"alitaju ylimina" is the first vinyl album by finland's uton released in a 

strictly limited edition of 500 copies in a marvellous fold-out sleeve with 

a full-colour drawing by uton himself on the outer sleeve and some 

fierce black&white illustrations by dutch artist christelle gualdi inside. the 

music of uton is no exception there, drawing inspirations from 

psychedelia to free jazz to pure ecstatic drones and noises using a wide 

range of acoustic instruments from various parts of the globe and a bulk 

of electronics. recorded in glorious lo-fi the mystery of hirvonen's sound 

is difficult to pinpoint; sheer ravishing beauty, elegancy and variegation 

is stashed behind a wall of grey, inscrutable haze - gorgeous melodies 

and voices, reeds and alien sounds gleaming through the mist from 

time to time, shimmering like diamonds through layers of dust. uton has 

previously released dozens of cd's, cd-r's and cassettes on a myriad of 

labels including jewelled antler, pseudo arcana, last visible dog, digitalis 

and his own ikuisuus. he has collaborated with amon dude (avarus), 

anla courtis (reynols), antony milton (black boned angel), ben reynolds, 

peter wright, phil todd (ashtray navigations) and jan anderzen 

(tomutonttu, kemialliset ystävät) among others. the latter collaboration 

(under the hevoset moniker) will be released on lp by dekorder later this 

year." [label info] 

"....Alitaju is another epic expanse of mysterious murk and long 

form ambience. A dizzying mix of Finnish free folk, and haunting dark 

ambience. Uton's sound is always both massive and cavernous, as 

well as intimate and highly detailed. This record is no different. Uton 

drags us along on a strange and wondrous journey through long 

muddy swirls of muted melody and wide open stretches of indistinct blur 

and shadow, almost festive percussion jams draped over wheezing 

accordions and distorted feedback, all wrapped in foggy swirls of 

fuzz, chaotic free jazz freakouts with mad drumming, and wildly 

fluttering flutes, and all stops in between. 

The long tracks here tend to be slow moving glacial crawls, 

with all the instruments smeared into one blurry whole, a drifting 

stretch of warm muted soft sound, that just sort of envelops you with 

it's haunting mystery and dense creeping beauty, those tracks 

separated by the more rhythmic passages, almost like a rise in the 

road,where the fog clears and you can see for miles into the 

distance, before you dip back down under cover of the grey clouds and 

billowing fog. As always, gorgeous and mysterious." [Aquarius] 

* VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA - The Sun balance / The open 

knot LP (Qbico 60, 2007) [ed. of 400] € 17.00 

Die britischen Impro-Psych Droner haben es auf das italienische 

QBICO-Label geschafft, bekannt für aufwendige & nie gesehene 

Vinylfarben(muster) & Picture-discs. Extrakte von zwei live-Mitschnitten 

wurden hier verewigt, das ist Drone-Ekstase pur, ein Ritt auf endlosen 

Vibratos & Rauschfeldern... kommt auf KIWI-farbenen Vinyl ! 

"VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA- The sun balance/The open knot 

(QBICO 60) kiwi vinyl, artwork by Adam Davenport/Mick Flower. 

Vibra 1st recorded for Qbico in 2004 @ the 2nd Qbico U-nite in 

Bruxelles: two sides + the final jam with the Antti brothers and the 

Flaherty/Corsano duo...but this is the 1st proper full lenght LP on Qbico 

! they went into few changes in the last few years, none of which 

diminish their power to create such a highly vibrant and unique music, 

on the contrary." [label info / credits] 

"Vibracathedral are cranking out some of their best stuff right 

now…..and that’s saying something. Here we have two side-long 

excursions on green vinyl and it really gets the neurons firing. Manic, 

static, patient buzz. The guitars and toy instruments pile up on one 

another and create a dense foam, a musky lather. Demented church 

organ sounds drive headfirst and there’s even some percussion thrown 

in for a bit. Although, they don’t need percussion to drive a piece of 

music. The Vibracathedral band pulses, fucking undulates and rides, on 

a wave of sweet electric drone." [Foxy Digitalis] 

* WATERMANN, JOHN - Calcutta Gas Chamber pic-LP (Die Stadt 

DS97, 2007) [ed. of 444 ] € 21.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung dieses Klassikers, jetzt als picture Vinyl! 

"....ein dunkles, dichtes Werk mit elektro-akustischen Qualitäten, viele 

konkrete Geräusche & Sounds & Cut-ups, meist undefinierbar, aber voll 

von unheimlich beseeltem maschinellen Leben... absolut packend!" 

[Drone Records] 

"Re-release of the long out-of-print album by the late John Watermann. 

The idea for this project came about after a visit to Calcutta in 1990, 

and through the nightmarish experiences during that short visit. The 

concept of aurally conveying the horror of a gas chamber was realised 

through field recordings in an abandoned electrical power station in 

Brisbane in 1992. The sounds are grating and harsh, a mixture of field 

recordings and electronic manipulations. One can rarely pinpoint a

location or action but the images the sounds conjure up are of all sorts 

of nefarious activites related to death by machinery. The sleeve notes 

take you into the horror that is the Calcutta Gas Chamber. John 

Watermann started the re-design for this re-issue (originally released in 

1993 on US label ND), but tragically passed away in 2002 before its 

realisation. A beautifully composed and produced album, completely 

remastered and feat. new artwork. This special picture LP is limited to 

444 numbered copies. A CD version of 'Calcutta Gas Chamber' was 

released by Cold Spring in late 2006." [label info] 

* WHITEHOUSE - Cruise do-LP (Very Friendly VFSL14, 2007) 

€ 21.50 

"Der erste Teil der lang erwarteten WHITEHOUSE 180g Vinyl Serie 

steht endlich an! Im Jahr 2001 war "Cruise" das Ergebnis einer 

akribischen, fast fanatischen Vorbereitung und wurde zur einen Hälfte 

von William Bennett selbst in Großbritannien und zur anderen Hälfte 

von Steve Albini (NIRVANA, SMASHING PUMKINS) in Chicago 

aufgenommen. Diese qualitativ hochwertige Doppel-LP markiert einen 

Wendepunkt im WHITEHOUSE Sound. Zusätzlich ist noch eine 

Instrumental-Version des Titel-Tracks enthalten, die ursprünglich nur für 

DJs erhältlich war. 

"The first of the highly-anticipated Whitehouse 180gm vinyl collection 

series is imminent! In 2001, Cruise was a result of 3 years of fanatically 

meticulous preparation, recorded both in the UK by William Bennett and 

in Chicago by Steve Albini, this high quality limited 2LP showcases 

what was a new generation Whitehouse sound. Features rare extra 

instrumental version of title track originally released for DJs." [label info] 

* WOLF EYES - Black Wing over the Sand LP (Ideal Recordings / 

Kning Disk, 2007) [ed. of 900] € 15.50 

"Heavily psychedelic. Minimal. Slow mindbending stuff... Highly 

recommended, a future classic! Since Wolf Eyes formation during the 

end of the 90s up until today, their musical output has grown into an 

impressive oeuvre and gained them successes granted only a few 

bands. Their style places them somewhere in the border area between 

experimental music, freeform, noise and harsh industrial. "Black Wing 

Over The Sand" is one long session (on vinyl divided on side A and B) 

that from the very first beginning lays bare the roots of Wolf Eyes: here 

is an evident presence of the industrial music of the early 1980s with 

bands such as Throbbing Gristle, Maurizio Bianchi (MB) and Gary 

Mundy’s cassette label Broken Flag. Instead of the harsh dissonances 

and compact walls of noise Wolf Eyes are well known for, the wholly 

instrumental piece moves slowly forward over a basis of silence. In that 

way Black Wing Over The Sand belongs to one of the band’s more 

accessible pieces of music, and is an excellent introduction to the dark 

cosmos of Wolf Eyes. With oscillating movements, Wolf Eyes conjure 

up short bursts of noise with screaming high pitched tones where a 

rhythmic deep and slow bass soon sets in, disappears, returns, 

increases pace, disappears and returns again. Electric guitar, echo 

effects and sweeping sounds creates powerfully nerved effects over the 

slow rhythm. Black Wing Over The Sand is yet another proof of how 

Wolf Eyes, simultaneously looking backwards and distinctly lets 

themselves be influenced by the hidden musical undercurrents that lies 

most close to their heart, with little means and creative raftsmanship 

succeeds in creating something altogether new, exciting and always 

unexpected. Black Wing Over The Sand, now released on vinyl (limited 

to 900 copies) and shortly on CD, is a co- release from Kning Disk and 

iDEAL Recordings. The album cover and inner sleeves features art 

illustration by Andreas Nilsson, Fredrik Söderberg och Alivia Zivich." 

[label website info] 

"... This is another dark slab of beautiful malevolence, equal parts 

corrosive rumble and shimmery drone, creepy dark ambience and 

intense industrial clatter. What was side one on the lp, the first 

movement, begins with grinding guitars, blown out streaks of spacey 

effects, huge synth swells and jagged bits of percussion, occasionally 

overwhelmed by massive waves of low end buzz that somehow 

manage to swallow everything else up. Near the end of side one, the 

record winds down into what could only be described as some sort of 

Wolf Eyes dub, lots and lots of space, a lurching non-rhythm spread 

waaaaay out, crashing crumbling bursts scattered throughout. Really 

cool. Wouldn't mind hearing a whole record of that... 

The second half returns to more familiar Wolf Eyes territory, 

upping the buzz and the industrial clatter. still creeping along, 

everything wrapped in a black cloak of fuzz and rumble, but much more 

aggressive, intense, thicker, with layer after layer of constantly 

shifting sound. Intense, but still managing to be surprisingly 

musical and listenable. So good." [Aquarius Records] 

* WYRM / MYKEL BOYD - Wrong Gede / Oiseau part five 8" 

(lathe-cut) (Somnimage Corp., 2006) [lim. 50] € 23.00 

Collector's item (8" lathe cut in large triangular-shape) with very nice 

ritual-drone tribalism from WYRM, and roaring silently feedbacking 

dronescapes with much atmosphere from MYKEL BOYD, who is also 

running the SOMNIMAGE-label in Illinois. Silkscreen-cover (silver on 

black), signed inserts, only few copies here in stock. 

* YELLOW SWANS - Psychic Secession LP (Three Lobed #38, 

2007) € 24.50 

Limtierte, edle Vinyl-Version des letztjährigen Albums! 

"I woke up to the end of electricity. I woke up outside of time. I woke up 

with my dreams in my life.'" [I Woke up] Ziemlich genialer Ambient- 

Noise im Stile von WOLF EYES, pulsierend, einnehmend, gefährlich, 

spannend - schwelend noisig aber nicht kakophonisch, genial perkussiv 

mitreissend das dritte stück "I woke up" [Drone Rec. 2006] 

"This is the third Yellow Swans vinyl release on Weird Forest and 

they've really tattooed it out of the ballpark on this one. It's a pulsepounding, 

synapse-blasting expedition straight to the cacophonous 

pleasure points of your innards. It must also be known that it's one of 

the most grooving releases I've heard all year, dig Makes me shake it 

maniacal. Yellow Swans Yeah, they do all these things, baby. Their 

ultimate release — simply phenomenal — features a treasure-trove of 

guests including Christina Carter, Inca Ore, Axolotl, The Dead Science, 

Gerritt, Silentist, The Cherry Point, Leif Sundstrom, White Rainbow, and 

Jeremy Romagna. Includes a side-long bonus track not on the CD 

versions! This is the vinyl edition of the CD release on Load Records" 

[label info] 

XHOL CARAVAN – Motherfuckers live do–LP & 12” (Streamline 

1022, 2002 ) € 26.00 

"Holy Shide! The Space-Hippies are back! Jedenfalls auf dieser 

Scheibe: die experimentell & improvisierend arbeitenden Kraut- 

Psychedeliker XHOL CARAVAN werden hier 30 Jahre später der 

Experimental-Szene wieder zugänglich gemacht, und zwar mit Live- 

Aufnahmen von 1968/1969 („Freedom Opera“, und einer 

Radioaufnahme fürs WDR). Dazu gibts eine bonus 12“ HOT 

BUTTERED XHOL mit Tribut-Aufnahmen von CURRENT 93, NURSE 

WITH WOUND with XHOL, und CHRISTOPH HEEMANN. Die do-LP 

kommt im Gatefold-Sleeve, die 12“ im Extra-Cover. Coverartwork Babs 

Santini. „XHOL were years ahead of their time and my time. I still 

haven’t caught up with them!” (David Tibet)" [Drone Rec. info 2004] 

"Xhol Caravan were one of the first German psychedelic underground 

bands to appear and disappear (the dawn of a grand tradition!). 

Motherfuckers Live contains the first recordings to be released by Xhol 

Caravan since 1970. This double LP contains two entire concert 

performances from 1968 and 1969. The first LP features the only 

existing recording of the Xhol Caravan 'Freedom Opera,' which was 

planned as an album release but never realized in the studio. The 

second LP, recorded for German radio in Cologne, shows a different 

side of the line-up that can be heard on their two OHR releases. 

Motherfuckers Live comes packaged with a special tribute 12" 'Hot 

Buttered Xhol' including cover versions of Xhol Caravan pieces by 

Nurse With Wound, Current 93 and Christoph Heemann." [press 

release] BACK IN STOCK ! 

* ZELIENOPLE - His / Hers LP (Type Records TYPE024V, 2007) 

€ 13.50 

"Zelienople (named after a borough in Pennsylvania) is the moniker of 

Chicago based musicians Matt Christensen (guitar/vocals), Mike Weis 

(percussion) and Brian Harding (guitar/clarinet) and between them, in a 

desolate suburban basement, they have come up with a record of pure 

psych-rock sludge. Now on their fifth album, the band have struck upon 

their finest moment yet, honing their skills to create something singular 

and utterly unique. There is certainly no shortage of acts willing to throw 

down waves of experimental guitar noise and clattering percussion, but 

with the benefit of focus and experience, Zelienople sound like 

something totally out of time and almost impossible to place. 

Residing in a hazy drunken world in-between slow-core pioneers Low, 

psych-folk outsiders Charalambides, Japanese overlords Boris and 

Dead Man era Neil Young 'His/Hers' is a faded photograph of rock 

music past, yet still manages to keep a firm footing in the present. 

Guitars echo like disappearing ghosts and vocals moan and wail 

mercilessly while percussion bubbles up in glorious waterlogged waves. 

'His/Hers' isn't a concept album, but it might as well be with five bravely 

sculpted tracks acting like chapters, taking you through a whole gamut 

of emotions, from pensive and lonely through to aggressive and 

impulsive and beyond. Fusing the warring factions of blues, noise, 

metal, folk and jazz the trio have made as breathtaking a psychedelic 

album as you're likely to find, and unlike so many others in the scene it 

never threatens to overwhelm you with meaningless academia or 

pretension. This is an album made for listening, for enjoying and sinking 

in to, an album that is made as an illicit treat for the discerning music 

fans among us. Grab hold and step aboard, Zelienople are just about 

ready to take you on a universal journey into the subconscious, and it's 

gonna be quite some ride." [label info]

1.1. VINYL COMPILATIONS 

* KKH 1 LOCK GROOVES 7" (Royal Records / Royal University 

College of Fine Arts, 2007) € 6.00 

Obskure Veröffentlichung des "Königlichen Stockholmer 

Unversitätskollegs für die bildenden Künste", diverse schwedische 

Soundartisten / Studenten haben unter der Initiative von CM VON 

HAUSSWOLFF Endlosrillen beigesteuert: LINDA JANSSON, CM VON 

HAUSSWOLFF, KLASNY RUSSIA ERIKSSON, MATHIAS JOSEFSON 

(MOLJEBKA PVLSE), LENA BERGENDAHL, JENS EVALDSSON, 

NANNA HELLBERG auf Seite 1, auf der B-Seite ein Remix von allen 

von HAUSSWOLFF. 

"The lock groove pressed in a lump of vinyl is a great tool for DJs, and 

of course we are all DJs... well, all but me (someone's gotta give up). 

C.M. von Hauswolff seems also an unlikely figure as a DJ, but on his 

initiative six students of the Royal University College of Fine Arts in 

Stockholm produced this 7" - each, plus Hauswolff making one lock 

groove. They are cut on side A. On side B, Hauswolff produces a piece 

of music out of it. Also it should be noted that all seven participants 

have now a group where the lock grooves are mixed live on seven 

record players. It's been a while since I heard such worn out ideas. But 

hey, I'm not a DJ, so I don't need the tools." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

Address: http://www.kkh.se/royalrecords 

* THREE AURAL INTERPRETATIONS OF A DRAWING BY ERIC 

LANZILLOTTA 7" (Anomalous Records NOM28, 2007) € 8.00 

RALF WEHOWSKY (aka RLW), LEIF ELGGREN und JEPH JERMAN 

"transformieren" auf dieser Konzept-Single Zeichnungen von ERIC 

LANZILOTTA (der ex-ANOMALOUS RECORDS-Betreiber) in Klang, 

drei sehr verschiedene Arten von körniger und collagierter 

Geräuschmusik. Klares Vinyl, Mini-Poster. 

"Limited edition of 250 copies pressed on clear vinyl and packaged in 

double-sided 14.5" by 10.5" poster sleeve. This 33 RPM EP include 

three sound artists playing a drawing by Eric Lanzillotta. Each artist has 

a unique, though abstract take on the drawing, which is included in the 

inside of the poster sleeve. The sounds include the calm physical 

motions of Jeph Jerman, the static activity of Leif Elggren and noise 

music of Ralf Wehowsky (sounding a bit like P16.D4 here). 

Jeph Jerman gained attention under the name Hands To, but has 

created his most refined work under his own name. He performs mostly 

with natural objects (stones, plant parts, feathers, etc) and has 

collaborated regularly with Wally Shoup, Greg Davis, Sean Meehan, 

Tim Barnes, Mike Shannon, Dave Knott, Eric Lunde, and many others. 

He has had several previous releases on Anomalous Records, and a 

new CD of his work will be released by Little Enjoyer this year. 

Leif Elggren is a pioneering sound, performance, book and installation 

artist from Sweden, as well one of the two kings of Elgaland-Vargaland. 

In the last 30 years, he has released a great deal of material on labels 

such as Radium 226.05, Anckarström, Flykingen, Ash International, 

Korm Plastics, Some, Absurd, Meeuw Muzak, Kning Disk, iDEAL 

Recordings, Touch and his own Firework Edition, which has also 

published many of his book works, such as the legendary "Experiment 

with Dreams" done in collaboration with Thomas Liljenberg. 

Ralf Wehowsky started making music in the Neue Deutsch Welle period 

of Germany history with his band P.D., which later became the group 

P16.D4. Since the dissolution of these groups, he has been recorded 

largely as a solo artist, though in truth always incorporating 

collaborations with various friends. Over the years he has worked with 

Andrew Chalk, bernhard günter, Kevin Drumm, Lionel Marchetti, Bruce 

Russell, David Grubbs, Jim O'Rourke, and many others." [label press 

release] 

2. CASSETTES 

BIG CITY ORCHESTRA / DEATHRANCH - Massacre of the 

Innocents MC (Sound of Pig SOP 39, 1985) € 6.50 

"Fast schon historisch zu nennende Aufnahmen von BCO in 

Zusammenarbeit mit DEATHRANCH. Ziemlich dumpf-noisige, polydimensionale 

Dronescapes, sich immer wieder verändernd, 

zusammengehalten von loops und seltsamen Rhythmen = Klassiker! 

Very old cassette-only release from the cassette-scene masters!! A real 

classic - an atmospheric drone-swamp is created here at its best!" [old 

Drone Rec. info] BACK IN STOCK! 

BIG CITY ORCHESTRA - Mile after Mile MC (Sound of Pig SOP 

118, 1989) € 5.50 

"Altes Tape, der ideale Einstieg in die BCO – Dimension! "they clang, 

bang and loop their way into your heart and mind. Once there, you're 

hooked for life. And this tape is another injection." [old Drone Rec. info] 

BACK IN STOCK! 

* IF, BWANA - Cache la Poudre MC (Sound of Pig SOP 220, 

1989) € 6.50 

Live recordings from 1988 with DAVID GARDNER, KRIS FORCE ! (later 

AMBER ASYLUM), LITTLE FYODOR... (C-90) 

3. CDRs 

* AMON / NEVER KNOWN - Live at Molto 08.04.1997 CD-R (AFE 

Records afe006cd, 2000) [2nd ed.] € 13.00 

Zweite Auflage dieser CDR jetzt erhältlich ! 

"Wiederveröffentlichung eines alten Tapes, jetzt auch auf CD-R, 

dokumentiert einen Auftritt in Molto vom 8.April 1997... endlose Drone- 

Weiten, langgezogene Sphären-Sounds, urlangsame Veränderungen, 

a totally different dimension... in farbenprächtiger, handgemachter 

Papierhülle..." [old Drone Rec. info] 

"This recording was taken at the very first Amon / Never Known concert 

played at Molto Gallery (R.I.P.), Milan, in April 1997." [label info] 

* ARTHUUR EN ENNO - From Antwerp to Absidi mCD-R (Gewalt 

am Objekt, 2007) [ed. of 20] € 8.00 

Drone Records-artist MOHR (DR-02) aka Andreaz Vogel is back with 

this new project, contains a cover-version of TGs "Discipline". Comes in 

slimline-DVD-box with colour-cover. Tiny edition of 20 copies! 

* ARTHUUR EN ENNO - Music for headphoneheads mCD-R 

(Gewalt am Objekt, 2007) [ed. of 20] € 8.00 

Drone Records-artist MOHR (DR-02) aka Andreaz Vogel is back with 

this new project. Comes in slimline-DVD-box with colour-cover. Great 

sounds, absolutely recommended!! Tiny edition of 20 copies! 

* ASHER - The depths, the colors, the objects & the silence CD-R 

(Mystery Sea MS39, 2007) [lim.100] € 12.00 

Wieder ein neuer Name für uns in der "Ocean Drones"-Reihe; ASHER 

fasziniert mit 3 langen Stücken die komplett aus field recordings 

gefertigt zu sein scheinen, das ganze hat einen extrem organischen 

und "atmenden" Charakter, im Drone-Strom & Grundrauschen ist viel 

Raum für Mikro-Bewegungen und konkrete (Alltags)-Geräusche, die 

aber so subtil & zart wie delikates aurales Perfüm wirken, das versprüht 

wird... Musik für die Öffnung erstaunlicher mikrologischer "Einblicke"... 

"Another gorgeously subdued missive from one of our favorite cd- r 

labels, Mystery Sea. Each release somehow fits into the label's 

focus on "night-ocean drones" whether literally, sonically, 

conceptually or spiritually. And every disc impeccably designed and 

packaged, the artwork as much a part of the art as the music inside. 

This installment (one of two on this week's list) comes from the East 

Coast, Massachusetts to be exact, from a one man band known 

only as Asher. One of the better-known artists to release a record on 

Mystery Sea, Asher, focuses on field recordings, processed and 

manipulated into fantastic minimal microlandscapes of sound, creating 

textures and melodies, spreading found sounds and bits of generated 

music into long-form, slow-moving near static drones. But closer 

examination reveals all sorts of subtle rhythms, and constantly 

changing tonal colors, deep swells and distant shimmers, keening 

slivers of amp skree, but smeared into glistens rather than glares, 

the sounds of people and things, barely visible through the glorious 

blurry fuzz. Really quite lovely. Very close listening is definitely 

required, but the listener will be suitably rewarded by a beautiful 

and haunting otherworld of sound." [Aquarius Records] 

"asher thal-nir resides in Somerville, Massachusetts... in recent years, 

he has emerged has one of the most interesting & very personal sound 

artist, shaping aural microlandscapes of a new nature... 

His works are based on recordings of acoustic & electronic instruments, 

manipulated location & found recordings... He already saw a lot of his 

sound miniature studies published on various well known netlabels 

(12k/Term, Laboratoire Moderne, Con-V...) and had some CD-Rs out 

on Con-V & Leeraum... he is also about to launch his own label named 

SOURDINE... asher thal-nir feeds his music with the everyday sounds 

as a root for emotional stimulus... it uncoils nonchalantly in long eroded 

tapes of granular texture & uneven surfaces, dust varnished ribbons... 

the emphasis lays often on scratches & tears put to the fore, tending to 

draw an extremely minimal rhythmic structure, mirror of a frailty & 

language of invisibility... 

On "the depths, the colors, the objects & the silence", asher embraces 

an hazy ocean of memory, tracing a path beyond obliteration... 

Things are perceived through a numb veil, carrying the residues of a 

former superficial life, trying to connect with an evanescent world, an 

inner structure... 

This is a sort of reverse microcosm... 

For this shift in meaning, abandon all preconceptions & thoughts of

usual grasp... you'll then be able to "rewrite" the book, and feel 

differently..." [label info] 

* ATRAX MORGUE - Death Machinery II mCD-R (L.White 

Records LW-041, 2006) [lim. 200] € 9.00 

"Death Machinery II" featuring 2 tracks of agonizing power-electronic 

sickness. Different from the last Atrax Morgue releases, there is no use 

of voice here, just analogue synthesizer; neurological and surrealistik 

attacks. A sense of "end" and emergency is experienced with listening 

to these recordings. Cold and convulsive sountrack for a mechanical 

brain." [label info] 

* BAKER, AIDAN - Green & Cold CD-R (Gears of Sand GOS21, 

2006) € 11.50 

Hier zeigt AIDAN BAKER seine Songwriter-Seele: er singt, sehr sanft, 

flüstert manchmal eher, dazu spielt er "richtige" Stücke, die aber 

durchaus experimentelle Anwandlungen und "Dronifizierungen" 

erfahren... ultra-sanfter dream'n'drone songwriter-Pop mit viel Emotion, 

auch das gelingt AIDAN wieder traumwandlerlisch & sicher... 

"The innovative master of ambient guitar returns with a breakthrough 

album. At its core 'Green & Cold' is a a mix of drone, post-rock, and 

what the artist calls appropriately "deconstructive dream-pop." 

Memorable hooks combine with Baker's trademark huge wall of guitar 

constituted atmospherics. Baker's shoegazey croon floats among the 

stuttering clicks and cuts permeating the layers of catchy riffs and slow, 

intoxicating beats. As 'Green & Cold' unfolds the listener is coaxed 

familarly inward only to be washed over in waves of wispy, warming 

drones: An album of uncommon intelligence and artistry." [label info] 

"Aidan Baker is back, still vying for the most prolific man in show business 

award (well, at least underground, free drone show business) with a double 

shot of washed out dreamy droniness. There's the latest from Nadja, 

reflecting his more metal side, and then there's this, the follow up to last 

year's Pendulum, which was a fantastic slab of glistening disembodied 

dronemusic. Green & Gold follows suit but with an interesting twist. Vocals. 

Lots of 'em. Baker is no stranger to singing, his whispery croon has graced 

more than a few of his releases, but on G & G, the vocals are a big part of 

the songs, and the songs are actual songs, with drums, and verses and 

choruses and everything. Well, sort of. 

Some tracks, like the untitled opener, are indeed still just wispy slow 

shifting expanses of fuzzy dreamlike sound, which we can NEVER get 

enough of, but others, like "Chainsaw", are actual lowercase, slow motion, 

dark and dolorous slowcore pop songs. Simple murky guitar riffs, wreathed 

of course in all manner of reverb and soft focus fuzz, hovering over stripped 

down shuffling rhythms, while Baker croons softly over the top, a hushed 

almost whisper, sounding not entirely unlike Iron & Wine's Sam Beam 

actually. Even the music sounds a little like a blissier tarpit version of Iron & 

Wine. There is some definite twang there, subtle, but it's there, nestled 

amidst the delicate folky strum and the glistening sonic glimmer. Imagine an 

even more somnambulant Low, or Spacemen 3 at 16 rpm, a ultra druggy 

(druggier) Galaxie 500, each track a pop song mumbled and murky, a 

moonlit crawl through a hazy landscape of shuffle and shimmer, of 

strum and twang, all wrapped up in soft swirls of shimmer. Essential for fans 

of all things Jeck and Tim Hecker and Jasper TX and Machinefabriek and 

Grouper and Troum and Main and the like, but also worth a listen for more 

adventurous fans of Iron & Wine, Spacemen 3, Galaxie 500, Low and other 

slowcore drugrock dreaminess..." [Aquarius Records] 

* BAKER, AIDAN - Thoughtspan CD-R (Tosom Records 

TOSOM028, 2007) [lim. 150 in Box] € 10.50 

Während AIDAN BAKER im Verbund mit Lebensgefährtin LEAH 

BUCKAREFF inzwischen als NADJA für Furore sorgt, erscheinen 

weiter betörende Solo-CDRs von ihm in Kleinstauflagen. 

BAKER zeigt sich auf THOUGHTSPAN luftig-leicht und post-rockig, 

aber auch geräuschhaft versponnen & experimentell, die Stücke weisen 

aber immer einen gewissen "drive" auf, sich ins Unbestimmbare und 

frei-flottierende aufzulösen... wenn dann nur noch verschachtelte 

Geräuschfäden auszumachen sind, setzen wieder Drums ein und 

führen den Trance-Strom weiter... 

"CDR, 3 TRACKS, 56 MINUTES. LIMITED AND NUMBERED EDITION 

OF 150 COPIES. DVD BOX IN CD SIZE WITH 3 INSERTS. 

Thoughtspan" consists of 3 long tracks experimenting with the 

conventions of space-rock or kraut-rock, combining simple yet 

propulsive rhythms with multi-layered drones and ambience. Although, 

these tracks may sound like a band, "Thoughtspan" is essentially a oneperson 

record (apart from violin and trumpet contributions), as the 

songs originated with the drum parts and built up one instrument at a 

time from that rhythmic base." [label info] 

"If he wanted, Aidan Baker could cruise along making the same record over and 

over, but a restless musical soul this man must have as even successive releases 

by his various projects tend to diverge greatly from their various sounds. While 

Nadja tends to be the most sonically consistent project, existing in the nether 

gloom of black ambient dream doom or whatever we feel like calling it, his work 

under his own name has shown the most breadth, veering from clattery noisy 

experimentation, to ultra minimal drone, to strange collaged jazzscapes, to 

dreamy slowcore, and one and on... 

For Thoughtspan, Baker handles the guitars, drums, bass and vocals, with 

some help on live drums, violin and trumpet, to weave a gorgeously expansive 

soundscape of laid back, shuffling yet propulsive, krautrocky jazz. Dark and 

smoky, dreamy and smoldering, the closest sonic comparison might be the Necks, 

but where the Necks lock into extended cyclical grooves, Thoughtspan plays more 

like a 'rock' band, albeit a looped, mesmeric one, locked into a seemingly never 

ending groove, but as the record progresses the music begins to gradually 

crumble, becoming more and more distorted, everything slowly collapsing inward, 

the scraping of a violin heralding the shift, as any 'rock' is rent asunder, and all 

that is left is a strange whirring, creaking ambient dronescape. And that's just the 

first track, although it is 22+ minutes... 

The second track, another long one, begins with strange buzzes and metallic 

shimmers, a very percussive soundfield, peppered with backwards sonic swoops 

and buzzing steel strings, eventually the drums kick in, and the band is loping into 

some dense reverbed jam, the buzzing strings stretched out over the propulsive 

rhythmic framework, eventually fading back into the backwards droning buzz of 

the first few minutes. 

Finally, the final 16 minute track, finds Baker creating a strange wide open 

expanse, distant drones and all sorts of strange muted melodies, with moaned, 

barely decipherable vocals, and in the middle of it all, a drummer, playing on the 

rims and the floor and on wood and metal as much as on the kit, the whole vibe is 

very abstract and freak folk, it's not difficult to hear some Avarus or one of those 

tribal outfits, but unlike those folky forest dwellers, Baker begins to gradually affect 

the sounds here, smearing everything into warm droning swells and jagged 

streaks of resonant buzz, beneath which the drums lock into a staggering sort of 

midtempo lope, it's dirge-y and dramatic, but still sort of blown out and ambient, 

before finishing off with a burst of blinding distorted radiance. 

Packaged in a mini, plastic dvd style case, full color artwork 

and full color photographic inserts. LIMITED TO 150 COPIES!!" [Aquarius 


* BAKER, AIDAN - Noise of Silence CD-R (Hyperblasted 

Recordings HyRe002, 2007) [lim. 150] € 10.00 

"Aidan Baker is a true artist. He is one of the founders of Arcolepsy 

Records, Arc and of course Nadja. He released tones of works on many 

labels. "Noise of Silence" is the first collab between him and 

Hyperblasted Recordings. The whole work is an amazing piece of art. 

The musical part is one 50-minute long time track by Mr. Baker in his 

own experimentalish drone/ambient/noise stuff. Aidan Baker "builds" his 

music piece by piece, step by step. Imposing atmospheres, genious 

guitar drones and loops lead the track to a climax. A masterpiece of 

experimental music. All guitars and tapes by Aidan Baker. 

Amazing artwork 'n' layout by the artists of Viral Graphics. 

Packaged in 3 pannel deluxe cardboard paper with a silver ink touch 

embossed which gives the colours life. Limited edition of 150 

handnumbered copies." [label info] 

* BARDOSENETICCUBE - Telloram CD-R (Operator Produkzion 

OPERPRODUKT08, 2007) [lim. 156 object package] € 10.00 

Auf TELLORAM operiert St. Petersburgs vielseitigstes Experimental- 

Projekt noisiger als zuletzt; mit Radiofrequenz-Blubbern und 

durchdringenden Drones, runtergeslowten Stimmen & Sinuston- 

Feedbacks, Vibrato-Rauschen & Quietschen in allen Varianten walzt 

sich der 'Telloram' durch dick & massiv scheinenden Äther... 

Die CDR ist verpackt in einem fetten silberfarbenen Schaumstoff-Cover, 

der Trip dauert 50 Minuten. 

"New album from the most blazing Russian ambient project. 

Dehumanized technogenic desolate space noise-ambient with high 

concentration of radionoise. Your ticket beyond the bounds of galaxy. 

156 copies in handmade package from polypheme." [press-release] 

* BEEQUEEN - White Bike buisnesscard-CDR (My Own Little 

Label MOLL005, 2007) € 5.00 

Frans de Waard kanns nicht lassen und gründet eine neue Label-Reihe 

mit mini-CDR-Veröffentlichungen, speziell für seine eigene Musik und 

sein näheres Umfeld. Für die Fans gibt es hier rares und auch sehr 

persöniches Material zu entdecken... 

"'White Bike should have been on the upcoming Beequeen album 

'Sanddancing', but Freek and Frans decided not to include it on the 

album and so it was released on Moll, along with the original demo 

sung by Freek and an excerpt from the recording session with an 

appearance of Frans' daughter Elise. These latter tracks add a nice, 

intimate touch to the release and beautifully match the song itself. It's a 

wonderful pop song, played on piano and balloons, with vocals sung by 

Eva Volmeijer. The melody sticks in your head immediately and its 

joyous and slightly naïve mode puts a smile on your face, making this a 

promising candidate for this summer's sweetest tune." [MSS / Vital 

Weekly] 

* BIG CITY ORCHESTRA - Love Film Greats CD-R (Roil Noise 

RNOCDR046, 2006) € 10.00 

BCO schiessen wieder den Vogel ab, mit dieser etwas anderen Art von 

MUZAK! Der Titel ist kein Witz, es sind wirklich Liebesfilm-Schnulzen, 

und was für welche, neu interpretiert von BCO... aus unfassbarem 

Staunen und Belustigung wird beim Hören schnell reine Qual und 

Folter, wenn die Originale zwar irgendwo erkennbar bleiben (und leider

auch von längst vergessenen Teilen des Gehirns wiedererkannt 

werden), aber die schrägen und kläglich disharmonischen 

Arrangements und der mitunter auftauchende Gesang dem Ganzen 

eine Note des Wahnsinns geben.... man denke an BIOTA, 

NEGATIVLAND oder RESIDENTS, die in einem Paralleluniversum 

gemeinsam Coverversionen einspielen. Der ultimative Brainfuck, die 

letzten Musik-Konditionierungen können hier erfolgreich dekonstruiert 

werden ! Am Ende dieser "Klangtherapie" ist man bereit für ALLES. 

"Big City Orchestra reinterprets the saga of Love Film Greats originally 

bestowed upon the world by The Big City Orchestra... 

This work is an exploration into what many differences adding the word 

The can contribute reviewed by Startling Moniker. 12 tracks plus Sound 

Effects Library #15 - total running time 1 hour 15 minutes Full-color 

thermal retransfer printed CDr, full color insert & traycard in a standard 

jewel case with resealable mylar bag" [label info] 

* Steve BRAND - Looking into the other CD-R (AFE Records 

afe094lcd, 2007) [lim. 100] € 13.00 

STEVE BRAND (also known before as AUGUR) mixes electronics, field 

recordings and sounds from "real" instruments for a very mellow deep 

ambient journey, similar to ALIO DIE or ROBERT RICH... but he also 

has parts of very "pure" concrete sounds, that are more challenging... 

Great full-colour artwork / cover, showing nature, symbols, stones. 

"Steve Brand has been creating sound art and visual art since the mid- 

80's. From 1995 to 2003 he was active as Augur, creating obscure and 

organic music which was released on many labels worldwide, including 

The Foundry, Manifold, Alluvial, Self-Abuse and others. 

During the years he had the chance to collaborate with artists such as 

Jeph Jerman (Hands To, Animist Orchestra), Rick Kitch (I Am Umbrella, 

Lucky Cricket), PBK, James P. Keeler (Wilt), Brooke Oates (Birds of 

Tin), etc. 

His atmospheres, alarmingly austere, with varying shades of gray, are 

drenched in allusion and a heightened sense of cinematic noir for the 

listener. According to his own words, "emotional aspects of a recording 

always come first". 

Consisting of six long tracks, "Looking Into the Other" takes up where 

"Awakensong" (...released on Afe in April 2006...) left off, expanding the 

exploration of twilight worlds. 

The album utilizes bells, synthesizers, voice, various flutes, medicine 

drums, cymbals, fiddle, rattles, prayer bowls, etc. 

"Looking Into the Other" begins with the ritual horns introduction of "The 

Flower of Life", a piece full of pathos which is subsequently filled with 

morbid sythesizers lines and insects sounds provided by Johnathan 

Benham. 

"Where Two Rivers Meet" starts as a percussive number and then 

proceeds with keyboards and flute intertwining each other before 

percussions re-emerge towards the end of the track. 

Clocking at more than thirteen minutes, "Djehuti, the Architect" is one of 

the longest and most complex tracks on the album. Its structure keeps 

on changing as different percussions, cymbal, voices and synthesizers 

flow in and out of the mix. Listening to this track is quite an experience. 

"Columns of Light" it's a quieter and dreamy piece constructed on 

floating keyboards sequences and background rattles, bells, chimes 

and other small objects / hand-held percussions. 

"Looking Into the Other", the title-track, was already featured on our 

10th year celebrative on-line compilation in late 2005, the one on this 

album is an improved version. With its flutes, voices, phased drones 

and repetitive drumming, this track has a strong introspective quality. 

The fourteen minutes long "Wrapped in Leaves" closes the album with 

a mocking laugh. A shorter version of this track previously appeared on 

the "Things Asunder" compilation released by The Foundry. 

Once again, with this work Steve Brand has created an high quality and 

excellent album of deeply emotional music, and proved himself as one 

of the most inspired authors in contemporary Ritual Ambient. 

"I am reaching into the interior realities, the meaning behind the 

symbols we accept as everyday reality, into the dream of the abundant 

natural self that knows no boundaries or limitations." [label description] 

* CHEFKIRK - Mega Chuffed CD-R (Mask of the Slave Records 

MS010, 2007) [lim.100] € 8.00 

Radical Vegan Noise on this obscure label from Romania. Comes in 

DVD-box. 

"Chefkirk is Roger H. Smith. Working under the inclusive category of 

experimental noise, chefkirk creates distinctive compositions of sound 

by combining together improvised drone and harsh electronics forced 

from a minimal arsenal of glitchy instruments and feedback loops. Being 

a socially and politically conscious citizen of the world, chefkirk 

illustrates his deep concern and love for all living things through the 

artwork, titles, and modest messages on his numerous releases. The 

whole of his work will unquestionably carry his personal message 

loudly: animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, or use for 

entertainment, GO VEGAN!" [label info] 

* CONSCIENTIA PECCATI vs STILLSTAND - Rites ov lamashtu 

mCD-R (Taalem alm 42, 2007) € 5.00 

"martin steinebach, the german artist hidden behind those two aliases, 

shouldn't be unknown to those who follow closely our releases. we 

released a 3"cd-r of his ambient/tribal/noise project (compest) two years 

ago. with this latest release, steinebach takes another route and shows 

another side of his skills: "rites ov lamashtu" is a smooth & melodic 

piece full of effects and ethnic percussion. enjoy the beauty!" [label info] 

* CRIA CUERVOS - Vor Feuerschlünden CD-R (AFE Records 

afe092lcd, 2007) [lim. 100] € 13.00 

Oceanic high-power drones, heavily processed field recordings, white 

noises in endless crescendi, long waves of loops. These organic noisedrones 

from the italian project are very much worth to discover! 

"Cría Cuervos is the music project of italian sound artist Eugenio Maggi. 

Influenced by surrealism, minimalism, Drone and Industrial music, Hard 

Core/Punk and Grind, his music has evolved from more noisy 

experiments and now sits somewhere in between darker ambience and 

electroacoustic. 

During the years he created several full-lenght solo works and also 

collaborated with artist such as Paul Bradley, Sparkle in Grey, Ninth 

Desert and Maurizio Bianchi. 

His music was released on many international labels: Immanence, 

Thisco, Mystery Sea, Taalem, Twenty Hertz and Dielectric Records. 

Vor Feuerschlünden" (...German for "Before Throats of Fire"...) is Cría 

Cuervos's latest full-lenght offering and it probably is his best solo work 

to date. The album features two long tracks of electroacoustic / 

experimental nature, built using field recordings (...cicadas, gas, frogs, 

water...), self-programmed Theta waves, short waves and softwares. 

No synthesizers were used during the recording process. 

The title track really blown up our minds when we listened to it for the 

first time, and it still manages to obtain the same result one year later, 

even after repeated listenings. It fades in very quietly with reverbered 

noises which build up a solid high-pitched drone that is later paired with 

colonies of chirping insects. Low rumbles are also introduced until the 

different parts slowly fill the whole audio spectrum without leaving any 

frequency unexplored. With "Vor Feuerschlünden" Cría Cuervos 

successfully creates a sort of wall of concrète noise whose peak is 

reached around the fifteenth minute; then the chirping hell slowly comes 

to an end. "Blutgebell" is another twentyseven minutes opus that we 

can ideally divide in two separate movements. 

It begins with the sound of croaking frogs that get more and more 

excited as an underwater drone slowly emerges from the bottom of their 

small pond. Moving from the background to the foreground, more 

disquieting layers of ambience and other concrète sound sources are 

added to the mix. Theta waves replace all these elements as they 

slowly fade out. They take us through the whole second movement as 

their shifting tones also introduce recordings of short waves radio and 

the sound of running water, before coming to an end.More Cría 

Cuervos solo and collaborative works are going to be released soon by 

other labels in Europe. Along with "Vor Feuerschlünden" they are surely 

going to bring him the recognition he deserves." [label description] 

* CTEPHIN - Sphinx CD-R (Roil Noise RNOCDR036, 2006) 

€ 7.00 

A new name for us, this project from the US - CTEPHIN creates quite 

nice overwhelming poly-drones, at times quite melancholic with hisses 

in the background (almost like a symphonic version of OPION 

SOMNIUM), at times with a much more stirring & fiery character going 

into ROLAND KAYN direction, using sound-sources from classical 

music (it seems at least) & being inspired by egyptian mythology. 

Four very long tracks, very minimal but with thousands of microtonal 

shifts inside. Nice full colour cover, to discover ! 

* DEAD FACTORY / ATUM - Extinction / Zona CD-R (Beast of 

Prey bop3.3, 2006) [lim. 213 copies] € 10.00 

"Split of two polish dark industrial projects. Cold and dark fusion of 

industry, factory halls and musical space - it all make over 50 minutes of 

music on the "Strefa". 

Unconventional issue: 150 x 140 mm format. Made from a 70 cm, grey, 

printed cardboard on which two pockets are placed. In pockets there 

are two photographs chosen from six different and a steel net. In the 

front of the cover there is a photography in 120 x 120 mm format. All is 

foiled and hand-numerated to 213 items. Professionally made cdr." 

[label website info] 

* DE FABRIEK - Quatro-Erogenic-Occupy Theme's Part II CD-R 

(AFE Records AFE058LCD², 2007) [2nd ed. 103 copies] € 13.00 

Zweite Auflage des 2004er Albums, inspiriert vom Thema 

"Ausserirdische"... 

“Alien Therapy Music. The core members of De Fabriek created the 

main tracks for this album and provided tons of samples to Hue (...of 

Sparkle In Grey and Normality / Edge fame...) who integrated them with

the music, created a few new tracks, reworked the lot adding more and 

more layers of his own sounds and did a magnificent mix which was 

later finalised for production by The Afeman himself. The main theme 

and inspiration for "Quatro-Erogenic-Occupy Theme's Part II" comes 

from close encounters, otherworldy lifeforms, contactism and the whole 

space/alien cover-up, myth or truth in general. The whole disc has 

obviously a space taste and showcases beautiful Kraut-Rock oriented 

ballads, weird voices and vocal oddities, mantrically mysterious 

acoustic instruments and percussions, space-guitars, old fashioned 

synthesizers and electronics.” [label info] 

* DEGENERAL - After the World CD-R (Zhelezobeton ZHB-VI, 

2005) [ed. of 223 copies] € 9.00 

Neuer russischer Industrial, analog, rauh & gut arrangiert! Kommt im 

silberfarbenen Schaumgummi-artigen besprühtem Spezialcover! 

"Degeneral was formed in the Siberian city of Kemerovo in 2001 and 

has already recorded several albums none of which has been issued to 

present day, so "After the World" can be called the first official release 

of the project. The album sounds like a soundtrack to a mental trip 

through the lifeless spaces of the world outlived electro-mechanical 

apocalypse. First monotonous droning tracks unobtrusively bring 

listener's perception into a laid-back and meditative state. But the sound 

gradually condenses, saturation of sonic events grows and music takes 

mechanical features of sinister atmosphere of a desolated factory 

working for hundreds of years without human assistance. Thunder of 

workshops, buzz of power substations and clanks of unknown 

mechanisms flow together into united psy-noise symphony. By the end 

of the disc anthropomorphical assotiations naturally pale and give way 

to abstract cosmic visions, provoked by skilfully combined avalanchelike 

noise waves and looped melodic lines. The release is packed into 

hand-made outer sleeve made of foil-covered material with sprayed 

symbol and inner semi-transparent cardboard sleeve with information 

notes." [label info] 

* DUKE, ANDREW / AKUMU - Organic / Structures CD-R (Cohort 

Records CRCD 119, 2006) [lim. 100] € 9.00 

Two new unknown names for us on John Gore's (KIRCHENKAMPF) 

label: ANDREW DUKE has 10 shorter pieces with delayed objectnoises, 

nicely effected roaring drone-waves, weird electronic sounds, 

and glitchy rumbling granulation-fields, many details & ideas here, every 

piece is different... AKUMU presents three permeating sonorous drones 

with lots of micro-sounds... great CDR, much recommended! 

"two Canadian sound artists: Andrew Duke of Cognition Audioworks of 

Nova Scotia presenting his cutup glitch compositions and Akumu (aka 

Deane Hughes) three tracks of deep drone - limited to 100 copies" 

"I always appreciate Cohort’s will to present non-commercial electronic 

music from all over the world, even at the price of a few minor releases. 

But the good ones are REALLY good, and this is one of them. Andrew 

Duke, who is a renowned composer active in many different media, is 

here represented by a series of relatively dark tracks which feature 

quite a lot of spontaneous instrumental generation, in addition to 

Andrew’s obvious technical skills. Deceitful patterns and clashing 

reverberations release inexhaustible, mind-dislocating clouds of 

frequencies that contrast – or get married to – hypnotic vicious circles in 

an unpredictable kinship with hypothetical altered states of mind. 

Headphones are recommended to catch every minute detail, as Duke 

works at the margins of the audio spectrum to deliver his brand of 

electronica from any preconceived interpretation, virtualizing events 

with the equidistant calm of a neutral observer. Dean Hughes (Akumu) 

is even more obscure, entrancing and – contrarily to what the titles 

might suggest – organic. His three tracks are long explorations of the 

psyche through a mass of extremely resonant low drones that suggest 

no other behavior than a total relinquishment of our will to penetrate 

their structure (no pun intended). For my own taste, this is the best half 

of this split album, bringing memories of current masters of the genre 

(Frans De Waard’s Shifts and Freiband projects come to mind) through 

a masterful modulation of our sensitive apparata. But the whole CD is 

excellent, and it would be unjust on my behalf dividing the artists’ 

merits." [Touching Extremes] 

* ENCOMIAST - Transit Bed CD-R (Gears of Sand GOS 27, 

2007) € 11.50 

ENCOMIAST hat sich inzwischen einen Namen gemacht in der sich nur 

träge bewegenden "Dark Ambient"-Welt, eine Welt in der es so gut wie 

keine Hypes, Stars oder überhaupt Features (Artikel, Interviews, etc.) 

gibt. Eine Welt die der allgemeinen Kommerzialisierung und 

Entertainisierung bisher weitgehend standgehalten hat... 

Das neue ENCOMIAST-Album fliesst dunkel aber auch sehr angenehm 

soft in endlosen Weiten dahin, alle möglichen Arten von 

geheimnisvollen Klangereignissen tauchen auf um sogleich wieder in 

der Ursuppe zu verschwinden. Wenn die Etikettierung als "Traum- 

Drone" einen Sinn macht, dann auf jeden Fall hier !! 

"Anyway, the whole point of all this is, we've reviewed three 

different titles by Encomiast, all of them amazing, and unfortunately 

all of them no longer available. So now we've finally got a brand new 

disc, also a limited cd-r, that's just as gorgeous as any of those 

other now unavailable titles, we got a bunch but we have no idea how 

long they'll last, so if you're an Encomiast fan already you'll 

definitely want to grab one of these pronto, and if you've yet to 

experience the dark drifting beauty of Encomiast, well, then now 

here's your chance. And as the saying goes, you snooze, you lose... 

Transit Bed is a glistening wide open expanse of interwoven 

low tones, spacious epic ambience, peppered with super reverbed 

percussion, and warm resonant swells. Besides the usual mysterious 

sounds, there are samples of a live performance, bits of flute and 

prepared piano, but those too are smeared into fuzzy indistinct 

shapes, left to float and flutter dreamlike amidst all manner of 

rumbles and whirs. Dark and dense, warm and so gorgeous. Highly 

highly recommended. And as always, it's highly recommended that you 

grab one of these sooner rather than later..." [Aquarius Records] 

"Transit Bed begins in a haunted theatre in an old mining town, moves 

briefly to a small apartment in Boulder, lounges with a group of familiar 

strangers in a garage on the outskirts of town, ponders the nature of 

human "progress," and finally ends up at a dive bar in downtown 

Denver, among friends both new and old. An epically improbable 

journey, to be sure, but it is one that we all must undertake at some 

point. The result is a disheveled yet densely woven collection, relying 

heavily on treated live performances and including contributions from a 

motley assortment of characters playing a similarly divergent range of 

instruments. Guitars, mandolins, hand percussion, songs from the 

American Civil War, Balinese instruments, flutes, a prepared piano 

stringboard, and a diabolical instrument known as the Necroharp all 

make significant appearances. The kitchen sink is conspicuously absent 

from this album, but we don't feel it suffers as a result since many sinks 

remain silent in the background, making their contribution in a more 

subtle and important manner by providing water for hydration and 

cleaning purposes. Enjoy!" [Ross Hagen / ENCOMIAST] 

* ERTHAD - Gma CD-R (Zhelezobeton ZHB-IX, 2007) [lim. 250] 

€ 8.00 

Erste VÖ eines russischen Projekts, der mit uraltem Analog-Equipment 

ausgerüstet zu sein scheint, Rausch- und Sirr-Felder, Kurz-Echo- 

Räume, seltsame Pulsationen.. analoger Drone-Ambient... 

"Russian project Erthad, originating from Kazan, exists since late 90- 

ies, but until now still hasn't made any official releases and preferred to 

stay in underground, recording music only for himself and his friends. 

We have been endeavouring to change this situation for a long time and 

now we're glad to present this wonderful disk to your attention. "Gma" 

was recorded in 2002 with the use of voice and software noise 

synthesizers. If one says that the album's style is called "ambient noise" 

- is to say almost nothing. The disk has very specific atmosphere: this is 

a noise meditation, calm and detached from emotional fuss. An intuitive 

electronic pulse synchronizes with brain frequencies, rising and falling 

waves of non-aggressive white noise pacify thoughts, and constantly 

rustling high frequencies when listened to attentively evoke dissotiative 

sensation, dissolving perception in the sonic field. However, everything 

as always depends on a listener himself." [label info] 

* FEINE TRINKERS BEI PINKELS DAHEIM / CELE - Narcissus 

mCDR-box (Blackforest Records 001, 2006) € 12.00 

First release of a new split-series on the FEINE TRINKERS-label (a 

series that is supposed to last 50 years - every year one release - which 

is of course an ironic comment on the limitation-madness in the 

experimental scene). This one-tracker NARCISSUS is quite a tour de 

force, using the typical great synth / object-noise / found sounddronescapes 

of FEINE TRINKERS, combined here with the singing & 

chanting of the south-german female CELE, nicely embedded... 

comes in metal-box with fold out full-colour artwork, all handmade. 

Numbered edition. 

* FEU FOLLET & MIINA VIRTANEN - The Icicle Lectures Vol. 1 

CD-R (Ex Ovo EXO 002, 2007) € 10.00 

"The Icicle Lectures Vol. 1 is the first episode of a collaboration between 

Feu Follet mastermind and Ex Ovo co-founder Tobias Fischer and 

Finnish composer and pianist Miina Virtanen. Premiered live to great 

success in Dresden in February of 2007, it embraces elements from 

Classical Music, Ambient and contemporary composition in one 

continous, challenging, yet emotional piece. After his debut Toi Et Le 

Son (on Einzeleinheit) in January 2006 and an ankle-deep march 

through a mesmerising stream of foggy sounds Feu Follet has arrived 

at the frozen lake of 2007. The realisation of this album was one of 

those little miracles life sometimes hands us. In his sidejob, Fischer also 

writes for the house journal of a large call center located in Münster. It 

caught his eye that there was an ad in each each edition for CDs with 

piano music and he decided to check it out. Only a couple of months 

later The Icicle Lectures Vol. 1 (which bases on Virtanen’s ”Silence

Thoughts II”) was a fact. The Icicle Lectures Vol. 1 sees Fischer 

combining the glacial drones of the predecessor with the warm radiating 

piano drops of Finnish discovery Miina Virtanen. The end result is an 

airy, hardly tangible composition of removal and recurrence. Like 

feathers falling down on an icy surface in slow motion." [label info] 

"...It opens with a piece by Virtanen, solo on the piano. Music of 

stillness. Romantic but not kitsch. Satie meets Feldman. That sort of 

thing. The longest piece, thirty four minutes, is a collaboration between 

Virtanen and Fischer, which is by far the strongest work Fischer made 

so far. Chilling electronics that play a highly modest role in the music, 

with just a refined bit of Virtanen's piano playing. A bit of reverb adds 

that extra ambience. I am strongly reminded of the two albums Brian 

Eno made with Harold Budd in his ambient series, 'The Plateaux Of 

Mirror' and 'The Pearl', but then captured in one long track. It's a great 

melancholic and atmospheric music, perfect for a late night listening 

session. Curious about the next volumes!" [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

Address: http://www.exovo.org 

* FIVE ELEMENTS MUSIC - VarunaGhat CD-R (Mystery Sea 

MS40, 2007) [lim. 100] € 12.00 

"To the food industry, water is increasingly turning into a lifestyle 

product. For Russian artist Sergey, it is source of great purity which 

should be treated thoughtfully and with respect. On “Nameless Droplet”, 

his recently released and already all but sold-out Mystery Sea debut 

with his main project Exit in Grey, the metaphors were still covered by 

dark clouds and hidden in musical metaphors. The album represented a 

shoreless sea slowly being sucked down a vast and increasingly 

vociferous vortex. Under his “Five Elements Music” disguise, however, 

the metaphors are facing themselves in a Kirlian mirror, their souls 

exposed and their true nature revealed. 

Samples of various water recordings, therefore, are at the heart of 

“VarunaGhat”. For an artist who holds the traditional drone ethos even 

higher in his solo work than in his collaborational activities (which, on 

“Nameless Droplet” allowed for diversifications such as sombre guitar 

figures), this can hardly come as a surprise. 

With its complexly vivid inner pulsation and a constant outward 

frequency, after all, the sound of water is essentially a drone itself and 

compliments the suspended harmonies of the genre perfectly. On the 

other hand, Sergey is not content travelling to the same places others 

have already visited. Just like Exit in Grey caused minor erruptions by 

fluently shaping their intangible compositions into very concrete 

textures, Five Elements Music finds a niche between a traditional and a 

progressive use of its field recordings. 

Rhythm especially plays a vital role in this concept. There is a very 

simple logic behind this thought, as water in itself is silent and only 

becomes audible through movement. Whether it isparkles from a 

fountain, rushes through a ravine, gallops like fugitive horses or 

murmurs peacefully, Sergey concentrates on its pulse as well as its 

irregular gravitational centre. He doesn’t need all too many exterior 

extrapolations to achieve this effect and instead choses to leave most of 

the natural emmissions intact. His work lies rather in developping the 

samples through timbre and by allowing different sources to overlap 

and form new patterns. 

Simultaneously, he contrasts these waterscapes with the expansions of 

his drones. The vast, twentytwo minute long opening track takes this to 

extremes, as a single recording is awarded emotions ranging from 

aggression to tranquil zeal, while the sky is increasingly covered by 

black cumuli and distant lightning flashes. 

On the second untitled track, a sinus tone is softly stretched, forming a 

tender, wooly surface. Here, the basic technique is most apparent, as 

organic and surgically dissected material are brought together, while 

immobile frequencies clash with the underlying stillness. 

One has to see this as a decided step against the arbitrary use of water 

in electronic music. Many recent releases have both shown the great 

effect it can still have, as well as the danger of ending up a cliche. On 

“VarunaGhat”, no drop of water is carelessly spilt. It relies on the beauty 

of its path through nature, yet changes its course whenever this offers a 

chance for creating new sensations. You need to listen closely to this 

album to actually become aware of this seemingly insignificant but 

really quite important shift. If you do, however, there are great rewards 

lurking underneath its surface." [ By Tobias Fischer / Tokafi ] 

"Russian project Five Elements Music is a shoot coming from exit in 

grey's rich compost of sound experiments, and also Sergey's solo 

highly organic vehicle... the name comes from a vedic concept of "Five 

Elements" (ETHER, Air, Fire, Water, Earth) needed to have a global 

approach of reality, one that goes beyond appearances, words and 

consciousness for an enhanced experience of Life both on an 

emotional, physical & spiritual level... ETHER is the central element of 

this bouquet, holding all forms & colors, and the human body is the 

perceptual tool... 

Five Elements Music paints a sound canvas, trying to reach a sort of 

supra-awareness through the manipulation of chosen sensible sonic 

fragments coming from some essential elemental sources... 

- 

On "VarunaGhat" we share a common mystery 

with a pool of trembling water, 

being both in a dormant state, 

waiting to bloom while listening to its nocturnal flow... 

an imperturbable stream 

in phase with the world 

we speak as a river, 

our voices among stones, singing into the liquid 

like a choral of fluctuating micro-energies... 

In all those elements lies a detailed universe 

Drink its traces, slip into its convolutions, sense its immanent drift 

till your awakening..." [label info] 

* FREIBAND - Spaarzaam mCD-R (My Own Little Label MOLL 

001, 2007) € 6.00 

"The ever-active Frans de Waard has started a new label, which goes 

by the name of 'Moll'. 'Moll' not only means 'minor key' in Dutch, but, 

standing for 'My Own Little Label', it is also a highly sympathetic tonguein-cheek 

commentary on DIY-creativity. 'Moll' is releasing CD-Rs, 

featuring music by Frans de Waard's diverse projects and cover artwork 

by Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek). 

The first entry in the catalogue came as a surprise to me, as it finds 

Freiband taking a direction which I had not encountered before in his 

work. As it can be learned from the label's website, this recently 

recorded 17-minute piece is a remix of "Dagpauwoog, the local sad 

song trio which stopped their activities." Incorporating sparse, looped 

vocals, a simple melody on the guitar and a basic drum pattern into his 

signature drone style, Freiband adds an unexpected, pop-fueled 

emotional character to his music. One might justly object that the 

melancholic potential of digital drone music has been explored 

extensively in recent years. But after all the music on 'Spaarzam' is 

sweet and moody, especially the second part, which embeds the 

original instrumentation in restrained drones." [Magnus Schäfer] 

* FREIBAND - Ice field mCD-R (My Own Little Label MOLL 002, 

2007) € 6.00 

"...The music on 'Ice Field' is not exactly what you would expect from 

Freiband either, but contrary to 'Spaarzam' it's the grittiness that comes 

as a surprise here. Partly recorded in 2005 for a planned release on 

Ideal, which never materialized, and partly recorded in May 2007, the 

rather short tracks span the whole range of digital austerity, from 

insistent pulses to exercises in crackle and hiss. They are of a sketchlike 

character, each one exploring a small set of sounds and variations. 

Not everything works equally well, but there is enough tension 

throughout and the first and the last track stand out in particular as 

strikingly focused and intense." [Magnus Schäfer] 

* FREIBAND - Untitled Drone Work mCD-R (My Own Little Label 

MOLL 003, 2007) € 6.00 

"That lovely twenty minute piece that was previously released by 

Twenty Hertz in their 'Drone Works' series, but since it's discontinued, I 

thought it would be a good idea to do a 'repress', this time on a 3" CDR, 

with a somewhat different cover (from the same series of photographs 

actually)." [label website info] 

"The atmosphere is equally austere as that on 'Ice Field', but instead of 

the sketch-like approach Freiband presents one 20-minute track again, 

a format that seems most appropriate to his drone aesthetic. He works 

with flickering, high-pitched sounds here, which are accompanied by a 

dark drone underneath. The compositional structure might seem to be 

devoid of any internal development, but concentrated listening reveals 

rich microstructural variations, as the various layers move out of sync 

and new sounds subtly surface in the mix. It's nice that this material is 

available again now, and the lovely cover photography should of course 

get an extra cheer" [Magnus Schäfer] 

* FUNKSTILLESENDER - Gribnoy Sezon CD-R (Abgurd AB-13CD, 

2006) [lim. 51 copies] € 9.00 

CDR-Version des vergriffenen Tapes! Neue russische Drone-Szene! 

"So far unknown project from Russia with ultra-spheric thick fog-drones, 

hyper-minimal radio-waves, noisy but meditative, reminds on CLOSING 

THE ETERNITY for example.... recommended for ether-heads..." 

[Drone Rec. 2005] 

* GELSOMINA - Santa Sangre mCDR (Mask of the Slave Records 

MS004, 2006) [lim. 100] € 5.50 

Rare GELSOMINA-release with frenetic noise (except the last of the 

four tracks which seems to use voice-material from the legendary film 

SANTA SANGRE, sold out at the label ! 

"Finnish harsh noise with power electronics elements and some drone 

touches. There should be NO pauses between the tracks. The disc + 

track titles refer to the legendary Jodorowsky's film "Santa Sangre". The

last track is rather untypical Gelsomina with strange dark elements. 

Limited to 100 copies." [label info] 

* GOOSE - Isabel mCD-R (Taalem alm38, 2007) € 5.00 

Klangschalen, Becken- & Glockensounds vermischen sich mit dem 

tiefen (genial effektierten) Rumpeln eines Hurrikans! Ein sehr kraftvolles 

& hypnotisches Stück, auch wenn (fast)-Stille eine grosse Rolle spielt. 

"Also known for his Stolen Light noise project and his annual xmas 

compilations on his Zaftig Research label, Goose is Brett Lunceford's 

alias for his drone & dark ambient sounds. this track was quite an 

experience/experiment for him: "i recorded part of that track while 

hurricane isabel was coming through pennsylvania, hence the title of 

the track. all we got was a lot of wind and rain and not a lot of damage, 

but it was nice to record. i had just bought a tibetan singing bowl and i 

have played drums for about 20 years now, so i love percussion 

sounds. i was just hoping that the people downstairs from me would not 

be too annoyed as i was playing the cymbals and bells! this was a bit of 

a departure from my typical long form drones that i generally do as 

Goose, but i like it a lot." so here is this hypnotic & acoustic droney 

track. to make it yet more hypnotic, it's been carefully mastered by our 

beloved italian master andrea marutti. let yourself carry along by 

isabel..." [label info] 

* GYDJA - Umbilicus Maris CD-R (Mystery Sea MS36, 2007) [lim. 

100] € 12.00 

Wieder ein neuer Name auf MYSTERY SEA, GYDJA aus Neuseeland 

führt die belgische "ozeanische Drones"-Reihe fort! Für Freunde von 

verträumten Ambient-Fliessmuster (mit der Betonung auf "Fliessen") 

eine definitive Empfehlung! Klangbeispiele für alle MS-releases gibt es 

auf: www.mysterysea.net ! 

"Another gorgeous release from Mystery Sea, whose sonic focus 

is on "night-ocean drones", and more than anything we've heard on MS, 

Umbilicus Maris by New Zealand one man drone outfit Gydja perfectly 

embodies that focus. 

Umbilicus Maris is very oceanic, aquatic, even sub-aquatic. The 

rhythm is tidal, a subtle pulse, a gradual swell, the sounds shift and 

shimmer like light through water, and of the handful of Mystery Sea 

releases we've heard, Umbilicus Maris is the loudest and most active. 

That's in no way to infer that this is anything but drifting blissy 

ambience. It most certainly is, but the sounds are not lowercase. Not 

barely audible. Abby Helasdottir, the sole soul behind Gydja, brings the 

sounds to the fore, they are dark and mysterious, droning and drifting, 

but they are loud, the listener can hear them, FEEL them, peer inside 

and around, can experience the sound physically, get lost inside the 

sound. A pair of headphones is all you need to get sucked under, 

floating weightless in a strange sun dappled undersea world of sound. 

Field recordings (tides, oceans, streams) are mixed with 

performances, all processed into some otherworldly soundscape, or 

seascape. Burbling, shimmering, glistening, glimmering, everything 

slightly blurry, warped and warbled, multiple layers, shifting and 

drifting, low end rumbles slowly drift to the surface, where strange 

sonic skitters and burbles float on the surface, everything drenched 

in echo and reverb, like some massive undersea cavern, lit only by a 

single shaft of sunlight, the sounds of dripping water magnified into 

swirls of sound, distant percussive pings, an ultra abstract undersea 

dub. So completely warm and dreamlike, headphones like a diving bell, 

eyes closed, no need to breathe, letting the sound wash over you, 

slowly sinking to the bottom of some warm sonic sea. Absolutely 

gorgeous. And like all Mystery Sea releases, LIMITED TO 100 

COPIES, each disc numbered, and gorgeously packaged in striking full 

color artwork." [Aquarius Records] 

"Gydja (old Norse word for priestess) officiates since 1995, led by 

New Zealand muse Abby Helasdottir, also active in design & 

performance art, creating supernatural soundscapes with transforming 

potential. aving contributed to various compilations, online projects, and 

rich in some collaborations (including one with Aidan Baker "Corpus 

Callosum", and another with Austrian musician Marunfura Fufunjiru 

"Ma-mo Rbad Gtong"), Gydja has also under its belt a series of selfreleased 

works ("Liber babalon", "Cold Seed", "Rivers..." to name, but a 

few...)... close to all are soaked with magical/shamanic connotations, 

obeying to some peculiar inner laws, merging electro-acoustic & 

experimental techniques, and formally often based on abstracted fieldrecordings... 

On "umbilicus maris", Gydja drags us along a quest for a lost mythic 

world beyond frontier... 

After a dazed drift in a foggy mangrove, 

we reach an unmapped regio of concentric superimposing circles 

& endless ripples perparing us for a sheer descent into murky waters... 

- 

adorning the dive, huge, drowned thousand years stones 

seem to betray an ancient ceremony, a passage through Time 

to a supreme Essence... 

- 

Small lights flicker in the cold current, and thoughts snake along the 

moss walls whispering lunar tales... 

- 

immersed in this strange universe, we grow 

in constant mutation at the mercy of the waves 

towards a better Self..." [label description] 

* HAARE - Electronic Psychosis CD-R (Mask of the Slave 

Records MS002, 2006) [lim. 150] € 8.00 

Wieder heftiger Drone-Noise aus der sehr aktiven finnischen Szene! 

Eher sphärisch-monumental als krass konkret & harsch. 

"Electronic Psychosis part 1 & 2, recorded and mixed at No studio Aug 

2006. Power industrial noise project from Finland. Psychedelic ritual 

noise with lot of drone touches and lo-fi sound. One of the best Haare 

release, recommended! CD-r in DVD case with pro-cover, limited to 150 

copies." [label info] 

* HILTER - Prepared CD-R (JuinJuillet Records juju 06-2, 2006) 

[lim. 150] € 9.50 

Second release of this german project with a strange name, for fans of 

LES JOYAUX DE LA PRINCESSE and other "nostalgic" & "martial" 

dark ambience very much worth to check out! 

"Gerade als man dachte, man hätte die Geschichte hinter sich gelassen 

und sei im post histoire angekommen, klagen sich Tradition und 

Vergangenheit erneut ihr Recht ein. Aus dem Untergrund der 

Musikszene werden Fragmente herangespült, die das Verdrängte und 

Vergessene ins Zentrum rücken und mit Bild- und Klangwerk 

auferstehen lassen. Historical Ambient, wie ihn Joyeaux de la 

princesse, Les sentir conflictuels, Dernière Volonté und andere vor 

allem französische Formationen entwickelt haben, kann inzwischen 

einen festen Platz im unabhängigen Musikgeschehen behaupten. Hilter, 

die Band mit dem irritierenden Namen, lässt sich mit ihrem von 2003 bis 

2006 aufgenommenen Werk 'Prepared' mühelos hier einordenen. Die 

auf 150 Stück limitierte, schön gestaltete CDr nimmt sich der düsteren 

Kapitel des 20. Jahrhunderts an - was nicht sonderlich neu ist, 

zugegeben - und entfaltet eine melancholische wie beklemmende 

Atmosphäre mit einfachen sakralen Melodien, deutschen und 

französischen Sprachsamples und gelegentlichen martialischen 

Rhythmen. Hilter haben das Genre weder neu erfunden noch neu 

definiert. Sie arbeiten jedoch talentiert und spannend an ihrem Thema 

und bieten dem Fan konzeptorientierter Ambientmusik eine intensive 

Stunde des Zuhörens und Reflektierens: apokalyptisch, pessimistisch 

und packend." [Christoph D. / Ikonen mag] 

* HUDAK, JOHN - My Eye My Son's Eye CD-R (Generator Sound 

Art GSA-03, 1999) € 14.00 

"John Hudak's sound work focuses on the minimalism and repetition of 

sounds below the usual threshold of hearing, sounds that are filtered 

out or considered non-musical. These sounds are recorded, 

deconstructed and processed, their rhythms and textures being the 

basis for aural manipulations." [label info] 

* HUM - Pilgrim on the way of negation do-CDR (Datura 

Landscapes ~ DATURA 10, 2007) € 14.00 

The most epic work of HUM so far, and maybe also the most 

otherworldy & melancholic sounding release (with titles like " 

Infundibulum " or "Nihilum Inflammatum"); wonderful chorus-layers of 

overtunic bliss, deep radiances of transcendental sounds, always with a 

deep melancholic undertone... this is the new "Folklore Planetaire", 

music of timeless beauty. Comes in a nice gatefold cardboard-cover. 

* INFANT CYCLE / ANTMANUV - Unrelated Work Tapes / Beyond 

the Garden mCD-R (The Ceiling CEIL031 / Periodical III, 2007) 

[lim.80] € 6.00 

"The second installment of the Periodical series. The Infant Cycle 

continues exploring the tense and fluctuating relationships between 

crackles, hisses and acoustic generated drones, while Antmanuv (who 

has created a number of audio and visual works for labels such as 

Mutek, Crionica Electronica, Squrt and his own AntmanuvMICRO) 

supplies a haunting environmental piece based around discreet loops). 

More uneasy listening. Like the first edition, this is a "budget" release, 

limited to 80 copies." [label info] 

* INFANT CYCLE - Playout CD-R (Zhelezobeton ZHB-XI, 2007) 

[lim. 250] € 8.00 

Eine halbstündige CDR-EP mit 2 langen Stücken, nach vorne 

drängende Rasiermesser-Pulses, ständige Wechsel von Sounds & 

Stimmungen, reine klackernde Geräuschparts, wieder begeisternd und 

weiterhin zu entdecken! 

"Limited to one rhythm-carved record playout groove, and operational 

record player sounds (augmented by violin bow and razor blade), The 

Infant Cycle creates a half-hour exploration through all the sounds 

possible. Harsher rhythmic timbres fly through into quieter microtonal

terrain, the static interrupted by spasms of unstability. Numbered 

edition of 250 copies." [label info] 

* INFANT CYCLE / UPHOLD - Our Past Present (Now Then) domCDR 

(AFE Records afe086mcd, 2007) € 13.00 

Split-release. Great mysterious soundscapes made with cymbal, water 

tank, record player, etc. by the "still-to-discover" canadian project 

INFANT CYCLE, presenting a one-tracker filled with electric pulses & 

backwards-sounds, highly abstract and atmospheric, we love it !! 

Absolutely recommended, gets better with every release... not too far 

away from the best (more experimental) stuff from HAFLER TRIO or 

so... 

The second mCDR is by the (for us) so far unknown project UPhold, 

who likes to confuse the listener with daring experimental electronic 

collages, where lots of original sounds appear, but also sets clear 

structured electronica with organ-sounds & spoken words against it.... 

"Following "Gravescapes" by Anofele and Logoplasm, unleashed in 2006, 

this is the second split release appearing on Afe. It comes in the form of two 

different 3" MiniCD-Rs published together in our standard package. 

Jim DeJong (The Infant Cycle) and Muffy St. Bernard (UPhold) are pleased 

to be partnered with each other for "Our Past Present (Now Then)". Their 

friendship dates back to the early '90s Canadian experimental tape scene, 

and they have worked together on occasion. The Infant Cycle was begun in 

1992 by Jim DeJong, as a 21st birthday present to himself. Previously, he 

was a member of Chronic Remorse, and Mind-skelp-cher (replaced by Muffy 

/ UPhold). Since then, The Infant Cycle has steadily created a large number 

of releases working with both "musical" and "non-musical" objects to create 

soundscapes that don't easily fit ready-made descriptions. He has worked 

with Orphx, Aidan Baker, W.A. Davison, Delphium, Neboysha Rakic, 

Dronæment, Antmanuv, Phycus and Jared Davison, to name a few, and has 

released recordings on numerous labels worldwide, including EE Tapes, 

Blade Records, Moloko+, Locus of Assemblage, etc. 

UPhold was formed by Muffy St. Bernard in 1993, growing out of earlymorning 

radio experiments on CKMS, the University of Waterloo's campus 

station. Those experiments were honed in the group Mindsculpture (a.k.a. 

Mind-skelp-cher) and have matured over time. During the years UPhold has 

worked with Jim DeJong (The Infant Cycle), Neb Rakic (AER), Eli McIlveen 

(Flickershow), Detlef Burghardt (Fond of the Drone), Jade (8-Bit Logik) and 

others. Right now Muffy is working on an upcoming release with a focus on 

memories (forgotten, cyclic and falsified) and an ongoing escape from noise 

(inside and outside). He is is also performing in drag shows and producing a 

weekly program about classic radio, just to keep busy. His music has been 

released through his own label, Dangermuff Enterproses, and through Jim 

DeJong's The Ceiling. 

"Unrelated Work Tapes 7/7/04" by The Infant Cycle is a new chapter in his 

series of aural collages based on his own past, present, future and nonexistant 

releases, where he explores the wide possibilities offered by 

manipulation / juxtaposition of different portions of audio materials taken out 

of their original context. The track is about twenty minutes long and is 

divided in several movements where a lot of different instruments and 

recordings are used: cymbals, water tank, record player operational sounds, 

synthesizers, lovebirds and carved vinyl record playout grooves. 

A different version of "Folded Memory Syndrome" was already included on 

our 10th year celebrative on-line compilation and it's the opening number of 

the second disc. Like the three following tracks, it showcases the good 

cinematic qualities of Uphold's music. It's a very complex track that includes 

assorted synthesizers lines, field recordings, found sounds and voices, metal 

percussions, etc. 

Originally merged together, "Shut the Fuck Up, Delia" and "Shut the Fuck 

Up, Dmitri" keep up the good work of the previous track and introduce an 

even more effective use of field recordings and low-budget electronic 

paraphernalia to tell complex and engaging stories. Coming at the end of the 

disc is "Bedwetters". Althought we're very fond of this whole work, we can't 

help to pick it up as our favourite number: "a story of paranoia in The Grey 

Yonder about how one malevolent spirit in an apartment can ruin life for 

everybody... Even if that spirit is only doing his laundry." 

When writing about our releases, even the most obscure, we really hate to 

compare them to other more famous works but we'll make an exception here 

pointing you to nothing less than the best moments in John Carpenter's 

movies and soundtracks. All the images adorning the artwork of "Our Past 

Present (Now Then)" are found pictures courtesy of Gene McSweeney, they 

are an added bonus to this quite interesting split release." [label info] 

* INSTANT MOVIE COMBINATIONS - 9Ymbo CDR (Abgurd AB-19, 

2006) [lim 196 copies] € 9.00 

"Debut album from the project coming from Novosibirsk, Russia. IMC 

plays noise drone ambient and promises to become one of the 

openings of this year. Static and elastic dissociating layers of sonic 

waves. Imagine Klaus Wiese's "Ruh" but performed completely with 

digital technologies, add "life-enhancing" analogue hisses and crackles 

a la Galakthorrö and you'll probably get the image. "Once you 

remember..." [press-release] 

* INSTANT MOVIE COMBINATIONS - Dreams frozen / boiled do- 

CDR (Misfake Studio mf03, 2006) [lim. 57 copies] € 14.00 

Harsh minimal Drone-Muzak from Siberia, sirene-like sound-tunnels, 

big mechanical hums & vibrations. Only very few copies in stock. 

"A hobby-horse of IMC has always been static music for which you 

have to have special perception tuning - don't expect that you'll be 

carried away by melodies or unusual collages or some other evident 

tricks, here you should let your attention creep inside the depth of 

sound, feel it's texture by ear. And then minimalistic static fields unfold 

in flowing layers of constantly transforming waves. First disk is really 

cold, more "digital" and heartless in feeling; second one is more warm 

and shaggy, wheezy and distorted. Very good and interesting work." 

[label info] 

* I:WOUND - Punish the Guilty do-CDR (Locust of Assembly 

assemblage 011, 2003) [lim. 200] € 15.00 

"outside is india's inside is india's outside is india's inside is india's 

outside is india's inside". Pure field recordings from India mixed with 

some harmonic dark drones underneath & other additional microsounds. 

You listen to lots of people talking, singing, chanting, radiojingles, 

bells & tablas playing, daily environmental noises & a live brass 

band. A work that needs some time to sink on you, but can then have 

an amazing effect. 

" 'The Other Within' uses soundscapes of Indian field recordings 01/02 

based on the writings of Ashis Nandy. 'Fire - A Meditation On 

Impermanence' is one long drone using recordings from the burning 

ghats in Varanasi and the brass band of the security police of greater 

Mumbai. Release comes as a double CD (non-silver) limited to 200 

hand numbered copies." [label info] 

* KADAVER - God has left the building CD-R (Mask of the Slave 

Records MS008, 2006) [lim. 150 DVD box] € 8.00 

"Centuries of Hatred", "Blood and feces on the altar", "Deeper", 

KADAVER verbinden ihre Noise-Attacke mit eindeutigen Botschaften. 

Anti-religiöser und überhaupt "anti-everything" HarshNoise aus Israel ! 

"Kadaver is a 1man project by Michael Zolotov from Israel. Active since 

2003 (yet the first release came out on 2005). The sounds of Kadaver 

shifts from dark and twisted ambient through industrial till harsh noise 

and power electronics. This is NOT art nor music. Kadaver is NOT an 

artist trying to "creatively express himself" via this format. This is a 

cancer. It’s sickness. It’s a warm streaming vomit of hatred towards life, 

humans and existence. It’s the knife in your hand when nightmares twist 

your dreams. It’s the emptiness that devours your meaningless being 

and bleed as tears of decay over it. This is not for anyone... This is 

Kadaver. Cd-r in DVD case with pro-cover, limited to 150 copies." 

[label info] 

* KALORIFEUR - Within the Hermitage CD-R (Editions_Zero #9, 

2006) [lim.199] € 10.00 

The ABSURD-label from Athens always had a spot for the most WEIRD 

music & sounds you can imagine, and this CDR from KALORIFEUR is 

no exception: cheapo (Casio)-tunes, obscure singing and shouting, 

metal-object sounds, radio-waves, feedbacks and other undefinable 

instrumental noises, all played & performed in such a strange an antimusical 

& positively anarchistic way that you can only wonder... 

for people who like the most BIZARRE stuff, this will make you happy! 

KALORIFEUR is (was) a greek duo coming from Larissa. 

* KIRCHENKAMPF - The first circle CD-R (Cohort Records CRCD 

102, 1995) € 9.00 

Last copies of this early KIRCHENKAMPF-release! 

"Massive ambience. Though the release has only six tracks, it's every 

bit a full-length release checking in at just under an hour. The ambience 

portrayed here could be perceived as beautiful by many, but I find it 

more metallic, not harsh, but metallic. Imagine walking through the guts 

of a really big machine that digests metal as opposed to organic 

materials. It's the soundtrack to a very dark day. This record is 

recommended for those who just need some time to think about things. 

The artwork on this first edition is astounding. The handpainted, 

cracking green and black jewel box perfectly captures the mood." 

[J. Mundok, AUTOreverse #11] 

* KIRCHENKAMPF / THE IMPLICIT ORDER - M103: A cosmic 

peregrination in four parts CD-R (Cohort Records CRCD 106, 

1999) € 9.00 

A one-tracker of around 55 minutes with ghostly wind-ambience and 

vocal invocations, ultra-dark, floating and re-sounding endlessly, loopy 

& repetitive structures are omnipresent, but it doesn't sound artificial... 

this is a split CDR where the different parts are linked together 

(parts 1 & 3 by KIRCHENKAMPF, parts 2 & 4 by THE IMPLICIT 

ORDER), the material fits together quite well... 

Recommended for lovers of the spheric dark drones... 

* KLIER, CORDELL - Measure here and be now CD-R (AFE 

Records afe091lcd, 2007) [lim. 100] € 13.00

Very nice release on AFE by CORDELL KLIER, mainly quiet, droney & 

spheric, setting you into a mysterious beauty.... we must say that italian 

label AFE has reached a quality through the years that makes almost all 

of their new releases worth checking out for the Drone / dark ambientlover! 

MP3 samples on the AFE website www.aferecords.com 

"Cordell Klier is an avantgarde sound artist, graphic designer and label 

owner from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Since the beginning of his 

career in music Cordell has continued to carve his own trails and 

musical nitches with his sincere abilities to bridge the widest of gaps 

between many of the divided music cultures and sub-cultures. 

Sometimes to the dismay, and sometimes to the rejoicing of critics and 

fans alike. Through the years he has worked within many genres of 

sound. Everything from Noise to Metal, to Punk, Pop and Hip Hop, but 

currently recognising silence, drone, and glitch as his main mediums of 

output. Starting out in 1987 with his first Metal band Shadow, Cordell 

has since moved on to form numerous other acts such as Vedisni, 

Dream Eternal, Climb to Zalem, No Human Day, Monstrare, Under 

Crushing Wings and more... 

"Measure Here and Be Now" was recorded between September 2005 

and January 2006, it features four tracks of minimal ambient and 

lowercase explorations. The disc opens with "Measure Here": with its 

sixteen minutes this is the longest piece on the album. The track starts 

with a very long ascending curve and is basically a droning number built 

on different frequencies intensively shifting up and down the audio 

spectrum. "Be Now" is another long track touching both the low and 

high extremes. With its piercing high frequencies buzzes and its lowend 

assorted rumbles it will surely overfeed your tweeters and woofers. 

This is a very carefully constructed composition that will severely try 

your loudspeakers' diaphragms... and ears, obviously. "Aware" is a 

more quiet and sober ambient affair: its simple structure and drones will 

soothe you into an heavenly bliss after the ordeal, leaving you in the 

arms of "Live", a static ending focused on the creative use of electric 

hum and assorted glitches / noises." [label description] 

* LAVELLE, BRIAN - A stuffed Crocodile mCD-R (AFE Records 

afe50005, 2007) [lim. 50] € 9.00 

New work from BRIAN LAVELLE with interesting digital microsounds / 

drone-ambience, showing similarities with ANDREW DEUTSCH, KIM 

CASCONE, COH or DAVID LEE MYERS. Quite delicate stuff. 

"Brian Lavelle has been creating music for more than ten years using a 

variety of electronic devices. His most famous works are the "Radios" 

series, composed with Richard Youngs, but we can't help mentioning 

his wonderful "How To Construct A Time Machine" guitar suite released 

by Staalplaat's subsidiary Bake Records. "A Stuffed Crocodile" is his 

longest piece of computer music and density is its key: lots of digital 

information is layered into dense clusters which complement and 

contrast each other and somehow still appear to sound melodic and 

harmonic. Brian also appears on the Teddy Bear Remix Project". [label 

info] 

* LOGOPLASM - Testa Piena d'Orche CD-R (AFE Records 

100cd, 2007) [lim. 100] 

Beeindruckender one-tracker des italienischen Duos, die 

ausschliesslich Feldaufnahmen verwendet zu haben scheinen 

(Sprachmaterial, Tiere, Glöckchen & Metall, Wasser), die sich über 

einem Drone ausbreiten. Diese wunderbare Landschaft aus Sounds 

schwingt sich allmählich in schimmernde traumhafte Dimensionen 

hinauf, sehr emotional wurde das Sprachmaterial bearbeitet und 

eingefügt, viele Klänge bleiben recht konkret und erkennbar... 

shifting vistas and experiences of the most profound dreams, foundsound 

recordings and instrumentation meld in a strange, yet wholly 

coherent way. Bodiless voices seem almost familiar and common 

sounds – rain, wind, animals – take on the eerie, displaced sheen of the 

dream-lands (even the band's press release for this CD is scattered and 

self-reflexive, requiring arrows and footnotes to explain) and, like a 

dream, this record follows you even after it's finished. Thin, mist-like 

threads twirl around your head, laughter and barking dogs echo in your 

ears. 

So, Logoplasm are a strange project and "Testa piena d'orche" is a 

strange record. Disjointed and meandering it sounds weak on paper but 

oh-so perfect in actuality. Maybe, like the best dreams, this can only 

make sense to the dreamer." [Gaendaal / Heathen Harvest] 

* LOUKIA KATSIMERI - Sohos CD-R (Editions_Zero #12, 2007) 

€ 10.00 

Ausgrabung aus dem EDITIONS ZERO - Archiv und für jeden der auf 

obskure "reine", als nicht weiter veränderte field recorindings steht ein 

Muss: dies sind Aufnahmen vom März 1991 aus dem griechischen () 

Dorf SOHOS wo eine Prozession unbekannter Art stattgefunden haben 

muss, mit surreal verkleideten Teilnehmern die grosse Kuhglockenartige 

Objekte um ihre Hüften gespannt haben. Dieses Glockenmeer, 

vermischt mit Sprachmaterial ist hier zu hören, und auch Fragmente 

von Musik (die typischen Tröten) tauchen auf.. obskur und schön. 

"recorded either on february or march 1991 at the village of sohos. 

accidentally discovered in editions_zero's archive in december 2006" 

[label info] 

* MARUTTI, ANDREA - The brutality of misbreathing CD-R 

(Opaco Records op03, 2007) [lim.100] € 10.00 

Erste "volles" Album von ANDREA MARUTTI, auch bekannt als AMON 

und Betreiber von AFE Records! Das ist miasmatischer Dark Ambient in 

neuer Dimension, wallend, majestätisch, tonnenschwer niederdrückend, 

ausserweltlich... 4 Stücke die uns in ihrer gespenstischen Intensität 

begeistert haben.... 

"The brutality of misbreathing, just like being choked by the anxiety of 

an endless resonating emptiness, uselessly searching for a way out of 

loneliness. Spending days with half-closed eyes, hoping to dream 

reality away for as long as possible, observing a new failure in the early 

morning light. Trying to fill an ever-growing lack of warmth with selfmade 

illusions, still feeling alive as tears flow down lapping the edge of 

a broken nose." 

"The Brutality of Misbreathing" is Andrea Marutti's first full-lenght 

release published under his own name. He is better known for his Amon 

and Never Known projects and as Afe Records label owner. His music 

has been published by Eibon Records, Amplexus, Drone Records, 

Taâlem, etc. This album is a one hour journey between dramatic dark 

atmospheres and drone-based ambiences in slow and continous 

evolution. Echoes of reverbered metallic sounds and sharp circular 

loops, electronic elements and saturated signals close to distortion 

emerge each now and then from the disquieting sound mass. The 

music flows in a persistent alternation of majestic crescendos and quiet 

discreet stases; a sense of tension and discomfort permeates the whole 

disc, just like being stuck in a long and appearently never-ending bad 

dream..." [label info] 

* MASKED DIODE - same mCD-R (L.White Records LW-042, 

2006) [lim. 200] € 9.00 

"MASKED DIODE is an industrial noise unit in Japan. There are several 

splendid noise units that are not yet known in Japan. MASKED DIODE 

Diode is one of some such units. The first really power-electronic 

orientated Japanese noise stuff with vocals! Sometimes harsh and with 

a lot of power, sometimes more ritual!" [label info] 

* MEELKOP, ROEL - Business as Usual businesscard-CDR (My 

Own Little Label MOLL004, 2007) € 5.00 

"... I know we got both thrilled when we first bought business card CDrs 

in Japan in 2001 for the first time, and when I started this little 

enterprise, his immediate response was: I want it too. So here it is. The 

usual Meelkopian take on silence." [Frans de Waard / label info] 

* MIEVILLE, EMMANUEL - Magnetic fields and shrouded flux 

mCD-R (Taalem alm43, 2007) € 5.00 

Harsh field recording ambience All sounds here seem to be derived 

from field recordings, but were then processed heavily.. this resulted 

into two quite intense pieces, with lots of details & great effects...rarely 

water sounded that harsh! 

"french composer/phonographer mixing musique concrete, field 

recordings and drones for two haunting pieces. full-colour printed 3" 

cd-r with artwork by delphine ancelle-b." [label info] 

"...The analogy of dreams is a good one for this recording. Like the 

* MLEHST - Ism ists mCD-R (Belief Recordings br3cd006, 2007) 

[ed. of 50] € 7.00

Rare CD-EP with 3 tracks (21+ min) of ominous morphing soundlayers 

by one of the most interesting british experimental projects ! 

* MOCKINGWYRD - Cracks in the Void mCD-R (Some Place Else 

SPECDR07041, 2007) [ed. of 150] € 5.50 

Anonymes, wahrsch. finnisches Projekt aus dem SOME PLACE ELSE- 

Umfeld. 2 tracks mit extrem obertonschwangeren und verzerrten Bass- 

Vibrationen & Tonabfolgen, sehr reduziert und fast schon groovy.. 

kommt in mini-DVD box ! 

"Mockingwyrd. Not much is known about him/her/them () thus far, 

except vague credits on a number of Finnish experimental releases 

(often by other Some Place Else artists, such as Ovro and Niko 

Skorpio). It is rumoured that Mockingwyrd is also a bass player in 

several doom & thrash metal, jazz and experimental groups. Shadowy 

names like Kaaos in Eccentris, Typhon Sleeps Heavily and Rytannia 

are repeatedly whispered among the gossip. Reportedly a mysterious 

bass wizard participating in a recent live show by dark-ambientexperimental 

artist Cosine Nomine was also identified as Mockingwyrd. 

Sceptics maintain Mockingwyrd is just another pen-name of a Some 

Place Else-related artist. Some others claim he's an extra-terrestrial 

entity from Aldebaran and worship him as god of the new aeon. Some 

Place Else representatives dismiss both of these claims as nonsense, 

but what do you know Who do you believe 

Nevertheless, Cracks in the Void is an EP, to our knowledge the debut, 

by Mockingwyrd. It contains two tracks recorded ”in the void”, 

employing a bass guitar with a carefully selected pile of effects. These 

two tracks create a narrow yet spacious interzone, a one-off meeting 

point of low-frequency drones and sparse yet delicate melodies. Press 

play, slip in and enjoy your brief escape from daily routines." [label 

description] 

* MOLJEBKA PVLSE - Driftsond CD-R (Gears of Sand GOS29, 

2007) € 12.00 

Wir meinen: MOLJEBKA PVLSE gehört inzwischen zu dem besten, 

was die internationale "advanced" Drone-Szene zu bieten hat! Das sind 

Drones die wirklich einen "Drift", einen Sog erzeugen... demnächst 

erscheint eine 7" auf Drone Records, watch out! 

"Many divide music into two camps: Firstly, harmonic music based 

either on playing with the relations between keys or on discussing these 

relations by tearing them down. And secondly, sound art, which deals 

with noise outside of theoretical contexts. Mathias Josefson doesn’t fit 

in with any of them. Even though the specific characteristics of the 

sounds used in a track are important to him, he doesn’t develop his 

pieces through them. And while he accepts harmony as such, it bears 

no direct relevance to his oeuvre. “Driftsond” takes a third path, which 

many will refer to as “minimal”, but which really bases on a different 

understanding of its underlying factors. 

Josefson’s music is essentialy tonal. Not in the classical meaning of the 

word, but in the sense that it remains on a single note throughout and 

explores its nature through subtle or drastic variations. Where others 

expanded the root to chords, Josefson sees it as a means in itself. 

Where changes occured and patterns formed, he replaces them with 

continuation. Vice versa, the stability of the drone mantra is substituted 

for an inner cosmos of stirring movement and infinite possibilities and 

potentials. All four tracks on “Driftsond” start from quietude and with the 

tone in a purified state. Slowly, it grows, takes on different shades, 

contrasts, outlines and associations. Sometimes, it escalates into a 

furious forte. But mostly, arrangements are marked by a crescendo of 

timbres, like adding more and more layers of paint to a single stroke of 

paint on a blank canvas, until it constitutes a multicolored sheet of 

intense irridescence. Rhythm and concrete noises would be distractions 

in this world, which impresses exactly because of its vast reduction, as 

if the void were taking on shape for a few seconds in the span of 

eternity. At the core of progress now lies nothing but oscillation – the 

project’s name has obviously been chosen for a good reason. Each pad 

vibrates at a different speed and temper, the conjunction of the plates 

sends sparks flying from the friction areas and creates a torturing 

tension within a music way off regular forms of development. 

Sometimes an overtone-octave turns up, creating the floating sensation 

one knows from fellow drone builders or from meditative chants. The 

relatively short “Genjo”, for example, uses pitch as an additional 

element to raise the pressure. But mostly, the tracks stay calm and 

composed on the outside, while their organs twitch and burn like a 

powerful combustion engine. One doesn’t need to see“Driftsond” as an 

essentially radically different or even revolutionary record. After all, its 

methods have been used before. And yet, the consistency with which 

Mathias Josefson pushes his vision brands this as a clear alternative to 

traditional models." [Tobias Fischer / Tokafi] 

* MOTH ELECTRIC - lil CD-R (Mystery Sea MS37, 2007) [lim. 

100] € 12.00 

Der definitive "Newcomer"-Tip im bereich "ambient / field recordingdrone" 

ist diese CDR von MOTH ELECTRIC (der Mensch dahinter - 

Stig Berg - zeichnete sich in der Vergangenheit übrigens auch für das 

Projekt R|A|A|N verantwortlich): "bearbeitete Feldaufnahmen", v.a. von 

Schiffen & Hafengebieten, man meint das hier entfernt wahrnehmen zu 

können, es scheint durch, so "nautisch" ist diese geheimnisvolle 

KlangWelt, eher "cloudy" als "droney", eine dicke rauhe Wolke mit 

einlullender, aber tausend Details bereithaltender Klangwatte... 'LiL' soll 

in der MAYA-Sprache übrigens für "Vibration" stehen... 

"....Moth Electret is the strange monicker of the artist responsible for 

this latest disc in Mystery Sea's long running (going on nearly 40 

releases!) series of deep tranquility and beautiful drift. The man 

responsible is Stig Berg (who has recorded as R|A|A|N in the past) and 

who for his Moth Electret project has fashioned his own undersea 

soundworld almost entirely from field recordings, captured in Barcelona, 

the isle of Sandoy and of all places, Eureka, California! 

Unlike the rest of the Mystery Sea series, Moth Electret might 

just be the least minimal, with lots of stuff going on, this isn't 

murky or droney exactly, instead it's thick clouds of sound, jagged 

and sparkling, grinding and looped, muted and smeared into long 

stretches of soft-noise, still sort of underwater sounding, but a bit 

more abrasive, more industrial almost, if you could imagine the 

softer, gentler side of Wolf Eyes maybe, expansive soundscapes of 

glimmer and shimmer, lots of metallic tinkles and high end buzz, all 

drifting above static sheets of slow shifting sound, very tidal, but 

on the skree side of things, like Birchville or Sunroof! more than 

Chalk or Coleclough. Every track is layered and dense, repeated 

listens find the listener sinking deeper and deeper, discovering 

hidden melodies, and surprising little sonic events, even though it's 

noisier than the rest of the series, it's no less compelling, or 

listenable, in someways even moreso. So much more going on, and so 

much sound to explore. Another perfect soundtrack for late night 

dreamy drift or early evening daylight fade... 

Like all Mystery Sea releases, LIMITED TO 100 COPIES, each 

disc numbered, and gorgeously packaged in striking full color 

artwork, with a strange half sized booklet revealing the disc face 

within. So nice!" [Aquarius Records] 

"...If one source of inspiration is recognizable it might be a strong 

influence of Werkbund and the hydropohnic works of Asmus Tietchens, 

but one difference: Berg keeps the pieces shorter, roughly somewhere 

between five and seven minutes. Otherwise the differences are hard to 

grasp, but Berg does a pretty fine job here..." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

" "lil"is like running on an imaginary river 

swollen & stripped with copper & rusty tones, 

bracing scraps & scoria 

in a mysterious underflow... 

scintillations & gleams eddy 

in an imperturbable metallic ringing choreography 

- 

"lil" makes you listen 

to an emerging dense inner song 

along which we drift effortlessly, 

trying to catch some primal dormant energy 

relocating us to an higher & more sensitive plane... 

- 

"lil" has enough evocative power 

to drag you along its torrent 

till you osmotically become it..." [Daniel Crokaert / MysterySea] 

* MYERS, DAVID LEE - Newton's Ring CD-R BOX (Pulsewidth 

05, 2006) [lim. 200] € 12.00 

New pieces by DAVID LEE MYERS who once was ARCANE DEVICE, 

very dynamic & lively sampled stuff that reminded us on ANDREW 

DEUTSCH or COH.... very nice edition. 

"Created on a briefly-existing electronic system employing live sample 

playback and modification, most sounds originating in feedback along 

with Tibetan singing bowls and other sources. A couple of aborted 

concert plans scrapped the performance ambition, and a shame, but 

this recording shows what could've been. Ethereal washes and spacey 

pulsations, this is a good one if you don't need thumping beats. 

CDR in Pulsewidth handpainted metal box. Signed and numbered in an 

edition of 200." [website info] 

* MYERS, DAVID LEE - Multiplication of the Arcs CD-R BOX 

(Pulsewidth 07, 2006) [lim. 200] € 12.00 

Totally different from "Newton's Ring" is the other new MYERS-work 

where he explores guitar-sounds, mainly very clear guitar-pickings are 

processed in different ways... 

"Produced live using only guitar, looping devices and processors. 

Moody ambiances, loops, and pulsations for evening hours. 

CDR in Pulsewidth handpainted metal box. Signed and numbered in an 

edition of 200." [label info] 

* MYSERY - Circles of Life CD-R (Operator Produkzion 

OPERPRODUKT16, 2007) [lim. 150 copies] € 10.00

Zusammenstellung live-Material dieses Moskauer harsh-ambient 

Projekts! To discover... 

"Rolling are rings of magnetic tape repeating cyclic rhythms of 

shaman's drum, rolling is the Earth and seasons alternate, trees grow 

with new yearly rings... A retrospective of live recordings of one of the 

oldest Russian post-industrial projects: 2 long live tracks and a 25-min. 

video. Archaic shaman's harsh ambient of completely analogue origin. 

Limited to 160 copies in a handmade cardboard sleeve." [press-release] 

* MYSTIFIED vs. GHOUL DETAIL - split CD-R (Roil Noise 

RNOCDR064, 2007) € 7.00 

5 pieces from GHOUL DETAIL, a new name for us, creating quite 

powerful electronic dark ambience with voice-samples, etc., reminds on 

some LOKI-acts like INADE or HERBST9, but also slowed down 

rhythms play a role.... then 4 pieces by MYSTIFIED with very nice dark 

droning fields, breathing structures, low fi rumblings,highly atmospheric 

& repetitive stuff....an excellent disc of two acts of the newer US dark 

drone / ambient Industrial-scene! 

* MYSTIFIED - M do-CDR (Roil Noise RNOCDR77, 2007) 

€ 10.00 

Nice collection of older & newer material of this currently very active US 

low-fi & experimental drone project. Lots of different stuff to discover, 

some reminds on raw ZOVIET FRANCE-like sounds, some is more 

electronically refined and based on sampled material or synths (then it 

sounds like a low-fi version of COIL), some sounds more digitalized & 

abrasive... not easy to classifiy, from deep rumblings to more 

electronica-sounding stuff, but always dark & brooding .. 

"2 disc collection featuring a retrospective of older & unreleased material 

plus a disc of all new tracks. 22 tracks - total running time 1 hour 33 minutes 

- 2x5" dual hub, inkjet printed cdr w/ insert in a tin." [label info] 

* NETHERWORLD - Hallucinations mCDR (Taalem alm38, 2007) 

€ 5.00 

This appears to us like a dance of overtuned metal-objects against a 

backdrop of choral drone-clouds & waves..., deeply reverberating & 

sounding so ominous & fathomless... great stuff! 

"A few months after the highly successful Cryosphere compilation he 

released on his own Glacial Movements label, Netherworld proposes us 

a perfect example of his fine dark ambient : processed field recordings 

(done in scotland), acoustic & electronic sounds mixed together to 

create deep & droney atmospheres in the great italian ambient 

tradition." [label info] 

* NETHERWORLD - Six impending clouds CD-R (Gears of Sand 

GOS10, 2006) € 11.50 

Hinter NETHERWORLD steckt ALESSANDRO TEDESCHI aus Rom, 

der auch das GLACIAL MOVEMENTS-Label betreibt und an einer 

speziellen Ambient-Musik arbeitet, die "eisige" Atmosphären 

heraufbeschwören sollen, solche von Winter- und Eislandschaften, 

allerklarste Frost-Scapes, endlose Schneeweiten, umgesetzt in 

"Isolations-Drones"... "SIX IMPENDING CLOUDS" ist ein 

beeindruckendes Beispiel für die Umsetzung dieses Konzepts... 

"I guess it's an appropriate day to write about Alessandro Tedeschi's 

project: it was snowing heavily when I received his discs, and it's 

snowing now as well... "Six Impending Clouds", on Ben Fleury Steiner's 

Gears of Sand, is Netherworld's most recent release, following some 

excellent releases on Umbra Records which I'll partly review later. The 

minimal and well designed layout, by Slo Bor Media, matches well the 

six untitled tracks of the album. Tedeschi uses synths, voice, field 

recordings and gong to weave abysmal soundscapes which reminded 

me of Lull (circa "Cold Summer") or early Koener - dark and abysmal 

but with a sort of intimate and trance-inducing atmosphere that many 

dark ambient projects lack. "Isolationism" may be an out of date term, 

but it perfectly fits this music. Track 2 tries some melody, and in the 

fourth one the gong adds an extra feel of menace, but in general the 

pieces just match the "impending clouds" definition, being based on 

misty, slowly evolving drones." [Eugenio Maggi, Chain D.L.K.] 

* NEVER KNOWN - Live at the Cosmic Egg, 10.06.2000 CD-R 

(AFE Records afe104cd, 2007) € 13.00 

"Never Known is the earliest music project of Andrea Marutti, best 

known as Amon and as Afe label owner. Andrea began his experiments 

with music in the early '90s using tapes and concrete elements. A few 

years later he also began to use synthesizers, samplers and other 

electronic devices, and founded the Lips Vago Digital Studio. Several 

releases of Ambient / Dark Ambient music were published by labels 

such as Eibon Records, Amplexus, Drone Records, Taâlem, etc. on CD 

and other medias. He is also responsible of many other projects dealing 

with different styles of electronic music ranging from Lo-Fi / Weird / 

Cheap Electronica to IDM (Wolkspurz & Ramirez, Lips Vago), Dada / 

Noise / Non-sense (Spiral). Recently he also started recording and 

releasing experimental/ambient tracks under his own name, in duo with 

Nimh / Giuseppe Verticchio as Hall of Mirrors, and again in duo with 

Andrea "Ics" Ferraris as Sil Muir. 

The first edition of Never Known's "Live at the Cosmic Egg, 10.06.2000" 

was originally published by Centiens, a division of Anaemic Waves 

Factory, in October 2000 and is sold-out since long time. For this new 

edition, all tracks were remastered - and sometimes slightly reworked - 

from the original Dat recording by the author in March 2007 at Lips 

Vago Digital Studio. The concert was performed at the Cosmic Egg 

Floatation Center opening party on June the 10th 2000, just a few 

weeks after "On the Edge of Forever", Never Known's fourth full-lenght 

album, was released by Eibon Records. On such occasion Andrea 

Marutti played live renditions of selected numbers from the freshly 

released album, and also introduced new tracks that are still unreleased 

in a proper studio version at the moment." [label info] 

* NINTH DESERT - Different trouble experiences of twilight CD-R 

(AFE Records afe073lcd, 2007) [lim.100] € 13.00 

Filed under: Mysterious Drone-Ambience with an experimental / noisy 

edge! Das Projekt von CYRIL HERRY, mit vielen metallischen & 

glasartigen Sounds, rumpelig und dröhnig, insgesamt recht postindustriell, 

entstammt alles aus einer Aufnahme-Session, intense stuff! 

53+ minutes, 5 tracks... 

"Ninth Desert is the latest solo project of Cyril Herry from France, also 

known before as Ashes To Ashes, Sechres Mound (a duo in 

collaboration with Toy Bizarre), Lecanora and Exotoendo. 

During the years his music has been released by many international 

labels including Athanor, Old Europa Cafe, Harmonie, Verato Project, 

Taâlem / Kokeshidisk and Mystery Sea. 

After taking part to our 10th year celebrative on-line compilation in late 

2005, Cyril proposed us a full-lenght release. We're therefore happiest 

to bring "Different Trouble Experiences of Twilight" to your attention. 

As the title aptly suggests, the album was recorded using many different 

kinds of manipulated, stretched, treated and stripped down sound 

sources. All the tracks on "Different Trouble Experiences of Twilight" 

were created mostly at night during Summer 2005 ("Headscape", 

"Combinations From a Persistent Night" and "Somewhere Close to the 

Skin") and Summer 2006 ("Selective Memory" and "Red Mute"). 

They represent different mentalscapes where all elements are forced to 

coexist in the same time and space by a complex internal memory 

system. There's quite a lot of movement in "Headscape", where 

strained metallic reverberations shift along with low rumbles on a 

background of micro-actions. "Combinations From a Persistant Night" 

suggests distant echoes of symphonic reminiscences as distorted 

buzzes of misterious machineries flow in and out of the mix. 

On "Somewhere Close to the Skin" the sound of metal objects/devices 

is more than just a conjecture and the tension it creates is gradually 

filled by a growing background ambience just before dissolving abruptly 

in silence. "Selective Memory" continues the journey accompanying the 

listener's attention - rather than directing it - through more minimal 

excursions and "Red Mute" closes the album with a pleasant and 

apparently static drone enriched by subtle use of almost subliminal 

percussive patterns." [label info] 

* NINTH DESERT - Zone CD-R (Mystery Sea MS38, 2007) [lim. 

100] € 12.00 

"Currently installed with minimum comfort in Creuse, in a secluded 

hamlet, Cyril Herry is dedicating most of his time to various forms of art 

(writing, graphics, photography, video...) and their intercombination... 

Also veteran of the french experimental music scene, he had cofounded 

SECHRES MOUND (with Cédric peyronnet/TOY BIZARRE) 

EXOTOENDO, and expressed himself through various solo projects, 

LECANORA being the most known... 

NINTH DESERT is his latest one with works released on TAÂLEM, 

VERATO & AFE... let's also mention that Cyril creates all the beautiful 

graphics for the TAÂLEM 3"cd-r series and the KOKESHIDISK sisterlabel... 

he also realized a special video which has been used by 

TROUM on tour... 

Ninth Desert's "zone" is an invitation to merge into the layers of sound, 

extending in a sea of intimate sensations & recycled memories, 

opening up a myriad of universes, existing like small vortexes of 

condensed energy... 

Cyril Herry fashions sound as clay, exploring interstices, variations of 

recurrent motifs, echoing a process of permanent elemental mutation... 

"zone" attempts to freeze the quintessence of an experienced moment, 

building a sort of shelter... a place of reflection & ultimate contact... 

Listen to these aural sculptures, apprehend their outlines & inner 

vibrations, and possibly, you'll get far deeper into the understanding of 

our surrounding world... 

"....On 'Zone' he offers seven tracks of string like sounds, which seem to 

be stuck in an endless sustain. Chilling sounds, like a firm Arctic 

breeze. It's a bit unclear what he does to create this music, wether this 

is indeed long strings, processed feedback or analogue/digital synth 

and a lot of effects, but the latter seem to me clear. The previous

elease saw Ninth Desert in the field of Troum and Lustmord, but here's 

it more likely to be Alvin Lucier on a musical night. A pity that the seven 

pieces do sound kind a similar in approach and structure throughout, 

which makes it just a bit too similar throughout. But as a whole 

it makes a sturdy addition to the Mystery Sea catalogue of daring, 

experimental ambient music." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

"..The latest comes from Ninth Desert, whose sound is anything but arid 

and dry, desolate and warm. Instead, the sounds on Zone are cold, 

cool, chilly, wintery, lots of glistening high end, the sounds you might 

imagine would emanate from vast ice fields, or deep snowy caves, not 

so much rumble and buzz as sparkle and glimmer and glisten. Even at 

it's most low-end dronelike, the whirs are wrapped in streaks of keening 

high end, everything is bright and blown out. It's like the sonic version 

of laying in a huge snow bank, staring at the sun, everything is white 

and bright, too much for your eyes to handle so everything sort of 

glazes into strange indistinct shapes, glowing and shifting, like clouds in 

the sky, or huge slow moving chunks of ice in the sea. These sounds 

are arctic, almost alien, like wandering on the surface of some strange 

planet, everything icy and barren, cold winds whir and whine, the sound 

of the slow moving glaciers a muted creaking, all smeared into dreamy 

swaths of high end shimmer. So lovely. And so refreshing to experience 

a soothing, slow moving drone record, that doesn't rely entirely on low 

end rumble, but at the same time manages to make upper register 

sounds as soothing and soft focus as their lower ended brethren. 

Like all Mystery Sea releases, strictly LIMITED TO 100 COPIES, 

each disc numbered on the tray card, and gorgeously packaged with 

striking full color artwork." [Aquarius Records] 

* NOISES OF RUSSIA - Electroleto CD-R (Electric Industry 

03EICDR, 2004) € 7.50 

"Electrosummer". Zweites Album dieser St. Petersburger Industrial / 

Experimental-Band, live-Aufnahmen von 2004. 

"Placing the urban people (ourselves) into the nature we risk losing the 

peace of mind and becoming mentally diseased. Shocking silence, 

exciting trembling of forest, full relaxation of mind can paralyse the 

human will and wish for living. The program is composed from the 

samples of natural sounds combining with polyphonic landscapes. 

[press release] 

* NON ETHOS - Syk Asfalt CD-R (AFE Records afe076lcd, 2007) 

[lim. 100] € 13.00 

NON ETHOS ist das Vorgängerprojekt von NORTHAUNT, "SYK 

ASFALT" war bisher unveröffentlicht und stellt ein beeindruckendes 

Album über 'Vergänglichkeit" und die allmähliche Erosion aller Dinge 

dar, die lautlos geschieht. Stylistisch eine Mischung aus dark ambient 

und Geräusch / field recording-drone, abwechslungsreiche und 

spannende Geräuschmusik, frei von Klischees, in menschenleere 

Sphären driftend... ein weiteres Highlight auf AFE ! 

"Non Ethos was a side-project of Norwegian Hærleif Langås (...now 

active as Northaunt) up to around 2003. It was a no-rules project that 

dived deep into experimental soundworks, drones and isolationism. It 

was just like a musical terrain vague, undefined but still loaded with 

hidden meanings. During its existence, a few Non Ethos discs were 

privately released in very small editions by the author himself. One of 

them, "Hidden Structures, Lost Places" was re-released by Afe back in 

2000; now it's the turn of "Syk Asfalt", which comes in a completely 

remastered and revised version. 

According to the author's words, this album is a meditation on time, 

urban emptiness and nature's destructive forces, the ever ongoing 

erosion, the crack in the asphalt that slowly spreads, unheard, unseen, 

in the urban nights, sometimes patched by street workers but never 

stopped, just like we can't mend the cracks in ourselves. "Syk Asfalt" 

begins with the homonymous title track and its grating stones backed 

up by a disquieting drone and looped segments of more uncertain 

activities. The black ambience of "Yellow Light" is constructed on 

reverberating samples rid by hum and electric buzzes. The tension 

created by this combination is very high. "Sleeping Streets" is based on 

a looped field-recording taken at dawn that creates a strong sense of 

waiting and a misterious presence which is finally revealed at the end of 

the track. Both "Regn" and "Erosion" are built on recordings of rain 

matched with more drones and ambiences created by manipulated 

stones and gravel. They suggest a feeling of impotence and 

resignation, just like being stuck and lost behind a window watching 

one's own dreams drowning in the pouring rain. A human voice rips up 

high-pitched sounds walking on "Snow" describing the experience, just 

before getting lost inside a white desert leaving a treated organ drone 

behind itself... A short version of "Isar" was already included on the "No 

Abiding Places" compilation last year. Offered here is the full eighteen 

minutes version which serves as a more minimal / isolationist 

conclusion to an album of great value. The whole "Syk Asfalt" keeps its 

promises from the beginning to the end, and Non Ethos has the great 

merit of being able to create such a strong and evocative record with 

just a few, but very effective, elements...." [label description] 

* OBJEKT4 - No Light District do-CDR (Mask of the Slave 

Records MS002, 2006) [lim. 100 / DVD Box] € 10.00 

Nice release from the swedish project which is hard to define 

stylistically, soft washes of dream-sequence music & more rhythmic 

based (but strangely fragmented) dark electronica. Includes Audio-DVD 

(with same material) as bonus. 

"Dark ambiental/noise from Stockholm. Dark soundscapes from an 

empty old house with horrible noises. It would be a perfect soundtrack 

for the movies of David Lynch! CD1 contains the "No Light District" in 

audio (stereo) format, for normal audio CD players. 

CD2 for DTS-compatible DVD-players / receivers connected to a 5.1 

system. 2XCD-r in DVD case with pro-cover" 

* ONODERA, YUI - La Jardin mCD-R (Taalem alm45, 2007) 

€ 5.00 

Es gibt wohl zur Zeit nur wenig ambient / drone Musik, die subtiler, 

zarter und fragiler daherkommt als die Kompositionen des Japaners 

YUI ONODERA. Auf "Le Jardin" werden weich wallende Klänge von 

Gitarre & Violine und tieffrequent pulsierende Synths verwendet, aber 

auch solche die durch "electroanalysis sound of water" entstanden sind 

(was immer das genau sein mag). 4 Stücke die eine besondere 

Atmosphäre hervorzaubern, die im Kern auf die totale Stille & Ruhe zu 

veweisen scheint.. So viel authentische Schönheit & Transzendenz 

verträgt man kaum... 

"minimal & melodic drones composed by this japanese artist who's just 

released a 7" in the Drone Records series. full-colour printed 3" cd-r 

with artwork by cyril herry." [label info] 

PARADIN – Coma Digenean CD-R (Gears of Sand GOS11, 2005) 

€ 11.50 

Recht frisches “experimental ambience” – Projekt aus den Staaten mit 

sehr dynamisch-lebendigen Drone-Sphären, kreiert aus Analog-Synths, 

Klangschalen, gebogenem Metall, präparierter Gitarre... ein onetracker 

(50+ minuten) der aber durch verschiedene Teile läuft... 

definitiv kein Einheitsbrei und noch zu entdecken ! 

“Earlier this year I had my first encounter with the music of Paradin, aka 

Ben Fleury-Steiner from the USA. He released 'Flesh Of Caverns' on 

Mystery Sea (see Vital Weekly 472), which means you have to find him 

the areas of deep and dark ambient music. His previous releases I 

never heard. Paradin uses synths, singing bowls, bowed metal and 

treated guitar here on 'Coma Digenean', a single piece that consists of 

five different parts and sees a continuation of the previous Mystery Sea 

work. However it should be noted that Paradin doesn't play very strict 

ambient music, but is rather interested in creating a large atmospheric 

cloud of sound; this is something in which more happens than just one 

single drone, but various sounds move around each-other, all creating 

this atmosphere. In that sense there is more happening here than on an 

average ambient album, and that the sound is more up there and 

present. Spooky and mysterious music that certainly has a 

cinematographic quality. Very nice ambient music that makes a bit of 

difference from the rest.” [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

Address: http://www.gearsofsound.net 

BACK IN STOCK ! 

* PERSONA - Llibertat mCD-R (Mask of the Slave Records 

MS006, 2006) [lim. 100] € 5.50 

"Great new band from Barcelona, highly recommended for fans of death 

industrial, dark ambient, martial and noise. 5 exclusive new tracks for 

this 3" release. First album "Selbstmord" out on Nervous Nurse Records 

from Germany. Limited to 100 copies." [label info] 

* PHOLDE - Aperture of the Internal Surface CD-R (AFE Records 

afe098lcd, 2007) [ed. of 100] € 13.00 

Endlessly re-sounding Dronescapes derived from metal-objects - the 

canadian project PHOLDE has really refined its skills, listen to big hums 

and reverberating like being in a huge mine 1000 metres under the 

earth... 

"Pholde is the dark ambient project of sound artist Alan Bloor who is 

also known for his extreme noise music project called Knurl. Bloor, 

originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, was involved in several 

bands in the early 80s, including a Hardcore punk band called Binge of 

Violence. After the band's breakup, he pursued a career as a solo 

musician, studying jazz bass, as well as classical and flamenco guitar. 

In the late '80s he began performing noise backgrounds at poetry 

readings in which he experimented with his bass guitar by placing metal 

objects on the strings to produce the sounds. Since that time, Bloor has 

delved heavily into experimentation with found objects as sound 

sources. He has also supplied musical scores for performers Andrew 

Hammerson (ex DV-8) from the U.K. and Jake Brown, Montreal. 

Bloor has performed at festivals with Jim O'Rourke, Thurston Moore 

and Alan Licht, and has toured the eastern United States and Japan. 

While Knurl unleashes harsh noise performances and side-project

Pyrox creates intense electronic drones, Pholde creates dark ambient 

soundscapes by the bowing and scraping of self-created metal soundsculptures 

with hand files, smooth and threaded metal rods, angle iron 

and blocks of steel to produce atmospheric, haunting soundscapes. 

Alan Bloor's music was released on many labels worldwide, including 

Alien8 Recordings, Gears of Sand, Mystery Sea, RRRecords, Taâlem 

and Troniks. 

As usually happened with all previous Pholde's works, the two pieces 

on "Aperture of the Internal Surface" were produced and recorded by 

Alan in single sessions without any overdub, using only his soundsculptures 

as source material aided by reverb and some equalization. 

Clocking at over thirty minutes, the title track is a marvellous example of 

Pholde's trademark ambiences and it can be ideally divided in five 

movements: in each of them a wall of sound is built and becomes quite 

loud at times, then the crescendo stop and music turns quiet and 

sparse before building up tension and explode again in a spellbinding 

stainless steel symphony. Bloor's passion for hermetic titles is renewed 

in "Manifested By the Occurrence", the second and conclusive track on 

the album. Once again, this is metal reverberation at its best where rich 

and harmonic drones resonates in a powerful manifestation of tonal 

abstractions, clanging collisions and morphing condensations." [label 

description] 

"The two pieces circulate in spheres of ambience; spheres, that operate 

in everything from concrete metal sounds to more abstract textures. 

The source material for these pieces appears carefully selected and 

consciously restricted, the same effects turning up again and again, but 

in different contexts and with varying functionalities. Considered as a 

musical work, the album is extremely fascinating with its many layers of 

sounds resulting in some immense listening experiences, but the fact 

that Mr. Bloor manage to extract so many atmospheres and 

expressions from the concrete source makes the album even more 

fascinating. Whether you like or dislike noise a musical sounds, Alan 

Bloor is certainly a great scientist of concrete noises, a scientist OR a 

composer if you like, that deserves your attention." [NM / Vital Weekly] 

* PHOLDE - That which tends to dissolve CD-R (Gears of Sand, 

2006) € 11.50 

"Bloor certainly has a directly noticeable and unique style going for him, 

which he has carefully refined and expanded on in a career spanning 

more than five years. While his knurl moniker is clearly bent towards 

noise, Pholde has been his Ambient project – but who would have 

thought that you could create Ambient with the use of metal and 

engineering tools “My biggest influence was working in welding 

shops.”, Bloor says, “I used to love the sounds of the cutting and 

scraping steel. That influenced me to start Knurl. Pholde branched out 

from that after meeting the guys at the Ambient Ping (then a weekly 

ambient music event) in Toronto.” The Ambient Ping’s very own record 

label, Gears of Sand, has also released Pholde’s latest offering,”That 

which tends to dissuade”, which is a perfect example of Alan’s work: 

Metallic surfaces rub against each other in vast and empty halls, chains 

are clanging in the distance and rusty tubs are being moved by invisible 

hands in cold basement vaults. It could be frightening, but in a 

mysterious way, the music ends up being infinitely consoling. Pholde is 

not about collecting random noises and simply adding a bit of reverb, it 

is about creating extremely minute and precise soundscapes: “I feel a 

composition has to be something that is planned and can be 

recreated.”, Alan stresses, “I don't agree with people who say that 

something that is improvised is a composition. I understand that a 

composition can be partially improvised such as Giant Steps by John 

Coltrane. But I have a hard time believing people when they say John 

Cage's 4:33 is a composition.” Even though his methods may be miles 

away from Eno’s, he may actually be one of the latter’s closest heirs: 

After all, his works hold the same duality of magical intensity and and 

ideal aural background. And unlike many of his colleagues, Bloor has 

only good things to say about the Ambient scene: “I think it is very 

strong and close knit. I find there are no big egos and everyone is 

friendly and willing to help each other whether it's setting up shows or 

releasing material.” [label info] 

* POLARIS - Nishkatup mCD-R (Abgurd AB-31, 2006) [lim 90] 

€ 7.00 

Beautiful 3-track EP (almost 22 min.) of subtle & dense soundexpanses 

with mysterious chants from this russian project. Numbered 

edition of 90 copies. 

"Drone Ambient. Hazy structures of shift. Hissing melodies of 

dimensions. Remembrance. [label info] 

* RABBIT GIRLS - Demonizer do-mCDR (Roil Noise 

RNOCDR042, 2006) € 8.00 

Two one-trackers that sound like studies in abrasiveness, Sounds that 

seem to jerk you around, quite undescribable weird acoustic objects 

fool around everywhere... worth to discover for low-fi noise fans! 

"layered cassette tape massacres. 2 tracks - running time 39 minutes - 

2x3" dual hub cdr w/ insert in a 4 mil clear zipper bag" [label info] 

* RAJAPINTA - Bootleg Epiphanies CD-R (Some Place Elserelated 

unknown label, 2007) [lim. 123 copies] € 8.00 

"Not on Some Place Else, in a deliberate attempt to create a bootleg, 

but who found a bunch of old 7" covers and decided to pack the CDR 

by Rajapinta in them. Rajapinta is/was the collaboration of Ibrahim 

Terzic and Some Place Else label boss Niko Skorpio. They worked 

together from 2001 to 2006 and created 'hundreds of hours of work and 

experiments'. Skorpio set forward the task to edit these recordings and 

on 'Bootleg Ephiphanies' are the best pieces. Although a lot of the 

matter is quite noise related, I thought it was a pretty interesting 

release. Rajapinta doesn't opt for the true all out wall of noise, but rather 

make a sharp combination of floating samples, letting them bounce up 

and down the scale, thus creating quite a lively set of music. Plus it's 

not all noise that rings around here. They know how to pull back and put 

on a softer tune. Heavy duty musique concrete, turntable madness and 

enough computer plug ins to create a hard disk crash, it all kind of 

makes great sense here." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* RAMIREZ, RICHARD - Deprogramming Pornographers CD-R 

(Mask of the Slave MS005, 2006) [lim. 120] € 8.00 

Rare release on this romanian noise-label, sold out there already.. 

"Richard Ramirez has need no introduction. He is the master of 

structural harsh noise. American noise artist that founded Black Leather 

Jesus in 1989 and Deadline Recordings. Other projects of Richard 

Ramirez: Adipocere, Electro Anal Kink, Ninth Massacre, Shit Organ, 

Werewolf Jerusalem, Bill Skins Fifth, Dead Air Show, Priest In Shit, 

Release Helen Rytka, S-21, Slave Labor. "deProgramming 

Pornographers" is an exclusive 42 minutes (3 tracks) harsh noise 

release for the fans of Richard Ramirez! Limited to 120 copies." [label 

info] 

* RENOU, CHRISTIAN - Gone with the Wound mCDR (Taalem 

alm39, 2007) € 5.00 

Finally, new material from RENOU, very eerie & threatening stuff with 

rising drones & alienated voice-material. So good & intense.. 

"Years and years ago, Christian Renou was known as Brume, but 

already since six or so years he works under his name, and changed 

his sound a little bit. As Brume the sound collage was his main interest, 

but under his own name, he seems to have developed a love of 

sustaining and droning sounds. 'Gone With The Wound', in two parts is 

no different. Elements of collating sounds are still there, but throughout 

the pieces, the long journey is the central theme. Still quite powerful 

stuff. Part one is loud and clear present, whilst the second part uses 

more covered up sounds." [FdW/Vital Weekly] 

"it's a great pleasure for us to welcome Christian Renou in the taâlem 

series. active for more than 20 years, first under the Brume alias, he 

has released many discs (and countless tapes in the old days) on many 

international labels like Staalplaat, Release, Ground Fault, Drone 

Records, Old Europa Cafe and more recently Fario or Waystyx. 

this in two parts is a highly evocative journey with constantly evolutive 

sounds between experimental, ambient and drone... processed 

recordings from various different sources for a captivating & fascinating 

result." [label info] 

* REPTILJAN - Archaeodermophagia CD-R (Some Place Else 

SPECDR07042, 2007) [lim. 104] € 10.00 

Limitierte und obskur aufgemachte CDR (mit Haar und 

Authentifizierungs-Zertifikat!) von NIKO SKORIOs "intelligent noise"- 

Projekt! 

"After a two-year hibernation, REPTILJAN is back! The old lizard has 

shed its skin again and perhaps aged somewhat, but the same 

explosive power remains. Archaeodermophagia is devoid of fractured 

beats that dominated The Hellbender Suite (2005), focusing on howling 

distortion, pummeling low-end rumble and piercing feedback. This 

recalls the beginnings of Reptiljan (self-titled debut, 2002), hence the 

title's reference to eating old skin, perhaps 

Whereas the previous works were boldly digital, Archaeodermophagia 

was conjured through completely analog means. Distancing itself from 

"plain noise" there is an obvious compositional (even if spontaneously 

so) element at work, that defines the structure and space, and invites in 

hints of melody and a spectrum of emotions wider than the joyous rage 

that acts on the surface. 

The disc comes in hand-made sleeve that an uninitiated bypasser 

commented, "What are you doing That's fucking disgusting! Is that hair 

in there or what I don't know what you're trying to achieve but it 

certainly isn't art!" ...each sleeve is more or less unique. Edition of 104 

copies, hand-numbered. Includes certificate of authenticity." [label info] 

* RUCHALSKI, EDWARD - Territorial Objects CD-R (AFE 

Records afe089lcd, 2007) € 13.00

Das Mailänder Label AFE RECORDS mausert sich zum Spezialistenverlag 

für "advanced" field recordings, d.h. experimentell kreierte 

Soundscapes in denen Feldaufnahmen eine Hauptrolle spielen, die 

jedoch noch nachträglich bearbeitet oder mit anderen Soundquellen 

vermengt werden. EDWARD RUCHALSKI ist für uns auch noch ein 

recht unbeschriebenes Blatt, beim Durchhören seiner "Territorial 

Objects" fiel uns die Unmengen von verschiedenen Klangquellen auf, 

v.a. dynamische Becken- & Metall-Drones, "Gedengel" mit Glocken, 

äusserst attraktives Gerumpel & Trötenflächen, Pitchveränderungen 

führen zu Timbre-Wechseln... insgesamt sehr atmosphärisch & droney, 

super! 

"Edward Ruchalski is an american composer currently living in 

Syracuse, New York, where he teaches guitar. He has been 

commissioned by the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Helen Boatwright and 

Syracuse's Society for New Music. Ruchalski has also been the 

recipient of two Individual Artists Grants from the Cultural Resources 

Council in Syracuse for his compositions Private Harmonies, a series 

written for motorized string and percussion instruments, and Kafka 

Resolution, written for speaker and percussion. For the last ten years 

he has been creating sound installations, motorized string and 

percussion instruments and playable percussive sculptures. 

His music has been released worldwide on labels such as Humbug, 

Pseudoarcana, Foxy Digitalis and Taâlem; he also contributed to many 

compilations. We had the chance to listen to Ruchalski's music for the 

first time when his "Refined Localities Part One" MiniCD-R 3" was 

released by Taâlem in France a few years ago. 

We instantly fill in love with his beautiful experiments and approached 

him. Edward proposed us a new work and the reissue of one of his 

older and out of print albums. We didn't have any doubt at all and 

steadily decided to release both of them on Afe... (please also have a 

look at afe090lcd). 

"Territorial Objects" is his latest full-lenght work, a collection of thirteen 

untitled short pieces recorded during 2005-2006 with the help of 

Michael Burton and Matt Broad. 

According to Edward's own words, "primary source materials used on 

the album include Michael Burton standing in Butternut Creek, playing 

cymbals, bells and artillery casings, sometimes using the water to vary 

the pitch of a cymbal or casing. Also, the two of us improvising on 

various drums and cymbals at Michael's house. 

Secondary source materials consist of Matt Broad playing long single 

notes on his tin whistle. Additional source materials include field 

recordings, bells, guitar, toy piano, various old recordings of motor 

instruments and samples from two old keyboard compositions. 

Source materials were transferred from minidisc to computer in order to 

create a library of sounds. Multiple copies of each sound were made so 

that variations could be created by envelope manipulation, filtering and 

pitch altering." 

"Territorial Objects" is a complex and powerful work focusing more on 

the percussive and mechanical side of Ruchalski's music rather than on 

the droning elements. The artwork for this release features original 

pictures taken by Paolo Ippoliti of Logoplasm." [label description] 

* RUCHALSKI, EDWARD - Dark Night CD-R (AFE Records 

afe090lcd, 2007) [ed. of 100] € 13.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung dieses ebenfalls sehr hörenswerten 

RUCHALSKI-Albums von 2004, fliessende & warme Klänge generiert 

aus Wasser, Klangschalen, Piano... dream-ambience... 

"....The first edition of "Dark Night" was released on Foxy Digitalis back 

in 2004 and is probably one of Ruchalski most well-balanced works. 

The following description is a long excerpt taken from a review of the 

original edition written by Steve Rybicki, the original page with the 

complete review is available here. We really couldn't find a more 

appropriate way to describe this intense and beautiful album. 

"Close your eyes and try to imagine yourself as a child on a farm 

nestled in a bucolic New England valley. It is late, but you cannot sleep. 

As you listen to the sounds of the night, you might hear the restless 

nocturnal piano tinkling of your insomniac older sister from the parlor 

downstairs, or the sonorous tolling of the grandfather clock just down 

the hall from your room stolidly announcing the passage of time. 

Turning your attention away from whatever lurks in the dark corners to 

the open window beside your bed, you might hear the red shifted 

whistles of freight trains rumbling by, or the whisper of a sprinkler 

tapping out its watery arc. Fog banks roll across the pastures so dense 

that although they should be silent, they have almost willed themselves 

a voice capable of eerily wailing their whispered name into your ears. 

Welcome to the ever-maturing world of Edward Ruchalski. The audio 

portrait your mind has "visualized" is Ruchalski’s latest release "Dark 

Night". The disc begins with a swelling ringing drone that rolls and 

sways like wheat in a gentle breeze. Over this lulling undulation one can 

hear the whistles of distant trains passing by. The second track marries 

lightly stroked piano with resonating bells and chimes that are 

overshadowed briefly by screeching harmonics of bowed metal before 

the mournful cry of the train whistle returns. Underneath this swell, the 

steady insistent sweep of a sprinkler hovers into range Over the next 

several parts of the piece, these basic elements are manipulated and 

modulated expertly to build a narrative in which individual events can be 

discerned (the slightly spooky piano figure from "Part Three", the "clock" 

striking the hour in the middle of "Part Four") but never interrupt the 

leisurely movement of the whole. As "Part Five" begins with gently 

plucked guitar frames chiming bells, one can easily picture the easy 

harmony of an elemental duet between a solitary farmhouse occupant 

and the wind chimes on the back porch. It is the first hint that 

acceptance and peace can be attained even amidst the turbulence of 

nocturnal noises. Once the delicate piano chords at the start of "Part 

Six" have been swallowed by gamelan-like echoic bells, a babbling 

brook emerges as the underpinning for Rebecca Klossner’s "singing 

bowls". The presence of unfettered water (as opposed to its earlier 

appearance in sprinkler directed form) is emblematic of the softening 

the piece has undergone over its length. The final "Part Eight" breaks 

like dawn illuminating the previous evening’s sinister room corners as 

merely an innocuous and essential meeting place for the walls of 

home." The graphics of "Dark Night" are based on a picture taken by 

Paolo Ippoliti of Logoplasm." [label info] 

* RUHLMANN, MATHIEU - The Earth grows in each of us CD-R 

(AFE Records afe097lcd, 2007) [ed. of 100] € 13.00 

Neben LOGOPLASM und EDWARD RUCHALSKI gehört der Kanadier 

MATHIEU RUHLMANN für uns zu den besten Neulingen auf AFE 

Records. Der poetische Titel des Albums verweist schon auf innere 

Wachstums-prozesse des "wahren Selbst", was durch die 

melancholisch warmen, tief nostalgischen Sounds unterstrichen wird. 

Das erinnert in den loopigen Wiederholungen von Harmonien an 

WILLAM BASINSKI, setzt aber auch auf leise field recordings & eine 

Vielzahl von Objekt- & Instrumentalklängen und schafft eine intensive 

Atmosphäre von Brüchigkeit und Fragilität.. filed under: fragile 

sensitive ambience... 

"Mathieu Ruhlmann is a visual and sound artist. He first began 

composing soundworks to accompany his visual art based on found 

material. He has created works for various labels in Europe, Canada 

and the United States as well as contributed to several compilations. 

He has also produced sound installations and held performances 

thorughout North America. He currently resides in Vancouver, British 

Columbia. The Earth Grows in Each of Us" was composed and 

recorded during Spring/Summer 2006. Instruments and sounds used on 

the album include: violin, piano, autoharp, accordion, bell, shruti box, 

voice, vinyl, wasps, seafoam, glass, tiles, fireworks, water, tree branch, 

metal, seedpod, pine cone, tone generator and stones. 

Here's a description of the album according to Mathieu's own words: 

"The main concept behind "The Earth Grows in Each of Us" was to 

create a soundwork addressing the regeneration of the life cycle. This 

work was created in 2006, the year of my 30th birthday. On this release 

there are five tracks. The first four track times refer to the numeric year 

of my birth, 1976. So the first track is 1 minute, second is 9 minutes, the 

third 7 minutes, and the fourth 6 minutes. The fifth track is 30 minutes 

long, my age, and is separated into 3 ten minute segments (each 

segment representing a decade of life). While creating these sound 

works, this regeneration of different life cycles became very personal. 

My son was just born so I was experiencing this new life and seeing his 

growth/generation and also during this period my sister, who is very 

close to me, was in a serious near death accident. So my thoughts were 

constantly meditating on these two elements or dichotomies and also 

these micro and macro cycles we experience. Coming from a very 

visual art background my process or method is much aligned with how I 

approach a sound work. In my visual art work I collect a lot of found 

material and objects and use that as a structure or basis for my work 

very similar to my approach with sound. I am constantly collecting field 

recordings, found objects and sounds as well as traditional instruments 

to compose with. My initial influence to creating sound works was going 

out to these environments to collect material for my visual art and being 

so drawn into these acoustic environments (railway yards, abandoned 

factories, mountains, old houses, etc.) that I started recording them and 

presenting them with my artwork. Soon I began to be more captured by 

the sounds and working with them. In this release though I had a 

conceived idea of the piece and sought out the locations/sounds that 

related to the concept. Usually I try not to work under such a structure." 

"The Earth Grows in Each of Us" features a beautiful artwork created by 

David Ruhlmann." [label description] 

* SECONDS IN FORMALDEHYDE - II CD-R (Gears of Sand 

GOS24, 2006) € 11.50 

Neuer "Guitar Drone" aus deutschen Landen, sehr reduziert, entrückt 

und von einer bemerkenswerten Klarheit und Einsamkeit, mitunter geht 

es in verzerrt-noisige Gefilde: Berggipfel-Musik. 

"It's pretty impossible to not be intrigued by a record that 

features the legend: "This music was created with the pure power of 

the guitar drone." Especially when those words prove to be absolutely

true. The record begins with nearly 15 minutes of abstract drift, a 

wash of delicate low end flutter, soft swells of oceanic drone, ultra 

minimal and gorgeously languid, the opening track a barely there 

whisper of sound. So gentle and soothing. Track two introduces that 

previously mentioned 'pure power' with a coruscating dronescape all 

keening crumbling distortion, moaning steel strings, a dense 

reverberation of coruscating grind and scrape, all smeared into a 

surprisingly melodic sea of blown out buzz. The final track is over half 

the record, clocking in at nearly half an hour, and revisits the dark 

tranquility of the opening track, a stark landscape of drifting bell like 

tones, distant streaks of muted feedback, slow motion pulses of warm 

low end, and stretched out partial melodies. A gorgeous bit of night sky 

glimmer, that toward the very end introduces some abstract distorted 

guitars, a slow motion wash of rumbling buzz that shifts and shimmers, 

a huge swaying mass of grizzled guitar growl that gradually fades into 

nothing... Essential listening for fans of the drone guitar, especially 

Fear Falls Burning, Troum, Taiga Remains and the like..." [Aquarius 


* SMOOTH QUALITY REPLICANT - Untitled CD-R 

(Discorporeality Recordings, 2007) € 10.00 

SMOOTH QUALITY EXCREMENT was transformed to REPLICANT 

(after the departure of J aka THE FRUITLESS HAND who continues as 

S.Q.E.), now consisting of URE THRALL and PAUL LACOSTA. The 

music is a bit lighter and more spacey maybe, but still very appealing 

darkly illuminated drone landscapes, in the typical URE THRALL-style. 

* SOSTRAH TINNITUS - Libellvs Alchemicvs Aegypticvs CD-R 

(Opaco Records op02, 2007) [lim. 100] € 10.00 

"Sostrah Tinnitus is the solo project of Italian musician Mario Costa, 

also one half of Tvmvlvs Seraphim, and this is his new full length work, 

following releases on Umbra, Mystery Sea, Blade Records and on 

Beyond Productions. 'Remote reminiscences of ancient splendors 

resonating from too far eras into cracklings, seething of fatal waters, 

adagios of a land once filled with sunlight and now, by contrast, only 

brings back an idea of dark and criptic silence'. 

Sostrah Tinnitus: electronics, lo-fi tapes, metal objects" [label info] 

* SPIRACLE - Lumen mCD-R (Taalem alm44, 2007) € 5.00 

Ein grossartiger one-tracker mit ultra-sonorem Drone von HITOSHI 

KOJOs Projekt, dieser Breitwand-KlangStrom schillert in tausend 

akustischen Farben ! 

"defined by the artist as "around 19 minutes of harmonic drone piece, 

like warm mercurial metallic texture slowly flow through capillary 

vessels". we couldn't say better! full-colour printed 3" cd-r with artwork 

by hitoshi kojo." [label info] 

"Spiracle is the big unknown here, being the project of Japanese Hitoshi 

Kojo, who now lives in Switzerland, were he has worked with Micheal 

Northam (as Kodama), Jgrzinich, Maurizio Bianchi, Yannick Dauby and 

Jonathan Coleclough, but he puts on his Spiracle hat when doing 

something solo. I am not sure what kind of sound sources he uses for 

his 'Lumen' piece, but I'm sure it's something created out of metal. 

Spiracle brings back the old Organum sound of 'In Extremis', which is a 

landmark in this field, in a chilling drone piece. Quite a nice work, this 

one." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* STIMULUS - Theminddefies CD-R (Stimulus Music stim013.3, 

2007) [lim. 23] € 14.00 

It's a long time ago since we heard something new of this british 

ensemble. "THEMINDDEFIES" is dedicated to the great US writer 

ROBERT ANTON WILSON and immediately sets you in a state of 

ritualistic trance with drones that seem to come from blowed horns, 

metals and bowed strings, later followed by a strange kind of 

melancholic low-fi organ / drone harmonics ..reminds on old 

ORGANUM, NOISE-MAKER'S FIFES, HECKER... 

Great comeback, of course limited to just 23 copies with individual X- 

Ray radiograph-covers, we only have few copies here. 

* TATE, DARREN - Edition CD-R (Fungal 025, 2007) € 13.00 

New work of the ORA-member on Colin Potters ICR sublabel FUNGAL, 

with this special kind of reduced concrete drone-minimalism. 

First edition 100 copies. 

* TATE, DARREN - Small Worlds CD-R (Quiet World QW2, 2007) 

€ 13.00 

Latest release, analogue drones with catchy conrete tunes on it. 

Three pieces, almost 40 minutes playtime. First edition 100 copies. 

TAUSENDSCHOEN – Yonmade CDR- & mCDR with pictures 

(Dachstuhl 04, 2001) [lim. 200 copies] € 11.00 

"Erste volle CD des früheren MAEROR TRI – Mitglieds Helge Siehl, der 

inzwischen auch als (bildender) Künstler aktiv ist... trancige Rhythmen 

vermischen sich mit loopigen Drones, ein atmosphärisch-mitreissender 

Drone-Strom! Digital kreiert, aber hoch-organisch klingend...dazu gibts 

dann noch eine mCDR mit Dateien von Helge’s Bildern, - auch dies läßt 

an RAPOON denken. First full length CD from former MAEROR TRI – 

member Helge Siehl. Hypnotic trance-drones & pulsations, in the vein 

of RAPOON. Comes with bonus-mCDR that contains picture-files of 

Helge’s paintings. TIP ! (Drone Records info 2001] 

“As some may remember Maeror Tri were three young man, and after 

their split, two of them continued as Troum. Whatever happened to the 

third one you may have wondered. The answer is here: Helge Siehl 

started his solo outfit Tausendschoen. Apart from producing music, he 

is also a graphical artist. Of course it's interesting to see what he comes 

up with, since that might be the reason for the split. I always thought of 

Maeror Tri as an extreme version of Zoviet*France: extended tapestries 

of hypnotic sound, densely layeredguitar sections. Raw spirit stuff. With 

Tausendschoen, Helge moves into the territory of rhythm. Not those of 

dance beats, techno, drum & bass, but that of highly hypnotic tabla's 

and a pounding bass. Layered on top with densely woven tapestries 

(again) of samples. Unmistakenly we hear the inspiration drawn from 

Rapoon, and that is ex-Zoviet*France. What a funny small world we live 

in. But it doesn't justify Helge to pin him down as a mere copycat of 

Rapoon, even the latter has a distinct sound of his own and Helge 

comes close. There is certainly enough of his own. At least I thought 

this was a highly enjoyable disc... (FdW) [VitalWeekly] 

BACK IN STOCK LAST COPIES!! 

* TELEPHERIQUE vs. S-CORE - Result of a mail-art 1992 CD-R 

(Kokeshidisk kodi9, 2007) € 9.00 

"Reissue of an old cassette, this collaboration is a perfect example of 

the strange & captivating atmospheres s·core could create, reworked & 

transformed by the many different sounds of telepherique. full color 

pro-printed A5-sized carboard cover in a plastic sleeve & full printed 

cd-r with artwork by cyril herry." [label info] 

* TELEPHERIQUE vs. S-CORE - Past-Art mCD-R (Taalem alm41, 

2007) € 5.00 

Neben der Wiederveröffentlichung der alten mail-art collab MC 

(Kokeshidisk) gibt es auf Taalem auch zwei neue Remixe von 

TELEPHERIQUE mit rauhen, unwirklichen, grottigen Granular- 

Dronescapes... dunkel, verstörend, aufregend arrangiert... 

"telepherique remixed/reworked a s·core 7" released in 1995 for a 

unique result, perfect mix of weird sounds & atmospheres. full-colour 

printed 3" cd-r with artwork by delphine ancelle-b." [label info] 

* THE 120 DAYS - Beauty & Beast mCD-R (L.White Records 

LW-043, 2006) [lim. 200] € 9.00 

"20 minutes of nihilist Power Electronics inspired by the lovely touch of 

contempt and hopelessness that our ordinary lifes bring. "This world is 

no Nirvana where peace forever flows, it is a gruesome butchershop, 

where dead lambs hang in rows" (Ragnar Redbeard) [label info] 

* TOY BIZARRE - KDI dctb008/ 1996-2000 CD-R (Kokeshidisk 

KODI8, 2007) € 9.00 

"On Taalem's side label, Kokeshidisk we find a collection of Toy Bizarre 

pieces from the years 1996 to 2000. Toy Bizarre, since long the name 

used by Cedric Peyronnet, has worked inside electronics and field 

recordings since the time when nobody knew what microsound is. 

Transforming field recording using analogue synthesizers and sound 

effects, later on moving to the use of computers. Toy Bizarre started in 

a time when releasing music on cassette was still a good alternative, so 

many of these pieces are no longer available. This collection has eight 

of these pieces, in a non-chronological order, more from the 1997 area 

than the year 2000. It's a very nice collection of pieces that show that he 

was ahead of his time, in using silence and minimalist approaches, but 

also in using drone like material as well as acoustic sources. If you are 

a fan, this will update your collection, and if you are not a fan yet, it's 

time that you became one." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

"as its title & subtitle suggest it, this disc is a collection of various tracks 

composed between 1996 and 2000. some were released on 

compilations and long out-of-print releases, others are unreleased. 

listening to these ultra detailed raw and/or processed field recordings 

with headphones is highly recommended. 

track 1 : ants and feedback system as the sole sound sources. recorded 

in farsac, eymoutiers (france) 1997. composed 1997-2000. published 

on v/a "circles of infinity" double tape (myotis recordings) in a different 

version. 

tracks 2 & 3 : composed 1997-1998. published on "kdi dctb 48" 

(atmoject) 

track 4 : piece using specific tools to record wind & rain sounds 

(cadrocable, tuyophones...). recorded at pierre du roi, st sulpice laurière 

(87), france, 1996. composed 1997-2000. published on v/a "elekt noiz 

n°4" cd (msbr). 

track 5 : composed 1996. published on v/a "kontrast" boxset (duebel). 

track 6 : collaboration with k2 ; composed only with k2 sounds - 1997.

unreleased. 

track 7 : kdi dctb 065 is a serie of actions and sound pieces using 

(moving) ants with a special feedback system and the natural echo of a 

pine wood as the sole sound sources. recorded bois des bardys, stpriest-taurion 

(87), france, 1996-1997. composed 1996-1998. published 

on v/a "effe" cd. 

track 8 : serie of pieces dealing with hydroelectric powerstations. 

recorded 1997-1998, centrale edf de st-marc, st-martin-terressus 

(france) and other hydroelectric powerstations of the limousin area. 

composed 1997-1999. unreleased." [label info] 

* TZESNE / IVERSEN - Ends of humidity and electricity CD-R 

(Series Negras SN006, 2006) [ed. of 100] € 9.00 

"A triangular collaboration between the sonics of the Norwegian Iversen 

and Tzesne, and the illustrations of the Bizkaian Jon Martin. A record 

about computers and analogue art monitored through nets and 

telephone cables. A game made between two wet and far away 

extremes. Ambient in black & white." [label info] 

"The drawings of Jon Martin is the starting point for this collaboration 

between Norwegian Iversen and Spanish Tzesne. Luckily the cover 

shows the black and white drawings of Martin, so we can see how they 

look like. It's however not a drawing per track, as there are eleven 

drawings and seven pieces. Both sound artists are known for using 

computers and playing music that is probably best described as 

ambient industrial: not really noise related, but daring enough to step 

out of the usual boundaries of ambient music. On their joint release, for 

which they have just the telephone line to create it, hence the title, they 

display the best possibilities they have to offer in this field. Deep dark 

tapestries of sound, with elements of the concrete sound world being 

highly processed, make up a rich, deep sound world, that is sometimes 

as minimal as the drawings on the cover. Just like the drawings, the 

music is perhaps also black and white: endless fields of droning sounds 

set agains t small shimmering white lights. From both artists, this is one 

of the stronger works I encountered (well, perhaps alongside some of 

Iversen/Bjerga releases)." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* URE THRALL - Holy Violence CD-R (Discorporeality 

Recordings, 2007) € 10.00 

More weird stuff (recordings from 1989) from the archives of Mr. 

THRALL, it all consists of heavy "christian radio"-processing, which is 

transformed into quasi-rhythmic loops and de-humanized voices, ultraeffected 

"glorious" classical music, and more industrialized sounds... 

somehow the usual trancy THRALL-result is working after a while, but 

this is much more raw & crazy as known from other works... 

* WHITEHEAD, GREGORY & BLACKHUMOUR - Text one do-CDR 

Box (Generator Sound Art GA-09, 2000) € 15.00 

"Originally a cassette released by Banned Productions in 1989, here 

presented in a 5" black box w/full text booklet reprint. 

Blackhumor is a interesting fellow. www.thestrap.org/blackhumour 

Gregory Whitehead Playwright, voice performer, radiomaker. His radio 

castaways continue to float around the world in various stages of decay. 

Works include: "Bugs", "Dead Letters", "The Pleasure of Ruins", 

"Nothing But Fog" and "Talk to Sleep"." [label info] 

* WYRM + RATS WITH WINGS - D.I.S.C (Death Inducing Signaling 

Complex) CD-R [lim. 111] € 10.00 

Strange Sounds noch und nöcher, alles rauscht & glitzert und blitzt 

elektronisch... wir vermeinen Rückwärts-Klänge & Flöten 

herauszuhören, seltsame Loops sind sowieso omnipräsent, 

für jeden BIG CITY ORCHESTRA - Fan zu empfehlen! 

Nice collaboration by the projects from US & Australia, hard to describe 

whats going on here really, everything drones & sounds & glitters & 

blinks... a great journey into weird sounds & noises! 

* WYRM feat. KENJI SIRATORI - Artificial Sun CD-R (Roil Noise 

RNOCDR076, 2007) € 8.00 

One of the many collabs of cyber-poet KENJI SIRATORI is the one with 

US-project WYRM (aka ALLAN ZANE, here with help of MYKEL BOYD 

and JOHN MURPHY), a CD-EP of 31 min. playtime where SIRATORIs 

words sound very alien & dehuminated and are set into contrast with 

myriades of mysterious noises for a great effect. The full text consisting 

of 5 chapters is readable in the booklet. SIRATORIs poetry reminds on 

cut-up authors like BURROUGHS and creates an impression of 

following a mind during consciousness-processes.. 

A lovely release with enough depth on the uprising US-label for 

"intelligent noises" from Kansas City, ROIL NOISE ! 

dunklen, aber warmen Drones liegt, mit denen ich hier längere Strecken 

unterlegt habe. Zu haben in einer DVD Box mit Foto-Artwork" [Y-Ton-G] 

Amazing new work from Y-TON-G, who now lives in the very north-east 

of Germany near to Denmark. "Rostfresser" (which translates as "rusteater") 

uses minimal loopy electronic sounds & drones as basis, where 

metal-object noises are added, samples from field-recordings and weird 

analog-synth-blurbs... repetition is the key here, but this is as a whole 

quite a change for Y-TON-G, a nice progress.. DVD-box edition with 4 

colour-photos. 

* Y-TON-G - Weitere klangalchemystische Experimente CD-R 

(Terminal-Tape-Prod., 2007) € 10.00 

"Klang-Alchymie bedeutet für mich die klangliche Auseinandersetzung 

mit der Entdeckung und Entwicklung der Seelenpersönlichkeit. Es geht 

also nicht um die Psyche, wie z.B. bei der Klang-Malerei. Das 

Seelenheil ist, so harmoniesüchtig wie es in der New Age Musik 

behandelt wird, auch nicht mein Thema. Was mich Interessiert ist nicht 

so sehr die menschlich-rituelle Gottesansprache (der Rythmus) und 

nicht der musikalisch-intuitive Gotteseinfluß (die Melodie), sondern 

ganz einfach das Geräusch als solches. So wie es unsere 

Seelenpersönlichkeiten, seit dem Fall in die Materie, auf dem Weg der 

Rückführung, begleitet." 

Weitere Klangalchymistische Experimente" Live eingespielt am 

27.01.05 in der Klang-Galerie Preetz; unter dem damaligen Titel 

"20.000 Meilen unter Preetz". Feldaufnahmen, Loops, Metall und 

Polyvox. CD-R und Foto Artwork in einer DVD Box. [Y-ton-G, website 

info] 

* Y-TON-G - Raueisen CD-R (Terminal-Tape-Prod., 2007) 

€ 10.00 

"Raueisen" Auch diese CD-R wurde in der Klang-Galerie Preetz live 

eingespielt und zwar am 28.04.05 unter dem Arbeitstitel "welcome to 

the machine". Sie ist auch in einer DVD Box verpackt und enthält 

Fotoartworks von mir. Als Feldaufnahmen sind echte Fabrikgeräusche 

der Firma Vogel & Halke(SECA) eingearbeitet." [credit notes] 

More music by the "industry-romantic" Y-TON-G, "sound-alchemy from 

the inside of time" how he calls it. Y-TON-G could be regarded as the 

german pendant to Z'EV or polish HATI: working with self-build soundsculptures 

and metal-objects mainly, though his approach & music is 

quite different, not "shamanistic" but rather like a metaphysic industrialworker. 

On RAUSEISEN he creates indeed very mechanic / machinelike 

sounds, and uses also additional field recordings recorded in a real 

fabric. Very long repetitive patterns (also taken from instrumental 

sources) melt together with machine-drones, quite hypnotic & ghostly. 

A nice development for Y-TON-G, this is the real Industrial-Drone! 

Comes in DVD-box 4 b/w photos. TIP ! 

* Z'EV - Metaphonics CD-R (Eter Production etcdr05, 2007) 

[ed. of 222] € 11.00 

Mit METAPHONICS bezeichnet Z'EV Klänge, denen er das Vermögen 

zuschreibt, das Bewusstsein des Hörers zu verändern bzw. besondere 

Realitätsebenen zu erreichen, wobei er besonders auf die Dehnung der 

Zeitwahrnehmung anspielt. 

Der röhrend-dronige 35minütige One-tracker auf dieser CDR ist ein 

schönes Beispiel dafür, wenn sich bei voller Aufmerksamkeit ungeahnte 

Tiefenklänge und Mikrosounds entfalten zu scheinen. Auf dem HATI- 

Label, leider in einer limitierten Auflage von nur 222 Stück! TIP ! 

"The ever so, and even more now, active force of z'ev sees him playing 

around the world, and occasionally with the people of Polish ritual music 

makers Hati. They now release a work by z'ev that was recorded two 

years ago in London. Metaphonics is a term 'for what is now generally 

referred to as Sacred Music', it says on the cover: 'that is, a music 

whose intent is to alter consciousness or to transpose between states of 

consciousness and/or levels of reality/ies'. I didn't follow z'ev 

recommendation of listening in total darkness, but I can sense what he 

is about. In the thirty-five minutes, z'ev depicts a semi-industrial 

landscape. A tape-composition of sounds floating about, using the 

stereo spectrum to it's full capacity, but which at the same time still 

shows z'ev's interest in rhythmic music. There is a strong rhythmic feel 

to the music, which might be occurring due to the massive level of 

layered the sounds, which are slightly out of phase, going from one 

speaker to the other. After following his career for the last twenty-five or 

more years, I must say that his recent shift into using more and more 

studio based composition, is a great one. Not many of his recent 

releases let me down, and 'Metaphonics' is no different. A strong, dense 

mass of sound. Even in some light." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* Y-TON-G - Rostfresser CD-R (Terminal-Tape-Prod., 2007) 

€ 10.00 

"Rostfresser" entstand am 28.07.05 in der Klang-Galerie Preetz und ist 

von den drei 2005 aufgenommenen CD-Rs die dusterste, was an den

3.1. CDR-COMPILATIONS 

* DESERT SPACE 3 x CD-R (Tosom 025, 2007) [ed. of 350] 

€ 18.00 

Massive compilation that comes in a 7" photo-cover sleeve with diverse 

full-colour photo-postcards: HALO MANASH, N.STRAHL.N, FEU 

FOLLET, AIDAN BAKER, ROY-ARNE KNUTSEN, KARL BÖSMANN, 

CLOSING THE ETERNITY, OOPHOI, NETHERWORLD, PHELIOS, 

CRIA CUERVOS, SHRINE, AEOGA, BARADELAN, and many more 

unknown names.. a good view on todays (new) experimental 

underground, lim. 350 copies. For explorers.... 

"On "Desert Space", the second compilation on TOSOM, you can find 

artists and projects from Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, 

Poland, Finland, Norway and Canada. Near 4 hours, all tracks are 

unreleased, with finest Dark Ambient and Ambient Drones by 

wellknown projcts and also some new names. AGENDA KOKON, 

AIDAN BAKER, ATROX, AEOGA, BARADELAN, BRANDKOMMANDO, 

CLOSING THE ETERNITY, COMPEST, CRIA CUERVOS, 

FALSE MIRROR, FESTUNG KRONSTADT, FEU FOLLET, HALO 

MANASH, KARL BÖSMANN, MATAMORE, N.STRAHL.N, 

NETHERWORLD, OOPHOI, PHELIOS, ROTATIONSZENTRUM, ROY- 

ARNE KNUTSEN, SEPPUKU BOOGIE, SHRINE, STEINFELD, 

STILLSTAND, TARDIVE DYSKINESIA, TESENDALO, VIVIAN GABIN" 

[label announcement] 

* FOGLANDS CD-R (Umbra 062, 2007) € 12.00 

Ambient-Compilation on the OÖPHOI-label, with SEREN FFORDD, 

DARKENED SOUL, MATHIAS GRASSOW, NETHERWORLD, 

DREAMSTATE, OÖPHOI, THOMAS WEISS, oversized full-colour 

cover. 

"Foglands is the follow up to the gorgeous and very well received 

compilation The Threshold Of Silence reviewed a while back, which 

featured a bunch of AQ faves: Aidan Baker, Troum, Paul Bradley 

and a bunch of others. A gorgeous collection of minimal dronemusick 

running the gamut from ominous Lustmordian darkness to glistening 

dreamlike ambience. Foglands is sonically similar, but features a 

lineup of groups for the most part unknown to us. Thankfully, all the 

bands involved are mining the same mysterious sonic soundworlds as 

our favorite soundmakers and dronelords. 

There's the slightly ominous, almost new wave blisss out of Seren 

Ffordd's “Haze”, the rich lustrous whir and cavernous shimmer of 

Darkened Soul's “Visu”, Mathias Grassow offers up a sprawling 

expanse of hazy glimmering soft focus hum in the form of “Deeper 

Purity”, Netherworld's “Frostnetter” is an reverb drenched percussive 

soundscape, Eastern tinged and rife with bits of feedback, and strange 

clanks and clangs, dreamSTATE deliver “Fogbound”, a lengthy dreamy 

drift of soaring cinematic strings and soft swirling swells, Oophoi's 

“Outremer” is a super abstract, stark soundscape of whirring winds and 

almost static stretches of slow shifting hushed blur, and finally Thomas 

Weiss closes the proceedings with “Isolation”, an appropriately 

isolationist sprawl of whispered melodies, deep throbbing low end, and 

gently swaying bits of chordal glimmer. 

Fans of all things drone and ambient and dark ambient and black 

ambient and drifting and dreamlike, will definitely fall under the soporific 

spell of Foglands. Packaged in an oversized full plastic sleeve, with an 

oversized card, full color image on one side and liner notes on the 

other. LIMITED TO 300 COPIES, each disc hand numbered." 


* THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SKY CD-R (Umbra 068, 2007) 

€ 12.00 

"New ambient" compilation on the UMBRA-label of GIANLUIGI 

GASPARETTE aka OOPHOI, with DIATONIS, DREAMSTATE, 

MAJALE, THOMAS WEISS, TEMPS PERDU, OÖPHOI, oversized fullcover 

cover 

* THE THRESHOLD OF SILENCE CD-R (Umbra 061, 2007) 

€ 12.00 

Dunkel-sphärische Ambient-Compilation aus dem OÖPHOI-Label 

UMBRA, die perfekte nächtliche Begleitmusik. Einige Newcomer, einige 

Altbekannte, gute Mischung, alles exklusiv und im UMBRA-typischen 

grossen Vollfarbcover: THALIA, AIDAN BAKER, 3 SECONDS IN 

FORMALDEHYDE, PROPELLER ISLAND, TROUM, OÖPHOI, PAUL 

BRADLEY. 

"The title of this compilation as well as the label name, not 

to mention the artists involved, should give you a pretty clear idea 

of what this comp is all about. Some serious deep listening, music on 

the Threshold Of Silence, featuring loads of AQ faves like Aidan 

Baker, Troum, Paul Bradley and others... 

Yep, this is a collection of inward looking outward seeking 

minimal ambient drone music, and it's all quite gorgeous. Seven 

groups, utilizing a fairly standard array of instrumentation, synths, 

voice, percussion, guitar, effects, strings, keyboards, cello, 

electronics, analog modular system and water (!) between them, each 

picking some tiny microscopic corner of the sonic universe to open up 

and explore. Deep resonant cavernous underwater drones, warm bleary 

eyed drift, muted melodies floating above crystalline shimmers, dense 

melodic blurs rippling with subtle tonal color, fragments of guitar 

loosed and allowed to hover amidst opaque swirls and glimmering 

streaks of sound, long drawn out notes, layers of synths piled atop 

warm swells, all sorts of drones, from bright and sparkling, to murky 

and muddy to blissfully blown out, this without a doubt has become 

THE late night drifting off lullaby record of choice for some of us. 

Packaged in an oversized full plastic sleeve, with an 

oversized card, full color image on one side and liner notes on the 

other." [Aquarius] 

3.2. VISUALS : DVDs / Video-CDRs / VHS / 

* [AD]VANCE[D] - Flushing the Veins DVD (Waystyx Records 

WR30, 2007) [lim. 300] € 15.00 

The second release for the "post"-VANCE ORCHESTRA project is a 

DVD with four films & new music, combining colourful vivid & floating 

shapes with field recordings and electronic sounds & drones... lovely 

stuff, contemplative & little bit bizarrre as always... 

Comes in nicely designed handmade DVD-box, with colour-booklet. 

* BRANCA, GLENN - Symphony Nos. 8 & 10 - Live at the Kitchen 

DVD (Atavistic / MVD DR-4378, 2004) € 14.00 

Mitschnitte von den beiden Symphonien Nummer 8 und 10, live in New 

York 1995, super Bild- und Tonqualität, 70 Minuten lang, mit extra Foto- 

Gallerie auf der DVD, im Orchester BRANNON HUNGNESS 

(OBLIVION ENSEMBLE), etc., und das ganze noch zu einem 

Superpreis! 

The Branca Ensemble, captured at their biggest & most brutal 

performing his powerful elegies live in 1995, at NYC's then institution-ofthe-moment, 

The Kitchen. Gorgeous 3-camera live shoot, excellent 

HEAVY sound courtesy Sir Wharton Tiers, handsome package." NTSC 

all-region, 70 min., 5.1 surround sound." [label info] 

* COHEN, IRA - The Invasion of the Thunderbolt Pagoda DVD 

(Arthur, 2007) € 25.00 

"The Invasion of the Thunderbolt Pagoda" ist ein Drogen- und Mystikschwangerer 

Hippie-Experimentalfilm mit toller Musik von ANGUS MAC 

LISE (etc.), ein frühes Dokument neo-schamanistischer, psychedelischexperimenteller 

Umtriebe... Dazu diverses neueres Bonus-Material. 

"The first-ever fully authorized commercial release of IRA COHEN’s 

legendary 1968 film, The Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda--and the first 

release on the newly established Akashic Record DVD series. 

Celebrated internationally for more than 30 years, and recently 

screened as part of the Day for Night program at the 2006 Whitney 

Biennial, Invasion has now been released as a fully restored and 

mastered director's cut DVD. The legendary soundtrack, newly 

remastered by Tim Barnes, featuring The Universal Mutant Repertory 

Company (Loren Standlee, Ziska Baum, Angus MacLise, Raja 

Samayana, Tony Conrad, Henry Flynt and Jackson MacLow). Includes 

two new, never-before-released alternative soundtracks to "Invasion" by 

Sunburned Hand of the Man and Acid Mothers Temple SWR (Tsuyama 

Altsushi, Yoshida Tatsuya and Kawabata Makoto), a 16-page 

commemorative booklet featuring mylar photography and poetry by Ira 

Cohen and Angus MacLise, and critical texts by Ian Macfadyen and 

Allan Graubard. Also included is "Brain Damage," a new film directed by 

Ira Cohen and produced by Bastet created from never-before-seen 

original 16mm outtakes, featuring a new soundtrack composed by Will 

Swofford with the Expanded Instrument System "From The Mylar 

Chamber," an original slideshow of 60 mylar photographs with 

soundtrack by Angus MacLise and original poetry by Ira Cohen. 

Director's Commentary track by Ira Cohen." [press release] 

"...Creepy sepia toned footage of a barefoot little girl walking through 

the woods, jungle tribes digging in the mud, unearthing a mysterious 

bug eyed shaman, intercut with tripped out kaleidoscopic collages of 

blinking eyes and naked ladies dressed up like ancient forest dwellers 

or aliens, all engaging in strange rituals and some super strange 

spasmodic dancing. And that's just the intro! 

The actual film is a dizzying blend of wild costumes, incredible makeup 

and super saturated colors, filmed through all sorts of distorted 

funhouse mirror lenses or filmed through rippling water, or sheets of 

mylar, everything twisting and shimmering, shapes shifting, bodies 

writhing, cartoonish animal costumes, a totally over the top acid fried 

TRIP..." [Aquarius Records]

* Yuri ELIK / NOISES OF RUSSIA - Voices of the Dead DVD-R 

(Zhelezobeton ZF-II, 2006) [lim. 250] € 12.00 

"Photographer and videoartist Yuri Elik is primarily known as one of the 

founders and permanent members of multimedia project 2012, creating 

audio-video installations on various contemporary art festivals (SKIF, 

Heilige Feuer, Multivision, etc.). Apart from this Yuri performs on his 

own making video- and slide-shows for a number of experimental 

musical bands in St. Petersburg. Yuri is also the video show author for 

the performances of Simon Magus ballet written by D. Kakhovskiy and 

the designer of several CD artworks and websites. Gosha Solnzev (also 

known as "Van Gog" - 1g0g) - big industrial showman, leader of the 

project Noises of Russia well-known in Russia, organizer of several 

festivals, such as "Noise vs. Glamour", "Military Days", "Noisy Women", 

etc. Gosha has always claimed that he plays funeral music, so it's no 

wonder he showed interest in the phenomenon of voices of the dead, 

discovered by Friedrich Jürgenson in the late 50s of the past century. 

Electronic Voice Phenomenon (voices of the dead, Raudive voices) are 

the voices of anomalous origin appearing while making records on tape 

recorders or other electronic audio devices. EVP researches claim and 

have proof that this is a possible way of communication between 

physical and some other non-physical planes of existence. The 

exploration of this phenomenon led to an effective cooperation between 

Van Gog and Yuri which resulted in a series of live performances with 

the "Voices of the Dead" program and this short film, with 24 minutes an 

obscure psychedelic drama evolving in front of the spectator. A multilayered 

collage of concrete visual images and kaleidoscopic colour 

fields constantly transforms, accompanied by unusual and uneasy 

sombre ambient with real voices of the dead samples interlaced in it's 

structure. As a bonus this disk also contains a 12-min. slide-film "City 

Spirits": alternation of photos by Yuri Elik with his own soundtrack 

constructed from city noises. Yuri skillfully focuses attention on 

subtleties of usual things that remain unseen to the eye of a usual 

human being, generally too busy with thinking over his insubstantial 

problems and forgetting about the beauty of the world surrounding him. 

The release is packed in a special cardboard sleeve and goes with a 

booklet with an encyclopaedic reference about the phenomenon of 

electronic voices." [label info] 

* GAL - RGB / Experimental Videos DVD (Teder Music TDR007, 

2005) € 12.00 

Seven experimental video-clips by this artist (full name is GAL TUSHIA) 

from Israel, with musical help by label-manager DAVID OVADIA aka 

MAURIN, made to "expand the boundaries of the ordinary visuals found 

in everyday life". Colourful movements & shapes appear in behind an 

almost dissolving surface, extremely coloured landscapes, nightdrives, 

strangely coloured birds, flickering lights in square-shapes, and the 

music consist of soft drone-loops, slow tribal beats & analogue sounds. 

"Takes the viewer through a slow, hypnotic journey into "pixel", colored 

"reality". Its images are accompanied by experimental audio ambiance 

and minimal beats composed by Gal & Maurin." [website info] 

* PARALUX - La Laguna / Lux-ed DVD-R (Series Negras, 2007) 

[ed. of 50] € 9.00 

"PARALUX is a nickname known for collaborating with her images on 

the live concerts of Tzesne. This is her first published work. Two video 

pieces that are produced far away from from the speed of the live 

context, two re-composed films made from the material collected from 

her performances. Video-ambient to be enjoyed at home!" [label info] 

"The first release by Paralux, an 'one woman visual band' with the DVD- 

R as her first release, containing two short films with soundtracks. The 

music is dark but in 'Lux-ed' there is a very nice, desolate trumpet that 

almost sound like 'The Last Post', against a wall of dark humming 

synthesizers. Visually it is a bit of an assembly of pictures that don't 

seem to make much sense. In 'La Laguna' the sea plays an important 

role, both in the visuals as well as in the music. It seems that what was 

filmed was also taped and only slightly processed. Wind blows straight 

into the microphone. I must admit I liked the music from the first film and 

the images of the second. Both mastered the excitement of ambient 

music, but in both pieces there is also something lacking. Nevertheless 

it's a most promising start." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

Address: http://www.seriesnegras.orgs 

* VON HAUSSWOLFF / THOMAS NORDANSTAD - Two films DVD 

(Errant Bodies Records ebr_03, 2006) € 15.50 

"Straddling the line between documentary and audio-visual meditations 

on landscape, the Hausswolff/Nordanstad filmic partnership taps both 

the detritus of human civilization and its uncanny ability to withstand the 

forces of nature. In “Hashima, Japan 2002” we are given a portrait of 

the Battleship Island off the coast of Nagasaki, a former mining island 

established by Mitsubishi and abandoned in the early 1970s. Through a 

series of captivating still shots, overlaid with a deep sonics of drones 

and small tonalities, the film captures the island and its haunting history 

as told through the slow decay of buildings. In contrast, “Al Qasr 2005” 

leads us to an oasis in Egypt, full of mystery and surprising beauty. 

Punctuated with found recordings of local songs, the film follows the 

slow ambience of the desert, the flowing of natural springs, and the 

steady movements of a landscape seemingly outside of time...." 

[website info] 

"Since much of the work of Carl Micheal von Hauswolff deals with urban 

cites, it's perhaps strange to think that much of his output doesn't 

involve film. So far I only know of a book with pictures. Here how this is 

made with two films shot by Thomas Nordanstad with music of 

Hauswolff. The first film shows us the Battleship Island off the coast of 

Nagasaki. Here once 5000 people who work in the mines on the same 

island. All very small and since 1974 empty. The island and buildings 

are there but in decay, beautiful decay that is. Nature takes over. The 

other film is about nature, an oasis in Egypt. Here there is sign of 

human activity, but it's mainly about the desert. In the Japan film 

Hauswolff's music is a very deep sonic, almost unearthly rumble, 

whereas in the Egypt film it starts with a present drone, to which found 

songs are added. This may seem an odd ball for the new Hauswolff 

fans but in fact hark back to the early days of Phauss. Two quite 

contrasting films: the austerity of Hashima and the sunlight covered Al 

Qasr, with two contrasting pieces of music by Hauswolff. As two 

interesting extra's there is a small documentary on Hashima, about a 

guy who wants to turn it into a museum. A pity that the music behind 

this documentary is a bit kitschy documentary like, which sort of breaks 

with the Hauswolff pieces. The other is the two artists talking about 

these films and how they were made, intentions and what else about 

these locations, which is quite nice. It's great to see Hauswolff going 

into this direction." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* WENT, JOHANNA - The Club Years DVD + CD (Soleilmoon 

Recordings SOL 006DVD, 2007) € 16.00 

Acht extreme Performance-Mitschnitte / Filme von JOHANNA WENT 

(bekannt vom 'Industrial Culture Handbook' von RE/SEARCH) aus 

einem Zeitraum von 10 Jahren (1977-1987), die v.a. im kalifornischen 

Raum auch in der Experimental- und Industrial-Szene aktiv war und 

sich mit ihren bizarren, dadaistischen & wilden theatralischen 

Performances einen Namen machte; die DVD zeigt ihre ekstatischschamanistischen 

Grenzüberschreitungen mit grellen Vocals und 

manchmal meterhohen Verkleidungen und Bühnenaufbauten, mit meist 

rhythmisch-elektronoisigen oder Improkrach als musikalischem 

Background, zum Teil unglaublich bizarr, eine Art post-modernes 

"Theater der Grausamkeit! Dazu gibt es diverses musikalisches 

Bonusmaterial in Form auf einer extra-CD, Fotos, Kommentare, etc.. 

alles sehr professionell präsentiert und aufbereitet. 

"Johanna Went is a pioneering performance artist who began 

performing as part of a street theater troupe that traveled America and 

Europe in the 1970’s. Following her years on the road she settled in LA 

in the late 70’s and began transforming her street theater performances 

into what would become her signature style. Using found props and 

hand-sewn costumes she developed a wild stage act that included live 

musical backing from legendary performers such fas Z’ev and KK 

Barret of the Screamers. In 1979 she began working with the Wheaton 

brothers (Brock on drums and Mark on syntheziers) who arrived in LA 

that year from Seattle with their band Chinas Comidas. To this day 

Mark continues to work with Johanna as her musical director. Their next 

collaboration will be a series of performances at LA’s Track 16 Gallery 

in May 2007. Combining a wild, chaotic performing style packed with 

visual excitement, gallons of blood, streams of multicolored liquids, 

giant bloody tampons, enormous sewn fabric sculptures, wacky scary 

costumes and enough Styrofoam and found film stock to fill a room, 

Johanna packed the clubs in LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix and 

New York. For more than ten years she was known as an innovative 

performance artist, particularly for the visual richness of her on-stage 

characters. She was equally renowned for her use of live improvised 

music that crossed over from jazzy rock grooves and jungle beats to 

electronic soundscapes and industrial noise. And always, above all the 

wild, driving music: Johanna’s completely stream of conscience vocals. 

The DVD's main attraction is its 80 minutes of live performance footage 

shot on video tape at clubs and galleries in the Los Angeles area from 

1977 through 1987. The eight performances range from an early and 

very raw solo performance by Johanna Went at a small store front club 

to a pair of performances video taped by Academy Award winning avant 

garde film director Shirley Clarke. Bonus material includes entertaining 

and informative audio commentary for each track, recorded by Johanna 

Went and Mark Wheaton, a slide show of classic live performance 

photos, and a page of web links accessible when the DVD is played in a 

computer. The recordings on the bonus CD reveal a wacky sense of 

New Wave insanity that reminds us of the Residents if they were a punk 

band backing Ornette Coleman. It collects for the first time all of 

Johanna Went’s studio recordings written and produced by Johanna 

and her musical collaborator Mark Wheaton. This includes the complete 

Hyena LP, first released on Poshboy Records and now remixed and

emastered, as well as the songs from their first 45rpm single originally 

released on Boyd Rice’s Graybeat label." [label description] 

"....Johanna Went use a wide range of disciplines for her performances, 

from collage to painting, from sewing to gluing, resulting in shows that 

involves sex, fluids, liquids, meat to create extreme shows of filth, 

repulsion and destruction. Trashiness in its most beautiful form! Set 

against a background of very loud noise and rhythm textures, Johanna 

Went's show is more a furiously energetic trance-state than the 

performance of rational being. The sonic background of the 

performances is created by two of early industrial scenes strongest 

artists, Z'ev and Mark Wheaton, composing sound sculptures of noise 

and rhythmic complexity. Musical climax comes with the third chapter 

"New Wave Theater". Being the harshest contribution on the DVD the 

track is built on buzzing drones and screeching noises. The abrasive 

expression are assisted by some cool drum-patterns works of Brock 

Wheaton (brother of Mark Wheaton), impressively following the genuine 

performing sickness of Johanna Went. On the performing side the video 

peaks with the second chapter "The Box". Combinations of wild animal 

video recordings and the physical performances by Johanna Went 

make the artist seem like part of the intuitive and instinctive wild animal 

life. Absolutely amazing treatments of performances and manipulated 

videoclips. As top of the icing comes a bonus CD including the Hyena 

LP as well as tracks from their first 7"-vinyl, "Slave beyond the grave". 

For people, wanting to know more about the earliest stages of industrial 

culture this DVD-pack is a gem. Also for people seeking the extreme 

territories of art expression, sonically as well as visually, this video is a 

must-have. The highest praise for Soleilmoon Recordings for bringing 

these visually and sonically works of art back into daylight! For further 

readings about Johanna Went and her art collaborations with Z'ev and 

Mark Wheaton, check out the book "Industrial Culture Handbook" 

released by RE/Search Publications back in 1983; Another informative 

milestone in the history of early Industrial Music culture." [NM / Vital 

Weekly] 

4. CDs 

* A CROWN OF LIGHT - The Clearing CD (Eibon Records 

ACR064, 2006) € 13.00 

A new () US-duo with a kind of post-industrialized noise-ambience, 

a soundtrack to a strange story which is told in the booklet, 

very dark & apocalyptic, chaos-magick-ambience! 

"..... This is her turned to stone on the shore ..... There are strange 

creatures out there. ..... This is her crown of light now shattered ..... 

Espin is one of them. A CROWN OF LIGHT (A Crown of Amaranth + 

Conversations About the Light) tells us his story of pain, solitude and 

abandonment through a complex mixture of different sound sources. 

..... Blood and fire and I will grow ..... Dark ambient, concrete music, 

noise, hidden melodies. Espin's world is complex, and so is its 

soundtrack." [label info] 

* [AD]VANCE[D] - poem#red128dot CD (Absurd #red_dot, 2007) 

€ 13.00 

VANCE ORCHESTRA is dead, long live [AD]VANCE[D]! This is the first 

release of the follow-up project of the split-up VANCE ORCHESTRA, 

Arnhem-based musician and designer MARS F WELLINK does it now 

alone ! "Poem#red128dot" is dedicated to GEERT FEYTONS from 

NOISE-MAKER'S-FIFES, who died last year. A real sound-poem. 

"Vance Orchestra from Arnhem are no more, but out of his ashes new 

paths are chosen. Robert Deters plays around with various people from 

the local scene, including Machinefabriek, while Mars Wellink goes on 

solo. As (ad)vance(d) he now presents his first solo work, I think, for the 

Absurd label. It has been around in their offices for a while, but it's 

release comes in handy. In various cities (Arnhem, Leiden, Molovos) 

Mars recorded some field sounds which he knits together to a thirty six 

minute sound poem. Voices play a role, but more over it's here to create 

an atmospheric piece of music. The backdrop is a sort of ambient piece 

of a wall of synthesizers, but it's too angular to be a dull piece of music. 

On top of that hotbed, Mars lets his recordings drop in and out of the 

mix, bird calls, insects, people walking and talking. Over the course of 

the piece things move away from the ambient patterns played at the 

beginning and moving into the world of strict soundscaping and then 

spiral back into the ambient backing of the start. A highly atmospheric 

work that is more like a sound picture, be it of different places, of sound 

moving in and from various directions than a strict music piece, more 

like a sound environment." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* AETHENOR - Deep in Ocean sunk the lamp of light CD (VHF 

Records #97, 2006) € 14.00 

"Debut by trio of Stephen O’Malley (Sunn0))))), Daniel O’Sullivan 

(Guapo), and Vincent de Roguin (Shora). Taking its title from The Iliad, 

the music here is deep and cosmic, completely unlike anything you’d 

expect from such heavyweights. More in the tradition of ‘Spiral Insana” 

and “Cyborg” than anything, the tracks float along in a masterful collage 

of activity, where careful scene changes highlight O’Sullivan’s classic 

but artfully placed Rhodes bombs, de Roguin’s organ, and O’Malley’s 

guitar. Extraordinary effort has gone into editing, mastering, and 

shaping these pieces – these are not tossed off improvisations or “sideproject” 

orphans. Housed in CD and LP jackets hand-printed by Alan 

Sherry/SIWA. LP was cut by John Golden, expertly pressed at RTI." 

[label info] 

* ALIO DIE & ZEIT - Raag drone theory CD (Hic Sunt Leones HSL 

040, 2007) € 14.00 

"A new stage of the duo, after the successful Sunja - more expressively 

inspired by indian music: one long track completely acoustic displays a 

sound dialog between psaltery, zither and shruti box, brought into a 

contemplative space." [Project] 

* ALIO DIE & JAMES JOHNSON - Cube 7 - Sospensione d'Estate 

CD (Hic Sunt Leones HSL 041, 2007) € 14.00 

A very dreamlike one-tracker, created with the help of violin-player 

JAMES JOHNSON. Beautiful yearnful violin-sounds melt with ALIO 

DIEs Zither-playing, diverse object sounds and field recordings. Perfect 

ambient-music, emotional & with interesting effects.... 

"CUBE's music is designed to blur the architectural spaces that we 

occupy during our waking hours of the day. Whether it be an office 

cubical, a personal listening space or subtly defined spaces within an 

architectural environment. CUBE's music is music at the edge of 

perception, music meant to expand interior space. 

One long relaxing and meditative track, enriched by multilayered 

textures from little sounds (rattles, tubes, flutes, etc) played in the 

wilderness, and field recordings supported by the sophisticated and 

gentle sounds of electronics and treated viola. 

Listening at a volume slightly above the natural sound in the space that 

this work is being played." [label info] 

* ALIO DIE & LUCIANO DAINI - End of an Era CD (Hic Sunt 

Leones HSL 042, 2007) € 14.00 

"A project started slowly from reciprocal esteem from musical 

researches and alchemical and introspective approach to sounds. Quite 

a dark atmospheric album, where the obscurities give the proper 

preparation to some clear and intense moments." [Project] 

* ALOG - Amateur CD (Rune Grammofon RCD2063, 2007) 

€ 15.00 

"ALOG zählen seit 1997 zu den besten experimentellen 

Elektromusikern in Norwegen. Seit ihrem Debüt "Red Shift Swing" sind 

sie ihrem Label Rune Grammofon treu geblieben, wo die Nachfolger 

"Duck-Rabbit" und "Miniatures" erschienen. Letzteres gewann 2005 den 

norwegischen Grammy für den besten Electronica-Release. ALOG 

reisten für "Amateur" durch Norwegen und nahmen in Musikschulen 

und Musiksälen von Grundschulen auf, um den Sound eines jeden 

Instrumentes optimal darstellen zu können, was im Studio dann zu 

"Amateur" geformt wurde. Das Ziel aller Computersoftware ist es heute, 

den individuellen Sound eines jeden Musikers zu überdecken und alles 

gleich klingen zu lassen; ALOG gehen auf "Amateur" den genau 

entgegengesetzten Weg. // 

Alog are duo Espen Sommer Eide and Dag-Are Haugan, and this is 

their fourth full-length release for the Rune Grammofon label. Since 

forming in 1997, Alog have been among Norway's leading performers of 

experimental electronic music. They are mainstays at Rune Grammofon 

and have been with the label since their debut album Red Shift Swing 

was released in 1999. Already a mature and original collection, their 

sound has since been developed through their second album, Duck- 

Rabbit (2001), and almost perfected with their previous album 

Miniatures, which also won them a Norwegian Grammy for best 

electronica release in 2005. Some of the techniques that Alog invented 

for their Miniatures album have now been refined and developed on 

their new album, Amateur. They have increasingly worked with various 

acoustic instruments and in collaboration with other musicians for long 

recording sessions in special locations. Travelling around the west 

coast of Norway with Nicholas H. Møllerhaug and Nils Økland sidekick 

Sigbjørn Apeland, they recorded in music schools in an attempt to 

capture the unique sound of each selection of instruments found. 

Because of bad weather they could be stuck for days on islands off the 

wild northern coast recording themselves playing any instruments they 

could find and building more of their own. These sessions were 

subsequently worked on in the studio to bring out the unique spirit of 

this release, characterized by a curious and fresh approach to playing 

that is often lost in the process of becoming a virtuoso on a singular 

instrument. The word "amateur" originally denotes a person who is 

motivated by a passion or love for their activity. It has been the goal of 

Alog on this album to preserve and enhance this special energy in their

songs, and to do this they use their "augmented acoustics" technology 

and bring out the hidden "amateur" energy of each song." [press 

release] 

"Music by Alog have never ceased to amaze me. The duo of Espen 

Sommer Eide and Dag-Are Haugan have by now released a bunch of 

works on Melektronikk, Smalltown Supersound and En/Of, and here 

return with a strange CD, once again. Apparently 'it was recorded on 

various locations in the western and northern parts of Norway, often 

using instruments found or built for the sole purpose of this recording', 

which is something that is hard to believe. But 'these sessions were 

subsequently worked on in the studio to bring out the unique spirit of the 

'Amateur'. In the post-production world of the studio anything is 

possible, I then think. To describe the music of Alog is not easy, but 

'amateur' is a good description, in the most positive sense of the word. 

'Childlike' and 'naive' are two others that fit the description quite well. 

There are hints of minimal music, microsound, folk and improvisation - 

and perhaps any category in between these that could be applied to the 

music of Alog. They play their instruments (whatever lost and found 

they might be) like children, not banging around but with a curious 

interest in seeing what a sound does. Carefully as not make too many 

sounds. Beautiful electronic sound scapes, with interesting electroacoustic 

sounds here and there. Very nice. Once again." [FdW / Vital 

Weekly] 

* AMBARCHI, OREN - Suspension CD (Touch T33.18, 2001) 

€ 14.50 

Nachpressung des 2001er Werks auf Touch! 

"Das neue AMBARCHI-Werk – zweite CD nach “Insulation” auf Touch. 

Wieder basieren alle Klänge auf Gitarrensounds.. AMBARCHI erschafft 

ungeheuer dichte und elegante Akustikströme, die nur noch entfernt an 

Gitarre erinnern, 6 Stücke voller magischer Sounds, die ein kohärentes 

Ganzes bilden." [Drone Rec. Info 2001] 

“ Oren Ambarchi is a Sydney-based musician with a longstanding 

interest in transcending conventional instrumental approaches. He has 

worked with artists as diverse as Keith Rowe, Christian Fennesz, 

Sachiko M and Phill Niblock. Suspension is Ambarchi's second release 

for Touch, after Insulation [Touch # T33.16, 1999]. Although continuing 

his explorations of the guitar, Oren has almost completely discarded the 

deconstructed, fragmentary approach to composition that he employed 

on 1999's excellent Insulation. This disc is more akin to his remarkable 

Stacte series of LPs (treasure them if you have them, for they are all but 

gone), where compositions have the exploratory freedom, spontaneity 

and fluidity of improvised music, yet contain the determination, 

discipline and solidity of composers such as Alvin Lucier (of whom 

Ambarchi is an open admirer). As the title suggests, the listener is 

suspended in dense tonal fields or complete silence; adrift, never 

touching the bottom, never reaching the surface but continually held in 

the realm of the instant. Movement and flux contend with stasis and 

rigidity. Sounds continually unravel and solidify. These works are 

endless, eternal, never opting for obvious resolutions or easy 

destinations. Often beginning in abstraction, seemingly random and 

irregular pulses and tones coalesce and converge. All elements are part 

of a greater logic, which reveals itself through intense, immersive and 

repeated listenings.” [original press release] 

* AMBARCHI, OREN - In the Pendulum's Embrace CD (Touch 

TO:78, 2007) € 14.50 

"CD - 3 tracks. 'Oren Ambarchi continues his otherworldly investigations 

with 'In The Pendulum's Embrace', a dark twin to his landmark 2004 

album 'Grapes From The Estate' [Touch # TO:61]. Returning again to 

the hallowed halls of BJB Studios in Sydney, Ambarchi expands the 

scope and range of his unique musical language, incorporating an even 

broader pallette of instrumentsand sensibilities. Despite the use of glass 

harmonica, strings, bells, piano, percussion and guitars, it's startling that 

the world created is still unmistakably his own, and that there is such a 

cohesion of vision throughout the albums's three lengthy pieces. With 

this record there's an even more tenuous coexistence of fragility and 

density; sounds as light as air mingling with wall shaking low-end. The 

converted already know the kind of trance-inducing euphoria of 

Ambarchi's music." [press release] 

"...The opening track "Fever, A Warm Poison" sleepwalks glacially, as 

per the first few sentences of this review. Ambarchi orchestrates the 

swell of strings, or what could be an accordion's wheeze, into this 

album's soundworld on the second track, "Inamorata". Utterly gentle & 

melancholic. As is the 17 minute finale, "Trailing Moss In Mystic Glow", 

which while blissfully relaxed, might be the "busiest" track of the disc on 

account of the presence of some quiet, spectral vocals, indistinct but 

still a suggestion of songiness towards the end of the piece. The guitar 

melodies are denser here, and there's a hint of glitch. It's gorgeous 

at any rate. This cd should appeal to fans of Earth's Hex, and Bohren 

& Der Club Of Gore, and even Boris's gentler moments, as if held 

under a microscope, volume hushed. Also this very list, we've 

reviewed the new release from another Ambarchi act, Sun. This could 

be that Sun album, left out to melt in the (actual) sun, to droop and 

drip, pooling into a limpid, low-key loveliness..." [Aquarius Records] 

* AMBER ASYLUM - Still Point CD (Profound Lore Records PFL- 

022, 2007) € 13.00 

Nach vielen Jahren ein neues Album der Band um KRIS FORCE, deren 

markanter Elfen-gleicher Gesang hier das Zentrum bildet für die 

elegischen Gothic-Folk Kompositionen mit viel Streicher-Einsatz, eher 

reduziert und verhalten und nur wenig "rockend", alles durchzogen von 

einer majestätischen Melancholie... mitunter wird das Song-Format 

verlassen und schwelend-ruhige instrumentelle Soundscapes erfüllen 

den Raum, die eine nicht weniger fragile Schönheit aufweisen... 

" Still Point ist die erwachsenste CD von AMBER ASYLUM, weil sie am 

wenigsten verspielt ist; nichts muss mehr ausprobiert werden ('Music is 

my evolution', KRIS FORCE). Die Stimmung, die Stimmen, die 

Instrumente, alles ist perfekt positioniert, es konnte nichts anders 

werden an diesem Album. Wundervoll depressive Kammermusik für die 

kommenden Monate." [Michael We / nonpop.de] 

"One of the most respected, legendary, and influential acts that have 

emerged from the neoclassical/gothic/ambient/and post-rock alternative 

scene, AMBER ASYLUM have once again delicately peered through 

the cascading light with their long-awaited full-length, the band’s first 

observation since 2000. Band leader KRIS FORCE was an integral part 

of NEUROSIS, appearing on the majority of their releases, and has 

played and collaborated with such legendary acts as SWANS and 

JARBOE. Features members that have been involved with such Bay 

Area luminaries as WEAKLING, ASUNDER, THE GAULT, HAMMERS 

OF MISFORTUNE, and LUDICRA." [label info] 

AMM - Live at the Roundhouse CD (Anomalous Records ICES 01, 

2004) € 12.00 

“The International Carnival of Experimental Sound, or ICES '72 for 

short, was an ambitious festival sprung from the mind of Harvey 'Job' 

Matusow (1926-2002). Jumping off from his associations with the 

influential Source magazine, Harvey brought together over 300 artists 

from more than 21 countries to perform in London, England over the 

course of two weeks in August of 1972. Based on the theme of Myth, 

Magic Madness and Mysticism, he assembled an amazing diversity of 

performers working in diverse range of audio-visual arts. Encompassing 

happenings, films, dance, a train ride, and the phantom soft pool table, 

the focus was on sound -- specifically that of artists who were both 

composers and performers. Most of the concerts were held at The 

Roundhouse, a cavernous structure that was formerly a railroad engine 

house. Now, for the first time in 30 years, these recordings can be 

heard. This first CD in a series documenting the festival features the 

complete concert given by legendary free improvising group AMM. 

Represented here by Eddie Prevost and Lou Gare, they offer up 

powerful explosions of saxophone and drums punctuated with their 

famous AMM silences. This is the first time this material is available, 

aside from two short excerpts were published as the only 7" release on 

Evan Parker and Derek Bailey's Incus Records (and a very rare and 

desirable record that has become)." [press release] 


* ANDERSSON, PETER - Music for Film and Exhibition do-CD 

(Yantra Atmospheres YA-2007-09-2, 2007) € 16.00 

Diese do-CD dokumentiert die Versuche von PETER ANDERSSON 

aka RAISON D'ETRE sich im Filmmusik- & Kunstbetrieb zu etablieren... 

Das Material klingt wie ein Querschnitt seines Schaffens, insgesamt 

meist dronig & Soundscape-mässig experimentell, orchestral & ruhig.. 

"Peter Andersson from the Cold Meat Industry act raison d’être now 

presents his sound work for film and exhibition, spanning through the 

years 1999 to 2006. Peter has been working on several film and 

exhibition projects, some of these projects never went to final 

completion but the music was composed in almost all the cases. Music 

for Film and Exhibition presents a broad spectrum of the sounds and 

music capabilities of Peter Andersson and those familiar with any of his 

different music projects including raison dêtre, Necrophorus, Atomine 

Elektrine, Bocksholm etc… will most probably enjoy this double album 

very much." [label info] 

* ANGELS OF LIGHT - We are Him CD (Young God Records 

YGCD35, 2007) € 14.50 

Das fünfte Album von MICHAEL GIRA und seiner "family", kraftvollrepetitiver, 

ums grosse Ganze kreisender Trance-Rock & Folk. 

"As harrowing and depressive yet magical and luminous as ever, 

Michael Gira returns with his fourth proper Angels Of Light record, 

We Are Him. Recorded with his buddies the Akron Family, the overall 

feeling of this record is hypnotic and repetitive... It's tough for 

us to write an objective review, we're basically really big Michael 

Gira fans and have dug most everything he's done. He always 

manages to get awesome musicians, and his records sound really 

great, always. That being said, We Are Him is definitely different from

all his other releases, maybe a little more angular rhythmically 

speaking, a bit more prog, even jangly almost at times. One of our 

favorite elements of Gira's music is most definitely his lyrics. They have 

a kind of universal quality, dealing with more existential themes, and 

less of personal emotional type stuff, which is rare in the world of 

song-writing. Akron Family are amazing as well and their unique 

musical contributions have much to do with the unique sound of the 

record. Stark and a bit abstract, stripped down, but still lush, and 

of course haunting and beautiful. And just really fucking great. 

Another great album in a long line of great albums. If you liked the 

other Angels Of Light albums, you'll probably dig this one too. It's 

certainly a development, and there are lots of subtle differences, 

but it manages to maintain the eternal quality of all Gira's work. 

Yeah, it's really beautiful, there are awesome brass parts too, the 

lyrics rule, the textures are evocative, GREAT ALBUM! That's all we 

need to say." [Aquarius] 

"....Backing/contributing musicians include Akron/Family, Bill Rieflin 

(Ministry, Swans, Robert Fripp, and currently drummer for both Robyn 

Hitchcock and REM), Julia Kent (Antony and the Johnsons) Christoph 

Hahn (longtime Angel and former Swan) and many, many more..." 

[label info] 

"The moment i played We Are Him my heart exploded with the feeling 

'that voice!!!!!!' and it has done it to me every time i have ever heard it 

since... now is the best Michael Gira has ever sounded and i cannot 

without sounding insanely thrilled express how much this means to me. 

We Are Him is touching, frightening, wonderfully different and whole." 

[Jamie Stewart / Xiu Xiu] 

* ART FLEURY - I Luoghi del Potere CD-Box (Die Schachtel 

DS14, 2007) € 17.50 

"Cardboard CDBox, 16-page booklet in English and Italian + poster. 

'Art Fleury' was born in Brescia, Northern Italy, in the mid-seventies. 

They were still in their teens when they had the opportunity to open the 

concert of the group Area at the famous Parco Lambro Festival in Milan 

(1976), in front of fifty thousands people. In the following years they 

extensively toured and played with Henry Cow, and in 1980 they were 

finally able to produce and release their first record, 'I luoghi del potere' 

(The places of power), which they started recording in 1977. 

Superficially (or intentionally) included in the 'Prog' genre, 'I luoghi del 

potere' (originally conceived as the soundtrack of an imaginary movie), 

is a very personal and radical experience, at times recalling Faust's 

free-form kraut riffing, or the industrial sound collages of Nurse With 

Wound. The music is articulated through an outstanding dynamic 

juxtaposition of instrumental parts, with frequent structural and 

harmonic fragmentations, and a diverse array of unusual sound 

elements: from a sort of brass-band progression to radio frequencies, 

from cacophonic intermezzos to expressionist tape-collage techniques. 

Through this free flow of sounds, only apparently casual, the group 

wanted to expose the alienation, the folly, the hopes and fears of their 

times, through a creative act that pushed to the limits their expressive 

means." [label info] 

"...This album of theirs, the title of which means "The Places Of 

Power", was apparently conceived as an imaginary soundtrack of sorts, 

and it's indeed quite soundtracky, you could imagine this being the 

score to a very arty, serious and suspenseful Italian film. It's a sonic 

collage that effectively deploys skittering percussion and tape-splicing 

studio fuckery, instrumental prog bombast and jazz improv freedom, the 

proceedings often infused with moody textures of glitch and crackle, 

visited by musical cues or voices set amidst radio static, as if sampled 

from a random spin of the dial. This is very much in keeping with the 

sounds of modern-day Die Schachtel acts like A and Christa Pfangen, 

and their colleagues 3/4hadbeeneliminated. We're also reminded of AQ 

faves Village Of Savoonga, and to several of Art Fleury's 

contemporaries or near-contemporaries like Faust, This Heat, and 

Nurse With Wound. You probably get the idea: recommended! 

This cd comes packaged in a oversized cardboard box, inclosing 

a booklet with liner notes along with a poster of the album's black & 

white cover graphic of a clenched fist..." [Aquarius Records] 

* ATAVIST / NADJA - 12012291920 / 1414101 CD (Invada Records 

INV036, 2007) € 14.50 

"12012291920 / 1414101 is the coming together of two distinct creative 

forces in the form of ATAVIST (UK) and NADJA (Canada), and 

represents an abstract detraction from both of the bands previous 

works. The feel of the album is one of blissful escapism presented 

through harmonious audio manipulation, intricate melody and polarizing 

heaviness. This release sees Atavist / Nadja placing the listener into an 

dreamlike environment throughout the albums two expansive tracks by 

using an innovative array of layered sounds, abstract guitar work, 

subsonic bass levels and delicate electronics to give a desolate, yet 

warm full length album. 12012291920 / 1414101 is not a split album, 

rather a collaborate effort between Atavist & Nadja with each artist 

bringing their own components to the whole." [label info] 

"...Teamed up with UK sludge doom quartet Atavist, this seems like 

the ultimate doom drone matchup, and thus you might expect that 

these two bands would bring out the heaviest and sludgiest in each 

other, then in fact, the exact opposite is the case. 

Two nearly half hour tracks, each one meandering and blissful, 

darkly tranquil and really really pretty. The first is a slowcore / 

postrock drift, delicate guitar figures, looped over a slow shimmery 

dronescape, the backdrop constantly shifting, the guitar line spidery 

and minor key, repeating hypnotically above a constantly intensifying 

backdrop of drones and rumblings. Eventually the background noise 

overtakes the lonely guitar, but not in a sludgy bombastic way, more 

like a muted churning swirl, lots of billowy low end guitar, and 

drifting smoky ambience. Near the end, the guitars do thicken, and 

suddenly the dreaminess is mired in some serious sludge, shot though 

with distant keening psychguitar, but it doesn't last, and the sludge 

softens quickly into more whispery whir. 

The second track is a wide open expanse of billowy dark 

ambience, lots of strange muted FX and pulsing krautrocky swirl. More 

in line with Tangerine Dream and Popol Vuh than SUNNO)) or Earth. 

Eventually building into a moaning majestic wall of sound, like 

Sunroof! or Vibracathedral, but less skree and more rumble, huge 

slabs of crumbling guitar, beneath glistening melodic fragments and 

soft whirls of sound. Droney and dreamy, divine and doomy and 

obviously essential." [Aquarius Records] 

* AXOLOTL - Memory Theatre CD (Important Records 

IMPREC120cd, 2007) € 14.50 

Zusammenstellung von rarem Material der low-fi Droner der neueren 

Generation, die massive Klangströme mit melancholischen Untertönen 

verbinden, extra rauschig und mit Hang zu Übersteuerungen.. 

"Memory Theater is an absolutely essential collection of the best of 

AXOLOTL’s out-of-print CDRs and vinyl only releases. KARL BAUER 

spent quite a bit of time collaborating with Black Dice, Mouthus, Double 

Leopards and various other acclaimed members of the noise 

underground before heading off on his own as Axolotl. In the last couple 

of years Axolotl have released numerous CD, CDR and vinyl releases, 

many of which quickly went out of print and started demanding some 

serious coin on eBay. Memory Theater collects the best of these out of 

print releases into one convenient package designed by Karl Bauer. 

Axolotl has collaborated with the likes of the Skaters, Magik Markers, 

Yellow Swans, Inca Ore, Skygreen Leopards, Religious Knives, and 

Mouthus. Axolotl has toured Europe and the United States and shared 

the stage with the likes of Animal Collective, Black Dice, Boris, 

Charlambides, Chris Corsano, Double Leopards, Excepter, Sightings, 

the Skaters, Terrestrial Tones, Tomutonttu, and Yellow Swans." [label 

info] 

* AUBE - Ricochetentrance CD (Lunar L199904, 1999) € 13.00 

Feiner AUBE-Release basierend auf Wasser-Sounds von 1999, last 

copies back in stock ! 

"....Es handelt sich v.a. um gesampelte und geloopte Sounds von 

Wasser-TROPFEN, die sich vielfach übereinander legen und oft sogar 

ein quasi-rhythmisches Grundgerüst bilden, hinter dem es fließt und 

droned.." [old Drone Rec.info] 

"...With Ricochetentrance Nakajima returns to water as a sound source. 

Much of his previous work has started slowly and evolved slowly; its 

end destination has been to shock the listener with its force. While 

Ricochetentrance is similar in the quiet and slow evolution, it is different 

in that the destination of each track is not noise. Instead the five pieces 

remain understated and chart slight trickles and light drips. The sounds 

are textured, designed more for contemplation and relaxation. For the 

most part my explorations of Ricochetentrance have been at night, lying 

back with a portable CD player lying lightly on my chest plugged into it 

with headphones. So on those occasions where I do make it all the way 

through, I'm usually fairly relaxed, rather than already gone, taken in by 

the absorbent sounds of fluid. Ricochetentrance is very much an 

atmospheric recording, and I guess in the wrong frame of mind could 

just sound like water. Though the strangest thing is that the one time I 

tried to move about while listening to Ricochetentrance I felt distinctly 

sea sick...coincidence" [Remote Induction] 

* AUBE - Reworks NIMH Vol. 1 CD (Silentes minimal editions 

sme0611, 2007) € 13.00 

"Another must have volume of work by audio decomposition-genius and 

sound-sculptor AUBE. Ethnic-electronic sound sources (as with "The 

Missing Tapes" by NIMH) transfigured and remodeled into completely 

new sonic lifeforms with state-of-the-art audio processing algorithms. 

Residual fragments of the original sound-sources occasionally appear 

in the mix like aquatic fauna swimming to the surface for a brief 

second. A magnum opus in four movements. Intensely facinating work 

by the unparalleled master of experimental sound design. AUBE is 

peerless. A minimal mosaic of sound that takes the listener on a slowmotion 

expedition into the very fabric of tone. A ocean of sound-grains

for the listened to swim in. Spoken language doesn't (yet) contain words 

that properly describe these sounds... an absolute must have for the 

experimental music devotee." [label info] 

* AUDELA - same CD (Plague Recordings PLAGUE 002, 

2007) [lim. 222] € 13.00 

New anonymous dark ambient project on a new label from Belgium with 

its first album; very symphonic and melancholic washes of glowing 

waves, but also rather "isolationistic" & experimental arrangements with 

strange sound-spots, very low sub-drones & cold metallic radiations... 

quite "cosmic", but "dark cosmic"... recommended for lovers of darker 

OÖPHOI, YEN POX, AMON, LUSTMORD... 

"Audela's debut CD. First edition is numbered, second edition is not. All 

tracks made between 1992-2007. 79 minutes of gloomy ambient 

inspired by Jupiter's Great Red Spot, an ongoing storm first glimpsed 

400 years ago." [label info] 

* AUN - Mule CD (Oral 15, 2007) € 15.00 

Für uns die Drone-Entdeckung der letzten Zeit ! Hinter AUN verbirgt 

sich der Montrealer MARTIN DUMAIS, dessen glühenden auralen 

Illuminationen immer pulsierend und elektrostatisch aufgeladen zu sein 

scheinen, und wo sich himmlische Harmonien in endlosen Vibrato- 

Räumen verstecken.. 

"Unerschöpfliches Quebec. Mit Martin Dumais, Hautec-Labelmacher, 

DJ und Hälfte des House-Acts Les Jardiniers, lerne ich einen weiteren 

seit Jahren aktiven Kopf der Montrealer Electronica-Szene kennen. Als 

AUN steuert er gleich zwei eindrucksvolle Produktionen zum ORAL- 

Programm bei, von dem BA bereits mit Mr. Schmuck's Farm und Angel 

& Hildur Gudnadottir einen Vorgeschmack vermitteln konnte. Mule 

(ORAL 15) und ebenso Blackhorse (ORAL 18) entfalten aus 

Gitarrensounds und Programming Klanglandschaften, die noch so 

frisch sind, dass es noch Jahrmillionen dauern wird, bevor die ersten 

Paarhufer darüber galoppieren werden. Hier ist alles noch in Wallung 

und Gärung, es rumort der plasmatische Untergrund, die Oberfläche 

wirft Blasen und faltet sich, die Atmosphäre wird durchdröhnt von 

Schöpfungsbrausen. Erz ist noch so weich, dass es sich ’meldal' 

schreibt, die Luft ist ’zum Schneiden' dick. Musikalisch gesagt, Dark 

Ambient ist noch zu industrial aufgewühlt, um in dieser Landschaft zu 

träumen, geschweige denn umher zu schweifen. Hier sind sogar noch 

die Moleküle ’in Arbeit'. Nicht rauchende Schlote des 19. Jhdts., 

sondern rauchende Vulkane der Kreide- und Tertiärzeit passen da ’ins 

Bild'. Aun dongt ein pulsierendes Aum, gleichzeitig basslastig und 

obertonreich. Inmitten von ’stehenden', sublim schimmernden ’Orgel'- 

Drones, die er bei Blackhorse allerdings zunehmend esoterisch 

moduliert, und schubweise anbrausenden Flirrsounds meint man 

manchmal sogar Chorstimmen oder dunkle Flöten zu hören, 

paranormal und halluzinatorisch. ORAL rückt Aun in die Nähe von Phill 

Niblock, mir kommt eher Organum in den Sinn." [BAD ALCHEMY] 

"...He is a key contributor to the development of electronic music in 

Montreal and its distribution internationally, while also working as a 

music producer for television and art exhibitions. In 1992 he received a 

commission from Montreal’s St-Joseph Oratory to rework the music for 

their yearly Easter presentation of The Way of The Cross and has also 

awarded several canadian grants to pursue and refine is creations. His 

Hautec label produced most of the first releases of early leaders in the 

current local scene: Akufen (with whom he recorded the 1996 album 

Juicebox), Deadbeat, Champion... Martin is also a renowned DJ, 

holding several residencies since 1992 (Laika, Bily Kun...) including a 

4-year stint at the mythical Foufounes Électriques. He has also 

performed live and DJ'd at international festivals: Sonar, Mutek, 

Francofolies (Québec and France), The Montreal Jazz Festival and at 

various spaces in the UK, France, Argentina, Switzerland, Belgium and 

Germany and North-America. The AUN project is a return to his first 

love -- deep, melodic lush drones and sometimes-harsh angular 

electro-ambient textures. While in its own personal space AUN's mule 

album sits at the side of the tonal work of Phill Niblock, with an 

imbedded and stark penchant for the early industrialists and echoes 

experimental avant guitar artists, juxtaposed to melodic timbres, 

chiming beauty and desolation uncommon of most drone and noise 

recordings. Produced with both digital and analog hardware, guitar and 

acoustic recordings, this rich and provocative music will be performed 

live to ensure maximum perspective. A follow up to this delicate and 

strong release is already planned for ORAL records in the next year, 

including collaborations with internationnaly renowned creators. 

Activities surrounding this release include performances : at 50/50, an 

event curated by ORAL producer Eric Mattson on April 13th, at the 

2007 Mutek festival, a performance which will be recorded by Radio- 

Canada, and a winter european tour." [press release] 

* AUN - Blackhorse CD (ORAL CD 18, 2007) € 15.00 

Der Nachfolger & Schwester-release von "Whitehorse" und bisher 

aktuellste AUN-Veröffentlichung: rauhe, elektronische & und doch 

untergründig melodiös-organische Dronescapes, für uns klingt das wie 

eine Mischung aus W. BASINSKI, TIM HECKER, TROUM & DANIEL 

MENCHE.... horizontale Fliessmuster, dort wo Kraft & Melancholie 

miteinander verschmelzen.. 

"Following the release of the MULE album for oral records, AUN pulled 

out his stringed instruments and dusted them off for a series of concerts 

and new recordings, bringing to life the dark and brooding Blackhorsealbum 

and it's more luminous companion cd Whitehorse (fall 2007). 

Echoes of an adolescent past, nurtured to the sound of Swans, Ennio 

Morricone , Zoviet France and some dirty shoegazing came to the 

forefront, even including a 1990 squeeling guitar solo in the track 

Horsemen. Blackhorse is a raw, forward thinking, highly musical 

album, firmly based in his DIY, no holds barred past. 

AUN serves as an experimental interpretation of Martin Dumais music ; 

where brutality, the dark, the beautiful and the melodic come together 

with engaging results. Ambient is often used to describe the sound of 

AUN, but the music is not intended to function as backround, yielding 

physical response to the listeners. 

Before Martin Dumais was in the somewhat off-kilter and acclaimed 

electronic duo Les Jardiniers with JF Magnet. Les Jardiniers released 

four albums, received two adisq awards (Québec Grammy's) and 

played internationally until he got weary of more dancefloor oriented 

production. He also recorded the 1996 album Juicebox, with Marc 

Leclair who would later be known as Akufen. There were several early 

incarnations of AUN like his soon to be re-released O.D.D.S. project 

(Angle rec 2008). Initiated at age of 13 and inspired industrial music, 

Dumais used primitive musical equipment to forge his own sound. AUN 

now blends low-fi aesthetics with his fetish of new technology, 

recognizing the open ended area of AUN work and yearning for more 

experimentation without the trappings of rock and electronic music. 

After three albums for oral records in less than a year, prolific and freed 

of previous shackles, Dumais, continues to record AUN material for a 

fourth release which will include several high profile collaborations." 

[label description] 

* AUN - Whitehorse CD (Oral 19, 2007) € 15.00 

Third album for AUN on the Montreal-based label, ominous and 

massive drone-storms, creating intense moods with harmonic 

shiftings... sister-album to BLACKHORSE. 

* AURAL HOLOGRAMS Vol. 1 CD (Aural Hypnox [AH08], 2007) 

€ 13.00 

AURAL HOLOGRAMS is another project (or maybe better "series") 

from the great AURAL HYPNOX-Label based in Oulu, Finland. The 

master-mind ANTTI HAAPAPURO is also involved in these recordings, 

3 long tracks that almost reach 74 minutes - unsettling, mysterious & 

beautiful dronescapes that were created in real-time improvisationprocesses 

it seems, using i.e. bass, synths & gongs....the atmosphere 

evoked is as captivating as ever, maybe more isolated and calm as in 

other AURAL HYPNOX-releases... filed under: archaic transcensiondrones! 

"All of You who have gone before, across the ages we call You, to join 

us and together reach the unsetting stars of the White Nights, the 

Horizon of Hollow Earth". The very first part of the Aural Holograms 

series incorporates various call and response patterns manifesting 

vibrating, subtle energies, all of which have been accurately divided into 

separate rhythmic dimensions and time-shifting aural tapestries. 

The overall experience - i.e. the ecstatic effect - is transmitted by 

the intensity of syncopated rhythms, reed organ lingering on a few 

tones, self-transforming vocal work accompanied with carefully chosen 

oscillating tunes and a variety of percussive patterns utilising 

artefacts crafted according to the methods of traditional metallurgia, 

as well as real-time tape operations. " 

{ 61°26'N 21°52'E } The rum is poured on the ground, words are spoken 

in secrecy: the Dead Men will come to tell their tales". 

Comes in six-panel hand finished cardboard booklet, in an edition of 

1.000 copies." [label info] 

* BAD SECTOR - The Harrow CD (Ewers Tonkunst HHE 015CD, 

2007) € 13.00 

Einer der Glanzpunkte aus der Diskografie BAD SECTORs wurde jetzt 

wiederveröffentlicht! "Erdrückend intensives neues Werk, bei welchem 

es um die akustische Umsetzung der bedrohlich-technologischen Aura 

eines Stealth Bombers zu gehen scheint... monumentale Elektronics 

vermischen sich mit entmenschlichten Signalen und Stimmen, eine 

futuristisch & unheimlich anmutende Soundwelt von beeindruckender 

Weite ...trotzdem fehlen die harmonischen Untertöne nicht... permante 

Gänsehaut erzeugend !! Auf jeden Fall eines der besten 

atmosphärischen Experimental Alben dieses Jahres!! 

Newest work by the great italian project, creating a breathtaking surreal 

atmosphere. Really alien & eerie & captivating, this is far from easylistening 

tunes! Deeply recommended!" [Drone Records info 2001] 

“11 tracks clocking in at 55 minutes and 33 seconds of a cd that 

stretches the limits of dark ambient and noise soundscapes revolving

around a theme of military espionage and the Stealth Bomber. For 

those familiar with Bad Sector this material could be described as 

somewhere between "Ampos" & "Dolmen Factory" but even better in 

concept and execution. For those unfamiliar yet with Bad Sector the 

sound could be described as eerie computerizations mixed with dark 

atmospherics, disembodied voices, some chilling melodies, and odd 

syncopated blips & bleeps. Used on these recordings were: Impulsive 

sounds obtained with a PKCB104 Digital Geiger Counter using Radium 

as a gamma radiation sound source +air, naval, and military radio 

bands scanned with a AOR 2000 Wide Range Monitor receiver + 

original voice treatment software developed by Massimo Magrini, the 

man behind Bad Sector. The artwork for this release depicts a Stealth 

Bomber delivering 46 bombs taken in infrared (when have you ever 

seen a Stealth in attack probably never because the pictures are 

extremely hard to come by!!!) and the inside booklet details all the 

specs for the Stealth culled from the military websites of the designers. 

The disc itself depicts a night bomb scene in gold and black print. All 

this is summed up by the inside quote "Whatever commandment the 

condemned man has transgressed is engraved on his body by the 

harrow...." [original label press release] 

"This is a reissue of the album that was out on the Ava/ES1 label back 

in 2001, which has disappeared from the market very fast due to the 

strange and quite mysterious reasons. Inscribed by the words of Kafka, 

“The Harrow” is a mere reflection of the bleak and mechanical existence 

of today’s humanity, full of suffering and at the same time obedience to 

the dark and inhumane unrevealed faceless forces, which was long ago 

foreseen and expressed by this Austrian genius. Being maybe the most 

dark and obscure work of Bad Sector, it is an absolutely brilliant 

masterpiece of anxious claustrophobic dark ambient with a touch of 

radionoise and some sparks of subtle melodic threads. Original 

impulsive sounds were obtained using Geiger counter as well as 

scanning of the naval, air and military radio bands. The release has 

one bonus track taken from a rare old compilation and comes in a 

black&white fold-out digisleeve." [new label info] 

* BAD SECTOR - Storage Disk 1 CD (Waystyx Records WR30, 

2007) [lim. 500] € 13.00 

Great collection of older, rare material in the typical BAD SECTOR-style 

the italian project got known for, also the B-side of the Drone EP (DR- 

18) is included ... raw and archaic sounding electronic synths, 

otherworlds of pulses and harmonics, at the same melancholic and 

cold... 10 tracks, almost 55 minutes. Comes again in a very special 

cover-sleeve on the prolific labe from Moscow. 

"This is the first chapter of Bad Sector anthology of rare & unreleased 

tracks. 

Tracks 1 & 6 are from from "Survival Tool" 3"CDr released by Cohort 

Records (recorded in 1999, released in 2001) 

Track 2 is from "Polonoid" concert edition CDr released by Bastet 

Records (recorded in 1999, released in 2001) 

Tracks 3 & 9 are from "Toroidal Body" 7"+ mCDr released by Pre 

Feed/Eibon Records (recorded in 1998, released in 2001) 

Track 4 is from "Dolmen" 7" released by Drone Records (recorded and 

released in 1996) 

Tracks 5, 7 & 8 are from "Manifesto Industriale Italiano" tape box set 

released by Old Europa Cafe (recorded and released in 1996) 

Track 10 is Live in Erlangen from "Polonoid" "BadBox" edition 

CD+mCDr released by Tantric Harmonies (recorded in 1996, released 

in 2001) " [discogs.info] 

* BARDOSENETICCUBE - Naegleria Fowlery CD (Blade Records 

WMDA 071, 2006) [ed. of 300] € 12.00 

"BARDOSENETICCUBE wurde 1998 von IGOR POTSUKAILO und 

einem befreundeten Musiker in St. Petersburg gegründet. Inzwischen 

betreibt IGOR sein Projekt mit der Hilfe von einigen Gastmusikern 

alleine. Wie viele andere russische Künstler beschäftigt er sich 

thematisch mit dem Zerfall der Sowjetunion bzw. dessen, was davon 

übrig geblieben ist. Mit Computern, Synthesizern, 'field recordings' 

(Aufahmen der Umgebung) und der eigenen Stimme schafft er eine 

Atmosphäre, die wesentlich düsterer ist als bei SAL SOLARIS, mehr 

Industrial als Ambient. Eingesetzt werden auch Geräte aus der 

Psychoakustik, so dass BARDOSENETICCUBE mit einer 

außergewöhnlichen Bandbreite an Frequenzen arbeitet. Selbst 

beschreibt IGOR seinen Stil als 'surrealistisch'. Auch 

BARDOSENETICCUBE ist im Westen vor allem durch einige 

Samplerbeiträge bekannt, etwa für STEINKLANG RECORDS. Das 

Projekt ist aber kein rein musikalisches, sondern eher ein Multimedia- 

Konzept, das an Ausstellungen, Videoinstallationen und 'Performances' 

auf öffentlichen Plätzen beteiligt ist. Solche Auftritte werden immer von 

Videoclips begleitet, und das meiste von dem, was dann auf der Bühne 

passiert, ist improvisiert. Vieles davon wird auf CD festgehalten, was 

die immense Zahl von 29 Veröffentlichungen seit Gründung des 

Projekts erklärt, wovon sicher nicht alle es verdienten, hier besprochen 

zu werden. Russische Plattentester bezeichnen die aktuelle CD als 'die 

beste Veröffentlichung' von BARDOSENETICCUBE. Ich kenne zwar 

nur eine kleine Auswahl an CDs, stimme aber zu, dass 'Naegleria 

Fowlery' sich von den Vorgängern deutlich abhebt. 

Das titelgebende Geißeltierchen kann den Menschen befallen und eine 

eitrige Hirnhautentzündung hervorrufen, die zum Tod führt. Die 

verschiedenen Stufen, die das Gehirn bis zu diesem Exitus durchläuft, 

hat IGOR offenbar vertont. Track 1 ist ein Anfall von Wahnsinn, von 'Ich 

höre Stimmen in meinem Kopf'. Es flirrt und zerrt, Samples hallen, ein 

Rhythmus wiegt wie ein autistischer Körper vor und zurück, und das 

Chaos wird nur unterbrochen von kurzen, klaren und emotionalen 

Einsprengseln eines Gesangs. Wer durchhält, wird mit einem 

10minütigen, fast technoiden Hit belohnt, der zwar auch mit 

zerstörerischem Pfeifen und Sirren aufwartet, aber dennoch fast 

melodiös nach vorne treibt. Der Gesang aus Track 1 gibt sich als 'Ich 

bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt' von MARLENE DIETRICH zu 

erkennen. Zwischen diesen Extremen bewegen sich die restlichen 

Tracks: teilweise an der Grenze zum körperlichen Schmerz, teilweise 

melodiös, rhythmisch und - auf eine wahnsinnige Art und Weise - 

schön. In Track 4 zwitschern die Keyboards zu einem russischen 

Slowmotion-Gesang, Track 5 ist schnell getaktet und hochfrequent, 

eine Geräuschwelle nach der anderen rollt. Etwas albern wirkt der 

zweite DIETRICH-Song in Track 6, 'Ich bin die fesche Lola'. Für ein Hirn 

kurz vor dem Aus ist das nicht verrückt genug. Highlight ist das Ende, 

Track 8, ein langsames, perlendes und blubberndes Versinken, ein 

friedlicher, extrem langsamer Clubjazz - und dann nur noch Rauschen. 

'Naegleria Fowlery' kann kaum auf einmal durchgehört werden, ist aber 

aufgrund der vielen Ideen und der ungewöhnlichen Sounds die 

Anstrengung wert." [Michael We. / nonpop.de] 

* BASINSKI, WILLIAM - Shortwavemusic CD (2062 0701, 2007) 

€ 14.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der Raster-Noton LP von 1997, mit Bonustrack! 

Sanfte Äther-Melodien in endlosen Kurz-Echo Räumen, Musik die 

ausfranst in einem Meer von seltsamem Effekt-Sounds.. 

Re-issue after 10 years (first issue on CD), originally released in limited 

edition LP in 1997 on Noton (now Raster-Noton). Full length CD with 

bonus track not on original LP. 

"The works on Shortwavemusic resulted from a series of experiments in 

1982 using lo-fi technology to extract sounds from the airwaves and 

weave them into musical tapestries. Using two reel-to-reel decks from 

the '60s, a radio and a shortwave radio, Basinski recorded samples of 

music from the radio, edited the tape into loops of varying lengths, and 

slowed them down. These themes were then layered together in real 

time to an accompaniment of randomly shifting shortwave radio static. 

The themes explored were often brief excerpts [3 or 4 notes] from 

muzak-type string versions of American popular standards. By 

manipulating these themes and mixing them with an existing symphony 

of electronic information, Basinski has created a series of glacial, 

atmospheric aural landscapes for the listener to inhabit. The music is 

timeless and compelling -- a remarkably original experimental music 

album." [press release] 

* BASINSKI, WILLIAM - El Camino Real CD (2062 0703, 2007) 

€ 14.00 

Musik wie sedimentierte Nostalgie, die fast unmerklich einsickert ins 

Bewusstsein, eine einzige Melodie in endloser mantrischer 

Wiederholung, die an den Rändern ausfranzt ... "El Camino Real" ist 

eine live-Aufnahme (aus Los Angeles) vom July 2006. 

"Hypnotic new electronic ambient recording using another recently 

discovered loop from the archive. Premiered at Bleeding Edge Festival, 

Montalvo Arts Center, August 2006." [label info] 

* BATCHAS - Explorations 85-95 CD (Monochrome Vision 

(mv14), 2007) € 13.00 

"Quite unexpected, but surely long awaited comeback of this mysterious 

Swiss-based project, returning to the musical scene with the new album 

released after ten years of oblivion. This is another masterpiece of 

minimal analogue synth-sound alchemy, a journey through Batchas 

acoustic world allocated in the deep space between two acoustic 

radiators of stereosystem. Release date is 1st June 2007. Limited 

edition of 500 copies in jewelcase." 

"The good things about Monochrome Vision is that the covers (all in 

stark black/white) have liner notes and so I learned that Robert Masse, 

who was once the active force behind Batchas (as well as Freq 63, 

Mydaus, Trebor Semas, Microscope, Myiase and Mental Showdowns) 

is no longer active in music, but works as a flash developer. What a 

pity, certainly when we hear 'Explorations 85-95', which of course has 

material from this period. Each of his projects had a specific sound and 

Batchas hoovers about in the dark alley of highly atmospheric music. 

Played on a bunch of analogue synthesizers, this is darker than life 

mood music, sometimes going almost beyond the threshold of hearing. 

Great stuff, which calls back to memory his old records, or in fact the 

scene that came with it, the ambient industrial posse. Very music of that

age - highly ambient, a bit industrial: we'd call that drone music these 

days." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* BATES, MARTYN / MAX EASTLEY - Songs of Transformation CD 

(Musica Maxima Magnetica eee49, 2007) € 14.00 

"All of the songs on this collection were chosen initially by Martyn Bates 

for the personal, transformative significance that they have worked on 

his life, in strictly personal terms. The choices were then further 

selected and pared down correspondingly, in accord with Max Eastley’s 

maverick musical sensibilities. Max, of course is internationally known 

as a sound artist working with ‘environmental music’, as the occasional 

inventor of strange instruments, but mostly as an intrepid explorer of 

avant garde, free musics. However, before all of this, Max was 

companion to Donovan Leitch, Hurdy Gurdy Man Mac McCloud, Martin 

Carthy, John Renbourne etc - being steeped in the folk myths & violent 

pastoral enviosionings of Ramblin' Jack Elliot, to name but one 

particular hero. First time around however, Max found himself 

compelled to break his direct connections with this music, as he felt 

himself somehow unable to get to the essence of folk music. This time, 

Max feels he has made that vital connection. Insights gained since 

those days mean that, for Max, the ''sung-spells'' on this disc were akin 

to a transformative experience: a surprise, a shock! Max's deep 

receptivity to folk form underlines and informs this whole project. 

Importantly, all of the instruments played on this record are purely 

organic: voices ( of course! ), aeolian harp, Arc : an electro acoustic 

monochord - and, singing stones: stones of transformation that are in 

turn pressed into service from raw nature to help shape and 

recontexturalise the fluid character of these archaic, transformative folksong 

forms – into something both personal and transpersonal." 

[label info] 

* BATES, MARTYN - Migraine Inducers do-CD (Beta-Lactam 

Ring Records mt196cd, 2007) € 16.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der allerersten BATES-MC von 1979, damals 

als MIGRAINE INDUCERS! Völlig verschieden von dem späteren 

Songwriting, stehen diese Sounds noch voll in der Spätsiebziger Post- 

Punk und Industrial-Tradition, mit rauhem low-fi Noise und Instrumental- 

Sounds (v.a. Gitarre & Synths), Gesangexperimenten, etc.. aber auch 

schon ruhigere folkige Elemente die an den späteren MARTYN BATES 

erinnern, mit seiner typischen Delay-Orgel und gezupfter Gitarre, sind 

vorhanden... 20 kurze Stücke voller freier "Anti-Musik"-Energie, die den 

Geist der damaligen Zeit atmet; auf der zweiten CD ein späteres 

Remake / Komplettierung des Tapes von 1994. 

"…it’s an amazing, long lost missing piece in the UK post-punk/DIY 

jigsaw.” The Wire/April 2007. Ed. of 1000 copies in a deluxe 5 color 

gatefold sleeve, 16 page booklet with liner notes about the project by 

Else Teicher, with the first 100 being numbered and signed by MB. 

Freed from layers of sand, the ancient seal is cracked and the stone 

portal pried away. A hoary blizzard of slowly settling dust and mold is 

finally sliced by the first tantalizing glint of a mythological cache. At long 

last a lost experimental classic from the earliest days of the UK diy 

movement is delivered from legendary obscurity. “…violent anti-music: I 

think this is a brilliant tape…hauntingly beautiful and totally refreshing 

sound.” So wrote Geoff Rushton (aka Jhon Balance) in a 1980 issue his 

Stabmental magazine about Martyn Bates’s “Dissonance” cassette. 

Originally released as a micro-edition in the UK in 1979, the more 

definitive American version was released as a cassette in the US 

shortly afterwards. For the first time “Dissonance” sees a limited edition 

CD and vinyl reissue, appended by a bonus disc with the 1994 

“completion” of the piece. “Dissonance” presaged Martyn’s solo career 

and his work as part of Eyeless In Gaza in a most unusual way. Rather 

than directly suggesting what was to come, the cassette, instead, 

suggested a composing and sound AESTHETIC that exists to this day. 

That first cassette-only cri-de-coeur would have you believe that Martyn 

would be the next Nurse With Wound. Instead, rather like a more 

extreme Vice Versa or Human League, with Bates literally finding his 

voice, the later music (solo and with Eyeless In Gaza) evolved into a 

textural, fractured, DIY chamber pop INFORMED by the avant-garde, 

occasionally straying back into outright experimentalism (Pale Hands I 

Loved So Well, eg.). That Eyeless In Gaza (and let’s not forget Peter 

Becker) and post 70’s Martyn Bates manifested from “Dissonance” 

makes this bizarre and essential release even more of a precious find. If 

Martyn had not recorded another note, this would still stand as an 

extremely important early, incredibly forward thinking moment of sonic 

exploration. Dynamic, visceral and jagged but musical and deliberately 

constructed, “Dissonance” captures, maybe even defines the zeitgeist 

of the DIY attitude that was rising in the heady days of the late 70’s and 

early 80’s. An undeniable antecedent and a true revolution." [label info] 

"Calling yourself Migraine Inducers might not be the best route to 

stardom. But then, this was released in 1979 at the birth of the DIY 

movement, which was all about making a defiant two-finger salute to 

stardom. A new generation of ambitious musicians armed with total 

artistic freedom released their music on the then-popular cassette 

format thus bypassing major record companies. Martyn Bates (of later 

Eyeless in Gaza fame) debuted with Dissonance/Antagonistic Music, a 

homemade cassette full of intense nervous fragmented soundscaping, 

not dissimilar to Nurse With Wound or an instrumental Throbbing 

Gristle. When the initial 12 copies had sold out, the tape was rereleased 

slightly more professionally over the years and now, for the 

first time ever, as a double CD. Sonic exploration is the heart of this 

beautiful, stark masterpiece, which may not be easy on the ear on first 

take, but gradually grows and then, when you least expect it, proves 

itself full of harsh beauty." [FK / Vital Weekly] 

* BAYER, KONRAD - Dreams of leaving CD (Genesungswerk 

gw20, 2003) [lim. 300 in box] € 13.50 

"Sanft schlängeln sich subtile Sounds, wärmen zärtlich ohne zu 

erdrücken, sind stets präsent ohne jemals zu penetrieren. Das Weite 

dieser Veröffentlichung, das Nimmermüde gleicht einem wärmenden 

Händedruck mit Fremden, welche Freunde werden können." [Sebastian 

Lobstedt / Equinox] 

"twelve tracks between digital folk, field recording and escapism. track 

2, 3, 8, and 12 were created in cooperation with the norwegian musician 

pal asle pettersen.'dreams of leaving' is an album for winter times, but 

only occasionally icy, most of the time quite the opposite." [label info] 

* BECUZZI, GIANLUCA & FABIO ORSI - Muddy speaking ghosts 

through my machines CD (A Silent Place ASP12, 2007) € 13.00 

Zweite VÖ dieses Jahr für das italienische Duo, experimentelle electronicaambience 

die mit Blues & Folk-Versatzstücken sowie field recordings 

angereichert ist, was zu erstaunlich stimmigen Ergebnissen führt. 

"Muddy Speaking Ghosts Through My Machines' is the brand new album 

released together by Fabio Orsi and Gianluca Becuzzi. This album will be 

certainly followed by other cooperations, considering the big friendly artistic 

sodality between them. Fabio e Gianluca are a strange duo, considering the 

big differences of their artistic back-ground. Fabio Orsi is a young and 

unexpected talent. After his first album, "Osci" (LP, SmallVoices 2005), 

produced by Gianluca Becuzzi, he got a lot of positive feedbacks, worldwide, 

by the most important international media, confirmed by his second official 

release "For Alan Lomax" (CD, A Silent Place 2006) splitted with cosmical 

Italian duo My Cat is an Alien. Gianluca Becuzzi is a very well known 

character of the Italian experimental scene since from the 80s, under many 

different alias. Recently known as Kinetix, Gianluca latest release is the very 

well appreciated "Memory Makes Noise" (CD, SmallVoices 2006) a great 

electroacoustic pearl. The unexpected uncounter between different forces, 

experiences and visions of this two artists is prefectly melted in this album: 

strong and tied, an imaginary place where folkway and research, past and 

present, distance and closeness, mud and clouds, ghosts and machines 

meets. Shreds of ballads, guitars and old keyboards floating on the vibrant 

surface of this faery river and disappear, towed off by drones and rumors, 

pouring between distant voices and centenary blues songs from the Alan 

Lomax archive. Raptur and sweet lostness: this is the main sensation. It 

could be listed as Avant-Folk, or Experimental-Blues, Ambient- Roots or 

contemporary aesthetics and aching nostalgia..." [label press release] 

* BECUZZI, GIANLUCA & FABIO ORSI - The Stones know 

everything do-CD (Digitalis Industries DIGI038, 2007) € 18.50 

Italien collaboration-work of the KINETIX-mastermind BECUZZI with 

FABIO ORSI (both know from SMALL VOICES releases), working with 

"old keyboards, guitars & laptop", creating a very mellow & smooth kind 

of electronic ambience, soft weird sounds derived from field recordings 

appear in repetitive patterns, the whole has a more improvisational feel 

to it, they let it flow, its not really "outcomposed"... 

"Anything that can be said about this double CD release can also be 

said about the roar of a rushing stream or the sound of snow falling on a 

clear night. These two sound artisans have crafted so perfect an 

auditory environment that it is completely devoid of artifice or noticeable 

flaw. It is a field of glass on top of a quiet lake. To some, this might 

sound dull. To others, it might strike you as meditation music for your 

yoga class. To all of you, all I can suggest is listening to this journey into 

sound and be prepared to come out the other side changed by what 

you've experienced. Fresh from his spectacular 3” cd-r on Foxglove and 

another release for A Silent Place, Naples’ Fabio Orsi partners here 

with sound artisan Gianluca Becuzzi. Orsi is another young and 

unexpected talent coming through the new Italian pipeline. "The Stones 

Know Everything" is the second release of his sprawling trilogy with 

Becuzzi (the first CD, "Muddy Speaking Ghosts Through My Machines," 

appeared on A Silent Place in late 2006). Gianluca has been around for 

the better part of two decades making music under the monikers 

Kinetix, Limbo, and others, but his work with wunderkind Orsi opens a 

new chapter in his impressive body of work. 

Crafting something this immense puts these two musicians into the 

realm of Stars of the Lid, Birchville Cat Motel and Growing, creating 

several intense worlds of ambient splendor, juxtaposing the sounds of 

everyday life with jetstreams of microtones and pulses of audible light. 

And they handle this enormous task with the care and precision of a

watchmaker or a surgeon, but also with the ears of an obvious fan of 

sound." [label info] 

"Two Italian artists whom we first met from their releases on Small 

Voices, now team up for a double CD. Fabio Orsi released a great LP 

called 'Osci' (see Vital Weekly 512) which was produced by Kinetix, 

which happens to be the name used by Gianluca Becuzzi. Slow music 

based on field recordings of a highly obscure nature, with some folk 

(read: guitar) like elements. Back then it was a unclear as to did and 

which part Becuzzi had in the final result. Now it's perhaps a bit clearer: 

both use 'old keyboards, guitars and laptop'. It's also less obscure than 

the Orsi LP, and further away from much of Kinetix material. Both music 

and cover reminded me strongly of Stars Of The Lid. The same 

typography on the cover, but also similar slow music, and forty-five 

minutes per CD. Sounds only develop at a slow rate, endless sustain 

coming from the sound effects, moving slow hum about. Music of a 

highly ambient nature, even when some elements seem odd, such as 

the machine like sounds of 'Blue Drones For A Ballad (Part Two)'. Now 

that Stars Of The Lid may seem to have vanished (in whatever guise 

actually, or perhaps contemplating a comeback), this is a rather good 

substitute of a more than excellent nature." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* BEEQUEEN - Seltenturm do-CD (Plinkity Plonk PLONK22, 

2007) [ed. of 300] € 14.00 

Zusammenstellung von altem, längst vergriffenen Material aus der 

Frühphase des bemerkenswerten niederländischen Duos.. 

"It has been something of a wait, but Beequeen has opened up their 

Vaults once more. After the succesful release of A Touch Of Brimstone 

in 2003, we now very proudly present SELTENTURM - BEESIDES 

(1989-2000). This brand new collection takes in many previously 

released but now unobtainable Beesides in the double CD format. 

A treasure-trove of the past! 

While Beequeen recently finished recording 'Sanddancing' (their next 

excursion into the world popmusic - a journey beginning with 

'Ownliness' and 'The Bodyshop'), which will be released early 2008 by 

Important Records, it was time to clear out the vaults; and this time for 

good. While 'A Touch Of Brimstone' saw the release of many 

unreleased pieces from the archive, 'Seeltenturm - The Beesides' takes 

a good look at the released output from Beequeen, ever since they 

started to release music in 1989. 

SELTENTURM (a fine double CD) consists of the following releases: 

'Mappa Mundi' (cassette, with bonus tracks), 'Fond' (one sided LP), 

'Split' (split LP), 'The Surrough Gate' (10"), 'Vault' (7"), 'White Tusk' (7") 

and 'Dovidzdane Vanja' (7"). All of these releases were made in editions 

smaller than 250 copies, and all long out of print. All tracks have been 

lovingely remastered by Raymond Steeg in the warm winter of 2006- 

2007 and they have never sounded better. 

A real treasure box for old and new fans alike. Limited edition of 300 

copies in gorgeous printed artwork." [KormPlastics] 

* BESTIA CENTAURI - Teratogenesis CD (Eibon Records / AFE 

Records BES073 / AFE093Cd, 2007) € 13.00 

Bedrohlich klaustrophobische Welten beschwört "Teratogenesis" 

herauf, einengend nah und intensiv scheinen elektronische Drones & 

Sounds wie Waffen anzugreifen, wie eine Psycho-Geisterbahn der 

völlig derangierten, morphenden Art... kein typischer dark ambient, eher 

düster-industrielle Elektro-Akustik ! 

"Bestia Centauri is a solo electronic music project begun in 1999. 

"Teratogenesis" is its fourth release after "Ubbo-Sathla" (Somnambulant 

Corpse Recordings, 2002), "The Antideluvian Earth" (Afe, 2003) and 

"The Self Immolation Rite" (Somnambulant Corpse Recordings, 2004). 

The aim of Bestia Centauri is to create sonic landscapes that convey a 

sense of the numinous, the horrific, and the extra-human. Its sounds 

have much in common with those of electroacoustic music, but the 

compositional structures generally display a much greater sense of 

flow. Although Bestia Centauri's music is (to put it mildly) very different, 

the early releases of Tangerine Dream (circa 1972-1975) remain a 

tremendous source of inspiration for the composer, along with the 

orchestral, choral, and organ works of the composers Gyorgy Ligeti 

(Atmospheres; Lux Aeterna; Lontano) and Giacinto Scelsi. 

Older works of electroacoustic or tape music, such as the compositions 

of Basil Kirchin, Tod Dockstader, and Iannis Xenakis, offer the listener 

another frame of reference. With the new release, "Teratogenesis", 

Bestia Centauri defies once and for all the persistent 

mischaracterizations of its sound as belonging to the "Dark Ambient 

ghetto". Electroacoustic and computer music elements come brazenly 

to the foreground, and contribute even more so to the flow of "crawling 

chaos" that has always characterized and inspired Bestia Centauri’s 

compositions. The genesis and development of a monstrosity is the 

theme of this new work, which charts a course from mutated unicellular 

sonic DNA to the resultant life-form that reaches "from the jaws of the 

dragon, from the depths of the abyss". With "X" and its deranged 

rhythmic outbursts, which suggest a creation gone radically wrong, with 

"Nebular Embryo", a microtonal and minimalist homage to the work of 

Giacinto Scelsi, and with "E Faucibus Draconis, E Profundis Barathri", a 

pure electroacoustic work of epic scope, Bestia Centauri demonstrates 

a new-found range and mastery in its work. 

Four years in the making, "Teratogenesis" represents Bestia Centauri's 

most mature mating to date of flowing soundscapes and electroacoustic 

sound design. It also represents a point of departure for even more 

radical works, to come. 

This albums comes as an Eibon Records / Afe co-production whose 

artwork was designed by Chris Donovan of Somnambulant." [label 

description] 

* BIANCHI, MAURIZIO - The testamentary Corridor CD (Silentes 

minimal editions sme0608, 2006) € 13.00 

"Five months after the acclaimed 'Niddah Emmhna', Silentes releases a 

new five track cd of 'suggestive twilight sounds'. Visionary electroacoustic 

ambience by the most eclectic Italian decomposer / inventor / 

manipulator of sounds: MAURIZIO BIANCHI. Alternating between 

lighter atmosphere, and darker isolationistic moments, Bianchi 

penetrates deep into the most subtle essence of sound, rearranging it's 

elemental particles/grains, and creating unbelievable sonic-washes." 

[label info] 

* BIANCHI, MAURIZIO & MAOR APPELBAUM - Electrostatic 

deflection CD (Silentes minimal editions sme0714, 2007) 

€ 13.00 

" 'Electrostatic Deflection' is a new industrial-music masterwork, created 

through collaboration with MAURIZIO BIANCHI, and Israeli musician 

MAOR APPELBAUM. It's represents Bianchi's more extreme 

direction... a sample of whats comming in the future from the historic 

Italian composer. Amazing impact, immense slabs of industrial sound in 

motion. Sweeping vistas of intense static energy, storm-fronts moving 

across the stereo field, an acoustic tidal wave approaching landfall, 

breathtaking deep and dark voyages through underground abysses... a 

massive and monumental work. Sounds of Sodom and Gomorra 

burning... don't look back! An apocalyptic prophecy of sound. Waves 

of sound that can penetrate the thickest steel-plate. Let it wash over 

you. At high volume, this cd becomes a very physical experience." 

[label info] 

* BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL & ANLA COURTIS - Curved Surface 

Destroyer 3 x CD (Last Invisible Dog Records LVD 105-107, 

2006) € 18.50 

BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL sind die Könige des neuseeländisches 

Gitarren-Low-Fi-Drones! Diese insgesamt 6 live-Mitschnitte beweisen 

das eindrucksvoll, es sirrt, schwirrt und virbriert an allen Ecken und 

Enden, ultra-minimal & mit mikrotonalen Bewegungen und auch einigen 

Überraschungen (knarzende Holzsounds, Stimmengemurmel, 

undefinierbare glockenähnliche Klänge tauchen auf, etc.. ) 

Das ganze in einem Spektrum von tranciger obertoniger Kontemplation 

über vibrato-haftem Schimmern bis hin zu fast krachigen Arrangements, 

in denen auch hypnotische Perkussion zum Einsatz kommt, ein einziger 

Hörgenuss! 

"Three CD live retrospective covering 1998-2006 and including shows 

in New Zealand, Japan, Denmark and Scotland. Chronologically 

organized, the album also shows the evolution of Birchville's sound from 

the mid '90s slowly emerging drone-fields (and use of found sounds) to 

the more dynamic sound we have come to know from the more recent 

releases such as Beautiful Speck Triumph and Chi Vampires. For 

Campbell Kneale, this release is a 3-hour aural report on the state of 

things, capturing the full spirit of what he's accomplished over the past 

10 years. In doing so, he's assembled the best possible overview of his 

work under one title, without rehashing any material from previous 

releases. Thus, what we have here is a 3 disc best-of, featuring all new 

material! Packaged in a custom vinyl wallet (versus a traditional jewel 

case)." [label press release] 

* BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL & ANLA COURTIS - Three sparkling 

Echoes CD (Celebrate Psi Phenomenon CPP17, 2007) € 15.00 

Excellent collab, three pieces of dense & subtle & at times slowly 

hammering / pulsating drone-core! 

"Doomy, magisterial drone works, xylophone tones dragged behind 

trucks ploughing straight through mountains of mud and some 

classically wasted drum-horizontal blades nod-out ritual ala Outside The 

Dream Syndicate from this inspired hook-up that pairs Campbell 

Kneale's orchestra with Anla Courtis of Reynols." [label info] 

* BIRCHVILLE CAT MOTEL - Birds Sister Blasphemy CD 

(Celebrate Psi Phenomenon 1019, 2007) € 14.00 

Neustes Werk der inzwischen als Vorreiter des "neuen" 

psych/impro/folk/drone Stils geltenden Projekt um CAMPBELL 

KNEALE, wo sich trancige Verträumtheit und Harshness in low-fi 

(Gitarren, Orgel, Stimmen,etc.) -Strudeln vereinen...

"Gigantic. White-hot stars suddenly huff off their outer layers of gas and 

debris and collapse into their own gaping void of everlasting density and 

nothingness. Hammered into shape in the glowing furnace of their most 

recent European tour, these monolithic tracks are the closest Birchville 

Cat Motel has come to capturing the gargantuan shoegazing nirvana of 

their monsterous current live assault. A ritualistic, full frequency, 

bulldozing of superheated twitter and swirl, swimming in a turbulent 

undercurrent of molten, sub-metallized, dream-rrrock. A hurricane of 

sound singing the everlasting lullaby of the universe." [label info] 

"Latest blast of brutal beauty from the Kiwi king of soft noise, Campbell 

Kneale, aka Birchville Cat Motel. Birds Call Home Their Dead is a three 

track epic, packaged in new ultra fancy packaging (more on that in a 

sec) and as always as lovely and dreamy as it is harsh and heavy. 

The opener, the title track, is nearly a half hour, beginning with layers of 

slowly shifting keyboard swells, little clouds of glitch and buzz, and a 

slowly developing krautrock beat. The keyboards sound like some 

damaged loop, yanked out of "Baba O'Reilley" and turned inside out, 

allowed to shimmer and shake, and to eventually erupt into a thick 

coruscating wash of jagged buzz and swirling noise. The drums remain 

an incessant pulse, like a Can rhythm track dropped into a Dead C b- 

side, and everything run through Kneale's magical bank of special FX. 

Like a supercharged outerspace noiserock Godspeed or something, 

that builds and builds and builds until the whole thing explodes into a 

full on in the red space rock free jam, like Monster Magnet, Hawkwind, 

F/i, Mugstar, the Telescopes, Circle and the Heads all jamming 

simultaneously. A dense cloud of FX, psych guitar, clouds of swirl and 

shimmer, streaks of feedback, walls of amp buzz and high end skree, 

all hovering over that unstoppable motorik beat. Eventually, the guitars 

drift off leaving just some strange random clattery and the sound of 

birds and insects and nature. 

The second track is a brief burst of gorgeously languid high end 

shimmer, layers of guitar and tangled melodies as well as deep 

reverberant swells all woven into a swaying static sound field of notes 

beating against one another amidst a dreamlike raga drift. A pretty killer 

one two punch. 

And as if that wasn't enough, for those of you who snoozed and 

losed on the recent ridiculously limited tour only cd-r Her Anger Is 

Limitless, well, you're in luck, cuz that whole disc is tacked on here as 

track number three. A single half hour track, created out of what sounds 

like manipulate samples of voices, is transformed into a massive 

glistening technicolor shower of sound. You know how when it's crazy 

hot, kids open up the hydrants and just run around in the street as tons 

of cool water rains down on them. Imagine a similar situation, except 

when the hydrant is cracked, out comes thick torrents of billowy fuzz 

and grinding whir, all sparkling and dense and warm and thick, and you 

just close your eyes and let the sounds wash over you and fill your ears. 

It sounds like a million guitars, and guys outside cutting down trees and 

tossing them in the wood chipper and some sort of futuristic synth battle 

and thousands of little bells and chimes and a roomful of amps turned 

on and buzzing with no instruments plugged into them, all smeared into 

one gorgeous glimmering sonic deluge. 

As always, so absolutely amazing. And as we mentioned before, 

this is the first release in the swank new Celebrate Psi packaging, a full 

color, eight paneled digipak style sleeve, the outside retaining the 

CPsiP wallpaper motif, but the inside offering all sorts of gorgeous 

photos and some minimal liner notes, with the cd affixed to a little foam 

nub on one of the panels. Nice!" [Aquarius Records] 

* BLACK SUN PRODUCTIONS - Chemism CD (Old Europa Cafe 

OECD 091, 2007) € 13.00 

"Black Sun Productions' new album consists of 14 tracks of tribal 

electronica and it stands as the most rhythmic output to date coming 

from Massimo & Pierce and their fellow Children of the Black Sun. 

The wooden sound of the marimba in combination with flutes and 

drums merging with very European sounding violins will reveal to the 

listener a new and pleasantly suprising attitude in musick-making of this 

collective of sound artists. The mutating precision of Pierce’s electronics 

is here counterpointed by Massimo's sonorous, deep vocals. 

Eschewing the melancholy of the double disc The Impossibility of 

Silence, BSP seems to have moved with CHEMISM into an electronic 

semi-operatic mode. Some of the album's tracks were written and 

performed in collaboration with draZen and Bahntier. CHEMISM 

features Val Denham and Ariot Fleischmann on additional vocals, 

Roman Hollenstein on drums and Roberto Budelo on violins. Dedicated 

to William S. Burroughs on the 10th anniversary since his death, 

CHEMISM is possibly the most original 

sonic statement of Black Sun Productions and it consacrates Massimo 

& Pierce as a truly eclectic duo of performers and producers. Coming 

into a 6panels digipack fully illustrated by Jacopo Camagni and Marco 

Felicioni of Studio Dronio." [press release] 

* BLITZOIDS - Steeling from helpless children / Look up do-CD 

(Ad Hoc Records AD HOC 16/17, 2006) € 14.00 

"Old hands will remember those strange LPs imported and distributed 

by Recommended back in the late 80s. A studio project, audibly 

influenced by the Residents, but not over-imitative, the Blitzoids mixed 

concrete- and tape-manipulations, noise, extended playing techniques 

and found recordings with iterative song-like structures and open 

architectures. Always interesting, sometimes scattershot, avoiding any 

obvious style, they moved fast from one idea to the next. At the time, 

they were pretty much out there on their own, and achieved only limited 

visibility, so its good to see their work collected and reissued on this 

double CD." [label info] 

"if comparisons must be made, then imagine putting the Los Angeles 

Free Music Society, Fred Lane, Fred Frith, various field recordings, 

radio transmissions, and a haunted house sound-effects tape into a 

blender. After the blender shakes violently and explodes, spraying 

globules of audio lunacy across the room, you giggle and dance around 

like a moron. That's what listening to the Blitzoids is like. 

Brothers Steve and Chris De Chiara were running a Chicago record 

store when they started recording with Jim Nickels. Their first LP, 

1987's Stealing From Helpless Children, is a work of unbridled 

invention, lumping together skronky jazz, tape manipulation, funny 

sounds, spooky textures and low-fidelity melodies. A reliance on 

traditional song structures doesn't make the band sound at all 

conventional, but merely confirms their considerable compositional skill. 

Each track is a mini-movie for the ears. “Left or Right” utilizes Donald 

Duck laughter for a bizarre refrain; ”Try and Stop Us” is a complex 

sound collage that recalls Evan Parker at one moment, Penderecki at 

another; ”Middle of Nowhere” shifts from a tribal jam session to an 

imagined Carl Stalling horror film score. It's all held together with catchy 

vocals, cheapo synth drums and Chris De Chiara's inspired guitar work, 

which can echo anything from John Abercrombie to Snakefinger. For 

uneasy listening, Stealing From Helpless Children is surprisingly 

listenable. 

1990's Look Up is even more adventurous. The raw materials haven't 

changed—backwards tape and talk-radio excerpts abound—but each 

track is so densely layered that it takes many listens to absorb it all. The 

songs are still accessible: the lyrics to “Good Vacation” are worthy of 

Bob Dylan's best hallucinatory narratives, accompanied by music that is 

more appropriate than Dylan ever attempted. 

Rounding out this reissue are eight bonus cuts, including the band's 

funniest achievements. “Fire on the Mountain” transforms an old fiddle 

tune into a hoedown from hell, and it's hard not to crack a smile through 

mangled versions of “A Summer Place” and “The Witch Doctor.” 

The Blitzoids might have worn their influences on their proverbial 

sleeves, but their music stands on its own. Give them a listen if your 

tastes run to the left of strange, or if you just want something to listen to 

while you're getting blitzed.." [Brad Glanden / allaboutjazz.com] 

* BLONDE REDHEAD - 23 CD (4AD CAD2717CD, 2007) € 16.00 

Nicht allzu zahlreich sind unsere Ausflüge in "poppigere" Gefilde, aber 

BLONDE REDHEAD kriegen uns irgendwie immer! Und erweichen 

unser eh schon ziemlich angeschlagenes Herz mit ihrem extrem 

melancholischen und doch treibendem Gitarren-Moll-Pop, der so 

versponnen und eigen ist und darum recht einzigartig... 

"While we were listening to this new Blonde Redhead we found 

ourselves musing about how they'd probably do a really great theme 

song for a James Bond or David Fincher movie. Dark, brooding and 

mysterious with a seriously palpable tension, 23 finds the band 

cementing its place at the meeting point between Sonic Youth and 

Radiohead. With a production that sounds much more sleek in a 

modern rock sort of way, there is no denying that despite the new gloss 

and freshly polished suit of sonic armor there still lies utterly great 

songs at the core of Blonde Redhead's sound. There are some 

moments where the band explores some totally new directions, like on 

the track "Silently" which sounds a lot like Abba covering the Four 

Seasons' "Too Good To Be True"... which is of course a very good 

thing! But overall, all the ingredients that made Blonde Redhead such 

a great band are still present. The swirling melodies, the sensuality, the 

lush arrangements. So while we still kind of wish Guy Piccoto (Fugazi) 

had worked his production magic on 23, we still can't help but be in 

head over heels in love with the sweepingly epic music of this amazing 

trio." [Aquarius Records] 

* BORIS - Soundtrack from film "mabuta no ura" CD (Essence 

Music ESS005, 2005) € 16.00 

"...Soundtrack from film Mabuta No Ura (translated as Backside Of The 

Eyelids) presents BORIS at their most abstract personality. A stunning 

guitar-driven psychedelic voyage to an imaginary land where Pink 

Floyd's "More" meditates with Sunn 0))) drenched in ambience and 

feedback! Being a flowing and brooding soundtrack to an imaginary film 

conceived by the three band members, the album manages to present 

the listener to a number of moods and soundscapes without actually 

breaking out of its shell. From mellow, dreamy Syd Barret-inspired 

acoustic incursions, hazy vocals, slow post-rock tones and rhythms to

occasional bursts of dynamics passing through avant-noise 

experiments and mammoth deep drones of blasting energy (like on the 

12 minutes long "Space Behind Me (part 1)"). A contemplative 

masterwork! Hard to imagine what sort of film Mabuta No Ura must be 

The evocative sounds here give us freedom to conjure up appropriate 

images and quoting Atsuo's own words: "This is a soundtrack for 

images that appear on the mabuta no ura of the listeners, by reading 

the stories contained on the album and listening to the music. It's dew 

made from unconsciousness of Boris members. The dewdrops are 

spun into thread and the thread forms a whole story. The way we refer 

to images of the daily lives." [Aquarius Records] 

* BRACHIAL PALSY - Control and Paralysis CD (Eternal Soul 

Records CD 06, 2007) [ed. of 500] € 14.00 

"....Das Einmannprojekt Brachial Palsy aus Leipzig generiert auf 

"Control And Paralysis" eine Melange aus Dark Ambient, Death- 

Industrial, Drum And Bass, Drones und leichten Noise -Elementen. 

Einige Leserinnen und Leser könnten die vorherigen Arbeiten von 

seinem Noise - Projekt "La Communidad" kennen, welche meiner 

Person völlig unbekannt sind.... Inhaltlich beschreitet der denkende 

bzw. lenkende Kopf von Brachial Palsy John Birch (Pseudonym, 

welches auf auf John Morrison Birch (1918 - 1945) zurückgeht, der als 

amerikanischer Missionar und Mitarbeiter des US-Geheimdienstes tätig 

war. Er wurde von Mitgliedern der KPCh erschossen und wurde zum 

ersten Opfer des Kalten Krieges erklärt. Nach Ihm ist die John Birch 

Society benannt.) zwei Wege, die eine tiefe Verknüpfung zeigen. Er 

arbeitet auf der einen Seite mit der medizinischen bzw. 

psychologischen Schiene, die in Beziehung steht mit der Komponente 

Gesellschaftskritik. Eine bedeutende Frage könnte sein: "Wieso 

erkranken Menschen in dieser schnelllebigen Welt". Das Statement 

des Soundakrobaten liest sich im Inneren des Booklet wie folgt: "All 

Human Beings Are Born Free And Equal In Dignity And Rights. They 

Are Endowed With Reason And Conscience And Should Act Towards 

One Another In A Spirit Of Brotherhood." 

Musikalisch bekommt die geneigte Hörerschaft keine strukturlosen 

Soundgebilde präsentiert, sondern durchdachte Konzeptionen, die eine 

sehr meditative Wirkung ausstrahlen. Um Ihnen den Facettenreichtum 

von "Control And Paralysis" besser vorzustellen, bekommen Sie unsere 

geneigte Leserschaft ein paar nähere Beschreibungen zu den 

einzelnen Stücken. Den Auftakt ('Zone') und Abschluss ('Enzym') auf 

der Publikation bilden Drones, die durch einen hohen Grad an 

Bedrohlichkeit bestechen. 'Accidental Error' hingegen, bietet als 

Grundmuster eine noisige Collage an, die mit einer orientalischen 

Stimme akzentuiert wurde. Meditative Drum And Bass Momente liegen 

den Liedern 'Circular Psychosis' und 'Parase' zugrunde, die zum 

Abtauchen in andere Atmosphären einladen. Mehr Vielfalt kann ein 

modernes Opus im elektronischen Bereich nicht vorzeigen und 

ausstrahlen.... 

Fazit: John Birch ist mit seinem Projekt Brachial Palsy ein schöner 

Einstand bei Eternal Soul geglückt, der für die aufgeschlossene 

Konsumentenschar ein Highlight sein dürfte. Für Hörerinnen und Hörer, 

die auf sehr elektronisch abwechslungsreiche Veröffentlichungen 

abfahren, stellt "Control And Paralysis" von Brachial Palsy einen 

Pflichtkauf dar. Bleibt abzuwarten, womit uns John Birch auf seinem 

nächsten Release überrascht." [Feindesland] 

Promising debut-release for a new project from Leipzig, combining 

different influences from Dark Ambient, Industrial, Drum & Bass and 

Drone.... 

* BRADLEY, PAUL - Chroma CD (Twenty Hertz TH016, 2007) 

€ 14.00 

"Split over seven tracks 'chroma' is a beautiful swarming forty fiveminute 

suite of pieces. A warm, almost angelic hue of sound radiates 

from 'chroma' giving it a pure, optimistic feeling that only fades with the 

last dying notes. Weightless and saturated in it's waves of sound, all 

you have to do is listen." [label info] 

* BRUME - Accident de Chasse CD (Waystyx Records WR51, 

2007) [lim. 375] € 13.00 

Finally someone re-issues the genius BRUME-works that appeared so 

far only on Cassette! BRUME was ahead of its time, a stunning mixture 

of Post-Industrial, Ethno-Ambient & Electro-Acoustic! 

First in a series of re-releases on the great WAYSTYX-label from 

Moscow! "Originally recorded in 1988/89, originally produced on 

cassette by Tonspur Tapes in 1989. Time duration is 61.23 min." 

[credits] 

* BRUME - I am… I come… I was CD (Waystyx Records WR52, 

2007) [lim. 375] € 13.00 

Finally someone re-issues the genius BRUME-works that appeared so 

far only on Cassette! BRUME was ahead of its time, a stunning mixture 

of Post-Industrial, Ethno-Ambient & Electro-Acoustic! 

Second in a series of re-releases on the great WAYSTYX-label from 

Moscow! "Originally recorded in 1992, originally produced on cassette 

by Tonspur Tapes in 1992. Time duration is 57.21 min" [credits] 

* BURNING STAR CORE - Mes Soldats Stupides '96-'04 do-CD 

(Cenotaph ct-012, 2006) € 17.50 

"A collection of tracks from Cincinnati Experimental/electronic/ 

noise/whatever artist, C. SPENCER YEH under his BURNING STAR 

CORE banner. A varied blend of tracks culled from Yeh’s extensive 

vaults, disc one features primarily vocal/electronics selections from the 

out-of-print White Swords in a Black Castle, Amelia, and Crystal Castles 

releases along with a few choice tracks originally released on Chondritic 

Sound and Gods of Tundra. Disc two stretches back a bit further into 

the archives, with some live performances and unreleased tracks in the 

mix. There’s a strong basis in improvisation, often creating an 

electroacoustic soup." [label info] 

* CAMBERWELL NOW - All's well CD (ReR Megacorp DUP 

0022, 2006) € 14.00 

Endlich wieder erhältlich, die CD mit dem Gesamt-Material der THIS 

HEAT-Nachfolgeband! 

"1982 lössten sich This Heat auf, bzw. verwandelten sich in Camberwell 

Now. Gareth Williams hatte die Gruppe verlassen und sich nach Indien 

aufgemacht, um neue künstlerische Herausvorderungen zu suchen (er 

starb im Dezember 2001). Bullen und Hayward hielten This Heat 

danach noch eine Weile am Leben, zeitweilig unterstützt von dem 

Bassisten Trefor Goronwy. Doch irgendwann stieg auch Bullen, der sich 

ein eigenes Tonstudio aufgebaut hatte, aus. Damit war das Projekt This 

Heat beendet. Hayward und Goronwy machten allerdings gleich weiter. 

Zusammen mit dem Klangkonstrukteur Stephen Richards hoben sie 

Camberwell Now aus der Taufe, benannt nach dem Wohnort der 

Gruppe (und auch dem ehemaligen von This Heat), dem Londoner 

Vorort Camberwell. Camberwell Now haben zwei EPs ("Meridian" von 

1984 und "Greenfingers", 1987) und eine LP ("The Ghost Trade", 1986) 

eingespielt. Alle drei Alben wurden 1992 zur CD "All's Well" 

zusammengefasst, die beim schweizer RecRec-Label erschienen ist. 

Zusätzlich wurde noch ein Stück daraufgepackt, welches vorher nur auf 

einem Kassettensampler veröffentlicht worden war ("Daddy Needs A 

Throne"). "All's Well" bietet somit das komplette Œuvre der Band. 

Die Musik von Camberwell Now unterscheidet sich recht deutlich von 

den Klängen von This Heat, obwohl es gewisse Gemeinsamkeiten gibt. 

Bizarr und schräg ist die Musik immer noch, der gequälte Gesang von 

Hayward hat sich auch nicht allzu sehr verändert und auch sein 

virtuoses Schlagzeugspiel ist sofort wiederzuerkennen. Gab es auf den 

This Heat-Alben aber rohe Klangexperimente und kaputte Songs zu 

hören, ist die Musik von Camberwell Now melodischer und 

musikalischer geworden. Experimentelles Tonschweben, industriellen 

Krach und bizarre Tonkollagen sucht man hier fast vergebens. Sehr 

virtuos musizieren Bass und Schlagzeug miteinander, treiben die Musik 

bestimmt und energiegeladen voran, angereichert mit diversen Sounds 

und Geräuschen vom Tonband und verschiedenen Keyboards, 

gelegentlichen Einlagen an der Gitarre und dem sehr eigenen Gesang 

Haywards. Auf den Stücken von "Greenfingers" gibt es zusätzlich noch 

Saxophon, Flöte und Viola von Maria Lamburn zu hören. Das Ergebnis 

sind sehr intensive, meist sehr rhythmische, etwas klaustrophobisch 

wirkende, schräge Rocksongs, neo-canterbury-artige Artrocker, mit 

Postpunk-Flair und einer unterkühlten, fast depressiven, stellenweise 

sehr hektischen Atmosphäre. Reichlich seltsam, rhythmisch und 

schwebend zugleich, kalt, aber sehr direkt ist diese Musik. Heutzutage 

würde man diese Klänge wohl in die Postrock-Schublade stecken. 

Wer This Heat schätzt, insbesondere Haywards Gesang, oder auch die 

Solo-Scheiben von Robert Wyatt (es gibt da gewisse atmosphärische 

und stimmliche Ähnlichkeiten), der sollte versuchen sich "All's Well" 

zu besorgen." [Achim Breiling / Babyblaue Seiten] 

"After the demise of This Heat, Charles Hayward continued to work with 

Trefor Goronwy, bassist from the last manifestation of the group, the 

two of them joining forces with Steve Rickard who, for the new band, 

designed the cassette switchboard a kind of proto-sampler - but thats 

not the half of it (Steves article fully explaining the device is reprinted in 

the new, expanded booklet that comes with the CD). Musically, 

Camberwell both followed and departed from the style of This Heat. 

Formally and gesturally there are common elements, but there is far 

greater transparency and the sound palette is quite different: the music 

is more placed than grown, as the slow accumulation and evolution of 

material in This Heat gives way to a more immediate and orderly 

development of the material in Camberwell Now. The songs - nostalgic, 

scary, quietly desperate - peer into the future to find harbour but 

confront only fragments of ruin. Debris and disturbance eat away at the 

root and corrode each shiny surface (this is mostly the musical work of 

the cassette switchboard). The juxtaposition of powerful, virtuosic 

playing and the eerie, often unidentifiable keenings, chords and 

constant motion of the cassettes is one of the things that make 

Camberwell Now so expressive of its time - when the whole social and

political fabric of a no-longer-great Britain was unravelling. This 

definitive edition collects the entire released output of the group 

together (two EPs and an LP) newly re-mastered by the band and 

repackaged with full notes, lyrics, additional photographs and artwork." 

[label info] 

* CASHMORE, MICHAEL - The Snow abides CD (Durtro Jnana 

002, 2007) € 13.00 

Sehr anrührender Ambient-Folk von CASHMORE, der hier von diversen 

Gastmusikern unterstützt wird. Auf "Snow Abides" gefallen uns v.a. die 

Streicher & Antony's unglaublicher Gesang! 

"MICHAEL CASHMORE, vor allem bekannt als Haupt-Songwriter von 

CURRENT 93, kommt mit "The Snow Abides", einer EP, die seinem 

Solo-Debüt "Sleep England" folgt. Das Werk besticht durch 

musikalische Grenzerfahrungen zwischen Elektronik, Ambient und Folk. 

Vor allem die Stimme von Antony (ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS), der 

auf dieser EP als Gastsänger fungiert, lässt dieses Minialbum strahlen" 

[Cargo] 

"Durtro Jnana is delighted to release The Snow Abides, a new solo 

mini-album from longtime Current 93 guitarist and contributor Michael 

Cashmore. Comprised of five thematically linked songs, the album was 

written and performed by Cashmore with song texts composed by 

David Tibet (Current 93) and vocals contributed by Antony (Antony And 

The Johnsons). Cashmore has enjoyed a long and successful 

partnership with Tibet and his compositions have appeared on some of 

Current 93's most acclaimed albums including classics like Thunder 

Perfect Mind, Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre, Soft Black Stars, All 

the Pretty Little Horses and Black Ships Ate the Sky. Presented in an 

elegant, full-color digipak, The Snow Abides is Cashmore's most 

accomplished and poignant work to date, solo or otherwise." [press 

release] 

* CATLIN, TIM - Radio Ghosts CD (23five Inc. 011, 2007) € 13.00 

"The name Tim Catlin may not be terribly well known amongst the 

avant-guitarist circles; but his recorded output clearly stands amongst 

the best that Glenn Branca, Keith Rowe, and Jim O'Rourke have 

mustered from their six strings hard wired into the histories of 

electroacoustics, minimalism, and post-punk experimentation. Based 

out of Melbourne, Catlin is a guitarist who incessantly tinkers with the 

mechanics of his instrument, envisioning it as alternately as a mimetic 

sculptural object and a pure sound generator. Through his experiments 

with alternative tunings, atypical string gauges, and Rube Goldberg 

contraptions of interconnected motors, speakers, and radios, he seeks 

out the rasping textures of strings vibrating against each other, the 

acoustic phase patterns of two microtonally tuned strings, and the 

electrical purity of circuits feeding back upon themselves, essentially 

creating a polyglot drone symphony cast in smoldering monochrome. 

Radio Ghosts arrives nearly five years after his debut album Slow 

Twitch and showcases Catlin's unassuming expertise with the finer 

aspects of the mechanically prepared guitar. For all of its dynamic 

frequencies and crosshatched vibrations, Radio Ghosts is devoid of 

Marshall stacks, Sunn amps, and stomp boxes, as Catlin captures the 

acoustic phenomenon of the guitar's transient vibrations and steers 

clear of any tricked out sonic demolition. Instead, Radio Ghosts focuses 

upon the minutiae of the guitar: wood, strings, and amplifier. Through 

his refined, tabletop guitar techniques, Catlin prefers to set his guitar in 

motion, allowing the process dictate the course of action with minor 

edits and sleights of hand from the composer himself. Catlin's drone 

guitar work is simultaneously capable of expressionistic illusions (e.g. 

cicada choruses, industrial grind, uncanny ephemera from the radio 

waves, etc.) and a sonic transcendence of pure sonic introspection. 

Given that the final piece on Radio Ghosts replaces the guitar with a 

crash cymbal that Catlin agitates through similar processes, Catlin's 

work shows that Organum does not have exclusivity on the bowed 

cymbal for creating epic, tactile sound fields." [label info] 

* CHALK, ANDREW - Goldfall CD (Faraway Press 06, 2007) 

€ 18.00 

"Goldfall originally came out in late 2006 as a heavy duty slab 

of vinyl, swaddled in a delicate piece of tissue paper that also 

featured an elegant print reminiscent of Shoji screen prints. Chalk 

released a mere 300 copies through his Faraway Press imprint; and as 

with most of the tiny vinyl pressings that Chalk had done with his 

now defunct Mirror project with Christoph Heemann, it went out of 

print very quickly, with its scarcity only matched by the critical 

praise heaped upon it. Thankfully, Chalk has been far more willing to 

repress his hard to find material through Faraway Press; and Goldfall 

is the latest part of this reissue campaign. In contrast to the 

floral artwork which Chalk has replicated on the hand-screened / diecut 

cardboard sleeves, Chalk's sound production within is a far 

darker and heavier experience. Sourced from the meandering piano 

interludes of Vikki Jackman, Goldfall is a dark, shadowy record of 

protracted reverberation and timbral rumblings. In comparison to 

Chalk's previous piano album Blue Eyes Of The March or to other 

exceptional piano abstractions (i.e. Jonathan Coleclough's Period or 

Brian Eno's Thursday Afternoon), Goldfall is downright ominous. Upon 

closer investigation into the sounds on Goldfall, the second track is 

a backwards remix of the first, turning the entire experience of 

listening to the album as a palindrome of shadows, with each darkly 

flecked piano tone on the second track harder to locate against the 

structure of the first given the droning miasma of Chalk's impeccable 

sound. Far from being like one of David Jackman's tiresome attempts 

at elongating his increasingly pointless ideas, Chalk's experiment 

was one to be discovered by the audience. We may have spoiled 

something magical about the record, or maybe not. It's still a 

magnificent, ominous piece of dronescaping; and you all should know 

that Andrew Chalk + ominous = highly recommended." [Aquarius 


* CHALK, ANDREW - East of the Sun CD (Faraway Press 08, 

2006) € 19.50 

"Reissue of East of the Sun, previously released on Ora's cassette label 

in 1994. Tracks: 'Winter Arc'/'High Water.' Packaged in mini-LP gatefold 

style jacket." [labe info] 

"Easily, one of the most important reissues of 2006, East Of The Sun 

available again though Andrew Chalk's own Faraway Press, complete with 

breathtakingly resplendent packaging: a silkscreened and embossed 

printing. These recordings originally came out in 1994 as a cassette, 

released through Ora's in-house label, Ora being an early collective that 

revolved around Chalk, Colin Potter, and Darren Tate with occasional 

assistance from Jonathan Coleclough, mnortham, Lol Coxhill, and a handful 

of like-minded British drone enthusiasts. A few years later, the Italian label 

Hic Sunt Leones convinced Chalk to reissue the cassette in digital form. 

That CD version of East Of The Sun compressed the two sides of the 

cassette into a single 50 minute piece and was flushed out with some 

complementary dronescaping. Chalk was never happy with the Hic Sunt 

Leones version; and thus his reissue of the album returns to the original 

version found on the cassette, now gloriously remastered in its entirety. For 

those persnickety types, the 17 minutes or so which concluded the Hic Sunt 

Leones version is not here; but that is a minor loss compared to the pinnacle 

of drone-based minimalism found here. 

Sure, Eno's ambient records On Land and Thursday Afternoon were 

milestones in the realm of ambient music, setting an impressionist context 

through which any number of the images, thoughts, and ideals could be 

imagined; but that strategy was perfected by Andrew Chalk on a couple of 

records. There was his ephemeral album Sumac in collaboration with 

Jonathan Coleclough, there was the first Mirror album Eye Of The Storm, 

and there's East Of The Sun. Very dark without becoming unbearably cold, 

East Of The Sun is a constant bloom of nocturnal frequencies, whose origins 

may be thoroughly blurred bass guitar or possibly some resonant artifact 

from Chalk's acoustic work in Organum. Regardless, the resultant drones 

drift with no beginning and no end, merely rippling, reflecting, and turning 

upon themselves in a perpetual, very slow motion turbulence. Leaves 

tumbling in autumnal twilight. Fog spilling over coastal hills. Moonlight 

tickling the agitated surface of a pond. Any of these organic references for 

meditation on simplicity to reach the sublime and the profound could easily 

apply to Chalk's East Of The Sun. Not just recommended, this is required 

listening." [Aquarius Records] 

* CHALK, ANDREW & DAISUKE SUZUKI - The days after CD 

(Faraway Press 11, 2007) € 18.00 

Re-edition of deleted CDR from 2003, comes in oversized art-cover 

(facsimile of orginal cover) with inlay & extended version of the audio. 

THE DAYS AFTER features two long tracks (almost clocking at 50 

minutes playtime) of the fabulous drone-core CHALK is known for, with 

additional subtle field recordings and rather concrete instrumental 

sounds (percussion & crickets!) by SUZUKI. A quite ominous & 

mysterious droney otherworld... 

* CHATHAM, RHYS - A Crimson Grail CD (Table of the 

Elements TOE-CD-106, 2005) € 15.00 

Hell schimmernde Gitarren-Drones in einem endlosen Meer von Klang! 

Selten hat man CHATHAM so sanft und harmonisch erlebt wie hier, 

wenn sich Hunderte von Stimmen vereinigen und sich zu einem 

wahrhaft himmlischen Chor erheben!Im ewigen Klang werden sublime 

Melodiebögen erahnbar.... 

"RHYS CHATHAM, der Mann, der die minimalistische Avantgarde 

schwer aufmischte, umarmt Paris, die Stadt der Lichter, mit der zarten 

Schönheit seines jüngsten Meisterwerkes. Geschrieben für nicht 

weniger als 400 Gitarren und live aufgeführt vor 10.000 Gästen und 

über 100.000 Fernsehzuschauern in der berühmten Basilika zu Sacré 

Coeur. Musik, die einen Augenblick der Geschichte für die Ewigkeit 

festhält. // Rhys Chatham, the man who rocks the minimalist canon like 

a hurricane, gathers up the City of Light in the evanescent beauty of his 

latest piece -- written for 400 guitars and performed live in the basilica 

of landmark Sacre Coeur -- with 10,000 people watching and 100,000 

more on national TV. As the music shimmers, it offers a snapshot of

eternity, an echo of a moment a thousand years gone -- and a thousand 

years yet to come." [press release] 

* CHAUVEAU, SYLVAIN - S. CD-EP (Type Records 030, 2007) 

€ 11.50 

CD-version, same material as on the 10"-vinyl. 

"Since his 2000 debut ‘Le Livre Noir Du Capitalisme’ (which is soon to 

be re-issued on Type!) Sylvain Chauveau has been a pioneering figure 

in the world of modern classical/electronic music. This status has seen 

him inhabit the same creative space as Max Richter, Jóhann 

Jóhannsson and our very own Ryan Teague and now we are proud to 

welcome him to the Type label and issue this brand new mini-album. 

‘S.’ sees Chauveau taking a daring new direction since his last record 

the breathtaking and lushly orchestrated set of Depeche Mode covers 

‘Down to the Bone’, and moving away from the haunting strings and 

piano work of his best known works he has stepped into the world of 

minimal electro acoustics. The first track ‘Composition 8’ probably best 

illustrates this move with its expertly processed prepared guitar drones, 

layered together to create a menacing piece of bass-heavy ambience 

and growling doom comparable to even experimental metal pioneers 

Earth at their most esoteric. This piece is expertly balanced however 

against the second track, simply titled ‘P.’ which has Chauveau again 

caressing the ivories, but using the notes (and the space between the 

notes) to dictate something far more minimal and far more realated to 

the brooding drone of ‘Composition 8’. Elsewhere we hear Chauveau’s 

take on glacial digital minimalism with the epic electronic piece ‘E/R’ 

and more delicate piano experimentations before we are brought to a 

satisfying and subtle close with the gritty, slow burning ambience of 

‘A_’. All in all this is possibly the most thoughtful and unusual selection 

of tracks Chauveau has ever set his name to, and give them time and 

they are sure to reveal their immense depths." [label info] 

* CHRISTUS & THE COSMONAUGHTS - From atop this Hill CD 

(Beta-Lactam Ring Records mt078cd, 2007) € 14.00 

Anspruchsvoller, sehr eigener Psych/Electronic/Space/Prog-"Pop/Rock" 

mit Anklängen an LEGENDARY PINK DOTS, GARY NEWMAN oder 

gar PINK FLOYD. Zweites Album der US-Band, mit sehr ausgefeilten 

Songs, alles handgespielt auf Instrumenten oder Analog-Synths. Der 

70er Jahre Bezug ist sehr deutlich, aber es gibt auch bizarre 

experimentelle Parts & Arrangements, insgesamt aber wesentlich 

weniger "weird" als auf dem ersten Album... Hörbeispiele auf ihrer 

myspace Seite: www.myspace.com/christusthecosmonaughts. 

"...Deluxe 5 color gatefold CD sleeve. Terra Firma flags. Sky burns 

electric. Fauna flee for fear. The second coming of Christus is here. 8 

new stations of the cross oscillate wildly between bristling electronic 

noise pyres and sizzling, solemn song-forms. “From Atop This Hill” is a 

study in the transcendental possibilities of synthesis couched in the 

form of a mystery play. The jilted narratives just glisten, rich with 

pulsating electrocycles that alternately coil into instrumental pythons. 

Form and function fuse in a flux of devotional experimentalism paired 

with a sort of weird pop. Christus' strangely wrought onomatopoeic 

lyrics are compelling, wrapped as they are in his classic coldwave croon 

amid slo-mo motorik surges of minimal wave. Drag thy cross upon yon 

hill and embrace the passion of the Christus." [label info] 

* CIRCULAR - Shaping the Unknown CD (LOKI Foundation 

LOKI44, 2006) € 13.00 

"....Johannes Riedel (Circular) hat sich für letztere Möglichkeit 

entschieden, arbeitet konsequent mit analogen Synthesizern und 

dezenten Modulationen. Das garantiert ihm einen spacig-meditativen 

Sound, auf dessen Basis er langsame Strukturen entfaltet, 

geheimnisvolle Geräusche auftauchen und verschwinden lässt und 

gelegentlich auch pulsierende Rhythmen entwickelt. Als Grundidee 

dient ihm die Klangskulptur, ausgehend vom "Triangular Centre" (Track 

1), einem verhallten imaginären Raum. Dann erfolgt die Erkundung des 

Unbekannten, um dessen Formen zu erkennen ("Shaping the 

Unknown"), über die "Ellipses in-between sculptures" (Track 2), das 

"Swirling around the cuboid" (Track 5), bis hin zum (final) "Draft" 

(Track 9). Was als fernes Echo beginnt, entwickelt sich hier meist in 

sphärisch-hypnotische, mitunter auch fast - und nur fast - orchestrale 

Höhen hinein. Peter Andersson von Raison d'être hat mit solch 

verlorenen Klängen in den letzten Jahren experimentiert, aber letztlich 

kennt man diese klangliche Assoziationwelt von den letzten großen 

Werken von Tangerine Dream und Klaus Schulze aus den späten 

1970er Jahren: das Unheimliche und das Heilige nah beieinander, 

verdichtet in einem abstrakten Klang/Raum. 

Das Debüt von Circular ist klangästhetisch wunderschön, ein reifes 

Werk aus einem Guss, vollendet gemischt und im fast futuristisch 

gestalteten Digipak präsentiert. Eine großartige Ambient-CD, die den 

geneigten Zuhörer entführt auf eine Reise 'jenseits des Jupiters', wie es 

in Kubricks 2001 heißt... Ein erster Geheimtip für dieses junge Jahr 

2007." [Ikonen] 

Newcomer on LOKI with strong 70's space-electronic influences, 

but bathing in a darker atmosphere & using also bass- & e-guitar, which 

adds some emotional poetic sensibility to it. 

"CIRCULAR "Shaping the Unknown" CD The debut album of Circular 

defines an opulent style of meditative ambient music and celebrates the 

pure sound engines of perfect analogue synthesizer music. Johannes 

Riedel created an elegant and stylish form of drone music to build 

ellipses in-between sculptures blowing through the triangular center. 

This aural paintings discover sacred landscapes of drifting loops, 

analogue synthesizers and the brilliant use of guitars to set up an 

unearthly visionary wall of sound. The method of Circular's music 

dispose a special principle where tracks build up slowly and take the 

period of concentration, of taking shape, followed by overwhelming 

massive soundworlds from outer states. Sounds are swirling around the 

cuboid and adhere at the cognition through unique scapes of the 

swelling and digressing resonance. Digipack." [label info] 

* COLUMN ONE - Feldaufnahmen I CD (Auf Abwegen AATP21, 

2007) € 14.50 

"Limited edition of 500 copies, CD in digipak, 16 pp. booklet. 

Feldaufnahmen I is the first release in a series of pure filed recordings 

by german multi-disciplinary experimental group COLUMN One. The 12 

recordings where collected in east Germany in the Polenztal within the 

mountain range called Elbsandsteingebirge in 2000-2001 with the 

simplest equipment. The recordings where edited and rearranged by 

Robert Schalinski in Berlin in 2006. Feldaufnahmen I is a new üphase 

for Column One whio have continued to change and evolve in their 

musical career. The group was renowned for post-industrial 

atmospheres, media collages and cut-up dadaist humor now they enter 

the terrain of sound ecology with their own twist. The 12 pieces on the 

disc radiate with beauty - they demonstrate the full spectrum of sounds 

that can be found in any relatively quiet natural resort: dogs barking, 

humming of insects, crackling of twigs, footsteps, wind and more. 

The CD Feldaufnahmen I is is presented in a full colour digipak with a 

16 pages booklet with full colour reproductions of photographs taken by 

Column One in the area where the sounds were recorded. 

Column One was founded in Berlin, 1991 as the IDEOLOGICAL BASIS 

for an (aesthetic) approach to structures, philosophical ideas & media of 

the (now) western world. At that time Rene Lamp & Robert Schalinski 

already had been working together on short-film projects. The 

philosophical ideas of RADICAL CONSTRUCTIVISM (Paul Watzlawik 

etc.), the paths of the CUT-UP demonstrators such as W.S. Burroughs, 

Bryon Gysin & Jürgen Ploog, the experiments of POP-TERRORISTS 

like Genesis P-Orridge with Psychic TV & the films of directors like 

Andrew Tarkowski, Derek Jarman, Ingmar Bergmann, Lars von Trier, 

Alexandro Jodorowski have had greater influence on the foundation and 

the work of Column One. 

However, the crucial point & the main motivation for the work of Column 

One is the TOTALISATION OF COMMUNICATION. Meaning: to bring 

back into consciousness communication in its unavoidable 

consequence & presence.... thus, it's about decoding information, the 

utilisation, cutting up & decoding of which is presented to us as 

REALITY & of what we constantly present to ourselves. In order to 

succeed in this decoding process Column One utilises existing forms of 

communication & its media & generally considers everything as raw 

material, basic element or finished product. 

Column One operates as collective. Besides the founding members a 

changing amount of various members changes from project to project: 

Andrew Loadman, Jerome Soudan (aka Mimetic), Wojcek Czern (aka 

Zia Siodma Gora), Jürgen Eckloff (also: Kein Zweiter), Leo Solter (also: 

Kein Zweiter, Tornow), R.U. Brain-Bridge..." [label description] 

"Over the years Column One has been a group that loved electricity - to 

connect their synthesizers, samplers, computer or whatever. Their 

music was strongly rhythmic and there was always a media edge to the 

music. Nothing so on 'Feldaufnahmen 1', the first in what is going to be 

a series of pure field recordings (as that is what the title means 

actually). Column One member robert Schalinski went out in East 

Germany to the Polenztal and recorded twelve different sound events. 

For whatever obscure reason they are titled in French, but the title 

leaves nothing to guess: 'The Insects', 'The Forest/The Dog', 

'Water/Insects'. We hear dogs, children, rocks, all in a pure form. Very 

easy Yes, very easy, but as someone who likes sounds, I must admit I 

pretty fascinated by these recordings. Simple and pure, phonography in 

it's purest form. I am not sure what the hardcore fans of Column One 

will think about this, but I thought this absolute break with the past is a 

great move and the result is likewise." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* CONTAGIOUS ORGASM - Ripple CD (Ant Zen act211, 2007) 

€ 14.00 

The always genre-crossing project from Japan with a great album, dark 

& experimental, more rhythm based stuff, (but these are stranged out 

rhythms, not danceable ones!), but the usual "unlistenable" collage / 

found sounds-tracks are present too, the more the album continues, the 

weirder it becomes... again quite unique & not classifiable.

"packaging: special transparent paper booklet w/ inlays + jewelcase. 

hiroshi hashimoto started releasing music twenty years ago as 

contagious orgasm. right from the beginning listeners knew that there 

was something very unique and special about c.o.'s sound - differing 

from the typical japanese 'industrial scene'. the initial aural 

transformation of track and release titles were soon replaced by 

something quite different. themes became more abstract and 

surrealistic; influences came from various collaborations and often 

seriousness was undercut with a wink... as on previous c.o. releases 

you can hear musical and stylistic sources from many cultural areas; for 

instance on 'ripple' you can hear indian chants, dub bass, electronic 

clicks/cuts, gongs, a piano, even straight beats and minimal sequencer 

grooves. styles range from free form to dance music to idm to noise and 

to ethnic sources. in hashimoto's works these ingredients cease what 

they were before - they are now transformed into coherent music 

(without being a eclectic cliché). an example: often many artists use 

voice samples in their work, to explain or to engross thoughts. 

hashimoto's usage of samples take the 'instruments of speech' out of 

their initial contexts - used in c.o.'s metaverse they entirely lose their 

initial intent and function. if we go further and think about 'rhythms', 

'melodies' and 'textures' instead of 'voices', we might have a key to 

c.o.'s self conception. this album should be experienced with all senses 

wide open. enjoy this anniversary and look forward to the next twenty 

years of a great artist." [label description] 

"...This latest album continues the strange landscapes of numerous 

musical styles. Dealing with everything from drone-based as well as 

collaged noise, across clicks'n'cuts to almost danceable electro-inspired 

techno and eerie soundscapes of beautiful ambient, it is an impossible 

task to finish this album only within a few listens. It is a complex musical 

voyage, that atmospherically varies from icy minimalism reminiscent of 

Pan(a)Sonic to militant electro of Kraftwerk until towards the end where 

the album turns more dreamy and dramatic with a mixture between 

experimental ambience and gentle acoustic post-rock reminiscent of 

Tortoise. "Ripple" is a continuation of the style of "Dessert Addicts Will 

Return To This", and the result is even more intense and clever than the 

aforementioned. Turn off the light and let yourself fall into the 

psychedelic tones of Contagious Orgasm. Excellent!" [NM / Vital 

Weekly] 

* CONTRASTATE - Handbags & Dada CD (Fin de Siecle Media 

FDS18, 2006) € 13.00 

Gesammeltes Live-Material der brillianten englischen Gruppe um 

STEPHEN MEIXNER! Ein Teil davon erschien schon auf raren Tapes.. 

"The now defunct influential UK project played only a few live shows 

during their existence, but they put a lot of effort into making them 

something out of the ordinary. The third instalment in our Contrastate 

series is a live CD which covers three different phases in the band's 

history from 1989 to their last ever performance in 2000. Tracks 

previously available on vinyl and cassette as well as one world premiere 

recording from Camden Palace in London. 

Track list: 

1. Perhaps it comes out of the black sea 

(live at Radio Militia, Diepenbeek, Belgium - June 1989) 

Contrastate: Jonathan Grieve, Stephen Meixner 

2. To the princes of the new republics 

3. Altering the circumstances of human life 

4. A string of puppets 

5. Like a saint on a stake 

(live at Club Subway, Karlsruhe, Germany - October 1993) 

Contrastate: Jonathan Grieve, Stephen Meixner, Stephen J Pomeroy 

6. The repust sal 

(live at Camden Palace, London, UK - April 2000) 

Contrastate: Jonathan Grieve, James Machin, Jimmy Maravala, 

Stephen Meixner 

* COOPER, LINDSAY - Rags / The Golddiggers CD (ReR 

Megacorp ReR LCD, 1991) € 14.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung ihrer ersten beiden LPs von 1980 & 1983! 

"Consists of the whole of the LP previously issued as Re/arc and most 

of "The Golddiggers". Featuring Lindsay Cooper, Sally Potter, Phil 

Minton, Georgie Born, Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Marilyn Mazur, Kate 

Westbrook, Collette Lafont, Eleanor Sloan, Lol Coxhill and Dave 

Holland. Explores the song form as so many of the early post Henry 

Cow records by ex alumni did. With a full book of texts and pictures 

(74+ minutes)." [label info] 

* COURTIS, ANLA & RALF WEHOWSKY - Return of the Stone 

Spirits CD (Beta-Lactam Ring Records mt139 / Black Series 

negro3, 2007) [lim. 300] € 16.00 

Sechs weitere Dokumente von Anrufungen der "strangest sounds"! 

Auch die dritte Nummer der "Black Series" dringt in Bereiche vor, die 

herrlich weitab des Mainstreams liegen... RALF WEHOWSKY aka 

RLW setzt hier seine Improvisationserkundungen fort mit ANLA 

COURTIS (ex REYNOLS), sie benutzen Gitarre und verschiedene 

Violinen, sowie "stuff in plastic bag" (was immer das sein mag), 

irgendwelche Ringe oder MetallSpiralen, etc.. 

teils ist das ein furioser Noise-Blast, teils wirkt es wie geräuschflächige 

Unebenheiten, die wie verschmutzte Partikel durch den Äther wirbeln... 

es gibt aber auch ganz ruhige Kratz- & Summsounds, die wie 

atmosphärische Störungen scheinen, oder hörbar gemachte 

Luftdruckveränderungen .... 

"For Ralf Wehowsky the collaboration is the prime method to work. 

More and more, so it seems, he works with people in his home studio in 

Germany's Eggenstein, such a November day in 2005 when Anla 

Courtis of Reynols fame came, armed with coils, guitar, argentinian 

violin, 'stuff in a plastic bag' and sampler to do some 'quasi-live' 

recordings with Wehowsky (coils, guitar, cambodian violin, kalimba, 

cappuccino shaker and CD scratch). In the time after that some sound 

transformation was done. As with other collaborations of this nature by 

Wehowsky, this too is more a work of improvisation than of careful post 

production, a bit like his work with Bruce Russell. The pieces are 

improvised and perhaps cut short, or edited, but throughout the pieces 

the element of improvisation prevails. Both gentleman know how to 

make a fire, as their work is not really careful or detailed. Sound effects, 

used in real time, are applied to quite some extent, such as distortion. 

This makes this work into a more harsher one than what we commonly 

think when we hear music by Wehowsky (although the third track shows 

a bit of detailed sound and takes matters a bit more into control), but it's 

certainly a solid and strong work by the both of them. Maybe a bit of an 

odd ball for Wehwosky, but fans of Courtis should be pleased." [FdW / 

Vital Weekly] 

* CURRENT 93 - The Inmost Light 3 x CD-box (Jnana Records 033, 

2007) € 34.50 

"Bei den Aufnahmen, die jetzt unter dem Titel »The Inmost Light« 

(Durtro Jnana) auf drei CDs wieder veröffentlicht worden sind, bestand 

das LineUp von current 93 aus David Tibet, Steven Stapleton, Michael 

Cashmore und Joolie Wood. Mit dem heutigen Ohr gehört, ist erst 

vernehmbar, welch paradigmatische Stellung die beiden MiniAlben 

»Where The Long Shadows Fall« und »The Stars Are Marching Sadly 

Home« sowie die LP »All The Pretty Horses« aus den Jahren 1995/96 

für die derzeit doch sehr lebendige und innovative Folkszene 

einnehmen. Nicht nur die Organisation als Kollektiv im Stile der späten 

1960er Jahre, die sich durch Fluktuation der Mitglieder und 

gegenseitige Aufwartung (Nick Cave, John Balance von Coil, Andria 

Degens von Pantaleimon sind Gäste hier) genauso auszeichnete wie 

durch die Inspiration anderer Künste (die C93Trilogie wurde inspiriert 

durch den Maler Louis Wain und den Schriftsteller Thomas Ligotti), 

ist es die musikalische Nutzbarmachung von Zeit (eine Idee = 40 

Minuten), die dieser künstlerischtheatralischen Folklore nun schon seit 

1982 anhaftet und vergleichbar macht mit Sunburned Hand Of The Man 

oder JackieO Motherfucker. Selbst solche Bizarrheiten wie der hier 

zelebrierte gnostische Fanatismus taucht heutzutage wieder auf: 

beispielsweise bei Wooden Wand. Mit weiterem Blick auf diese 

uneindeutigen, geflüsterten, schaurigen Texte (»I take your hand / We 

walk towards where the roses once grew«), ist das heute gebräuchliche 

Eigenschaftswort »wyrd« für diesen Folk wohl mehr als zutreffend" 

[Goon] 

"Durtro Jnana is proud to re-release of one of Current 93's most 

ambitious and enduring projects: the Inmost Light trilogy. Originally 

issued in 1995 as Hallucinatory Patripassianist Song, this set includes 

in their entirety the mini-albums Where The Long Shadows Fall, The 

Stars Are Marching Sadly Home, and the full-length All The Pretty Little 

Horses. The band at the time of these recordings included David Tibet, 

Steven Stapleton, Michael Cashmore and Joolie Wood with guests Nick 

Cave, Jhonn Balance (Coil), Andria Degens (Pantaleimon) and Shirley 

Collins contributing vocals. This series was inspired by visionary painter 

Louis Wain and author Thomas Ligotti (to whom a track is dedicated), 

nursery sing-songs and Christian heresies, most notably 

Patripassianism. In Current 93's hands, the traditional lullaby of the 

album title sparks an explosive torrent of bittersweet childhood 

memories and apocalyptic prophecies. The musical setting for Tibet's 

narrative is exquisite -- kaleidoscopic compositions featuring 12-string 

guitar, piano, string arrangements, flutes, bells, massed drones, 

children's voices and ecstatic recitations. Together, the three 

movements make Inmost Light a powerful and extremely moving 

listening experience. The three discs have been newly remastered and 

are housed in a deluxe eight-panel digipack with a 24-page full-color 

booklet of photos of the group as children, a complete set of lyrics and 

liner notes." [label info] 

"Where The Long Shadows Fall opens with a stately loop of a 

beautifully sad / eternally holy female choral melody, obviously 

taken from an old piece of vinyl as the crackle and hiss of the 

surface noise provides a familiar antiquated patina. Additional 

baroque vocal melodies intertwine with a chiming 12-string acoustic 

guitar strum which slowly progresses with the plod of a heavy doom

track, minus the downtuned distortion; and then of course, there's 

David Tibet reciting his trademarked revelations surrounding his 

heretical beliefs about Christ, Satan, and the end of the world as we 

know it. Where The Long Shadows Fall is an open ended piece, built 

upon illusion and impression. For the elegantly mangled nursery 

rhymes that Current 93 is known for, look to the second disc All The 

Pretty Little Horses. Here, David Tibet conducts business mostly as a 

duet with the acoustic guitar of Michael Cashmore, who has done more 

to define Tibet's apocalyptic take on British folk than any other 

guitarist (including Ben Chasny, Tony Wakeford, Douglas P, etc.). 

These tunes are sparsely arranged with occasional flourishes of 

electronic manipulation and baroque instrumentation. Along with 

Cashmore, other noteworthy guest appearance include Nick Cave and 

Shirley Collins. 

The final disc The Stars Are Marching Sadly Home is one of the 

darker recordings that Current 93 has made since Tibet abandoned the 

dirge collages of tape loops and cackling voice which dominated his 

very first recordings. That same vocal loop which opens Where The 

Long Shadows Fall is the backbone to this atmospheric work, although 

it has been shrouded in reverb and pushed into the background of 

whispering drones and shadowy sounds. Tibet's voice growls with the 

aid of plenty of timestretched tricks that perfectly augment Tibet's 

already creepy voice. 

If you didn't have the opportunity to pick these up when they 

originally came out, you really should now, and spend some time with 

these recordings as they have clearly aged well over the past decade 

and stand amongst the best of the Current 93 recordings." [Aquarius 


* CUTLER, CHRIS - There and back again. Volume 2: On Memory 

CD (ReR Megacorp ReR CC3, 2007) € 14.00 

"A companion to Twice around the Earth, There and Back Again uses 

44 environmental recordings to explore - amongst other things - the way 

memory works, and how the experience of passing time is constructed. 

Mainly its just meant to be good to listen to: surprising, serendipitous, 

mundane - but alien, the commonplace transfigured - an agglomeration 

of inadvertent sounds made haphazardly by the world and some of its 

inhabitants that were never meant to survive, and certainly not to be 

listened to repeatedly. And yet - they seem to add up. I listened to this 

many times and it keeps changing, though it cant. I dont understand it, 

but I like it. As a whole its very different from Twice, though both share 

some locations (taken at different points) making reading across the two 

CDs another dimension of listening." [label info] 

* DANIELL, DAVID - Coastal CD (Xeric / Table of the Elements 

XER109, 2006) € 14.50 

Erstes () Solo-Album des RHYS CHATHAM-Bandleaders DAVID 

DANIELL, der natürlich auch Gitarrist ist, hier aber auch noch per 

Analog-Synth generierte Drones, Beckenklänge, leicht Perkussives, 

und field recordings geschickt verwebt, so dass fliessend-einnehmende 

"experimental Drone"-Stücke entstehen, aber auch erstklassige 

hypnotische Gitarrenbasierte Minimalismen. Exquisit !! 58+ minutes, 4 

tracks... 

"Wenn man jemals das rohe, minimale Heulen gehört hat, das von den 

nächtlichen Lagerfeuern im Labelcamp von Table Of The Elements 

aufsteigt, dann hat man auch von DAVID DANIELL gehört, auch wenn 

man den Namen nicht zuordnen kann. DANIELL ist sowohl der 

Bandleader des Ensembles von RHYS CHATHAM, als auch Gitarrist 

für FEBRUARY, die Band von Jonathan Kane. Dazu kommen 

regelmäßige Auftritte mit Doug McCombs von TORTOISE, 

Kollaborationen mit Tim Barnes, Thurston Moore und Loren Conners 

und die Arbeit mit seiner eigenen Band SAN AGUSTIN. Nach einer 

langen Pause steht nun mit "Coastal" die zweite Soloplatte des 

Umtriebigen ins Haus, die eine perfekte Synthese aller Einflüsse von 

David Grubbs bis FAUST destilliert. Verwurzelt im Blues, dem 

amerikanischen Minimalismus und den Ideologien des Punk spricht 

DANIELLs Gitarre schon allein wahre Bände, während ihre Fusion mit 

den elektroakustischen Kompositionen einem den Atem raubt. // Have 

you heard the raw, minimal howl that rises from the late-night, 

backwoods campfires at Table Of The Elements If so, you know the 

work of David Daniell -- even if you don't yet recognize the name. 

Daniell is the head of both of composer Rhys Chatham's current 

ensembles; he's the lead guitarist in Jonathan Kane's rollicking band, 

February; he performs regularly in a duo with Tortoise's Doug 

McCombs; he has collaborated with the who's who of today's finest, 

including Tim Barnes, Thurston Moore and Loren Connors; and his 

guitar work with his own band, San Agustin, is the stuff of which fleeting 

blues-drone dreams are made. Following a long break after his debut 

solo release, Daniell now returns with Coastal. In all its variety, this 

record is a focused synthesis of influences. Tracks like 'Sunfish' and 

'Glasswort' use acoustic guitar reminiscent of work by David Grubbs 

and Mountains, while the thick psychedelic morass of deep electric 

guitar, synth drone and scattered tribal percussion of 'Whelk' brings to 

mind early Faust, and the long-form tone poem 'Palmetto' is pure 

swirling electronic glacial beauty. Rooted in the blues, American 

minimalism and post-punk ideologies, Daniell's guitar playing is always 

inspired; when fused with his intricate electroacoustic compositions, the 

results are breathtaking." [press release] 

* DAUBY, YANNICK - Fevrier CD (Cherry Music cherry-002, 

2006) € 12.00 

Lots of wind & weather & environmental sounds on this new album by 

one of the best field-recording experimentalists... 

"....Following the outstanding 'In drawing' cd, Cherry have added 

another fine release to this small, select area. Having said that, I 

confess that I struggled with the intense, almost brutal deluge that 

emerges from the thunder storm of the first (18 minutes) track on 

'Fevrier'. The ferocity of sound seems designed to remind us of our 

inability to escape the power of nature. So, I suppose, Yannick has 

indeed succeeded in capturing the sound with its power intact. The 5 

tracks on this cd are all based around field recordings some are obvious 

and some are more to do with the search for hidden sounds in our 

environment. Yannick is one of the few who can also apply various 

technical processes in order to 'compose' pieces from his recordings 

without the results sounding like electro-acoustic -phonographic 

garbage.The combination of his respectful skills when using natural 

sound and Cherry music's high level approach to the quality of their 

releases makes 'Fevrier' a fine addition to it's catalogue." [Jez Riley] 

* DELPLANQUE, MATHIAS - Ma chambre quand je n'y suis pas CD 

(Mondes Ellipitues E.Q.05.02., 2006) [lim. 500] € 13.50 

Studio-Version einer Klanginstallation des kanadischen Klangkünstlers 

MATHIAS DELPLANQUE, der die "Stille eines Raumes" als 

ursprüngliche Klangquelle benutzt hat. Durch extensive Bearbeitung 

entstand ein sehr ansprechendes Stück Drone-Geräuschmusik, sehr 

pulsierend, zeitlupen-artig, mit vielen hohen Microsound-Frequenzen... 

"This is the stereo version of a sound installation presented at Montréal’s Studio 

Cormier in December 2004. It is the second part of the ‘’Ma chambre quand je n’y 

suis pas’’ series. The piece is based on the recording of “silences”, i.e. the 

recording of sound produced in spaces with no human presence. The sound of an 

“empty” Studio Cormier was therefore used as the material for the production of 

this piece. The sound takes were done during the quietest moments of the day, by 

means of microphones placed strategically throughout the Studio by the artist. 

The sounds gathered were then amplified, and their frequencies, accentuated to 

the extreme. In the installation itself, the sound was broadcast in multi channel 

mode over 11 loudspeakers, including a subwoofer, in four Studio Cormier spaces 

(“Hall”, “Living room”, “Bedroom”, “Lab”). This installation closed Mathias 

Delplanque’s Montréal residency at Studio Cormier from July to December 2004, 

as part of Les Inclassables program, proposed by the Association française 

d'action artistique (AFAA), in partnership with the Conseil des arts et des lettres 

du Québec (CALQ) and the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ). 

The result of the experiment, as presented on this record, constitutes a genuine 

drone odyssey playing on fullness and emptiness, presence and absence, 

‘’speak’’ and ‘’non-speak’’…One long track full of subtle movement and enlivened 

with various underlying currents. A sheer delight. Mathias Delplanque is known, 

among others, for his releases under the LENA moniker on the Quartermass 

label. As THE MISSING ENSEMBLE, Mathias Delplanque, John Sellekaers and 

Daniel De Los Santos recorded the HIDDEN DOORS cd, released on MONDES 

ELLIPTIQUES (.E.Q.05.01.)." [label info] 

"...Delplanque was artist in residence in the Studio Cormier, which is an 

art gallery (I believe). Here he recorded the silences of the four different 

spaces during the most silent periods of the day and then treated the 

recordings, the frequencies of silence into a powerful forty-five minute 

piece of music. Silence does not exist (as John Cage already found 

out), so why not treat the silence as music. Not exactly a new idea of 

course, but Delplanque does a great job. It hisses, makes rhythm via 

low bass hum, and throughout these forty five minutes, there is a lot of 

variation in sound going on. The sound of emptiness and silence as 

ambient music. It's by no means a soft work: throughout it's highly 

audible and sounds like buzzing insects and has creepy undertone. A 

great work." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* DESIDERII MARGINIS - The ever green Tree CD (Kaosthetik 

Konspiration KSTK005, 2007) € 13.00 

Neo-klassisch geprägter Dark Ambient der Sonderklasse, aber eher 

von der melancholisch-ruhigen Sorte; getragene Arrangements, die 

durch Neofolk & Noise-Element kontrastiert werden, mitunter fast 

Filmmusik-Atmosphäre.. 6 tracks, 39 Minuten. 

"In the pure vein of his previous realization, Dark ambiant industrial with 

very personal feelings and innovations. "the ever green tree" is a 

concept album based on eternal youth, eternal values, fame and 

immortality. 'The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by 

tragedy.' - A.N.Whitehead (1861 - 1947) Comes in a textured digifile, 

first eddition limited to 1000 copies." [label info] 

* DESIDERII MARGINIS - Seven Sorrows CD (Cold Meat Industry 

cmi173, 2007) € 15.00 

""....Der hohe Wiedererkennungswert von Desiderii Marginis hat auch 

Bestand auf dem sechsten Album "Seven Sorrows", aber die geneigte

Konsumentenschaft bekommt nicht nur bekannte Soundmomente von 

Johan Levin geboten, sondern neue leichte Einschübe aus den Genres 

Drone und Feldaufnahmen. Insgesamt wirkt "Seven Sorrows" 

wesentlich epischer als die Vorgängeropera, die höhere und dichtere 

Anzahl der Klangschichten bildet den Grundstock für diese Ausnahmepublikation. 

Stagnation bedeutet Langeweile, mehr metallisch 

anmutende Geräusche zu vorherigen Oeuvre in Kombination mit 

ausgefallenen synthetischen Collagen eröffnen sich der 

Hörergemeinschaft. Alle Arrangements auf "Seven Sorrows" wirken in 

jeder Sekunde durchdacht und vermitteln der Kundschaft das Gefühl, 

dass sie hier eine Produktion auf höchstem Niveau hören. Aus diesen 

komplexen Stücken einen Anspieltipp herauszukristallisieren zu wollen, 

wäre ein Frevel gegenüber den restlichen Kompositionen. 

Fazit: Johan Levi scheint mit "Seven Sorrows" auf seinem Zenith 

angekommen. Purer Wahnsinn schlägt der Hörerin bzw. dem Hörer 

entgegen. Exzellente undurchdringliche Strukturen, die eine 

Akzentuierung mit Gitarrenlinien, Gesang und metallischen Geräuschen 

erfahren, lassen "Seven Sorrows" in einem wunderbaren Glanz 

erstrahlen. Bestimmt das Dark Ambient Highlight des Jahres 2007! 

Absolute Kaufempfehlung!" [Feindesland] 

"Seven Sorrows is the sixth album by the renowned swedish darkambient 

project Desiderii Marginis, and a most eagerly awaited follower 

to the highly acclaimed album of 2005, That Which Is Tragic And 

Timeless. With the material on Seven Sorrows Johan Levin, the mind 

behind Desiderii Marginis, has dug deeper than ever before within the 

creative depths and so ventures even further into the darklands of 

dispair and solitude, deeper into the vibrant shadows of the human 

mind. Since the very debute in 1993, Desiderii Marginis has, with every 

new offering, refined and reinvented the trademark sound, and this 

release is no exception to the rule. Strummed guitars and dulcimers 

blend seamlessly with soaring strings, raging drones, the sound of 

twisted metal and spoken word. Diverse sources, yet tamed to an 

intriguing and alluring whole that slowly spin it’s web around the 

helpless listener and drags them into the vortex of dreamlike darkness." 

[label info] 

DEUTSCH, ANDREW - Lung Cleaner CD (Anomalous Records 

NOM24, 2004) € 12.00 

"Oh lieber Gott, erfinde neue Worte! DEUTSCH zaubert hier sehr vitale 

drone & ambient-Musik die in jeder Sekunde in neue Bereiche 

einzusickern scheint.. sehr fliessend, aber auch voller konkreter 

abgrenzbarer Geräusche.. die Verschmelzung von musique concrete 

und ambience..die Verschmelzung elektronischer und akustischer 

Klänge...it’s all in here! Ein organischer Urwald von mikroskopisch 

wahrnehmbarem Sound-Chaos !" [Drone Rec. info 2004] 

"Andrew Deutsch creates very human electronic music working with 

layers of sounds to create dense and immersive sonic environments. 

He draws his sounds from a multitude of sources sometimes beginning 

with acoustic sources such as bells, music boxes, baby toys and water, 

and other times drawing from digital sources, converting video images 

to audio or transforming the data left after a computer crash. Andrew 

takes these things and makes a music that is positive and energizing. In 

fact, Lung Cleaner was created for friend going through an illness as a 

sort of 'sonic cure'. His strong work with sound, both as an artist and 

educator, has lead to collaborations with Paulive Oliveros, Tetsu Inoue, 

Stephen Vitiello, Tony Conrad, and John Cage. On this CD, Andrew 

presents another of his collaborations with Pauline Oliveros where she 

provides samples from her unpublished early electronic works from 

1966 for one piece." [press release] 


* DE WAARD, FRANS - Vijf Profielen CD (Alluvial Recordings 

a26, 2007) € 12.00 

"In November 2005 Frans de Waard spend a week recording and 

composing on location in the small Dutch town Vlissingen, near the 

cost. The Marine shipyard is located in the centre of that town, but 

activities are moved and the whole area gets new direction in years to 

come. As part of an exhibition '[Mijn] Domein', three musicians were 

asked to reflect on this transition. Frans de Waard was last and 

recorded the remaining activities in this building where so called 

'profiles' are made used in shipbuilding. In the piece things move from 

hectic and busy (in the first profile) to emptyness (in the fifth profile), 

although it's one piece. Using mainly recordings made on site of 

elevators, metal cutting and room ambience, this piece is a strong work 

of field recordings with minor electronic processing. 

Frans de Waard is best known for his work with a wide variety of 

projects, such Kapotte Muziek, Beequeen, Goem, Freiband and many 

more, all in the field of experimental music and sound art since 1984. 

Since then he runs his own Korm Plastics, had a brief involvement in 

Staalplaat and since 1986 has a magazine called Vital, since 1995 

known as Vital Weekly. 'Vijf Profielen' is however the first full length Cd 

under his own name. 

Housed in the usual Alluvial Recordings plastic wallet, cover was 

printed at Knust in Nijmegen and design is by Roger_NBH." [label info] 

"....Although there is just one long track on the CD, it is clearly divided 

into five distinct parts. This makes sense, since it emphasizes the unity 

of the whole, while making the individual parts actually function as 

profiles, similar to a series of different shots of the same location in a 

film. The music is neither cinematic in the sense of conjuring up images, 

though, nor is it a documentation on the site of the recording, but it 

rather captures the qualities of the original recordings of the rumble and 

clatter of large machinery in a suggestive way, transforming the original 

sounds into carefully abstracted drones. 

The work demonstrates a fine sense for the aesthetic possibilities of 

sounds found at a given location. It opens with unprocessed recordings 

of mechanic sounds, which show that the source material is highly 

interesting by itself. As the piece progresses it gets more and abstract, 

moving through minimalist fields of opaque sound, that are mostly 

subdued, but gain a powerful presence at times. In the final 'profile' the 

sound recedes almost totally and a fine, dark drone, just above the 

threshold of audibility closes the CD. Considering the contrast to the 

opening passage, the transformation of the material throughout the 

piece and the origin of the basic sounds, this is a great ending - a 

definite last point on the one hand, but on the other hand also like an 

emptiness, that reverberates in your memory while the location where 

the sounds originated doesn't exist anymore." [MSS / Vital Weekly] 

* DEYHIM, SUSSAN - Madman of God. Divine Love Songs of the 

Persian Sufi Masters CD (Crammed Discs craw 22, 2000) 

€ 10.00 

SUSSAN DEYHIM is a female persian singer who interprets here 

classic Persian melodies & words based on the poety of SUFI-masters 

(like RUMI & HAFEZ) from the 11th to 19th centuries. 

Very charming polyphonic singing with lots of trancy drone- & 

percussion-elements, this is world-music with a very deep approach. 

"This is how extraordinary Iranian vocalist Sussan Deyhim describes 

her first solo album: "Madman Of God is a collection of classic melodies 

taken from the Persian repertoire, which were composed around the 

poetry of Rûmi, Saadi, Djami and other Sufi writers from the 11th to the 

19th centuries. These pieces are as well-known by my grandparents as 

they are by my own generation, and they represent the torch songs of 

classical Persian music". The result is an inspired, exciting and deeply 

spiritual masterpiece. Deyhim and her sublime voice are surrounded by 

contributions from players as diverse as Iranian classical musician Reza 

Derakhshani, percussionist Glen Velez (a long-time collaborator of 

Steve Reich), veteran jazz bassist Reggie Workman (who has been 

heard alongside the likes of John Coltrane), percussionist Will Calhoun 

(who has drummed with Living Colour as well as with BB King) and 

others. Although practically all the sounds are performed by acoustic 

instruments and voices, Sussan Deyhim's innovative arrangement and 

production have shaped "Madman Of God" into a very modern 

soundscape. Born and raised in Tehran, Sussan Deyhim now lives in 

New York. She has been navigating between traditional music, 

electronics and avant-garde art. She has collaborated with Peter 

Gabriel (on "Passion"), with Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Bobby McFerrin, 

Adrian Sherwood, with cyber-guru Jaron Lanier and many more, 

including Richard Horowitz (with whom she recorded cult electro-avant- 

Persian album "Desert Equations" for Crammed's Made To Measure 

label in the late 80's) and Majoun, the band she formed with Horowitz, 

Doug Wimbish & Will Calhoun). "Turbulent", the video installation by 

Shirin Neshat of which Sussan is the central focus, has just won an 

award at the Venice Biennial, while Neshat's most recent piece 

(featuring Deyhim's music) will soon be presented in several prestigious 

museums and galleries in the USA and Europe." [label website info] 

* DHOMONT, FRANCOIS - ... et autres utopies CD (Empreintes 

Digitales IMED0682, 2006) € 13.00 

Der Altmeister der Elektro-Akustik (inzwischen ist er über 80!) mit einem 

neuen Werk, genauer mit 5 Stücken die alle nach 2000 fertiggestellt 

wurden. DHOMONT sagt selbst, dass er Klangmaterial ätherisch & 

quasi gravitationslos wahrnimmt, und so breiten sich auch hier die 

detailreichen Eruptionen aus wie vieldimensionale konzentrische 

Wellen mit einem kaum mehr erfassbaren Zentrum, ihrer 

ursprünglichen Klanggestalt oft fast bis zur Unkenntlichkeit beraubt. 

Surreal und traumartig, fantastische aurale Trugbilder die wie ein 

chaotischer Strom von Bewusstseins-Engrammen wirken, nicht fassbar 

& ohne logische Entwicklung. Die Musik ist im Detail kaum 

beschreibbar, man muss sie HÖREN. Wahrscheinlich die allerletzten 

Arbeiten von ihm, wir sind begeistert!! 

'Utopian, these aural mirages surely are — not in the political sense of 

the Ideal City, but in the etymological sense of ou-topos: belonging to 

no specific location, except for imaginary territories; creatures of illusion 

and, in this case, sound. These aural 'non-lieux,' these chimeras of 

perception, resulting from treatments and made from unlikely parts that 

are loosing their identity, stripped off of any audible source, are fictional

eings born out of a dreamer's nomadic invention. Also utopian are — 

haven't it been said often enough — these sonic structures attempting 

to avoid traditional music codes, disregarding their imperatives, and 

offering a stream of mental images to our psyche. However, do we 

really have to be reminded of all these things that we know so well 

Certainly, for in these cybernetic times, is there anything more 

necessary than the reality of utopia So, here are five fantasies to be 

listened to with eyes closed; in sequence, they dream up sound in 

space, mankind's revolt against its own nature, a few light phenomena, 

a symbolic journey, and the tumultuous manifestations of exaltation.' 

'Here and There' (2003), 'Je te salue, vieil océan!' (1998, 2000-04), 

'Chroniques de la lumière' (1989, 2005), 'Voyage-miroir' (2004), 'Corps 

et âme' (2001-02)." [label description] 

* DIDKOVSKY, NICK - Tube Mouth Bow String CD (Pogus 

Productions P21042-2, 2006) € 13.00 

Fünf Stücke des Impro-Gitarristen & Komponisten NICK DIDKOVSKY 

(bekannt von DOCTOR NERVE & Zusammenarbeiten mit FRED 

FRITH, er spielte aber auch mit KEITH ROWE, ERHART HIRT, etc..), 

der mit einem Streicherquartett zusammenarbeitet und konzeptuell 

auch Computersoftware einsetzt. Fette Drones, Violinen, recht abseitig 

und rauh, Polydrones mit noisigen Ausbrüchen, sehr intensiv & klasse 

arrangiert, definitiver Drone-Tip ! 

"....These pieces are about the details of musical evolution that emerge 

from rule-based compositional systems. Using electric guitar, string 

quartet, electronics, and computer software, we explored territories held 

together by systems of agreements, forms specified in software, realtime 

musical choices, and notation. 

Two of the compositions here, She Closes Her Sister With Heavy 

Bones and What Sheep Herd, are process pieces whose scores fit very 

economically on one page. Each score specifies melodic material and a 

short set of rules. The music precipitates from the interaction between 

the score¹s specifications and the decisions that the musicians make 

during performance. By contrast, Tube Mouth Bow String is a throughcomposed 

piece which notates foot pedal movements, vocal behavior, 

and bowed string performance, overflowing very uneconomically onto 

many pages which we pasted onto large poster boards and set before 

each player. Though this piece leaves no real-time performance 

decisions to the ensemble, Tube Mouth is a process piece in a very real 

sense, as the process was first specified, executed, and auditioned in 

software, and finally transcribed to common music notation for live 

performers. Improvisation (simultaneously the easiest and the most 

difficult of all real-time process pieces to perform) is included here as 

well, with a solo MachineCore performance providing a bridge between 

She Closes and Tube Mouth. Closing the CD, Just a Voice That 

Bothered Him sounds like it could have been composed systematically 

but evades rules instead, being composed intuitively by ear. The piece 

emerged in opposition to one vividly frustrating weekend of fruitless 

systematic composition, and for that, gets the last word." [credit notes] 

* DONIS – Vacuum CD (Autarkeia acd003, 2004) [ed. of 499 

copies] € 13.00 

Cosmic dark drones aus Litauen! Unendlich langsam und schwerfällig 

bewegt sich dieser one-tracker im Raum und fängt in langen 

konzentrischen Bahnen an zu kreisen. Bereits 1997 aufgenommen, 

erblickt diese schöne Aufnahme doch noch Jahre später auf dem Label 

aus Vilnius das Licht (vielleicht sollte man besser sagen: die 

Dunkelheit) der Welt ! 

“This is not the latest Donis' record. It was recorded in 1997, when 

Lithuania was still in deepest electronic music crisis. "Vacuum" had 

waited seven years for his real live in personal Donis' archive. The 

album consists of only one long track, that could be ascribed to 

"ambient' stylistics. Tough the sound of album proposes feeling of dark 

emptiness, it can not be described as "dark ambient". By it's influence 

"Vacuum" reminds "Coil's" ambient works that take you to the 

psychedelic trip. Extremely low generator vibration in record doesn't 

allow the feeling that you're high in the mountains to go out. The air is 

being crossed by toneless and icy sound, music motives are deep and 

sharp. Every stream of sound will work out as if you, the listener, are in 

a trip of deep emptiness. 

Album lasts for 65 minutes. It’s packed in a special black DVD box. We 

recommend you to listen to “Vacuum’ only on Hi-fi stereo. Limited 

edition 499 copies.“ [label info] 

* DURAND, SOPHIE & MANU HOLTERBACH - Verres 

enharmoniques : un maxi-CD (Cloud of Statics COSm 04.02, 

2004) € 10.50 

Great polyphonic glass harmonic-drones, a one-tracker of about 20 

minutes. Professional cover-artwork. To discover ! 

"The first acoustic recording of a performance in Paris utilizing Manu 

Holterbach's invented glass instrument from April of 2003. 

The Cloud of Statics project is a series for commissioned works on CD 

by newly discovered or independent contemporary composers and ar 

tists working with suspended acousmatic sound phenomena. Cloud of 

Statics releases will consist of two formats, long works and shor t 

works. Long works will be full length CDs published in 12 x 15 cm 

landscape hardback book packaging. Short works will be 20 minutes 

length semi transparant large CDs packaged in double car ton sleeves." 

[label info] 

* EARTH - Hibernaculum CD & DVD (Southern Lord SUNN74, 

2007) € 16.00 

"Hibernaculum' is a very special CD and DVD package release from 

avant-experimental drone innovators Earth. The audio material consists 

of new recordings of three old Earth classics redone in a different, stark 

and clean tone, plus the track “A Plague of Angels” which was 

previously available on a rare tour-only split 12 inch with Sunn0))). The 

video material (on a second disc) is an Earth documentary filmed by 

Seldon Hunt. The documentary features interviews with Dylan Carlson 

and live footage from the group's 2006 European tour. It is the first time 

ever that footage of Dylan Carlson and Earth has been released since 

the resurrection of the group. Detailed insight into the process of the 

band as well as candid, intimate conversations are captured in the film. 

The lineup assembled by Dylan Carlson for this album compliments the 

aesthetic and direction perfectly. Adrienne Davies who brought a 

patient, consistent and complimentary rhythm and percussion to the 

'Hex' album is again behind the drum kit. Don Mcgreevy and Jonas 

Haskins provide bass support. Steve Moore assists on keyboards and 

horns. Greg Anderson (Sunn 0)))/Thorr's Hammer/Goatsnake adds 

subsonics via analogue synth on “Ouroboros is Broken” and “Coda 

Maestoso in F (Flat) Minor”. As with 'Hex', 'Hibernaculum' is focused 

and precise yet the heavy darkness remains unbroken." [label info] 

* EARTHMONKEY - Be that Charge 3 x CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 

Records mt049a + mt042a, 2007) [ed. 300] € 26.50 

"Deluxe 2xCD edition plus bonus CD limited to 300 numbered and 

signed copies with an original art insert by Peat Bog all packaged in a 

deluxe 5 color gatefold sleeve. Honey...looks like the monkey's been in 

the mushrooms again! Yes, the unstoppable Peat Bog has once again 

raised his pulsating colours and thrown himself, and us, into a cosmic 

oblivion. And though scientists have recently proven that a person can 

swim as quickly through syrup as through water, syrup is still the more 

delicious swim. And syrup is the pool that Peat offers up for your 

musical laps. This latest has both kinds of music: stoned and stoneder. 

The record opens with a kind of Duulish slow groove that one might find 

useful while laying in the middle of a field staring at clouds. Before long, 

one is laying in the middle of a cloud staring at fields. Peat's production 

shows that his sixth form spent in Nurse With Wound school paid off. All 

the tracks are quietly layered with subtle backdrops, voices and swells 

of thick fuzz. As ever, however, no matter how close Peat brings us to a 

need for rehab, Earthmonkey is fat with rhythm and even the occasional 

need to, perhaps, ever so slightly, bang the head. A nice electro punker 

in the middle not only invokes the spectre of Chrome, but is also sure to 

grow a thicker, healthier mullet faster than any other traditional hair 

remedy. Looking for that modern something a little 2066-And-Then-olicious 

and also a little Galactic-Supermarket-o-rama Earthmonkey is 

your Kraut-tastic choice! And somehow I managed to get through this 

whole thing without mentioning the word psychedelic. Until now. 

Dammit!" [label info] 

* EARTHMONKEY - Angelsmans Supernova CD (Beta-Lactam 

Ring Records mt140 / BLACK SERIES NEGRO4, 2007) [lim.300] 

€ 16.00 

Mini-Album in der edel aufgemachten "Black Series" des Portlander 

Labels. Drei Stücke mit dem seltsamsten Psychedelic-Drone (Rock) 

aller Zeiten, Gitarrenriffs & Orgel & elektronische Beats versinken in 

einem Meer an Geräusch- und Sprachsamples & Gitarrensoli, das 

ganze mit viel Wucht & Monumentalität vorgetragen... 

"Black Series 4 - Ed. of 300 numbered and signed copies of three new 

psych tracks from Peat Bog. Each copy includes a sign and numbered 

insert with an original piece of artwork by Le Bog." [label info] 

* EASTLEY, MAX & MICHAEL PRIME - Hydrophony for Dagon 

CD (Absurd #58, 2006) € 13.00 

Live-Aufnahmen von 1996, alle Klänge wurden "unter Wasser" 

aufgenommen, PRIME ist wieder auf der Suche nach den versteckten 

Micro-Sounds im "Innern" der Materie... 

“This haunting music was recorded in 1996 at "The Four Elements", 

SKRAEP Copenhagen. Every sound was generated underwater by an 

array of instruments including hydroarcs, bubble machine, tubing, fans, 

motors, tapes and objects. Coherently with their work, which many 

times has employed water as means or texture, Eastley and Prime 

develop a convincing narrative whose obscurity is made desirable by a 

challenging exploitation of aquatic reverberations and refractions. This 

means that we're neither in presence of a soundtrack for a dolphin 

exhibition, nor ambient music for swimming pools; try instead to conjure

up images of an Organum/Noise-Maker's Fifes hybrid whose clothes 

are slowly washed by a humongous machine that puts us in a 

suspended state through its monotonous cycles of deep regurgitations. 

Never intimidating, rather comfortable, this womb of gurgles is nicely 

balanced between abstraction and tangibleness, which results in a very 

appreciable release.” [Touching Extremes] 

"Recorded live at 'the Four Elements', Skraep Copenhagen 1996. All 

sounds were produced underwater and recorded via hydrophones. Max 

Eastley: hydroarc, tubing, fans, tapes, objects. Michael Prime: hydroarc, 

bubble machine, motors, tapes, objects." [label info] 

* EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN - Alles wieder offen CD (Potomak, 

2007) [lim. ed.] € 17.50 

"....Nein, nicht dass die Neubauten mit ihrem Vorgänger "Perpetuum 

Mobile" musikalisch brechen würden. Das Format Song dominiert trotz 

nicht enden wollender Experimentierfreude. Aber der Albumtitel "Alles 

wieder offen" beschreibt einmal mehr die Lage der Band. Erneut von 

ihren Supportern finanziert, veröffentlichen die Neubauten das neue 

Album auf eigene Faust, ohne ihre Plattenfirma. Und wenn das nicht 

aufgeht und wie zuletzt beim Vorgänger keine schwarzen Zahlen 

geschrieben werden, dann wird es ihr letztes Album gewesen sein, so 

Blixa Bargeld. Ökonomische Realitäten nennt er das. Schade wär's. 

Nicht nur, weil ökonomische Realitäten die Zukunft einer Band 

bestimmen. Schade wär's auch, weil diese Platte richtig gut ist - und ich 

nach 27 Jahren Bandgeschichte die Einstürzenden Neubauten erstmals 

für mich entdeckt habe. 

Es beginnt mit einem stoisch rauschenden Bass; ein noch zaghaftes, 

aber dringliches Klavier setzt ein. Blixa besingt die Unbeständigkeit der 

Wellen, und doch ist der Opener so vorhersehbar wie schön zugleich: 

Langsam steigern sich Schlagzeug, Klavier und Bass; Bratsche und 

Cello setzen ein, werden lauter und lauter und dringlicher und noch 

dringlicher, bis der Opener schließlich auf seinem Höhepunkt bricht und 

tosend in der Brandung zerschellt. Es folgt das wunderbar 

zerbrechliche "Nagorny Karabach", und ich frage mich: Wie kann es 

sein, dass die Neubauten solche Pop-Perlen einst verschmähten Gut, 

es gibt auch schwache Songs wie das zu liedermacherhafte "Ich hatte 

ein Wort". Es dominieren aber die großen Momente. Und in Songs wie 

"Let's Do It Dada" hört man die erfrischende Spielfreude der 

Neubauten. Ansonsten gibt es herrliche Basslinien (auch in "Nagorny 

Karabach"), hypnotische Beats mit insistierenden Wortwiederholungen 

("Weil weil weil"), Neubauten-typische Ausuferungen mit viel Metall 

("Unvollständigkeit") und Dialoge mit der Vergangenheit (für "Susej" 

wurde eine alte Gitarrenspur von 1982 verwendet). Also, ein weiteres 

Album bitte noch. Das wäre super. Ich habe euch doch gerade erst 

gefunden." [Manuel Czauderna / INTRO] 

"....The real machine sounds and steel percussion experiments like they 

made until FM Einheit left the band in the ‘90s, will not return but the 

band did professionalize their little sonic miniatures that are not yet 

ballads but also not endless exercitations in experimental music. 

Industrial is again more present on Alles Wieder Offen than on previous 

releases, such as is obvious in ‘Weil Weil Weil’ and ‘Let’s Do It A Dada’. 

Beauty and melancholy however are the key words that characterize 

the music of Einsturzende Neubauten and the poetic lyricism of Blixa 

Bargeld gets more and more focussed, such as one can hear in 

‘Nagorny Karabach’ and ‘Ich Schatte Ein Wort’. His lyrics are diverse in 

style and also in their meaning and they make up an important part in 

the avant-garde music of Einsturzende Neubauten who in their 

compositions often ingeniously build towards a climax as is 

demonstrated in ‘Von Wegen’, ‘Unvollstandigkeit’ and ‘Ich Warte’. 

Alles Wieder Offen is a very direct and compact, quite accessible 

Einsturzende Neubauten recording that in atmosphere combines the 

best of Ende Neu with elements from the industrial past and sharp 

poetic lyricism from Blixa Bargeld. Really Recommended!" [Gothtronic] 

* ENCOMIAST - Untitled (Aesthesia) CD (Lens Records 0016, 

2007) € 13.00 

"Encomiast have been harvesting an audience of enthusiastic music 

fans for almost a decade now. With six full-length releases, 2 EP’s and 

half a dozen compilation appearances, Encomiast are one of the most 

highly regarded and prolific artists in the dark ambient/drone genre. For 

this Self-titled CD - Encomiast mined their extensive early recordings 

and un-released material to compile, edit and re-master six tracks that 

give a glimpse into where it all started. Lens Records released 

Encomiast’s Winter's End CD in 2001 - a release recently described as 

‘a delirious blend of dark dreamy blackened drones and shimmering 

cinematic ambience’ - the tracks on Self-titled revisit much of the same 

sonic territory." [label info] 

* EOM - Nada Mindnetsurfing Part 1 CD (Gaya Music GM 02814, 

1999) € 6.00 

"A journey into the space of ambientindustrial free indian music.." 

Nice but very unknown release by this project from southern Germany, 

combining indian field recordings (voices, flutes, tablas), live playing 

and electronic technoid & ambient-drone sounds, for a very spiritual, 

percussive and esoteric spacescape with an experiMENTAL edge..... 

for friends of I:WOUND, RAPOON, SILENTES-releases.... 

special price ! 

* ERIK M - Variations Opportunistes maxi-CD (Ronda rnd08, 

2007) € 10.00 

"Plunderphonics" mal ganz anders, nicht mit Vinyl-Schallplatten 

sondern mit CDs: Kurze Schnipsel von Cembalo-Musik, Strawinsky, 

etc. werden sozusagen de-fragmentiert ("blocked and repeated") und 

zu langen, flächig-fülligen Drones transformiert, wobei noch weitere 

Parameter (Frequenzen, Geschwindigkeit, Lautstärke, Räumlichkeit..) 

eine Rolle spielen. Das Ergebnis ist von erstaunlicher, fast schon 

entrückter Schönheit, wobei ein gewisser Obskuritätsfaktor stets 

präsent bleibt. Tip ! 4 tracks, 26+ minutes. 

"Variations Opportunistes was composed and created using a digital 

process: frames are blocked and repeated using a digital anomaly in a 

CD player and sound glitches are fragmented and recorded on a CD 

format. Diverse sound fragments are treated variably (frequency, range, 

amplitude, speed). The instrumental game consists of using different 

scratch and manipulation techniques in cuts, crescendos or 

decrescendos over variable speeds. These sound conditions are mixed 

simultaneously with several categories of sound syntheses. The result 

is surgical work on harmonic details, the sound frequency and its range 

and the defragmentation of sound (subtractive or additive synthesis, 

etc.) based on preexisting music for soloists or ensembles.This work 

was created during studies that began in 1997 on the generation and 

degeneration of sound frequency (sound synthesis), based on a 

preexisting sound or music set on a digital audio CD. The first research 

was based on the reuse of domestic CD players. This involved work on 

the very surface of optical supports (CD), the manipulation of optical 

heads (prism) and the use of diverse transparent materials, such as 

silicone or oily substances. CD: Zygosis (Sonoris 1999) was partially 

created with this concept. MINI CD: Frame (Cinéma pour l'oreille - 

Metamkine -1999) was entirely created with this concept. CD: Stème 

(composed in 2003 and edited by Room40 in 2007) also features this 

process. This practice was also used for diverse compositions, as well 

as my visual art and video projects." [credits] 

* ESPLENDOR GEOMETRICO - 1980-1982 do-CD (Staalplaat ST 

CD 061, 1993) € 18.00 

"Esplendor Geometrico was the leading industrial ensemble out of 

Spain. They began with a rather derivative style, best represented by 

the cassette Muerte A Escala Industrial (1981) and the single Necrosis 

en la poya (1981), but achieved with Mekano-Turbo (1988) the link 

between the harsh wall of noise of early "industrialists" and the 

electronic body music of their descendants. 1980-1982 (Staalplaat, 

1994) collects the first cassette and the first self-released album: this is 

Esplendor Geometrico at their most cacophonous, specializing in 

electronic distortions and drones. This is still an impressive piece of 

soundwork. This double CD permits finally to accede to EG early stuff to 

all those that we did not had the opportunity of making it previously. It 

contains the full "EG 1" tape, "Hroe del trabajo / El acero del partido" LP 

and "Necrosis en la poya" EP." [label info] 

* ESPLENDOR GEOMETRICO - Compuesto de hierro CD 

(Geometrik Records GR 2109, 2002) € 14.00 

Quite great E.G.-album from 2002 where they prove that they can still 

create quite advanced rhythmic structures with a very trancy & powerful 

feel to it. Asian samples (chants & singings) play a big role here, but 

match perfect with the repetitive pulses.. very pushing. 

"Finally the new album from Esplendor Geométrico, the legendary Industrial 

rhythm & noise Spanish cult band. It is more than four years now, since 

Polyglophone album, that they have not published new material. Compuesto de 

hierro is a less aggressive and more “serene” work than Polyglophone, its 11 

tracks are the most perfect example of the Industrial-tribal-noise sound of 

Esplendor, developed throughout two decades, reminding us sometimes of their 

most “ethnic” and aclaimed album, Mekano Turbo. The rhythms, hypnotic and 

very elaborated, are combined with mastery with lots of manipulated voices, 

analogical electronic sounds, and oriental (mostly Chinese) music recordings. 

Compuesto de hierro means a new point of view in the fusion of traditional or 

ethnic music with classic Industrial Music. Recorded in Beijing this year." [label 

info] 

* ESPLENDOR GEOMETRICO - 8 Traks & Live CD & DVD 

(Geometrik Records GRDIGI02, 2007) € 17.50 

"Geometrik presents the new EG album, recorded in 2007, in a double 

digipack including also a DVD. The audio CD includes 8 new tracks of 

neo-Industrial Trance built on loops of rhythm & noise with the unique 

and typical style of this international cult pioneer Industrial band. They 

get an hypnotic effect that can be very addictive to the listener. In 

respect to their last studio album, Compuesto de Hierro, (2003), 8 Traks 

and Live means a change towards the more rough, noisy and radical 

face of EG. The DVD includes the extraordinary, and first in ten years,

performance of EG in Madrid on last Festival Decibelio 2006 (June 

2006). All the tracks of the show are unreleased or quite different 

versions of known tracks as they add the crude voice of Arturo Lanz. 

There are also included two extras: an extract of a performance in 

Spain in 1994 (still with the historical founding member Gabriel Riaza), 

and the first recently recovered EG “video-clip”, Neuridrina (1981), 

created by the industrial musician and experimental Spanish artist 

Rafael Flores. This first edition in double digipack is limited to 1100 

copies." [press release] 

* EVIDENCE - Iris CD & DVD (Deep Listening DL 35-2007) 

€ 18.00 

EVIDENCE ist der Projektname eines Duos von SCOTT SMALLWOOD 

und STEPHAN MOORE, dies die zweite Veröffentlichung mit 11 

Stücken, die auf der DVD von verschiedenen Videokünstlern visuell 

"begleitet" wurden. Auf "Iris" dominieren flächige und loopige 

Arrangements, die wohl grösstenteils auf Feldaufnahmen basieren. Es 

ergeben sich mitunter rhythmische Muster, dröhnminimalistische (Anti)- 

Statik fusioniert mit field recordings... 

"Iris, the second CD release from the duo Evidence (Stephan Moore 

and Scott Smallwood) on the Deep Listening label, is also their first 

video release. The DVD has the same sonic material as the music on 

the CD, but it features video pieces by the duo's favorite live-video 

performers, including Benton-C Bainbridge, Betsey Biggs, Fi$h2000, 

Madeleine Gallagher, Dawn Haleta, David Lublin, Jonathan Lee 

Marcus, Olivia Robinson, skfl, Diana Reed Slattery, Jack Turner and 

Walter Wright. These pieces emphasize the spontaneity of the artists' 

live performances, the practice of using 'found' materials, and suggest 

the emergence of a regional aesthetic stemming from the recent hotbed 

of media performance centered around Troy, New York. Stephan Moore 

is a composer, improviser, audio artist, sound designer and software 

programmer from Marquette, Michigan, currently based in New York 

City. His work is grounded in the collection and investigation of 

environmental sound recordings and a fascination with the perception 

and properties of acoustic environments. Scott Smallwood deals with 

real and abstracted soundscapes based on a practice of listening, 

improvisation, and phonography. Ranging from sonic photographs, 

studio compositions, instrumental pieces, and improvisations, the 

resulting pieces are often textural, always mindful of space and 

subtlety." [lable info] 

* EX.ORDER - Corporate Control CD (Power and Steel PAS21, 

2007) € 13.00 

"...Um EX.ORDER, möglicherweise steht der Name für „Extinction 

Order“, war es längere Zeit still. Ihr letztes Studioalbum „The Infernal 

Age“ liegt schon fast zehn Jahre zurück. Aktiver betrieben die beiden 

Soundtüftler dahinter schon ihr mindestens genauso bekanntes, 

gemeinsames Ambient Projekt INADE, welches sich mit EX.ORDER 

jedoch auf allen Ebenen gar nicht vergleichen lässt. Thematischer 

Schwerpunkt des aktuellen Albums „Corporate Control“ ist das beliebte 

Terrorismus-Thema und zwar jene Art „Terrorismus“, die aus einer 

Verzweiflung heraus scheinbar nur noch nihilistisch-destruktiver 

Selbstzweck ist. Man denkt dann natürlich an islamistische 

Selbstmordattentäter und die Bilder im Booklet legen das auch nahe. 

Mehr gibt es typischerweise nicht zu interpretieren, man kann somit 

„Corporate Control“ als Dokumentation oder als begleitenden 

Soundtrack zu unserer beängstigenden Welt verstehen [...] 

Festzustellen ist eine für den Stil beträchtliche große 

Abwechslung, zahlreiche englische Samples sind zu vernehmen, 

verzerrter Stimmeinsatz, rhythmische Pulsschläge, eben alle typischen 

Trademarks dieser Art Musik. Auffallend ist, dass eben nicht pausenlos 

das Noise-Inferno losbricht, sondern auch viel "Atmosphärisches" 

geboten wird. "Skillful Killing" bietet hier ein gutes Beispiel, durch die 

Samples, vielleicht soetwas wie Polizeifunk, Pulsschläge, kreisende 

Hubschrauber, entsteht so ein Eindruck, als würde man sich 

voyeuristisch einem schrecklichen Unfallgeschehen nähern oder als 

wäre man gar selbst das Opfer, das grad völlig neben sich steht, also 

Vertonung einer "Out Of Body-Erfahrung". 

EX.ORDER schaffen es, einen Stil, der gerade bei ausländischen, 

neueren Projekten oft zur peinlichen Farce verkommen ist, immer 

interessant zu gestalten... " [Dominik T / NonPop] 

"While the last releases were focussed on archive and live recordings 

this is finally the all new album, following the INFERNAL AGE from 

1999. Ten tracks of an immensely raw sonic and violent aesthetic 

constructed through dark throbbing machine noises, crushing rhythmic 

layers and vocals. Highly explosive heavy electronics, uncompromising 

and provocative both sonically and visually. An unforgiving tour de force 

capturing the perfection of disorder. The absolute response to the 

nightmare that is the world we live in." [label info] 

* FAUST / NURSE WITH WOUND - Disconnected CD (Art-Errorist 

D/DIS1/07, 2007) € 13.50 

Der eh schon eigenwillige "Krautrock"-Sound von FAUST wird hier von 

STEVE STAPLETON wunderbar durch die Mangel genommen, 

krasse cut-ups und irrsinnige Arrangements sind hier Programm. 

STAPLETONs Sinn für abseitigen Humor scheint immer wieder durch, 

und natürlich gibt es auch Momente grosser TONKUNST. 

"Disconnected" ist ein Hybrid aus dem dilettantisch-avantgardistischen 

Krautrock von Faust, den markant holzige Basslinien Pérons, dessen 

seltsamen Spracheinlagen und dem markanten Schlagzeugeholze, 

dem metallisch-industriellen Geklapper und Gelärme und den 

repetitiven Perkussioneinlagen Diermaiers, und den bizarren Geräuschund 

Tonkollagen, bzw., dem monotonalen Tonwabern- und dröhnen 

von Nurse With Wound. Stapleton war schon immer stark vom 

experimentellen Krautrock beeinflusst (siehe dazu auch die Nurse-With- 

Wound-Liste), so dass man sagen kann, dass die akustischen 

Jagdgründe beider Projekte im Grunde dieselben sind. 

Gesang gibt es auf "Disconnected" kaum zu hören. Die dadaistischabsurden 

Liedchen, die Faust unter Pérons Führung sonst immer im 

Programm haben (siehe z.B. "faust ... in autumn"), sind nur im ersten 

Track "lass mich" zu hören. Die vier Nummern bilden im Grunde eine 

durchgehende, komplexe Soundmasse, seltsame Gemenge an Klang 

und Geräusch, mal schwebend, düster, elektronisch und klangvoll, mal 

hektisch, perkussiv, in kantigem, monoton dahinrumpelndem 

Krautrockgewand. Darin eingebettet sind oft weitere, 

Mikroklangereignisse, Sprachfetzen, elektronisches Gezirpe, Zischen, 

Fiepen, Schleifen und Dröhnen, diverses Geklapper und Gerumpel und 

allerlei weitere, unerfindliche Töne und Sounds. Reichlich wirr und 

schräg ist das Ganze dabei, entfaltet aber eine sehr eigene, durchaus 

einheitliche Atmosphäre, wirkt trotz all des Durcheinanders nicht 

zerhackstückt oder ziellos. 

"Disconnected" bietet somit ein sehr eindrucksvolles Klangpuzzle, 

mitunter aber auch mächtige, glaziale Tongebirge, die sich entweder 

aus einem Dschungel an wirren Soundkonstrukten, oder aus 

tiefgründigen, dunklen Klangseen erheben. Beeindruckend! 

Reicht Ne ... reicht noch lang nicht! Mehr davon!" [Babyblaue Seiten] 

"Two legendary entities from the experimental hinterlands unite for this 

challenging collaborative outing. Krautrock icons Faust team up with 

ferocious British electronics experts Nurse With Wound resulting in a 

line-up featuring Zappi Diermaier, Steven Stapleton, Jean-Herve Peron, 

Colin Potter and Amaury Cambuzat. Although the initial psychedelic 

benevolence of 'Lass Mich' is redolent of the Faust crew, it's not long 

before the far-flung concrète machinations of NWW take a stranglehold 

on the album's sonic make-up. The album's title track is an unsettling 

drone piece, loaded with tension and a jarringly discordant 

conglomeration of organic and synthetic tones. After eight and a half 

minutes or so have expired you'll think you're listening to some sort of 

unholy, monastic chanting, but soon the comparatively soothing sounds 

of hand-played percussion establishes a welcoming rhythm, and the 

disjointed electroacoustic weirdness of 'Tu M'entends' fires up. Finally, 

closing piece 'It Will Take Time' evokes the disorientating wave systems 

of 'Disconnected' before gradually slipping into a kind of elongated gong 

resonance at the end. Compelling stuff from two remarkable groups. 

Highly recommended." [unknown reviewer] 

* FEAR FALLS BURNING / NADJA - same CD (Conspiracy 

Records core049, 2007) [lim.1000] € 13.00 

Zwei Projekte aus dem "Metal / Guitar-Drone"-Bereich die zur Zeit 

sicher zu den beliebtesten gehören, in Zusammenarbeit. 

Vier Stücke, fast 60 Minuten, obsessiver Metal-Drone-Doom Noise und 

industrialized Monumental-Drone mit zeitlupenhaften elektronischen 

Rhythmen. Sehr betäubend grandios v.a. die zweite Hälfte (movements 

3 & 4) mit wahren Trance-Drone Exkursionen, eine Art sumpfiger 

Morast-Musik... 

"On their first full-length collaboration CD Fear Falls Burning and Nadja 

display their wilful approach to drones with 4 epic songs, full of sustain, 

pulses and dynamics. Grand in theme, sound and atmosphere. This 

album draws inspiration from their critically-acclaimed lp for Conspiracy 

Records while pushing the boundaries on their sound as an entity. This 

album entirely consists of new material. Limited to 1000 copies, in 

digipak." [label info] 

"As a music obsessive, it's inevitable that you spend some time 

fantasizing about the perfect musical match ups. Most of them could 

never happen, or maybe should never happen, others wouldn't sound 

as good as one might hope, but some have in fact taken place 

(SUNNO))) and Boris) and far surpassed our expectations. Which 

brings us to this, a collaboration between Canadian dream doom duo 

Nadja, and Dutch one man guitarmy Dirk Serries. These two 

powerhouses have met up once before, as part of that super limited 

Conspiracy Records anniversary series, and the sound here is quite 

similar, hovering somewhere between the colossal crush we know both 

are capable of, and a surprisingly dreamy drift. 

Four lengthy tracks, each more sound than song, but that's 

exactly as it should be. The opener takes the blown out vacuum 

cleaner buzz of Total or Skullflower and smears it into soft edged

swells, an almost static, barely undulating wall of whirring warmth, 

which quickly dissipates, leaving just a muted minimal shimmer. The 

second track is more of the same, a massive pulsing rumble smeared 

with wispy swaths of fuzzy distortion, but with a bit of percussion 

added, an industrial clang and thump buried way down in the mix, 

while above the roiling guitars are draped spidery streaks of 

coruscating feedback, a sort of Skullflower / SUNNO))) style mashup. 

Blissful and blown out, but at the same time dark and strangely 

ominous. 

Track three is the anomaly here, the 'quiet' number, a sort of 

spacious drift, with tons of room sound, simple drumming way down in 

the mix all Dead C style, some ghostly melodies, and haunting 

snippets of clean guitar surfacing here and there and what sounds 

like seasick organs warbly and wavering. So haunting and pretty. 

And finally, the closer, which begins with some slightly 

atonal Nitsch style drones, a wash of what sounds like moaning horns 

but must be guitars, tense and intense, drawn out for what seems like 

forever, when suddenly a wall of crumbling distorted guitars drop 

from the sky like it's raining anvils, a plodding drum beat 

underpinning the now suddenly caustic riffage, a gorgeously blown out 

slab of impossibly heavy, and simultaneously strangely lovely, ultra 

dooooooooom." [Aquarius Records] 

* FENNESZ / SAKAMOTO - Cendre CD (Touch TONE32, 2007) 

€ 14.50 

"...die Tracks werden durchgehend beherrscht von einer wohlwollenden 

Ruhe, von sanften Drones, die weit hinten angezerrt glitzern, ab und zu 

hektische Sprengsel der Schaltkreise zulassen und ansonsten das 

Piano von Sakamoto ganz klar in den Vordergrund stellen, das 

beruhigende Grundbrummen Fenneszs Gitarrenverstärkers als 

Ausgangspunkt für die überwältigende, vielleicht gerade weil so 

verwaschene, Schönheit nehmen. Die Töne und Akkorde, die 

Sakamoto spielt, sind an einer Hand abzuzählen, betupfen ganz gezielt 

die große Fläche, die Fennesz um das Piano aufbaut und so bleibt am 

Ende die Überzeugung, dass Fennesz und Sakamoto die plausibelste 

Reinkarnation von Budd und Eno sind." [de.bug] 

"This release features a duet between Christian Fennesz (guitar-lapop) 

and Ryuichi Sakamoto (piano-laptop) - a continuing collaboration 

between two highly regarded composers. Their first, 'Sala Santa 

Cecilia', was a 19 minute overture from their live performance in Rome 

in November 2004 (Touch # Tone 22, 2005). So now we have 

'Cendre'... 'Cendre' was recorded between 2004 and 2006 in New York 

City by Ryuichi Sakamoto and in Vienna by Christian Fennesz. They 

came together for the mix in New York City in February of that year. 

Fennesz would send Sakamoto a guitar or electronic track and 

Sakamoto would compose his piano piece. This process was also 

reversed - Sakamoto initiating the track with a piano composition and 

Fennesz responding. Meanwhile they met for live shows, or 

communicated via digital means to compare notes, swop ideas and 

develop themes... And the cyclical process continued right up until the 

final mix. Ryuichi Sakamoto and Christian Fennesz blend the 

unstructured and imaginative qualities of improvisation with the 

satisfying sculpture of composition. Sakamoto's piano, his style 

reminiscent of Debussy and Satie, perfectly complements Fennesz with 

his powerful blend of shimmering guitar and passionate electronics." 


* FIRE IN THE HEAD – As the nest burns CD (Autarkeia acd009, 

2005) [lim. 500] € 13.00 

Exzellenter Trauma-Harsh-Noise von diesem neuen US-Projekt mit 

surrealen und manischen Qualitäten, verstörend veränderte Stimmen 

und Sounds überall, extrem düster & psychotisierend! Intensiv ! 

“Fire In The Head” is probably one of the garish artists of “noise/power 

electronics”, representing the famous school of the USA. The project’s 

author Michael Page previously participated at live performances of the 

legendary Giovanni Balistrer’s project SLOGUN, also closely linked to 

the livery of NY sound terrorists. “As The Nest Burns” is short, but 

highly hysterical, brutal and dark album of “noise/power electronics” 

stylistics. Michael Page masterly plays with amplitude of different tracks 

intension. Slackened, leaden, psychedelic sounds overgrow into the 

avalanche of terribly aggressive and hysterical noise, gradually flooding 

back as unusual and uncomfortable sound stream. “As The Nest Burns” 

is a sort of element of otherworld civilization, starting its sudden 

extension, transformation and smashing attack. There are many 

fragments of distorted vocal in this album, making the tracks especially 

threatful. This is a completely new, reformed attack of USA “power 

electronics” tradition against the normal and moral world. Do you know 

what happens as the nest burns Then the children burn!!!“ [Written 

by Lashisha] 

"As The Nest Burns” is an album about the darkest depths of 

psychosis, about the delusions and actions over which one has no 

control when entrenched in a manic state and the nightmares from 

which some never awaken. It is an album born in the blackest of times, 

to be listened to in the blackest of times. With this recording F/I/T/H 

experiments with new arsenal of sounds and techniques adding a 

heavily psychedelic edge to his mix of noise/power electronics/drone. 

These are the straight-jacketed screams from the bowels of a mental 

institution.”[wrten by Michael Page, FIRE IN THE HEAD] 

* FIRST HUMAN FERRO feat. KENJI SIRATORI - Adamnation CD 

(Eibon Records FhF071, 2007) € 13.00 

SIRATORIs Stimme versinkt hier in einem Strudel aus wahrhaft 

symphonischem "White Noise"-Drone, es schälen sich erkennbare 

COIL-artige Synth-Strukturen heraus, melancholischer Elfengesäng, 

geisterhafte Sounds, fremdartig orientales Flair, dann eher noisige 

Attacken, etc etc.. sehr sehr abwechslungsreich, diese Mischung aus 

Industrial & eher sanften Ambient-Harmonien oder Folk-Melodien, wo 

immer mal wieder SIRATORIs Poetry auftaucht, oft ultra-verzerrt, wie 

aus einer Zwischenwelt zu uns herauf / herab-tönend... this is a quite 

unique surrealistic space-noise roller-coaster .... 

"What happens when modern classical music meets power noise, 

female sopranos meet dark ambiences, harsh death industrial voices 

melt with traditional melodies First Human Ferro are bringing 

experimental music to new territories......."[label info] 

* FIVE THOUSAND SPIRITS - Synapse-Shaihulad CD (Faria 

Records FAR-11, 2007) € 13.00 

"Five Thousand Spirits - it is collaboration between Alio Die and Runes 

Order. What we will have if we will mix the best works of "Bad Sector" 

and "Klaus Schulze", to add in them deep ambient moods from "Alio 

Die" and hypnotic-trance analogue electronic from "Runes Order" 

We shall have the delightful pearl which has collected in all best from 

different styles of intellectual electronics! 

The meeting of synthesist Raffaele Serra and Alio Die (supported this 

time by Zeit) create here an excellent quality of sound, in Synapse S. 

you will find the amazing moods and a lot of aesthetic pleasure. This is 

5000 Spirits's treasure box, recommended to all music lovers. 

As always, each track is accompanied wonderful artwork of Sara 

Luciani, which develop the concept of album in art area." [label info] 

* FOVEA HEX - Neither speak or remain silent part 3 : Allure 

maxi-CD (Die Stadt DS 89 / JR 003, 2007) € 13.00 

Dritter Teil der himmlischen Trilogie mit drei weiteren Stücken von 

mehrstimmigen Elogen in denen sich elektronische Flächen & mit Folk- 

Einflüssen vermischen, getragen & ultra-slow und von fast schon nichtirdischer 

Schönheit.... das geht fast als sanftere & weibliches Pendant 

zu MARTYN BATES durch! 

"Third and final part of the Neither Speak Nor Remain Silent series by 

Fovea Hex, the critically-acclaimed project featuring Clodagh Simonds, 

Colin Potter, Laura Sheeran, Cora Venus Lunny, Robert Fripp, Percy 

Jones, Donal Lunny, John Contreras, Michael Begg, Steven Wilson 

(Porcupine Tree)." [label info] 

* FOVEA HEX - Neither speak or remain silent 3 x maxi-CD-BOX 

(Die Stadt DS 89B / JR 003B, 2007) € 38.00 

Schmucke Papp-Box mit allen drei Teilen der "Neither speak or remain 

silent"-Serie, mit Musik die sich mitunter fast komplett von irdischer 

Bodenhaftung entfernt und ganz sanft ins Nichts entgleitet... 

"A limited box including all three parts of the series: Bloom, Huge and 

Allure. Embossed cover." No extra music in this box version, but the 

packaging is luxurious. Quote from Brian Eno: "Some of the most 

extraordinary songs I've heard in years." [label info] 

* FRITH, FRED - The Happy End Problem CD (ReR megacorp 

ReR/FRA05, 2006) € 14.00 

" The Happy End Problem beinhaltet zwei Tanztheaterkompositionen, 

die Fred Frith im neuen Jahrtausend für Amanda Miller und ihre Pretty 

Ugly Dance Company komponiert hat. Uraufgeführt wurden die Stücke 

im Stadttheater Freiburg, im May 2003 ("The Happy End Problem") 

bzw. im April 2004 ("Imitation" - die Tracks 1-9). 

Recht akustisch wirkt „Imitation“, welches von Streichinstrumenten, 

Gitarre, Piano und etwas Perkussion bestimmt wird. Dazu kommen 

sehr verhaltene elektronische Sounds und Klangspielereien von Patrice 

Scanlon. Für Frithsche Verhältnisse ist "Imitation" erstaunlich melodisch 

und zahm ausgefallen. Fast elegisch und sentimental, sehr klassischkammermusikikalisch 

und entspannt kommen hier die Klänge aus den 

Boxen. Einzig die Pianolinen entwickeln ab und zu eine gewisse 

betriebsame Hektik. Ansonsten schreitet die Musik getragen, sehr 

schlicht, fast karg dahin. Recht prominent in der Musik steht Carla 

Kihlstedts Violine, die häufig die Melodieführung übernimmt. 

Das lange Titelstück ist dagegen etwas anders gestrickt. Deutliche 

elektronischer in der Ausrichtung, angereichert mit einigen 

Tonbandeinspielungen verschiedener Naturgeräusche, wirkt die 

Komposition fremdartiger und komplexer, wie ein großformatiges 

Klanggemälde, welches im zweiten Teil kurzzeitig zu einem recht 

wirren, schrägen und minimalistischen Elektro-RIO-

Kammerrockdurcheinander gerät. Trotzdem ist die Nummer vielleicht 

das elektronischste Stück, welches ich von Frith kenne. 

"The Happy End Problem" ist ein weiteres Beispiel für die Vielseitigkeit 

des ehemaligen Gitarristen von Henry Cow. Wer die Musik von Frith 

schätzt, wird mit diesem Album sicher keinen Fehlkauf tun!" [Achim 

Breiling / Babyblaue Seiten] 

"A new recording, and instantly a Fred classic. Two, related, smallensemble 

works for 6 and 7 musicians respectively - mostly strings of 

one sort or another, with percussion, flute and clarinet occasionally, and 

electronics. Fred, violinist Carla Kilsteht and percussionist Willie Wynant 

play throughout, providing continuity across the pieces as the music 

constantly unfolds into new textures and dialects. Melody, harmony and 

rhythm are omnipresent, though not always obviously colluding, and the 

music moves with constant assurance, never hesitating and never 

marking time. There are some affinities with Nicola Kodjbashias 

luminous Solitary Walker (which it predates) in its use of minimal 

instrumentation to maximum effect, popular materials, exquisite 

articulation and a kind of modest transcendence. The necessity and 

simplicity of these pieces conceals a catalogue of experimental 

techniques and novel ideas; there are those whod have squeezed a 

score of albums from this material. A gem. Buy it. Carla Kilsteht shines 

throughout." [label description] 

* FRITH, FRED - Impur CD (ReR Megacorp FRFC 1, 2006) 

€ 14.00 

"In 1996, at the end of a two year residency, Fred organised an event at 

LEcole Nationale de Musique de Villeurbanne in France. He roped in as 

many of the students as he could, grouped according to their 

departments (early music, rock, African drumming, classical &c), and 

set them up in all the rooms in the building. The public wandered 

around creating their own mix, or sat in the courtyard listening to the 

sound drifting out through the open windows. For their part, each group 

of musicians played their own specially written music and occasionally 

were asked to improvise, all of them following a precise time-score 

prepared by Fred (55 minutes long). Synchronize watches. The whole 

thing was recorded on 4 A DAT machines and was later mixed - this 

was the result: an exiting, lurching and capricious beast with many 

heads, by turns an orchestra tuning up, a salute to Sonny Blount, a 

roiling chaotic mass of sound that splitting into layers colliding back 

together, pullulating, ululating, roaring and sometimes mewing like a 

kitten." [label description] 

* FULLMAN, ELLEN & SEAN MEEHAN - same CD (Cut Records 

cut022, 2007) € 15.00 

Wieder sehr schöne Aufnahmen von ELLEN FULLMAN und ihren 

urlangen aufgespannten Drähten, hier in Zusammenarbeit mit SEAN 

MEEHAN der Snare-Drums mit Becken bespielt und dadurch 

zusätzliche Vibrationen erzeugt.... endlose Schwingungen, erhaben und 

sonor, sehr "nah" und obertonreich, 3 Stücke die verschiedene 

Stimmungen erzeugen sind hier enthalten... 

"Longtime friends who had hoped to play together for some time, 

Fullman and Meehan were surprised by the initial efforts of their 

collaboration. Their instruments--or rather the sounds of their 

instruments meeting in the acoustic space--strongly influenced one 

another: combination tones, sympathetic resonances, beating, and 

even cancellation of each other's sound. Mapping routes through this 

unusual territory would become the piece presented here in three parts. 

The recording was made Easter (R.C.) weekend 2006. It is an acoustic 

work, recorded in stereo, without overdubbing or effects. Ellen 

Fullman's long string instrument is a unique instrument of her own 

invention. Waist high, parallel wires, strung in two sets span 14 meters. 

Fullman produces rich, microtonal drones by pacing up and down the 

wires and applying friction with her fingertips. Each of her ten fingers 

precisely finds the appropriate string and the sound emanates from 

wooden box resonators bolted into the wall. At her studio where this CD 

was recorded, the strings run through the patio door and terminate in 

the backyard: the extra length affords me an additional lower octave, 

Fullman explains. For the last ten years or so, Sean Meehan has been 

focusing on playing the snare drum with cymbals. On this recording he 

produces long, continuous tones from them using a dowel and friction. 

This work was premiered at the Instal Festival, Scotland.'" [label info] 

"....Fullman plays long string instruments, up to 20 metres. Here 

however they are a bit shorter, 14 metres, which she plays with her 

fingers. The high and low pitched, long sustaining sounds form a nice 

floating mass of sounds. Here she plays an all improvised duet with 

Sean Meehan, who plays the snare drum with cymbals, and on this 

recording he plays it with a dowel and a friction. The three lengthy 

pieces here are covered with overtones, slowly humming and 

reverberating (all in a natural manner of course, as this is an all acoustic 

recording with no electronics). It's entirely unclear how Meehan gets his 

instrument to resonate in such a similar beautiful manner, but once 

floating away, I don't think I really care how. Along the lines of Paul 

Panhuysen's long string installations of the mid eighties, this is a true 

beauty. Here too one could argue nothing much changed over the 

years, but since it's been so long since we last heard from Fullman that 

we can forgive her. Great CD." [Fdw / Vital Weekly] 

* GHOSTS ON WATER - same maxi-CD (Faraway Press 12, 

2007) € 15.00 

Mini-Album welches es eine sehr introvertierte und zarte Stimmung 

ausstrahlt: Pianotupfer, ätherische Gesänge, Flötenbrisen, sanfte 

drones.. dahinter stecken NAOKU und DAISUKE SUZUKI und 

ANDREW CHALK. 

"The second full release of recordings by Naoko & Daisuke Suzuki with 

Andrew Chalk, now titled as Ghosts on Water." Naoko Suzuki (vocals), 

Daisuke Suzuki (vocals, flute, percussion, field recordings), Andrew 

Chalk (keyboards, kantele). "'Pale shadow" whispers its intentions to 

the wind amidst gentle melodies (courtesy of Chalk's keyboards and 

kantele) whose East-tinged imperturbability attribute a deep thrust to 

something that, coming from other hands, could even have been 

classified as an outtake. Both 'Fall and flow' and 'In October skies' are 

heavily typified by Naoko and Daisuke Suzuki's voices, first through 

uncertain lines on a field recording-based, extremely subtle 

background, then in a dissonant prayer made of intersecting improvised 

chants that depict strange colours and shapes for about three minutes. 

'Snowy fields sparkle aglow' is the record's top as far as sheer beauty is 

concerned, a mix of melancholically tranquil piano figures over 

murmuring layers of uncertain origin, moving between remembrance 

and pastel-like sadness with the right touch of naïveté. 'Wings of day' 

ends this (unfortunately) short CD with the same atmospheres, 

keyboards and vocals informing a barely seamed tapestry whose levity 

is directly proportional to its soulful substance." [Massimo Ricci] 

* GIFFONI, CARLOS - Arrogance CD (No Fun Productions NFP-08, 

2007) € 13.00 

"Five chapters of sound inspired by one of the most powerful and 

complex emotions of humankind. Arrogance is a departure from the 

digital machine insanity of his previous full length release, Welcome 

Home (Important Records), for a world of total analog electronics, 

primal energy, walls of monumental sound and precise attention to 

layers - creating massive slowly evolving structures that are both 

beautiful and terrifying. Arrogance is the first CD release on the No Fun 

Productions label. Recorded live with no overdubs in Brooklyn during a 

12 month period by Carlos Giffoni and mastered by James Plotkin. 

Cover artwork by award winning artist-designer Megan Ellis.' [label info] 

* GIRNU GIESMES - Tiems, kas budi uz slenkscio CD (Autarkeia 

acd014, 2006) [lim. 500] € 13.00 

Das lange existierende litauische Projekt GIRNU GIESMES präsentiert 

auf "Tiems,..." einen ausgefeilten Mix aus elektronischer Drone- 

Ambience & experimentellen Soundscapes, meist hypnotisch 

pulsierend , insgesamt eher elektronisch ausgerichtet, mitunter leicht 

rhythmisch (aber nie banal, eher langsam driftend), Geräusch- & Voicesamples 

sind auch dabei, das ganze ist sehr spannend arrangiert ... 

Anklänge an TELEPHERIQUE, VROMB, instrumentelle COIL oder BAD 

SECTOR, aber sehr eigenständig.. 

"Laurynas Jukonis, the author of GIRNŲ GIESMĖS project and the 

pioneer of the Lithuanian post-industrial, has dedicated his ninth album 

Tiems, kas budi už slenksčio (For Those Who Keep Vigil Beyond the 

Threshold) to the next element of the archaic worldview of the 

Lithuanians, that is, the mythological sagas. To be more precise, it is 

dedicated to the weird reality functioning in accordance with specific 

laws in sagas that has been deeply ingrained in human mind from time 

immemorial. The modern rationalism has not managed to destroy this 

system until our days. Probably the mythological reality with all its 

strange creatures can relatively be called the remnant of the evolved 

shamanism. This is arcane, but not necessarily unapproving worldview 

of the supernatural world as the dark powers. The latest GIRNŲ 

GIESMĖS album conveys exactly these features. Each track projects a 

fascinating interpretation of the archaic thinking system in music. 

Vivacious and a bit eerie music of Tiems, kas budi už slenksčio album 

is difficult to define in terms of music style. Some tracks sound with 

mysterious psychedelic ambient, while the others reverberate with 

bizarre broken rhythms and loops. Yet, a strong and interesting mood is 

undoubtedly created by the rich and professionally compiled sound 

collages featured in the CD." [label info] 

* GOVERNMENT ALPHA - Spontanous Combustion CD (L.White 

Records LW-033, 2005) [lim.300] € 13.50 

"10 brandnew tracks with 50 minutes full of extreme harsh noise from 

Japan / ultra heavy destructive tortured electronic powernoise" [label 

info] 

* G*PARK - Seismogramm CD (Blossoming Noise BN021Cd, 

2007) € 13.00

Wiederveröffentlichung der tollen (und einzigen) LP von diesem 

Schweizer Projekt, die eine höchst kreative Verwendung von Natur- und 

Umweltobjekten vorführt, eine geniale Geräuschmusikplatte die auch 

heute noch strange und entrückt klingt, voller ungeahnter Klänge & 

Atmosphären..... 

"Remastered from the original tapes by MARC ZEIER, Seismogramm 

was first released as a limited edition LP in 1990 on the Swiss 

Schimpfluch Int. label. One of the original (1986) and most elusive 

SCHIMPFLUCHGRUPPE members operating in the vein of the 

Viennese aktionists." [label info] 

* GRAILS - The Burden of Hope CD (Neurot Recordings 

NER029CD, 2003) € 14.50 

"Violine, Gitarre, Piano und Drums treffen auf auf düstere Melodien und 

massive Emotionen. Dieses Instrumentalalbum ist die erste full-length 

Platte von GRAILS aus Portland, formerly known als LAUREL 

CANYON. // The debut full-length from Portland instrumental 

soundbuilders the GRAILS (formerly known as LAUREL CANYON). An 

awesomely communicative but entirely instrumental album, delivered 

with strong, narrative melodies, resonating ambience, and a dynamic 

use of violin, guitars, piano, and drums. Features members of JACKIE- 

O MOTHERFUCKER, HOLY SONS, and MOSS ICON." [label info] 

* GRAILS - Red Light CD (Neurot Recordings NER034CD, 

2004) € 14.50 

"Auf der Basis von Acoustic Folk Traditionen und der Dynamik des 

Postrock erschaffen GRAILS einen Sound, der einen mit seiner 

Spannung und zwingenden Schönheit sofort gefangen nimmt. Jeder 

Versuch einer Kategorisierung schlägt fehl, wenn das in Portland 

beheimatete Quartett instrumentale Epen von ungeheurer Wucht vor 

einem ausbreitet, ohne dabei laut, übertrieben instrumentiert oder 

lärmig zu sein. Nein, auf "Red light" zählt allein die Atmosphäre und der 

unbedingte Wille, Töne ganze Geschichten erzählen zu lassen. 

Melodien treffen auf Improvisationsstrukturen, wie man sie von Helden 

wie MOGWAI, DIRTY THREE und GODSPEED YOU! BLACK 

EMPEROR gewohnt ist, auch wenn GRAILS deren Ambiententwürfen 

eine eigene Verliebtheit zur Melodie entgegenstellen." [Cargo] 

"The sophomore album from enigmatic Portland instrumentalists 

GRAILS. Ten tracks that take the lush and even-keeled feel of the 

band's debut, (often compared to Godspeed You Black Emperor), and 

torches them up with a flame of anxious tension, extreme dynamics, 

and an urgent tone." [label info] 

* GRAILS - Burning Off Impurities CD (Temporary Residence, 

2007) € 14.50 

Instrumentaler Wüsten-Rock mit Orient- / Osteuropa- / Folk-Touch, der 

mitunter an SAVAGE REPUBLIC erinnert, mit langen sphärischfliessenden 

Parts und natürlich einem gehörigen 70er Jahre Prog- & 

Kraut & Psychedelic-Einfluss... 

"Das typisch postrockige Dahinfließen der Musik mit gelegentlichen 

Gitarrenausbrüchen ist hier einer treibenden Rhythmik gewichen, über 

der in bester Krautrock-Manier gejammt wird, bis zu den ultimativen 

psychedelischen Gitarren-Freakouts von Outer Banks und Origin-ing. 

Dabei wird gerne auch mal folkloristisches Flair eingebracht, wie die 

Oud (arabische Laute) in Silk Rd oder die bluesige Slide-Gitarre in 

Dead Vine Blues. Mit der reinen Lehre des Postrock haben Grails hier 

nicht mehr viel zu tun, das geht viel mehr in Richtung Neo-Psychedelik 

oder Neo-Krautrock. Angesichts des musikalischen Stillstands manch 

anderer Postrocker ist eine solche Weiterentwicklung aber durchaus zu 

begrüßen. Vor allem Krautrock-Fans sollten hier mal reinhören!" 

[Babyblaue Seiten] 

"AQ faves the Grails continue their tour of highly regarded 

independent record labels (past releases have been birthed by Neurot, 

Important, Southern and Aurora Borealis) with this new album on 

instrumental post rock haven Temporary Residence. It's a perfect fit 

too. Burning Off Impurities picks right up where the Portland band 

left off last year, matching the potency of their 2006 release Black 

Tar Prophecies Vol's 1, 2, & 3. Daggers of electric guitar slice 

through imposing clouds of drone which dissipate briefly to reveal 

mystical melodic elements richly steeped in Eastern European gypsy 

folk influences. Gradually the drones close in once again, blanketing 

the proceedings with a slowly shifting, heavy-lidded atmosphere. A 

somber, smoldering beauty. So recommended." [Aquarius Records] 

* GRASSOW, MATHIAS / RÜDIGER GLEISBERG / AMIR BAGHIRI - 

Arcanum CD (Faria Records FAR-12, 2007) € 12.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der 98'er Amplexus CD mit 2 Bonustracks, 

wieder in aufwendiger Artwork (Covermappe mit diversen Postkarten) 

auf dem St. Petersburger FARIA-Label. 

"This is rerelease of legendary masterpiece from 3 famous german 

composers. "Arcanum" - it is collaboration of three different musical 

styles which creates a unique arcanum of excellent music. Mathias 

Grassow fills compositions his special deep mood drone ambient. Amir 

Baghiri adds his hypnotic percussions and Rudiger Gleisberg plays 

wonderful cosmic electronics. It will enjoyable to all music lovers! 

Previously released by Amplexus label as ltd of 500 copies at 1998 and 

totally sold out few years ago. 

Now rereleased with two bonus tracks, and luxury pack with artworks of 

Markus Vogt with several cards inside. 

"Arcanum" is a deep ritualistic journey from Mathias Grassow, Rudiger 

Gleisberg and Amir Baghiri. The deep minimalist soundscapes reflect 

the diverse influences that these three performers bring to the table. 

Techno tribal passages, deep synth drones, dark atmospheres and arid 

desert ethnicities fill every corner of this soundworld. The density of the 

gray soundscape is otherworldly. I found myself journeying to foreign 

lands and exotic locales, some beyond our atmosphere. I went willingly 

as the deep rhythms and dark drones seduced me and prepared me for 

anything. I had a very powerful cleansing experience. Amir's deep 

desert washes, Mathias' spiritual manipulations and Rudiger's dark 

drones surrounded me safely and warmly as we explored the darker 

sides of my psyche. That protection empowered me to look beyond the 

dark to see the light on the other side of my inner self. Finally, refreshed 

and rejuvenated, we returned to the here and now. I look forward to 

more journeys with this trio of master electronicians." [label info] 

* GRASSOW, MATHIAS & THOMAS WEISS - Outland CD (Faria 

Records FAR-13, 2007) [lim. 500] € 12.00 

"A reflection from outer spaces in between the universe of our mind. 

A miniature of the endless space from far behind mankinds tangibility. 

To understand the real essence of the heart of the matter, often it is 

necessary to take a look from the distance. Just this distance shows 

structures and connections, which are otherwise impossible to see and 

grasp – because everyone himself is part of a certain situation. 

Therefore “Outland” stands for a journey into an “outer land”, to become 

an advanced view for realization. Luxury pack with artworks of Markus 

Vogt." [label info] 

* GROULT, CHRISTINE - La Condition captive CD (Trace 023, 

2007) € 13.50 

Collection of works created 1990-2006 by this female french composer, 

who also had a mCD in the Metamkine-series "cinema pour l'oreille". In 

these 8 pieces she establishes a very powerful music which doesn't 

sound "electro-acoustic" in a classical sense at all - it's more like a very 

intense & dark experimental earplay-collage, with an incredible amount 

of different & very clear concrete sounds derived from objects, 

instruments & the environment, but highly effected & assembled in an 

fascinating way. Pure cinema for the ears, our highest praise !! 

Imagine the intensity of BRUME of combined with the sound-detail 

richness of DHOMONT or PARMEGIANI... 

* GROUPER - Wide CD (Free Porcupine Society FPS17, 2006) 

€ 14.50 

Zweites Album des low-fi / folk / drone Songwriter-Projektes aus 

Oakland! Eine seltsame "Alice-in-Wonderland"-Welt tut sich einem auf, 

alles versinkt in endlosen Echo-Räumen, Gesänge & Gitarren tönen 

von endlosen Weiten heran...sphärischer, zum Teil mehrstimmiger 

Frauen-Gesang ist zu vernehmen, der an verzerrte "heavenly voices" 

erinnert, field recordings tauchen auf (z.B. fliessendes Wasser), leicht 

verstimmte Gitarren scheinen Programm zu sein, irgendwo sind auch 

tatsächlich sowas wie Song-Strukturen zu erkennen... von der 

Stimmung her tönt das melancholisch und von einer geradezu 

lieblichen Schrägheit, aber auch gefährlich 'far out", vielleicht zu weit... 

"Wide is the second full-length release from Oakland, California-based 

noise-artist Liz Harris (aka Grouper). This time around Harris adds a 

little more structure to the unsettling ambience that dazzled on 2005's 

Way Their Crept. These compositions are more song-oriented, and the 

spacey drones that haunted her debut have been beefed up with even 

more swirling layers of tape hiss, sputtering static and Harris's ghostlike 

vocals. Harris recently collaborated with the folks in fellow Free 

Porcupine Society ensemble 7 Year Rabbit Cycle on the fantastic Ache 

Horns and will be appearing next at Wire Magazine's 2006 Wire Fest 

with FPS label-mates Badgerlore." [label info] 

* GRUBBS, DAVID - Two Soundtracks for Angela Bulloch CD 

(Semishigure semi007, 2005) € 13.00 

Zwei sehr experimentelle Collagen-artige Stücke vom Ur-Gestein 

DAVID GRUBBS, die als Installations-Material für Filme der 

kanadischen (Klang)-Künstlerin ANGELA BULLUCH dienen. 

"David Grubbs (Bastro, Gastr Del Sol) has a long-standing history of 

collaboration and interest in contemporary visual arts. This new minialbum 

features two compositions commissioned by Angela Bulloch for 

two of her installation pieces. The two pieces on this CD accompany the 

works 'Z Point' and 'Horizontal Technicolour,' two major works that 

make use of - or, rather, are connected to -Antonioni's Zabriskie Point. 

'Z Point' is based on original film material of the famous desert 

explosion from the final scenes, whereas 'Horizontal Technicolour' uses

material filmed by the artist herself at Death Valley, a setting similar to 

the one used in the final scenes from Antonioni's film. The two pieces 

by David Grubbs are beautiful and intricate works in which the original 

Antonioni soundtrack, the translations of the film in other languages, 

and his own sound palette come together. They show yet another 

different approach to his diverse musical capacities and are maybe 

closest in spirit to his Thirty-Minute Raven mini-album on Rectangle. 

The CD comes with a 12-page booklet with previously unpublished stills 

from the Death Valley desert taken by Angela Bulloch." [label 

description] 

* GUDNADOTTIR, HILDUR / BJ NILSEN & STILLUPPSTEYPA - 

Second Childhood CD (Quecksilber 12, 2007) € 14.00 

"....Die Beschreibung der Musik ist recht einfach, weil eben nicht viel 

passiert. Umso schwieriger ist es, die hypnotisierende Wirkung zu 

erklären, die - meistens - davon ausgeht. Es ist spirituelle, inspirierende 

Musik, die ganz sicher etwas von der typisch isländischskandinavischen 

Wärme, Kraft, Magie und auch Dunkelheit hat. 

Künstler sind am Werk, die wissen und können, was sie tun. Denn 

anders wäre das Hervorrufen einer so tranceartigen Stimmung mit so 

'bescheidenen' Mitteln kaum möglich. Freunde von SIGUR RÓS 

werden sich hier zu Hause fühlen, allerdings müssen sie auf die 

emotionalen Ausbrüche verzichten und mit den leisen Passagen vorlieb 

nehmen. Ich bin mir noch nicht endgültig darüber im Klaren, ob mir 

"Second Childhood" an manchen Stellen vielleicht etwas zu leise ist. 

Ganz sicher weiß ich aber, dass ich die CD noch viele, viele Male 

anhören werde, um das herauszufinden." [Michael We. für nonpop.de] 

" Will there be a time when Stilluppsteypa will once again march 

out of the Icelandic tundra with a record all their own It has been 

three years since Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson and Helgi Thorsson 

produced anything other than their collaborations with BJ Nilsen; but 

if things progress as they have through those two impeccable albums 

of glacial drone damage (Vikinga Brennivin and Drykkjuvisur 

Ohljodanna) and a split LP only release, who the hell cares if they 

do anything by themselves For the fourth time, the drunken cabal of 

Nilsen / Sigmarsson / Thorsson return to the mixing desk with their 

psychotropic drones laced with Haflerian absurdity; and here on 

Second Childhood, the three have recruited the upcoming avant-garde 

cellist Hildur Gudnadottir, who has previously worked with the likes 

of Mum, Pan Sonic, and Johann Johannsson. 

With the opening growl of scratched cello hypnosis plunging 

into a deep void of low end vibrations, the notions of this collective 

Second Childhood being warm and fuzzy go out the window with plenty 

of references to the blackened sprawl generated by the likes of 

Corrupted, Black Boned Angel, or anything on Battlecruiser. As bleak 

as gaping minimalism is on most of Second Childhood, the 

atmospheres do lighten a bit with some narcotic ambient passages of 

heavily processed guitars and cello that come across like a meeting 

between Andrew Chalk and Colleen. Yet, as the album comes to a 

close, the mind-numbingly heavy drones return with the addition of 

pulsing post-Sahkho rhythms lurking in the background as if somebody 

next door was thumping out a minimal techno groove. Pretty much 

everything that BJ Nilsen and Stilluppsteypa produce is well worth 

investigating, and this continues to be true for their ongoing 

collaborations. Brilliant." [Aquarius Records] 

* GÜNTER, BERNHARD / HERIBERT FRIEDL - Trans~ CD 

(Nonvisualobjects NVO006, 2006) [lim. 300] € 13.00 

A slow dance of squeaking metal-sounds & drones on this interesting 

collaboration. 

"The most striking characteristic of TRANS~ is the use of a field 

recording of a group of three small power transformers I conceived as a 

kind of improvised piece, changing microphone positions to cull different 

sounds and overtone spectra from the transformers' intense hum. The 

field recording became our basis track for TRANS~, and is exceptionally 

well and seamlessly embedded in the piece. 

Heribert plays his amplified Hackbrett (cymbalon or hammered 

dulcimer), I play my electric cellotar, a self-made bamboo flute, and 

three harmonicas (two vintage Hohner BluesHarps bought in the 70's 

and a Hopf 'Golden Hit'). Unlike on Ataraxia, the flute took the back seat 

this time because the harmonicas' overtone spectrum blended so well 

with that of the transformers, and helped creating the harmonic richness 

of the piece. 

When asked to describe the piece, the first expression that came to my 

mind was 'music like weather' – a series of changes and 

transformations, a myriad of details that unfold according to their own 

intrinsic logic, but to no intended purpose, and invite the listener to 

follow their constant becoming and vanishing." [bernhard günter, 2006] 

* HALL OF MIRRORS - Reflections on black CD (Silentes minimal 

editions sme07, 2007) € 13.00 

Italienische dark ambient supergroup, ein Kollaborations-Projekt von 

AMON, NEFELHEIM und NIMH !! Dunkel, melancholisch, aber auch 

ausschweifend ausserweltlich & geräuschhaft.. 

eine perfekte Synthese der drei Projekte, exzellent! 

"Recorded during the summer of 2005 by NEFELHEIM and DANIELA 

GHERARDI. "Reflections in Black" was the predecessor to the "HALL 

OF MIRRORS" project (a dark transmission from the hearts and minds 

of AMON and NIMH). Instruments used to make these sounds were 

constant companions of the artists for days-on-end. This document 

utilizes an immense range of synthesizers and obscure electronic 

equipment. Complex compositions created with various sequencers, 

backing tapes, field recordings, electric guitar, and masterful audio 

processing techniques, combined with expert assembly (mixing/digital 

editing). With "Reflections in Black", AMON and NIMH redefines the 

genera of dark ambient music. A definite buy for fans of Lustmord and 

darker/gothic atmosphere. Isolationistic music for midnight rituals. Postmillennium 

soundscapes. Intensely foreboding... like watching storm 

coluds gather on a late summer night. Darkest beauty personified." 

[label info] 

* HATI - Works for Scrap Metal CD (Eter etcd06, 2007) 

[ed.of 500] € 13.00 

Sehr schöne Edition (dickes Siebdruck-Falt-Cover, Booklet) und 

Verdeutlichung ihres Konzeptes "Recycled Sound Installation". 

Alle erzeugten Klänge wurden auf Alltags-Schrott-Materialien (sowie 

daraus selbst gebauten Instrumenten) & rein akustisch aufgenommen. 

Die Benutzung von "Abfall" in einer eigentlich sinnentfremdeten Art & 

Weise kann aus HATIs Sicht zu einer erhöhten Sensibilität & neuen 

Zugangsweisen für die Ästhetik der Alltagswelt führen, und somit das 

Bewusstsein verändern oder erweitern. Im Vordergrund stehen dabei 

Gruppenerfahrungen von Katharsis, die während der Konzerte 

stattfinden sollen (weshalb HATI auch v.a. eine live-Band sind). 

"Works for Scrap Metal" beinhaltet eher ruhiges Material, HATI kitzeln 

dronig metallurgene & rauschende Pulses & Obertöne aus ihren 

Objekten, nicht nur live ist das ein Erlebnis, ein fast schon rituelles 

Eintauchen in die Mikrostruktur von Klang ! 

"New CD - includes music composed and performed on recycled 

instruments. Performed and recorded 'live in studio' by Rafal Iwanski 

and Dariusz Wojtas, Studio Eter, Torun, Poland. Track list: 1.Springs; 

2.Barrels I; 3.Shakers; 4.Chaingong; 5. Barrels II; 6.Lidgong; 

7.Coverchains; 8.Barrels III. Works for Scrap Metal is the intrinsic part 

of the project 100% Recycled Sound Installation. The booklet contains 

photos and 2 articles - by Rafal Iwanski and dr Darek Brzostek In the 

land of intonarumori ( historical outline of using recycled instruments in 

music on 20. century and nowadays). Texts in polish and english.The 

cover and the booklet are made of ecopapers = really nice edition." 

[label info] 

"There's a really elegant economy of means about HATI's approach to 

music - out of quite humble, often improvised, acoustic instrumentation, 

they manage to create eloquent and evocative works. I'm tempted to 

dub what they do musica povera, after the arte povera art movement 

epitomized by the mixed media work of Joseph Beuys. But regardless 

of what you call it, HATI's music is innovative and inspired. As far as I'm 

aware, nobody else is doing quite what they're doing at the moment, 

although they have affinities with Z'EV (who's both toured and made an 

album with HATI) and ritual ambient acts like Terroritmo, COTA and 

Chaos As Shelter" [Simon Collins, JudasKissMagazine] 

* HECKER, TIM - Haunt me, haunt me do it again CD (Substractif / 

Alien8 Recordings SUBSF03, 2001) 

Das erste Album von TIM HECKER, in dem er den Grundstein legte für 

seinen inzwischen so schwindelig machenden und sehr typischen 

Drone-Sound. Auf HAUNT ME überwiegen sanfte & harmonische Digi- 

Drone-Sphären, aber es gibt auch abgründigere, geräuschaftere 

Sequenzen gibt es zu hören die zeigen, dass HECKER nicht einfach 

nur einlullen, sondern auch konfrontieren will. Insgesamt etwas weniger 

"füllig" und erdig als auf seinen späteren Meisterwerken, aber 

hörenswert auf jeden Fall! 

"Tim Hecker is not be confused with Mego's Florian Hecker, but is 

rather the alter ego of techno maverick Jetone. As Jetone he has 

released a full length for Pitch cadet as well as the album Ultamarin for 

Force Tracks. There are certainly similarities to the likes of Angelo 

Badalamenti, Fennesz, Gas and Oval, but overall the sound is 

incredibly unique. Tim Hecker has managed to create some of the most 

memorable ambient music in the last few years. Much like the Austrian 

guitar/lap top experimentalist Fennesz, Hecker has perfected the art of 

catchy experimental ambient music. The recording is comprised of 17 

tracks that blend seamlessly into one another, making it perfect for 

headphone listening or as background music. At times glitch-based 

minimalism, but also capturing the drama of post rock. Incredibly sad, 

yet hopeful music that sticks in your head for hours." [press release]

* HECKER, TIM - Radio Amor CD (Alien8 Recordings 

ALIENCD66, 2007) € 14.00 

Re-Issue der do-LP auf Mille Plateaux, über die wir damals vermerkten: 

"Feine Mikrodetail Ambience-VÖ auf Mille Plateaux von dem Kanadier 

TIM HECKER: digitale drone-Schwebeflächen mit Harmonien & Noise, 

Stakkato-Eruptionen, aber alles träumerisch wie durch einen FETTEN 

Nebel-Schleier wahrgenommen... Very nice microdetail-ambience 

release from this canadian artist, dreamlike digi-drone-clouds as if 

perceived through a fat FOG-veil.. " [Drone Rec. 2003] 

"Misplaced nautical charts, trade winds, shortwave miscommunication, 

midnight whispers, amorxxx. Alien8 Recordings is reissuing Radio 

Amor, originally released on Mille Plateaux in 2002, in order to maintain 

the availability of the works of one of our label's most important artists. 

The recording has been out of print for two years now, out of grasp of 

Hecker's growing legions of admirers. Hecker is still basking in the 

universally glowing reception of this year's Harmony in Ultraviolet on 

Kranky (Score 8.7 / Best New Music on Pitchfork), the follow-up to 

2004's Mirages on Alien8 Recordings. Radio Amor is a key release in 

Hecker's discography, bridging his output between our Haunt Me (2001) 

and My Love is Rotten to the Core (EP, 2002) releases and 2004's 

Mirages. Radio Amor is a brilliant soundtrack for daydreaming, and Tim 

Hecker's effective variations on a few central ideas once again show a 

gifted composer at work." [press release] 

* HENRIKSEN, ARVE - Strjon CD (Rune Grammofon RCD2061, 

2007) € 15.00 

Drittes Album von ARVE HENRIKSEN für Rune Grammofon, eher 

bedächtig und melancholisch, eine Art ethno/world-ambient/drone-Jazz 

von allererster Güte ! 

"This is Norwegian Arve Henriksen's third full-length release on Rune 

Grammofon. On Strjon, Henriksen is joined by his Supersilent 

colleagues Ståle Storløkken and Helge Sten, who also produced the 

album. Strjon brings together the various sides of Henriksen, from the 

zen-like solo pieces of his debut album Sakuteiki to the open-ended 

melancholia of Chiaroscuro to the dark, brooding lyricism of Supersilent. 

"Strjon" is the medieval name of Arve's hometown Stryn on the west 

coast of Norway, referring to a streaming river or water. The nature 

around Stryn is fantastic and the changes between winter and summer 

are quite drastic, from crashing avalanches in steep mountains to calm 

beauty and majestic tranquility. Some of the music dates back to 

sketches made by a young Arve Henriksen in these surroundings, later 

worked on by both Arve himself and Helge Sten. Arve Henriksen is 

without doubt one of Norway's leading instrumentalists and a master of 

the trumpet, as can be heard on his previous solo albums, numerous 

Supersilent albums and as a side player for musicians such as Trygve 

Seim, Christian Wallumrød, Dhafer Youssef, David Sylvian and Frode 

Haltli to name only a few. As Henriken himself explains: "Most of the 

music comes from my own 'library' of sounds and music created during 

my days at Stryn. At the age of 16 I started to make sketches and 

recorded lots of cassettes with improvised electronic sequences, and 

over the years loads of tapes and discs have been added to the pile of 

homemade studio sketches. My idea has been to look into this material 

to search for a history, for moods, perhaps to understand a little bit 

more and maybe discover some reasons for why I play like I do." 

Performed by: Arve Henriksen (trumpet, voice, keyboards and 

electronics), Ståle Storløkken (keyboards) and Helge Sten (guitars and 

bow)." [label info] 

* HERBST9 vs Z'EV - Through bleak landscapes CD (LOKI 

Foundation LOKI45, 2007) € 13.00 

Traumkombination: das Leipziger Ethno-Industrial Duo in 

Zusammenarbeit mit dem schamanistischen Perkussionisten Z'EV! 

Z'EVs metallisch schimmernde Perkussion wird sehr subtil und fast 

schon ornamental in die fülligen Dronescapes von HERBST9 

eingearbeitet, es gibt lebhaftere Parts aber auch völlig losgelöst 

scheinende Trance-Riten.... auf 10 Stücken formen sich die 

Grundklänge äusserst variabel aus, viele prickelnde Soundeffekte 

betten sich perfekt in eine wummernde & bebende Andernwelt ein... 

definitiver TIP für Freund düster-ritueller Unterwelt-Drones.... 

"With this stunning collaboration the dark cavernous drones and ethnicritual 

instrumentation of Herbst9 melts with the complex and percussive 

sounds of industrial pionier and master of rhythmajik Z´EV. Ten tracks 

of deep spheres and blazing ruminant lightnings abducting you into 

golden constellations and swirling worlds full of aural effects and 

demonic resonance. Both projects worked with raw material of each 

other while the final mix was made by Herbst9. The result is a sombre 

and meditative soundtrack made with gongs, choral textures, deep 

vibrating strings and scraping effect-sounds reaching it´s climax with 

outbursting tribalistic sequences and drummings. An impressive and 

gripping journey through bleak landscapes and abandoned places 

accompanied by a 24-pg booklet." [label info] 

* HIVE MIND - Death Tone CD (Hanson Records HN-123, 2005) 

€ 12.00 

Low-fi analog-Industrial sounds aus dem WOLF EYES-Umfeld, Hören & 

Klangerfahrung als kathartisches Experiment, schwelend & 

hochfrequent... starke 80er Jahre Industrial / Cassetten-Szene 

Referenz. 

"Weird dudes jamming synths. Alone. Social Problems. Problems. 

Recorded late into the night. Fucking A. That is the business, right 

there. Check 'Ze Wormnest' or Matthew Young for bleary eyed-no-fan 

sound destruction. Shit is just creepy-gets under your skin. While most 

noise youth get their chocolate fingers lost in gadgetry and posturingsomething 

about a synth jam that's just.... Human ... humanly wrong. 

But fucking right. Right on Hive Mind. Out of some strange comic 

miasma emerged this hulking thing known for playing in corners or 

under black sheets with short fingers churning out cosmic tales of bass 

heavy sheets of molten alien sound cut with xray pirate eyes. Dude is 

some serious Michigan shit. This sound-injecting terrorist is crew to all 

the like minded and total jag-off MI underground weirdo brethren's. I 

think he soaked his pyramid genitals in ice cold antifreeze to get where 

Death Tone lives in underwater-cave life. Jamz are just lurking around 

your chest buzzing like a Mike Tyson bee until a nuclear war-spear 

goes directly into your chest leaving your breath exchanged for Korean 

X-Files future creature Autopsy scenes. I've been to Roswell, shit is 

creepy, even at Pizza Hut, mid day. None of my crew jamz synths, 

some dabble but don't have the slomo overbite terror vision of my man 

Hive Mind. Isn't your jellied brain a fucking hive Mine has a really big 

queen in the center telling me to keep watching The Thing (remake) 

with the sound off in a super warm birth room while listening to Death 

Tone on a dying Walkman. I don't listen to the queen, or take advice. 

Me and my man the Kid thought all Hive Mind needed to hone in his 

awesome social synth prowess was to be locked in a room with Richard 

Pinhas for a year on a diet of nothing but snake burritos-but again-no 

one listens to advice, especially a homeboy. Psychotic drugs, cheap 

beer, shorties, the Roach, assholes, hung over at work... yesss, heroes 

to the High Life." [some kind of label-info] 

* HODGKINSON, TIM - Pragma CD (ReR Megacorp ReR TH1, 

1998) € 14.00 

"Wer sich für experimentellen Rock interessiert, der sollte den 

sympathischen Engländer Tim Hodgkinson kennen, ist er doch schon 

seit den späten sechziger Jahren aktiv. Einst bei den vielgelobten 

Henry Cow mit von der Partie, machte Tim in den Achtzigern und 

Neunzigern mit Bands wie The Work (immer unterschätzt, doch eine 

grandiose Gruppe!) oder Momes oder mit dem Jazz-Core-Projekt Godd 

(den englischen) weiter. Nebenher bringt der Saxofonist und Komponist 

auch immer wieder Platten unter dem eigenen Namen heraus. 

"Pragma" schöpft sowohl aus seiner Erfahrung als 

Improvisationsmusiker als auch aus seinem Interesse für 

zeitgenösische Klassik. Wir hören sechs durchaus strenge (nicht 

anstrengende) Kompositionen für "taped voices" ("SHHH") oder für 

"Klarinette, E-Gitarre, Brass Instruments und Percussion" ("Repulsion"). 

Bizarr und wie immer bei Hodgkinson, nicht ohne Humor." [Łeeson] 

" Tim is best known as a founding member of the legendary avant rock 

group Henry Cow [1968-1978]. Pragma is an intense fusion of 

contemporary classical music and rock energy. There are six 

substantial compositions focusing on horns, violins, percussion, voices, 

& small orchestral ensembles." Includes: "SHHH" (for taped voices, 

including fragments of Ana-Maria Avram's 'Archae'); "For Looking 

Inside" (for 3 prepared violas) & 4 others." [label info] 

* HOTOTOGISU - Chimärendämmerung CD (De Stijl IND-062, 

2007) € 15.00 

"Hototogisu are Marcia Bassett and Matthew Bower, and they dwell 

upon two continents (Marcia in Brooklyn NY and Matthew in Leeds UK). 

Both share rich discographical heritage. Marcia has recorded with 

numerous labels (Siltbreeze, Timelag, Eclipse, Troubleman Unlimited, 

etc.) with UN, GHQ and the Double Leopards, and Matthew with Total, 

Skullflower, Sunroof!, Vibracathedral Orchestra and more. A Wikipedia 

entry in his name clearly (sic) illustrates his cultural heft: Bower's huge 

discography of visceral, free drone-rock is probably the most formidable 

of its kind and he was rightly considered in 2005 by The Wire to be one 

of the map co-ordinates for much of what passed for a post-punk UK 

underground during most of the '80s and '90s (issue 259) . 

Chimärendämmerung is the 3rd Hototogisu release on Destijl and the 5 

untitled walls of vertical viola drone/overtone, lapped by shifting 

electronic waves of feedback, blackened guitars, rhinegold cast deep 

into dying rivers, an instrumental cycle of conflict of the birth of a 

supreme aristocratic beauty into a fallen world, and its inevitable 

conflagration, then a glimmer of hope of escape from the cycle, in tune 

w/ the breath of the cosmos, like a glacial reimagining of Van der 

Graafs 'A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers', and it represents a current 

plateau for the duo." [label info]

* HUM - Flesh of the Soul CD (Quag twenty-two, 2007) [lim. 

300] € 13.00 

Nach vielen selbstveröffentlichten CDRs hier endlich die erste 

"grössere" Veröffentlichung von HUM, "Flesh of the Soul" besteht aus 

neun mantrischen Drone-Meditationen, die einen sehr sanft und fast 

unmerklich umschlingen....Musik wie das geheimnisvolle Wispern der 

Natur, wie der hörbar gemachte Gesang des Äthers. Klänge die das 

Mysterium der Existenz ausdrücken & wiederspiegeln, dunkel aber 

überhaupt nicht depressiv... 

HUM schafft es immer wieder, die Drones nicht "banal" klingen zu 

lassen, sondern voller emotionaler Tiefe... und höchst authentisch! 

"Being well-known to the inner circles of russian industrialists for his 

long-time work under different names, Hum didn’t have such an 

attention that he deserves until now, when Quag decides to change the 

situation and to offer the first CD of this brilliant russian talent. His 

mystical cold ambient explores the nature of soul and the soul of nature, 

the mysteries hidden in the sky, the earth, the water, the forest. Simple 

and minimalistic musically, Hum is very complex in its influence on a 

listener’s perception. Quiet unconstrained sound sorcery opens the 

higher realms of the unseen. Being far from dark and depression Hum 

is even more far from New-Age-like garbage. Recommended for those 

who wants to have a rest from darkness without dipping in syrup. The 

first edition of 300 copies in a special “Quag-pack” printed silver-onblack. 

IST 024 CD" [label info] 

"Finally, after the numerous CDRs and one 7” on Drone Records, this is 

the first factory-pressed CD of this brilliant drone-ambient project. 

“Flesh Of The Soul”, which is definitely one of the best works Dmitry 

Chistov has ever done, is a real masterpiece of cold transcendental 

soundscapes. The album is filled with majestic melancholy, it is clear 

and soothing, there’s a plenty of veiled melodies and celestial 

harmonies hidden inside its simple sound structures. It sounds a bit 

nostalgic cause Dmitry uses only old-fashioned tape-technique and 

analogue synth loops, utilizing digital devices just for the final 

mastering, but the atmosphere is very special, reminding of early Zoviet 

France, Maeror Tri, Tesendalo or Aidan Baker. It could seem very 

peaceful and calm, but beyond this bright and peaceful surface the 

sorrow and darkness is hidden. The beauty of this music is enchanting 

and it is hard to resist its magical spells, so it might be difficult to fight 

the desire to play this album over and over in yearning to experience 

again the tender touch of this unearthly Flesh Of The Soul.."[Indiestate] 

* IF, BWANA - Radio Slaves CD (Monochrome Vision (mv11), 

2007) € 13.00 

Bizarre, samplig-repetitive Soundwelten entwirft IF,BWANA auf "Radio 

Slaves", am ehesten vielleicht noch mit BIG CITY ORCHESTRA zu 

vergleichen, Typische Cassetten-Szenen Musik der 80er in Reinform, 

Re-issue eines Tapes von 1986. 

"Originally issued as a limited edition cassette "Radio Slaves" on the 

Medicinal Tapes (France) in 1986, then re-issued on CDr by the 

Generator Sound Art (USA) in 2003, this album finally released on CD 

with some bonus tracks. Loopy and sampledelic, it will return the spirit 

of 80s into your ears. Great collage music from the pioneering american 

experimental sound project. Release date is 1st June 2007. Limited 

edition of 500 copies in jewelcase." [label info] 

ILLUSION OF SAFETY – Bad Karma CD (Soleilmoon Rec, 

sol51CD, 1998) € 13.00 

"FUCK REALITY! sagen IOS. Nach dem Dark-Ambient Meisterwerk "Of 

& The" scheinen sich die Chicagoer wieder auf ihre Industrial-Wurzeln 

besinnen zu wollen- dies ist zum Teil sehr harscher cut-up Noise- 

Collagen-Sound, mit vielen Samples und Stimmeneinspielungen, eine 

verzweifelte und unheimliche Atmosphäre wird heraufbeschworen, fiese 

Frequenzen, heftige Rhyhtmen, Berichte von Folterungen ..- this is 

reality how it is! Their „back to the industrial-roots“ album from 1998 

with harsh cut-ups and noisy collages, creating an eerie atmosphere of 

despair." [old Drone Rec info] BACK IN STOCK !! 

* INADA, KOZO – j[] CD (Sonoris SNS03, 2007) € 10.00 

"CD - 5 tracks - 45:30 min. 4 panels cardboard in plastic bag 

Cat. number : sns-03 - Release date : feb. 07 2007. 

Edition : 700 copies. 

Kozo Inada is a japanese sound artist who has previously released 

records on various labels around the world (Staalplaat, Selektion, 

Digital Narcis, V2). His last record published is a collaborative work 

with Philip Samartzis on the australian label Room40. His music is a 

balance between austere minimalism and immense spaces in sound 

that creates a very strong tension and keeps the listener captivated 

from the beginning to the end. For J[], he uses samples and loops of 

classical music as sound materials for Max/Msp treatments. The result 

is a densely layered and strong sound work, with slow rises and falls, 

hypnotic loops and some ruptures that give texture to silence. A sonic 

journey into aerial and hypnotic universes sometimes also visited by P. 

Niblock or Hafler trio." [label press release] 

"My sympathy and love for the work of Kozo Inada didn't came straight 

away. His first few releases on Staalplaat were alright, but I didn't think 

brilliant. Coins dropped at a concert I saw by him in Barcelona. It 

contained the same sounds, but played at this immense volume, the 

listener gets sucked in it, and when the sound is gone, very fine 

particles remain and tease the listener further, until the next wave 

comes. Coming back I listened to his music with totally different ears. 

For reasons I don't know (it seems his private website needs updating) 

we don't hear much of him in the recent years, which is a great pity. 'J[]' 

is a new () work, or at least just released (on a totally different I'd like 

to add that Sonoris just also re-released David Maranha's 'Piano 

Suspenso', which we reviewed in Vital Weekly 175, so read that 

please). Moving away from the field recordings which Inada used in his 

previous releases, for this release he concentrates solely on classical 

music samples and loops. At first that sounded a bit cheap to me, 

clearly since they are not too difficult to recognize. Inada produces 

perfect loops that don't skip or anything, but make a sustaining wave of 

sound. In each of the five pieces things move slowly but steadily and 

Inada continues his working methods: from soft to loud, although it 

seems to me this time on a less radical level than before. It's again quite 

a powerful work, and opening up new worlds to explore for Inada. It 

would be great to see more of his work being available." [FdW / Vital 

Weekly] 

* INANNA - Day of Torment CD (Cold Spring Records CSR71CD, 

2007) € 13.00 

Re-release of this classic death / drone-industrial album from 1993 

(Staalplaat) by the solo-project of MIKAEL STAVÖSTRAND (who was 

also part of ARCHON SATANI at that time). New artwork design by 

NIKO SKORPIO (SOME PLACE ELSE, etc). 

"Reissue of the massive Death Industrial album from this ARCHON 

SATANI side-project, originally issued by Staalplaat in 1993. INANNA 

were at the forefront of a new force in Doom Ambiance way back in the 

early '90s. This stunningly remastered and repackaged album brings 

alive one of the classic scene albums - a milestone in ultra grim and 

crushing death sonics, that paved the way for many Drone and Ritual 

Industrial bands around today. Mixed by J Havukainen (IN 

SLAUGHTER NATIVES)." [label info] 

* INCAPACITANS - Sec End CD (Meatbox Records PRMCD-005, 

2004) [ed. of 400] € 14.00 

"Probably no needs explanation for the projects, you already know what 

NOISE is, WHAT INCAPACITANTS IS. After a delated plan to be 

released by Noisebomb running by Ulex Xane aka Streicher/Zero Cabal 

etc, finally released in 2004 from Japanese label MEATBOX. This has 

three part of title tracks edited by T. Mikawa, and last track 'Action Diet 

97' edited by F. Kosakai. of course all performed by them except 'Sec 

End part 3' joined by Yoshio Kuge from drummer of Flying Rhythms." 

[label info] 

* INFANT CYCLE & RAMUNAS YARAS / DELPHIUM - Translation / 

Heart full of Soul do-mCDR (Diophantine Discs n=5,6 , 2007) 

€ 10.00 

Die Wiederkehr des britischen, vor langer Zeit (DR-24) auch auf Drone 

gefeatureten Projekts DELPHIUM! "Heart full of Soul" besteht aus fünf 

überwiegend aggressiven "pulse'n'noise"-tracks, basierend auf 

Gitarrenklängen (das merkt man kaum), harsch und metallischmechanisch 

rhythmisiert, mit wie immer sehr düsterem Unterton... 

THE INFANT CYCLE dagegen arbeitete für die zweite mCDR mit 

RAMUNAS YARAS (aka ENDICHE VIS.SAT) zusammen, der Klarinett- 

Klänge beisteuerte; entstanden ist ein grossartiger, hitziger, fast 

flirrend-rhythmischer track, dronig-melancholische Zwischenspiele, 

sowie mysteriöse Klanglandschaften die auf verfremdeten 

Vogelstimmen, Radiokurzwellen & "feedback generators" bestehen.. 

starke Kontraste auf einer hervorragenden Split-Veröffentlichung! 

Das ganze in schlankem Hochformat, ein sehr kurioses Cover, 

professionell gestaltet, lim. 100 ! 

"Heart Full of Soul," nearly 23 minutes, is one of Delphium's darkest 

and noisiest recordings to date. The very direct and engaging work 

features tracks ranging from droning dark ambient to distorted and 

expressive rhythmic beats. "Translation" is a 20-minute release 

consisting primarily of The Infant Cycle processing and supplementing 

avantgarde clarinet recordings by Ramunas Yaras. The resulting 

experimental (and somewhat rhythmic) pieces fall variously within the 

spectrum between ambient drone and noise. 

This release is presented as a pro-printed 2x3"CDr set, packaged in a 

special color folder sleeve, and limited to 100 copies. 

Delphium has been active since 1993, releasing numerous vinyl and 

CD releases on labels such as Drone, Moloko+, Hibou, and his own 

Aquese label. The Infant Cycle, active since 1992, has many releases 

on labels such as EE Tapes, Blade, Hands, and his own label, The 

Ceiling. Ramunas Yaras is a Lithuanian experimental composer and 

writer who is also known for his work in Endiche Vis.Sat and Magic

Carpathians Project." [label info] 

* INSTANT DRONE FACTORY - Critical Mass CD (Fünfundvierzig 

158, 2006) € 14.00 

"Die Instant Drone Factory formierte sich 2005 beim Schiphorst 

Avantgarde Festival. Veranstalter Jean-Hervé Péron (Faust) hatte den 

Solokünstler Frank Gingeleit gebucht. Problem: Gingeleit brauchte eine 

Band, hatte aber keine. Den Schlagzeuger Christian Jäger und den 

Bassisten Thomas Gorny (beide Space Debris) sowie den Gitarristen 

Andrea Tabacco (Elton Junk) lernte er kurz vor dem Auftritt kennen. 

Ohne Soundcheck oder gar Probe gelang dem Quartett ein legendärer 

Auftritt. Das nächste Treffen der Instant Drone Factory fand im Studio 

statt. In der eintägigen Session zu „Critical Mass“ entstand ein 

unglaublicher Flow aus Soundscapes und scheinbar komponierter 

Songs. Die CD reflektiert auch die musikalischen Ursprünge ihrer 

Akteure: Psychedelic, Krautrock, Fusion, aber auch Jazz, Industrial, 

Post-Rock und die Zufallsmusik aus Geräuschen und Dröhnen. Obwohl 

in weiten Passagen experimentell, ist die CD einladend und zugänglich. 

Für jeden, der an authentischer, zeitgenössischer Musik zum Zuhören 

interessiert ist." [label info] 

German-italian impro-psych-drone outfit with FRANK GINGELEIT. 

* IRIKARAH - Endstation Steinbruch CD (Blade Records 

wmda072, 2006) [lim. 300] € 13.00 

Well arranged "classic Industrial" dealing with 3rd Reich-topics. 

"Re-issue of an extremely limited cassette (20 copies!), originally published 

by Andreas Arndt’s own label Keine Zeit Recordings in 1996. Six tracks of 

dark and disturbing Power Noise / Death Ambient, not far off the style of 

Brighter Death Now. Limited to just 300 hand-numbered copies in an 

outsized foldout package. Recommended" [Cold Spring] 

* IRR.APP.(EXT.) - Cosmic Superimposition CD (Errata in 

Excelsis eie06, 2007) € 13.50 

IRR.APP.(ext) goes Drone again! "Kosmische Überlagerung" ist ein 

One-Tracker (44+ Minuten) allererster Güte, ein unglaublich weites Feld 

an denkbaren Klängen öffnet sich hier in einer metallisch morphenden 

"flüssigen" Dronewolke, field recordings und Objekt-Noises werden in 

die aurale Glut perfekt eingewebt, immer wieder tauchen wunderbar 

verschnörkelte UAOs ("unidentified acoustic objects") auf, das Stück 

entwickelt sich in mysteriöse und immer obskurere Geräusch-Sphären 

hinein, steht niemals still....perfekt zum versenkten Detail-Hören.. 

"IRR. APP. (EXT)’s second installment in a planned trilogy that draw 

from the philosophical ruminations of Wilhelm Reich is a single 45- 

minute track of revolving organic fluctuations that wax and wane in 

accordance to a well-tuned internal logic. Glassine ambient passages of 

processed environmental noise slide into the sustained harmonics of 

bowed metals which in turn couple with the off-kilter phase pattern of an 

exhaust fan whose motor is not quite properly aligned. All the while 

gurgles from streams, clatter from subterranean actions, singing bowl 

reverberations, and dark elliptical cycles of blackened electronics pock 

the stately progressions of Cosmic Superimposition's dronemusik 

foundation. Principle IRR. APP. (EXT) designer M.S. WALDRON has 

toiled in the foothills of California for well over a decade. Recently, 

Waldron has found himself in the grasp of Nurse With Wound as one of 

the auxiliary sound alchemists for Steven Stapleton's forays into live 

productions. He has also worked with the Icelandic electro-absurdists 

Stilluppsteypa and the damaged minstrels from Faun Fables." [press 

release] 

"A couple of years ago, Aquarius enjoyed a brief moonlight gig 

as an art space (which we hope to make happen again someday), 

proposing the same curious aesthetic on the visual front as we 

continue to do on the musical. One of the more intriguing exhibitions 

we hosted was from an ambitious, if under-recognized artist by the 

name of Matthew Waldron. His meticulously eccentric drawings, 

paintings, and assemblages depicted mutated beings conducting 

psychic surgery upon each other with all sorts of psychosexual 

overtones. These provocative and compelling images held their own 

with the classic Surrealist works of Hans Bellmer and early Salvador 

Dali. At the same time, Waldron introduced us to the equally ambitious 

catalogue of sound constructions that he had been quietly making in 

the Santa Cruz mountains under the moniker irr. app. (ext.). These 

albums followed in the deconstructed / abstracted sound collage 

traditions of Nurse With Wound, The Hafler Trio, and HNAS, often 

times surpassing the quality of those which came before. Sadly, very 

few people had heard of irr. app. (ext.) because of Waldron's 

unfortunate round of luck with record labels and general low profile. 

Jump forward to the contemporary era, and things look entirely 

different. Today, you will find Waldron a mainstay in the Nurse With 

Wound performance entourage, being whisked away to play in all sorts 

of unlikely European festivals; and irr. app. (ext.) has consistently 

released albums that build upon the successes of those which we had 

heard before. So for us here at Aquarius, it's very satisfying to see an 

artist we once supported have their career take off... 

And that leads us to Cosmic Superimposition, the second in a 

proposed trilogy from irr. app. (ext.) of releases based upon the writings 

of Wilhelm Reich. Cosmic Superimposition was a book that Reich had 

written in 1951; and in that book, he argued how the superimposition of 

multiple energies is the common functioning principle throughout the 

natural world. It was through these ideas that Reich arrived at the ideas 

of Orgone, cloudbursting, etc. On the single 45-minute track that 

comprises Cosmis Superimposition, irr. app. (ext.) presents a revolving 

set of organic fluctuations that wax and wane in accordance with a welltuned 

internal logic. Glassine ambient passages of processed 

environmental noise slide into the sustained harmonics of bowed metals 

which in turn couples with the off-kilter phase pattern of an exhaust fan 

whose motor is not quite properly aligned. All the while gurgles from 

streams, clatter from subterranean actions, singing bowl reverberations, 

and dark elliptical cycles of blackened electronics pock the stately 

progressions of Cosmic Superimposition's dronemusik foundation. As is 

stated in the liner notes, Waldron repurposed the source material 

from the first stage of the trilogy Ozeanische Gefuhle; but Cosmis 

Superimposition is hardly a replicant remix of the first. Rather, the 

ghosts, shadows, and ripples of his earlier album emerge in the fluid 

ambience of the second as bridge that points to Waldron's ambitious 

and highly successful undertaking. One of the best records of 2007, 

for sure." [Aquarius Records] 

"....but on 'Cosmic Superimposition' things are taken further in the field 

of drone music. Whatever he did on 'Ozeanische Gefühle' in terms of 

processing, he takes it a bit further here. Nothing as such that could 

possibly be traced back to it's original sound, with massive drone 

sounds being developed out of almost nothing, rain drops sounding like 

metal percussion (or vice versa), this is quite a strong work and a great 

counterpoint, or rather companion album to 'Ozeanische Gefühle'. It 

bears not much relation to his work of late, or Waldron's involvement in 

Nurse With Wound. It similarities could be drawn from here this work 

comes close to The Hafler Trio's 'Kill The King' period. Drone heavy, but 

adding much more to it, in terms of percussion like sounds, the collage 

element and the constant flow and change of the material." (FdW) 

* ISOLDE - On waving and drowning CD (Penny Poppet PP004, 

2006) [lim. 500] € 19.50 

"First full-length album from the duo of Andrew Chalk and Robin Barnes 

and their darkest navigation yet, with distant undersea piano and 

beautiful blankets of dreamtone drawn through factories of grinding 

electronics resulting in an atmosphere that's somewhere between Big 

Star's "Holocaust", Philip Corner, TG Live In Heaven and Tim Buckley's 

Starsailor. 500 copies in letterpressed, custom made gatefold card 

sleeves." [label info] 

* JACKMAN, VIKKI - Of Beauty Reminiscing CD (Faraway Press 

09, 2007) € 18.00 

"Wrapped in whiteness, and then a blue sky overhead". Sehr sehr softe 

und sanfte Piano-Drones und Brisen, die reine meditative Ambience, 

die Tunes zerfliessen regelrecht… CD-Version der raren und bereits 

vergriffenen LP, das erste Album von VICKI JACKMAN die mit A. 

CHALK auf der "Goldfall"-LP bereits zusammengearbeitet hatte, wieder 

im sehr schönen und kunstvollen Hard-Cover. 

"Previous LP release, now available as a new version on CD with a 

mini-LP style CD & new artwork. "Vikki Jackman (no relation to David of 

Organum fame) is the pianist that we first met in Andrew Chalk's 

Goldfall, her impalpable chords and notes a preponderant element of 

that delicate music. Now Faraway Press issues her solo debut, which 

comes in a stunningly beautiful sleeve, a time-consumed photo in which 

little Vikki is portrayed near a snowman. One can't escape memory, 

which is often all that remains after a good portion of life has passed by 

without letting us have a clue of what it's all about. A piano that sounds 

slightly out of tune could be a symbolic homage to remembrances that 

fade away; Jackman approaches the keyboard with the same 

unconscious wonder of that tiny lady discovering music for the first time, 

letting one note, two or more tones spread their cloaked reverberation 

in mysterious clouds and suspended waves. Differently from the above 

mentioned Goldfall, in which the instrument's voice was more or less 

unrecognizable, Of Beauty Reminiscing uses both aspects - the attack 

and decay of the note, the superimposition of different aural ripples - to 

evoke a sense of void that no future project or achievement can really 

completely dissipate." [Massimo Ricci] 

"...The piano that Jackman uses could never be confused for a concert 

piano as the antiquated instrument offers forth slightly askew if 

thoroughly elegant notes; and Jackman certainly emphasizes the 

idiosyncrasies of that piano through her fragile, open-ended and 

sparsely laid out melodies, which hold some similarities to Erik 

Satie's or maybe even Morton Feldman's piano compositions smeared 

with a decaying Victorian gracefulness. One half of this disc 

features Jackman by her lonesome, and the other appears to exhibit 

the hand of Andrew Chalk blurring the edges of many of her tones into 

a wistful fog of drifting dronescaping. Beautifully packaged and

highly recommended." [Aquarius Records] 

* JESU - Conqueror CD (Hydra Head Records, 2007) € 13.00 

"Es gibt so viele Bands und Musiker, die darauf bedacht sind, brachial 

und energetisch zu sein, den Hörer in den Schwitzkasten zu nehmen 

und ihm die Gelenke zu verdrehen, aber Bands, die es schaffen, 

intensive Emotionen zu verbreiten und echtes Feeling rüberzubringen, 

existieren definitiv nicht wie Sand am Meer, und genau hier liegt die 

Stärke bei JESU. Das Gespann Justin Broadrick, Ex-SWANS-Drummer 

Ted Parsons und Basser Diarmuid Dalton hat ein fantastisches Gespür 

für weiträumige Sounds und atmosphärisch dichte Kompositionen. 

Nicht das Riff steht im Vordergrund oder ein eingängiger Refrain, der 

sich zwingend vom Rest des Songs abheben muss, sondern die 

Gesamtheit des Liedes muss funktionieren. Es soll etwas transportiert 

werden, ein Gefühl, eine Emotion, ein kleiner Tod für sich. 

Unterstützt wird diese großartige Musik vom ebenfalls perfekt 

integrierten Gesang Broadricks, der sich, für alle die es kennen und 

sich erinnern, an den klaren Gesang von GODFLESH orientiert. Hall, 

lang gezogene Silben und melancholische Tonfolgen runden das 

depressive Erscheinungsbild der Stimme ab, verbinden sich mit der 

Musik zu einem regelrechten Klagewerk und versetzen den Hörer, der 

sich dieser Soundweite öffnen kann, in eine Art Trancezustand. 

Eine klare, aber dennoch klug nuancierte Produktion tut das Übrige, um 

die wummernden Bässe und die atmosphärischen Gitarren perfekt in 

Szene zu setzen. Hier passt einfach alles zusammen! Müsste ich diese 

Musik in Bilder ausdrücken, könnte ich mir folgendes Szenario 

vorstellen: Du stehst auf dem Sims eines Hochhauses im 70sten 

Stock, der lauwarme Wind umweht schmeichelnd die nackte Haut. Du 

schaust hinunter in den Moloch der Großstadt und wieder hinauf in den 

klaren Himmel der Sommernacht und versuchst zu ergründen, warum 

das alles überhaupt geschieht, warum genau jetzt und hier... 

Ein melancholisches, aber entspanntes Gefühl von Endzeitstimmung 

umklammert die Seele und macht klar, dass hier eine Reise endet und 

eine neue beginnt.... 

"Conqueror" ist ein Album der tiefen Emotionen. Perfekt, um eine Reise 

ins eigene Ich anzutreten; perfekt, um alles Alltägliche für eine Stunde 

hinter sich zu lassen. Nutzt diese Chance!" [Metal.de] 

"J.K. Broadrick triumphantly returns with his second, and quite 

appropriately titled, Jesu full-length (the follow-up to last year’s critically 

acclaimed Silver EP). Packed with eight gorgeously hypnotic tracks in 

just over an hour, Conqueror exhales a dreamlike mist of weighty 

celestial ambience, underwater phantasms and slow-rolling nebulae, 

fomenting the kind of kaleidoscopic rapture—brimming with lush 

electronics, dulcet guitar textures, massive riffs, and lavish atmospheric 

hues—that makes you swear you're on drugs." [press release] 

* JGRZINICH - Rudiment of two CD (Edition Sonoro es01, 

2007) 

Das neue Album von JOHN GRZINICH erscheint auf dem neuen 

englischen Sublabel von 20HERTZ und betört mit dichten fieldrecording 

drones, die sich voller metalischer Obertöne & 

Mikrometallsounds ausbreiten, irgendwann klingt es wie ein Meer aus 

Metallstäben- oder Röhren... wieder fabulös was GRZINICH hier 

erschaffen hat, perfekt fürs "aufmerksame Driften"... 

"It's easy to get lost in the sounds from John Grizinich, as his slippery 

compositions for abstracted field recordings impart a stupifying 

hypnosis when listening to them. While we've had a couple of his solo 

discs, most of the work that we've encountered by John Grzinich has 

been through collaborations with the likes of Michael Northam and Seth 

Nehil. And even though both of those artists have a particular fondness 

for the drone, it seems as though Grzinich was responsible for directing 

those collaborations into the depths of sonorous hypnogogia. This was 

especially true for the impeccable Grzinich / Nehil album Gyre, and the 

same could be said for the Grzinich / Northam disc The Absurd 

Evidence. Yet, this sensibility becomes all the more obvious when 

Grizinich strikes out on his own, as is the case on his stellar 2007 album 

Rudiment Of Two. Released by the British drone-artist Paul Bradley 

on his new Edition Sonoro imprint, Rudiment Of Two contains three 

lengthy tracks, which engage Grzinich's preferred strategy for 

vulcanizing field recordings into elegantly serpentine tonalities. Through 

revolving sets of fluctuating bellows and incrementally changing 

drones, Rudiment Of Two come across as a painterly take on BJ Nilsen 

or Jonathan Coleclough. Typical of Grzinich's sound is the trickle of 

rain on the album's massive 30 minute centerpiece, which activates a 

silvery auditory filigree amidst the reverberation and metallic 

vibrations. With the rattle of a heavy iron bell, the crackling textures 

begin to swarm into a full spectrum chorus of miniscule ticklings that 

eventually condenses into a bleary drone shot towards infinitude. A 

really fantastic album from an under-recognized artist." [Aquarius 


* JULIUS, ROLF - Tanz für zwei blaue Rechtecke (Small Music Vol. 

4) CD (Edition RZ 10004 Parallele 4, 1996) € 14.00 

Work from 1996 for the "Saarländischen Rundfunk". JULIUS typical 

"small sounds" & deep philosophical texts about sounds & music are 

mixed in an earplay-way. Texts spoken very clearly in german & english 

(mainly german). 

* JU SUK REET MEATE - Solo 78/79 CD (De Stijl IND-057, 2007) 

€ 15.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung dieses pre-SMEGMA Projekts, eine LP von 

1980 ! 

"The crown jewel, perhaps, of the early SMEGMA dawn recorded by 

member JU SUK REET MEATE in 1978 and ‘79, and originally released 

in a limited run in 1980. Also known as Do Unseen Hands Keep You 

Dumb, the album is a post-Zappa, stoned blues/concrete melange of 

guitar, tapes, found sounds and voice. Packaged with liner notes by 

JOHN OLSON (WOLF EYES)." [label info] 

* KA-SPEL, EDWARD - Melancholics Anonymous CD (Beta- 

Lactam Ring Records mt145 / Black Series NEGRO21, 2007) [lim. 

500] € 16.00 

"Black Series 21 – A collection of unreleased and rare vinyl tracks from 

2000-2007 issued in an edition of 500 numbered copies. The evidence 

presents a melancholic children’s bedtime story starring Clara 

Rockmore's Dog; avant-garde piano instrumental; mirror, mirror on the 

wall - complex melting instrumental installation Madrigal; compilation 

appearing burdensome, the absence of evidence is not evidence of 

absence and an anonymous Karjaa in springtime. Artwork by Jesse 

Peper jessepeper.com" [label info] 

"....In BLRR's very successful Black Series Melancholicus Anonymus is 

a great addition. Here we get a series of previously released tracks as 

well as the obligatory unreleased bonus track, all recorded between 

2000-2007. The CD begins with Clara Rockmore Dog, one of my 

personal favorite tracks. Somewhere between a children's nighttime 

story and a bizarre twisted tale, Ka-Spel's deep sonorous voice tells the 

story of two dogs who both meet their fate to a background of whizzing 

and whirling sounds. There is more spoken word with added abstract 

background in the form of the 20 minute The Evidence Of Absence from 

the LP of the same title. Clara Rockmore's Dog b-side Stars On Some 

Days features some beautiful reverberated piano. The CD also includes 

two tracks previously released on 10-inch gallery edition albums 

Meltdown and Complex, both of which sell for quite a lot of money on 

the internet. Whereas Meltdown features the ambient/abstract 

soundscape you've come to expect, Complex is a beautiful shortspoken 

word wonder. The unreleased track is Karis In The Spring, 

which is another ambient piece of work with distorted keyboards. A treat 

therefore for the Ka-Spel completist." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* KA-SPEL, EDWARD - Dream Logic Part One CD (Beta-Lactam 

Ring Records mt203a, 2007) € 16.00 

"First pressing of 850 copies in a full color book bound gatefold CD 

case – easily one of our most deluxe cd packages to date.... 

If only MY dreams had this kind of logik…..I would never need to buy 

music. I would just go to sleep, perchance to dream of this album. Ka- 

Spel’s sonic stratosphere has long been on the ascendant, well past 

many moons. Just when it seemed that intensity levels were already 

deep in the red, Dream Logik slithers along and crushes the 

dials…literally. One of the sublime qualities of this album is that it 

sounds screwed up, as in SOMEONE SCREWED UP THE LEVELS. 

But someone didn’t. That sweet, overdriven nectar of cacophony and 

squelching circuitry is supposed to happen. All the wrongs actually 

make a right! Parmegiani and Lejeune look out, there’s a new kid in 

town (I don’t wanna hear it) who’s redefining concrete for the oughts. 

INA-GRM new risen The dynamic of aural manipulation is extreme, 

recalling the psychedelic shades of Malachai (the Nursey one) minus 

the hit potential. Seriously, though, if you’ve got LPD on the brain, get a 

new brain because that old brain will not be able to handle the new 

logik, not even with an abakus and all the Venn diagrams in the world. 

Consider, if you will, some kind of fucksion between Pierre Schaeffer 

and the business end of Genocide Organ and then bleed all over that. 

Well, no, that will just make a mess of your room. Let Ka-Spel make a 

mess of your head instead. It’s the logikal thing to do. Artwork by Jesse 

Peper jessepeper.com" [label info] 

* KHLYST - Chaos is my name CD (Hydra Head Records HH666- 

114, 2007) € 13.00 

"Ein Amalgam der Härte: Debüt der Extremmetaller um James Plotkin. 

Ein ästhetisches Amalgam aus schwarzen Echos, Nachtschweiß und 

Zauberei bieten uns Khylst auf dem wegweisenden Album „Chaos Is 

My Name“. Der Khanate-Bassist James Plotkin (auch Phantomsmasher 

und ehemals O.L.D.) sowie Sänger Runhild Gammelsæter (Ex-Thorr’s 

Hammer, Sunn O)))) gehen auf ihrem Debüt auf eine 

angsttraumgeplagte und von Todeskrämpfen geschüttelte Reise der 

Hoffnungslosigkeit. Während Plotkin erstmals an Gitarre und 

Schlagzeug zu hören ist, röhrt, gurrt, brüllt sich Gammelsæter durch

alle erdenklichen Tonlagen. Die Titel sind schlicht durchnummeriert, 

Songstrukturen werden ebenso aufgelöst wie Hörerfahrungen 

hinterfragt. „Chaos Is My Name“ ist ein Konzeptalbum der durchdachten 

Härte, Metal in seiner extremsten und unheilvollsten Ausprägung. Das 

Artwork stammt von Stephen Kasner." [Indigo] 

"Invoking an aesthetic amalgam of black echoes, night sweats, and 

necromancy, bassist James Plotkin (Khanate) and vocalist Runhild 

Gammelseater (Thorr's Hammer) set forth on a bleak journey beset with 

incubi, death convulsions, and abject hopelessness. Alternately harsh 

and beguiling, Chaos is My Name eight part narrative fluidly navigates 

through a singular view of this shared mortal afflication." [label info] 

* KIRCHENKAMPF - Lazarus Rising CD (Cohort Records CRCD 

100, 1992) € 10.00 

Die allererste KIRCHENKAMPF-CD, wieder da ! 

"A beautifully packaged disc of abstract soundscapes far too intense to 

be ambient. For me, the music evokes images of giant engines of vast 

starships warming up, then dragging the metal beasts through the 

violent coronas of stars, colliding with comets, and braving the crushing 

gravity of black holes. Expansive, edgy, spacious, and almost 

indescribable." [Thad Engeling, ND #21] 

* KIRCHENKAMPF - Babel do-CD (Diophantine Discs n = 8,9, 

2007) [ed. of 500] € 16.00 

Dunkle Drone-Ambience, hallend, wummernd, unheimlich...metallische 

Obertöne, endlose Flächen & Äthernoise ... wie fast immer sind es 

religiöse Themen, die ihren Ausdruck finden bei KIRCHENKAMPF; 

beeindruckend, wie das ganze am Ende in immer bedrohlichere, 

ausserweltliche Gebiete abdriftet... filed under: apocalyptic dark 

ambient. 

" "Babel" follows the recent and well-received albums "Island of the 

Dead" (on Cohort) and "Transmissions" (which we released last year). It 

is an extremely dynamic and dense work that could generally be 

classified as experimental dark ambient. The theme here is the Tower 

of Babel and each disc takes a somewhat different yet complimentary 

approach: the first ("Red Babylon") is generally a rather heavy and 

intense recording, while the second ("Citadel of the Nevermind") is 

more droney and dream-like. A profound and monumental journey 

lasting well over two hours. 'kirchenkampf', the project of John Gore 

(Cohort Records, The Oratory of Divine Love, >wirewall

Terminus X 1967 (Institut für Sonologie in Utrecht 1967) 11:46 

Funktion Grün 1967 (Institut für Sonologie in Utrecht 1967) 8:25 

Funktion Gelb 1968 (Institut für Sonologie in Utrecht 1968) 12:43 

CD 2: 

60 Blätter für Streichtrio 1992 (WDR 1996) [ Trio Recherche:Melise 

Mellinger, Violine; Barbara Maurer, Viola; Lucas Fels, Violoncello ] " 

[label info] 

* KRISTIAN, DAVID & RYOSUKE AOIKE - Ghost Stories CD & 

DVD (Cocosolidcity COCOSOL1DC1T1, 2005) € 19.50 

"Der kanadische Künstler David Kristian hat in der Electronica-Szene 

einen ausgesprochen guten Namen, nicht zuletzt seine Remixes für 

Coldcut und Worm Interface unterstreichen dies. Seit einiger Zeit 

fokussiert sich David Kristian vornehmlich auf Soundtracks, was sich 

auf seinem neuen Album "Ghost Storeys" eindrucksvoll niederschlägt. 

So ist in 13 Parts ein hypnotisch in sich gekehrter Sound am Werk, dem 

man sich nicht entziehen kann. Wie die Klänge dann im 

Zusammenspiel mit Bilder wirken zeigt die beigefügte DVD. Der 

japanische Manga-Starzeichner Ryosuke Aoike zaubert zu den Klängen 

eine futuristische Welt, in der der architektonische Raum die Menschen 

seltsam zu beeinflussen scheint. Visuell ist das so beeindruckend wie 

etwa der aktuelle Spielfilm "Renaissance" oder die Bilderwelten von 

"Blade Runner" gemischt mit den Visionen eines H.R.Gigers." 

People who like unsettling & hyper-dark drone-scapes with extreme 

tension will love this. Very hypnotic & reduced, with some unexpected 

outbursts, a journey through darkest fields... on the DVD there are 

accompanying pictures of the japanese Manga-painter RYOSUKE 

AOIKE, that fit perfectly to these dark aural visions... 

* KRISTOFFER NYSTRÖM ORKESTER - brakeHEAD CD 

(Malignant Records TUMORCD25, 2006) € 13.00 

"Kristoffer Nyströms Orkester (KNO) is a collaborative project between 

Peter Nyström (Megaptera/Negru Voda) and Kristoffer Oustad (V:28). A 

true sonic beat down, done in full Scandinavian style, with a battery of 

iron fisted rhythms hammering down in a thunderous downpour, and the 

caustic reverberations of the analog doom machine grinding and 

screeching in a symphony of clangorous and distressed beauty. This is 

an album that is as majestic as it is bleak, capturing the essence of old 

school Swedish industrial, but forging a new path towards a dark 

future.From auralpressure.com: "Brakehead" is a phenomenally 

majestic piece of dark ambience and noise that will leave you totally 

awe struck. The visceral raw power of the electronics is a thing of 

untamed beauty that heralds in a new era by which others must now be 

judged against." Guts of Darkness called this THE industrial disc of the 

year! Check out other reviews in the reviews section. A must for fans of 

Megaptera, Negru Voda, and all things Peter Nystrom. In stylish 

digipak." [label info] 

* K-SPACE - Going up CD (Ad Hoc Records AD HOC 12) € 14.00 

"Mit Going Up (Ad Hoc 12) von K-SPACE, einem Trio aus dem Tuva- 

Throatsänger & Schamanen Gendos Chamzyryn, Tim Hodgkinson mit 

‚hawaiian guitar horns, piano corpse & location recordings‘ und dem 

schottischen Perkussionisten Ken Hyder, teleportiert einen Ad Hoc 

jenseits von Novosibirsk. Der Name K-Space spielt an auf den 

russischen Astrophysiker Nicolai Kozyrev (1908-83), Referenzpunkt für 

‚Zeropoint energy‘- und Zeitvariabilitätstheorien (-> z.B. 

http://ascension2000.com/DivineCosmos/ 01.htm). An Kozyrevs ‚torsion 

energy‘ Phi knüpfen sich Spekulationen über einen Zusammenhang 

zwischen Phi, Sound und der DNA, der womöglich schamanistischen 

Praktiken real zugrunde liegen könnte (-> z.B. Sol Luckman: Sound, 

Intention & Genetic Healing). K-Space praktiziert vor dieser 

einigermaßen esoterischen Folie neo-schamanistische Soundrituale 

aus Drumming, Noise und gutturalem Obertonröhren. Art Brut 

oder scratch-orchestrales Improvising in prosaischen Ohren, ‚healing 

sounds‘ nach der Formel ‚sound + intention = healing‘ oder Flug- & 

Zeitmaschine aus Wordsounds + Beats für solche, die zu der 

Überzeugung neigen, dass in der Kosmischen Schlange ein 

Gottescode schlängelt. Hodgkinson & Hyder, seit 1979 als Shams 

zusammen auf dem Schamanenpfad, sind keine Touristen oder 

blauäugigen New-Ager. Vielfache Reisen zum Bajkal-See und zum 

Altaj, nach Kyzyl, Barnaul und Akademgorodok, haben ihnen bei ihren 

‚Radical Transcultural Initiatives‘ im Zusammenspiel mit lokalen 

Musikern wie wenigen anderen ‚Westlern‘ ethno- und musikologische 

Einblicke in die Kultur und Spiritualität Tuvas ermöglicht. Uns Laien 

vermitteln sie immerhin das Faszinosum absolut uriger Soundkreation. 

Kozyrevs ‚Zeitmaschine‘ steht auf dem Papier. Going Up krümmt die 

Raumzeit ganz sinnlich und real so, dass neolithische Archaik und die 

postmoderne Neugierde auf das Alte, aus dem wir herkommen, 

zusammenrauschen." [Babyblaue Seiten] 

"For "Going Up" these musicians have superimposed performances 

from different occasions and places, some dating back to Hyder and 

Hodgkinson's initial trip to Siberia in 1990, but also concerts staged in 

Western Europe. These recordings, with their disparate acoustic 

properties, are overlaid and overlapped to form dense sonic thickets 

alive with action and event, palpably embedded in the multiidimensional 

flux of the world and lived social structures. Human voices 

conversing, footfalls on frozen ground, a blackbird singing, the sound of 

the wind or water, the crackling of wood in a fire, audience applause - 

sounds from specific sites with their own peculiar resonance and 

significance leak through the K-Space mesh into the listening present. 

The crucial thing is to hear and feel it. It's made for those of us who 

want listening to remain a real adventure and an ongoing process of 

discovery." [Julian Cowley-WIRE MAGAZINE] 

* KTL - 2 CD (Editions Mego Emego 085, 2007) € 14.00 

"Stephen O'Malley: strings, fx, amps, tube osc. Peter Rehberg: digital 

osc, apps, drives. Written, recorded & mixed by Stephen O'Malley & 

Peter Rehberg at Studio Abattoir, Angers & Manoir Kéroual, Guilers, 

December 2006 - February 2007. Mastered at Piethopraxis, Köln, 

March 2007. Devastatingly beautiful four part follow up to the acclaimed 

debut CD recorded in a former abattoir in Angers, as well as a 16th 

Century manor in the extreme west of France. Taking the blueprint that 

was laid out on the first record even further, with the ecstatic build up of 

"Theme", the near psychedelic "Abattoir", and closing with the twisted 

romanticism of the closing "Snow 2". An upgrade both artistically and 

emotionaly. As with the first CD elements appeared in the finished 

version of the theatre piece Kindertotenlieder' by Gisele Vienne and 

Dennis Cooper, which was premiered in Brest, France, March 2007." 

[label info] 

"...Not a year later, and KTL are back, with another sprawling 

journey, trawling through the bottomless depths of some hellish 

underworld and drifting weightless through a starless black sky. A 

bleak, but occasionally jarring landscape of sonic mystery rife with 

plenty of drone and buzz. 

The opener is a bleak expanse of claustrophobic sound, the 

sound of waking up in pitch blackness, wet, cold and alone, wandering 

blindly, feeling your way, hands rubbed raw from sliding along rough 

stone, the tiniest sounds magnified into some lurking beast ready to 

pounce, gusts of warm wind rush past, as do strange slithery shapes 

underfoot, you can hear the wide open space towering overhead, but 

you can feel the walls closing in, suffocating. Gorgeously dark and 

bleak, ominous and so creepy. The perfect music for being buried 

alive, miles below the surface of the Earth. As the first track 

dissipates, a strange percussive thump gradually surfaces, a 

heartbeat maybe... a dense layered backdrop of shimmering low end 

and muted pulses undulates beneath the murky throb, very slowly 

building in intensity, as streaks of high end grit and buzzing glitch, and 

strange high pitched melodic fragments begin to materialize all 

around, like suddenly finding yourself inside a lightning storm, it's 

almost pretty, but still sharp and jagged. As the upper register 

peals intensify, they suddenly coalesce into some sort of deafening 

angelic chorus, a gorgeous layered textural wall of dreamlike skree, 

some demonic string section, surprisingly melodic beneath all the 

sonic barbs and white hot buzz. Hard to describe other than to say 

it's a bit like Nadja or Jesu, run through a bank of alien FX pedals 

and broadcast through a million tweeters. So intense and gloriously 

blown out. 

The next step in the journey involves visiting the "Abattoir" (much of 

this disc was in fact recorded in an actual French Abattoir) , and it 

sounds just like you'd imagine. A bit like O'Malley's Sunn 0))), with layer 

upon layer of constantly shifting coruscating guitars, a drone metal 

Niblock maybe, stretched out and hypnotic, the texture of the guitar 

constantly ever changing, going from smooth and washed out to rough 

and sharp, a bit like Spacemen 3 or Loop at it's most propulsive, a sort 

of churning distorted chordal whir, and a lot like Sunn 0))) at its most 

static. But all throughout, the rough raw shimmer is disrupted by all 

manner of textural disturbances, bits of grit and muted glitch and subtle 

shards of fragmented melody. 

Finally, the record winds down with an extended coda, thick 

shards of glistening guitar suspended in gauzy clouds of electronic 

flutter and swirls of soft sonic snow. Eventually the sharp edges are 

worn away leaving a strangely haunting slightly degraded Basinskiesque 

drift that is smoothed even further out, into shimmery spacey 

synths and sweet chordal swells that drift away leaving nothing but 

static." [Aquarius Records] 

* LANDING - Seasons CD (Ba Da Bing! Records bing033, 

2002) € 12.00 

Sehr schönes LANDING-Album von 2002, wo sie zum ersten Mal 

Gesang miteinsetzten: supersanfte, komplett entschleunigte 

hellschimmernde Gitarren-Ambience mit schon leichtem Songwriting- 

Flair, erinnert an ULTRASOUND, SLOWDIVE, AI PHOENIX, entspannt 

und positiv-trancige Stimmung verbreitend... 

"While Landing is one of the country's top drone groups, creating long 

ambient instrumentals with sudden eruptions of intensity, Seasons 

shows off their previously unexplored songwriting flair. The record

conceives of movement through four seasons with a breathtaking 

beauty and sincerity (Vivaldi would no doubt smile, then say something 

incoherent but pleasing in his archaic native tongue). For the first time, 

the band sings, and the soft fluidity of their voices perfectly matches 

their trademark delicate playing. The drama unfolds with a gentle 

minimalism, striking at beauty through impressionism, and reaching 

their goal with a whisper." [label info] 

* LANG, KLAUS - Einfalt.Stille CD (Edition RZ 4007, 2007) 

€ 13.00 

"Durch hörende Konzentration oder durch Konzentration auf das zu 

Hörende können wir eintreten in einen Zustand der Einfalt des Geistes, 

in einen Zustand äußerster innerer Klarheit oder innerer Stille. Anders 

ausgedrückt: durch die Konzentration auf den Fluß der Musik erreichen 

wir einen inneren Zustand, nämlich den der inneren Stille, welche also 

eigentlich die Gleichzeitigkeit von Zustand und Bewegung ist. Dieses 

Paradox wirft die Frage auf: Fließt die Musik an uns vorbei, durch uns 

hindurch und löst diesen Zustand aus, oder erleben wir eigentlich gar 

keinen Zustand: ist es nicht vielmehr so, daß wir es sind, die durch den 

Klang fließen" [credit notes] 

Another kind of meditative ZEN-ambience, created totally acoustic / 

non-electronic with flute, female singing, very subtle percussion and 

viola. Music that floats, and creates an inner state of silence and stasis 

at the same time. Very nice and deep, not "new agey" at all ! 

"This paradoxical situation poses the question: Is the flow of music 

passing us, is music flowing through us evoking this inner stasis or is it 

not a state at all what we experience: should we not most seriously take 

into consideration the possibility that it is us who are flowing through the 

sound" [from the credit notes] 

* LAPORTE, JEAN-FRANCOIS - Soundmatters CD (23five 009, 

2007) € 13.00 

Fünf starke Kompositionen (entstanden 1997-2005) des Kanadiers, die 

unter Verwendung von Natur-, Umgebungs- und Objektgeräuschen 

grossflächige Spannungsbögen & Dynamiken aufbauen. So wurden bei 

"Electro-Prana" nur Wind- bzw. Sturm-Sounds verwendet, während das 

majestätische "Dans le ventre du dragon" auf Original-Bläserklängen 

basiert, die in einer riesigen Frachthalle (mit 15 Sekunden natürlichem 

Hall) aus dem Hafengebiet Montreals stammen. 

Laut LAPORTEs Theorie sind wir im post-industriellen Zeitalter 

permanent von "Mantren" umgeben, womit er v.a. Maschinengeräusche 

meint, die zyklisch wiederkehren und sich doch in allmählicher Weiter- 

Entwicklung befinden. Beeindruckend führt er dies exemplarisch in 

seinem 26minütigen Stück "Mantra" anhand der wunderbaren 

Vibrationen & Obertöne eines Kompressors von einem Eisstadion vor... 

Hier kommen elektro-akustische Klang-Finesse, field-recording Glück & 

und erhabene Drone-Atmosphären zusammen. 

Bei Aquarius Records "Record of the week" im März 2007 ! TIP !! 

"....The opening track "Electro-Prana" is a pristine set of field 

recordings of a wind that ripped through Montreal, when the city was 

silenced by a winter time blackout. It's a pure, chilling sound of whistling 

wind overtaking the urban landscape. The next piece is the only digitally 

rendered composition on Soundmatters, yet Laporte brings his intuitive 

expressionism to a series of spiraling drones that easily rival those of 

your favorite minimalist (e.g. Niblock, Chalk, Hafler Trio, Xenakis, etc.). 

For those of you who have had the pleasure of experiencing Laporte's 

live concerts, the third piece will certainly be familiar. He's built an 

instrument with a series of car horns and elongated trumpet bells 

attached to an air compressor with each of the valves controlled by 

foot pedals. This instrument can generate infinitely sustainable, 

blaring drones from each of the horns; and Laporte craftily layers 

these sounds for incredible, dynamic results. Well, for this recording, 

Laporte lugged this instrument into the hull of a giant cargo ship and 

recorded this composition using the massive reverb of that space and 

the results are simply jaw-dropping. Imagine the most Nordic bellow 

from a Wagner symphony stretched out into its melancholic, raw sound 

and allowed to decay in space and time. Wow! 

Following this is the aforementioned Mantra; and then 

Soundmatters' final piece which explores a quiet, yet thoroughly rich 

harmonic tapestry produced by a quartet of saxophones that could be 

Laporte's imagined summit between Evan Parker and Morton Feldman 

with rasping breaths of sound breaking across a silent event horizon 

with the ghostly energy of subatomic particles flickering and dissolving 

in a cloud chamber before amassing into a delirious swarm of Tony 

Conrad-esque acoustic dissonance. It's all utterly magnificent and 

one of finest collections of 'serious' composition that we've come 

across." [Aquarius Records] 

* LAVELLE, BRIAN - Fallen are the Domes of green Amber CD 

(Diophantine Discs n=10, 2007) [ed. of 500] € 12.00 

Neuer Ambient-Geheimtip aus Schottland: BRIAN LAVELLE präsentiert 

hier zwei sehr "leichte" und impressionistische Abstrakt-Droneflächen, 

die eher der "britischen" Schule angehören (also CHALK, MIRROR, 

BRADLEY, etc.) aber eine hohe Eigenständigkeit aufweisen, man hat 

das Gefühl in einem Meer von hell klingenden Spieluhren zu 

schwimmen... 

"Diophantine Discs is pleased to announce the release of a new CD... 

Brian Lavelle - Fallen Are The Domes Of Green Amber. 

With "Fallen are the Domes of Green Amber" Brian Lavelle continues in 

his more recent direction with experimental drone music, while also 

incorporating some of his earlier recordings into the pieces. At over 70 

minutes, the album consists of two lengthy and picturesque tracks. Both 

are extremely focused, complex, and dynamic -- they evolve, gradually 

and intricately. Beautiful (yet also melancholy) and abstract, the two 

pieces are quite distinct from each other in their own respects, yet fit 

together to form a seamless and monumental overall work. 

Recording under various guises since 1990 (though generally under his 

own name), Brian Lavelle's work has covered a large cross-section of 

experimental music ranging from more noisy works in the past to his 

more ambient/drone material of recent years. He has released material 

on such labels as Audiofile, Bake, Afe, Microwave, and Freek. 

Additionally he has collaborated with artists such as Richard Youngs, 

Alistair Crosbie, and Emil Hagstrom. Brian also runs the Dust, Unsettled 

and Quinquaginta labels, and operated one of the earliest mp3-labels: 

techNoh. The CD comes in a beautiful green printed wallet." [label info] 

* LEJEUNE, JACQUES - Eloge de La Betise ou les Peripeties des 

Ubu CD (INA GRM INA c 1021, 2004) € 13.00 

Very extreme stuff from LEJEUNE, kind of theatre-plays & weird fairytales 

stories with noises, classic & jazzy impro-elements & lots of vocal 

material that sounds like a bizarre Opera. 

"Subtitled "Ou les Peripeties des Ubu". Described as a 

"Funamburlesquerie en 14 sequences", based around the texts of 

Alfred Jarry (for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, saxophones and 

stereo tape). "Most of his pieces are more or less connected with 

vocality. Pure and barbarous, the voice which speaks and sings, which 

laughs and grows angry, which is carried away on a wave of eloquence 

and emotion, has become an essential component of his theatrical 

outlook. His 'motely' and lyrical language move like 'a character passing 

through a series of different landscapes'." "In the world of electroacoustic 

music, Lejeune has a place of his own. He is perhaps the only 

person in this musical galaxy to speak, not without humour, the 

language of the fairy tale and of dreams, of childhood and of love, of 

gluttony and eroticism." [from the liner notes] 

* LILES, ANDREW & KENJI SIRATORI - Black Paper CD (Beta- 

Lactam Ring Records mt125/BLACK SERIES NEGRO 1, 2006) 

€ 16.00 

Erster Teil der wahnwitzigen VORTEX VAULT-Serie, 12 CDs aus 

ANDREW LILES Archiv, aber auch neues Material wird präsentiert. 

Das ganze wiederum in der Beta-Lactam BLACK SERIES, die mit 

einheitlichen überformatigen schwarze Edel-Cover zu beglücken 

vermag. BLACK PAPER heisst also der erste Teil, wo LILES mit dem 

selbsternannten japanischen CYBER-Poeten KENJI SIRATORI 

kollab(or)iert, der wie's scheint zur Zeit mit jedem in der Experimental- 

Szene ansässigen Werktätigen eine Zusammenarbeit anstrebt. So hört 

man hier SIRATORIS Cyber-Gedichte (auf japanisch; auf englisch 

übersetzt wären übrigens genauso unverständlich - denn er scheint ein 

spätes Kind der Cut-Up Technik zu sein). Als wäre das nicht schon 

genug irrlichternder & funkelnder Wahnwitz, so zeigt sich auch LILES in 

Bestform, wenn er mit Synthklavier und Xylophon und durchdringenden 

Analog-Noises (=) bewaffnet die letzten möglicherweise noch 

vorhandenen Reste gutgläubiger Erwartungshaltung des Hörers 

vernichtet, hier in irgendeiner Weise 'verstehbare" Musik hören zu 

dürfen. Genau darin aber, geneigter DRone Records-Kunde, liegt 

vielleicht die Genialität dieses Albums. Wir können das aber gerade 

nicht entscheiden und vertagen die Diskussion auf unbestimmte Zeit... 

"Black Series 1 - Ed. of 300 numbered and signed copies. 'The Vortex 

Vault' will be in part a collection of unreleased, unearthed and dusted 

down material from the vast Andrew Liles archive of unused studio 

material. 'The Vortex Vault' will also include brand new recordings, 

conceptual and collaborative pieces, special guests, kraut rock psyche 

outs, space rock, the odd and unlikely, Norwegian, the obscure and 

arcane, aircraft, cicadas, the absurd and nonsensical. 'The Vortex Vault' 

is a platform to release radically different and eclectic material. Expect 

the unexpected, the minimalist and excessive, the demure and 

deranged." [label info] 

"andrew liles, from the uk, is an experimental sound artist with a pretty 

diverse output. i'm only familiar with a few of his releases, but they 

ranged from sound art, to ambient soundscapes, drone, experimental 

electronics and the occasional foray into noisier directions. some good 

points of reference, as far as his ambient and drone works are 

concerned, would be andrew chalk and vidna obmana, two artists he's 

also happened to work with. kenji siratori is a japanese cyberpunk 

author who's had a hell of an outpouring of non-paper releases last 

year. this is mostly because he pimped himself out by "writing to as

many industrial, ambient, ebm and goth bands he could find, including 

"reviews" of them in his idiosyncratic style, and asking to collaborate. 

(this) scattergun approach proved successful, despite his reviews of 

non-sequitirs and non-sensical cyberspeak being interchangeable" 

[discogs.com]. after all was said and done he'd put out fifteen total 

albums, including three that are on net labels and are availiable to 

download for free at smell the stench and dystonia. the bulk of them 

have been in the form of collaborations, most notably with gx jupitterlarsen 

(the haters), torturing nurse and henrik nordvargr björkk (hh9, 

folkstorm, mz.412, et al.). i would be surprised if that last one is 

anything short of amazing. i...must...stop...buying...things... black paper 

opens up with barometer ii, a beautifully haunting piano piece by liles, 

which siratori soon begins speaking over. his words are all spoken in 

japanese. emphasis on spoken. this could be poetry or god knows 

what, but it sounds great. he's got this gruff sounding voice that 

immediately made me think of splinter's voice from the teenage mutant 

ninja turtles movies. i love it. there's some great layering of his vocals 

near the end, too. vtr is one of the least musical (most experimental) 

cuts on here. there's a whole mess of noises, electronic bleeps and 

textures from andrew, and kenji's vocals are affected, in parts, and 

panned all over. it easily has the most overall stuff going on at once, but 

it works well, due partly to how andrew progresses it. if that was the 

album's exercise in maximalism (i think i just made that word up), the 

title piece is its most rhythmic. half of this piece features with some very 

catchy xylophone (i'm guessing) playing, the rest focuses on kenji's 

vocals, manipulated the most here. one of my favorite parts is where its 

just him with no music, and there's also his sped up vocals shooting 

back and forth between the speakers. jaguar is black paper's absolute 

highlight. over liles' sparse backdrop there's a vocal track in the left 

speaker, a different one in the right, a repetitious one in the center and 

then another, different track in the center. it's completely hypnotic, 

wonderful and memorable. then when that piano comes in towards the 

end, jaguar achieves total brilliance. it all strikes me as being rather 

noir, while maintaining an underlying sense of beauty. the next two 

tracks mainly feature andrew doing some nice, slightly stark, 

experimental electronic work. the closer, barometer iii is vocal less and 

revises the pianos from barometer ii, but adds some terrific electronic 

noises over it. there's actually two separate collaborations by kenji 

siratori with the title black paper, the other is with tardive dyskinesia. 

that may cause a bit of confusion, but this one is only available from 

andrew liles' website or beta-lactam ring. it's part of andrew's 12 cd set, 

the vortex vault, limited to only 300 copies. once those 300 are gone, 

that's it. no reissues. i think if you get one from andrew it will be signed 

by him. i'd also recommend his collaboration with gx. while it's not as 

memorable as this one here, there's some mighty fine noise by him, and 

who doesn't like mighty fine noise after hearing all of this from kenji 

i've definitely become interested in his literary work...at the very least it 

should be interesting. smooth sailing review " [unknown writer, taken 

from the Beta-Lactam website] 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Hole CD (Beta-Lactam Ring Records 

mt126/BLACK SERIES NEGRO 6, 2007) € 16.00 

Teil 2 der VORTEX VAULT-Serie ist weitaus weniger bizarr als der 

Vorgänger, sondern eine dunkle surreale Reise in eine Schattenwelt, 

die verwunschen & unzugänglich scheint wie eine Halluzination... 

Part 2 of the VORTEX VAULT-series appear to be much less bizarre 

than the predecessor. "Black Hole" is a dark surreal voyage into a 

shadow-world, inaccessible and enchanted like a hallucination... 

"Black Series 6 - Ed. of 300 numbered and signed copies. 'The Vortex 









deranged. The first in the series will be 'Black Paper', The second in the 

series will be 'Black Hole', and in no particular order will be followed by 

'Black Beauty', 'Black Mamba', 'Black Pool', 'Black Sea', 'Black Panther', 

'Black Sheep', 'Black Widow', 'Blackout', 'Black Market' and finishing 

with 'Black End" [label info] 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Beauty CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 

Records mt127/BLACK SERIES NEGRO 7, 2007) € 16.00 

Part three in the VORTEX VAULT-series, embrace the Bizarre! 

Strange handplayed rhythms, xylophon-tunes, gong-sounds, spheric 

synths, guttural singings... sometimes not so far from the "wyrd folk" of 

VOLCANO THE BEAR or the savageness of GHEDALIA TAZARTES. 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Widow CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 


Part four in the VORTEX VAULT-series, embrace thee Ominous! 

"This is the fourth release in a total of 12 CDs in the Black Series by 

Liles, current member of Nurse With Wound and general magic man. 

Like the previous CDs in this series, Liles uses more and more vocals in 

his music, which complement his music wonderfully. On this disc 

famous actor/singer Ernesto Tomasini (who also appeared on Crowded 

Skies on the BBC television) adds narration and sings. There is even 

narration in Urdu (by Dr. Malik). Starting off with the thumbpiano of To 

Maim A Donkey we are sucked into the surrealist world of Liles, where 

things are never quite what they seem. Strange samples and dark 

sounds creep in and out and are laced with a unique sense of humur 

(as in A Hippo Took An Apricot). Before you know it, you're humming 

along to The cod-James Bond theme And God Doesn't Fuck About, 

before you realize it's just a little off-beat (and definitely off-set!). The 

best issue of the Black Series so far, this CD is highly recommended." 

[FK / Vital Weekly] 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Mamba CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 

Records mt129 /BLACK SERIES NEGRO9 , 2007) € 16.00 

Part five in the VORTEX VAULT-series, embrace thee Obscure ! 

"Der Mann aus Brighton gehört zu den hintersinnigsten Köpfen und 

bestechendsten Ästheten des Dröhnminimalismus und des 

Dreamscapetravellings. Schon wie er seine Werke tauft, verrät einen 

stereoskopen und obsessiven Geist - The Henaed Hand of Glory 

(2000), Viva! Raudive! (2000), An Un-World (2001), Aural Anagram 

(2003), My Long Accumulating Discontent (2004), Mother Gooses‘s 

Melody: Or Sonnets for the Cradle (2005). Liles zeigt sich fasziniert von 

Erotik und EVP, Hans Bellmer und Anais Nin, während seine 

musikalischen Tauchfahrten ins Unterbewusste und in Anderwelten mit 

H3O und Elaine Radigue verglichen wurden...." [Bad Alchemy] 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Sea CD (Beta-Lactam Ring Records 


Part six in the VORTEX VAULT-series, embrace thee Unconscious! 

Again lots of guest musicians were invited, again narrative material is 

combined in an almost ear-play way with music, as on "Black Sea" 

some great voice-choral-spheres, piano & violin-arrangements... 

this is maybe the most "serious", dense and darkest album of the 

VORTEX VAULT series, except the last track which breaks again with 

all expectations... six tracks, around 45 minutes. 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Market CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 

Records mt131 /BLACK SERIES NEGRO11 , 2007) € 16.00 

Part seven in the VORTEX VAULT-series, embrace thee Preposterous! 

This one features TONY WAKEFORD and ALEXANDER THYNN and 

has many many pieces... 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Out CD (Beta-Lactam Ring Records 


Part eight in the VORTEX VAULT-series, embrace the 

Incomprehensible! 21 (!) tracks spread here on 53 minutes, this one 

features also FREEK KINKELAAR (BEEQUEEN, BRUNNEN), and his 

wife MIRANDA KINKELAAR as narraters (on dutch!) & singers. Very 

droney, but also insuperable, weird stuff, and something like "rockmusic" 

at the end.. 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Panther CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 


Part nine in the VORTEX VAULT-series, embrace thee Grotesque. 

22 pieces (!), many guest musicians. 

* LILES, ANDREW - Black Sheep CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 


Part ten in the VORTEX VAULT-series, embrace thee Disparity! 

Many different tracks are spread on "Black Sheep" (13!), the already 

10 th part of the VORTEX VAULT-series, which are characterized a lot 

through all the guest-musicians for collaborate with LILES. "Black 

Sheep" has excellent dark ambient & droney stuff but also violin-based 

tracks (that sound very much like ARANOS, but seem to come from 

ANNIE KERR), weird narrative & voicecrafted material and something 

that sounds like badly played Krautrock-Ambient-Wave. Damn. 

"Black Series 14 - Ed. of 300 numbered and signed copies available 

September 1, 2007. Many thanks to Michael Liles and Esme Haynes 

who narrate on track 1, David Janssen who plays on track 2, Steven 

Wilson who re-constructed track 3, Annie Kerr who stroked strings on 

Tracks 7 and 10, Wolfgang Weiss who narrates on 11 and Gregg 

Sharpen and Colin Potter who inadvertently contribute to track 13. 'The 

Vortex Vault' will be in part a collection of unreleased, unearthed and 

dusted down material from the vast Andrew Liles archive of unused 

studio material. 'The Vortex Vault' will also include brand new 

recordings, conceptual and collaborative pieces, special guests, kraut 

rock psyche outs, space rock, the odd and unlikely, Norwegian, the 

obscure and arcane, aircraft, cicadas, the absurd and nonsensical. 'The 

Vortex Vault' is a platform to release radically different and eclectic

material. Expect the unexpected, the minimalist and excessive, the 

demure and deranged. The first in the series will be 'Black Paper', The 

second in the series will be 'Black Hole', and in no particular order will 

be followed by 'Black Beauty', 'Black Mamba', 'Black Pool', 'Black Sea', 

'Black Panther', 'Black Sheep', 'Black Widow', 'Blackout', 'Black Market' 

and finishing with 'Black End'." [credits & label info] 

* LILES, ANDREW - The Vortex Vault (Subscription) 12 + 1 CD 

(Beta-Lactam Ring Records, 2006-2008) € 200.00 

Um dem ganzen noch die Krone aufzusetzen, gibt es die grandiose 

THE VORTEX VAULT-Serie auch als Subskriptions-Komplett-Paket mit 

13.ter Bonus-CD (die es natürlich nur als Bestandteil der Subskription 

gibt) ! Die Gesamtauflage ist auf 300 Stück limitiert, alle CDs sind 

signiert und nummeriert. Nur sehr wenige konnten wir uns sichern... 

Subscription of the full "Liles Black Series" including a 13th bonus CD!! 

The whole edition is lim. to 300. 

"Black Series - Ed. of 300 numbered and signed copies. 'The Vortex 









deranged. The first in the series will be 'Black Paper', The second in the 

series will be 'Black Hole', and in no particular order will be followed by 

'Black Beauty', 'Black Mamba', 'Black Pool', 'Black Sea', 'Black Panther', 

'Black Sheep', 'Black Widow', 'Blackout', 'Black Market' and finishing 

with 'Black End' " [label info] 

* LITTLE ANNIE - Songs from the coal mine canary CD (Durtro 

Jnana 1967CD, 2006) € 14.50 

"Misst man Legenden daran, wie rar sich ein Künstler macht, dann 

rangierte Little Annie dicht hinter Syd Barrett. Die New Yorkerin wirft 

nicht gerade mit Veröffentlichungen um sich, doch geht sie mal eine 

neue Platte an, ist das Ergebnis entsprechend präzise. Ihre 

Konstellationen scheinen stets von langer Hand geplant. Vor zehn 

Jahren nahm sie mit Adrian Sherwood eine Platte für On-U Sound auf, 

für ›Little Annie & The Legally Jammin’‹ (Italic / Efa) sind nun Khan und 

Jendreiko ihre Partner. Die einstige Liaison mit Dub hinterlässt noch 

Spuren, doch so richtig groovy ist hier gar nichts mehr. Little Annie mag 

es spröde. Fast nur auf Electronics und Percussions reduziert, pochen 

die Beats mehr, als dass sie treiben. Eisige Sounds und angezogene 

Handbremse fügen sich jedoch ganz in den New-York-Style von Annies 

Gesang ein, der mal an Lydia Lunch erinnert, mal an Ann Magnusson 

von Bongwater, aber auch an Laurie Anderson zur ›Big Science‹- 

Phase. Little Annie verändert ihre Stimme von Song zu Song, von 

aggressivem Fauchen über zurückhaltenden Sprechgesang bis zu 

grandios distanziertem Soul. Zu Zeiten von No Wave war sie als Annie 

Anxiety noch Teil der legendären Crass-Kommune. Mehr als zwanzig 

Jahre später, mitten im großen No-Wave-Revival rund um Bands wie 

Erase Errata, !!! und Radio 4, klingt sie nicht nur abermals up to date, 

sondern sogar weniger retro als manche ihrer Kollegen. Ihre Musik ist 

jedoch nicht nur auf No Wave zu reduzieren, das Zusammenspiel von 

Sprache und Beats schlägt hier einen viel breiteren Bogen, streift 

HipHop ebenso wie den narrativen Dancefloor-Soul von Ursula Rucker. 

Wegen ihres metrisch genauen Umgangs mit Sprache wurde Little 

Annie immer wieder als Poetin bezeichnet, was sie ärgert, da dies ihre 

Fähigkeiten als Sängerin ausklammert. So wenig, wie männliche 

Rapper bloß rhythmisch sprechende Dichter sind, ergibt sich auch bei 

ihr die ganze Qualität erst aus dem einzigartigen Zusammenspiel von 

Text, Stimme und stimmig reduzierter Instrumentierung." [Martin Büsser 

/ Intro] 

"LITTLE ANNIE alias ANNIE ANXIETY alias ANNIE BANDEZ ist 

weiblicher Abenteurer, Sängerin, Songwriterin, Multimediakünstlerin 

und postmoderne Kabarettkönigin zugleich, die einen ganzen 

Rattenschwanz an Aufnahmen hinter sich herzieht, von denen ihr 

verführerischer Auftritt mit der Band COIL zum Song ,Things Happen" 

vielleicht die bekannteste sein dürfte. ,Songs From The Coal Mine 

Canary" versammelt zehn neue Songs, bei denen LITTLE ANNIE sich 

prominente Verstärkung in Form von Antony Haggard von ANTONY & 

THE JOHNSONS und Joe Budenholzer (BACKWORLD, SMALL 

CREATURES) ins Boot holte. Außerdem am Ruder: Paul Wallfish, 

Todd Cohen, Paul Geluso und Maxim Moston. In der Vergangenheit 

ging LITTLE ANNIE bereits Symbiosen mit KID CONGO POWERS, DJ 

PAUL OAKENFOLD, dem Dub-Helden ADRIAN SHERWOOD, CRASS, 

NURSE WITH WOUND und COIL ein, von denen letztere eine 

Inkarnation der ersten Industrialband THROBBING GRISTLE waren. // 

Little Annie -- aka Annie Anxiety, aka Annie Bandez -- is an 

adventuress, chanteuse, lyricist, multi-media artist and post-modern 

cabaret queen with a long, illustrious and eclectic recording career. 

Songs From the Coal Mine Canary, Annie's fabulous new full-length, 

features ten songs written and performed with guests Antony (of The 

Johnsons), Joe Budenholzer (Backworld/Small Creatures), Paul 

Wallfisch, Todd Cohen, Paul Geluso, and Maxim Moston." [label info] 

* LONG DISTANCE CALLING - Satellite Bay CD (Viva Hate 

Records, 2007) € 12.00 

"Erst Anfang 2006 begannen die ersten musikalischen Gehversuche 

von LONG DISTANCE CALLING, und nun liegt nach einem Demo 

bereits das Debütalbum "Satellite Bay" vor, welches es ganz schön in 

sich hat! Innovativer, höchst atmosphärischer Post-Rock zelebriert die 

überaus ambitionierte Band auf ihrem Werk und beweist, dass es nicht 

unbedingt ewig langer Vorlaufzeit benötigt, um sich mal kurz einen 

Überflieger aus dem Ärmel zu schütteln. 

Langsam pulsierende, sich zähfließend aber stetig immer weiter 

entwickelnde und steigernde Songs, basierend auf anfänglich ruhigen, 

sehr atmosphärischen, nicht zu kühlen, dezent melancholischen, 

sphärischen Klanglandschaften, welche sich dann auch mal in wahrhaft 

bombastischen Explosionen entladen – so klingen die äußerst 

dynamischen und ausufernden instrumentalen Stücke von LONG 

DISTANCE CALLING. Die hohe Post-Rock-Kunst zeigt viel Liebe zum 

Detail, auch nach zigmaligem Anhören gibt es immer wieder Feinheiten, 

kleine Nuancen zu entdecken, "Satellite Bay" strotzt nur so vor 

Ideenreichtum. Die Songs sind sehr variabel und wurden mit 

interessanten und passenden Samples angereichert. Keyboard, Gitarre, 

Bass, Schlagzeug und Samples verschmelzen zu einem intensiven 

Ganzen, kreieren Kopfkino, nehmen den Hörer gefangen. Die 

experimentelle, fesselnde und ausdrucksstarke Musik lädt zum 

Träumen ein, zum Nachdenken, zum Hinwegschweben. Als Vergleiche 

seien hier ISIS, PELICAN, EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, PORCUPINE 

TREE, DREDG, TOOL sowie GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR 

angegeben. Einmal bricht die ansonsten rein instrumental agierende 

Band aus: Bei "Built Without Hands" setzt Gast Peter Dolving (THE 

HAUNTED, BRING THE WAR HOME) stimmliche Akzente. 

"Satellite Bay" ist eine wunderschöne CD der ausgefalleneren Art, voll 

gut strukturierter und vor allem spannender Post-Rock-Epen, welche 

zwischen betörend und aufbrausend schwanken und mit dichter 

Atmosphäre begeistern. LONG DISTANCE CALLING reißen Mauern 

nieder und entführen den Hörer in andere Sphären. Für Fans von ISIS 

essentiell. Für Fans der anderen genannten Gruppen ebenso." 

[Metal.de] 

LOPEZ, FRANCISCO – Warszawa Restaurant CD (trente oiseaux 

toc951, 1995) € 14.00 

Älteres Werk von dem rastlosen Minimal-composer aus Madrid.... 

fantastische Drones... "contains a dark, haunting soundscape in seven 

parts: far away resonances over dark waves, deep submarine space; 

like a magician, he suspends time with a slow gesture..." 

* LOPEZ, FRANCISO - Untitled (1998) CD (Generator Sound Art 

GSA-01, 1999) € 14.00 

Ein gutes Bespiel für LOPEZ Konzept vom "Absoluten Klang", die tolle 

GENERATOR-CD ist wieder auf Lager ! 

"7 Stücke, außerweltliche Drones, vom ruhigen bis monumentalen 

Spektrum, einiges ist sehr intensiv und sollte laute genossen werden. 

Special plastic sleeve (non jewel-case)." [old Drone Rec. info] 

"Over the last twenty years Francisco LÖpez has developed an 

astonishing sonic universe, absolutely personal and iconoclastic, based 

on a profound listening of the world. Destroying boundaries between 

industrial sounds and wilderness sound environments, shifting with 

passion from the limits of perception to the most dreadful abyss of sonic 

power, proposing a blind, profound and transcendental listening, freed 

from the imperatives of knowledge and open to sensory and spiritual 

expansion. One of the leading figures of the international experimental 

underground, he has realized concerts and sound installations all over 

Europe, the Americas and Japan and his work has been released by 

more than sixty record companies throughout the world. 

Equally subtle- and strong. No text, no explanations. 5" CD Packaged in 

a clear vinyl wallet w/clear CD blank cover" [label info] 

* LOPEZ, FRANCISCO - Untitled # 164 CD (Unsounds 12U, 

2006) € 13.50 

" Untitled # 164 came out of a project commisioned by the ARGOS 

festival in 2004, Brussels Sonic Matter. Using field recording made in 

the city together with TRMX, Johan Vandermaelen, Martiens Go Home, 

and Building Transmissions; Lopez mutates and records these into an 

intense 73 minute composition..." [label info] 

"Another impressive work by Francisco López, this time based on urban 

field recordings made in Brussels (together with TMRX, Johan 

Vandermaelen, Martiens Go Home and Building Transmissions) and 

reworked by the Spanish sound researcher to respond to a commission 

by Argos Festival in 2004. This composition is a game of contrasting 

energies taking their nourishment from the very silence they come from.

The first part is built upon a deep pulse sounding like a sleeping giant's 

heartbeat, a fabulously suspended sensation of invisible life happening 

under the surface of the unknown. About 20 minutes into the piece, the 

treated sounds of the city become a powerful wind whose impetus 

constitutes an ominous presage from which we feel strangely protected, 

like being wrapped by a thick cocoon - but not for long. Cyclical clicks 

and mechanical breaths bring us back to more concrete revelations 

while whooshing ectoplasms - apparently, running cars in tunnels - 

emerge as a charming element even if acting as a sort of distraction 

from the basic soundscape. The central section presents the strongest 

"industrial" intensities, whose hypnotic allure is soon replaced by ghostlike 

clouds of introspection, undercurrents of low frequencies and 

percussive clatters. City sounds are also perceptible as "presences" in 

the final movements, just like moans from the souls of mariners whose 

life was claimed by the sea; this is the most emotional section, a mass 

of droning streams and scents of desolation leading everything to the 

end." [Touching Extremes (Italy), June 2006] 

* LOPEZ, FRANCISCO & ILIOS - Hysechasterion CD (Antifrost 

afro2037, 2006) [lim. 500] € 13.00 

"Some two months I was in Greece to visit a baptizing party and part of 

the trip went to the a Greek Orthodox Church up in some mountain. It 

was sunny and crowdy, but today, in grey The Netherlands I play this 

new work by Francisco Lopez and Ilios, which deals with field 

recordings they made together at various monasteries in Greece and at 

Mount Athos and the rocky hills of Katounakia. I wonder if we needed to 

know this (for me it's ok, because I remember that lovely sunny day in 

September), because what do we actually know in relation to what we 

hear Much of Lopez' work deals with absolute sound, and there is no 

information to be found on many of his releases, so that the listener is 

free to make up his own mind. But even now we know, I strongly 

wonder what it helps. Both artists went home with these sound sources 

and started creating each a piece of music out of it. With highly 

processed large chunks of wind there is something austere and stale 

about these recordings. I have no clue at all how these people work 

with what they do, but in both pieces it all sounds highly fascinating. 

Ilios is the man of some subtle and some abrupt changes, in which get 

turned around and are put upside down, whereas Lopez makes a 

straight forward, slowly building to a mighty crescendo piece (perhaps 

that should be called 'the classic Lopez composition technique') until it 

collapses and remains silent for some time. Both are masters of their 

trade, and this is no different (in various aspects really) and shouldn't 

missed in any collection of a diehard." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* LOTUS EATERS - Wurmwulv CD (Troubleman Unl. TMU165, 

2007) € 14.00 

"The latest from conscious-states explorers JAMES PLOTKIN, 

STEPHEN O'MALLEY (KHANATE, SUNN O), and AARON TURNER 

(ISIS, OLD MAN GLOOM, HOUSE OF LOW CULTURE). Three tracks 

running just under an hour. Packaged in special long cases." [label info] 

"As if these guys weren't busy enough with their 'day jobs', 

Stephen O'Malley (Khanate, SUNNO))), Burning Witch, KTL, Thorr's 

Hammer), James Plotkin (Atomsmasher, Phantomsmasher, Khanate, 

OLD, Flux, Romance) and Aaron Turner (Isis, Old Man Gloom, House 

of Low Culture) still somehow managed to find time to get together and 

do something a little less... heavy, or sludgy, or crushing, or even 

drone-y for that matter. Wurmwulv is the latest chunk of ambient drift, 

minimal clatter, and abstract soundscaping from the trio known as Lotus 

Eaters. Three looooong songs, 50 minutes of strange drifting sound. 

The opening track is a slowed down pipe fight. A warped wander 

through a sea of chimes and bells, of resonant metal and shimmering 

metallic drones. Avarus, Anaksimandros, have got nothing on these 

guys. Ominous and dark, but strangely melodic. From delicate tinkling 

to dense metal on metal pound, single notes fluttering in space, to 

flurries of clang and clatter, all the while, way in the background, 

a deep swirling tidal low end shifts and shimmers. 

The second track is brief, 5 minutes of high end drift, strange 

electronic interference, gristly rumbles and hissy whirs, while beneath it 

all, machines creak and groan, mysterious objects scrape and rattle 

until near the end, the track is suddenly overtaken by a lush wall of 

warm guitar whorl. The final track, another lengthy exploration, is an 

effects laden trawl through a world of constantly shifting low end. Nearly 

static, layers of rumble and whir, gently and almost imperceptibly 

shuffling, while over the top, drift tiny alien sonic events and muted 

squiggles of FX, helicopter like whup-whup-whup's, and faux 

animal calls, clicks and thumps, all manner of mysterious sound. 

Eventually, a flurry of high end streaks takes the form of some sort 

of effervescent symphony, glistening in their own all high end 

universe, before the low end returns, bringing with it a muted folky 

drift, a lazy sun dappled slow burning outro... 

Gorgeously packaged in an oversized 6 panel A5 sized digibook, 

with paintings by Stephen Kasner, layout and design by Aaron Turner. 

So nice." [Aquarius Records] 

* LUTNAHIMAT - Kleine Mietzekatze mCD (Entr'acte E31, 2006) 

€ 7.00 

Interesting Newcomer on one of the most advanced british label at the 

moment, comes again in closed moisture-bag design. 

“It is all based on a strange, involving cycle of repetitive low frequencies 

spiced with scraps of slowed down taped voices (luckily, just a little, as 

this is one of the things that I like less in experimental music at any 

level) and something like a pitch-transposed looped feedback. A 

humming deep pulse in the background completes this nerve-rubbing 

experience, once again showing Entr’acte’s will of dealing with many 

different fields of contemporary electronica. To be put in ‘repeat’ mode, 

ad libitum.” [Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes] 

* Len LYE - Composing Motion : The Sound of Tangible Motion 

Sculpture CD (Atoll ACD305, 2006) € 14.00 

LEN LYE war ein in den 50er und 60er Jahren aktiver New Yorker 

Sound-Artist, der ähnlich wie BERTOIA obskure Klang-Skulpturen 

baute, wobei bei LYE noch die kinetische Komponente in Form von 

Motoren & Elektromagneten dazukam. Eine LP mit Aufnahmen war 

geplant, wurde jedoch nie realisiert. Auf dieser CD sind 14 neuere 

Aufnahmen zusammengestellt, die mit LEN LYEs (zum Teil 

meterhohen!) Skulpturen in verschiedenen Gallerien gemacht wurden, 

ein ausführliches Booklet zeigt und beschreibt jedes der höchst 

merkwürdigen & kreativen Objekte... eine ganz eigene Welt, auch 

klanglich.. 

"This CD makes available for the first time modern stereo recordings of 

the sounds of his sculptures, and provides an introduction to Lye's 

fascinating soundworld. Len Lye was one of the most innovative artists 

of his era. Based in New York's Greenwich Village during the 1950s and 

60s, Lye was a leading figure in the development of kinetic art. He 

designed and built a series of moving, sound-emitting sculptures that 

are breathtaking visually and sonically. 'Sound crazy people vibrate to 

sound and this disc is for them; it's got some of the sharpest astringent 

zings of sound that ever cut the air, maybe because it's all made with 

doctor's blade steel, some of it the sharpest. All I know is that when it's 

set up in motorized vibrating and shaking devices, and struck with 

strikers, it cuts a new sound groove.'" [label info] 

* MAEROR TRI - Ambient Dreams CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 

Records mt157, 2007) [lim. 500] € 15.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung des zweiten "offiziellen" Tapes von M.T. von 

1990, welches damals auf dem Cassetten-Label von Andreaz Vogel 

(aka MOHR) erschien, - und zwar in einer winzigen Auflage von 50 

Stück, alle mit individuellem Foto-Cover. Die Stücke auf "Ambient 

dreams" basieren ausschliesslich auf effektierten Feldaufnahmen, roh 

und doch schon atmosphärisch as hell! Neues, edles Cover und linernotes 

von Andreaz Vogel! 

"If there is one band from the 80s and 90s that released their work on 

cassettes that is now truly famous it's no doubt Maeror Tri. I was 

amongst their first fans collecting from almost day one. While not 

playing cassettes as much as I did or should, I never got rid of the old 

Maeror Tri tapes. They are perhaps the only band in the world that have 

all of their tapes released as CDs - not CDRs. To be very honest, I don't 

recall 'Ambient Dreams' that well, but the fact that it had a real picture 

stuck onto it, sticked in my mind. All of the sounds 'originated from 

natural ambient sources' it says on the cover. It will remain a mystery 

how Maeror Tri conceived their music, even when I saw them play live a 

couple of times. An accordion, some junk for percussion and lots of 

sound effects - things were always that simple, but the proof is in the 

pudding, not the ingredients. Maeror Tri, certainly in 1988, didn't have 

access to a studio or refined recording techniques, but 'Ambient 

Dreams', almost twenty years later sounds still as fresh as it did. 

Mysterious clouds of sound pass by the listener and they create outerworldly 

atmospheres. Ambient music but with a healthy doses of 

experimentalism - and all quite dark. We can only assume that it's this 

quality that appeals to some many latter day fans of Maeror Tri and its 

successor Troum. A great work, still after all these years. And finally the 

tape can go to Ebay (anyone)" [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

"Black Series 34 - Ed. of 500 numbered copies. Oh, the roaring silence! 

Maëror Tri has knack for gathering simple sonic ingredients, simmering 

them in a jabberwocky with special electro-sauces, and serving up an 

ear smacking meal that tastes great even as leftovers. So, let’s get to 

the meat of the matter... “Ambient Dreams” is, surprise!,.. an ambient 

recording. By ambient I mean "like the hazy wails of windswept souls as 

seen under failing fluorescent lighting." Please turn your books to the 

chapter entitled "Nurse With Wound-Homotopy To Marie" for related 

reading. MT's jittery electronic torpedoes are juxtaposed by silent wakes 

and expatriated metallic swirls. Pregnant and cavernous (see also 

Lustmord) sounds wander back and forth leaving trails of lingering, 

tonal machine noise. It's like that great and variable symphony provided 

by the refrigerator when conversing with the radiator late at night. 

Robotic whales calling to each other in a pool of motor oil. Music to

grease the chasse of your dreams! Please file in experimental or rock 

but NOT NEW AGE because Kenny G wouldn't like it!" [label info] 

* MAMA BÄR + RUNZELSTIRN & GURGELSTOCK - Il Portale delle 

Indipententi… CD (Blossoming Noise BN027, 2007) € 13.00 

Collaboration of the masters of german/swiss dadaistic sounds MAMA 

BÄR (wife of DETLEV HJULER) and RUDOLF EB.ER!! 

"Psycho acoustic pandering from SCHIMPFLUCH founder RUDOLF 

EB.ER and ASYLUM-LUNATICUM’S MAMA BAR. Includes 

RUNZELSTIRN & GURGELSTOCK’s concert for spanking featuring 

RAIONBASHI and MAI SAU, as well as a reissue of the out of print 

(limited edition of 27) LP Il Portale Delle Indipendenti." [label info] 

* MANINKARI - Psychoide / Participation Mystic CD 

(Conspiracy Records core053, 2007) € 12.00 

Erstaunliches Debut einer Pariser Gruppe, Post-Rock unter Einsatz von 

fast schon klassischen Arrangements & Impro-Elementen, AQuarius 

nennen das "Drone-Jazz"... 2 Remixe von JUSTIN BROADRICK und 

SCANNER runden die EP ab, die mit 42 Minuten fast long-play Niveau 

erreicht.... 

"Mysterious, quaking, hissing, clattering instrumental post- rock 

soundscapery, a murky improv, weird and warm, full of shimmering 

strings slightly dissonant, like something processed from the sounds 

of a symphony tuning up, building to bombastic dense, droning 

nirvana. Very cool... What is this Well, we're always interested in 

what Belgium's Conspiracy label decides to release (just look 'em up 

on our website and you'll find a slew of AQ faves, from a bunch of 

Boris to the recent Sunburned Circle album). Never heard of Paris' 

Maninkari before, but this debut release of theirs being on 

Conspiracy gets our attention -- as does the fact that Jesu's Justin 

Broadrick contributes a remix (as does Robin Rimbaud aka Scanner). 

That's right, as the title suggests, this disc is just two songs, 

plus two remixes... it's 42 minutes total, though, so if it's not a 

full-length album, it's not exactly just an ep either. 

Maninkari construct a gorgeous soft cacophony of epic post- rock 

drift and minimal jazzy shuffle on 8:21 opener "Pyschoide". 

Dense drumming, frenzied strings, wound into tense soundscapes of 

slow burning shimmer. Godspeed plays the Dirty Three, or maybe 

Angus Maclise jamming with Chris Corsano, dark and druggy, some 

sort of glorious mantra-like minimalist dronejazz, with a super cinematic 

Phillip Glass like coda... That's followed by "Participation Mystic", 

a 16 minute track of lilting pizzicato strings, underpinned by deep 

soft swells of shimmering warmth and distant bits of industrial 

clatter, a slow burning ambient drift that is eventually joined by a 

simple motorik rhythm, transforming the pulsing ambience into 

something jazzy and minimal, propulsive and hypnotic, channeling the 

spirit of Finnish hypnorockers Circle and minimal dronejazz combo the 

Necks... and again near the end, everything enveloped by intense 

swarms of frenetic strings... 

The two remixes are different enough from the originals to be 

quite worthwhile, and stand by themselves, not surprisingly being 

more "electronic music" sounding, and in the case of Broadrick's 

remix, more "extreme"!" [Aquarius Records] 

MARANHA, DAVID - Piano Suspenso CD (Sonoris SON-21, 1999) 

€ 10.00 

Reissue of this fine first solo-album by OSSO EXOTICO-member 

DAVID MARANHA!! Special priced. 

"OSSO EXOTICO-Mitglied DAVID MARANHA auf Solopfaden: a single 

piece of beauty for about 71 minutes! Piano strings excited by four 

motors and violin, recorded in N.Y. at the electronic arts performance 

series. In allen Frequenzen ausschweifende, majestätische Drones, mit 

ständigen Interferenzen & Überlagerungen & Obertönen, ein Meer von 

Drones sozusagen, in das man hinabtauchen kann!!!" [old Drone 

Records info in the year 2000] 

"After a tentative opening consisting of damp harmonic scrapes, the 

piece takes off like a single-engined light aircraft when Maranha 

kickstarts his four-motored piano effect and then starts to tease single 

notes from the bubbling background with his bow. This is a great and 

physically affecting slab of sound, where the slightest minimal shift 

causes tectonic plates to groan. It's gravy train stuff for fans of 

Maryanne Amacher, Arnold Dreyblatt - and perhaps Maranha's major 

influence - Phill Niblock." [David Keenan - The Wire (aug. 99)] 

* MARANHA, DAVID - Noe's Lullaby CD (Rossbin Rs004, 2007) 

€ 11.00 

Not much info about this release you can find on the ROSSBIN-site, 

except the proposal: "To play Loud." So we did. And reached a great 

effect! NOE'S LULLABY is a one-tracker that is very different from the 

known OSSO EXOTICO-material: very creepy, slow-down percussivepulses, 

dark & droney, lots of cymbal-sounds, distorted basses, almost 

a post-rock dark-drone mixture... 

* MARSEN JULES - Golden CD (Genesungswerk GW24, 2007) 

€ 13.50 

"Den Sommer begrüßt das Genesungswerk friedlich mit diesem Album 

von Marsen Jules. Auf GOLDEN treffen sich Gitarre, Piano und 

Elektronik zu einer harmonischen ménage à trois. Gelegentlich 

unterstützt von Ziehharmonika, Flöte und Geige finden sie sich nach 

einer Winterwanderung vor dem Kamin ein. Leise knisternd entzündet 

sich ein Feuer und vertreibt die Kälte aus unseren Gehörgängen. 

Akustikgitarre und Piano zeichnen die melodischen Linien, während 

sich die Elektronik einfühlend der Klangfarbe des Interieurs annimmt. 

GOLDEN ist wahrlich ein treffender Titel , funkeln und glimmen doch 

bei allen sieben Stücken die Klänge, ohne ihre Hörer je zu blenden. 

Sehr intim, sehr nah, zugleich klar und transparent taucht die Schönheit 

der Instrumente den Sommer in ein neues Licht." [label info] 

Electronica-Ambience reminding at times of newer ULTRA MILKMAIDS 

or a more poppy WILLIAM BASINSKI... 

"Close followers of these pages will already be intimately familiar with 

the work of Marsen Jules, responsible as he is for two of the loveliest 

albums we've had the pleasure of stocking these last few years. His 

debut album "Herbstlaub" strolled into an autumnal tundra of layered 

strings and neo-classical arrangements that best brought to mind the 

work of Arvo Part, attaining both critical and commercial acclaim from 

all quarters of the music scene. His dense follow-up "Les Fleurs" 

approached similar terrain but with a more colourful sound-pallette, 

creating an aural bloom of dense orchestral reductions that kept the 

minimal composure intact despite the rays of aural sunlight allowed to 

seep into Jules' unique, inspiring studio. This long awaited new album 

"Golden" takes little time in declaring its place as a worthy successor to 

both its predecessors - it's a breathtaking collection of pieces that begin 

from the same neo-classical starting point and unfurl in different 

directions, taking in acoustic guitar, barely audible electronic pulses, 

dense orchestral reductions and heavy filtering along the way. You'd 

find it difficult to get past the album's incredible opening track 

"Birkengefluster" without finding yourself incredibly moved by what's in 

front of you - another shimmering weave of elongated midnight strings 

and subliminal melodies consorting to force you to abandon all 

resistance in the face of its relentless beauty. By the time second track 

"Wharend" wheezes into life with its prepared piano passages and 

other-worldly washes of sound, you'll be unable to acknowledge 

anything else in your surroundings bar the music. Marsen Jules is just 

one of those rare artists who manages to achieve so much with such 

limited material at his disposal - it's both the simplicity and timeless 

quality of the 7 long tracks here that make "Golden" not only one of the 

most beautiful albums you'll hear this summer, but also one that you'll 

find hard to let go of come autumn. Sublime music - essential listening.'' 

[Boomkat] 

* MATTIN & MATTHEW BOWER - A new form of Beauty CD 

(Bottrop-Boy B-BOY 029, 2007) € 13.00 

"With the release of A New Form of Beauty Irish band Virgin Prunes 

placed themselves firmly on the map of experimental post-punk. This 

was the unprecedented cathartic musical experience of the early 

eighties. Din Glorious was the name of the breathtaking coda of this 

legendary Prunes session. This type of harrowing noise is also evident 

on Mattin & Matthew Bower’s A New Form of Beauty (1975). Not a 

follow-up but a magnificent, searing chords of chords. Basque noise 

expert Mattin has undoubtedly found his blood brother in Matthew 

Bower, the British godfather of noise-rock. In his Theses on Noise 

(2006) Mattin wrote: “the old conception of Noise was to believe in 

freedom; the new conception of Noise is to achieve freedom”. This is 

noise with a higher aim, this is noise as utopian ideal. 

Using guitars and electronics, Mattin and Bower mould a relentlessly 

pounding tsunami of sound. No time to catch your breath in this long, 

thundering tornado of noise, feedback, distortion and screaming strings. 

A screeching guitar occasionally lifts its head above the whirling 

maelstrom. Ghostlike sounds rise towards the surface of this sonic 

mass; is that a wailing, desolate violin or a radio I hear in the distance 

Am I hallucinating or is this indeed that new beauty 

Mattin & Bower far exceed the pain threshold. No need to prick up your 

ears; expect your eardrums to be pierced. Just when you think calm has 

returned, the duo decides to increase the dose. At the end of their piece 

Mattin & Bower reveal an unparalleled vertiginous abyss of noise. The 

listener is transported from high to higher plateaus of sound. Cries for 

help are suppressed as salvation comes nigh. This is white noise from 

the dark side. This is indeed a new form of beauty. 

'A New Form Of Beauty (1975)' is packed in beautiful new 'envelope' 

packaging designed and handprinted by Jason Dodge & Christine 

Roland." [press release] 

* M.B. - Symphony for a Genocide CD (Hospital Productions 

HOS 183, 2007) € 13.00 

"Symphony for a Genocide", die allererste LP (nach diversen Tapes) 

von MB, dürfte die wohl mit am bekanntenste frühe "Industrial"-

Veröffentlichung dieses Projekts sein, erschien im Original 1981 auf 

Sterile Records in einer Auflage von nur 227 Kopien. Die Stücke sind 

nach Konzentrations- und Vernichtungslagern benannt und waren für 

damalige Verhältnisse auch wegen des klanglichen Materials 

schockierend. Quälend analoger Synthesizer-Lärm mit den so 

typischen Brumm-, Quietsch & Sirenen-Sounds, simple 

Rhythmusboxen laufen im Hintergrund mit, alles rauh und low-fi und 

abrupt endend.. bevor ein neues Stück Agonie beginnt. 

"Hospital Recordings has just reissued the first proper M.B. 

album, which first came out on Sterile Records in 1981 and then again 

on CD on Alga Marghen in the mid '90s. They've redone the design, 

making it look more stripped down, lo-fi and punk rock with gritty 

scans of the Alga Marghen artwork and old school cut and paste liner 

notes (that unfortunately seem to be missing some of the original 

notes), but don't let the makeover fool you, this is still some of 

the most abject and brilliantly bleak dronemusic ever. 

Symphony For A Genocide wasn't the first recording for the 

Italian Industrialist, as he did have some earlier recordings as 

Sacher-Pelz and the infamous Leibstandarte SS MB albums (on which 

Whitehouse's William Bennett dubbed various Nazi speeches on top of 

Bianchi's music without Bianchi's permission). Bianchi's work does 

come out of a transgressive mindset; but one that is uniformly 

misanthropic, nihilistic, and utterly black. On this album, MB 

construct brutal, hallucinatory blasts of electronic noise and 

grinding rhythms of hand-cut tape noise and overblown synthetic 

distortion. These, bleak chilling drones are reminiscent of Conrad 

Schnitzler at his most neurotic, Nurse With Wound at their most 

droning, and Whitehouse at their least annoying. MB's very prolific 

career in the early 80's with more than a dozen records was cut short 

in 1984 at which time he declared himself a Jehovah's Witness and 

ceased making music until recently when he finally returned to the 

blackened ambience of old. 

It should also be noted that the recordings of Symphony For A 

Genocide are drastically different from another set of recordings 

called SFAG (Symphony For A Genocide), which has also gotten the 

reissue treatment twice, adding extra confusion into the mix." [Aquarius 


* M.B. - Neuro Habitat CD (Abgurd AB-40, 2007) € 13.00 

".. boring, meaningless, pathetic..." is what GENESIS P.ORRIDGE said 

1982 about this album! NEURO HABITAT contains two side-long tracks 

with really dull soundscapes made with synths and scraping / scratching 

sounds derived from vinyl-endgrooves, endless lines of bubbling & 

delayed electronic noises... quite simple in the sound-approach, this 

"80's industrial atmosphere" is still quite unique. 

This is a russian re-issue of the LP from 1982, comes with the bonustrack 

"Plutoniumetrio" [04.15] from the "Ilse Koch"-Compilation. 

"Re-release of a CD that was brought to light by EEs'T Records in 

1998. It contains three early works by monstrous forefather of industrial 

music as a whole. Neuro Habitat, Moerder Unter Uns & Plutoniumetrio 

create an utterly numbing, horrifying & mangling ambience, suspense of 

which is beyond any heights and forever will be." [press-release] 

* M.B. - Escape to Bela-Zolar (based on Genesis chapter 19, verses 

15-23) CD (L.White Records LW-040, 2006) [lim. 500] € 13.50 

"3 very long old school dark ambient industrial tracks from the italian 

cult project in the way of his old releases from the 80s" [label info] 

* MECHA / ORGA - 56.24 CD (Absurd #56, 2007) € 13.00 

Filed under: polyphonic power-drones! Griechisches Projekt mit einem 

sonoren Drone one-tracker, der an HAFLER TRIO oder NIBLOCK 

erinnert, Obertöne überschlagen und überlagern sich wellenartig, 

das ganze wird allmählich immer lauter und massiver in einem fast 

unmerkliches Crescendo, das furios anschwillt, zum Ende hin gewinnen 

die Drones eine schon unangenehmen Druck & Präsenz ! Intensiv und 

definitiver TIP! 

“...as if a garden being planted and you are watching all the process 

from the bare earth to the colourful result, comes “56:24”... generating a 

drone layer which slowly starts the cultivation process where layers 

upon layers slowly build a delicate atmosphere and the way they 

expand and grow draws an even more colourful result, as if a swarm of 

insects spreads the pollen in our garden, helping it grow even more 

beautiful and even more colourful, lasting in a flabbergasting droning 

result... or at least, such was the atmosphere last march in Halandri 

where Yiorgis Sakellariou (aka Mecha-Orga) premiered this piece for 

us. And it was John Pallas, who by the time the set ended proposed 

absurd the cd release and didn't leave until we 3 shook hands... such 

also was our life in our 2006, like a fertile garden, with lots of releases 

and trips here and there, always ending with our occasional meetings at 

cafe Amarrylis in Kifissia for coffee (Mecha-Orga) & Shitloads of alcohol 

(absurd) or at “Varsos Kifissia” to enjoy our sweets & cofee (Mecha- 

Orga), hot-cold chocolate (absurd). and as a friend wondered of how 

the future will look like, we thought nice to picture Mecha-Orga on the 

cd's front cover sleeve, as a middle aged man, thinking of how he'll 

create his next piece-live set and a grey haired absurd on the cd label, 

probably in a meeting w-someone to discuss an upcoming release or 

project in one of editions_zero's side-ghost labels, book publishing 

houses, etc etc etc... comes highly recommended if you fancy instant 

trips to colourful droning soundgardens!!!” [Nicolas Malevitsis] 

"The name Mecha/orga keeps popping up in Vital Weekly and though 

not entirely a household name, it should be one, at least some day. His 

new CD could be of great help to achieve this. Mecha/orga is the name 

chosen by Yiorgis Sakellariou from Greece, who works since time under 

this guise (and plays regular music as well under various other guises 

and in various other capacities). The work, indicated by it's length, was 

created one afternoon in february last year, and played live there after a 

couple of time. No bullshitting about. The length becomes the title, and 

the listener can come up with his or her own story. Mecha/orga plays 

drone music. On a laptop. How much more simple can it get Or rather 

does it have to be complex No it doesn't. Over the course of the fiftysix 

minutes and twenty-four seconds Yiorgis Sakellariou plays a slowly 

unfolding piece of drone music, which seems to be growing in intensity 

throughout. When you think nothing more can be added, he adds 

another layer. And another. And another. Most suitable to play in the 

dark, at night and ghostly activities will surely occur. Or during the day, 

outside and watching plants grow. Multi-purpose music, I'd say. Great 

stuff. Powerful music." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* MEGAPTERA - Extended Chaos do-CD (Autarkeia acd015, 

2007) [lim. 500] € 22.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der allerersten MC "NEAR DEATH" (1991), und 

der raren mCD "BEAUTIFUL CHAOS" (1998). Mächtiger Death 

Industrial der schwedischen Pioniere & Mitbegründer dieses Genres, 

kommt in überaus edler Verpackung. 

"MEGAPTERA's back again with yet another release to celebrate the 15 years 

anniversary. The new release is titled EXTENDED CHAOS and consits of two old 

releases, Near Death and Beautiful Chaos. Near Death is Megapteras first official 

release way back in 1991. It was released as a 7-track cassette on the CMIsidelabel 

Sound Source. It's the first release with Peter Nyström as an official 

member of the band. Near Death is also the ONLY release with all three 

members! Using drummachine, various synthezisers, movies, TV, radio and 

microphone they created a totally analog and dirty death theme. On this CD, 3 

bonus tracks are added from the same period. Get prepared for old school! The 

second disc is a re-release of the 1998 4-track MCD Beautiful Chaos, that was 

released by Fever Pitch Music, USA. This time it's extended to 10 tracks. Extra 

material is the two classic tracks Shadowland and Sodom from the Death Odorscompilation 

and the two tracks from the In the Buchers Backyard-compilation. And 

as the top of the cake, the CD ends with a bombastic remix of the acopolyptic 

Final Day, signed The Protagonist, and a 9 min extended version of Shadowland, 

remixed by Peter Nyström and Magnus Sundström. The sound of Beautiful Chaos 

is structured and heavy "end of the world-theme" using sampled sounds, mixed in 

a computer program. Both discs are mastered by the genious of Magnus 

Sundström. 

MEGAPTERA is among the most impressive Swedish industrial projects. For 15 

years it has been making its name with powerful, solid and very dark rhythmic 

music. Many people consider this project to be the forerunner of death industrial 

substyle of industrial that has triggered the occurrence of a new musical trend and 

has had numbers of followers all round the world. Throughout its artistic career, 

MEGAPTERA’s authors have released over 15 albums in the well-known global 

labels of alternative music and have managed to remain a relevant and interesting 

cultural phenomenon. Project members describe their music concept as the 

reflection of the reign of the dark global events in sounds. Madness, violence, lies, 

wars, diseases and death accompany each and every smallest element of 

MEGAPTERA’s music and symbolise the driving force of this world. The music is 

abundant with the topics that the TV news thrust to the masses. They remind of 

horror films, while the samples of low budget horror thrillers reveal specific and 

slightly horrific humour of death industrial. And, although MEGAPTERA does not 

declare any political ideology, its forceful rhythms, very low analogous frequencies 

and dreary samples disclose not only the horror of the world, which we inhabit, but 

also the indisputable mastership of MEGAPTERA musicians to grasp the gist of 

the merciless reality and to manage to convey it in music." [label description] 

* MEGAPTERA - Staring back at you CD (Malignant Records 

TUMORCD29, 2006) € 13.00 

Rares Material des schwedischen Death Industrial Kult-Projekts! 

"In a final celebration of Megaptera’s 15 year anniversary, Malignant 

presents the definitive last statement from this prominent and highly 

influential death industrial project. Staring Back At You concentrates on 

demo versions, outtakes, and rare songs from various arenas, including 

the compilations Zyklon B, Beating the Meat, Slaughter Age ’95, The 

Book ov Shadowz, Death Odors II, as well as material from the Deep 

Inside mLP, and more. These tracks capture Megaptera at their grittiest, 

creepiest, and most horrifying...a grinding, lurching monstrosity fueled 

by the madness, violence, lies, wars, and disease that plague the world. 

Lmtd to 800 copies, and coming in a 6 panel digipak designed by 

Mårten Kellerman, this has been re-mastered by Magnus Sundstrom, 

with additional boosting courtesy of Thomas Garrison. Staring Back At 

You is final nail in the coffin for Megaptera, and may they rest in peace, 

but continue to deliver nightmares, maddening thoughts, and the 

darkest of obsessions. Track listing: More Disturbance (demo version),

The Passage (demo version), Disoriented (Totally Different demo 

version), Lurking Fear (Pre-damaged demo version), Frozen Corpse, 

The Final Day (excerpt), Morior, Mass Murder, Antropofagi, Deep 

Inside." [label info] 

* MENCHE, DANIEL - Animality CD (EMD.PL / Records, 2007) 

€ 14.50 

Letztes Album seiner Reihe mit Perkussion-Sounds, diesmal benutzt er 

mit Tierhäuten bespannte Trommeln von amerikanischen Indianern... 

"the final menche's solo drum excursion is one hour futuristic shaman's 

flight. the native american drum, both recorded clean and processed 

beyond recognition, pulses with the primal beat of the earth. packaged 

in black, hand assembled, emd.pl/records boxes, with screenprinted 

graphics in white and gold by our friend wojtek bednarski." [label info] 

"native american drums are superb for rich resonating sounds due to 

the animal skin used. for animality i used a large drum with moose skin 

for powerful deep bass sounds and then also a elk skin drum for 

penetrating mid sounds. much of the higher sounds are from "residue" 

noise of these drums. much like how native americans use all of the 

animals skin, bones, fur and meat. even tho there is killing involved 

there is an devout appreciation and divine gratitude to nature. all of the 

possible sounds i could create with these drums i used for animality. 

there is also some of my voice sounds in there too." [daniel menche] 

* MENCHE, DANIEL - Deluge and Sunder CD (Beta-Lactam Ring 

Records mt137 / BLACK SERIES NEGRO 5, 2007) [lim. 350] 

€ 16.00 

Re-issue der DELUGE LP (2003), mit 2 Bonus-Stücken (SUNDER)! 

Wer die LP und / oder Menche noch nicht kennt, sollte hier zugreifen, 

der ideale Einstiegspunkt in sein Werk ! 

"Der Meister dunkel-dramatischer Drone- und Noise-Sphären 

überrascht hier mit einem sehr ruhigen, fast schon meditativen Werk, 

und dem „real time“-Einsatz von Instrumenten (Bass, Akkordeon, 

Melodica). Geblieben sind die untergründige Spannung, die dunkle 

Atmosphäre und die Mehrschichtigkeit seiner Klangalchemie. This 

sounds like healing darkness!" [Drone Records 2003] 

"Daniel Menche is also a busy-bee with no less than 7 CD's released or 

planned for release in 2006! His latest one, Deluge and Sunder, has 

been released as part of BLRR's Black Series. Noisy at times but by no 

means classifiable as "noise" his music has a distinct quality and 

identity of its own. Deluge And Sunder is a re-released (remastered and 

expanded) of Deluge (with Sunder 1 and 2 added as bonus material). 

Four long tracks make up this wonderful album, which is one of 

Menche's best (not that I pretend to know all his works, but still). Using 

acoustic instruments like accordion, bass guitar and melodica) Menche 

weaves thick layers of processed sound, often drone-like of character 

but more dynamic than you'd expect. The Deluge-tracks from this album 

have also been made available as a limited edition vinyl LP, but the 

vastly expanded CD version (which is also cheaper) is the best buy." 

[Freek Kinkelaar, Vital Weekly] 

"Black Series 5 - Ed. of 350 numbered and signed copies. A CD edition 

of what every D.M. fan considers his finest work to date. Remastered 

and expanded with a bonus album "Sunder", a follow up to "Deluge". 

What makes a Menche a Mensch Well, kids, if you do not already 

know, the thick textural musings of Mr. Menche are more subtle and 

moving than those of the average power elctronic bear. Too frequently 

lumped in with a rather dour lot, Menche, I believe, is often 

misunderstood as being a darkly obsessed character, and while he 

does paint in chiaroscuro, his sonic assaults have much more to do with 

palpability than pulpability. Think of it as being assaulted...with a Pepa. 

'Deluge' is actually a surprising departure from previous explorations as 

the tones are generated by real live instruments (bass guitar, accordian 

& melodica) as played by a real live Menche. The rumbly counterpoint 

that so well defines Menche's sensibilities is still there, but is played 

against, initially, a seering wall of D sharp that is built from what sounds 

like an extended bowing (ala Stephen Scott's monofiliment attacks on 

piano interiors, but more as if conducted by Dumitrescu). The latter 

piece is a beautiful and playful exercise with a bellowed instrument. A 

solid droning G has a conversation with quietly modulated tones above 

(angels) and soft porcine bassy throbs below (fat angels). Maybe 

akin to later Nigel Ayers or Soliloquey era Nurse, but the precedings are 

distinctively Menchian, and the last piece breaks down so sublimely that 

I found myself listening to just the end part over and over again. I'll do 

that sometimes when I've had too much coffee." [press release] 

* MENCHE, DANIEL - Bleeding Heavens CD (Blossoming Noise 

BN026CD, 2007) € 13.00 

Liest man sich das Konzept von GIANCINTO SCELSI durch mit seiner 

Herausarbeitung von Klangfarben und Atmosphären, Mikrobewegungen 

einzelner Tonhöhen, der intuitiven Arbeitsweise, etc., so erscheint ein 

"Drone-Monumentalist" aus der nicht-akademischen Noise-Szene wie 

DANIEL MENCHE fast wie ein später Jünger des italienischen 

Klangmystikers. Auch MENCHE's neuere Stücke basieren gewöhnlich 

letztlich auf einzelnen Tönen oder Geräusch-Drones, bei denen eine 

ungeheure Fülle von feinen Details "sichtbar" werden, die sich in einem 

Klangstrom bewegen in den man komplett eintauchen kann. 

BLEEDING HEAVENS basiert auf "Orgel- und Trompeten-Destruktion", 

welche MENCHE in 4 lange 'movements' presst, die oftmals eine 

vibrierend-vibratohafte, flackernde Form annehmen. 

Filed under: Süchtigmachende Strudelmusik ! 

Wer MENCHE noch nicht kennt: Die ultimative Empfehlung und 

Einstiegsmöglichkeit ! 

"Brand new studio compositions from Portland's corporal sound 

purveyor, Daniel Menche. Comprised of deconstructed organ and 

trumpets. Recorded from 2006 to 2007 at House of Menche." [credits] 

* MENCHE, DANIEL - Wolf's Milk CD (Utech Records 007, 2007) 

[ed. of 500] € 13.00 

Maybe it has been enough SAID about DANIEL MENCHEs current 

work, the only thing you have to do it now is: LISTEN - FEEL -DROWN 

- DRONE !! 

"Crystalline drones and sacred incantation. Nectar procured from 

golden fruit. Shimmering resonance channeled through dream. A most 

anticipated return to form for Menche. Breathtaking purity of sound. 

Wolf's Milk is a triumph of immense magnitude." [label info] 

* MERZBOW - Merzbird CD (Important Records IMPREC040, 

2004) € 13.00 

"In 2002 he broke out of the underground with the release of his first 

beat oriented material. Titled Merzbeat, he won over new fans with his 

noise based approach to beat based composition. Merzbird is 

Merzbow's follow up to 2003's successful beat oriented record 

Merzbeat. With the same reverence for crushing analog beats and 

weaving noise textures and a compositional complexity, Masami Akita 

brings Merzbeat and Merzbow into the future, advancing concepts, with 

Merzbird." [label info] 

* MOHA - Norwegianism CD (Rune Grammofon RCD2064, 

2007) € 15.00 

"Aus irgendeinem Grund ist die Improvisationsszene in Norwegen 

besonders kreativ und MOHA! sind als Fahnenführer ganz vorne mit 

dabei. Sie verrühren munter Rock, Free Jazz und elektronische Musik 

zu einem einzigartigen Ergebnis. So groß wie das ist, so überraschend 

ist doch, dass sich hinter MOHA! mit Anders Hana und Morten J. Olsen 

nur zwei Musiker verbergen, die in ihrem jungen Alter von 24 und 25 

Jahren schon seit über 10 Jahren zusammen Musik machen. Nach 

ihrem Debüt "Raus Aus Stavanger" aus dem Frühjahr 2006 zog es die 

beiden auf Tour durch Europa und die USA. "Norwegianism" wurde 

zum Ende einer Europatour im Dezember 2006 aufgenommen und 

zeigt, wie MOHA! in diesem Moment live geklungen haben müssen. 

"Norwegianism" brennt mit kurzer Lunte und explodiert zwischen 

Jugend und Dringlichkeit. // This is the second full-length release from 

Norway's MoHa!. Due to the super-fertile Norwegian improv scene, 

MoHa! are boldly leading the way with a sound that encompasses the 

best of rock, free jazz and electronic music. Despite the enormity and 

broad spectrum of sounds that constitute their unique style, it is the 

work of just two talented young men, Anders Hana on guitar, obsolete 

electronics and a pallette of effects pedals, and Morten J. Olsen on 

drums, triggering a multitude of noises from each skin and cymbal using 

custom-built software. Having played together in various projects for 

close to 10 years, they have developed a high level of control and 

understanding in their musical communication. They compliment and 

confront each other, with sharp and mechanical movements on one 

hand, free flowing and loose gestures on the other. Since the release of 

their debut Raus Aus Stavanger in early 2006, they have done 

considerable touring, both in Europe and in USA. Norwegianism was 

recorded towards the end of a European tour in December 2006 and is 

an example of how a MoHa! live show could have sounded like at that 

point. It's a real scorcher; short, intense, to the point and brimming with 

head explosions, youthful energy and urgency. MoHa! is part of the N- 

Collective, an international conglomerate of musicians, composers, 

improvisors and artists." [press release] 

"Second Rune Grammofon album from this extreme improv duo from 

Norway! It makes sense that they'd have an exclamation point as part 

of their name, as their music is indeed punctuated with glitchy 

outbursts, zaps of loud guitar/drums/electronics. Meanwhile, "MoHa" 

simply references their names: Morten J. Olsen and Anders Hana, both 

of whom are members of Ultralyd as well. We compared their first disc 

of hyperactive skree to some of Mick Barr's stuff, and to the most 

nutty bits from their labelmates Supersilent. Now we can add that 

shortly after our first listen to Norwegianism, we put on a classic 

avant-garde electro-acoustic album from 1970 by Luciano Berio, and 

after a few minutes got confused and thought we were still listening 

to MoHa!, when the Berio got into a particularly crinkly and chaotic 

passage of electronic bleepage. We like it best, though, when MoHa! 

pace themselves, give the music space to breathe, maybe even settle

into some broken-down rhythm for a while (which are the parts that 

remind us of Supersilent), as on the track "Home Two". 

We guess they may have titled this album Norwegianism 'cause 

they recorded it in Geneva and mixed it in Berlin, and felt that they 

were bringing some Norwegian noise to those locales. Also it could be 

in recognition of the fact that they get monetary support from the 

Arts Council Norway -- apparently Norwegian taxpayers are a lot more 

musically open-minded than the typical US citizen!" [Aquarius Records] 

* MOLJEBKA PVLSE - Sadalsuud CD (Some Place Else 

SPECD07040, 2007) € 13.00 

SADALSUUD ist ein fantastischer one-tracker, über 69 Minuten lang, 

der mit diversen Gastmusikern und einem wahren Arsenal an 

verschiedenen Instrumenten und Soundquellen entstanden ist. 

Sanfte, "erdige" Drone-scapes, aber mit sehr düsterem Unterton, eine 

surreale Atmosphäre heraufbeschwörend, flüsternde Stimmen aus 

einem Zwischenreich sind omnipräsent, immer wieder tauchen neue 

interesante unbekannte Klangobjekte auf, es tönt sehr lebendig & 

mikro-dynamisch, zum Ende hin wirds noisig & komplexer... 

Ein Drone-Meisterwerk, vielleicht das bisher beste Album von M.P., 

unsere besondere Empfehlung !!! 

"....For this album, Mathias collaborated with a number of his colleagues 

who provided him various source sounds to work with. The name 

Sadalsuud refers to a star of the same name in the constellation of 

Aquarius. The name comes from an Arabic phrase meaning "the 

luckiest of them all". Nevertheless the album is rather earthy-sounding, 

yet mystical and surreal, almost claustrophobic at times. The sound is 

vaguely reminiscent of some works by Nurse With Wound, Maeror Tri 

or The Halfer Trio, but carries the trademark Moljebka Pvlse feel. An 

unsuspecting pre-listener described Sadalsuud as "a visit to a 

supposedly haunted house, though only once you've entered the house 

you begin to grasp the real meaning of haunting." CD in matt-varnished 

4-panel digipak. Playing time 70 minutes." [label info] 

" Latest disc of sonic exploration from this Swedish dronescaping 

ensemble. With such a darkly minimal sound, it's amazing that, at least 

for this recording. Moljebka Pvlse included ten members! Credited, with 

among other things, sounds (yep, just 'sounds'), no-input mixing board, 

synthesizers, melodica, field recording, cymbals, guitar, voices, flute, 

electric piano, text, didgeridoo, mbira and supercollider(!), this 

expansive ensemble takes all of that and manages to distill it into the 

darkest and simplest of sounds. A nearly seventy minute single piece, 

slowly sprawling out from a stretch of barely there shimmer into 

gradually more and more active low end minimalism. Long drawn out 

tones, mysterious bits of glitch and click, haunting voices, moaning and 

mumbling, chanting and intoning, bits of creaking and tiny swirls of FX, 

deep swells of synth and barely discernible rhythms, everything 

constantly shifting and gradually changing shapes, some parts almost 

coalescing into fragmented bits of actual pop (albeit stripped down and 

smeared), while others are mostly melody free, remaining stretched out 

and abstract. Quite sinister and lovely, dark and subtly intense, not all 

that far removed from the sounds of Troum and Thomas Koner and 

other practitioners of the drone and drift. Which as avid AQ customers 

should realize, is indeed a very good thing." [Aquarius Records] 

* MONTE CAZAZZA - Power versus Wisdom. Live CD (Side 

Effects 1996) € 13.00 

The "early industrial"-legend, live at KPFA 1991 and live in England 1980, 

reminds on the electronic rhythmic side of NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS and 

other british electronic industrial acts from the 80's... 

* MOORE, ADRIAN - Reve de l'aube CD (Empreintes Digitales 

IMED 0684, 2006) € 13.00 

4 neue Stücke vom Sheffielder Komponisten, entstanden im Zeitraum 

2000 bis 2004. Er benutzt hier so unterschiedliche Inspirationen wie ein 

Gedicht von EMILY DICKINSON, speziell sehr "krachige" 

Feldaufnahmen (Rasenmäher, Heckenschere, eine Sheffielder 

Stahlfabrik), oder die Verbindung von live-Klavier und Zuspielbändern 

als Grundkonzept, schnaubende Pferde, Wassergeräusche, 

Rummelplatz-Sounds.. auch die Berliner U-Bahn und Gondeln aus 

Venedig sind hier verarbeitet... das alles lässt sich, wie so oft bei 

elektro-akustischer Musik, sehr direkt verfolgen, und doch ist alles in 

einen ganz neuen Kontext gesetzt, der Aufmerksamkeit geradezu 

erzwingt. Dynamisch, hoch-energetisch, nahezu "frickelig". 

"In compiling this disc I have selected works from 2000-04. To those 

familiar with Traces (empreintes DIGITALes, IMED 0053), there should 

be some similarities but hopefully a move forward, some new sounds, a 

different approach to texture and gesture and the nature of the dialogue 

that exists between composer and listener.' 

“Dreaming of the Dawn” (2004), “Power Tools” (2004), “Piano Piece (for 

Peter)” (2004), “Sea of Singularity” (2001-03)." [credits] 

* MUKAI, CHIE - [Kokyu Improvisation] CD (PSFD-10, 1990) 

€ 18.00 

Ex-TAJ MAHAL TRAVELLERS-Mitglied CHIE MUKAI solo auf der 

KOKYU, die einen ziemlich einmaligen sägenden Klang besitzt und mit 

einem Bogen gespielt wird; Album von 1990, Japan-Import. 

"Chie Mukai has long been a legendary figure in Japan (going back to 

the Taj Mahal Travellers), and more recently has been working with her 

band Che-Shizu (2 CDs on PSF). This CD features her playing an 

ancient Chinese violin (Kokyu), with bits of voice, pieces of metal, 

bronze rings, cymbals, tape-soundscapes added in. Much appeal for 

anyone interested in a Fluxal/Theater of Eternal Music-influenced hour 

of subtle screech; the sound of "floating atmosphere." [label info] 

* MUKAI, CHIE - Solo Improvisations CD (Siwa SCD003, 2007) 

€ 14.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der LP von 2000, zu der wir damals vermerkten: 

"CHIE MUKAI aus Tokyo ist hier auf 3 minimalen Solo-Improvisationen 

auf der ER-HU zu hören (eine Art japanische Fiedel mit 2 Seiten). Sie 

ist nicht nur Sängerin von "Japan's most otherworldly dream psych-pop 

unit CHE-SHIZU", sondern hat auch Ende der 70er in der EAST 

BIONIC SYMPHONY mitgespielt. Dies ist die erste Veröffentlichung 

ihrer Solomusik außerhalb Japans: zu ihren mit delay versehenen 

Streicherklängen singt sie und einige scheppernde background-noises 

sind zu hören, die Musik hat ein sehr ursprüngliches, "archaisches" 

Flair : "There's a full drone sound to the er-hu, a wavering intensity that 

pulls your brain straight into a sensation-dulled but mind-freed trance. 

With none of the evil wince often associated with solo violin improvs, 

you're free to fully appreciate the fractional control and deep humming 

resonance of the instrument. Mukai augments the sound with an 

occasional percussion crash, and a verse or two of wordless highermind 

vocalization. What more could a human ask for" Das fragen wir 

uns auch, kommt die Scheibe zudem doch in wunderschönen, 

verschiedenfarbig bedruckten Siebdruckcovern." [Drone Records 2001] 

"CD reissue of Chie Mukai's second solo album originally released on 

LP in 2000. Three tracks recorded at Kid Ailack Art Hall in Tokyo in the 

late '90s. Just over 40 minutes of solo improvisations featuring the 

beautiful deep drone of the er-hu (a traditional bowed Chinese 

instrument), augmented by voice, kengali, rings and cymbals. Mukai is 

an important (and underdocumented) figure in the Japanese 

underground whose work goes back to her time as a student under 

Takahisa Kosugi in the late '70s which resulted in her participation in 

the legendary East Bionic Symphonia album. Since then, she has 

continued to work with her own Ché-SHIZU outfit and appear on 

recordings with artists such as Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Rinji Fukuoka 

(Overhang Party), Sei'ichi Yamamoto (Boredoms) and Masayoshi 

Urabe. This CD is housed in a screenprinted gatefold chipboard sleeve 

and is released in an edition of 600." "It is such an unadulterated 

pleasure to have this Siwa album, her first release outside of Japan, 

back in print. Three longish pieces, all recorded live in the late nineties. 

There's a far fuller drone sound to her er-hu here, compared to that on 

her previous solo release (Kokyu Improvisation, on PSF), a wavering 

intensity that pulls your brain straight into a sensation-dulled trance. 

And with none of the evil wince often associated with solo violin 

improvs, you're free to fully appreciate the fractional control and deep 

humming resonance of the instrument. It's a beguiling sound, seeming 

to combine both earth and air in one eternal thrumming, shimmering 

pull of gut on steel string. Mukai augments the sound with an occasional 

percussion crash, and a verse or two of wordless higher-mind 

vocalization. What more could a human ask for This is sumptuous 

late-night improv, a fine goose-feather pillow for addled minds 

everywhere." --Alan Cummings" [label info] 

* MURRAY, BRENDAN - Wonders never cease CD (Intransitive 

Recordings INT027, 2006) € 13.00 

"Four years in the making, the music of Brendan Murray's latestgreatest 

album of cinematic drone anthems, Wonders Never Cease, 

was honed during live concerts around New York and New England. 

Recorded in situ, each track was painstakingly (re)assembled and 

embellished back at Murray's studio. While it cannot accurately be 

called a 'live album', the adrenaline thrill of live performance is palpable 

as soon as the opening howl charges out from the speakers. From the 

laminal scorch of the opening track, through an electric fizz storm and a 

breathy hymn for what sounds like harmonica and folding chairs (), the 

eyes-wide-open bliss of Wonders is exhilarating. Soulful, melodic and 

intimate, this is electro-acoustic music as gloriously life-affirming and 

natural as a sunrise." [label info] 

"....Its opener “Hymn One” is a beautifully rendered drone, like the 

hurdy-gurdy fantasies of Oren Ambarchi & Johann Berthling rendered 

by Eliane Radigue. Subtly shifting tonal centers move cautiously 

beneath the thick shag, twisting and pitch-bending before releasing 

some truly head-cleaning scrapes and excoriations. (A lovely reprise 

closes the record, by the way.) “Seize” seems to shift back and forth, a 

cantilever at its center, almost like a fixed interval that rocks on top of 

waves of rumbling electronics. (Somehow, this music always suggests 

nautical imagery to me.) “Hymn Two” is entirely different, breaking

through with a huge multi-layered squall, until something like a postproduced 

harmonica slices through with high lonesome intensity to 

begin “Seas.” Harmonica tones are stacked and morphed creating the 

effect of some odd fusion of Harry Partch and Scelsi, with tape 

machines buckling and clicking along the way until they resolve into a 

huge shimmering mass garlanded with rain. A superb and oddly 

emotional record." [Jason Bivins / Dusted Magazine] 

* NADLER, MARISSA - Songs III: Bird on the water CD 

(Peacefrog PFG096CD, 2006) € 16.50 

"….Vorsichtig spielt Sie ihre Gitarre auf altbekannter, dunkler 

Songwriter - Weise, liebevoll werden Percussions, Cello, Mandoline, 

Harfe und ein verhaltener Synthesizer dem Gesamtwerk beigefügt. Nix 

hätte besser zu den bittersüßen Texten von Marissa passen können. 

Im ganzen Bilde betrachtet kommen die Lieder der "Songs III: Bird on 

the water" verspielt und melancholisch daher, alles passt aneinander, 

für mich wohl die beste Marissa Nadler Platte bisher. Eine besondere 

Überraschung war für mich die Leonard Cohen Coverversion von 

"Famous blue raincoat". Sie verleiht diesem Klassiker Ihre ganz eigene 

Note, Ihren gewissen knisternden und etwas spröden Charme der 

durch all Ihre Titel fliest. Anspieltipp: "Bird on your grave"- mein 

persönlicher Höhepunkt der Platte." [T.Klemm] 

"....Dreamy and spectral, Marissa’s music is an amalgam of traditional 

folk, American Gothic, paisley underground and dream pop. Almost all 

of the songs touch on sadness – themes of doomed loves, broken 

hearts, death or simple burdens colour her lyrics. Fine examples can be 

found in the shape of forthcoming single “Diamond Heart” (due out on 

January 15th) and her lived-in version of Leonard Cohen’s “Famous 

Blue Raincoat”. She sings songs of the sea and the haunting chansons 

of maidens in a funereal majesty all her own. The eerie quality of her 

atmospheric music gives her songs timelessness, yielding a slow-burn 

effect, growing more evocative with time, but her siren-like vocal 

remains her most compelling feature. Excelling at a Fahey-esque 

fingerpicking technique, she plays homage to some of the great early 

American blues players. Marissa Nadler is a hypnotic and wondrous 

addition to the folk firmament. She will be touring in early 2007 to 

coincide with this very special record." [label info] 

"It feels like it's been awhile since we were graced with a 

proper new full length from Miss Nadler, and it's certainly welcome. 

Her haunting gothic folktales seem to get better and more fully 

realized with each release. Here, she is backed by a fuller sound 

courtesy of Philadelphia's Espers in full medieval chamber-folk mode 

making great use of reverberating Tibetan bells, harp and mandolin. 

But nothing overshadows her sophisticated fingerpicking and voice, 

which like an antiquated sparrow harkening from a time only 

experienced in past remembrances transports the listener through 

lovely gossamer shades of grey. The CD version includes a Leonard 

Cohen cover, a free sticker and a link to download 4 more unreleased 

tracks." [Aquarius] 

* NADJA - Corrasion CD (Foreshadow FSHCD003, 2007) € 13.00 

Das vielleich bisher eingängigste NADJA-Album, himmlische Melodien 

& wuchtige Arrangements, wundersame Drone-Sphären und geisterhaft 

gehauchter Gesang, 8 Stücke im Spannungsfeld & Treffpunkt von 

Metal, Post-Rock und Sphären-Drone... Wiederveröffentlichung / Neu- 

Arrangements der Stücke einer CDR von 2003. 

"In the flood of drone and post-rock recordings that have been 

appearing in large quantity for the past few years, "Corrasion", like all 

the music from NADJA, occupies top position on the podium. Flowing 

and ever-changing soundscapes of massive guitar layers and delicate 

ambient passages weave a beautiful aural experience of grandiose 

proportions. NADJA is now a well established music entity on a world's 

avantgarde alternative scene having releases on such labels as Alien8 

Recordings, Conspiracy Records or Profound Lore Records, just to 

name a few and having toured with such artists as ISIS, FRANCESCO 

LOPEZ, KHANATE or KAYO DOT. "Corrasion" was originally released 

back in 2003 as a limited edition of 200 copies on CD-R format. Ever 

since it appeared and quickly sold out, fans of avantgarde experimental 

guitar music from all over the world have tried to lay their hands on it. 

Due to its limited print run and overwhelming feedback from the press 

and music lovers alike, it was obvious that this maginificent piece of 

contemporary sonic art should be widely available. That's why 

"Corrasion" re-surfaces in 2007 not only as a CD re-ediction but also as 

a completely newly recorded material. Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff 

re-recorded all the tracks in January 2007 giving them new 

arrangments, heavier sound and top-notch quality. "Corrasion" anno 

domini 2007 is simply one of the best drone / post-rock albums in years! 

Additionally, the album contains three bonus tracks which originally 

appeared on a couple compilations and a split release (with MOSS), all 

out on Foreshadow Limited and sold out for a long time." [press release] 

"For a while, every band wanted to sound like SUNNO))), and the 

bands that didn't usually had side projects that did, each offering 

up their own take on the slow motion barely moving glacial doom drone 

we all love so much. But pretty soon, those massive slabs of barely 

shifting buzz, the huge chunks of rumble that sounded like nothing 

but a guitar leaned against an amp, started to soften, get more 

melodic, almost dreamy, and thus a new genre was born. Not sure 

what it's really called. Some sort of blown out bliss pop. Still heavy, 

the tempos still lugubrious and plodding, everything drenched in 

distortion and blurry shimmery fuzz, but the songs now had a 

melancholy pop center, a glimmery glowing core. At the forefront of 

this new sound there were two, Jesu of course, Justin Broadrick's 

post-Godflesh project, and Nadja, the doomy side of a Canadian 

crafter of drones by the name of Aidan Baker. There are plenty of 

comers, the Angelic Process, Gog, and a handful of others, but it 

seems to be a race between Baker and his Nadja, and Broadrick and 

his Jesu. Broadrick probably has Baker beat in terms of songs, Jesu is 

a bonafide pop group at this point, verses, choruses, and HOOKS 

everywhere, but in most other ways, Baker has the upper hand. 

Certainly in terms of sheer number of releases, but also, Baker works 

more with texture and timbre, creating songs, but only in the most 

abstract sense, riffs repeat, each one a gorgeous cyclical trudge 

through dense clouds of swirling buzz, vocals drift, another layer of 

sound, everything bathed in effervescent reverb, and sun dappled 

delay. The distortion thick and soft, not harsh or jagged, the rhythms 

pulsing and throbbing as much as pounding. 

On Corrasion, very little has changed. Which is a good thing. 

More of what we already love. The record is rife with sonic subtleties 

though, enough so that Nadja obsessives will have much to explore and 

discover, and thus Corrasion is far from redundant, instead functioning 

as another integral piece in Baker's seemingly never ending sonic 

puzzle, and beyond that, it just sounds so goddamn good. Hard to 

imagine ever getting sick of these endless gorgeous metallic 

dronescapes. And while pretty much any of these records would be 

perfect for the Nadja newbie, Corrasion might just be the perfect place 

to start..." [Aquarius Records] 

* NADJA - Guilted by the Sun CD-EP (Elevation Records EV-1, 

2007) € 8.50 

Neue 4-track EP mit ihrem süchtigmachenden Avant-Drone-Metal, 

manche nennen das inzwischen auch DOOM GAZER oder AMBIENT 

DOOM, tief-bassig & dronig, mal näher zum Songformat (dann sogar 

mit geflüsterten / verzerrten Vocals), mal näher zu experimentellen 

Soundscapes hin, wobei sich zwischen diesen Polen eine 

unnachahmliche Spannung und Ausserweltlichkeit breit macht.... die EP 

ist auch als limitiertes 12" Vinyl erhältlich ! 

"We didn't realize it when we first listed the Residual Echoes 

ep a short while back, but Elevation Records, the label that released 

that, and this here new Nadja ep, is co-run by professional hockey 

player Boyd Devereaux, who plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wow. 

Story goes something like this: Hockey player into weird underground 

sounds, meets an ex-member of the Dirtbombs at a Dead Meadow gig. 

The Dirtbombs guy (let's call him Joe Greenwald) just so happened to 

also work for Warner Brothers. The two became fast friends and 

decided to start a label and voila! Elevation Records. Pretty cool. Well, 

we already told you all about the Residual Echoes ep (and if you 

missed that we still have a few in stock), so now let's talk about the new 

Nadja record... 

A brand new 28 minute ep, from one of the originators of this 

new bred of blissful brutality, Canadian duo, Nadja, featuring AQ 

favorite, the crazy prolific Aidan Baker. While this ep starts off 

tranquil and drifty, it doesn't take long for things to get down to 

business, with a sudden onslaught of super corrosive downtuned 

sludge guitar and simple doomic plod. Now Nadja have always been 

heavy, but it's always been sort of shimmery and blown out, heavy in a 

drifting soft focus sort of way, but the opening track here sounds almost 

black metal, still with a sort of slow core pop heart, but wrapped in 

blackened buzz and super damaged crumbling distortion, seriously 

intense and ominous. Pretty amazing actually. The song fades out into 

a glimmering pool of distant buzz laced with dreamlike melodies, only 

to be clobbered by the second track, the most straight up riffy song 

Nadja has ever recorded wethinks, some wierd sort of slow motion 

stoner doom metal, but being Nadja, still wrapped in fuzzy sparkles 

and warm whir. All four tracks, minus brief interludes of whispery 

tranquility, are massive lumbering distorted dreamdoom beasts, that 

could definitely hold their own in a room full of hellboun heavies 

and devastating doomlords. While somehow managing to also sound 

pretty the whole damn time..." [Aquarius Records] 

* NATURE MORTE - (Recluse) CD (T.U.T/R.u.R. Tonträger 

RUR006, 2007) [lim. 333] € 16.00 

Erste VÖ eines französischen Projekts mit exzellenten Soundscapes 

zwischen dark ambient und sensibler Drone-Geräuschmusik. 

Sehr aufwendige Artwork, 7 tracks, 59+ minutes, 5 postcards, 

Tip für Freunde von Ambient-Musik mit melancholischer 

Grundstimmung.

"Take a deep, deep breath. Forget your surroundings and concentrate 

on the throb of the pendulum slowly disappearing in the mists of mineral 

drones… on the count of ten you will awake in the world of (recluse). A 

lunar world, both cool and emotional, filled with organ and free-reed 

soundscapes, rustling, swirling and simmering drones and celestial 

harmonies which take you back to a primeval and elemental state. Feel 

like a rock in the middle of the ocean or a fossilised oak tree in a dark 

ancestral wood as Nature Morte’s nightfall music soothingly flows 

around you, both feather light and heavy with secrets. Air, water, earth, 

fire. Aether. A majestic debut for this French one-man-project, which 

presents here his first official full-length release." [label info] 

* NECROPHORUS - Imprints CD (Wrotycz Records WRT006, 

2007) € 13.00 

Das neue NECROPHORUS-Werk, introvertierter und elektronischer als 

seine RAISON D'ETRE-Veröffentlichungen, ohne das "Gothic"-flair, 

dafür umso "kosmischer"......verwirbelte Orgel-artige tönende 

Harmonien, aber auch Spielwiese für etwas "abgefahrene" 

elektronische Sounds, field recordings, sogar Akustik-Gitarrenklänge.. 

aber alles geschieht in sehr ruhigen, magisch-meditativen Bahnen ... 

"Beautiful, sensitive and electrified. 'Imprints' by Necrophorus goes 

beyond the previous album 'elinrós' (2005) and further investigates the 

aural landscape of imagination and mysticism. 'Imprints' vibrates a fresh 

air mixed of three dimensional electrified organic field recordings and 

minimal immersive sequenced organ sounds thus creating the 

psychedelic atmosphere of virtually being inside the music, inside the 

magic circle of the aural landscape. 'Imprints' is the fifth CD album from 

Necrophorus/Peter Andersson (Sweden) who is most known for the 

project raison d'etre with several masterpiece releases on the Swedish 

legendary Cold Meat Industry label. Inspired by the impressions of his 

visit to the amazing landscapes of Iceland summer 2006, Peter 

Andersson has created a new astonishing aural output. 'Imprints' 

consists of three variations of the same impression: two of them are 

pure studio composisitons while the third variation is improvised as 'live 

in studio' recording. Format: CD, folding cover. Total time: 50:16 

minutes" [label info] 

* NEHIL, SETH - Amnemonic Site CD (Alluvial Rec. a28, 2007) 

€ 12.00 

Erstes Solo-Album von SETH NEHIL seit 5 Jahren... geheimnisvoll 

tönende Soundwelten warten auf ihre Entdeckung, Klänge kommen von 

Objekten & Aussenaufnahmen... 

"Perhaps Seth Nehil is better known from his collaborative work than for 

his solo work. He worked with jgrzinich and Olivia Block, but his last 

solo work was from 2002. In the years between he worked mainly on 

different projects that couldn't be released on CD, such as multimedia 

installations. The new work 'Amnemonic Site' is covered with obscurity. 

Besides his name, the title, labelname and catalogue number, the cover 

holds no information. 'Play Loud' it says on the label, which always 

raises the question here: why I usually like to make up my own mind if 

I want to play music loud or not. The whole time I was playing this CD, I 

couldn't stop thinking 'what are these sounds' It's of course a question 

that I constantly ask myself when playing new music, certainly when 

covers are as obscure as this one, but in Nehil's case, it can be 

anything really. Are these field recordings Perhaps. Or closely miked 

objects Also likely. And what about the nature of sound processing It 

seems likely there is some. How and to what extent And do I also 

detect some real instruments, like wind instruments, or perhaps 

organs It's all likely. Each of the pieces is a large mix up, I imagined, of 

all of these. There is field recordings, closely miked objects falling to the 

wooden floor, but also long sustained sounds of wind instruments. It all 

makes up a particularly strong CD, that is very much alike the latest 

Olivia Block release, in which a similar treatment of 'real' instruments 

and field recordings is used, and Nehil easily reaches to a similar height 

in his 'Amnemonic Site'. Full of tension, he offers a strong interplay 

between all of his soundsources and it's easily the best release I heard 

from him to date." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* NEUROSIS - Given to the rising (deluxe ed) CD (Neurot 

Recordings NR-050, 2007) € 17.00 

We have few copies left of the deluxe edition (oversized gatefold style). 

"Müssen NEUROSIS eigentlich noch vorgestellt werden Die Bay Area 

Band gilt nicht nur als absolut legendär - dieses Album kann problemlos 

als eins der wohl meisterwarteten der letzten vier Jahre durchgehen. So 

lange ist es nämlich her, seit mit "The Eye Of Every Storm" die letzte 

Platte der stilprägenden Band erschienen ist. Nun sind sie zurück. Und 

wie. "Given To The Rising" legt sich wie eine Klammer um das gesamte 

bisherige Schaffen der Band und untermauert eindrucksvoll, welchen 

Status NEUROSIS mittlerweile haben. Doch nicht nur das: in 10 

Stücken machen NEUROSIS klar, dass sie der Ausgangs- und 

Kulminationspunkt eines Genres sind, das uns in den letzten Jahren 

medial und musikalisch beschäftigt hat wie kein zweites. Bands wie 

ISIS, RED SPAROWES, CULT OF LUNA, MASTODON oder 

CALLISTO bezogen und beziehen ihre Hauptinspiration vom wuchtigsphärischen 

Sound der Kalifornier und müssen nun eingestehen, dass 

NEUROSIS immer noch ihre Meister sind. Kein Superlativ ist zu extrem 

um die Qualität und Klasse dieses Albums zu beschreiben: 

Hypnotisierende Soundscapes voller Aggression und Atmosphäre, eine 

Dampfwalze gegen die Eintönigkeit, ein Statement für die Urgewalt des 

Rock, Hardcore, Punk und Metal - NEUROSIS verbinden ihre 

aggressivsten Momente solcher Klassiker-Alben wie "Souls At Zero" 

und "Through Silver In Blood" mit der harmonischen und 

songwriterischen Finesse des Vorgängers "The Eye Of Every Storm" 

und liefern ein Album ab, wie es sich Fans nicht besser hätten 

wünschen können. Ein Klassiker, ohne Wenn und Aber." [Cargo] 

"Now in its third decade of innovative noisy psychedelic-metallic 

thunder, Neurosis is more than a just a powerful band-- it's a religious 

experience. As such, personal epiphanies are repeatedly told both by 

those who've been converted by Neurosis' sensory overloading live 

show and by those who've felt transformed while listening to the 

legendary quintet's recordings. Given To The Rising is both reflective of 

the aggressive pummeling for which Neurosis is known, as well as an 

exploration into psychoactive prog-rock and eviscerating symphonic 

heft that moves well beyond what we've all come to recognize as the 

"Neurosis note." Given To The Rising is like being submerged in an 

isolation tank-- it envelops, subverting the senses with surreal visions 

we'd swear were our own, cleverly jarring and disorienting 

consciousness beyond any footing in reality. Just as any diehard 

Neurosis fan will tell you, there's a moment with every new record and 

live show at which the band stops as if the world has frozen in position, 

then suddenly kicks into a behemoth wail that forces one's head and 

shoulders to lurch and sway uncontrollably. Given To The Rising is a 

sound borne of that captivating and transcendent moment. " [label info] 

"....Harrowing power. Depressive beauty. Ritual rumble. Alienated lyrics. 

Soft-loud dynamics. Droning space-outs. All utterly "owned" by the 

Neurosis crew. This band just levels everything and everyone in their 

path! This is one that will satisfy old school Neurosis fans and yet would 

be a perfect first-time Neurosis experience too. For instance -- although 

we can't imagine this is too likely! -- if there are any Jesu fans out there 

who haven't ever heard Neurosis, do yourself a favor and pick this up 

pronto!! Arguably their best album since 1999's classic Times Of 

Grace." [Aquarius Records] 

* NEW BLOCKADERS / THURSTON MOORE / JIM O'ROURKE - The 

Voloptulist maxi-CD (Hospital Productions HOS144, 2007) 

€ 10.00 

"Some sick, cold atmospherics on this first time colaboration between 

The New Blockaders, Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke and guest Chris 

Corsano. Track one - TNB with Thurston Moore - is a brooding death 

tone overlaid with grinding, scraping noises that become increasingly 

beast-like as the track progresses. Track two - TNB with Jim O'Rourke - 

is more subtle but equally as menacing. Manipulated white noise and 

radio waves collide head on at the two minute mark with some muffled, 

claustrophobic percussion, courtesey of Corsano. Short, sweet and 

tense as f**k. Recommended." [label info] 

"...The disc is divided into two pieces, the first being the collaboration 

with Thurston, which turns out to be a particularly obscure drone piece, 

constituted from hissing feedback tones, tape crackle and some sort of 

chaotic, mechanical sound sources. The piece evolves infinitesimally 

over the course of its fourteen minutes, rendering an uncompromising, 

though highly textured vision of analogue sound sculpting. The other, 

shorter piece '840 Seconds Over' continues in its predecessor's 

campaign of high frequency feedback manipulations this time with the 

addition of some caterwhauling noise oscillator free jazz and typically 

virtuosic improv drumming from Corsano. It's a real force to be 

reckoned with, and the crispness of Corsano's kit works perfectly 

against the hiss and fizz from the tape-heavy, droning elements. It's all 

over rather too soon (the whole thing clocks in at just over twenty-one 

minutes), but you can hardly expect anyone to keep up these levels of 

intensity for prolonged periods, can you Superb, top-flight noise." 

[Boomkat] 

* NEW BLOCKADERS - Das Zerstoren, Zum Gebaren CD 

(Blossoming Noise BN028CD, 2007) € 13.00 

Live-Mitschnitt auf dem 2007er "All Tomorrows Parties" - Festival, 

welches von THURSTON MOORE (!) kuratiert wurde. Mal wieder das 

letzte Konzert EVER.... 

"After 25 years of the blockade, we are left with the final live document 

from The New Blockaders. Recorded in 2006 by Damion Romero at 

Thurston Moore's All Tomorrow's Parties, Nightmare Before Christmas." 

[label info] 

* NEW RISEN THRONE - Whispers of the approaching 

wastefulness CD (Cyclic Law 18th Cycle, 2007) € 14.00 

Beeindruckend emotionales Werk dieses italienischen Dark Ambient- 

Projekts auf dem wie immer für Qualität bürgendem CYCLIC LAW -

Label; Musik die von Vergänglichkeit und lähmender innerer Leere 

berichtet, von kahlen und menschenleeren Landschaften am Ende aller 

Zeiten.. adäquat umgesetzt mit weiten elektronischen Flächen & 

verlangsamten Chorälen.. 

"The latest offering and first for Cyclic Law of one of Italy's finest Black 

Ambient master. The main concept and transpiring feeling of this album 

and the title "Whispers of the approaching wastefulness" can best be 

described as the "steps" or "journey" leading to the acknowledgment of 

the approaching end of all things. "Whispers" represent doubts and 

thoughts about the prevalent decadence that is around and deep within 

us and "wastefulness" translates to the imminent, definitive end of all 

things, to oblivion...The album is divided into 3 chapters: 

I - Oblivious to unknown threat (first signs) Tracks 1 & 2, 

II - Acquisition of knowledge (signs) Tracks 3, 4 & 5, 

III - Advent of a definitive wastefulness (final signs) Track 6. 

NEW RISEN THRONE's latest opus offers a bleak and sorrow filled 

soundtrack celebrating death with little hope for rebirth... 

This Enhanced CD features an exclusive bonus video clip of the track 

"Unknown" "[label info] 

* NEWS FROM BABEL - Box 3 x CD-Box (ReR Megacorp 

NfBOX, 2006) € 23.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der beiden NEWS FROM BABEL LPs, plus 

Material einer raren 7", in schmucker Box! 

"Vieles auf "Letters Home", dem zweiten und letzten Album von News 

From Babel, versprüht, nicht zuletzt dank unterkühltem Gesang von 

Robert Wyatt, den spröden Charme, der mich an die Lieder von Kurt 

Weill erinnert. "Heart of Stone" beinhaltet Elemente von tanzanregender 

Klezmer-Musik, die nahtlos in Kammermusik-Chanson-Klänge 

übergehen. Auch der zurückhaltende, an Dagmar Krause angelehnte 

Gesang von Sally Potter weiß zu überzeugen, wobei, wie 

beispielsweise auf "Banknote", wiederholt Folklore mit gehobenem, an 

die 30-er Jahre erinnerndem Liedgut vermischt wird. Im Text von 

"Moss" wird Beweis geführt, dass das einzig Wahre und Unverfälschte 

nur im Kontakt mit Mutter Erde und mit Natur zu finden ist, während die 

ersten drei Lindsay Cooper/Chris Cutler-Chansons sich nacheinander 

mit Themen wie Unfreundlichkeit des Daseins, Herzen aus Stein und 

Kälte des Geldes auseinandersetzen. Die Atmosphäre dieser Platte 

wirkt durch den sparsamen Einsatz von Blasinstrumenten, Harfe und 

Schlagzeug mit ein wenig Keyboards ziemlich spartanisch, nicht selten 

traurig, aber nicht abweisend. Im melancholischen Lied "Dark Matter" 

werden Pop-Anleihen aus den 50-ern hörbar. In dem rhythmisch flotten, 

reichlich mit Harfen-Arpeggios versehenen "Fast food" kann sich der 

Hörer am zweitstimmigen Gesang von Dagmar Krause erfreuen. Sehr 

einnehmend klingt auch die im dunkel-stimmungsvollen "Late evening" 

von Harfe und Piano begleitete Stimme von Frau Krause, die dort 

kurzzeitig auch im Duo mit Robert Wyatt zu hören ist. Durch die 

nüchternen bis depressiven Texte und schnörkellose Darbietung ist 

"Letters Home" recht dunkel und melancholisch geraten, bleibt dessen 

ungeachtet in vielerlei Hinsicht gelungen und damit empfehlenswert." 

[Siggy Zielinski über "Letters from Home"] 

"Reissue on 2 CDs of both long out of print LPs, re-mastered and 

repackaged, in a slipcase with an extra illustrated CD of the 7" single 

that was issued only to subscribers with the original release. Stretched 

songs and studio work. 'Work' was Lindsay Cooper, Chris Cutler, 

Dagmar Krause and Zeena Parkins, and followed the vein breached by 

Art Bears, though with a very different musical emphasis. 'Letters' 

added Robert Wyatt, Sally Potter, Phil Minton and Bill Gilonis. Music by 

Lindsay Cooper, words by Chris Cutler. With full text and illustrations." 

[label info] 

* NIHILIST SPASM BAND / REYNOLS - No borders to no borders 

CD (Hushush HSH16, 2007) € 13.00 

"This is a truly unique release Hushush (Canada) is very proud and 

excited to make available to the public. Created from various sessions 

and live sets, this collaboration in between two of the Americas’ most 

original improvisation acts has a distinctive sound. The Nihilist Spasm 

Band has existed now for more than 40 years, these forerunners of the 

current noise and improvisation scenes know no artistic borders and 

have no boundaries to their imagination. By building their own 

instruments and by making no compromise on the form of their musical 

output, this Canadian band has acquired a huge well deserved 

worldwide reputation. NSB crossed the path of Reynols, an Argentine 

improvisation trio of globetrotters headed by Miguel Tomasín, a 

drummer who suffers from the Down’s Syndrome. This equally 

emancipated combo remixed some of the Nihilist Spasm Band’s 

sounds, adding their own mojo and giving them new dimensions. With 

the recent Reynols’ disbanding and NSB’s bass player Hugh McIntyre’s 

death, this disc is due to become a priceless document of the original 

spirit of border-less improvisation music." [label info] 

* NIMH - The Missing Tapes CD (Silentes minimal editions 

sme0610, 2006) € 13.00 

"After the extraordinary 4CD box-set, "Together' s Symphony" (with 

MAURIZIO BIANCHI), Silentes Minimal Editions is proud to present the 

incredible new solo effort by NIMH. Stratospheric sounds from another 

dimension, where multi-cultural sound-worlds collide. Processed 

electronic emulations of traditional Thai (and other indigenous) 

instruments, esoteric percussion, breathing, drones, feedback, 

shortwave radio, disembodied voices floating in air, and hazy field 

recordings all combine is a most intoxicating manner. With THE 

MISSING TAPES, NIMH returns to a more adventurous style, pushing 

the boundaries of sonic innovation past anything that we've heard 

before. An amazing 50+ minute sonic-travelogue of electroacoustic 

experiments. Ambiguous music for those who want something 

completely unique." [label info] 

* NONO, LUIGI - 20 Jahre Inventionen V CD (Edition RZ 4006, 

2006) € 14.00 

"Eine CD mit drei Konzertmitschnitten von Kompositionen Luigi Nonos 

beim Berliner Festival "Inventionen. 

Die Live-Elektronik, mit der Nono in 

den frühen 1980er Jahren im 

Freiburger Experimentalstudio 

erstmals arbeitet, dient ebenfalls der 

Entrückung der Musik: Die Musik 

rückt aus klaren räumlichen und 

klangfarblichen Zuordnungen heraus. 

Die beiden Instrumente, Bassflöte 

und Violoncello, sind durch die 

elektronische Verarbeitung in ihrer 

klanglichen Charakteristik kaum noch 

zu erkennen. Töne und Gesten 

lassen sich ins scheinbar Unendliche 

verlängern und im Raum bewegen. Gesamtspieldauer: 52:41 

Tracks: * Quando Stanno morendo (diario polacco no. 2) - Konzert 

1983 * Canciones a Guiomar - Konzert 1991 * Omaggio a Emilio 

Vedova - Konzert 1991" [label info] 

Three impressing pieces from NONO which show his highly political 

engagement, questionning what art & music can do in the face of the 

apocalypse. His music creates an utopian dislocatedness, full of 

intensity and power. The longest piece here is "Quando stanno 

morendo" (37+ min, composed 1982), mainly based on four ethereal 

female voices. The third piece from 1960 ("Omaggio a Emilio Vedova") 

is short and shows his early electronic experiments. Great stuff !! 

* NORDVARGR - In Oceans abandoned by life I drown ... to live 

again as a servant of darkness CD (Essence Music ESS008, 

2007) € 14.00 

"The Nordic giant purveyor of modern dark ambient death drone sounds 

strikes again on Essence Music! This time Mr. NORDVARGR leaves 

behind the detailed abyssal land of haunting minimalistic atmospheres 

found on Vitagen, released under his full name – Henrik Nordvargr 

Björkk – and moves towards the blackest side of the drone doom micro 

cosmos. A grim place where, sitting on the throne, he commands the 

crushing, ear splitting and slow motion processed guitar blasts that 

emerge from the depths of the pitch black ambience background. 

Cavernous rumbles, disembodied voices and disturbing malfunction 

machines play the role and prepare the terrain for one of the most 

demonic axe attacks to come! Presented in our custom 6-panel 

digisleeve packaging with stunning artwork by Stephen O’Malley 

(Sunn O))), Khanate) and photography by Seldon Hunt." [label info] 

"...It seems that lately, Nordvargr has a renewed interest in the 

guitar, as well as a blossoming love of black metal (he has a BM disc 

coming out in the near future), and this is definitely reflected in 

both of his new releases. Where as past efforts have tended to lurk 

and creep, hovering in a much more distinctly dark ambient realm, 

both of these new releases embrace the guitar, the riff, distortion 

and buzz. On The Betrayal Of Light, the riffing is merely a part of 

that records larger sonic picture, but here, the guitar is 

everything. A sprawling black behemoth, a crushing black hole of 

sound, oozing out in all directions, subsuming everything in its 

path. This is the sound of massive, heavily distorted, downtuned 

riffage, crumbled into pieces, and melted down into some viscous 

black fluid, that pours from your speakers like tar, dripping onto 

the floor, filling up every available space until the listener is 

sucked under and buried alive. Slow motion grinding guitar grrrrowl 

that would give SUNNO))) a run for their money, but here, those 

roiling virulent riffs are dropped into a sea of swirling ambience, a 

chaotic whorl of low end shimmer and mysterious drones. 

This glacial riffing is peppered with brief stretches of soft 

focus flutter, moments of shimmering tranquility, brief bursts of 

distorted hiss and jagged shards of buzzing whir, but these are just 

momentary respites, from In Oceans' relentless doom drone trudge, a 

pulverizing monstrous lurch, through a field of black sonic sludge 

and blown out low end grind." [Aquarius Records]

* NOSESOUL - Ethik Blues / Winterbirds helped the Passengers 

CD / DVD (Silentes cd 200719, 2007) € 16.00 

Ein neuer Name am SKY AMBIENT / Synth-Drone-Horizont, 

fängt recht klassisch an aber entwickelt sich immer weiter, wird 

sphärischer, luftiger, aber auch undurchdringlicher, irgendwo im SPACE 

sind melodiöse Gesänge und Gong-Drones versteckt, die aber immer 

subtil im Hintergrund bleiben ... das ganze kommt mit kompletten Film 

von FRANCESCO PALADINO (bekannt z.B. durch seine 

Zusammenarbeiten mit ALIO DIE), der eine "out of body experience" 

filmisch versucht darzustellen... das wirkt wie ein surrealistischtraumhafter 

Trip mit ansprechenden Stimmungsbildern, Naturgeflacker, 

verfremdeten Zeitlupensequenzen, Traumbildern.. really mind-blowing ! 

"A fascinating album of ambient music that straddles the worlds of 

comfortable quite sounds (that continually morph and expand)... and 

darker more introspective tones (that arouse a more turbulant and 

mysterious character). Atmospherics for nightfall. Large enveloping 

soundscapes that completely overtake the senses. Similar (in some 

ways) to the unmistakable style of OPIUM. Evocative drone-core 

infused with subtle vocal elements. "ETHIK BLUES" is the soundtrack 

of the DVD "WINTERBIRDS HELPED THE PASSENGERS" (a truly 

wonderful movie by FRANCESCO PALADINO). One hour of pure 

sonic-bliss to completely loose oneself in. An amazing milestone for 

ambient/isolationistic music lovers, and definitely not to be missed by 

fans of this genera." [label descriptions] 

* NO XIVIC - Yksityisyys CD (Onyxia ONYX007, 2007) € 13.00 

Das zweite "volle" Album des finnischen "Drone Records-Artist" NO 

XIVIC, wieder sehr vielseitig und kaum eingrenzbar, eine wahre "tour de 

force" durch verschiedenste Stimmungen & Sounds... 

"After three years of austerity and hard work, "Yksityisyys" finally cracks 

the living daylight. H. Kyllönen's second coming is his most idiosyncratic 

and convoluted album to date, hence the title "Yksityisyys". 

" Yksityisyys " is the quality present in a thing or person that gives 

intense pleasure & deep satisfaction to the mind, arising from sensory 

manifestations (such as shape, color and sound), a meaningful design 

and pattern. "Yksityisyys" provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, 

moments of unpleasant and emotional states that involves a complex 

combination of emotions. It may be benevolent at time, but slowly it fills 

the mind with oily malignancy and drives the mind to the edge of phobia 

and nausea. Containing all cognitive, somatic, emotional and behavioral 

components, the manifestations are in balance and one-to-one to the 

subjective experience of beauty. Don't fear the mind, take control and 

let the turmoil wind it up." [label info] 

* NURSE WITH WOUND - Insect & Individual Silenced CD (Raash 

Org RAASH 01, 2007) € 16.50 

"The long awaited release to compact disc gets perhaps the most lavish 

and beautiful packaging of any Nurse With Woud CD to date. Housed in 

an eight panel digipack and frosted silver printed slip cover, with 

updated art by Matt Waldron. All original artwork from the legendary 

1981 release is reproduced faithfully on the inside covers. The 

audio has been painstakingly and lovingly digitally mastered. A four 

panel insert includes a new Steven Stapleton collage and the story as 

told by Mr. Stapleton of how this remarkable reissue has come to be." 

[label info] 

"Steve Stapleton has always viewed Insect And Individual Silenced as a 

monumental failure. So much so, that he had resisted every attempt by 

friends, colleagues, and other labels to convince him to reissue this 

album. Yet, obviously with this elaborately packaged reissue, he's finally 

been convinced to the contrary. Insect And Individual Silenced emerged 

as the fourth Nurse With Wound album back in 1980, and found Steve 

Stapleton out on his own as the principal soundmaker for the ensemble. 

Yet he had convinced Jim Thirlwell (Foetus) and Trevor Reidy to join 

him in the studio, just to see what would happen. According to the linernotes, 

the studio sessions found Thirlwell fucking around with his 

amplifier, cable buzz, and the jack-plugs; Reidy brought in a drum kit, 

which he skitters across on one of the three lengthy cuts on the album; 

and Stapleton had his arsenal of junk, toys, and tapes. Through the aid 

of drugs and alcohol, Stapleton mixed and mastered the album; and 

quickly sent it off to get it pressed. When the albums arrived, he 

admits being horrified by the results, qualifying it as "a dismal 

failure, a dreadful pressing, and an appallingly carefree mix -- in 

fact a seriously misguided project altogether." So he vowed to never 

reissue the album by burning the masters. 

Yet some 25 years later, a confluence of events forced Steve 

to reconsider his position. First came a package from Matt Waldron of 

irr. app. (ext.) with reconditioned artwork for the original album; 

then came word that Robot Records' mastermind Kevin Spencer had 

painstakingly constructed a digital master from the original vinyl 

simply because he had loved the album so much. So when Steve finally 

returned to the work, he now admits being "pleasantly surprised." And 

here we are, finally the reissue of Insect And Individual Silenced! 

Insect is an album guided by the slice of a razor, as tape 

edits had to be done by hand. Stapleton's collage techniques have 

always been deft in their erratic disruptions and maniacal detours, 

and Insect is no exception. The first track "Alvin's Funeral" is a 

wonderful and wild ride through demented sounds all going in multiple 

directions at once, which make it easy to get lost in this maze of 

distortion, sound effects, and splattered guitar noise. There's an 

urban gamelan of springs and bowls with the varispeed being fucked 

with as the tape drags across the recording heads; there's the 

screeched sound of metal dragged against the floor, overblowing what 

the magnetic tape could handle (ah, what a lovely sound compared to 

the ugliness of digital peaking!); there's a sampled scream from 

Disney's Haunted Mansion LP; and then some surprisingly sublime 

moments where a collaged section of distant female vocals duet with a 

string of shells being shaken. But the jump cuts and quick edits of 

dynamic volumes between the quiet and loud that keep this moving at a 

frantic pace. The second piece seems to have much more of that 

aforementioned studio session present with skittering drums and 

seering white hot guitar noise grating against the ears. The final 

number is a precursor to the screeching metal collages of Organum, 

albeit far more feral and atonal. 

It's obvious that what Steve Stapleton may view as his own 

personal failure is greater than most everything that's come 

afterward from any of the post-Industrial soundscapers." [Aquarius 

Records ] 

* OBJEKT4 - Mindscars do-CD (Regimental Records, 2007) 

€ 13.00 

"Swedish unique dark ambient / industrial. Double Cd in glossy 

digipack! Stuff contains: First cd is new album "Other side of light" and 

second cd with name "Realm of Rust, Domains of Decay" including 

older tracks released in previously period in limited cdr editions and 

unreleased songs. This release is cooperation between Ravenheart - 

Regimental - Sabbathid rec. ...music from parallel dimensions... Limited 

to 1000." [Autumn Wind Prod.] 

* OBJEKT4 - Dead World Ambience Analysis CD (Divinus 

Solitude Prod. DS-06, 2007) € 12.00 

Suspenseful drone-ambience by this promising swedish project, 

recorded 2003-2005. OBJEKT4 manages it to mix instrumental 

(classical) sounds & those from objects & near-silence to a slowly 

brooding & waving ocean of desolated spaces.... 

a kind of non-pathetic doomy ZEN-ambience, striving for a clear 

consciousness.... 

"Full length release from swedish dark ambient/experimental project 

Objekt4. These sounds are the ambience of a dead dystopian world. 

Comes with 12 page booklet with full photography and artwork." [label 

info] 

* OLIVEROS, PAULINE - Accordion & Voice CD (Important 

Records IMPREC140, 2007) € 13.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der ersten OLIVEROS Solo-LP von 1982! 

"Pauline Oliveros (b. 1930) is an accordionist and composer who 

currently resides in Kingston, New York. Her instrument is tuned in just 

intonation and she often includes it in her meditative improvisational 

music. Her music is not meditative in the sense that it is intended for 

listening to while meditating, rather each piece is a form of meditation, 

such as her aptly titled 'Sonic Meditations.' 'Accordion & Voice was the 

first of my recordings as a soloist. I was living in an A-frame house in a 

meadow just below Mount Tremper at Zen Mountain Center. I had a 

wonderful view of the graceful saddle mountain top. When away on a 

performance trip I would imagine the mountain as I played 'Rattlesnake 

Mountain.' I followed the feelings and sensations of my many 

experiences of the mountain -- the changing colors of the season, the 

breezes and winds blowing through the grasses and trees. 'Horse Sings 

From Cloud' taught me to listen to the depth of a tone and to have 

patience. Rather than initiating musical impulses of motion, melody and 

harmony I wanted to hear the subtlety of a tone taking space and time 

to develop. The tones linger and resonate in the body, mind, instrument 

and performance space. My thanks to Important Music for bringing 

these pieces to be heard again.' --Pauline Oliveros, 2007" [label info] 

"The accordion is an instrument not often connected to modern music 

and female composers in the avant-garde field are unfortunately scarce. 

Luckily Pauline Oliveros combines these two oddities with astonishing 

results. As one of the original members of the legendary San Francisco 

Tape Music Centre, Oliveros has become the godmother, if you like, of 

electronic music. Important records (if there ever was an appropriate 

name for a label, then this is it) have taken it upon them to re-release 

some of Oliveros' work. Accordion And Voice is one of those titles that 

cover the contents completely. The two long tracks on this album, 

Horse Sings From Cloud (her most famous composition dating 

back to 1975) and Rattlesnake Mountain, are reminiscent of the mantralike 

work of La Monte Young, with long sustaining tones on the

accordion supplemented by Oliveros singing. Perhaps a slightly long 

listen to the casual buyers, electronic music lovers will lap this up. The 

Wanderer features a second (live) version of Horse Sings From Cloud, 

this time performed by an accordion quartet. This version is more 

experimental than the one on Accordion And Voice. Duo For Accordion 

And Bandoneon is just that, whereas the title track was recorded with 

The Springfield Accordion Orchestra (featuring no less than 22 

accordions and 5 percussionist). The more experimental and diverse 

nature of The Wanderer makes this the more varied listen of the two 

CD's. Both recorded in 1983, this is the first time these pieces have 

been made available on the CD format. Adventurous music for an 

unusual instrument. Important music indeed." [FK / Vital Weekly] 

* OLIVEROS, PAULINE - The Wanderer CD (Important Records 

IMPREC141, 2007) € 13.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung ihrer zweiten Solo-LP, die 1984 auf Lovely 

Music erschien! Das Stück THE WANDERER wurde im Januar 1983 

von 22 Akkordeonisten und 5 Perkussionisten aufgeführt.. 

"The Wanderer is based on a single modal scale (B C# D D# E F# G#) 

and rhythmic modes based on a meter consisting of 3/4 and 3/8. Part I, 

'Song,' is intended to explore the unique resonant qualities of accordion 

reeds through long sounds. Subtle variations come about from 

differences in tuning and air pressure. Part II, 'Dance,' demonstrates the 

sharp accenting power of the accordion bellows in a mixture of cross 

rhythms characteristic of jigs, reels, batucadas, Bulgars, Klezmer forms, 

Cajun dances, and music of other diverse cultures. The Wanderer was 

composed in November, 1982 especially for the Springfield Accordion 

Orchestra, directed by Sam Falcetti. This recording documents The 

Wanderer's world premiere, as it was performed 27 January, 1983 at 

Marymount Manhattan Theatre. The orchestra consists of twenty 

accordions, two bass accordions, and five percussion, with Pauline 

Oliveros as soloist, Sam Falcetti conducting. 'Horse Sings From Cloud,' 

written in 1975, is one of Oliveros' best known works. Like most of her 

Sonic Meditations, it can be performed vocally and/or instrumentally, 

solo or in collaboration. A solo version of 'Horse Sings From Cloud' has 

been recorded on Accordion & Voice. An early version of the score 

reads, 'Sustain a tone or sound until any desire to change it disappears. 

When there is no longer any desire to change the tone or sound, then 

change it.' This time, 'Horse Sings From Cloud' is performed in 

ensemble. Joining Pauline Oliveros on bandoneion are Heloise Gold on 

harmonium, Julia Haines on accordion, and Linda Montano on 

concertina. This quartet version incorporates the microtonal differences 

in tuning of the selected instruments, creating shimmering reed sounds 

somewhat similar to the shimmering of a Balinese gamelan." [label info] 

"....The Wanderer features a second (live) version of Horse Sings From 

Cloud, this time performed by an accordion quartet. This version is 

more experimental than the one on Accordion And Voice. Duo For 

Accordion And Bandoneon is just that, whereas the title track was 

recorded with The Springfield Accordion Orchestra (featuring no less 

than 22 accordions and 5 percussionist). The more experimental and 

diverse nature of The Wanderer makes this the more varied listen of the 

two CD's. Both recorded in 1983, this is the first time these pieces have 

been made available on the CD format. Adventurous music for an 

unusual instrument. Important music indeed." [FK / Vital Weekly] 

* ON - Second souffle CD (Brocoli 003, 2007) € 13.50 

"...ON was born in July 2003 with the meeting of Chicago-based Steven 

Hess and French musician Sylvain Chauveau when they joined for a 

lowercase improv session recorded by Jeremy Lemos (member of 

White-Light, collaborator of Jim O'Rourke, Town and Country, Sonic 

Youth...). Their first album, 'Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night' 

was mixed by Helge Sten aka Deathprod, the illustrious memberproducer 

of Supersilent, and then released in 2004 by French label Les 

Disques du Soleil et de l'Acier. The album appeared as a brilliant 

collection of dense, monochromatic layers. Second souffle is now built 

upon the same recording session, but with new mixes and editing by 

French musician Pierre-Yves Macé (Sub Rosa, Tzadik). The album is a 

slick display of ambient, improv and concrete music; a rich electroacoustic 

composition made of piano, prepared guitar, vibes and 

percussion. It has the post-rock surgical flair of early Pluramon along 

with the sumptuous cadences of Gastr del Sol's Upgrade & Afterlife. ON 

has played live in the USA, France, Italy, Austria and Germany. The 

duo even joined Christian Fennesz for the 2004 edition of the French 

Musique Action festival." [label press release] 

"... Not really a big deal, since what we find here is some excellent rock 

glitch - if that term doesn't exist, someone should invent it. There are 

influences of Pluramon, certainly when the drums bang a little bit more 

than usual, and there are many layers of crackling electronics, sine 

wave like guitar sounds, introspective xylophone sounds and there is a 

digital post rock cum microsound atmosphere around this album. Its 

excellent, well-crafted, well-thought out. It's of course a bit hard for me 

to tell what amount of post production was done by Mace, but he 

produced a really excellent album. Both highly musical as well with the 

right amount of experimentalism in it. Perhaps the highlight of this 

week." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* ONTAYSO - Procesamiento digital uno CD (U-Cover 

Transparente 001, 2006) [ed. of 500] € 13.00 

"A limited pressed CD in a clear Trimpak will be the standard set-up for 

the minimalistic U-cover transparente label. Ontayso's follow up to the 

2005 'Magical Tone Tricks' release on Silentes Records is the first 

release on this brand new label. Again the overall atmosphere of this 

album has strong influences from the sound of Berlin's Basic Channel 

label. Nevertheless you can feel the characteristic and original basic of 

Ontayso's sounds. In these 4 tracks (over 50 minutes of deep minimal 

music) created by Belgian Koen Lybaert and Mexican Esther Santoyo 

the driven flow is layered by subtle ambient music. Procesamiento 

Digital Uno is build around manipulated field recordings, floating icy 

synths and basic dub-minded rhythms. All music was created during the 

winter of 2005 and mixed and edited with the amazing Ableton Live 5. 

This album proves that digital processed music can still sound warm 

and emotional. A fresh musical statement made by this 

musician/producer duo in a limited of 500 copies for the world. Check it 

out! Ontayso rules!" [label info] 

* OÖPHOI (feat. MATHIAS GRASSOW & AMIR BAGHIRI)- Upuaut 

CD (Nextera era 2043-2, 2007) € 14.50 

Wiederveröffentlichung der vergriffenen CDR mit neuer Artwork & linernotes! 

"Traumhaft-sanfte drones & endlos langgezogene Soundscapes 

auf dieser live-Aufnahme vom 9.Oct. 1999 (Italien), die drei Ambient- 

Komponisten in Kollaboration mit synths, ovice, tibetan bowls, bells, 

percussion. Sehr gute Soundqualität. Collaboration live-recording from 

these three ethno-ambient-musicians, very good soundquality" [Drone 

Rec. 2000] 

" "Upuaut" is the unique, over 65 minutes long composition recorded by 

the Italian drone-ambient musician Oöphoi featuring Amir Baghiri and 

Mathias Grassow, who back in 1999 joined as guests during one 

special private concert. Since then it's been circulating around the world 

as hard to find and poor (often bootlegged) CD-R releases only and 

now "Upuaut" is finally officially and properly released. 

Fully re-mastered, repackaged, including the Great pyramid chamber 

updated diagram and the liner notes from the Egyptologist Dr. J.J. 

Hurtak, "Upuaut" is one of the most profound, magical and sonically 

improved releases from Oöphoi's extensive discography. 

Oöphoi explains: "I came across the Upuaut story a few years ago while 

reading a book about Alchemy and Sacred Geometry. A German 

engineer, Rudolf Gantenbrink, with the aid of a small robot called 

Upuaut, was trying to discover the secrets of a hidden, unreachable 

room inside the Pyramid of Cheops. Nobody knows the secret of that 

small room, and maybe we'll never be able to discover it. The music is a 

deep exploration of unknown realms, an immersion into a timeless 

dimension, with waves of spectral sounds that slowly unfold in a dense 

and mystical atmosphere, trying to strip down the veil of mystery. 

Upuaut is a symbolic journey from Darkness to Light." [press release] 

* OÖPHOI - The Spirals of Time 3 x CD (Faria Records FAR-09, 

2007) [ed. of 500] € 21.50 

Wiederveröffentlichung einer der frühesten und schönsten OÖPHOI- 

Alben, fast schon ein Klassiker des meditativen Ethno-Ambients. 

Dazu gibt es als Bonus eine unveröffentlichte Live-Aufnahme von 1999. 

"Nach der Debut-CD auf HIC SUNT LEONES hier nun ein kleines 

Ambient-Meisterwerk des italienischen 1-Mann-Projekts, "waves, 

drones, loops, spheres and atmospheres", sehr zärtliche und 

mitternächtliche Sounds, für softeste Atmosphären und religiöse 

Versenkung wie geschaffen! Einsatz von Tibetischen Mönchsgesängen 

und Waldgeräuschen, etc... sehr gut!" [Drone Records 1999] 

"We happy to present the new version of the most famous album of the 

great Italian master. "The Spirals of Time" is considered the best of 

Oophoi's albums, also it has been recognized as one of the best droneambient 

projects of all times. Now this legendary album contains 3 CD! 

Surprisingly, but materials of this project is a records from two concerts, 

which was played in own studio of the maestro, in the "Kiva", in April 

and in June, 1997. The third disk is a record from a concert which was 

played in old farmhouse in city Assisi (the central Italy) in 1999. This 

record as though was initially created to become a finishing disk of this 

trilogies. Here you will find new ideas and new development of 

conception, however "classical" soundings of "The Spirals of Time" is 

kept." [label info] 

* OÖPHOI - Dreams (part two) CD (Faria Records FAR-07, 2007) 

[ed. of 500] € 12.00 

* OÖPHOI - Dreams (part three) CD (Faria Records FAR-08, 2007) 

[ed. of 500] € 12.00 

Re-Release of the second & third part of ultra-rare DREAMS 7 x mcd 

with additional material and coming in art-cover with 3-D postcards!

" ..."Dream" in english this word mean and "sleep dream" and 

"imagination dream". Oophoi mean both. Tracks for this series was a 

created under impressed by some lucid dreams, which he had. Each 

track - is a one "dream". When you listening such track you will 

immersed in a state of a light slumber, lucid imagination. This is a 

dream! For full perception, to each "Dream" was created a special 

SIRDS (stereo) picture, which will open world of Oophoi's dreams for 

the listener. First edition of "Dreams" series was released on a mini-CD 

under limited edition of 70 pieces only. Immediately sold out, of course. 

But a lot of people ask it still now and we decided to release a new 

series from 3 full CDs. Here you will find replayed and remixed versions 

of first edition of "Dreams" and new unreleased material. This is a 

second CD from our series." [label info] 

* OÖPHOI & FARYUS - Forgotten Rituals CD (Faria Records 

FAR-10, 2007) [lim. 500] € 12.00 

"Collaboration work between Oophoi and Faryus. 

This project is a deep meditation about forgotten civilizations and 

mystery of endless life. This music is created for deep listening. At first 

sight this music is static. If you will listen to it in a superficial way, you 

don't get all the hidden sounds and textures, but if you go into a serious 

deep listening you'll discover that it is not static at all this is powerful 

mood music. This music full of pictures, moods and thoughts, voices of 

forgotten civilizations.. 

The concept of this album like meditation to ancient archeological 

artefact. You see a stone - it statics. But after you start to see the 

richest history of this object, images, emotions, events opens.. The 

Stone - a statics, a history - dynamics. 

Photos of Sumerians artifacts were used in design of this release. 

Sumerians civilization was the earliest extant civilization. Their culture 

existed 5000-8000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Nowadays, 

archeologists find remarkable artifacts and stone tablets with ancient 

writings and pictures of gods and a mysterious planet left by Sumerians. 

Sumerians called their gods "Anunnaki" which meant "those who came 

from heaven downwards the Earth". They believed that "Anunnaki" 

came from the mysterious planet which resides within our Solar system. 

They called this planet "Nibiru"." [label info] 

* OÖPHOI - Arpe Di Sabbia do-CD (Nextera ERA 2045-2, 2007) 

€ 16.50 

Live-Mitschnitt eines Konzertes welches in ARCHIARO stattfand, 

scheinbar bei Tageslicht mitten in den Bergen, mit Hilfe von 

NETHERWORLD. Nach einem geisterhaft - geräuschhaften Beginn 

stellen sich ätherische Synth-Sphären ein, die später von sehr 

melancholischen effektierte Dulcimer (Hackbrett)-Klängen ergänzt 

werden.... 

"Arpe di Sabbia" (Harps of Sand) is a new double live album recorded 

in Archiaro, a remote location immersed in the woods of southern Italy, 

and it features exclusive music composed for this special event. 

The two discs contain more than 130 minutes of slowly-changing 

textures and abyssal drones that try to describe the hidden voices of 

Nature: the endless movements of the ocean waves, the rustle of the 

crescent moon, the sunset's undercurrents, the life of nocturnal animals, 

the silent flow of the stars. A magical connection with a world of 

forgotten sounds" [label info] 

* OPSVIK & JENNINGS - Commuter Anthems CD (Rune 

Grammofon RCD2062, 2007) € 15.00 

"Commuter Anthems" ist das zweite Album von EIVIND OPSVIK und 

AARON JENNINGS; aber ihr erstes für Rune Grammofon. EIVIND 

OPSVIK stammt ursprünglich aus Oslo, lebt aber seit 1998 in New 

York. Er fing an, Schlagzeug zu spielen, als er noch sehr klein war, 

legte sich im Teenagealter auf den Bass fest und experimentierte mit 

einem Vierspur-Aufnahmegerät. AARON JENNINGS aus Tulsa, 

Oklahoma, ist mit Leib und Seele Gitarrist und Liebhaber von allerlei 

Computersoftware. Er zog nach Beendigung des Colleges nach New 

York, um dort in einer Vielzahl Musikprojekte mitzuwirken. Im Laufe 

seiner Karriere hat sich Aaron immer mehr auf Free Jazz und 

Electronica gestürzt, dieser Tage jedoch kennt man ihn mehr als einen 

Musiker, der sich im Reich der experimentellen Popmusik bestens 

auskennt. Wie mit vielen Rune Grammofon Releases ist es auch 

schwierig, ein passendes Genre-Etikett auf ,Commuter Anthems" zu 

kleben. Beide Musiker stammen aus einem Jazz-Background, aber das 

ist nur ein kleiner Teil des Gesamtkunstwerkes. Einflüsse aus Folk und 

Country machen ,Commuter Anthems" zu einem sehr relaxten Album, 

während Gitarren, Standbass, Concertina, Orgel, Steelgitarre, Banjo 

und verschiedenen Aufnahmetechniken und Softwarespielereien eine 

cineastische Geschichte erzählen, die von einem verträumten 

experimentellen Pop-Orchester umgesetzt wird. // 

This is the second full-length release from Eivind Opsvik (bass, drums, 

percussion, piano, organ, Theremin, vocals, software) and Aaron 

Jennings (guitars, lap steel, banjo, concertina, vocals, software), and 

their first on Rune Grammofon. Opsvik is from Oslo, Norway, but has 

lived in New York since 1998. He started out playing the drums at a 

very early age, but gradually switched to bass in his teens while also 

spending time experimenting with a 4-track tape recorder. In New York 

he now has his own band Eivind Opsvik Overseas and plays with a 

number of other experimental groups. Jennings is a guitarist and 

software enthusiast from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who moved to New York 

after college, where he began working in a variety of musical projects. 

Over the course of his career, Aaron has concentrated on free jazz and 

electronica, but these days he's mostly considered a musician that 

works somewhere in the realm of experimental pop music. As with 

much of the incomparable Rune Grammofon catalog, Commuter 

Anthems is difficult to categorize. Both players come from a jazz 

background, but that's only a small part of the picture. Folk and country 

influences provide the album with a rural, almost relaxed feeling as 

guitars, double bass, concertina, pump organ, lap steel, banjo, and 

various recording techniques and software manipulations create a 

filmatic musical story being played by a dreamy experimental pop 

orchestra." [label description] 

* ORATORY OF DIVINE LOVE - Purgatorio CD (Waystyx Records 

29, 2007) [lim. 225 copies] € 13.00 

KIRCHENKAMPF - sideproject, very deep ultra-immersed fog-drones & 

sounds, reminds us on TROUMs "Dreaming Muzak", old BIG CITY 

ORCHESTRA-tapes, etc... 

Lim. 225 in oil-smelling "special two-paper coverage, made of rarest 

pergamin paper". Totally black with golden print and embossing, great & 

unique design. A must for any KIRCHENKAMPF-fan! 

"The most recent release is by Oratory Of Divine Love, which is a side 

project of Kirchenkampf's John Gore. I remember from the previous 

release (see Vital Weekly 439) that all tracks were recorded in real time 

to DAT using radio as it's source. I am not sure if that is also the case 

with this new one, but if so, Gore must have a mighty big set up to feed 

these radio sounds into. Perhaps he uses some analogue synthesizers 

to trigger the sounds, and then feeds them also through a whole bunch 

of sound effects. 'Purgatorio' (perhaps to celebrate the fact that the 

vatican no longer believes in it's existence) is one long piece of true 

deep drone music of a highly atmospherical kind. Very controlled, very 

dark. Not really cinematographic, this is more to played in the very dark 

and let your darkest thoughts come out. In terms of musical innovation 

nothing new under the sun, but it's surely a great work, perhaps even 

the best that came out of the Gore residency." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* ORGAN EYE - same CD (Staubgold 74, 2007) € 15.00 

Traumhafte Kombination zweier unserer Lieblings- Minimal & Drone- 

Projekte, OSSO EXOTICO und MINIT! Hammond-Orgel, Violine, Synth, 

eine Bass-Trommel und mit Bogen bespielte Klavierseiten formen zwei 

lange Drone-Mandalas, die eine überraschend rauhe Gestalt annehmen 

und volle Aufmerksamkeit erfordern... 

" Born out of both creative empathy and chance, Organ Eye were 

formed in the wake of a live concert of David Maranha (Osso Exotico) 

and Minit (Jasmine Guffond & Torben Tilly), which took place at the 

ZDB Gallery in Lisbon, Portugal at the end of February 2005. With the 

addition of Patricia Machás (also a member of Osso Exotico), the 

quartet that now forms Organ Eye was completed and in March and 

December of 2006, they recorded their eponymous debut album. 

The two raga-like tracks that comprise this first album equally reflect 

the qualities of the two contributing sides – Minit's loop-driven 

fragmented melancholic electronics and the hypnotic and ritualistic 

electro-acoustic drone studies of Maranha and Machás. Such a union 

forms an intense patchwork of eternal sound vibration in which fuzzedout 

organ riffs keep realigning themselves and ululating digital scree 

unravels in a series of convulsive but cyclic turns, while delicate 

violin descensions and processed harmonium drones draw out a 

pulsating soundspace. 

Despite its monolithic nature there is a lot of detail, and repeated 

listening will reveal a moody, unfixed world of miniature vibrations, 

harmonics and noise. Amidst an overall somber, foreboding 

atmosphere are sublime moments of ecstasy and serenity in which also 

a sense of directionless-ness allows space to breath. 

Organ Eye is a turn towards a live improvised form that neither party 

has explored on record before. Referencing not only the overdriven 

noise-drone workout of VU's 'Sister Ray' but also the seminal teachings 

of the Young/Conrad/Riley axis, Organ Eye expresses a unanimous 

interest in the transportative / transcendental power of drone music and 

its various improvised forms - deconstructing the spiritual trip so as to 

be able to repossess it and make it their own. 

Organ Eye - a volatile rocket of intense drone-mutation, fleeting sonic 

ghosts and suspended feedback on the brink of implosion. 44 minutes 

of vitriolic electric-acoustic drone. The outward and the inward eye. 

http://www.myspace.com/organeye" [label info] 

"OK so David Maranha is back. After Osso Exotico's collaboration with 

Verre Enharmoniques (see Vital Weekly 557), and a re-issue of 'Piano 

Suspenso', he now pops up as Organ Eye, together with Patracia

Machas and Jasmine Guffond and Torben Tilly, otherwise known as 

Minit. In February both Maranha and Minit played at ZDB in Lisbon and 

later Machas came along and in between March and December 2006 

they made the two pieces that form the self-titled debut album. Maranha 

plays hammond organ, violin, Guffond electronics, Machas harmonium, 

bass drum and bowed piano and Tilly electronics. If one is a bit 

acquainted with both Osso Exotico and Minit, it would be no surprise 

that drones play an important role here, but it's quite violent ones. More 

say Tony Conrad & John Cale than Mirror or Monos. Highly improvised 

it seems to me, with lots of small strange sounds shivering below the 

surface: the electro-acoustic component of this music. The meeting of 

the acoustic instruments by the Portuguese, versus the electroacoustic, 

loop based Australians. It's quite a tour de force this one. 

Loud, but not too much noise, present and clear, rather than lulling the 

listener into sleep. Very intense music and perhaps for all four involved 

a break with what they have been doing so far..." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* ORO! ORO! - Ilgesio Rubikonai CD (Autarkeia acd016, 2006) 

[ed. of 500] € 13.00 

Sehr guter spaciger drone-ambient aus Litauen, zu entdecken! 

"The pioneer of Lithuanian post industrial and the composer of Girnų 

Giesmės continues his experiments with sonic impact on human mood. 

After recording one of the most solid ambient albums ilgesio rubikonai 

(rubicons of nostalgia), dedicated to the complex relation of the seeking 

personality and autumn, Laurynas embarked on the investigation of 

winter phenomenon. It resulted in the new oro!oro! album prarastos 

žiemos providing the audience with a translucent, modest and refined 

ambient masterpiece conveying very precisely the deepest aspects of 

winter: limitless cleanliness, transparency, serenity and the recreation of 

existence. prarastos žiemos album embodies the natural ending of the 

nature’s cycle, its esoteric aura, while the motifs of looping music 

generate remarkably fresh and spacious feel that mesmerises, soothes 

and makes one dream. The music of the album is also special in that no 

electronic means were used for its recording. Ambient sounds are 

produced by harmonica, guitar and archaic zither, which lifts the sound 

quality of oro!oro! into the entirely new aesthetic level." [label info] 

* JIM O'ROURKE & MERZBOW & CARLOS GIFFONI - Electric 

Dress CD (No Fun Prod, NFP-15, 2007) € 13.00 

"Electric Dress covers the full spectrum of sound color possibility, from 

totally brutal walls of destructive noise to beautiful minimal synthetic 

interplay, analog drone and shifting alien electronics. A total face 

melting collaboration recorded live in Tokyo using an array of analog 

synths and a variety of custom analog equipment, including Merzbow's 

classic home made spring-junk metal instrument. Warm, varied, and 

obsessive this is what industrial music should have been, the sound of 

infinite machines demolishing a planet and creating a new structure 

where live organisms have been eradicated. Edited and mastered by 

Jim for maximum sonic annihilation." [label info] 

"Until early last year I collected everything by Merzbow and I gave up 

because I found it frustrating that many releases I could play once, 

whereas I would want to hear them more than once. Time waits for no 

one. Occasionally I listen to new Merzbow releases, when they land on 

the Vital Weekly desk and I still enjoy them. Likewise while on the 

subject of collecting music by a specific artist, Jim O'Rourke comes 

close to having a lot of, and if Merzbow is the king of noise than Jim is 

the king of... well, of what actually Music perhaps. So shear 

excitement on my face when this landed here, a recording of Jim 

O'Rourke together with Merzbow and Carlos Giffoni recorded at the 

Uplink Factory from last year. This has classic stamped all over it. 

Merzbow playing his EMS synthi 'A', home made instruments and 

effects, Giffoni on custom synths and analog filters and Jim on synth 

and microphone. For Merzbow a rare thing to go back to his analogue 

days and a rare gig for O'Rourke who now concentrates on making 

films in Japan. How much more historical can it get And oh yes, this is 

noise, as spelled N-O-I-S-E. Nothing for faint hearted. An hour blast, but 

one that goes through various stages, moods and textures. As 

analogue as Merzbow in his best analogue days ('Cloud Cock OO 

Grand', 'Rainbow Electronics'). Piercing music. Industrial music as it 

should be and as such nothing new under the sun but even in this old 

sun it's nice and warm." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* OSSATURA + TIM HODGKINSON - Dentro CD (ReR Megacorp 

ReR O1 , 1998) € 14.00 

"Somewhere between Musique Concrete and a kind of abstract 

improvisational work, using extended techniques and electrification that 

disconnects sound from any recognisable source. A fascinating first 

record that sits between studio improvisation and extensive post 

production processing composition." [label info] 

* PACIFIC 231 - Ethnicities CD (Rotorelief ROTORcd002, 2006) 

€ 15.00 

Das Industrial-Projekt von PIERE JOLIVET, der auch Bestandteil der 

fantastischen VOX POPULI! gewesen sein soll. "Ethnicities" ist eine 

Zusammenstellung von bisher unveröffentlichtem Material. 

"Ethnicities is an electro-acoustical scope of unreleased recordings of 

Pacific 231's post-industrial period. Successive and consecutive cuts 

were made until he put together the concept of the album as: pluricultural 

diversity of the sounds, tropical steams, exotic journeys & 

electronic man-made build-up manipulations, urban dins and industrial 

mazes, ' Ethnicities ' is a psychedelic and unexpected patchwork from 

Pacific 231." [label info] 

* PAIN JERK & JOHN WIESE - Mental Peace Liberation Front CD 

(Meatbox Records PRMCD-006, 2007) [ed. of 300] € 16.00 

"First part of collaboration series between Japanese harshest live 

electronics noise master Pain Jerk and one of the finest American noise 

& experimental musician John Wiese. Released in 2007, "Chocolate 

Grinder" 7" (Helicopter) and "Terrazzo" CD (Harbinger Sound) are 

following after this album. massive hyper-sonic and heavy fucked-up 

harsh blast, crashing and throbbing pulse electronics, full throttle cut-up 

with hi-range frequency. we're sure this has the best moment of all of 

their sessions. highly recommended! Comes in jewel case with obi, 

cover designed by Ono Masahiko aka Solmania." [label info] 

* PALESTINE / COULTER / MATHOUL - Maximin CD (Young God 

Records YG21, 2002) € 14.50 

Diverse recordings of entrancing drone-scapes, enriched with electronic 

rhythms & plainchants, these are basically studio- & live-recordings by 

PALESTINE-pieces that were re-worked later by DAVID COULTER & 

JEAN MARIE MATHOUL... great stuff! 

"Young God Records is proud to announce the release of the music of 

the seminal early Minimalist composer Charlemagne Palestine, as reconfigured/re-iterated 

by David Coulter and Jean Marie Mathoul, in cooperation/collaboration 

with Mr. Palestine. Coulter and Mathoul have 

taken previously recorded works of Mr. Palestine and - with the full 

respect due these often transcendent and sacred works - interwoven 

new sounds/found-sounds, drones, and unexpected textures into an 

ever-shifting flow that brings new light to these deeply soulful, sonicsculptural 

emanations. Re-contextualizing the pure and spiritual force of 

nature that Mr. Palestine’s music represents could be a risky musical 

undertaking, but in my opinion Coulter and Mathoul have pulled it off 

beautifully, inspired solely by their love and respect of the original works 

themselves. The mixes have an authentic, hand made sensibility, and 

even when electronics are occasionally introduced, retain an organic 

feel. The music on this CD has given me hours of listening pleasure, 

and I hope it provides you with a similar experience. It’s also our hope 

that the release of this CD will serve as a portal to the work of Mr. 

Palestine for those who might not already be aware of his substantial 

catalog of music." [Michael Gira] 

* PAN SONIC - Katodivaihe / Cathodephase CD (Blastfirstpetit 

PTYT 6, 2007) € 14.50 

"Mika Vaino und Ilpo Vaisanen alias PAN SONIC wurden nicht nur zu 

den finnischen "Künstlern des Jahres 2005" gewählt und verärgerten 

damit so manchen ältlichen Maler, der glaubte, nun endlich aufgrund 

seines Lebenswerks an der Reihe zu sein, sondern erweitern auf 

"Katodivaihe" auch ihren Sound, ohne den warmen Elektroklang zu 

verlieren. Elektronische Landschaften werden mit Dub-Rhythmen, 

Heavy Metal, Funk und Cello-Klängen von Hildur Gudnadottir bepflanzt. 

Hinter PAN SONIC steckt kein elaborates Konzept: "Wir haben keine 

Theorie. Wir haben keinen Plan. Wir machen nur Musik", erklärt Mika 

Vainio das Nicht-Konzept von PAN SONIC. "Cathodphase" ist ein 

sonniges Popalbum, das den Fan und den Neuling entzücken wird." 

[press release - Cargo translation] 

"In 2004, the Finnish tech-minimalist duo Pan Sonic unleashed Kesto, a 

massive 4cd boxset that encapsulated all of their ideas, one half 

focused on their style of augmenting minimalist techno with engine 

propelled noise, while the other half concerned itself more with stripping 

everything away resulting in sublimely still abstractions of electron orbits 

and cathode ray hum. Three years later, Pan Sonic have yet to match 

that body of work, even after they applied plenty of those strategies to 

their acclaimed collaboration with John Duncan; and in many ways, 

Katodivaiche is an impressive recapitulation of Kesto with the 

necessary fine-tunings and adjustments that continue to keep Pan 

Sonic at the forefront of contemporary electronica. The first track enjoys 

the company of Icelandic cellist Hildur Gudnadottir, whose languid 

notes counterpoint the clinical breakbeats shifting Pan Sonic's homage 

to Throbbing Gristle closer to contemporaries like Murcof or Polmo 

Polpo. While the next couple of tracks are Pan Sonic's trademarked 

blasts of concussive bomb noise exploding over low slung technotic 

grooves, Pan Sonic drops a dubstep number next, which should be the 

template for where South London should go next with that sound. Like 

the best tracks from Kode 9 and Burial, Pan Sonic focus on the 

physicality of stalking basslines while shifting layers of rhythm glide

above effortlessly. Elsewhere, the phase shifting bleep and bloop which 

dominated the early Pan Sonic recordings return, perhaps in response 

to a series of minimalist techno singles released by Berlin's 

Sleeparchive who shamelessly / brilliantly appropriated the 

Pan Sonic / Plastikman sound. Altogether, it's a brilliant, if somewhat 

familiar sounding album from the masters of Finnish electronica." 


* PANTALEIMON - Cloudburst maxi-CD (Durtro Jnana 003, 

2007) € 10.00 

Hochgelobtes neues Material des Projekts von ANDRIA DEGENS! 

"Pantaleimon (pronounced 'Pan-ta-lay-mon') is the adopted moniker of 

vocalist and composer Andria Degens. Sometimes collaborating with 

friends, though often alone, she creates beautifully haunting and 

meditative music. Cloudburst, her first recording as Pantaleimon since 

2002's Change My World, features four tracks of hypnotic vocal 

passages that together form a long conceptual piece, which, Degens 

says, '...is symbolic of the journey every human being makes in a 

lifetime... the transformation, transfiguration, the state of being, the 

space between heaven and Earth.' Initially packaged with a limited, 

hand-printed edition of Degens's poetry and drawings, Cloudburst is 

now available as a proper CD release." [label info] 

"Andria Degens is based in Hastings, southern England, but the sparse 

clarity of her music as Pantaleimon seems to exist in its own unique, 

indefinable space. Three of these four tracks are crystalline 

instrumentals played on Appalachian dulcimer and bouzouki with a 

brittle, graceful sense of mood and spatial atmosphere. This is a kind of 

minimalist instrumental folk with spiritual undertones. The fourth track, 

“Numinosum”, is sung by Degens with a quietly centred intensity, 

somewhere between love song and devotional mantra, with a sedate, 

droning backing. Its vivid simplicity is, in its own quiet way, quite 

stunning." [The WIRE] 

"....what's important about 'Cloudburst' is to take it in without any 

pretentiousness or pre-conceptions as Degens makes music which is 

so effortlessly gorgeous it almost defies belief. There is an icy simplicity 

to her compositions, a fragility or frailty maybe, and this gives them a 

soft, melancholy feel which makes them almost impossible to forget. 

For some reason I am reminded of Jewelled Antler Colletive man 

Steven R. Smith or possibly fellow Current 93 collaborator Ben Chasny, 

but what Degens has done is bring a feminine touch to the masses of 

male-dominated free folk. I think it's this femininity is what makes 

'Cloudburst' stand out among her contemporaries, there is a brightness 

and an honesty, and much like Colleen did to the grim world of bedroom 

electronica, Degens has a same take on this masculine world. 

Apparently there's an album due soon, but this EP is all totally exclusive 

material so the only chance you will get to hear it is here! Utterly 

entrancing stuff, buy." [Boomkat] 

* PARMEGIANI - Plain-Temps CD (INA GRM INA c 2027, 2006) 

€ 13.00 

"2006 release, presenting 3 versions of "Plain-Temps". Classic new 

work from the most important INA GRM composer. The first part of the 

suite, "Le Present Compose" is from 1991, recorded here in 2006. "The 

second part is "Entre-Temps" from 1992. "The gradual slowing down of 

the tick-tock sound of a penduluum with which the this piece opens 

provides us with not only the most symbolic but also the most illusory 

image of the passing of time. This is followed by by a constantly 

changing continuum, apparently homogenous and harmonious yet 

ultimately fragile. In the ever wider intervals that open up between these 

carefully-timed happenings, soundscapes appear. These resemble 

certain image-memories of everyday events, some close, some distant." 

- Parmegiani. Part three is "Plain Temps", from 1993, recorded in 

2006." [label info] 

* PERLONEX / KEITH ROWE / CHARLEMAGNE PALESTINE - 

Tensions do-CD (Nexsound NS54, 2006 ) € 16.00 

Spannend-schwelende Dronescapes des Berliner Trios in 

Zusammenarbeit mit KEITH ROWE (erster Teil) und einem etwas 

wildgewordenen C. PALESTINE am Synthklavier (zweiter Teil), 

organisch und pulsierend...das ganze ist eine live-Aufnahme vom 

11.September 2004 aus dem Berliner Podewil. 

"Ignaz Schick (turntables, live-electronics), Jorg Maria Zeger (electric 

guitars), Burkhard Beins (percussion, objects) & Keith Rowe (tabletop 

guitar, electronics), Charlemagne Palestine (piano, keyboards). 'This 

double-CD documents the 5th anniversary concert of Perlonex who on 

this occasion invited Keith Rowe (AMM) and Charlemagne Palestine as 

guests in order to feature different aspects of their musical work in two 

distinct sets. All material is presented as played live and no editing or 

overdubs have been applied. Recorded at Podewil by Christian Malejka 

on September 11th 2004 Mixed by Ignaz Schick & Burkhard Beins at 

AudioCue Studio Berlin. While Perlonex normally don't perform with 

guests the collaboration with Ch. Palestine, this unusual confrontation 

has been continued and Palestine became a frequent & only guest of 

the group. After the first meeting documented on this double CD there 

were several concerts taking place in France, Switzerland & Austria. A 

recent evening in Vienna which was recorded & broadcasted by ORF 

radio station documents how intense & unusual the quality of this 

exchange became. An 80 minutes long stream of intense drones cutting 

against quotations of Gershwin's 'It ain't necessarily so'. The electroacoustic 

trio Perlonex was founded in late 1998 and has performed and 

toured in Europe and North America extensively since then. Ranging 

from prominent contemporary music festivals to underground noisepunk 

clubs, from art galleries to obscure improv backrooms the wide 

variety of venues they have played marks out the musical spectrum of 

the group. Through the interplay and friction of gradually shifting layers 

of sound, sonic interferences, interwoven loops and hidden repetitive 

structures Perlonex is plumbing the depth of a rather complex sound 

material. Keith Rowe is a co-founder of the english improvising 

ensemble AMM, established in 1966. Already in the late 1950's Rowe 

started experimenting with preparations on the guitar, influenced by the 

ideas of Marcel Duchamps. In the beginning of the 1960's he has been 

a member of Mike Westbrook's band until his resolution, never to tune 

the guitar again, made his resignation from the group unavoidable. 

Since then Rowe is exclusively playing the 'table top guitar' - as a 

soloist, in AMM (up to 2000) and in various other groups.' A 

contemporary of Philip Glass, Terry Riley, and Steve Reich, 

Charlemagne Palestine wrote intense, ritualistic music in the 1970s, 

intended by the composer to rub against Western audiences' 

expectations of what is beautiful and meaningful in music. A composerperformer, 

he always performed his own works as soloist. His earliest 

works were compositions for carillon and electronic drones, and he is 

perhaps best known for his intensely performed piano works. He also 

performs as a vocalist: in Karenina he sings in the countertenor register 

and in other works he sings long tones with gradually shifting vowels 

and overtones while moving through the performance space or 

performing repeated actions such as throwing himself onto his hands.'" 


"A celebration calls for a party and then you invite friends. Perlonex, the 

German trio of Ignaz Schick on turntables, objects and electronics, Jörg 

Maria Zeger on electric guitar and Burkhard Beins on percussion and 

objects exist for five years (in 2004 that was, next celebration coming 

soon) and they invited Charlemagne Palestine and Keith Rowe to play 

with them. Perlonex is known for their careful improvisation built around 

their instruments, and with Keith Rowe, it is like having a fourth 

member. On the first disc we find the four in carefull mood, and no 

instrument is the boss. Each plays it's own role and the only tension to 

be found is in the music itself. A free form play of sound, in which all of 

the possibilities is explored through their respective instruments. With 

Charlemagne it is a bit different. His keyboards lay down a brick work, 

the fundament over which the improvisation follows. Palestine strums 

his piano and Perlonex as a trio is in more sustaining mood than with 

Rowe. Perhaps lesser known to be an improviser, he guides Perlonex. 

However in both sets Perlonex show that they are capable of handling 

any situation. Two great concerts, a celebration to remember." [FdW / 

Vital Weekly] 

* PHAENON - Submerged CD (Malignant Records TUMORcd30, 

2007) € 13.00 

Debut-Album eines neues polnischen Dark Ambient-Projekts, extrem 

kosmisch, spacig und dunkel, rauschend & unendlich weitläufig 

hallend... ein one-tracker von über 65 Minuten, Anklänge an YEN POX, 

INADE, AMON... absolut kontemplativer Space-Sound... 

"With the debut release from Phaenon, it is immediately evident a 

heavyweight has arrived. The brainchild of Polish born, but current 

Maryland resident, Szymon Tankiewicz, Submerged is a dark ambient 

tour de force. Visually and sonically enveloping, this is an album of 

space and texture, slowly revealing a psychoactive soundscape of 

majestic, arcing timbres, circadian buzzes, and expansive drones. 

Heavy, and cosmically weighty in the beginning, Submerged evolves 

into something more minimalist and serene, radiating a celestial beauty, 

yet becoming even more bleak and suffocating as it progresses over it‘s 

66 minute time frame. Experienced from start to finished, there’s a 

palpable sense of drifting and drowning, of being carried away into an 

endless, interstellar vacuum. An exciting new project, and a must for 

dark ambient purists. Check out Phaenon‘s myspace page for excerpts 

of new works at www.myspace.com/szymontankiewicz, as well as the 

Malignant myspace page for an excerpt of Submerged at 

www.myspace.com/malignantrecords. In stylish 6 panel digipak, artwork 

by K. Enderlein (LOKI), mastered by Thomas Garrison..." [label info] 

* PHOLDE - Finding internal Asylum CD (C3R 010, 2007) 

€ 13.50 

"The ambient side of Canadian harsh noise master Knurl (Alan Bloor), 

this disc is a subtle, nuanced, and warm collection of reverb-drenched 

improvisations for a steel sculpture made by Bloor himself. Perfect for 

lonely evenings of contemplation, or as mood music in your isolation

chamber. Booklet features photography of steel instruments by Bloor, 

with text by Aidan Baker." [label info] 

* PLOTKIN, JAMES - Indirmek CD (Utech Records 009, 2007) 

[lim. 500] € 13.00 

Man hat wohl Ur- und Kultgestein JAMES PLOTKIN wohl noch nie so 

dark-ambientig und dronig gehört wie auf dem ersten langen Stück auf 

INDIRMEK, ein herrlich wummerndes und Dimensionen öffnendes 

"Akusmatikum", welches fantastische Effekte und subtile Sounds 

aufweist, (HAFLER TRIO und YEN POX sind da nicht weit) 

(und es basiert doch nur auf Gitarrenklang); das zweite stück ist 

weniger subtil, wie wild gewordene Electronica breiten sich Sinus-Zirkel 

& Mirkogeräusche aus, drückend und fordernd... 

Aufnahmen von 2006 / 2007, Spielzeit fast 73 Minuten ! 

"James Plotkin unveils his second solo release in as many years. 

Indirmek presents two distinct facets of his musical work. The first track, 

Afyon (opium) lies closest to Plotkin's trademark drift. In essence, a 

guitar track stretched to limitless possibility. An elemental fury 

contained, dissected and entrusted to a NYC audience for their 

consideration in the spring of 2007. Amfetamin (amphetamine) is a 

second recording from NYC, performed in the fall of 2006. The track is 

considerably more immediate. It's allure can be credited to Plotkin's use 

of electronics to invoke raw sound and shape it as he sees necessary to 

fit a given context. The track speaks a multitude of languages in 

succession and simultaneously." [label info] 

* PRIME, MICHAEL - Borneo do-CD-Box (Mycophile SPOR11, 

2007) [ed. of 400] € 17.50 

MICHAEL PRIME erkundet weiter die Flora & Fauna, aber auf eine 

etwas andere Art und Weise als übliche "Field Recorder": 

BORNEO enthält bioelektrische Impuls-Aufnahmen von Pflanzen aus 

Borneo, Ultrasound-Umsetzungen von Fledermäusen und Insekten, 

verbunden mit Regenwald-Umgebungsnoises und menschlichen Stadt- 

/ Zivilisationsgeräuschen... dies alles führt er auf "Borneo" zusammen, 

eine neuartige Mischung aus musique concrete, die das Unhörbare 

hörbar macht, und field recordings. Dazu ein schönes Farbbooklet mit 

Texten und vielen Fotos... 

"2 CDs in metal box with handmade cover, 14 pages booklet, edition of 

400. “In February 2005 I visited the state of Sabah, north Borneo, with 

the object of recording bioelectrical signals from some of the unique 

flora and fauna there. I was particularly interested in tracking down 

specimens of the parasitic Rafflesia plant, whose flowers are the only 

part it shows above ground, as well as the carnivorous Nepenthes 

species that grow on Mt. Kinabalu. The bioelectrical sounds I recorded 

in the field are used in raw, manipulated and intermodulated form in the 

compositions here, but always retaining their natural rhythms. I also 

made field recordings in a variety of locations, ranging from city centre 

to undisturbed rainforest, and in all of the locations where I made 

bioelectrical recordings. Unless mentioned otherwise, all acoustic 

recordings were made on the move, using a pair of binaural 

microphones. As well as making bioelectrical recordings of plants, and 

ultrasonic recordings of bats and insects, I also set up small 

installations in the forest, using portable amplification. I then made live 

recordings of the installations, “stalking” them with the binaural 

microphones. Two ultrasonic transducers with heterodyne frequency 

conversion were used to record the ultrasonic sounds of the bats and 

insects. These recording have not been manipulated, edited or layered. 

The listener can follow the movements of the bats in real time as they 

locate insects and zoom in, speeding up their echolocation sounds to 

obtain better resolution in the sound picture they are receiving of their 

prey.” [credits] 

"This is of course the time of the year that lots of people ask me where I 

will spent my holidays and I must report that going on holidays is 

something I never liked particularly, save for one reason: to hear 

sounds that you normally don't hear around the house. I am pretty sure 

other people do like holidays for better reasons, but who knows about 

Micheal Prime He's a man who likes plants and the sounds they make, 

with stuff he made himself to make the sounds audible. In February 

2005 he travelled to Borneo, the north part called Sabah, to record 

bioelectrical signals from flora and fauna. On the way he taped some 

more sound, not being restricted to just the birds and the bees. On this 

double pack one gets the whole sound picture, as it's neither a plain 

documentation of recordings of plants, nor an overcomposed work: it's a 

combination of both. There are the pure field recordings, but also 

compositions using these sounds and installation pieces using live 

processing of the sounds. On the double CD side they are not back to 

back but mixed, which makes a great listening session. Insect sounds, 

the activity of people working on the market, plants, they all found their 

way to this release. In a great cross over between musique concrete 

and field recordings, Prime took me on a fascinating journey. One which 

I didn't need leaving the house for..." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* RADIGUE, ELIANE - Jetsun Mila do-CD (Lovely Music 

LCD2003, 2007) € 23.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung des 84-minütigen Werkes von 1986, welches 

das Leben des Yogis MILAREPA (als Prozess von Geburt bis zum Tod 

/ Nirvana) klanglich darstellt. Hauptbestandteil dieser Meditation sind 

die ruhigen & dezenten elektronischen Drones eines ARP-Synthesizers, 

die gespickt sind mit konkreteren mikroskopischen Klangereignissen 

von zugespielten Tapes. RADIGUE studierte in den 50ern bei PIERRE 

HENRY und PIERRE SCHAEFFER, konvertierte 1975 zum tibetischen 

Buddhismus und etablierte dann ihre Musik, die so einfach & pur & 

offen wirkt wie ein in vollständiger Aufmerksamkeit befindliches 

Bewusstsein in tiefer ZEN-Meditation. 

"Recorded by Eliane Radigue in 1986, it's beyond great to have mass 

access to this delicate and spiritually profound electronic work, spread 

out over 84 minutes. There are only a handful of available works from 

Eliane, despite the fact that she has been active for the last 4 decades, 

and each one is a major event. "Performed (Arp synthesizer) and 

recorded digitally by Eliane Radigue. Jetsun Mila is inspired by the life 

of Milarepa, a great yogi and poet of Tibet who lived in the 11th century. 

The story of his life as told to his closest disciple, Rechungpa, 

represents one of the most famous works within Tibetan culture. The 

Mila Kabum, or Namthar, has been translated into several Western 

languages, including English and French. Eliane Radigue's 84-minute 

musical evocation of Milarepa's life is in nine sections, with prelude, 

which correspond to major periods of the life of this famous yogi. The 

sections flow from one to the other without breaks, one giving birth 

naturally to the next." "Eliane Radigue works with electronic sounds on 

tape to create an ambience within which sound seems to move in a 

continual flow around the listener. Her music has been described as 

'infinitely discreet...next to which all other music seems to be tugging at 

one's sleeve for attention." --Michel Chion" [label info] 

* RAPOON / CISFINITUM - Mental Travellers CD (Ewers Tonkunst 

HHE 012 CD, 2006) [ed. of 500] € 13.00 

Eine betont friedliche und "schöngeistig" sphärische Veröffentlichung ist 

"Mental Travellers" geworden, die Zusammenarbeit zweier der 

bekannteren Acts aus der Ambient-Szene, das Werk drückt symbolhaft 

die Überwindung nationalstaatlicher und politischer Grenzen aus, die 

z.B. in Europa die Menschen noch vor wenigen Jahrzehnten zu 

Erzfeinden gemacht haben. Heutzutage fährt ROBIN STOREY nach 

Moskau und findet dort Freunde, was für ihn (1955 im Nachkriegsengland 

geboren und direkt in den "Kalten Krieg" entlassen) noch 

immer wie ein Wunder scheint. Dass Musik quasi schon immer 

"grenzenlos" war, scheinen CISFINITUM & RAPOON mit ins 

Kosmische weisenden Klängen umsetzen zu wollen; fantastisch das 

hoch-emotionale End-Stück "Eurasia" mit ethnischem Gesang.... 

“Mental Travellers" is a collaboration work created by mail during the 

year 2006. This record could be considered as an attempt to find the 

very deep basic background which is common for all the people 

independent of cultural environment or political barriers between 

nations and states. The delving into the very depth of the heart exposes 

these common roots, and "Mental Traveller" shows it perfectly with its 

complex structure and at the same time simple integrity. It is an 

excellent blend of both artists distinctive features - the esoterical 

rhythmic patterns and mystical rustles by Robin Storey is intertwined 

with subtle and beautiful drone ambient waves by Eugene Voronovsky. 

The result is quite diverse and captivating, and most of the 

compositions remind us more of early Zoviet France than current 

Rapoon or Cisfinitum works. The final track called "Eurasia" features 

Russian ethnic female singer Toloka, whose archaic chanting makes a 

very natural conclusion for this mental travel to humanity's primordial 

roots. The CD comes in a full-colour fold-out digisleeve with artwork by 

Robin Storey, this edition is limited to 500 copies only." [label info] 

* RATKJE, MAJA - Adventura Anatomica CD (Semishigure 

semi009, 2006) € 13.00 

Musik für ein Tanztheater-Stück: unglaubliches Sprach- und "Sound 

Poetry"-Material von der Trondheimer Extrem-Performerin, sowohl was 

ihre Ausklangsklänge betrifft als auch die eingesetzten 

Verfemdungstechiken, reine akustische Mund-Akrobatik, Geflüster, 

Schmatz- und Guttural-Geräusche, Polyvoices, in ausufernde Weise 

effektiert, in "real time" bearbeitet... 

"It’s not like I haven’t heard a lot of experimental music, but Ratkje’s 

choices and processing techniques set her apart from pretty much 

anyone else i can think of. Some of you may have picked up her albums 

on the Rune Grammofon label, those were a good example of her 

sound, but on ‘Adventura Anatomica’ she takes it to the next level 

entirely. Apparently the work was created as the soundtrack to a piece 

of theatre, the soundtrack to a fairytale world of woods, wolves and 

witches and surprisingly this comes off pretty effectively. Ratkje’s 

incessant scrapes and creaks eventually turn into tortured moans and 

wails before transforming entirely into animal cries and then piercing 

noise detailing a perfectly realised narrative. Extremely strange music

and not for the faint hearted, but very good and very brave indeed." 

[Boomkat] 

"There once was….the incomparable voice of Maja Ratkje. Fairytales 

sometimes come true, certainly in the case of this Norwegian composer 

and voice acrobat - the infernal twists and turns she manages to contort 

her voice in are breathtaking. With the help of modern electronica and 

the most agile vocal cords of the western world Ratkje manages to 

create her own magical domain. In that sense, she is consciously 

following in the footsteps of such female vocal pioneers as Meredith 

Monk, Diamanda Galas and Laurie Anderson, constantly searching for 

cross-fertilisation between voice improvisation, musical drama and 

technological innovation. 

A fairy tale world comes to life in sublime fashion on Maja Ratkje’s 

latest collaboration Adventua Anatomica, a musical work for theatre she 

created with choreographer/danser Odd Johan Fritzøe and stage 

designer in November 2005. This is a world of bittersweet fairytales, of 

wolves and innocent maidens losing their way in a dark wood, a world 

of fear and despair and joyful ecstasy. In any case, emotions such as 

these coexist closely in Ratkje’s world. On AA she deploys her entire 

vocal arsenal: whispering softly, cooing, emitting deep throat sounds 

usually culminating in an overwhelming vocal deluge. Her vocal 

outpourings are amplified through electronica, creating a blazing 

dialogue between her own voices. Øyvind Brandtsegg created a live 

sampling instrument called ImproSculpt especially for the purpose and 

Ratkje knows like no other how to make it serve her needs. 

AA develops into a sound ritual for voice, electronica, harmonica, flute, 

dictaphone and metal objects. In addition, she manipulates the live 

sound made by the dancer. Ratkje then chose to record everything in 

real time for this CD, whereby every little sound of the performance was 

faithfully recorded. 

AA is Maja Ratkje’s first solo release on Semishigure. Previously, 

Bottrop-Boy brought out a collaboration between her and compatriot 

Lasse Marhaug titled Music for Loving (B-BOY 021). Ratkje also worked 

with artist Monica Bonvicini on Erwartung as part of the EN/OF series 

(EN/OF 027)." [label press release] 

* REIBEL, GUY - Granulations-Sillages CD (INA GRM INA c 

1016, 1994) € 13.00 

Three highly conceptual compositions 1973-1976 from this french 

composer, who was focused on the research of "pitch and duration" of 

sounds. Like in "Granulations-Sillages" with its many small & smallest 

fast changing sounds ("grains of sound"), the limits of the listeners timeperception 

are challenged; he also mixed different kinds of slow 

oscillations (or electric & acoustic origin), being fascinated with 

"unstable staes of equilibrium", where two or several contradictory 

sound-forces "fight" against each others. Very vivid music, and almost 

historical pieces from the INA GRM group. 

* RILEY, TERRY - Olson III (1967) CD (Cortical Foundation 

organ of corti 3, 1999) € 15.00 

Bisher unveröffentlichte live-Aufnahme aus Stockholm vom April 1967. 

Kraftvolle, repetitive, orchestrale Muster, Gesangs- und Chorelemente 

und -fragmente tauchen auf, die sich auch in endlosen Zirkeln 

bewegen, Minimal music at its best ! 

"I first met Terry in a Finnish summer cottage in 1963. He had just 

arrived from Paris along with Ken Dewey the late playwright, theater 

director, and happening creator. In Paris they had staged a version of 

Ken's The Gift with music by Terry in which he had collaborated with 

Chet Baker. A part of this music called She Moves was produced using 

tape loop and feedback techniques and opened up to him the potential 

of repetitious sound patterns. 

In the Spring of 1965 I spent two months in San Francisco working with 

Ann Halprin's Dancers Workshop and the composers connected to the 

legendary San Francisco Tape Music Center: Pauline Oliveros, Morton 

Subotnick, Ramon Sender, and Terry Riley. I took part in performances 

of In C and spent "All Night Flights" with Terry and his family in their 

house with Terry playing on the piano for hours his Keyboard Studies 

that used just four notes played with one hand constantly repeated at a 

very high speed with subtle changes of the down beat. 

On my return to Stockholm, Karl-Birger Blomdahl, the music director of 

the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation and my former composition 

teacher asked me what was my greatest experience in the United 

States. I immediately replied "Terry Riley!". He said let's bring him over. 

This idea was developed into an educational joint venture involving the 

Royal College of Music in Stockholm, the Community Music School of 

Nacka, and the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation. Terry was 

commissioned to compose a work for the orchestra and chorus of the 

Nacka Music School which was to be included in the Contemporary 

Music Series of the Swedish Broadcasting. The composition students at 

the College of Music were to take part in the event and to start other 

projects with Terry during his one month residency in Stockholm. 

Terry made two sketches entitled Olson Sound as a homage to 

Sweden. He sent them to us by mail -- we tried them but we didn't 

manage to get them off the ground. Terry arrived in Stockholm in 1967 

and wrote a new and different version, Olson III. It was based on the 

same principle as In C, i.e., a series of short motives which the 

musician is supposed to repeat several times before he moves to the 

next motive. However, in Olson III there is just one note value whereas 

there is quite a variety of values in "In C". 

The rehearsals with the musicians and singers of the Nacka Music 

School were difficult because of the newness of the music. Terry did not 

conduct but led the performance by taking part on soprano sax. The 

teachers at Nacka suggested conducting but Terry refused. The 

performers simply had to get used to listening to each other. Slowly 

they brought themselves together, opened their ears, and consequently 

managed to keep the pulse, changing and shaping motives individually. 

A few of the less motivated students left the project but some forty 

remained who were dedicated to carry out a good performance. 

The premiere took place in the Nacka Auditorium on a beautiful spring 

evening of April 27, 1967. The temperature in the audience is easy to 

follow in the recording and you can also hear the struggle among the 

performers when they get exhausted, when they strain every nerve, 

when they are fighting the audience, when their coordination is 

beginning to fall apart, when they triumphantly are getting together. It is 

simply like life. 

Some of the people who were working with Terry that spring month in 

Stockholm got impressions which have never left their hearts. Among 

these were some students at the Royal College of Music. But his 

influence also extended to a number of musicians working in the 

Swedish alternative music movement of the seventies. I am thinking of 

groups such as Traed, Graes och Stenar and Arbete och Fritid. * 

The concert in the Nacka Auditorium was recorded in mono which by 

that time was the normal recording standard of the Swedish 

Broadcasting. The recording engineer Bengt Nyquist also made a 

parallel stereo recording as an experiment. When comparing the mono 

and stereo versions we found that the stereo version, after some digital 

"no noise" dry cleaning, would make a far better master for the CD. 

* Trees, Grass and Rocks, and Work and Leisure Time." 

[Folke Rabe] 

* RILEY, TERRY - Les Yeux fermes & Lifespan CD (Elision Fields 

EF101, 2007) € 14.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung zweier rarer Film-Soundtrack LPs von 1972 & 

1974, LES YEUX FERMES und LIFESPAN... 

"After changing the world in the late '60s with In C and A Rainbow in 

Curved Air, legendary American composer and father of minimalism 

Terry Riley abandoned tape-manipulation and written composition to 

concentrate on longform keyboard cycles and improvisations. In the 

early '70s, while in Europe, he was invited to create scores for two films. 

The first, in 1972, was Joel Santoni's Les Yeux Fermés, a featurelength 

art film that instantly became a cult classic by virtue of its never 

having screened in the USA. The second, Lifespan, directed by 

Alexander Whitelaw in 1974, featured Klaus Kinski. Both soundtracks 

were released in limited editions on LP and have long been out of print. 

This first-ever CD release of these two classic Terry Riley soundtracks-- 

both on one disc-- was remastered from the original tapes, the hypnotic 

songs sounding far superior to the below-average vinyl pressings. 

Having brought the '60s Corti archive back into print, Elision Fields now 

turns its attention to the under-examined crucial period of Riley's work-- 

the '70s." [press release] 

"....Le Yeux Fermes is comprised of two nearly twenty-minute 

pieces that are reminiscent of his early work on Reed Streams. The 

first is “Journey From A Death of a Friend” involving multiple organ 

and piano lines in counterpoint and the second is a more involved 

piece with delayed saxophone and organ counterpoints called “Happy 

Endings”. The selections for Lifespan are six shorter pieces, which 

are a bit more diverse and melody oriented in their structures. “G 

Song” begins with an organ fugue repetition before the sax melody 

gives the piece more of a soundtrack theme, while “M.I.C.E.”, short 

for Music In Curved Entrances, begins with a sustained organ and 

tabla drone before the melodic organ progressions kick into gear 

leading into the raga drones of “Slow Melody in Bhairavi” and the 

chanting Tangerine Dream-ish, “In The Summer”. “The Oldtimer “is the 

most playful with an almost carnivalesque organ vamp, while “Delay” 

is just that, a slow burning organ drone with building and repeating 

organ lines that coalesce in a sea of pensive harmonics. We’re 

surprised Riley hasn’t done more soundtrack work. Listening to this 

makes us want to see the movies, especially Lifespan, which stars 

Klaus Kinski as a biochemist on a frantic search for the fountain of 

youth!" [Aquarius Records] 

* RILEY, TERRY - Reed Streams CD (Elision Fields EF104, 

2007) € 14.50 

Minimal Music-Klassiker ! Wiederveröffentlichung der allerersten LP von 

RILEY von 1966, drei minimal und lebhaft organische Stücke. Dazu gibt

es einen Bonus-track von 1970 (eine wahrhaft verschärfte Version 

seines berühmten Stücke "IN C"). 

"This CD represents the first album by Terry Riley, originally released in 

1966, as well as the first recordings Riley made using his two personal 

Revox reel-to-reel tape machines (or 'Time Lag Accumulators') later 

heard on his groundbreaking Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band All 

Night Flight. Reed Streams has been remastered from the original 

tapes. In addition, this edition includes a psychedelic big-band version 

of 'In C (Mantra)' recorded under the direction of renowned Canadian 

composer and conductor Walter Boudreau in 1970." [press release] 

RLW – Views CD (Anomalous Records NOM 27, 2004) € 12.00 

Dronig-verwirrende Soundscapes, konkrete Geräusch-improvisationen, 

feedbackende Kakophonien... Material von 2003, das RLW eher von 

der verspielt-improvisatorischen Seite zeigt.. back in stock ! 

“....Using simple devices (tone-generators, percussion toys, music 

boxes, an electric toothbrush and an electric guitar) played in unusual 

ways, he builds up layers of each sound to create a suite of textural 

pieces. Each of the four tracks takes on an identity unique from the 

others, as the first three each focus on one of the sound sources while 

the last combines elements from the previous three to make something 

else. The disc opens with a 20-minute piece of mysterious and drifting 

electronic tones. Other tracks highlight very tactile sounds and bring a 

much more 'live' element to his work, while retaining his skillful use of 

dynamics and placement of silence which have gained him so many 

fans...” [from the press-release] 

“There was a time when RLW, which stands for Ralf Wehowsky, was a 

buzz name. From his previous band P16.D4, he developes since the 

mid nineties a strong solo career aswell as many collaborations with 

people like Jim O'Rourke, Kevin Drumm, Bernard Gunter, 

Duimelinks/Meelkop. But in more recent years his release schedule was 

less hectic and now we have 'Views'. Everything on this CD is made by 

RLW with no input from anybody else. His source material includes 

tone-generators, music boxes, toys, electric guitar and toothbrush. Each 

of the four pieces here consist of RLW improvising three or four times 

his sounds on to the computer, and creating a mix afterwards. In the 

opening piece, '#1' he only uses tone generators, by which he creates 

quite densely layered patterns, that come in quite a chaotic way at one 

point - unlike much other RLW material. In '#2' he uses the Orff 

instrumentarium (percussive instruments for children), which he jams 

around and this is much more his territory: carefully hoovering on the 

edge of silence. Something similar goes in '#3', but here it deals with 

the hallucinating simplicity of music boxes. These two quieter pieces 

are the total contrast of '#4', which uses various feedback recordings of 

the two previous tracks and some added guitar sounds - a fiery noise 

piece, which is again an unlike RLW piece. Quite a strong CD, with 

some surprises for the RLW devotee. Moving inside aswell as outside 

of his usual music, this is quite a step forward. [FdW, Vital weekly] 

* RLW - An Archivist's Nightmare CD (Beta-Lactam Ring Records 

mt138 / Black Series negro2, 2007) [lim. 300] € 16.00 

Die Beta-Lactam "Black Series" prüft (überschreitet) weiter die 

Grenzen des Alltäglichen, mit dieser CD von RLW (oder sollte man eher 

sagen: mit diesem im CD-Player installiertem Happening). 

RLW liest (mit extra-starkem "german accent" wie es scheint) die Titel 

der letzten Tonträger die er bekam vor, (s)ein Kind versucht dies 

(manchmal) zu imitieren, das ganze lief 2003 als Radio-Feature für 

Radio Resonance London... 60 Minuten lang....ja, genau, das wars! 

Den Effekt des ganzen kann mich nicht beschreiben, den muss man 

erleben!! Nummer 2 in der neuen BLACK SERIES (schwarze edle 

Klappcover) von Beta-Lactam! 

"Black Series 2 - Ed. of 300 numbered and signed copies by RLW 

(P16.D4). RLW moves in to the world of sound art with his piece "The 

Archivist's Nightmare". "RLW: An archivist´s nightmare The nightmare 

has been produced as a sound feature for radio resonance, London, in 

mid 2003 and was “aired” on internet October 3rd 2003. It is dedicated 

to Benjamin Green and would not have been possible without the help 

of Dorothea, Soeren, and Sonja. Index points are set for your pleasure. 

The feature itself embraces the whole CD. Total Time: 60:00 Some 

notes: "...i will read the titles of the last records i got (i guess about 1000 

should fit into one hour). selected, insofar as i'll leave out those i found 

not worth listening to anyway. no criteria of order otherwise (therefore 

the title). ... imagine a future archivist interested in 

experimental/avantgarde/underground - however you will call it - sounds 

of the past 21st and 20th century, trying to find a path..." rlw, april 2003 

“in an earlier mail i told you i would like to add some pieces of mine to 

the feature. Meanwhile i think this only would distract the listener´s 

attention from the reading. Instead i will additionally read parts of my 

letters to you and include these recordings in the feature. this additional 

level of self-reflection will also be of use as an structural element. “ rlw, 

may 2003 “sounds fucking great.. and i can sense an opening of 

possibilities… working with children is something I would be interested 

in doing, with some kind of structured improvisation/game pieces… 

strange… i keep getting a very high pitch sound in one ear when I type 

loudly, which reminds me of yr piece.” ben green, may 2003 “thanks for 

the radio feature. it´s really great. the funniest thing i´ve heard in a long 

while. it´ s a weird thing, initially i thought these were the records that 

would get played later, and then i started thinking like ´got that one, 

heard that name before, did the cover for that one, dunno this`.” jos 

moers, june 2003" [label website info] 

* RLW - The Pleasure of burning down Churches CD (Black 

Rose Recordings BRCD 07-1009, 2007) € 13.00 

Der nette Titel des neuen, insgesamt sehr düsteren, fast schon 

mistantrophen RLW-Werks basiert zum Teil auf Feldaufnahmen einer 

Vietnam-Reise die er in den 90er unternahm, wo ein US-Vietnam- 

Veteran stolz auf dort zerbombte Heiligtümer verwies.... 

Das Gesamt-Klangbild variiert zwischen field recordings und recht 

ruhigen, aber angespannten z.T. collagierten Soundscapes und 

kulminiert in einer höchst aggressiven Nachrichtenabfolge auf einem 

Anruf-Beantworter, die einen kaum kalt lässt. 4 tracks, 44 Minuten. 

Das Gesamt-Klangbild variiert zwischen field recordings und recht 

ruhigen, aber angespannten z.T. collagierten Soundscapes und 

kulminiert in einer höchst aggressiven Nachrichtenabfolge auf einem 

Anruf-Beantworter, die einen kaum kalt lässt. 

"Solo music by RLW (Ralf Wehowsky) is a pretty rare thing. For RLW 

the act of music making lies in creating something with others, wether 

or not by meeting up or exchanging sounds by (e-)mail. 'Views', 

reviewed in Vital Weekly 413, was a rare instance of a solo work and 

now, quite some time and many collaborations later, 'The Pleasure Of 

Burning Down Churches' is a new solo work. The churches of the title 

hark back to meeting a US veteran in Vietnam who told RLW that he 

liked bombing churches because they were easy targets. Field 

recordings from Vietnam also form the input of 'More Churches'. It's 

hard to see this otherwise than as a political piece. Just as the guy who 

rants against an answer machine on 'Helplessly Friendly' - it's hard to 

decipher his German, but it's sure not very friendly. I don't think I had 

expected RLW to overtly political and he perhaps he isn't. But it seems 

to me as if RLW isn't using sounds just for it's sheer beauty. On these 

two pieces he wants to bring a message across. On the opening piece 

'Towards A Decontamination Breakthrough' this is less obvious. Quite a 

drone like piece of music, quite unusual for RLW. Collage techniques 

are to be found in 'More Churches' and 'Helplessly Friendly', the first 

with quite a nice intro of car horns and the second has a scary feel to it, 

both through the voices and the spiraling sounds of 'paper string 

actions'. In 'Burning Pianos' things move into the abstract again, not 

political view, just the exploration of a piano. RLW's work moves on the 

edge of musique concrete, but never looses it's touch with industrial 

music on hand and with microsound on the other. But it defies these 

categories and can perhaps only be classified as RLW music. Great 

work, but perhaps you shouldn't believe me; I find much of his work 

great!" [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* RODEN, STEVE - Transmissions (Voices Of Objects And Skies) 

CD (In Between Noise / New Plastic Music npib8, 2006) € 13.00 

One-tracker mit einem superben, langsam wallenden Granular-Drone, 

sehr minimal und microsound-versetzt, Installationsmusik für eine von 

RODENS bemerkenswerten Galerie-SoundArt-Arbeiten... 

"Transmissions (voices of objects and skies) was created for the 

exhibition transmissions from space at the fresno metropolitan museum. 

The entire body of work included sound, painting, drawing, and 

sculpture - everything inspired by John Glenn's first transmission from 

space, as well as Rimbaud's poem 'vowels' in which each vowel is 

given a color equivalent. The sound installation consisted of 102 color 

coded tin cans hanging in a dark room - one for each vowel in glenn's 

text. 64 of the cans contained small audio speakers playing an 8 

channel soundwork, while other cans contained small 4 watt colored 

lightbulbs. The source material was recordings of satellites by amateur 

astronomers from the 1960's through the 1980's. These sounds have 

been processed and transformed electronically. The cd contains a 

stereo version of the installation that was re-worked for home listening 

and regular stereo speakers. The image below was drawn by a young 

artist named Nancy Alcaraz of the installation and is featured on the 

back cover of the cd package." [press release] 

"Scores for sound installations often have a way of not really 

translating when heard outside of the installation. Steve Roden is 

one of the few sound artists who has perfected the balancing act of 

creating a sublime sonic experience through his installation work 

which also translates equally as well on disc. Transmissions (Voices 

Of Objects And Skies) was originally commissioned by the Fresno Art 

Museum, and found Roden creating a metonymic environment that 

bridged childhood wonder with the rough technologies of tin-can 

telephones and daydreams of space travel and NASA. The installation 

itself was an 8 channel sound piece spread over 64 speakers which 

were all mounted within tin cans and suspended from the ceiling

alongside countless other tin cans that housed low wattage colored light 

bulbs, creating a fantastic chandelier of muted light that was perfect for 

the delicate compositions. Roden states in the liner notes that the 

source material for the album was recordings of satellites by amateur 

astronomers from the 1960s through the 1980s; and through Roden's 

impeccable reductivist filtering and manipulation, he arrives at a 

slow-motion collage of electronic bleeps which might have more in 

common with a distantly flickering flute than anything electric in 

origin. Nevertheless, Roden turns these sounds into looping lullabies 

and subtle declinations of sound. It's one of the best pieces we've 

heard from Roden and is certainly recommended!" [Aquarius Recoords] 

* ROGERSON, DIANA ("A BAD DIANA") - The lights are on but noones 

home CD (United Jnana 333, 2007) € 14.00 

Nach langer Zeit etwas neues von der v.a. durch die zwei CHRYSTAL 

BELLE SCRODD LPs auf United Dairies bekanntgewordenen DIANA 

ROGERSON, die sich hier im Verbund mit Ehemann STEVEN 

STAPLETON und MATT WALDRON aka IRR.APP(ext.) "A BAD 

DIANA" nennt. "The lights are on..." enthält meist dunkel gefärbte, 

natürlich nicht gerade alltägliche Stücke mit (Sprech)-Gesang, voller 

hypnotischer Drone-Basics und mit vielen überraschenden Effekt- 

Sounds und Arrangements, es überwiegen aber die "ernsthaft" 

klingenden, melancholischen Parts, "advanced Drone-Pop" oder "Exotic 

Psychedelia" könnte man das nennen, dunkel & voller visionärer Kraft! 

Wunderbares Album, eine grosse Überraschung! 

"Diana Rogerson was a member of cult band Whore 156 in the 1970s. 

Dubbed "the female Whitehouse," they later mutated into Fistfuck in the 

early '80s. They were legendary lynchpins in the London underground 

industrial scene, alongside bands like SPK and the aforementioned 

Whitehouse. Rogerson later went on to do vocals for Nurse With 

Wound and Shock Headed Peters, and worked alongside Foetus. She 

made two albums in the '80s under the pseudonym Chrystal Belle 

Scrodd. They were described as psychedelic outsider classics by critics 

and gained underground notoriety. These albums were originally 

released on the highly collectible United Dairies label. 

The Lights Are On But No-One's Home, released on United Jnana, is 

the long-awaited follow-up to Rogerson's 1987 album Belle De Jour. It 

is a collection of new songs and instrumentals in her unique style, 

recorded with the help of Steven Stapleton and Colin Potter (of Nurse 

With Wound) and also Matt Waldron of irr. app. (ext.). Recently, the 

early recordings of Fistfuck live performances were released by the 

Viennese Actionist Recording label and have already sold out! 

Rogerson is also a guest vocalist on the new Faust album." [label info] 

* SABLE MOUVANT - Bridge that leads to nowhere CD (Autarkeia 

acd012, 2006) [ed. of 500] € 13.00 

Mysterious sounds & atmospheres from this lithuanian project, 

repetitive metallic overtune-structures, impressionistic oracle-sounds as 

coming from a different dimension... 

"SABLE MOUVANT is a music project coming from Lithuanian artist 

GyS. The project may be classified as hypnotic drone ambient. The first 

album titled Bridge That Leads Nowhere perfectly conveys gloomy, 

melancholic world where the prevailing trends include reduction, 

extinction and impalpability. Compositions of Bridge That Leads 

Nowhere are very slow and solid, their monotonic vibes are the source 

of a weird hypnotic feeling. Here we have live and pulsatile drone 

ambient where the track names precisely represent their mood best 

described as solitude and isolation. SABLE MOUVANT music offers a 

full dose of Gnostic unknowability, cryptic atmosphere. It is best suited 

for listening in derelict wastelands, while meditating invisible, elemental 

and indeed pervading supernatural reality that uncompromisingly 

regulates the evolution of all worlds known and unknown. The album 

will please anyone who’s not indifferent to the music of Jarl, Moljebka 

Pvlse, NWW, Kammarheit." [label info] 

* SACHER-PELZ - In Hoc Urbia Miazi CD (Old Europa Cafe OECD 

090, 2007) € 13.00 

"After more than 28 years the seminal contamination by Maurizio 

Bianchi / MB called "Sacher-Pelz" is finally back with dyslexic hollows 

in the hypertoxic forewarning of scrupulous connoisseurs: "In Hoc Urbia 

Miazi" is its irrational title, and you should take note of this for your 

survival! Uncompromising & best quality old-school industrial-noise like 

in the very early "Come Organisation" times by this Italian CULT 

project!" [label info] 

"... In Hoc Urbia Miazi is just that: a boiling mess of looping tape hiss, 

varispeed accelerations, and razor cut edits between between the white 

noise chorus of tape hiss piled densely on top of itself. The label made 

references to the classic Come Organisation sound made famous by 

Whitehouse; but Bianchi's Sacher Pelz shares more in common with the 

blank tape experiments by Reynols heard on their self-evidently titled 

album Blank Tapes or by the obscure Australian turntablist project 

Gum." [Aquarius Records] 

* SAL SOLARIS - Der Ruf CD (Der Angriff Nr. 28, 2006) € 13.00 

"SAL SOLARIS ist das Projekt von CONSTANTIN MEZER, der aus 

Rostov (einer der größten russischen Städe im europäischen Teil des 

Landes) stammt. Unterstützt wird er von IVAN NAPREENKO, der 

gleichzeitig für das gelungene Artwork zuständig ist: Die bläuliche 

Pappschachtel mit dem Foto eines Baumes vor einem Berg ist eine der 

schöneren Varianten, eine CD zu verpacken. MEZER trat beim ersten 

'Heilige Feuer-Festival auf und gilt seitdem in Russland als einer der 

Mitbegründer der Szene. Zwei Jahre später (2002) veröffentlichte er mit 

'Outerpretation Of Dreams' die bisher erste und einzige Vollzeit-CD von 

SAL SOLARIS (HAU RUCK!). Ansonsten existieren zwei seltene Vinyl- 

EPs und eine damals nur in Russland erhältiche CDR-Maxi. 'Der Ruf' 

sammelt die Titel, die zwischen 2000 und 2005 auf diversen Samplern 

('Heilige Feuer' / 'Holy Mother Russia') oder auf den vergriffenen EPs 

erschienen sind, dazu gibt es zwei Remixe. 

77 Minuten lang passiert auf 'Der Ruf' äußerst wenig, und dennoch 

beeindruckt die Musik durch ihre Kraft. Den Begriff 'Power Ambient' hat 

sich das Label dazu ausgedacht, und er passt. SAL SOLARIS machen 

Dark Ambient in Zeitlupe, sie schießen kosmische Töne in einen 

unendlichen Raum, die sich dort so lange austoben, bis sie keine 

Energie mehr haben. Das sind die Sounds eines dunklen, kalten 

Winters, in dem Bewegungen festfrieren, oder eines eisigen Alls, die 

aber nicht nur die Kälte, sondern auch die Melancholie eines solchen 

Szenarios ausstrahlen. Wenn sich, wie in Track 3, der Anflug einer 

Melodie einschleicht, wird er von sirenenhaften, verzerrten Loops gleich 

wieder unterbunden. Alles ist ein an- und abschwellendes Brummen. 

Manche Stücke könnten der Auftakt zu einer modernen Klassik- 

Komposition sein, etwa wenn in Track 4 eine riesige Orgel bedient wird 

und ein leichtes, elektronisches Geigenspiel einsetzt. Dafür stehen 

andererseits in manchen Tracks über weite Strecken nur einzelne 

Töne, manchmal sogar nur einer, wie in Track 5. Die Spitze des 

Minimalismus ist 'Fields Of The Dead' (6), das ganz auf klingende Töne 

verzichtet und nur aus Effekten besteht, mit Hall und Echos, die sich 

endlos dehnen. Neben den beiden Techno-Remixen zum Schluss, auf 

die ich sehr gut hätte verzichten können, ist Track 8 die einzige 'flotte' 

Nummer, mit einem verschliffenen Rhythmus. Das schönste Stück ist 

für mich 'Deck' (10): Mehr als 10 Minuten lang werden einige warme, 

tiefe und vibirierende Töne in unterschiedlicher Reihenfolge wiederholt, 

unterbrochen von einer dezenten (Schiffs-)Sirene und einem Ticken. 

'Der Ruf' ist ein Stückchen Unendlichkeit, und es ist erstaunlich, wie so 

viel aus so wenig entstehen kann. Für eine 'Best Of' ist 'Der Ruf' 

außerdem überdurchschnittlich gut durchhörbar, was natürlich an der 

Ähnlichkeit der minimalistischen Stücke, aber (das musste ja kommen) 

auch an der 'russischen Seele' liegen kann, die alles zusammen hält." 

[Michael We. / Nonpop] 

"After around five years since the first Sal Solaris album "Outerpretation 

Of Dreams" has been released on Hau Ruck!, Der Angriff and 

Indiestate are proud to present the second CD of this great Russian 

industrial formation. The music of Sal Solaris could be labelled as 

"power ambient" - being profound and deep, without obvious rhythms or 

harsh noise patterns, it has no soothing meditative effect, but it is 

powerful and moving instead. The closest comparisons are Reutoff, 

Stalnoy Pakt or early Loki stuff, e.g. Dagda Mor. This album is a 

compilation of nearly all of the tracks that have been released by the 

band on various EPs and compilations through the years of project's 

existence. It includes their contributions for "Ten Years Of Madness" 

2CD, "Heilige Feuer I" CD/LP, "Avangardia" CD, "Eternal Soul" box and 

"Holy Mother Russia" LP compilations, as well as the complete 10" EP 

"Remember" (Der Angriff, 2002) and two 2006 remixes for the tracks 

from their split 10" with Stahlwerk 9. Being scattered over numerous 

releases, these brilliant compositions were not able to bring the 

recognition that Sal Solaris really deserves, but collected together they 

demonstrate the real power and the obvious artistic talent of their 

creators. The real masterpiece, not to be missed! This CD comes in a 

cardboard full-colour envelope limited to 500 copies only. Total length is 

77 min. [press-release] 

* SAVAGE REPUBLIC - Tragic Figures CD (Mobilization 

Recordings, 2002) € 16.50 

Die erste legendäre LP von 1982 der damals als "Art-Punk" 

gehandelten kalifornischen Band, die auch politisch radikale Wege ging, 

ihren eigenen "Staat" gründete und mit eigenem Label & Druckerei 

versuchte so unabhängig wie möglich zu bleiben... 

TRAGIC FIGURES vereint auf unnachahmliche Weise aggressiven 

Industrial-"Rock" und politische Agitation (so z.B. im Stück "Kill the 

Fascists"), sehr perkussiv & tribal und oft mit Metall- oder 

Schrottschlagzeug und gebrüllten Vocals, aber auch eine 

psychedelisch-trancig "ethnische" Note ist hier bereits vorzufinden... 

was sich später zu ihrem unnachahmlichen oriental angehauchten 

Wüsten-Rock entwickelte.... 

"The first of four new reissues of the classic studio albums from seminal 

industrial-art-punk group SAVAGE REPUBLIC. Originally released in 

1982 on Independent Project, Tragic Figures os a tribal industrial

psychedelic experience to behold. Includes all the original tracks, along 

with the cuts from the band's two 7-inches from 1983 and 1982, and two 

comp tracks, "Mobilization" and "On The Prowl." Eighteen songs in all, 

packaged in an Independent Project Press-constructed, handletterpress 

card sleeve with inserts. Limited edition of 1,000 copies." 

[label info] 

* SCELSI, GIACINTO - The Orchestral Works 2 CD (Mode 

Records mode176, 2006) € 16.00 

Drei seiner wohl bekannesten Kompositionen für Orchester: intensiver 

Klang, mit der Intention erschaffen, den Hörer selbst in Klang zu 

verwandeln: das dunkel-schwelend-mysteriöse "Quattro Pezzi (su una 

nota sola) von 1959, beim dem jedes der vier Stücke nur aus einer 

Tonhöhe besteht, die aber Mikro-Fluktuationen des Klangs (die 

Klangfarbe des Orchesters in der Gesamtheit) hörbar machen sollen; 

"Uaxuctum" (1966), mit mächtigem Choral- & Perkussionseinsatz und 

unter Einsatz neuartiger vokaler Techniken entstanden 

(Atemgeräusche, nasale & kehlige Laute) und so schwierig 

aufzuführen, dass es erst 1987 zur Uraufführung in Köln kam; 

und das grandiose "La nascita del Verbo" (1946-48) ("Die Geburt des 

Wortes"), ein erdrückend intensives Monument von Klang, an dem sich 

SCELSI so aufrieb dass er danach mehrere Jahre lang nichts mehr 

schreiben konnte. Liner notes ("Gigantische flüssige Momente") im 

Booklet auf Englisch, Deutsch, Französisch! 

Alle hier enthaltenden Aufnahmen entstanden im November 2005, 

eingespielt durch das Wiener Radio-Symphonieorchester und den 

Wiener Kammerchor. 

"Quattro Pezzi (su una nota sola) (1959) for 25 musicians. Uaxuctum- 

The Legend of the Mayan City which they themselves destroyed for 

religious reasons (1966) for ondes Martenot, seven percussionists, 

timpanist, chorus and 23 musicians. La nascita del Verbo (1946-48) for 

chorus and large orchestra. Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. 

The first recording of his 32-minute grand cantata La nascita del Verbo. 

Steeped in chromaticism, with hints of Scriabin and a sea of percussion, 

Nascita boasts a vast double fugue (one of the most imposing in the 

history of music) and a forty-seven voice canon in twelve keys. This 

work, truly written in blood, left Scelsi in a deplorable state, afterwards 

he stopped composing for several years. One of Scelsi's infamous 

pieces is the Quattro Pezzi (su una nota sola). Each piece is limited to 

one pitch with micro-fluctuations of sound (vibratos, slurs, spectral 

changes, tremolos...). Because of the nearly total abandonment of 

harmonics, the listener concentrates on new sonorous subtleties, on the 

orchestra's timbre as a whole. In 1966, he completed the ferocious, 

tormented, complex Uaxuctum. The myths and mysteries of this Mayan 

city is reflected in Scelsi's compositional process: new instrumental and 

vocal techniques (breathing noises, nasal sounds, muted or inhaled 

gutturals...), rhythmic incantations, a petrified flow of time. Few 

woodwinds, a string section consisting of six double basses, lots of 

brass, and, in addition to a timpanist, no less than seven 

percussionists!"[from the liner notes] 

* SEEFEEL - Quique (Redux Edition) do-CD (Too Pure / Beggars 

Banquet, 2007) € 17.50 

"1992 zwar als traditionelle Indie-Rock-Band gegründet, entwickelten 

sich Seefeel schon bald in Richtung Electro weiter. My Bloody 

Valentine-eske Gitarrenriffs wurden mit Techno-Beats in einen neuen 

Kontext gebracht, statt Refrains und Lyrics ließen die Engländer Loops 

und neue Programme den Takt vorgeben. Nach einigen EPs 

veröffentlichten sie 1993 ihr Debütalbum „Quique“, für das sie 

umgehend von der Presse als Erfinder des „Ambient Indie Techno“ 

gefeiert wurden. Vor allem Amerika und dort auch das Majorlabel 

Astralwerks zeigten sich begeistert von dem „Technoalbum, das sich 

auch Indiekids anhören.“ Damit wurde „Quique“ zum Türöffner für 

nachfolgende Künstler wie z.Bsp. Aphex Twin. Nun wird das Album 

wiederveröffentlicht - als Doppelalbum. CD1 enthält das neu 

gemasterte Originalalbum, die Bonusdisk enthält bisher rare Mixe und 

neue Tracks, insgesamt bisher 6 unveröffentlichte Songs." [Indigo] 

Re-release of their great debut-album from 1993 / plus bonus-disc with rare 

mixes and previously unreleased stuff! 

"God, we love this record! We’ve never stopped loving it. In 

its fourteen years of existence, it’s never sounded tired or dated. 

Can’t say that for a whole lot of other electronica records. So we 

are really glad to see our good old friend back in print again with 

this super nice 2cd deluxe re-issue. If you missed this the first 

time around, then you are in for a real treat, and if you bought this 

the first time around, you may just need to buy it again to get the 

whole extra disc of unreleased tracks and alternate mixes. We have 

been playing this daily since we got it, and we're surprised how many 

folks have never heard of Seefeel or experienced their incredible 

ocean of sound. So what is all the fuss about, you say 

Well, Seefeel at their peak were one of the main players that 

spawned the nineties electronica genre, at a time when there were 

only Dance and Rock sections in most music stores. Their sound was a 

delirious mash-up between the shoe-gazing swirl of My Bloody 

Valentine, the machinic rhythm programming of Autechre, the ambient 

chill of Aphex Twin and the driving pulse of Stereolab, with an early 

hint toward the looping repetitions of William Basinski. They bridged 

ambient techno and indie rock by foregoing rock music’s verse and 

chorus structures in favor of beats and loops wrapped inside icy 

motorik rhythms, industrial whirs, blurbs of female vocals and dubby 

bass lines. Like the best work of minimal composers, Seefeel’s longform 

compositions create a warmly hypnotic form of static movement 

that refused to fit neatly into music for either dance floors or 

chill out lounges. 

Quique was their head-turning debut following two EP releases 

featuring remixes by Aphex Twin. That connection surely gained them a 

bigger following, but Seefeel was always one of those bands that 

should have been bigger. Of course such a potent and influential 

debut would lead to many of their contemporaries, bands such as 

Bowery Electric, Labradford, Boards Of Canada and Flying Saucer 

Attack, to take Seefeel's initial explorations in sound further into 

Post-Rock, Trip Hop, IDM and Neo-Psych territories, leaving Seefeel 

at a bit of a loss for a follow-up. Signing to Warp, they delved 

further into a dark ambient direction in the vein of groups like 

Main, Ice and Scorn, that was just too stark for a wider audience to 

appreciate. They put out two more albums before splintering off into 

various side projects such as Scala, Disjecta and Sneakster. 

The bonus disc contains six previously unreleased tracks, and 

three alternate mixes from a limited white label 12” and two 

ambient compilations. Out of the unreleased tracks, “Clique” sounds 

like it just barely missed the cut from the original album line-up 

while “Silent Pool” is a longer version of Quique’s closing track 

“Signals”. “My Super 20” and “Is It Now” are long beat-less swims 

that are a warmer hint at their future direction and the two other 

unreleased tracks are versions of opening track “Climatic Phase #3, 

and “Time to Find Me” from their first EP. It might sound like at 

first listen that there is some repetition between the two discs, but 

it’s really more in line with classic ambient music's infatuation 

with the Dub tradition of versioning, the adding or removing of 

various elements in a song to give it a totally different spin. Each 

version really does give a different feel even if the basic 

structures seem similar. Seriously, the second disc is just more of 

what you love already, and gives us a little more of the stuff we’ve 

been missing for ages. 

Listening to Quique fourteen years later, it has lost none of 

its powerful splendor and warmly chilled charm. Add this to the list 

of favorite one record bands like My Bloody Valentine and Stone 

Roses. So Amazingly Awesome!!!! Reissue of the year so far and so 

totally recommended!!!!!!!!!" [Aquarius Records] 

* SHINJUKU THIEF - The Scribbler CD (Cold Spring Records 

CSR62Cd, 2007) € 13.00 

"Reissue of the 1992 classic by this Australian genius, originally 

released in an edition of 500 copies. Occasional bursts of factory noise, 

industrial rumblings and disembodied German voices form the backdrop 

to a minimalist reworking of Kafka's "The Trial." An album of dense 

filmic atmospheres and orchestral instrumentation. 'The Scribbler' has 

been digitally remastered and is enhanced with a series of video clips 

constructed by Richard Grant (I+T=R), incorporating both new material 

together with the original images prepared for "The Scribbler" live 

show." [label description] 

* SHINJUKU THIEF - Sacred Fury CD (Fin de Siecle FDS12, 2005) 

€ 13.00 

"Leaving aside the sheer viciousness of “Black Ice”, the delicate 

abstraction of “Black Frost” and the calm asphyxiation of his “Matte 

Black” albums, Darrin Verhagen on his latest release re-embraces all 

the dramatic theatricality his Shinjuku Thief project is best known for. 

Hovering midway between gothic orchestral horror and contemporary 

cinematic narrative, “Sacred Fury” presents us with a score from the 

midst of judgment. Reflective cinematic odes are strafed by brutal 

sound design, whilst elsewhere, bombastic homages to In Slaughter 

Natives pound out a march to the apocalypse in 31 beats. 

This is the quintessential soundtrack for when all your best military 

plans turn to shit in your hands, and each new oncoming palletload of 

reason, ideology and faith seems more combustible than the last." [label 

info] 

* SHOEMAKER, MATT - Spots in the Sun CD (Helen Scarsdale 

Agency HMS010, 2007) € 13.00 

"Matt Shoemaker pulled his chin away from his hand after several 

ponderous moments, positing that the title to this electrically-charged 

opus of encrypted drone holds at least two entry points. The most 

obvious reference for Spots In The Sun would be the astrophysical 

study of sunspots with all of the allusions to earthly disturbances

triggered by events millions of miles away. Yet, on the other hand, 

Shoemaker also proposed an earthbound reference to regions of the 

world that only exist -- perhaps literally, perhaps psycho-geographically 

-- under the intense glare of sunlight. He then shrugged his shoulders, 

hoping for an ideal situation in which his audience will confront his work 

as a vacuum and allow personal references to be drawn from within. In 

simplest terms, Spots In The Sun is a grotesque, sonic landscape with 

details exaggerated out of proportion and narratives folded upon 

themselves in a magnificent abstraction of electro-acoustics, rarefied 

field recordings, and particulate matter plucked from the ether. 

Shoemaker works in monochrome, shaping his gray tonalities into 

rhizomes of shadow which occasionally erupt in brilliance of hyperrealized 

clarity. While the familiar sounds of encircling birds, turbulent 

weather, and temple bells litter Shoemaker's recordings, the sonic 

topography describes a vulgar and hostile landscape where fits of 

delirium and circadian arrhythmia are common human responses. 

Shoemaker achieves these complex metaphors through labyrinthine 

drones spiraling through irradiated fog and glassine vibrations, 

punctured by the scars of a landscape in perpetual revolt. In many 

ways, Shoemaker's Spots In The Sun could be mistaken for Bernard 

Parmegiani at his most focused or even John Duncan at his most 

gracefully brutal." [press release] 

"....Shoemaker's music is always present, and perhaps a little more raw 

than mentioned counterparts, but that's what I like this release. It moves 

more wildly through various textures from semi-soft to semi-loud in a 

more continuos manner and thus Shoemaker can be lumped in with 

some of the drone crowd than say with his microsound counterparts. In 

the field of drone music his collage techniques may seem odd, but it's 

surely an original voice. A high quality work, with minor and vital 

differences." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* SISTER IODINE - Helle CD (Textile Records TCD12, 2007) 

€ 14.50 

SISTER IODINE gehen neue Wege mit altem Instrumentarium und 

definieren das Wort "weird" neu, ohne gleich in kakophonen Noise 

abzudriften, sind wild & schön zugleich mit ihrer ausufernden Version 

von "No Wave" und Avant-Punk, der vielleicht so klingt wie eine 

Mischung aus MELT-BANANA und D.D.A.A., energetisch und roh. 

"In der ersten Hälfte der Neunziger Jahre terrorisierten die Franzosen 

von SISTER IODINE jeden mit ihrer Kollision aus der rohen Energie 

des No Wave, dem Spiel mit zusammengeschnittenen Tapes, der 

Entdeckung ihrer Instrumente nach den Richtlinien der Musique 

Concrète, ihrer Liebe zum Noise und der wissenschaftlichen 

Herangehensweise von innovativen Bands wie THIS HEAT. Mit den 

deutlichen Einflüssen von SONIC YOUTH und THE EX sammelte das 

Trio mit seinem Geschrei, seinem Sexappeal und ihrem künstlerischen 

Auge Pluspunkte. Zwischen 1992 und 1997 spielten SISTER IODINE 

unter anderem mit FAUST, MELT BANANA, STEREOLAB, CIRCLE X 

oder KRACKHOUSE. Ein neues Album - aufgenommen mit Nicolas 

Vernhes (BLACK DICE, CAT POWER, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE) - steht 

nun in den Startlöchern // French pionner experimental rock band (trio) 

founded in the early 90's, Sister Iodine made themselves known with 2 

albums recorded on the R.I.P french Label Semantic; ADN 115 (1994) 

& Pause (1997), collision between the savage energy of No Wave, the 

game of collage tapes and exploration of their instruments inspired by 

concrete music, their primitive love of Noise, and the scientistic rock 

approach of innovative bands like This Heat. From 1992 to 97 they did 

some outstanding wild and bloody concerts in company of bands like 

Sonic Youth, Faust, Melt Banana, US Mapple, Stereolab, Flaming 

Demonics, The Ex, Keiji Haino, Circle X, Bstard, Krackhouse, Tone 

Rec, Pluramon amongst others... Geographically separated since 1997 

Sister Iodine began to play sporadically for some scattered events like 

some dates w- Sonic Youth french tour 1999, Phonotaktik Festival, 

Vienna, 1998, PS1 Contemporary Art Center NY, 1998, each members 

focused then more on their own new electronic projets (Discom, duos 

w-Tujiko Noriko, Evil Moisture) touring around the world. And still 

running... Back to pure and harsh electricity since 2004 , Sister Iodine 

continue their ufo like road, giving incandescant concerts here and 

there, premisses of the album to come out on Textile records recorded 

at Rare Book Room studio with Nicolas Vernhes ((Black Dice, Cat 

Power, David Grubbs, Animal Collective)." [press release] 

* SKY BURIAL - Spectrehorse CD (Audio Immolation Industries 

[A/I/I/03], 2006) € 12.00 

Das Seitenprojekt von FIRE IN THE HEAD mit einnehmenden doom / 

ritual / noise-drone der visionären Sorte, eine Vermählung von 

Zeitlupenbeats, stechenden Soundschleifen, verstörenden Geräuschen 

& rauhen Gitarrenfeedbackwänden.. 

"....Sky Burial was different. Sky Burial was a sonic revelation and one I 

whole heartily embraced. Sky Burial is, in reality and so far, a dark 

ambient / drone / experimental sound sculpture side project. A world 

apart from FITH. "Spectrehorse" is the first official CD to be released 

and Michael composed the music, and I quote: "using field recordings 

from temples and caves in Laos with additional material from various 

studio sessions between 1996 to the present". Michael has that written 

large on his website so I for one will not question any of those facts. 

The nine tracks sees Michael on fire playing around and manipulating 

sounds into ever increasingly complex patterns within a variety of 

different ways. He inhibits a sort of netherworld of darkest spatial 

ambience... but isn't afraid to introduce a touch of melody, post rock or 

even, gulp, old fashioned noise into the mix to bring these sounds to a 

fitting climax. Whilst the drone purists may baulk at some of the 

extravagances he employs, the rest of us can but admire the fruits of 

his labour. The spectacle of claustrophobic entrapment is never far 

away as he toys and plays around with the senses. There is this 

undeniable feeling of cold isolation that is prevalent and cannot be 

shaken off. An ominous and stark realisation that forms a knot in the 

stomach as the music repeatedly builds in intensity. That isn't to say 

that "Spectrehorse" isn't without its lighter, more serene, moments. 

Even then though you feel this is an illusion and you patiently wait for 

the true evil, that must surely lurk beneath, to be revealed in all its ugly 

glory. I generally hate comparisons to this artist / group or that, although 

I have been guilty of doing this myself in the past, but to say someone 

sounds like someone else is a disservice to all the artists concerned. 

After all Michael, like all artists, didn't deliberately set out to mimic 

someone's style. He created what he's created. The fact it falls within 

certain musical spectrums is neither here nor there and so comparisons 

become invalid and inconsequential. Treat "Spectrehorse" for what it is. 

A glorious, and mostly sonically bleak, exhilarating musical adventure 

that is the other side of the coin to FITH by being far more accessible in 

every respect. I can but hope he continues down this path for many 

years to come...." [Aural Pressure] 

* SLEEP RESEARCH FACILITY - Deep_Frieze CD (Cold Spring 

Records CSR72CD, 2007) € 13.00 

Die seit längerer Zeit beste Veröffentlichung auf Cold Spring für Drone / 

dark ambient-Liebhaber kommt von SLEEP RESEARCH FACILITY; 

mächtige, nachtfarbene Drone- & Synthwälle, eisige Winde, kaum 

erahnbare Harmonien die durch den Äther fliegen; "Deep Frieze" ist ein 

beeindruckenes Machwerk von "icy drone-ambience", mit emotionalem 

Tiefgang ! 

"Ultra deep, glacial Dark Ambient, based around Antarctic co-ordinates. 

The polar regions are awe-inspiring environments of inhospitable 

minimalism, and at the same time there's a beautiful serenity to be 

found in their uncharted bleakness. There's a powerful purity and a 

timelessness to be found there; snow which has lain un-trampled for 

millennia and ice which formed eons ago; mountain ranges and deserts 

and rivers to be found if you look. 'Deep Frieze' is SRF's second album 

for Cold Spring and here deep, resonant, abyss-like drones shine forth 

from icy chasms below." [label info] 

* SONDE - En ondes CD (Oral CD16, 2007) € 15.00 

Weitere Aufnahmen der Montrealer Performance / SoundArt-Gruppe, 

diese stammen aus dem Archiv von 1980-1988, viele field recordings 

und Objekt-Noises, Klänge von Sound-Sculptures, meditativ-konkrete 

Improvisationen... 

"This CD is the second release ever of Sonde, the previous one being 

Sonde en concert edited in 1978 by Music Gallery Editions. This CD is 

thus quite important, bringing to light part of the group's archives. 

Optimized with today's sound tools, all these recordings deal with 

waves of different kinds, sound waves of course but also organic and 

brain waves. The live concert recordings of these pieces, with the 

exception of L'acier bien trempé (électronique), were broadcast by 

CBC-Montreal approximately in 1984 at the request of the producer 

Gilles Poirier, hence another of the meanings of the expression 'en 

ondes'. 'Sonde is a group of Montreal electroacoustic composers and 

performers. Their compositions were generally conceived for live 

performance on original sound sculptures. Through meditative 

improvisation, the group's aim was to produce new music with sounds 

revealed by electroacoustic amplification and transformation. Very 

active from 1976 to 1986, the members of the group included Andrew 

Culver, Charles de Mestral, Pierre Dostie, Chris Howard, Robin Minard, 

Michael O'Neill and Linda Pavelka. Since the beginning, Keith Daniel 

provided Sonde's technical support.'" [Charles de Mestral] 

* SONDE - En concert CD (Oral CD21, 2007) € 15.00 

Unglaubliche Aufnahmen von 1978 von dem Montrealer Kollektiv. Die 

(damals noch analogen Band)-Echos sind kurz, elektronische Hilfen 

unausgereift, Instrumente und Klangobjekte wurden selbst gebaut, aber 

SONDE mühen sich in höchstem Maße ab, um ungewöhnliche und 

niemals vorher gehörte Akusmen & Arrangements zu erschaffen. Das 

Material ist rauh und fordernd, eine Art elektro-akustische 

Improvisationsmusik, wo eine Vielzahl an instrumentalen & elektronisch 

verfremdeten Objektklängen verschmelzen. 

"This CD is the reissue of an LP produced by Music gallery Editions in 

1978. It is (still) dedicated to the composer Mario Bertoncini who was

the band main inspiration at the start for Sonde, a Quebec band active 

from 1976 to 1986. For most of the tracks in this recording the band 

was Andrew Culver, Keith Daniel, Charles de Mestral, Pierre Dostie, 

Chris Howard and Linda Pavelka.' Charles de Mestral (Sonde, 2007). 

The notes on the back of the original cover mentioned: 'Live concert 

improvisations. Some of the pieces are played on new sound sources 

designed and constructed by members of the group. Others use 

traditional sources in a new context. Occasional use of electronic sound 

modification techniques." [label info] 

* SORIAH - Ofrendas de Luz a Los Muertos CD (Beta-Lactam 

Ring Records mt156 / BLACK SERIES NEGRO 33, 2007) [ed. of 

300] € 16.00 

"Black Series 33 - Ed. of 300 numbered and signed copies. Far from 

harvesting sweet airs from organs, Soriah’s “Ofrendas de Luz a Los 

Muertos” hangs heavily in electrified air like a soul gazing down on its 

discarded skin. The fusion of noise technician Power Circus into 

Soriah’s fold slices old bones into a scrimshaw of power electronics. 

This slowly building monstrosity of sound literally shakes foundations, 

leaving a wake of rubble that the dead can easily follow. From ‘neath 

the pulsations echoes up the mournful Tuvan wail of Soriah’s 

disembodied ghost, leading deceased legions into the light of the living. 

Sonically devastating, the crushing beauty of “Offerings” approaches 

operatic quality, that is, if things like MB. Hafler Trio and New 

Blockaders could ever be considered operatic. A useful beacon for the 

dead, but sure to also weave the living into their morbid limbo line in 

search of Soriah’s black sun." [label info] 

* SPIEGEL, LAURIE - Obsolete Systems CD (Electronic Music 

Foundation EMF CD 019, 2001) € 13.00 

Eine der wenigen Veröffentlichungen der Chicagoer Elektronik / 

Experimental-Komponistin, mit Stücken aus den 70er und 80ern, das 

reicht von sehr experimentellen grummelig-klappernden Drones bis hin 

zu TANGERINE DREAM-artigen Synth-Flächen, fantastisch das 

düstere "Voices Within: A Requiem" von 1979... 

"Laurie Spiegel, electronic music pioneer, has worked with cutting-edge 

electronic instruments since the 1970s. She has written software and 

designed systems and she is also a wonderful composer! And the 

music on this CD is so talented, beautiful, and fascinating that it 

becomes a stunning demonstration of how musical and expressive 

technology can be. Spiegel writes: "Each musical instrument, whether 

electronic or not, implies an aesthetic domain and sensibility unique to 

its design. This comprises both its sonic output and the method 

whereby a human being interacts with it to form and control that sonic 

output. With new instrument designs having proliferated almost 

exponentially in recent years, I am pleased to see increasingly 

widespread interest in those historic few which, though now obsolete 

and limited in many ways compared to current technology, succeeded 

aesthetically and musically. These are a few I've personally explored. 

When it was new, each of these music systems, now long obsolete, 

was state of the art, visionary, radically new and so revolutionary that it 

required extended explanations in response to common questions such 

as 'Why would anyone ever want to do that'" This CD will give you 

insights into instruments, knowledge of Laurie Spiegel's work through 

informative and beautifully written liner notes, and lovely music. 

"Swells" (1972), Electrocomp 100 modular analog synthesizer 

"Mines" (1971), Modular analog synthesizer, built by Don Buchla, mid- 

1960s. "Crying Tone" (1975), Electrocomp 100 modular analog 

synthesizer. "A Garden" (1970), Buchla 100 modular analog 

synthesizer with tape delay. "Improvisation on a "Concerto Generator" " 

(1977), Realtime digital audio synthesizer by Hal Alles et al, Bell Labs 

"A Harmonic Algorithm" (1981 version), Apple II computer with 

Mountain Hardware oscillator boards. "Three Modal Pieces" (1983) 

"Immersion" (1983) McLeyvier computer-controlled analog synthesis 

music system "Drums" (1975), GROOVE Hybrid System at Bell Labs 

"Voices Within: A Requiem" (1979), Electrocomp with classic tape 

techniques & Echoplex." [label info] 

* STAHLWERK 9 - Revolution of the Antichrist CD (Steinklang 

sk43, 2007) € 14.50 

"Stahlwerk 9's new Dark/Death Ambient album R.O.T.A. is again more 

quiet and ritual than his recent works. R.O.T.A. can be compared to his 

earlier albums "Oradour" and "1905", but a lot more sacral. deep, 

sumbliminal drummings, heavy organs and bells and ominously 

dronning soundscapes guide you to your private Aramgeddon. a 

blackest soundtrack for the end of the world... the artwork consists of a 

folder in 7"-size, holding 10 large inlays on heavy cardbord. all paintings 

on the folder and the inlays were drawn by the Russian painter 

Alexander Nemkovsky ( http://nemkovsky.info ), who already worked 

with Peter Anderson (Raison d'Etre)." [label info] 

* STARS OF THE LID - And their refinement of the decline do-CD 

(Kranky KRANK100, 2007) € 16.50 

"Fünf Jahre nach „The Tired Sounds Of“ legen Adam Wiltzie und Brian 

McBride nach, und das wie gehabt herrlich entschleunigend. Aus dem 

Leitmotiv „We do like guitars because they can sound not like guitars“ 

ist erneut die Synthese mit klassischer Orchestrierung, deren 

Übersetzung in Flächen und Betitelung mit hinterhältigem Humor 

geworden. Wollte man tatsächlich noch musikalische Referenzen 

suchen, könnte man Eno, die flächigeren Stücke von Badalamenti oder 

Aphex Twins „Selected Ambient Works II“ anführen. Dabei ist „And 

Their Refinement ...“ eigentlich viel mehr die Demonstration, dass 

SOTL längst eine eigene Kategorie sind. So präsent die Drones, so umdie-Ecke 

der Humor (siehe „Dopamine Clouds Over Craven Cottage“, 

benannt nach dem Heimspielort des Fulham FC, wo McBrides 

Namensvetter Fußball spielt; oder auch den Wortdreher „Humecter La 

Mouture“, vermutlich aus „respectez la nature“). Wirkt das zu Beginn 

vergleichsweise fast hektisch und mittels klarer Strukturen erkennbar 

bemüht, das Ambient-Klischee zu unterlaufen, weichen die Setzungen 

spätestens ab der Mitte des Werks auf. Mit dem 17-minütigen 

„December Hunting For Vegetarian Fuckface“ beschließt eines der 

dynamischeren Stücke ein zweistündiges (!) Opus der – wahrscheinlich 

noch immer – langsamsten Band der Welt." [Joachim Henn / Intro] 

"The long awaited new album from Stars of the Lid is finally ready for 

your sonic immersion. Painstakingly recorded, processed and 

assembled over the last five years, SOTL once again deliver a massive 

work filling two compact discs and three vinyl albums, clocking in at 

over two hours. While most albums of this length would be considered 

tedious at best, SOTL are arguably the only contemporary composers 

who can seemingly alter the time-space continuum simply through the 

playback of their organized sound. They take time itself and stretch, 

compress and turn it inside out, altering what would otherwise be an 

arduous test of nerves into an interlude of half awake dreams that ends 

too soon. In this album, SOTL picks up where The Tired Sounds Of... 

left off with an emphasis on melodic development, moving their epic 

soundscapes beyond mere drone and subsequently frustrating all the 

typical ambient cliches associated with their music. Perhaps the best 

references for this current work would be found in the score to the film 

Le Mepris by Georges Delerue, the orchestral works of Zbigniew 

Preisner, or the 1958 CSO/ Fritz Reiner recording of Hovhaness' 

Mysterious Mountain, specifically the third movement. But in the final 

analysis, such comparisons are superfluous at best, as Stars of the Lid 

have created a musical universe in which they are the sole inhabitant. 

Simply put, this album is a masterpiece." [label info] 

"...The Stars' sound has obviously become much more clear and well 

defined, polished even, but everything we loved about Nitrous Oxide 

is still present, albeit in slightly altered form. The Stars' were 

always about swells, ebb and flow, melodies and compositions played 

out over expansive stretches of oceanic shimmer, and that at least 

hasn't changed on And Their Refinement Of The Decline. Notes aren't 

just played, they begin as tiny sparkles, little distant glimmers, 

and gradually grow into thick rich whirs, or massive rumbles, before 

just as quickly fading away again. Oceanic is definitely an apt 

descriptor, as the music here, as on the more recent records, does 

have that feel, like some epic dimly lit sonic sea swirling and 

churning, sometime tranquil and barely moving, other times heaving 

and tumultuous. It's the sound of a new dawn, an impending storm, or 

the birth of a galaxy, it's so completely epic while at the same time 

managing somehow to be pastoral and contemplative and breathtakingly 

beautiful. 

In the early days it was just 2 guitars and a four track, and 

the sound reflected that, much more gritty and fuzzy, the mood a lot 

darker, evoking the desert, the starry sky, a druggy dreamy 

innerspace of muted minimal shimmer. As the band grew, and added 

instruments, more players, recorded in real studios, the sound 

changed dramatically, and suddenly, instead of some indie bedroom 

project, the Stars were crafting pieces that could stand alongside 

any modern classical piece, while remaining dreamy and drone-y enough to 

tickle the ears of indie dronesters worldwide. Which is probably the most 

fascinating part of the Stars' sound. They were making music equally as 

expansive and epic and gorgeous 10 years ago, but those sounds were 

limited by the technology, by the band's meager recording set up. And only 

now it seems that the band is able to fully realize the sound they have been 

hearing, and essentially creating, all along. There are guitars here and 

there, it is after all still the 

root of their sound, but they seem to be overshadowed by the other 

instruments (although it is often difficult to pinpoint the instrument creating 

many of the sounds), heavy on the strings, three violincelles and a harp, as 

well as a surprising arsenal of horns, two trumpets, flugelhorn and clarinet, 

AND a children's choir!! But it's not just the players or the instruments, but 

how they interact and the music they create, and here the results are divine. 

Many of the tracks do sound like bits of modern classical stretched out into 

languorous stretches of muted drone and subtle shimmer, like watching 

the planets from outer space, observing the epic drifts of solar 

systems and an infinity of cosmic interactions, but others definitely 

reference more earthly sonic treasures, "Apreludes (In C Sharp

Major)" has some serious Morricone going on, and "Don't Bother 

They're Here" references Scott Tuma's washed out guitar work in 

Souled American. But whatever subtle flavor is introduced into each 

track, the sound is definitely and distinctly Stars Of The Lid. Their 

shift to double disc releases also seems to suit them, allowing their 

slow burning soft swell compositions plenty of time to sprawl and 

spread and evolve into epic and soul stirring soundscapes. But even 

two discs is not nearly enough as far as we're concerned, so everyone 

buy this one, so next time, these guys can release a four disc set, 

or a ten disc set or a twenty disc set..." [Aquarius Records] 

* STEEL HOOK PROSTHESES - Light reflected from a cold cutting 

table CD (Pain Compliance Productions PCP-002, 2007) € 13.00 

Kraftvoller harsh-drone Industrial, flächig & elektronisch, kalt & klinisch. 

Derangierte Stimmen & mächtige Rausch-Wolken & -pulses die voller 

Elektrizität scheinen bestimmen das düster-atmosphärische Bild; das 

ganze ist spannungsgeladen und gut arrangiert. TIP für Freund des 

klaustrophobischen Industrials. Projekt aus Texas. 

"11 cuts of cold, clinical electronics, influenced by medical phobia and 

fetish, and the frailty of the human condition. From catatonic ambience 

to surgically sharp power electronics, "Light Reflected…” is the 

soundtrack to your next desperate stay in the infirmary! With releases 

already on L-White Records, PACrec and NCC, this Texan powerelectronics 

project will conquer the world!! Mastered by T. Garrison 

(Control) with artwork by S. Candey (Gruntsplatter)." [Cold Spring 


* STIMBOX - Between Eugene and Victoria CD (L.White Records 

LW-038, 2005) [ed. 300] € 13.50 

"new album of these american cult noise artist from San Francisco / 13 

merciless harsh electronic noise tracks with a touch of true crime 

electronics / listen what sounds noise created" [label info] 

* SUNROOF! - Spitting Gold Zebras CD (Bottrop-Boy B-BOY 

027, 2007) [lim. 250] € 13.00 

"Sunroof! have done it again. Music steeped in clattering noise and 

rumbling drones prevail once more. The work of English sonic pioneer 

Matthew Bower remains unequalled. Meditative drones bathed in 

sunshine are swiftly exchanged with bursting volleys of noise. Sunroof! 

specialises in transparent, breathtaking concoctions of sound with some 

unexpected insights. Keyboards, guitars and electronics are submerged 

in Bower’s transcendental whirlpool and the listener will want to dive in 

from the outset. Matthew Bower has a vision. He does not see sound as 

confrontation or provocation, but rather as a passage to another 

dimension. Under the name Sunroof! Bower paints layer upon layer of 

sound, subtle in their sublime and jubilant in their pure ecstasy, the 

resulting picture a peerless panorama – a tableau where light touches 

of water colour are mixed with dark smudges, black as coal. Spitting 

Gold Zebras is Sunroof!’s latest update on its state of affairs. Bower 

gets heroic support from guitarists Marc Orleans (Sunburned Hand Of 

The Man) and Mick Flower (Vibracathedral Orchestra) and violinist C. 

Spencer Yeh (Burning Star Core). Like the true shaman that he is, 

Bower reroutes and transforms all incoming sounds. Sunroof!’s 

renewed interest in unbridled, screeching noise is immediately evident. 

These clamorous visions of sound previously featured unrestrained in 

Bower’s work on records with bands such as Hototogisu and the 

resurrected Skullflower. The uncompromising end of Spitting Gold 

Zebras is an ‘ourobouros’ of annihilating noise; a hungry snake, 

continually gnawing at its tail which eventually swallows all of the 

surrounding sounds. Again, Sunroof! challenges the faithful, who are 

left staring in the sun, ascending higher and higher towards Bower’s 

golden sound at the end of the rainbow. 'Spitting Cold Zebras' is packed 

in beautiful new 'envelope' packaging designed and handprinted by 

Jason Dodge & Christine Roland." [label info] 

* SUTCLIFFE JUGEND - This is the Truth CD (Groundfault Rec. / 

Hospital Prod. GF/HOS-166, 2006) € 13.00 

"Ground Fault Recordings and Hospital Producitons would like to 

announce the upcoming release of 'This Is The Truth', the first Sutcliffe 

Jugend studio album in eight years. 'This Is The Truth' quite possibly 

stands as one of the most original and perfectly balanced noise 

compositions of the last 10 years. It references and uses classic 

Sutcliffe Jugend of old while bringing in an entirely unique and fresh 

element one does not hear in noise. This album is a brilliant blend of 

foreboding tension, and anxiety while using the most lively, disturbing, 

and textual elements of noise. All of which are brought together with the 

phenomenal detail and balance of an accomplished electronic 

composer. Songs that you think will explode leave you hanging with 

tension, while others erupt with violence out of nowhere. It's an 

absolutely brilliant album that was worth the wait." [label info] 

"...Every track here seems to hold context within the larger structure of 

things and has it's own unique qualities which makes the album 

extremely memorable, and an engaging listening experience. The 

vocals are simple, stripped down, and the content consists of hateful 

mantras, explosive outbursts against religion and stupidity. To anyone 

who enjoys power electronics I say this is a definite must have." 

[Xdementia] 

* SWANS - Soundtracks for the Blind CD (Young God Records 

YG001, 1997) € 14.50 

"Michael Gira has always been good at establishing finality. Each 

successive Swans release would have made a spectacular tombstone 

or constituted an epitaph for which other groups would have killed. 

Soundtracks for the Blind is no exception to the rule, but this time 

around even by his own high standards and compared to his low-end 

excursions of yore, Gira has exceeded himself. As dramatic excursions 

go, Soundtracks equals the best. 

Running over two CDs and two-and-a-half-hours, this would be a 

grueling enough listen even without the bejeweled brilliance of the ten 

actual songs nestled among the found-soundscapes, ambient 

decompositions and twisted electronic noises that constitute the album's 

remaining sixteen fragments. What is hard to convey in print however, 

is the flow of the album as a whole, the manner in which a vocal track 

alternates with an instrumental, the carefully crafted ordering which, 

ultimately, does so much to gloriously disorient the listener. 

Soundtracks' sheer length and immensity are its own best explanation. 

At least a dozen other groups have essayed similar ventures in recent 

years: Total, Final and Ice's isolationism; the Cold Meat Industry roster's 

dark industrial ambience; Merzbow and other Japanese artists' harsh 

noise... But these artists' collective resonance and weight don't 

compare; their 60-minute limited-edition, two-track CDs seem 

insignificant next to this. Rather, it's more accurate to compare the 

Swans and Soundtracks for the Blind to the legacy of the Velvet 

Underground as they should have been, and not as they were 

bowdlerized by the Jesus and Mary Chain; to the drone language 

developed by La Monte Young that was such an influence on the 

Velvets; to "Venus in Furs" and John Cale's Music for a New Society. 

Soundtracks is the perfect wake for a band whose impact on music has 

yet to be calculated: Swans' out-and-out noise may have now receded 

into quietude and somnolent landscapes, but this monster of an album 

will leave ripples pulsing out for many years to come. 

[Nick Terry, Alternative Press, 1997] 

* SWANS - Children of God / World of Skin do-CD (Young God 


Wiederveröffentlichung des "Children of God" - Albums von 1987, als 

SWANS von ihrem Brachial-Sound Abschied nahmen und zu einer 

ganz eigenen Version von ätherisch-monumentalen "Pop" fanden, 

dazu die erste WORLD OF SKIN LP von 1988 (Jarboe & Michael Gira- 

Projekt). 

"Over 145 minutes of scary and beautiful music. Two crucial 

breakthrough records from Swans' mid- to late-'80s period back in print. 

Consistently sought after by an ever-replenishing fanbase seeking out 

the roots of Gira's Angels of Light work, related projects, Young God 

Records, and past collaborator Jarboe." [label info] 

* SWANS - Filth / Body to Body, Job to Job do-CD (Young God 


"Another exciting piece of history from one of The Big Apple's meanest, 

creepiest, most uncompromising bands ever. As with the Various 

Failures triumph, Filth/Body to Body, Job to Job collects material from 

one of the band's golden eras, a time when bands like Swans and their 

contemporaries such as Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth could barely 

get library cards, let alone featured on the covers of magazines to which 

they are accustomed today. Disc number one reissues Swans' classic 

1983 crawl, recorded by M.Gira, Norman Westberg, Roli Mosimann, 

Harry Crosby, and Jonathan Kane and features previously unreleased 

tracks, all recorded live at the Kitchen. Disc number two reissues studio 

out-takes and live recordings from 1982-85, with a previously 

unreleased nine-minute version of 'Raping a Slave,' recorded live in 

Berlin, 1984." [label info] 

* SWANS - Feel good now CD (Atavistic ALP135, 2002) € 15.00 

"Feel Good Now", die lange nicht mehr zu bekommende Doppel-LP 

Dokumentation der 1987er Europatour zum von den Kritikern heißgeliebten 

Album "Children Of God" ist jetzt wieder bei Cargo erhältlich. 

Mit dem vor Kraft nur so strotzenden Lineup Michael Gira, Jarboe, 

Norman Westberg, Algis Kyzis & Ted Parsons, fängt "Feel Good Now" 

die SWANS live auf einem Höhepunkt ihrer glanzvollen Karriere ein, 

dessen Songs gleichzeitig heftig und zerbrechlich sind. Die SWANS 

waren eine der kreativsten amerikanischen Bands der letzten 20 Jahre. 

Der Young God Records Backkatalog der SWANS Re-Issues ist 

einfach ein Muß und zeichnet den Weg der legendären Karriere der 

SWANS nach." [Cargo] 

"A reissue of the long-out-of-print double-LP document of SWANS 

triumphant 1987 European tour in support of their Children Of God

album. Ten powerfully heavy and delicately fragile tracks featuring the 

lineup of MICHAEL GIRA, JARBOE, NORMAN WESTBERG, ALGIS 

KYZIS, and TED PARSONS." [press release] 

* SWANS - Various Failures 1988-1992 do-CD (Young God 


"This 2CD set collects the best of material previously released on their 

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" twelve inch (1988), "The Burning World" 

album and its various singles (1989), the World of Skin album "10 

Songs For Another World" (1990), "White Light From the Mouth of 

Infinity" (1990/1), and the "Love of Life" album and its various singles 

(1992). All these items are out of print, and this double CD set is among 

the most sought-after releases in the Swans' ongoing series of 

reissues/compilations." [label info] 

* SWANS - The Great Annihilator CD (Young God Records 

YG018, 2002) € 14.50 

"Their twelfth album, The Great Annihilator, is a majestic symphony of 

haunting melodies and shifting moods. Spirituality -- or rather the 

absence of it -- provides the linking motif. With a kinetic, industrial 

goose step, 'She Lives' plays with chanted images of madness and 

martyrdom, while the jagged coda of 'Celebrity Lifestyle' lays the 

groundwork for a cutting look at material dreams. 'Warm' forms the 

album's thematic center, overflowing with ethereal vocal loops and 

drums that patter like raindrops across the lyrical landscape. On 

'Mother/Father' and the mantric 'My Buried Child,' vocalist Jarboe 

outdoes herself with a spectrum of darkly distinctive voices. Taken on 

its own, this album is a vivid example of how to combine the dissonant 

with the dulcet while retaining a dangerous edge. Viewed in the context 

of the Swans' 12-year journey from audio pornography to majestic 

romanticism, The Great Annihilator serves as an epic apotheosis." 

[label info] 

* TARAB - Wind keeps even dust away CD (23five Inc. 010, 

2007) € 13.00 

TARAB nennt sich das Projekt eines australischen field-recording- 

Composers, der hier mit wunderschöner Geräuschmusik (52 Min. 

Spielzeit) verzaubert. Seine 5 Stücke sind langgezogen und rauschig, 

erdig, sandig, aber auch ätherisch-windig... er benutzt Sounds von 

Wind & Ozean, röhrenden Objekten, Glas, Maschinen.. 

und arbeitet dabei nicht mit Unmengen von Hall, sondern ist ganz 

konkret und nah dran am Material.. es gibt so viel zu entdecken in 

diesen Klangwelten, wie eine einzige übernatürliche AUDITION. 

Für Freunde von TOY BIZARRE, JGRZINICH, SETH NEHIL, LOPEZ 

ERIC LA CASA, .. aber auch für jeden Musik-entdeckungsfreudigen 

Menschen überhaupt, denn diese Musik ist absolut zeitlos & tief 

verwurzelt, ohne Kitsch & Pathos! TIP !! 

"Eamon Sprod (aka Tarab) professes a romantic attachment to the 

notion that the world is falling apart, a terminal process only enhanced 

by the intrinsic obsolescence from the output of consumer culture. Yet, 

this Australian sound artist is not one to wallow in the nihilism of such 

poetics, rather he counterpoints these thoughts with the allegorical 

implications of his nom de plume. Tarab is an Arabic word that doesn't 

readily translate into English, but it might be best defined as the ecstatic 

surrender one can experience when listening to music. Through 

installation, performance, and composition, Sprod reinterprets the 

physical detritus of the landscape within a hypothetical topography 

where dirt, soot, and smog emerge as privileged materials, in to which 

he has grafted the potential for a transcendent response. Field 

recordings are fundamental to this creative process, bolstered by 

sympathetic sounds activated by Sprod's own hands rummaging 

through crumbling leaves, rusted bits of metal, broken concrete, and 

shattered glass, just to name some of the more obvious sources. Wind 

Keeps Even Dust Away is only the second documentation of Sprod's 

compositions; yet, it is an accomplished work on par with the best of 

contemporary sound ecologists (e.g. Chris Watson, Eric La Casa, 

Toshiya Tsunoda, etc.). On this album, Sprod presents an intertwining 

series of compacted collages that tease aquatic references from 

abandoned and overlooked sites of the arid Australian landscape. Every 

sound of a pipe gurgling with water is but a mirage of sand, rust, and 

dirt cleverly tricking the audience's collective ear. With its subtle 

transitions and evolving sound structures, Wind Keeps Even Dust Away 

figures into the models of psycho-geographical wandering, as Sprod 

explores sets of roughly cut textures, resonant frequencies, and 

atmospheric vibrations that are intrinsic to an imagined space and then 

shifts into another with its particular idiosyncrasies. While the ecstasy 

that the word tarab implies may not be an immediate reaction to this 

album, wonder and discovery certainly are as experienced through this 

exemplary album of re-engineered sonic dislocation." [label description] 

* TARENTEL - Paper White maxi-CD (Temporary Residence 

TRR76, 2005) € 9.00 

4-track EP mit über 24 Minuten Spielzeit, aus der gleichen Session aus 

der auch das 2004er Album "We move through Weather" stammt; 

Markenzeichen ist hier die grosse Dynamik der Stücke, von nach vorne 

preschender Perkussion bis hin zu ganz ruhigen Drone-Feldern, die mit 

Pianotunes getränkt sind.. 

"If last year's breakthrough album We Move Through Weather was 

Tarentel's high water mark, then these two companion EPs could be 

interpreted as the rise and fall of that flood. The same recording 

sessions are responsible for all three releases: Paper White represents 

the beginning, We Move Through Weather is the inspired centerpiece, 

and the 43-minute Big Black Square signals the smoky ending. Played 

in succession, the three releases chart Tarentel's journey from dynamic, 

guitar-driven instrumentalists to perpetually curious treasure hunters of 

the mysterious sounds that most of us take for granted. If this were the 

end of Tarentel's story, they would have enough riches to last a lifetime. 

Eight years into their career, however, it seems they've only just 

begun." [label info] 

* TARENTEL - Big Black Square maxi-CD (Temporary 

Residence TRR77, 2005) € 9.00 

Longplay-maxi-EP (43+ min) mit einem one-tracker der alles enthält 

was TARENTEL so besonders macht: geisterhafte Drone-Ambience- 

Felder, field recording-backtapes, kraftvolle Perkussion, röhrende 

Bässe, spannungsreicher Aufbau... 

"The second of two companion pieces to the We Move Through Water 

album from sweeping psych/sound explorers TARENTEL. Where Paper 

White represented the beginning of the flood that the We Move Through 

Water album set up, Big Black Square ebbs back out with one fortythree-minute 

extended journey." [label info] 

* TARENTEL - Ghetto Beats on the Surface of Time do-CD 

(Temporary Residence TRR102, 2007) € 16.50 

CD-Version der grossartigen 12"-Reihe (4 Teile) ! 

"....Originally released as a limited edition series of vinyl albums, Ghetto 

Beats is collected here onto two CDs -- a full two and a half hours of 

music. It is a sun-baked cluster of ragged rhythms, splintered sound 

and scorched shimmer. The production is a caustic mix of hi- and lo-fi, 

creating a strange sense of timelessness, like discovering a black and 

white photograph of the future. Available in a numbered, limited edition 

quadruple gatefold jacket, Ghetto Beats On The Surface Of The Sun is 

a widescreen projection of unspeakable charm and unlikely beauty." 

[label info] 

"We listed the individual vinyl installments of Tarentel's 

Ghetto Beats On The Surface Of The Sun a while back (all now out of 

print so don't order!), each one a mind blowing blast of druggy, 

psychedelic free form rhythmic bliss out, and each one could well 

have been an AQ record of the week. But good thing we held off, cuz 

here we are a year or so later, and all four slabs of wax have been 

digitized and compiled as a massive double cd set, and needless to 

say, four -possible- records of the week, all piled on top of one 

another, can only mean one thing! Well, yeah, obviously, this 

absolutely had to be a record of the week. Quite possibly (and very 

probably) the best music we've heard from these guys, which is saying 

a lot considering how much we dig most everything Tarentel does... 

When we first heard the title of Tarentel's 2cd (formerly FOUR 

lp) set, Ghetto Beats On The Surface Of The Sun, we were pretty sure 

they were being ironic, or facetious, or something, and there would 

be no beats, ghetto or otherwise, to be found anywhere, just their 

usual gorgeously slow shifting epic postrock soundscapes. But 

actually, Ghetto Beats IS all about the beats, not sure if they're 

'ghetto' or not, but they sure are dense and funky and weirdly 

rhythmic, from blissed out shuffling skitter to super propulsive 

krautrocky pound, these discs are definitely a whole new side of 

Tarentel. A much more raw and ragged, caustic and groove based 

beast. 

It almost sounds like Tarentel covering This Heat, or a krautrock No 

Neck Blues Band, or maybe even Tussle via This Heat with a bit of 23 

Skidoo thrown in for good measure. 

While the framework of most of these songs is some dense web 

of percussive clatter or some sort-of-funky drum jam, these 

gorgeously hypnotic skeletal rhythms are surrounded on all sides by 

thick swaths of crumbling ambience, disembodied guitar loops and 

rumbling bass, thick swells of warm whir and all sorts of other 

random dreamlike shimmer. Often building into seriously caustic 

squalls, big churning white hot sonic swirls, each wrapped around 

beats that seem on the edge of falling apart, or splintering into 

rhythmic fragments. Maybe that's the ghetto angle, the beats are 

super lo-fi, blown out, strangely recorded, so they sound sort of 

alien, with lots of strange FX and stuttering stumbling variations. 

So fucking awesome. 

We originally reviewed Ghetto Beats one lp at a time, and 

while they do work perfectly as one epic cohesive chunk of sound, 

they still sort of play out like the separate movements they started

out as... The first movement (lp #1) is six tracks, a little over a half 

an hour, a dense assemblage of abstract rhythms and brooding, 

swirling psychedelia, heavy on the This Heat worship, beats stretched 

out over huge expanses of industrial whir and jagged angular guitars, 

very loping and hypnotic, brooding and drone-y, mysterious tribal 

rituals stretched out into epic spaced out, abstract rhythmic jams. 

Part two (lp #2) is 4 tracks, 40 minutes, two epic jams, both 

16+ minutes, separated by two shorter tracks. The opener starts with 

an endlessly hypnotic, near metal drum jam, over which guitars and 

sound makers creak and keen, a crystalline web of high end sonics 

over a swirling tribal rhythm. It could seemingly go on forever, and 

it sort of does, but near the end it dissipates into a dark spacious 

soundscape of distant clatter and thick rumbling buzz. After a one 

minute rhythmic experiment, all freaked out psych rock effects and 

super distorted drum sputter, the second lengthy jam kicks in, and 

it's definitely the most mellow and blissed out track so far, some 

muted free jazz skitter, over a slow burning expanse of chiming 

guitars and smears of abstract melody all stretched into a near 

static glacial groove. So nice. As if that weren't enough, the last 5 

minutes is some of that fuzzy crumbling blurry ambience we can never 

seem to get enough of. Soft focus and indistinct, shimmering guitars 

wrapped in thick crumbling guitars and a glistening sonic glow, like 

Tim Hecker, Fennesz, and that sort of thing, a gorgeous late night 

coda of dreamy drone-y bliss. 

For part three (originally the third lp), the group start out 

by moving even further out into space (rock) on the ten minute 

"Stellar Envelope", blown out crumbling sheets of distorted psych 

guitar and dizzying FX wrapped around propulsive tribal beats, 

feedback everywhere, it almost sounds like Hawkwind with all the 

structure sucked out, leaving a huge swirling mass of psychedelic 

tribal ambience, while managing to still rock somehow. The rest of 

volume three area gorgeously obfuscated drift through a sonic 

landscape at once rough and lo-fi and blissfully lush, strange 

industrial clatter and clang is muted and smeared into mumbly 

ambience, guitars are looped into hypnotic stretches of throbbing 

drone, bits of dreamlike melody, simple spacious piano, are wreathed 

in fuzz and warped into gorgeous slabs of pop ambient fuzz, the whole 

thing is surprisingly tranquil and shimmery, especially after that 

opening salvo, and the dense rhythmic intensity of the first two 

movements, but within the context of Tarentel's seriously epic Ghetto 

Beat symphony, it couldn't sound more perfect. 

The final movement (the 4th and last lp in the series) offers 

up Ghetto Beats' heaviest moment in the form of "Somebody Fucks 

With Everybody", a sidelong doom dirge blow out, referencing everyone 

from SUNNO))) to Growing to Nadja, a thick glacial swirl of downtuned 

guitars, wreathed in effulgent streaks of damaged outerspace FX and 

psychrock solar flares, all underpinned by Neurosis style tribal 

rhythms, constantly sounding as if any second the song will kick into 

the heaviest riff of all time, but instead, it stretches on and on, 

building and building, some sort of cosmic lo-fi krautrock ambience, 

massive and heavy, but strangely dreamy and blissful. 

The rest of Ghetto Beats pretty much eschews the titular beats 

entirely, instead offering up several brief ambient drifts, the far 

away foresty folk hovering above slow moving slabs of glacial low end 

of "Where Time Forgot", the ultra brief scrape and shuffle of 

"Isalais Delay", the murky disembodied post rock of "You Do This. 

I'll Do That", a strange landscape of fuzzy melodies and indistinct 

song fragments, all woven into some sort of soft focus fever dream, 

and finally, "Lake Light", a two minute outro, the glorious final 

flurry of sound in this epic sonic travelogue spread out over 2cds, a 

gorgeously hopeful, sparkling glistening drift of shimmery harmonics, 

and misty minor key flutter... 

Like we mentioned before, we've loved everything Tarentel has 

done in the past, but this is by far our favorite, and how could it 

not be after drifting dreamily through two plus glorious hours of 

Ghetto Beats, immersing ourselves in a dreamy, druggy, murky world 

of drifting space drones and propulsive beats, of fuzzed out shimmer 

and barely there ambience... So amazing! 

Packaged in a super striking, full color, eight panel fold out 

sleeve, limited to 3000 copies, each with a numbered metallic sticker 

affixed to the front." [Aquarius Records] 

* TARKATAK - Mormor CD-Box (Genesungswerk GW23, 2007) 

[lim. 300 in handpainted box] € 14.00 

"Tarkataks MORMOR schafft es mit einer bezaubernden Leichtigkeit, 

unser Hören in Bewegung zu versetzen. Wir finden uns am Ende der 

Nacht auf einem Floß, in einem Gewässer aus Klang, soweit das Hören 

reicht. Akustische Räume öffnen sich, und bieten behutsam 

bearbeiteten Klängen zuvorkommend ihren Platz an. Melodien singen 

von ihrem eigenen Entstehen und Vergehen. Statischer Dunst verhüllt 

die nahe Dämmerung, bis in der Ferne mechanische Oszillationen von 

einem Ufer und frühen Vögeln künden. Klippen unter der Oberfläche 

erzeugen schimmernde Interferenzen. Der Ort ist erfüllt von einem 

fernen Echo letzter Hausmusik, und verstörte Endlosschleifen erzählen 

in fremden Sprachen von einer unmöglichen Insel, auf der Menschen 

und Maschinen einen gemeinsamen Rhythmus finden. Versöhnt 

besteigen wir wieder unser Floß - und lassen uns von MORMOR auf 

erhabenen Wellen zum fliehenden Horizont tragen." [label info] 

"...Tarkatak's music is still highly atmospheric, but much more sparse 

these days. Each of the four long pieces is built around just a few loops, 

which Tarkatak plays around with, changing the color of them, getting 

them out of sync and back in sync again, and such like, and creates a 

wonderful textured sound. There are times when 'Mormor' reminded me 

of Taylor Deupree, but then a bit more dark, but it has the same relaxed 

feeling to it. But there is also the featuring of rhythm, which is also an 

entirely aspect, certainly when it comes down to stripped down techno 

rhythms. Quite a break with the past, I think and quite a step forward. 

Including is a film for one of the tracks, which depicts the sea and the 

sand, along with a lonely man - the sort of film you'd expect with this 

lonesome music. Great CD, and hopefully bringing him some more 

recognition" [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* TAZARTES, GHEDALIA - Check Point Charlie 2005 CD (Gazul 

Records GA8684.AR, 2006) € 16.00 

Wiederveröffentlichung der vergriffenen CD von 1990 ! 

"Ghédalia Tazartes' music comes from everywhere and nowhere. He 

takes noises, sounds, melodies, chants, whispers, shouts and cries 

from sources all over the planet and uses them as raw material to 

construct his own sonic world. A collage and a patchwork at once, but 

with an impressive coherence and homogeneity. Born in Paris in 1947, 

Ghédalia Tazartes started singing when he was 12 years old, soon after 

his grand-mother died, alone and just for himself, in the Bois de 

Vincennes (A Parisian forest). After a number of trips and experiences, 

he started to create his impromuzician's artistic language and began a 

professional career in dance, theatre, cinema, while still giving some 

occasional concerts and publishing a few albums. 'Check Point Charlie', 

issued in 1990, was his latest and much-awaited reissue. Now reviewed 

and amplified by its author, the cd is published on the Gazul label, as 

part of the Zut-O-Pistes collection. Its power to retain some bits and 

pieces of a perpetually escaping reality through the stories, the places 

and the links that unfold, makes it a masterpiece among the works of 

Ghédalia Tazartes, a man who sings to be sung by the world in order to 

reach a full existence..." [label info] 

* TAZARTES, GHEDALIA - Jeanne CD (Vand'Oeuvre 0732, 2007) 

€ 12.00 

NEW material created for a theaterplay of the same name!! 

"Recreating the idioms of some ethnic musics, Ghédalia Tazartès 

invents himself an imaginary world which seems to be inspired by 

differents forgotten traditions. Musician, genious handyman, singer to 

the improbable accents, Ghédalia Tazartès pours a flood of sounds and 

atmospheres, voices and strange melodies, weaving the screen of an 

hallucinatory soundtrack which accounts for the universe of the show 

'Jeanne' (Co Pardès rimonim) for which it carried out the majority of 

those compositions. Artist out of time, Ghédalia Tazartès shared 

incredible collaborations in particular with Alain Gigout, Michel Chion, 

Philippe Adrien or François Verret." [credit notes] 

* TEGIN, ALEXEY - Gyer. Sacred Tibetan Music of Bon Tradition 

CD (Monotone OM01, 2002) € 13.50 

Eine sehr eigenständige Umsetzung von tibetischer Ritualmusik nimmt 

hier der Russe ALEXEY TEGIN vor, wenn er die Vokaltechniken & 

Instrumente (Bläser, Gongs, Schellen) der (prä)-buddhistischen 

Mönche einsetzt. Dunkle, gutturale Choräle & Obertongesänge, dumpfe 

Perkussionsschläge, Gongs, dumpf-röhrende Bläser, und immer wieder 

der tiefe und durchdringende Gesang. Dunkel & beschwörende "nichtelektronische" 

Ritualmusik at its best! Tip für "archaic drone"-Fans! 

"Alexey Tegin is making the sacred ritual of Tibetan pre-Buddhist Bon 

tradition, yet this is far darker than everything you could find in the 

ethnic/traditional department of the music shop, with its frightening 

throat singing and shivering Tibetan bells." [label info] 

* TELEPHERIQUE - Slowmotion CD (Force of Nature fon08, 

2007) € 14.00 

"Telepherique, one of Germany's most recognizable names, 

has returned with another masterpiece. After almost one-hundred 

releases over the last eightteen year on many respected labels like 

Ant-Zen, MSBR and Old Euroupa Cafe, Force of Nature is honored to 

present 'Slowmotion'. Telepherique's new album 'Slowmotion' is not the 

first album in which a critical view on society is presented to the listener. 

For example with the project Telerotor they released 'Modern Times' 

and 'Mobility', two highly conceptual albums with a vision on the hasty 

life and connectivity in modern times. But in contradiction with their 

earlier social conscious albums, 'Slowmotion' has a ritualistic ambient 

flow which enforces the listener to take it a step down; To see and live 

things in 'Slowmotion'. It is well said on the inlay: "This CD is dedicated

to all the people who try to simplify their life in modern times, marked 

with materialism, business, stress and sickness". The eight tracks have 

notitles but they are divided into three 'steps', being "Out of balance", 

"Down shifting" and "Fountain of flow". The whole results in a ritualistic, 

flowing album with moments of rhythm, ambience and complex 

soundscapes." [label info] 

"...but it is safe to say that 'Slowmotion' is well chosen title: the music is 

mostly ambient in approach, with long washes of synths, but it's never 

the big A ambient. Telepherique also uses rhythm, a lot of it, but it's a 

slow pulse, whenever it is used. Not exactly dance music, but a sort of 

driving pulse, a heart beat if you want, or the steady bump of a train 

ride. You watch outside and the landscape slowly changes, with altering 

colors and sceneries. The rhythms have a sense of tribalism, which is 

not far away from some of the mechanical beats of Muslimgauze. 

Excellent production of music that is best heard when traveling. Leave 

what you are doing behind and start a journey with this as its 

soundtrack." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* THIGHPAULSANDRA - The Lepore Extrusion CD (Brainwashed 

handmade series HAND003, 2006) € 14.00 

Nice one-tracker with mysterious drone-tunnels, pure electronic highpitched 

humming, trembling & strange ramifications all over the place. 

"THIGHPAULSANDRA’s newest release is the score to an interactive 

video installation by New York-based visual artist DANIEL McKERNAN 

titled Is “Evolution Evil,” which featured the world’s # 1 transsexual 

AMANDA LEPORE. The music is three movements mixed by 

Thighpaulsandra into one long piece which is just as eerie and 

precocious a superstar as Lepore is. Enhanced CD features a video of 

the exhibition with narrative by McKernan. Packaged in letterpressed 

sleeves in an edition of 500." [label info] 

* THIS EMPTY FLOW - The album do-CD (Eibon Records TEF058, 

2006) € 16.00 

Finnische dark wave / electronic-Band mit NIKO SKORPIO (jetzt SOME 

PLACE ELSE-Label und HAERETICI 7074 mit OVRO), die von 1994 

bis 1997 existierten und ein Album namens "Magenta Skycode" auf 

Avantgarde Music (1996) veröffentlichten, welches hier zusammen mit 

11 Bonus-tracks nochmal neu rauskommt. Zu finden sind hier 

hochmelodische, aber stets sehr traurig-melancholische Stücke mit 

Metal-, Wave- und Elektronik-Einflüssen, irgendwo zwischen THE 

CURE und TWICE A MAN vielleicht... sehr hörenswert für 80er Wave- 

Afficionados! 

"Good music never grows old...... In 1996, THIS EMPTY FLOW gave 

birth to the amazing "Magenta skycode". Now, exactly 10 years after its 

original publishing, we're proud to re-present that outstanding cd, in a 

heavily remastered edition. And with an additional cd of rare tracks, 

studio-outtakes, rehearsal tracks, lost songs and other lovely goodies. 

Your chance to discover one of the most criminally under-estimated 

bands ever. Formerly known as THERGOTHON, the finnish musicians 

evolved into an almost unbelievable mixture of Slowdive, Pink Floyd & 

Cocteau Twins, however with a strong personal touch that makes them 

recognizable at first sight...... Sad, slow, melancholic. In other words, 

GREAT music. This repressing comes with redesigned graphics, 

printed on rough paper." [label info] 

* THIS HEAT - Health & Efficiency maxi-CD (ReR Megacorp 

THIS IS 3, 2006) € 9.50 

CD Re-issue of the genius 12" from 1980, re-mastered ! 

"1980 veröffentlichten This Heat die hier besprochene 12"-EP (oder 

Maxi-Single), die 1998 von These Records als Mini-CD wiederaufgelegt 

wurde. Gleichzeitig erschien das Material zusammen mit den Stücken 

von "Repeat" auf einer Doppel-LP (mit dem Titel "Health & Efficiency / 

Repeat"). "Graphic/Varispeed" ist zudem auch auf der "Repeat"-CD zu 

finden. 

Zwei sehr unterschiedliche Stücke haben This Heat hier auf die beiden 

Seiten der EP pressen lassen. Das Titelstück stellt ein Destillat der 

Musik der drei Engländer dar, eine energiegeladene Zusammenfassung 

ihrer musikalischen Ideen in 8 Minuten, ein dichtes und spannendes 

Konglomerat aus schrägem Song, Tonbandeffekten, RIO-Krach, 

Schlagzeug-Freakouts, quasiindustriellen Klängen, wavigem Rock, 

Canterbury-Rudimenten und nervösem Tonschweben. "Health & 

Efficiency" ist meiner Meinung nach das beste Stück, dass This Heat je 

gemacht haben. Wer sich nur eine Nummer der Gruppe antun möchte, 

sollte sich dieses Stück anhören. Genial! 

"Graphic/Varispeed" bietet dann, mehr oder weniger, nichts. Ein 

ewigliches, einförmiges Tonschweben kommt hier aus den Boxen, mal 

lauter mal leiser, mal hoch mal tief, mal weich mal hart. Wenn man das 

Brummen eines alten Kühlschranks aufnehmen würde, wäre das 

Ergebnis wohl ein ähnlich abwechslungsreiches Stück "Musik". Das 

Ganze ist eine extreme Minimal-"Kunst", die man wohl mit einem 

verblüfft-verständnislosen Lächeln hinnehmen muss. Man kann den 

Nichts-Effekt übrigens noch steigern, wenn man die EP bei 33 rpm 

abspielt ... den Besitz der Vinylversion vorausgesetzt (diese langsame 

Version der Nummer ist übrigens auf "Repeat" zu finden). 

Trotzdem, das Titelstück sollte man kennen (wenn man denn die 

beiden Studioalben von This Heat schätzt)!" [Achim Breiling / 

Babyblaue Seiten] 

* COIL & THE THRESHOLD HOUSEBOYS CHOIR - From grows 

rampant DVD + CD (Threshold House THBKK3, 2007) € 27.00 

"Hinter THE THRESHOLD HOUSEBOYS CHOIR verbirgt sich PETER 

„Sleazy“ CHRISTOPHERSON von THROBBING GRISTLE und COIL. 

Letztere sind nach dem Ableben von JHONN BALANCE inaktiv, 

während TG seit einigen Jahren wieder versuchen, im Musikzirkus 

mitzumischen. Dies allerdings – verglichen mit der früheren 

„industriellen Revolution“ in den 70ern – nur bedingt erfolgreich. Vom 

HOUSEBOYS CHOIR wissen wohl bisher nur Wenige, gleichzeitig 

schreckt der relativ hohe Preis für das Doppelalbum aus CD und DVD 

die Eingeweihten zusätzlich ab. Doch einmal investiert, lohnt sich der 

Kauf im Nachhinein auf jeden Fall. 

Ich werde mich hüten, THBC mit COIL zu vergleichen, möchte sogar 

behaupten, der (Sprech)gesang von JHONN BALANCE würde hier 

überhaupt nicht ins Klangbild passen. „I have known for a while that I 

wanted my new music to be a departure from the past”, schreibt 

CHRISTOPHERSON in den Liner Notes zum Album. Aus diesem 

Grunde hat er sämtliche thailändische Stimmen und Gesangsfetzen, 

wie die Musik selbst auch, am Computer zusammengebastelt, was für 

einen Perfektionisten wie ihn wohl ein schweißtreibender Prozess 

gewesen sein muss: „Software is not very good at manipulating existing 

voices … it still takes considerable skills that I have not had time to 

perfect as yet …” 

Die Struktur und Atmosphäre der Songs lehnt sich an die Spätphase 

von COIL an. Sucht man eine Schublade für dieses Experiment, könnte 

man es vielleicht „Exotic-Ritual-Trance“ nennen. Dunkle und düstere 

Momente haben die fünf Stücke selten, sie wirken – in der richtigen 

Stimmung – eher meditativ und bewusstseinserweiternd (ernsthaft!). Im 

Selbstversuch mit Kopfhörern und einem guten Wein vor mir, 

versetzten die Bilder der DVD mich in eine unserer Zivilisation fremde 

Welt. Nicht in jeder Situation wird man auf die DVD zurückgreifen, doch 

einzelne Bilder der Aufnahmen schleichen sich immer wieder ins 

Bewusstsein, wenn man der Audio-CD (mit identischer Songauswahl) 

lauscht. 

Auf Einladung eines Freundes besuchte CHRISTOPHERSON schon im 

Jahre 2003 das "GinJae-Festival" von Krabi Town im Süden Thailands. 

"GinJae" bedeutet soviel wie "vegetarisch", obwohl diese Bezeichnung 

etwas irreführend ist. Die Beteiligten verzichten während der 10-tägigen 

Rituale und Feiern (zum Zeitpunkt des neunten Vollmondes eines 

Jahres) auf Fleisch, Alkohol und Sex. In westlichen Ländern stünde 

sicherlich die Mehrheit der Menschen schon hier vor einem unlösbaren 

Problem. Die knabenhaften Teilnehmer ziehen das ohne Mühen durch, 

tanzen und trommeln sich mit schüttelndem Kopf durch das religiösrituelle 

Treiben, um die bösartigen Geister aus der Nachbarschaft zu 

verbannen und der Stadt zukünftiges Glück zu bescheren. 

Insbesondere die schwer verdaulichen Bilder, in denen sich die Knaben 

riesige Spieße durch die Wangen bohren, oder sich im Zustand der 

Trance mit Rasierklingen die Zungen blutig schneiden, werden in 

Zeitlupe abgespielt und ergänzen sich mit den Klangcollagen der Musik. 

Das ist ästhetisch und verstörend zugleich, doch CHRISTOPHERSON, 

der sich auch als Videoregisseur einen Namen gemacht hat, schafft 

es mühelos, den Blick des Zuschauers knapp 50 Minuten an den 

Bildschirm zu fesseln. Empfindliche Gemüter seien vorgewarnt, es geht 

bisweilen doch recht blutig zu. Die Gesichter der sich in Trance 

befindlichen Teilnehmer werden mit Eiswasser betäubt und 

erstaunlicherweise tragen sie, so CHRISTOPHERSON, keine 

schwerwiegenden Narben und Krankheiten davon. Die Kamera 

begleitet einen der Jungen (siehe Coverbild) bei allen Feierlichkeiten, 

vom anfänglichen Tanz ums Feuer, bis zu den genannten 

Piercingaktionen zum Ende des Festivals. 

CHRISTOPHERSON selbst diente wohl als Wirt für eine der beim 

Ritual freigesetzten Seelen, denn undefinierbare körperliche 

Beschwerden zwangen ihn im Anschluss zu einem mehrtägigen 

Krankenhausaufenthalt, wie er in den Liner Notes schildert. 

Ausdrücklich betont er, dass „Form Grows Rampant“ eine persönliche 

Interpretation der Ereignisse sei und daher nur bedingt mit dem Zweck 

und der Bedeutung des "GinJae-Festivals" zu vergleichen ist. Eine 

tiefgreifende und fremdweltliche Erfahrung, die sicherlich auch seinen 

Entschluss unterstützte, nach Bangkok umzusiedeln und von dort aus 

im East Tower, der neuen Heimat des THRESHOLD HOUSE, die 

Fäden zu spannen und uns mit guter Musik zu versorgen. 

THE THRESHOLD HOUSEBOYS CHOIR dient wohl nur als 

Appetitmacher für Zukünftiges, ein neues Projekt mit Namen MOWGLI 

HASHSHASHIN ist wohl schon in Planung. 

„Form Grows Rampant“ ist ein solides Konzeptalbum, welches immer 

wieder den Weg in meinen CD-Player findet. Das visuelle Erlebnis ist 

eher etwas für besondere Augenblicke, der Film nistet sich im

Gedächtnis ein und sollte daher vor dem erstmaligen Genuss der 

Audio-CD angeschaut werden. Trotz des hohen Preises habe ich den 

Kauf jedenfalls nicht bereut...." [Markus B. für nonpop.de] 

"Threshold House is very excited to confirm the release of a combined 

CD/DVD package from The Threshold HouseBoys Choir, 'under the 

direction of Peter Christopherson.' The work in five parts is called Form 

Goes Rampant. This two disc set features documentary footage from 

Thailand's Gin Che (Vegetarian) Festival, as well as original music 

written and conducted by Peter Christopherson. This material, which is 

both viscerally intense, and at the same time, strangely gentle and 

moving - due to the great interest and demand, Christopherson has now 

polished the work for a wider, authorized release. It is being released in 

a combined DVD and CD form, as it is NOT every occasion that the 

DVD is suited so well to the music provided (viewer discretion IS 

advised!), but the CD can be played anywhere (except possibly while 

operating heavy machinery... or driving a motor vehicle). The DVD is 

NTSC multi-region, so it should play anywhere. The format is a four 

panel fold-out digipack with the discs carried in two clear trays (similar 

to the earlier Moon's Milk title from a few years back)." Running time: 50 

minutes. Audio is uncompressed stereo." [label info] 

* TIDAL & PETER DUIMELINKS - Ablution maxi-CD (Alluvial 

Recordings a24, 2006) € 9.50 

Ein nautisches Stück "drone ambience", sanft auf- und abschwellend 

bis in tiefste Frequenzen, mit organisch wirkenden Mikroeffekten 

versehen... tolle Collab unter Mitwirkung des New Yorker Drone-Spezis 

TIDAL ! 

"In Judaism, ablution is the process of washing away physical and 

mental impurities. Upon completion, the mind and body are cleansed 

and renewed. 

New York composer Tidal (David Brownstead) and Dutch composer 

Peter Duimelinks (Kapotte Muziek, Goem, THU20) collaborated on this 

work over the course of 2004-2005. The piece was traded back and 

forth between the two artists several times until it was fully realized. 

Ablution is a contemplative work which explores darkness and light. 

Momentum ebbs and flows in soothing washes. Tones, hums, and 

brittle, crackling interludes intertwine to flesh out a murky smear of 

sound. Ablution is approximately 20 minutes in length and packaged in 

a 5-inch sleeve. David selected photographs for the front and back 

covers which suggest submerging into darkness only to emerge into a 

blast of white light." [label info] 

"Perhaps by intent, but Peter Duimelinks is one of the few well-known 

names who however never released a full length CD on his own. He is 

part of THU20, Kapotte Muziek and Goem, did sound installations, 

recorded with Frank Bretschneider a CD in the Brombron series (see 

Vital Weekly 530) and could probably easily do one due to interest, but 

he just never did. This release doesn't change that. On 'Ablution' he 

works with Tidal, aka David Brownstead from New York. The two 

exchanged sound files back and forth in 2004-2005, going through 

various stages of rework. "In Judaism, ablution is the process of 

washing away physical and mental impurities. Upon completion, the 

mind and body are cleansed and renewed." This miniCD with one track 

is a twenty minute deep dark rumble of colliding sounds. The basic is 

deep and dark, like highly processed field recordings, although the 

processing might have been generated by radical equalisation. On top 

there are light sparks flickering at a highly irregular shape. When 

listened on headphones, static and hiss seem to be part of the piece. 

It's a good and solid piece of music of highly dark ambient music. There 

isn't a specific role for either Tidal or Duimelinks: the mark of well made 

collaboration." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* TIETCHENS, ASMUS - Notturno CD (Die Stadt DS102, 2007) 

€ 15.00 

Schon die 10te CD in der DIE STADT-Reihe mit Wiederveröffentlichungen 

früher TIETCHENS-Werke. NOTTURNO erschien im 

Original 1987 und schaffte eine ganze eigene, verstörende "Alien"- 

Atmosphäre, recht schroff & konkret mit viel verfremdeten 

Klaviermaterial und wieder bemerkenswerten Titeln wie "Halbe 

Tanzmusik" - wie auch "Formen letzter Hausmusik" eines der frühen 

Meisterwerke auf denen sich der hier schon unverkennbare 

TIETCHENS-Stil deutlich niederschlug. 

"Tenth part in the ongoing re-release series of all early Tietchens 

albums between 1980-1991. Notturno was originally released by 

Spanish label Discos Esplendor Geometrico in 1987 and also by 

Barooni on CD in 1992. Remastered version in a first edition of 600 

copies in jewel case with full color artwork and poster booklet also 

featuring the original front and back cover. By the time Studie für Klavier 

(Formen Letzter Hausmusik, DS84) was released, it actually wasn't my 

first attempt to use the piano as a sound source. Various pre-studies 

came before this, but all which either were not characterized as such in 

their title or simply didn't make it onto record. I was intrigued by the 

great range of sounds it offers in general, but also by the multiple 

possibilities to produce sounds inside of the piano. Of course I was fully 

aware that these techniques had already been used by other 

composers like Henry Cowell and John Cage in the past. Not only could 

I make use of a grand piano in 1986, I also had the technical equipment 

at hand which didn't leave nothing to be desired. I wasn't quite precise 

calling these pieces Studien für Klavier (Piano) by the way, as I was 

actually using a flügel (grand piano). I began preparing the strings in an 

almost old fashioned way, also producing sounds with unusual aids 

(electric gastr beater, wire brush, coins and others). Then in another 

step, with the help of the studio, I carefully started working on the 

recorded sounds. While doing this, I wasn't even afraid of using some 

good old avant-garde tricks, by the way. But I won't tell. The fact that 

Notturno was released by an industrial label, shows how much the 

interest in unusual electro-acoustic music had grown at the time. In fact, 

Notturno is nothing less than an industrial album. To my own delight 

and to the delight of the listeners as well, I used techniques which were 

introduced in the field of new music since several years already. As a 

result, Notturno can be seen as a cross between musical styles. On one 

hand it sounds academic, but in fact it isn't. But the question whether 

this was U (popular) or E (serious) was obsolete anyway, as electroacoustic 

experiments didn't exclusively belong to the circle of serious 

composers anymore. Of course I wasn't the first or only non-academic 

composer who produced music, which couldn't be categorized easily 

then, and maybe even still not until today. As a result, the exchange of 

these new aesthetic strategies with other musicians and listeners in the 

mid-'80s, further encouraged the musicians to produce such music, and 

as a result, labels such as Discos Esplendor Geometrico could be sure 

to sell a small edition of 500 copies in a fairly short time. The ears had 

opened up for this genre-crossing music and the heads were ready to 

accept. We had succeeded breaking new ground." [label info / liner 

notes] 

* TIETCHENS, ASMUS & RICHARD CHARTIER - Fabrication 

do-CD (Die Stadt DS99*, 2007) € 18.50 

Very minimal, silent & mysterious drone- & microsounds, a re-work from 

TIETCHENS of CHARTIER-material. On the bonus-CD (first 500 copies 

only) we find additional material which is a little more demanding & 

concrete... 

"The first collaboration by these two renowned sound artists. 

FABRICATION saw its beginning during the production of RE-POST- 

REFABRICATED, a project in which artists were selected by Richard 

Chartier to rework/create new works from his 1998 CD 

POSTFABRICATED for its reissue in 2003. As it was intended as an 

open project, Asmus Tietchens continued to explore the source 

materials and suggested further formal collaboration. This evolved into 

the collaborative work FABRICTAION. The CD comes in a full colour 4- 

panel digisleeve with artwork and designed by Chartier. The first 500 

copies incl. a bonus CD feat. the complete material created by 

Tietchens from POSTFABRICATED entitled »POST-FABRICATION" 

[label info] 

* TIRATH SINGH NIRMALA - Bluster, Cragg & Awe CD (Digitalis 

Industries digi031, 2006) € 13.00 

"Not too long ago, John Clyde-Evans made a huge splash with his 

phenomenal solo LP on England's Fisheye imprint. He also performed 

as an important member of the seminal UK group, Hood. After taking a 

seven year hiatus and committing to the path of Sikhism, he returned as 

Tirath Singh Nirmala. His continually unfolding backstory is interesting 

enough, but it's his music where the real magic and mystery stretch 

their silver wings. Nirmala returned to making music after his close 

friend and collaborator, Vibracathedral Orchestra's Neil Campbell, gave 

him some free software and set him on his way. Nirmala responded 

with nearly a dozen self-released, highly limited CDRs. The releases 

were filled to the brim with Eastern-influenced, transcendental drones 

and uplifting spiritual sound explorations. His manipulation of sine 

waves and use of obscure Asian instruments creates a wholly original 

and unique sound. As on his solo LP as John Clyde-Evans, Nirmala's 

ability to concoct sprawling, majestic drones using such simple terms is 

unmatched." [label info] 

* TROUM - AIWS CD (Transgredient Records TR-05, 2007) 

€ 13.00 

"....The pieces on this new CD were recorded from 2002-2005 on 

Troum's own analogue equipment, all live to four-eight track recorders, 

without the involvement of computers. Troum, a duo (be it hard to 

believe), is best a live band, even when working in the studio. Their 

instruments are guitars, e-bow, bass, voices, accordion & flute, old 

vinyl. And oh, sound effects. Lots of those are involved in the music of 

Troum, but they never stand in the way of the end result. Spacious 

head music. Loud at times, quiet when necessary, but there is a certain 

roughness about the band, which is an element I really like. Even when 

things are quiet, they never really are quiet. 'Neheh' is just an example 

of some sparse organ like loops, feeding through some delay and 

bouncing gentle forward, but with a certain grittiness. Highly

atmospheric even when experienced without the help of any chemicals 

or other illegal substances and the best but perhaps more frightful 

experience when played in the dark and with the headphones tied to 

your head. You are bound to play it again, if not only because it might 

be too scary to leave the room... Of all things experimental, ambient 

and industrial (Menche, Zoviet*France, Lustmord), Troum can easily 

stand the test and be the best of the lot." [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

"AIWS is the first full-length cd release from Troum since 2003. It covers 

studio-recordings composed from 2002-2005. These musicians have 

compiled some of their most favorable pieces through the years to be 

placed on this release. Presenting nine analogue(4&8 track) recorded 

compositions that lead the listener through vast feelings of beautifully 

deep melancholic and hypnotic states of mind. Composed with guitardrones 

and harmonic phrases that are processed in various ways 

creating an atmosphere of the sublime and emotional meditative states 

that transcend listener to immerse within themselves. 

Ingredients: Sufi-songs, old vinyl-crackles, acoustic & e-guitars, e-bow, 

e-bass, voice & whisperings, accordion & flute. Stunning photography & 

design work by Alan McClelland(Eye.lyft). One of the most emotional 

and profound Troum releases to date now available on Transgredient 

Records. Dedicated to Eternity." [press release] 

TRACK LISTING of AIWS [* and meaning of titles & phrases] 

1. AHMATEINS 

2. AGGILUS 

3. SPIRARE 

4. PER SONUM 

5. PANTAH 

6. [GA] PLAIAN 

7. PENTHOS 

8. NEHEH 

9. PELETÄ 

total length: 49:30 min 

[* AIWS=Eternity (gothic language), also shortcut for "Alice-In- 

Wonderland-Syndrome". 1. "Inspiration" (gothic) 2. "Angel - Carrier" 

(gothic) 3. "breathing - aspirating - sighing - smelling " (latin) 4. "through 

sound" (latin) 5. "way - path - line" (old indian) 6. "supplication" (persian) 

7. "the sorrow of mourning - lament" (greek - also a greek god), 8. 

"Eternity" (egypt) 9. "escape - flight, also: rescue - salvation" (hebrew) 

* TUDOR, DAVID - Music for Piano do-CD (Edition RZ 1018-19, 

2007) € 21.50 

"Doppel-CD mit Aufnahmen des herausragenden Avantgarde-Pianisten. 

Mit Klavierkompositionen von Sylvano Bussotti, John Cage, Morton 

Feldman, Christian Wolff. 

David Tudor, Pianist - ein Beruf, eine Berufung, ein Leben. Von 1950 

bis etwa 1965 war David Tudor der Inbegriff des Pianisten, der einfach 

alles spielen konnte. Rasch war David Tudor nicht mehr ein Name, 

sondern eine Instrumentationsanweisung, und Dutzende von Stücken 

waren geschrieben "for David Tudor". Schon um 1960, nachdem er alle 

Zumutungen der seriellen Klavierstücke bewältigt hatte, unterscheidet 

er zwischen Kompositionen, die ihn mit Leben erfüllen und solchen, die 

ihn kalt lassen - das Kernrepertoire Tudors kristallisiert sich heraus. Das 

Hauptkriterium für seine Wahl bildet den Eigenanteil, den er als 

Interpret an der Komposition hat. Er unterscheidet dabei fein zwischen 

der freien Wahl ("freedom of choice") zwischen vorgefertigten Teilen - 

gemeinhin Aleatorik genannt, wie beispielsweise Stockhausens 

"Klavierstück XI", das ebenso wie dessen Klavierstücke V-VIII Tudor 

gewidmet ist - von unbestimmten ("indeterminated") Aktionen. Im ersten 

Fall haben sie eine Tendenz "to put me to sleep", wohingegen Stücke, 

die weniger einengend sind, dazu führen, dass er sagen kann "I feel 

that I'm alive in every part of my conciousness". Das Programm dieser 

CDs bildet diese Vorliebe ab." [ Frank Hilberg ] 

* TUXEDOMOON - Vapour trails CD (Cramboy , 2007) € 16.50 

"Mond über Athen: Die Avantgarde-Band feierte ihren 30. Geburtstag in 

Hellas. Das neue Album von Tuxedomoon markiert das 30jährige 

Bestehen der Avantgarde-Band, die sich 1977 in San Francisco 

gründete und deren Mitglieder heute über die ganze Welt verstreut 

leben. Das in Athen entstandene „Vapour Trails“ zeigt Steven Brown 

(Gesang, Klarinette, Saxophon, Keyboard), Peter Principle, (Bass), 

Blaine L. Reininger (Gesang, Violine) und Trompeter Luc van Lieshout 

in Bestform. Einmal mehr gelang es Tuxedomoon, die Atmosphäre des 

Produktionsortes auf subtile Weise in die Aufnahme mit einfließen zu 

lassen. So findet sich auf „Vapour Trails“ der Nachhall des griechischen 

Altertums genauso wieder wie das urbane Treiben der modernen 

Millionenstadt Athen. Das Album ist einzeln, oder als Teil der limitierten 

Box-Edition „7707 tm“ zusammen mit raren Archivaufnahmen, einer 

160-minütigen DVD-Dokumentation sowie einer Live-CD erhältlich." 

[Indigo] 

"Crammed is proud to present Vapour Trails, the latest studio album 

from cult legends Tuxedomoon. 

Pursuing the creative trails first blazed on 2004’s Cabin in the Sky and 

2006’s Bardo Hotel, Vapour Trails was composed while being recorded 

in a series of sessions between the Acropolis and the pilgrim road to the 

Eleusian fields in Athens, Greece in 2006." [label info] 

* TUXEDOMOON - 7707tm 3 x CD+DVD - BOX (Cramboy , 

2007 € 38.00 

"Jubiläumsbox mit drei CDs und einer DVD – zum 30. Geburtstag der 

Avantgarde-Helden. Pünktlich zu ihrem 30-jährigen Bestehen 

überraschen Tuxedomoon nicht nur mit neuem Material, sondern gleich 

mit einer ganzen Jubiläumsbox. Die limitierte „30th Anniversary Box“ 

„7707 tm“ enthält neben dem brandneuen Album „Vapour Trails“ rare 

Archivaufnahmen, eine 2007 aufgenommene Live-CD, sowie eine 160- 

minütige DVD mit dem lange verschollen geglaubten Film „Ghost 

Sonata“, unveröffentlichten Videos, und der Dokumentation „Mythical 

Puzzle." [Indigo] 

"Scheduled for September 07, Tuxedomoon's new album "Vapour 

Trails" happens to come out in the year of the band's 30th anniversary. 

To mark this occasion, Tuxedomoon & Crammed will also be releasing 

a limited-edition boxed set entitled "77o7 tm", which will include the 

new album along with a CD of previously-unreleased archives, a DVD 

containing 160 minutes of rare or previously-unreleased videos, and a 

live CD recorded in early 2007. The DVD will consist of no less than 7 

different sections, including the long-deleted "Ghost Sonata" film, a 

previously-unreleased series of music videos entitled "A Thousand 

Lives By Pictures", an on-the-road-documentary called "Mythical 

Puzzle", and late '70s-early '80s studio & live video experimentations 

("Jet Wave" and "Colorado Suite")." [label info] 

* 2KILOS & MORE - 8 floors lower CD (Jeans Records 04, 2007) 

€ 13.00 

Behind 2KILOS & MORE we find a french duo consisting of SEVERINE 

KROUCH (electronics, guitar, melodica) and HUGUES VILLETTE 

(electronics, rhyhtms) who also had a mCDR on TAALEM before. This 

is their first album where they present a quite large range of electronic 

music, from melancholic drone-pieces with shimmering guitars to more 

straight rhythm-based and experimental weird tracks.... worth to 

discover! 

* UBEBOET - Spectra CD (Twenty Hertz TH017, 2007) € 14.00 

UBEBOET ist das "transcendental ambience"-Projekt von MIGUEL A. 

TOLOSA aus Madrid, der auch das CON-V Label betreibt. Auf 

SPECTRA dominieren choralartige, fast hymnische Drones, feine 

Harmonien werden erahnbar, lichthell schimmernd und erhebend, 

mitunter werden leichte / leise field recordings (z.B. Schritte) 

eingemischt.. verträumt und melancholisch, emotional drones at its 

best ! 

"Having collaborated with (amongst others) Pablo Reche and Dale 

Lloyd on a number of netlabel releases and compilations for the likes of 

‘Non Visual Objects’ and ‘Earlabs’, Ubeboet (Madrid based Miguel A. 

Tolosa & owner of the netlabel ‘Con-v’) brings us his first full-length solo 

release. Spectra is a simply gorgeous work that begins with the aptly 

titled ‘Premia Lucis’ and sets the scene for a series of hazy, drifting 

tracks that seem to blow in on the breeze and evaporate again with 

languid ease. Snatches of melodies are weaved together amongst 

dreamlike drones that guide us to a brighter light, elevating us towards 

the promise of something greater. An enlightened, wonderfully 

composed album that Twenty Hertz are proud to bring you."[label info] 

"....Maybe it's the small melodies that are used here and there that add 

just that little bit of extra needed to stand out, in a very positive manner, 

from the usual suspects in this field. It's an absolutely fine release and 

hopefully the start of more beautiful things" [FdW / Vital Weekly] 

* ULTRALYD - Conditions for a piece of music CD (Rune 

Grammofon RCD2065, 2007) € 15.00 

Kraftvoller "No Wave"-Sound und spannende Impro- 

Geräuschexperimente auf der ersten CD dieses Quartetts mit KJETIL 

D. BRANDSDAL am Bass, der ja auch von einigen Geräusch-Drone 

VÖs bekannt ist..... "ULTRALYD entstanden 2004, als die 

Saxophonlegende Frode Gjerstad vorschlug, dem Trio aus 

Gjerstad/Olsen/Hana einen Bassisten hinzuzufügen. Die allererste 

Probe mit Kejtil D. Brandsdal, der auch bei NOXAGT spielt, erschien als 

selbstbetiteltes Album auf dem britischen Label FMR. Nach einer 

Englandtour im gleichen Jahr, nahm die Band mit "Chromosome Gun" 

das Album auf, das ihren Livesound zu der Zeit repräsentierte. 

Gjerstadt verließ die Band und ULTRALYD machten für kurze Zeit als 

Trio weiter, bis sie den Gewinner des Young International Jazz Talent 

Awards, Kjetil Moster, am Saxophon verpflichteten. Nach zwei Touren 

und einigen Studiosessions veränderte sich der ULTRALYD Sound vom 

ursprünglichen chaotischen Free Rock in Richtung Komposition und 

Struktur voller Vielschichtigkeit, die Elemente der zeitgenössischen 

Musik, Electronica, Funk und Doom Metal integrierte und heute gern 

unter dem Titel ,Chamber Rock" läuft - so paradox wie das klingt.// 

This is the third full-length release by Norway's Ultralyd. This all-star 

quartet formed in 2004 when legendary saxophonist Frode Gjerstad

suggested that the trio Gjerstad/Olsen/Hana needed a distinct bass 

player. The very first rehearsal with Kjetil D. Brandsdal (also of Noxagt) 

was released as the self-titled album Ultralyd on the English label FMR 

in 2004. After a UK tour the same year, the band established the sound 

captured on the album Chromosome Gun, which was released in 2005 

on the American avant-rock label Load Records. Frode Gjerstad 

decided to leave later in the year and for a short while the band 

operated as a trio before recruiting new sax player Kjetil Møster, winner 

of the Young International Jazz Talent award in New York in 2006. 

During two extensive European tours and several studio sessions, 

Ultralyd's direction slowly changed from a rather chaotic free rock 

approach towards composition and more structured forms of 

improvisation, experimenting with different layers and altered roles of 

the instruments, integrating elements from contemporary music, 

electronic music, funk and doom metal and ending up with something 

that might be classified as chamber rock. However contradictory that 

might sound. Ultralyd is part of the N-Collective, an international 

conglomerate of musicians, composers, improvisors and artists. Ultralyd 

is: Kjetil Møster (saxophones), Anders Hana (guitar), Kjetil D. Brandsdal 

(bass), Morten J. Olsen (drums, vibraphone, percussion)." [press 

release] 

* VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA - Versatile Arab Chord Card 

CD (VHF Records vhf#48, 2000) € 14.00 

Zweite Album der inzwischen berühmten Impro-Drone Combo aus UK! 

Wieder auf Lager ! 

"Aus eigentlich chaotischen Strukturen erzeugt sich hier polymorph 

geschichteter Wohlklang, unter Einsatz vieler verschiedener nichtelektronischer 

Instrumente.. " [old Drone Rec. info] 

"The second full-length outing from the quintet of NEIL CAMPBELL, 

MICHAEL FLOWER, JULIAN BRADLEY, BRIDGET HAYDEN, and 

ADAM DAVENPORT. Like their UK cousins and fellow VHF recording 

artists Sunroof!, VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA usually works from 

a base of modal improvisation. Led by Campbell's sawing violin, the 

group builds up arcs of lingering overtones beneath an undercurrent of 

melody. They cut the drones in their life with extremely effective bursts 

of near rock, in a style reminiscent of the pre-Nico Velvet Underground 

(circa 1966 or so). The band's combination of clattering percussion, 

droning strings, and considerable sense of where to put the "groove" 

makes them unique among their peers." [label info] 

* VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA - Dabbling with gravity and 

who you are CD (VHF Records vhf#66, 2002) € 13.00 

Aufnahmen von 2000, endlose v.a. sehr perkussive Sessions, 

ein kreatürliches akustisches Durcheinander mit vielen 

Blasinstrumenten, toll wie alles plötzlich einen folkig-orientalischen 

Anstrich bekommt, 11 Stücke oder Indexe, fast 61 Minuten, das ganze 

hat Proberaum-Charme, wurde ja auch in der KÜCHE von MICHAEL 

FLOWER aufgenommen.. 

"New pressing of long out of print title by the classic quintet of Neil 

Campbell, Bridgit Hayden, Julian Bradley, Michael Flower, and Adam 

Davenport. Assembled from recordings of their weekly sessions in 

Michael's kitchen, the tracks here represent the joyous, celebratory side 

of the VCO - all forward motion, massed strings, percussion, horns, and 

little instruments rocketing forward in a swirl of sound. Compared to the 

more austere sounds of recent CD's like "Lino Hi" and "Versatile Arab 

Chord Chart," the tracks here take off from where the loose hippy chant 

and drum action of collectives like Amon Duul intersects with the 

ploygot instrumental approach of mid-60's Sun Ra (ref "Exotic Forest," 

"Shadow World," etc). "There is no chord formation that can be planned 

which creates elation or sadness, or any art which is profound enough 

to change anything fundamental about a person. There is just a 

resonance around us which musicians/artists are using or not using" - 

Bridgit Hayden on the VCO" [label info] 

* VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA - My gate's open, tremble by 

my side CD (Lexicon Devil lexdev012, 2004) € 15.50 

Wiederveröffentlichung ihrer längst vergriffenen ersten LP von 1999. 

"A CD reissue of VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA's My Gate's Open, 

Tremble By My Side album originally released in 1999 as an LP by 

Roaratorio in an edition of 250 copies. Includes all the monolithic sheets 

of organic, repetitive drones and subtle rhythm and groove explorations 

of the original along with three bonus tracks recorded during the same 

sessions. Australian import." [label info] 

* VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA - Wisdom Thunderbolt CD 

(VHF Records vhf#102, 2007) € 14.00 

"Wisdom Thunderbolt marks the triumphant return of Vibracathedral 

Orchestra after more than three years in the wilderness of intermittent 

performance, tangential projects, and unfindable limited editions. 

The seven tracks on Wisdom are thee VCO's most rocking dispatch 

ever, neatly combining the Ra-like collage of tracks like "Wisdom 

Thunderbolt" with the insistent pulsing jams of "A Natural Fact" and 

"Order of the Broad Eraser." "Ochre Dust" and "Rainbow Whirlwind" are 

more in the old-school VCO thick-blanket of sound, with tunedpercussion 

melody peeking out from the fog. After a surprise opening, 

"Sway-Sage" heaves with raucous drumming (courtesy of Magik Marker 

Pete Nolan) under the swells of sound. Hard to imagine, but this is the 

first widely available music (except for the Tuning to the Rooster comp) 

from the VCO since 2003's acclaimed The Queen of Guess." [label info] 

"First proper full length in a while from these ur-drone space 

explorers, which is long overdue, considering the protracted near 

silence of VCO, and Matthew Bower all but abandoning his Sunroof! in 

favor of the noisier Hototogisu. Whatever you call that sort of music 

that Sunroof!/VCO traffic in, very few other outfits have managed to 

channel the same sort of ferocious guitar freakout and blissy ambient 

swirl into the magical metallic drift that those two groups did. 

So here we have Wisdom Thunderbolt, featuring the VCO usual 

suspects (Neil Campbell, Mick Flower, Bridget Hayden, Adam 

Davenport) with a whole mess of special guests, underground drumlord 

Chris Corsano, the aforementioned Matthew Bower (Skullflower, 

Sunroof!, Hototogisu, etc.), Pete Nolan of the Magik Markers and John 

Godbert (Skullflower, Total) and the sound is exactly as we remember 

it. Thick and dense, swirling and blissed out, druggy and blurry, 

smeared and shimmering. There is percussion, it mostly tinkles and 

skitters, but occasionally pounds and swings, organs and synths are 

woven into weird little buzzing soundscapes, horns wail and skronk, 

guitars growl and jangle... 

While the opening track is a ramshackle stumble, all over the 

place, but in a very good way, the second track is where the band 

locks into that perfect groove they've always been capable of. A 

blown out stretch of raga like buzz, tribal drums underpinning a 

simple riff, a spacey sea sick shimmer, all wrapped up in layers of 

guitar buzz and hissy synth, rich and thick and totally mesmerizing. 

The rest of the record is more of the same, longform buzz 

drenched krautrocky drone jams, with some notable exceptions. The 

12+ minute "Rainbow Whirlwind, which sounds like some lost 

Spacemen 3 jam, the guitars pulsing and throbbing, tones beating 

against other tones, the synths and guitars creating constantly shifting 

rhythms, interrupted in the middle by a blown out free noise fest, before 

slipping back into spaced out pulse and dreamy drift. 

And, the uncharacteristically 'rock'-y intro to "Sway-Sage" 

that sounds like the Guess Who's "American Woman", before quickly 

slipping back into some super distorted space jam, with a glitchy 

buzz laid over a relentless rhythm, and with thick ropy swirls of 

guitar and synth buzz burying everything in that distinctly VCO warm 

washed out sonic blur." [Aquarius Records] 

* VOLGA - Pomol CD (Lumberton Trade Company, 2007) € 14.00 

Trancig-tribale, durchaus ungewöhnliche hypnotische und z.T. sehr 

wuchtige Beats, ost-europäisch anmutender weiblicher Gesang, 

harmonische Flächen & Instrumenteneinsatz, manchmal hat das sogar 

einen Orient-touch, manchmal klingt es mehr nach Electro-Wave der 

80er.. . Atmosphärischer, einnehmender Avant-Pop aus Russland! 

"VOLGA stammen aus Moskau, kamen 1997 zusammen und arbeiten 

seitdem extrem hart: auf Touren haben sie einiges der Welt gesehen 

und zehn Jahre nach ihrer Gründung steht mit "Pomol" ihr insgesamt 

siebtes (und fünftes Studio-) Album in den Startlöchern. Mit Alexei 

Borisov, der als bekannter Solokünstler elektronische Soundkunst 

erschafft, weben VOLGA einen dichten Electronica-Klangteppich, der 

mit bunten Mustern aus elektroakustischen Elementen, mantrischen 

Tanzrhythmen und traditionellen, schamanischen Folktexten glänzt. Die 

Texte von Sängerin Angela Manukjan stammen aus der russischen 

Folklore des 19. Jahrhunderts und lässt die Volksgesänge umso 

einzigartiger wirken. ,Pomol' ist auf der einen Seite eingängig und 

heimelig, auf der anderen Seite düster und akustisch kontrovers; aus 

den beiden Polen entsteht Musik, die das lose Konzept des Pop 

gründlich auf links zieht." [Cargo] 

"The latest album by this Moscow-based group, scheduled to 

go into production anytime shortly, alongside the above release. 

Thirteen wonderful tracks that, helmed by the powerful, dynamic, 

expressive and unique voice of Angela Manukjan, sway between 

electronica's moody yet accessible outer reaches, folk and other 

traditional music, plus the same kind of sensibilities ensnared so well by 

contemporary pop's more wayward souls such as Bjork and Sigur Ros." 

[label info] 

* VOUDOURIS, DIMITRI - NPFAI.1 / Palmos / NPFAI.3 / Praxis do- 

CD (Pogus Productions P21043-2, 2007) € 13.00 

Vier interessante Arbeiten eines südafrikanischen Komponisten 

(geboren 1961 in Athen); so werden bei NPFAI.1 Originalklänge von 

afrikanischen Zeremonial-Instrumenten (Kundi & M'Bira / bzw. Kalimba) 

computergestützt in mysteriöse Granularwellen & -welten verwandelt, 

die die ursprüngliche Klang-Atmosphäre der Objekte beibehält. 

Ähnlich werden bei den anderen Stücken Klangdetails einzelner 

Instrumente analysiert und elektro-akustisch bearbeitet, so daß

estimmte musikalische Parameter wie durch ein Mikroskop näher 

betrachtbar werden. Besonders gut gefällt das letzte Stück PRAXIS, wo 

ein griechisch-orthodoxer Chor herhalten muss für VOUDOURIS 

unheimliche Transformationen, die sich bis ins Unkenntliche auflösen, 

um dann wieder zurückzukehren zum Ausgangsmaterial. Genial ! 

Wieder erstaunlich, zu welchen Neuentdeckungen das POGUS-Label 

animiert ! 

"South African composer Dimitri Voudouris (b.1961 Athens, Greece) 

began composing in the 90¹s. He composes for acoustic instruments, 

electronic sound sources, multimedia, including dance and theatre. He 

bases his technical and theoretical compositional approach in research 

of cognitive psycho-acoustic behavioral patterns in humans and the 

behavior of sound in relationship to continued environmental changes. 

His socio-cultural interests have led him to research the survival of 

music in the 21st century and the impact that media and technology 

have on the composer. 

NPFAI. 1 (New Possibilities for African Instrument) is an electroacoustic 

composition for kundi and m'bira with computer assisted 

processing. Kalimba or m'bira is a finger piano made of wood and metal 

strips used in ceremonial music. In Western Africa this instrument is 

known as m'bira and in Eastern Africa it is called a kalimba. The kundi a 

bowed harp is a ceremonial instrument originating from the Mangbetu 

tribe of the Congo. In NPFAI.1, working with each individual layer gave 

Voudouris better control in the change of sound characteristics as some 

sound phenomena changed, disappeared and new sound phenomena 

surfaced creating new possibilities. In Palmos, Voudouris chose three 

Western instruments - the Hammond organ, oboe, and the bandoneon - 

whose overtone and harmonic capabilities allowed for interlocking 

moments to take place, a phenomenon that is ever present in 

African traditional music. Spectrographic analysis of sounds produced 

by each individual instrument was carefully monitored which allowed for 

a deeper understanding of timbre [harmonic content], attack, decay and 

vibrato. Subtractive synthesis further allowed for the isolation of certain 

inaudible frequencies to be enhanced to an audible level and the 

elimination of others. These compositional elements allow the listener to 

perceive the sound as stable individual tone and noise spectra, 

frequently of surprising purity. 

NPFAI. 3, third in a series of electro-acoustic studies, is for African 

marimba and computer assisted processing. The African marimba used 

in this work is a tenor marimba, used traditionally as a rhythm 

instrument. The marimba is tuned in Xhosa tuning with just intonation in 

Eb (with added A's). The instrument was played with traditional mallets; 

the recording was processed and constructed on computer. Granular, 

algorithmic and subtractive sound syntheses were used in the 

construction of NPFAI.3. These procedures were not to defamiliarize 

the sound of the instrument but rather to explore the deeper analogies 

of organic identity in the construction of micro sound environments, 

focusing on capturing the physical properties of the instrument and its 

organic sound textures. PRAXIS is a four-channel tape piece using a 

recording of Christian Orthodox Greek male choir and computer 

assisted processing. 566 sound compartments were created that 

ranged from 10 to 40 seconds in time duration. Each sound 

compartment was constructed and manipulated individually, allowing for 

better control in maintaining individuality in the sound structures. The 

computer further allowed for the individual micro-rearrangement of 

pitches in each sound compartment, leading to the notion of continuous 

macro-timbre. The methods used allowed for greater control in spacial 

differentiation of each sound. The distorted nature of the sound source 

was not eliminated but was build into the composition." [label info] 

* VROMB - Sous Hypnose CD (Ant-Zen act202, 2007) € 14.00 

"hypnosis - a process in which the critical thinking faculties of the mind 

are bypassed and a type of selective thinking/perception is established. 

this process can be achieved without any impact (consider the mind 

when it is half asleep or half awake). this album's intention is to aurally 

simulate a hypnosis session (such as one conducted by a 

hypnotherapist). if a 'subject' is willing to engage with the topic then 

different steps of hypnosis can be retraced while listening: preparation, 

induction (taking the subject from normal awareness to a state of 

enhanced relaxation), deepening (taking the subject from a very relaxed 

state into the fully 'hypnotized' state, where conscious thinking is 

minimized), purpose (when the subjects are asked to say or perform 

things) and finally awakening (when the subject is taken out of the 

hypnotic state). the music starts with straight forward (but calm) 

rhythmic patterns - patterns that are in place to reach a state of trance. 

the music changes the same way as the subject's perception does: 

rhythm is replaced with surreal ambient soundscapes, 

incomprehensible voices start to talk and then a constant but always 

changing flow takes over - a strange and unfamiliar experience is the 

result - due to the subject's inexperience. but the experience is never 

threatening as the final process of awakening is performed very 

carefully. either way, the subject will immediately realize the session is 

over. it matters not if you take the invitation to use 'sous hypnose' as an 

occasion to start a fascinating experiment, or if you just want to enjoy 

the new work of vromb; this album is a highly recommended document 

of today's serious electronic music (as all of this great canadian artist's 

releases are)." [label info] 

"There has always been a ritualistic and trance-inducing feeling in the 

music from Canadian composer Vromb. The brain behind the project, 

Hugo Girrard, has a quite unique expression with oscillating, minimalist 

frequencies, rotating sequences and bubbling technoid sounds creating 

his quite unique repetitiveness. The ritual factor is intact on this seventh 

full-length album titled "Sous hypnose" released on German label Ant- 

Zen Recordings. With a title that in English means "Under hypnosis" 

experienced listeners of Vromb should know that the ritual style 

remains. And it definitely does. Despite the intended titled, I doubt that 

many hypno-therapists would dare to let their average customer sink 

into this world of icy drones and cynic rhythm textures. Unquestionably 

though it would be a quite interesting experience for the patient. The 

nine tracks drift back and forth between futuristic sci-fi ambient and 

rhythm textures that develop from non-existing across subdued layers 

moving up to the front of the sound picture. The great French spoken 

voice of Vromb does penetrate occasionally sounding like the hypnotist 

himself. If you enjoy the frostbitten sonic world of Vromb you will 

definitely appreciate this latest sci-fi launch from the Canadian." [Vital 

Weekly] 

WESTERKAMP, HILDEGARD – Transformations CD (Empreintes 

Digitales IMED 9631, 1996) € 13.00 

Fünf faszinierende Arbeiten (1977-1992) der kanadisch-deutschen 

Akustik-Designerin, die für ihre fliessenden, poetischen Kompositionen 

allerlei field- & Umgebungsaufnahmen (z.B.Stadtgeräusche, Grillen, 

Raben, Nebelhörner und Fabriksirenen, etc etc) benutzt, die später im 

Studio nachbearbeitet werden... wie immer bei EMPREINTES 

DIGITALES kommt das ganze in einem aufwendigen Cardboard- 

Klappcover und mit dickem Booklet! 

„ Westerkamp creates new possibilities for listening. One can journey 

with her sound to inner landscapes and find unexplored openings in our 

sound souls. The experience of her music vibrates the potential for 

change. Her compositions invite interaction – a chance to awaken to 

one’s own creativity. One can transform through listening as she has. In 

the music and soundscapes of Westerkamp we feel memory and 

imagination as we hear trough the future.” [PAULINE OLIVEROS]. 

“ Vancouver based German with a strong interest in sound ecology and 

the use of everyday sound environments. ranges from walks through 

soundscapes to environmental compositions. a wonderful 

disc.” [Anomalous Records ] 

WESTERKAMP, HILDEGARD – Into India CD (Earsay Prod. 

es2002, 2002) € 13.00 

"Zweite CD der kanadischen Klangforscherin / Soundscape-Ökologin 

mit Aufnahmen aus Indien.. unglaublich schön, wie sich hier field 

recordings auftun, die sich langsam von konkreten & alltagsnahen 

Geräuschen ausgehend in immer sphärischere & magischer 

anmutende Klang-Dimensionen verwandeln.." [Drone Rec info 2004] 

“Here's only the second full CD from one of the long-time pathbreakers 

of soundscape composition. Inspired by the composer's extended 

travels to India during the 1990's, the three pieces share a fascination 

with the beautiful chaos of Indian street and temple ambiences. “Gently 

Penetrating beneath the sounding surfaces of another place" bears 

perhaps the most resemblence to some of her earlier work, replete with 

sutble layering and brief cresecendos revealing a specific voice that just 

as suddenly and easily fades back into the underlying, ever-shifting 

currents of sound carrying the listener along. "Into the Labyrinth" seems 

to exist in a more mysterious plane, where the sounds float free of their 

grounding sources and suggest that our ways of putting the world 

together may be less pre-determined than we'd thought. We can only 

imagine, enviously, how this sounded in its original 8-channel live 

format. "Attending to Sacred Matters", the longest piece here at almost 

a half hour, is the one I return to the most. Blending the sounds of 

spiritual practice, including hindu, muslim, sufi, and sikh, along with 

temple bells and recurring appearances of flowing water (and emerging 

warmly fierce readings by Vandana Shiva, celebrating the powerful role 

of water as a spiritual and social underpinning: ". . .people are free 

when they have access to water, safe water..."). While there is very little 

"natural sound" here besides the stream recordings, the feeling that I 

am left with in this piece is very much related to embracing, alive 

qualities of a richly mixed natural sound immersion. Tinkling bells, 

swelling resonant chords, chanted fragments, and pulsing rhythmic 

elements combine to create an organic, human sense of the universal 

qualities of being quietly present and honoring the inner ground of this 

world.” [Earth Ear] 

BACK IN STOCK !! 

* WIESE, KLAUS - Divine Orbit CD (Stillclouds, 2007) € 12.00

"Composed and recorded 1987, but never released, now officially 

released on CD through russian Label "Stillclouds", the official seller is 

Faria Records. Drone ambient in the classic style of Klaus Wiese, like 

albums "Qumra" and "Samarkand". CD is packed to digipack. 

Klaus Wiese: Keyboards, Voice. Ted de Jong: Tabla." [label info] 

* WIESE, KLAUS - Baraka CD (Nextera era2042-2, 2007) 

€ 14.50 

Wiederveröffentlichung dieses inzwischen 25 Jahre alten Tapes von 

dem durch Sufi-Mystik & orientale Instrumente stark beeinflussten 

KLAUS WIESE, der früher auch Mitglied bei POPOL VUH war. 

BARAKA scheint wirklich das allererste Tape von ihm gewesen zu 

sein... 

"Originally released in the early 80's on cassette only, this timeless and 

legendary album is finally available on CD! Re-mastered and re-edited 

by Klaus Wiese himself, this masterpiece rediscovers one of the finest 

moments in Wiese's discography and his entire music career. 

Enjoy a musical adventure with Tibetan Singing Bowls, Tambura, 

Zither, Ney Flute, voices, bells and field recordings. 

Klaus Wiese explains : BARAKA is an arabic term and means "B l e s s 

i n g from above". And this is the idea behind this music, which has its 

roots in the spiritual tradition of CENTRAL ASIA. It appears rough from 

the outside and uncompromising in its melodic shape... It's devoted to 

the "point of truth" and meant to purify the listener with "hail and rain" 

from "misleading" views. BARAKA was first produced in the early 

eighties and became a kind of "cult-music", especially in therapeutic 

circles. It was designed in a simplistic way with mainly natural 

instruments like Tamburas, asian harps, voices, bells, wind recorded in 

the desert and vibes from singing bowls. The simple way of production 

was meant to keep the "spirit" of direct expression alive... 

Now after 25 years we found, it has not lost its charisma and the 

archaic impact on the psyche is still the same... So it was decided to let 

it appear again for a new generation of listeners... 

All compositions by Klaus Wiese. Edited and remastered by Klaus 

Wiese in 2007. This Remaster: (P) + (C) 2007 Nextera under exclusive 

license from Klaus Wiese." [label info] 

* THE WORK - Slow Crimes CD (Ad Hoc Records AD HOC 15, 

2006) € 14.00 

Re-Issue der ersten THE WORK LP von 1982 ! 

"First LP by The Work, formed in 1980 by Tim Hodgkinson and Bill 

Gilonis with Rick Wilson and Mick Hobbs. Song based, noise backed, 

tight-drum-riff-driven, complex, strange and edgy music, with a life-isshort 

basement aesthetic. Takes no prisoners. Reissued re-mastered." 

[label info] 

* THE WORK - Rubber Cage CD (Ad Hoc Records AD HOC 14, 

2060) € 14.00 

Re-Issue der LP von 1991. "My favourite of all the Work records, so 

newcomers start here. Dense compositions, high quality, powerful 

recordings that explore the fringes of rock; pop fragments, hypnotic 

repetitions and highly evolved arrangements coupled with a fine 

exploration of sonorities and techniques, this has a strong and unique 

musical fingerprint, always surprising, while retaining its centre in 

performance. Now re-mastered with a dramatically improved sound. A 

modest classic." [label info] 

* Y-TON-G / ASMUS TIETCHENS / KOUHEI MATSUNAGA - YAK 

CD (Monochrome Vision (mv13), 2007) € 13.00 

8 tracks of mainly rather concrete silent & mysterious microsound-works 

from these three sound-researchers from Germany & Japan in 

collaboration, all have delivered basic materials and worked on stuff 

from the others, so it's quite a variable and out-balanced release... 

"Concrete sounds and abstract constructions, endlessly recycled and 

digitally treated - the new album by Asmus Tietchens, Kouhei 

Matsunaga and Y-Ton-G is bearing the idea of total remix work. 

Following the great tradition of mail-collaborations, this germanjapanese 

trio recorded the new series of experimental music studies. 

Release date is 1st June 2007. Limited edition of 500 copies in 

jewelcase." [label info] 

* ZEITKRATZER - Die Kraft der Negation CD (Volksbühne 

Recordings lux 003, 2003) € 15.00 

ZEITKRATZER interpretieren 6 zeitgenössische Musikstücke, in ihrer 

unnachahmlichen Art, die Aufnahmen entstanden am 30. Juni 2002 in 

der Volksbühne in Berlin, darunter "Hamburger Lady" von THROBBING 

GRISTLE! Im Booklet ein langer Text von DIEDRICH DIEDERICHSEN. 

Details / Credits : 

1. John Cage Telephones And Birds 

Ausarbeitung: Reinhold Friedl, Burkhard Schlothauer, Ralf Meinz 

2. Deicide Satan Spawn, the Caco-Daemon 

Arr.: Ulrich Maiß, Adam Weisman 

3. Helmut Lachenmann Pression (Cello solo) 

4. Throbbing Gristle Hamburger Lady 

Arr.: Ulrich Krieger, Reinhold Friedl 

5. Kunsu Shim man lßt Dinge fallen und beobachtet sie - eine 

Herbstmusik 

6. Terre Thaemlitz Sloppy 42nds Zeitkratzer Reinhold Friedl (artistic 

director, piano), Melvyn Poore (tuba), Franz Hautzinger (trumpet), 

Ulrich Krieger (saxophone, vocal on 2, 4), Johannes Platz (violin), Ulrich 

Maiß (cello), Alexander Frangenheim (doublebass), Adam Weisman 

(percussion), Luca Venitucci (accordeon, vocal on 4), Ralf Meinz 

(sound.) Rec. June 2002, Volksbühne Berlin. Recorded by Ralf Meinz. 

Mixed by Ralf Meinz & Reinhold Friedl. 

* Z'EV - Forwaard CD (Korm Plastics kp3029, 2007) [ed. of 300 

in 7" cover] € 13.00 

"Since almost forty years z'ev belongs to the absolute fore front of 

experimental music. Playing percussive music he gained a lot of 

attention, but in more recent years he returned to working with 

electronic tape manipulation. One aspect is working with other people, 

such as Francisco Lopez or Kasper Toeplitz. On 'Forwaard' he uses 

field recordings made by Frans de Waard (hence the title), which are 

'recoded' by z'ev into a forty minute, densely layered pattern of musique 

concrete. Many of the water like sounds disappear in the 'recoded' 

version and makes a particular strong work. The cover contains field 

photography Frans de Waard and was designed by Meeuw Muzak. It 

comes in the 15x15 cm cover that Korm Plastics has used before." 

[label info] 

4.1. CD COMPS 

* AUDIOTROP CD (Audiotrop 2007) € 12.00 

New german label who use the slogan "lucid listening" with the first 

release, a nice compilation with mainly new names for us from the 

experimental / soundscaping / field-recording / drone / ambient-areas... 

ELFISH ECHO, FATAGAGA, 8M²STEREO, Z'EV, C.O.CASPAR.OSP, 

FURA BLISS, SHADES & SHAPES, LOSTHEIM. 

"Sound per se is still an adventure" as they say on the website. 

Very much worth to check out! 

* BAUHAUS reviewed 1919-1933 CD (Salon Recordings LTM 

CD2472, 2007) € 15.00 

"This selection of recordings (Walter Gropius, Josef Albers, Ludwig 

Mies Van Der Rohe) from the early 20th century goes deep into the 

mythos surrounding the Bauhaus school and the artists it gave birth to, 

and is punctuated by the work of five composers associated with it; 

Arnold Schoenberg, Josef Matthias Hauer, George Antheil, Stefan 

Wolpe and H.H. Stuckenschmidt. Of course for you to enjoy a disc such 

as this it helps to have an interest in the Bauhaus movement, but the 

music is really stunning and offers up some great examples of 12-tone 

and serialist composition. A real peculiarity of a disc which gives you a 

lot more than a simple history textbook." [label description] 

* BEYOND IGNORANCE AND BORDERS. AN AFRICAN, MIDDLE- 

EASTERN, ASIAN NOISE AND ELECTRONIC COMPILATION CD 

(Syrphe 002, 2007) € 12.00 

Äusserst bemerkenswerte Veröffentlichung des belgischen 

Kosmopoliten C-DRIK (Ambre, Ammo, etc.), eine Experimental- 

Compilation mit Acts aus Ländern mit denen man wirklich nicht rechnet! 

Breites Spektrum von Ambient bis Noise, Analog bis Digital, alles frisch 

& unverbraucht & meist mit grosser Energie versehen, die vielen 

Namen sind nahezu alle unbekannt, es gibt hier (aus der SOUND 

Perspektive) viele neue Welten & Musiken zu entdecken!! 

"Throughout the last twenty years or so various noise compilations with 

focus on the different cultures around the Globe have been released; 

from the "Japanese/American Noise Treaty" (Relapse/Release) across 

"Sound Of Sadism : An International Power Electronics Compilation" 

(Crowd Control Activities) to the "Extreme Music From…."-series with 

editions focusing on Africa, Russia, Japan and Women (Susan Lawly 

Label). Now Belgium label Syrphe Records has brought us a new 

compilation of noise music. Titled "Beyond ignorance and borders" the 

compilation presents us for artists of nationalities from the Eastern 

world. The contributions do not come from Japan, the kingdom of 

Noise, but from other countries that are relatively unknown regarding 

noise music. And this is what makes this compilation very interesting. 

Twenty tracks from countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, 

Lebanon, South Korea (just to name a few), the styles ranges from 

extreme noise to breakcore and field recording. What makes this album 

interesting is that the origin of many of the artists represented on the 

compilation seems to saturate the expressional style on the 

contributions. Highlights on the compilation is the weird technoid track 

"629" by Skorfuse (Philippines), harsh noise tracks such as "Useless 

summer" by Yan Jun (China) and the ultra-aggressive "Ithrane n ithige"

from Algerian artist Nepa Ios. Also the ear-shattering closer "The night 

as it was raining (aka 26 aunigrai)" from Goh Lee Kwang (Malaysia) is 

remarkable. This is certainly a great compilation, worth investing 

whether you are noise-head or simply an adventurous listener of the 

more extreme kind. Highly recommended!" [NM / Vital Weekly] 

Address: http://www.syrphe.com 

* BREWERY IN PIOTRKOW TRYBUNALSKI do-CD (Beast of Prey 

bop 3.2, 2006) [lim. 444] € 15.00 

Eine Industrial & Neo-Folk Compilation zum Thema "Bier" - geht das 

überhaupt Das Ergebnis ist jedenfalls höchst bizarr & zum Teil höchst 

amüsant, wenn mit dreckigem osteuropäischen Slang Sauflieder zum 

besten gegeben werden. Aber es gibt auch sphärenhafte Elfen-Tracks, 

stampfende Marschmusik ("los, trink oder stirb!"), fröhliche Akkordeon- 

Folktunes mit Sprechgesang und völlig daneben liegendem Pfeiffen, 

dunkel herumbrummende Urzeit-Horden, etc etc... eine sehr kurzweilige 

Compilation, bei der man nicht alles zu bierernst nehmen sollte, mit 

grossem 28-Seiten Booklet. 

"V/A „Brewery in Piotrków Trybunalski” is a special compilation , on 

which projects and bands recorded special tracks about beer. From 

feasting and chemical processes during production of beer to beliefs 

and myths. On two cd's their music presented:: DIVISION-S, ROSE 

ROVINE E AMANTI, HOROLOGIUM, ASMOROD, KREPULEC, 

NEKYIA, THE ARKHAM, DANCE HOSPITAL, SATOR ABSENTIA, 

INFAMIS, NIEGRZECZNA PENSJONARKA, OUT OF SIGHT, I. V. 

LAB., WERMUT, THE WELL OF SADNESS, DESOLATION ZONE, 

BARBAROSSA UMTRUNK, DER ARBEITER, STORM OF 

CAPRICORN, PRZEMEK CACKOWSKI, DEAD MAN’S HILL, 

ISOTHESIS, HATI. book edition A5 - 444 copies. 

Unconventional issue: A5 book, 28 pages with all graphics and photos 

made by bands. All printed on a special yellow paper. Cd's griped by a 

special elastic to handle the cd. All is foiled, hand numerated to 444 

copies." [label info] 

* DANZA DE LA VIDA CD (Klanggalerie gg100 / Syntactic SYN63, 

2007) [ed. of 500] € 14.00 

Compilation of tracks that were planned for the Syntactic / Klanggalerie 

7"es, but most of them were never published! O YUKI CONJUGATE, an 

amazing piece with vocals from STEVEN WILSON (BASS 

COMMUNION), BROKEN PENIS ORCHESTRA, BLAINE REINIGER 

(TUXEDOMOON), ANDREW LILES, DER BEKANNTE POST- 

INDUSTRIELLE TROMPETER, GRAF & ZYX, etc.. some tracks also 

come from long deleted SYNTACTIC 7", like the wonderful O YUKI 

CONJUGATE track! lim. 500 

"In my personal opinion, the best CD we have ever done with a 

stunning line-up of Klanggalerie related artists: New and 

specially recorded tracks by Nurse With Wound's Andrew Liles, 

Mushroom's Patience's DBPIT and Dither Craf, Polish American 

composer Jerzy Marczak, Mr. Novo Homo and drummer of Der 

Blutharsch Bain Wolfkind, Wipeout and Fuckhead drummer DD 

Kern, as well as The Broken Penis Orchestra. Also included are 

rare tracks by Steven Wilson, Zyx and Cluster pioneer Roedelius 

and some long deleted 7" tracks from the Syntactic label by 

Tuxedomoon singer Blaine L. Reininger, Werner Möbius, O 

Yuki Conjugate and Mego electronic wizard Pita Rehberg. 

Limited edition of 500 copies with six page booklet." [Klanggalerie info] 

* HEIZUNG RAUM 318 CD (1000Füssler 008, 2007) [ed. of 300] 

€ 13.00 

Eines schönen Tages kamen vier Hamburger Geräuschmusiker auf die 

für manch einen etwas absonderlich scheinende Idee, die seltsamen 

Klänge, die die kaputte Heizung an ihrem gemeinsamen Treffpunkt 

(dem sogenannten 'Raum 318') von sich gab, aufzunehmen und dies 

als Ausgangsmaterial für ihre eigenen Musiken einzusetzen. 

Die kurzweiligen und natürlich gar zauberhaften Ergebnisse dieses 

Einfalls sind z.B. mit "heiz" und "keine Wärme" betitelt und befinden 

sich auf diesem feinen Tonträger, und zwar kreiert von STEFAN 

FUNCK, GREGORY BÜTTNER, ASMUS TIETCHENS, und NICOLAI 

STEPHAN. Auch das Originalmaterial gibt es zu hören. 

"The four musicians have been meeting weekly in room 318 for years, 

but only now did they create music using the acoustics of the room. To 

be more precise, using one element in the room: the heating. The 

heating has two problems: first, it doesn‘t heat. Second, it whistles. 

Problem one is unnerving, especially during the winter. Problem two 

can be used aesthetically: by turning the radiator knobs, not only can 

the pitch of the whistling be varied, by using several radiators a 

multitude of sounds and noises can be created. To add to that, the 

three radiators used influence one another so that the musicians can 

provoke aimed acoustic situations. The three radiators were played 

simultaneously and recorded using a room microphone to create the 

material for the seven tracks. The unedited version can be heard on 

track eight."[credits] 

* IDIOSCAPES CD (Idiosyncratic Records idcd 001, 2007) € 10.00 

Nice compilation on new belgique label, special priced ! 

"the idea was to ask some of our favourite sound artists to take part in a 

compilation . . . and, to our surprise, they accepted. The only concept 

was that they had to provide a specific / particular / idiosyncratic piece. 

qualified as a “drone paradise” by lasse marhaug (of jazkamer), the 

result is a fine and coherent whole, full of extended textures, contrasted 

acoustic surfaces, subtle and strong. Idioscapes contains 70 minutes of 

authentic acoustic researches, with glitches, loops, noises, deep and 

glittering textures, subliminal frequences and narrative inserts, 

punctured with sensible musical moments. 

idioscapes is a very nice object with a beautiful digipacked artwork. 

01 janek schaefer : scarlett arrives - for scarlett schaefer 

02 keith fullerton whitman : quest appartments, Newcastle NSW 

03 critikal : critically fluffy 

04 rapoon : the moment screams 

05 kk null : idioscape / decomposition 

06 charlemagne palestine : la beauté et la bête 

07 steffen bashô-junghans : the blue hour 

08 sébastien roux : D 821 

09 troum : fantauma 

10 eve and the sickness : infected nature 

11 jazkamer (lasse marhaug) : ruido rosa 5 minutos 

12 daniel menche : cadence 

13 idiosyncrasia : filt_h " [label info] 

* IZNUTRI CD (Ewers Tonkunst HHE 014CD, 2007) € 14.00 

Russian compilation compiled by (and for) IVAN "ASTERIUS" 

NAPREENKO, "dedicated to the Happy End of Times", with exclusive 

material from HUM, CISFINITUM, REUTOFF, KRYTPOGEN RUNDFUNK, 

SAL SOLARIS, HYPNOZ, NEUTRAL, SEDATIVE, CYCLOTIMIA, 

MAJDANEK WALTZ, O PARADIS, OTZEPENEVSHIYE, QUATTRO BRAVO 

EBALLIEROS, ALLERSEELEN, RAPOON, and TROUM. 

“Iznutri” (‘From The Inside’ in russian) is an international compilation of 

the eschatological music with a motto “Dedicated to the Happy End of 

Times”. The story of mankind knows many examples of obsessions by 

eschatology, but they were never as common and overwhelmed as 

nowadays. In waiting for the end of Times we tried to listen that very 

special sound of solemn and enchanted yearning for deliverance. 

“Iznutri” is a foreboding : the suffocating desert of the modern linear 

time will explode like a moldering mushroom one day, revealing the 

contours of eternal existence. But, only special Eye-Witness could 

survive this threatening transformation, and any of us must expect his 

appearance only from the inside. The following artists has granted us 

with their exclusive unreleased tracks: Cisfinitum, Allerseelen, Reutoff, 

Sedative, Kryptogen Rundfunk, Majdanek Waltz, Sal Solaris, Hypnoz, 

Troum, Cyclotimia, Otzepenevshiye, O Paradis, Rapoon, Neutral, Hum, 

Quattro Bravo Eballieros. The CD comes in a black and white fold-out 

digisleeve...." [label info] 

* LISTEN TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT CD (Ars Macabre 

Records AMREC 04 CD, 2007) € 13.00 

ARS MACABRE is a record-shop and mail-order in ROSTOCK (the 

very north-east of Germany) existing since 1995, who also co-organized 

many experimental concerts on the ship MS STUBNITZ in the harbour 

of Rostock. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of this shop (who works 

under quite difficult conditions) a compilation-project was started, which 

could finally be released now in May 2007. Some of label-owners Frank 

Krögers all-time faves were put together on this high-quality collection 

of experimental & electronic music: Old heroes that already ceased to 

exist or were silent for a long time (MUSLIMGAUZE, CONTROLLED 

BLEEDING, ETANT DONNES), famous long-existing projects (ASMUS 

TIETCHENS, HAFLER TRIO, AUBE), ambient & dark drone-stuff 

(BEEQUEEN, TROUM, INADE, WINDFAHNENAMT), plus the antigenre 

acts COLUMN ONE and DITTERICH VON EULER- 

DONNERSPERG. 

"With all exclusive and previously unreleased songs, except Étant 

Donnés (appears on “La Vie Nouvelle” 2003) and Windfahnenamt 

(appears on “Windfahnenamt” 2001), LISTEN TO SOMETHING 

DIFFERENT offers not only a starting point for new listeners and 

musical explorers, but also a substantial addition to any experimental 

music lover’s collection. One carefully assembled compilation that 

ambitiously unites 13 internationally acclaimed experimental artists and 

is released as a fine 6-panel digipak CD. Ars Macabre is a record store 

and mail order service operating in Rostock, Germany and is 

specializing in the distribution of experimental music since 1995." [label 

info] 

* ROULETTE RUSSE POUR UN PEU DE CAVIAR CD 

(Monochrome Vision (mv12), 2007) € 13.00 

DMITRY VASILYEV ist seit Jahren mit seinem I.E.M.-Magazin einer der 

Hauptakteure und Unterstützer der russischen Experimental-Elektronik- 

Drone Szene; seit einiger Zeit nun betreibt er darüberhinaus das

MONOCHROME VISION-Label, welches neben Wiederveröffentlichungen 

längst vergessener Perlen des globalen 

Experimental-Undergrounds auch aktuellen Musiken verlegt. Der 

Franzose PHILIPPE BLANCHARD hat nun, als Kenner der russischen 

Szene, für Monchrome Vision eine Compilation mit einem Querschnitt 

zusammengestellt, die wieder beeindruckend zeigt, welch besondere 

Qualität viele russische Experimental-Projekte aufweisen. Neben 

bekannteren Drone Records-Favoriten wie CISFINITUM, HUM und 

BARDOSENETICCUBE finden sich hier auch für uns neue Namen wie 

KOLPAKOPF, INSTANT MOVIE COMBINATIONS oder INTERIOR 

DISPOSITION.... hervorragende Tracks, meist im "transcendental / 

experimental Drone"-Bereich. Einen wirklichen Ausfall gibt es hier nicht 

zu vermelden, und so möchten wir diese Comp. fast uneingeschränkt 

empfehlen, man kann sie "in einem Rutsch" durchhören! 

"The compilation of exclusive tracks by russian artists, intended for the 

presentation on "Bruit de la neige" 2007 festival by Studio Forum 

(Annecy, France). Some of them are good known in Russia and 

worldwide, some are just the newcomers, but all are showing the great 

potential of russian experimental music scene in the fields of 

electroacoustic, abstract electronic music, drone ambient and noise 

collages. Release date is 30th March 2007. Limited edition of 500 

copies in jewelcase." [label info] 

* SUR-TERRE.NET: Soundtrack for variable fiction, directed by 

Chatonsky CD (Ytterbium 17, 2006) € 13.50 

Geräuschmusik- & "Experimental Drone"-Soundtrack für einen Film von 

GREGORY CHATONSKY, der für ARTE TV produziert wurde. Die 

Highlights kommen unserer Ansicht nach von FRANCISCO LOPEZ, 

PITA & HAZARD, die mit tiefbassigen knirschenden Drones und 

wahren Rauschbomben begeistern, insgesamt eine sehr 

abwechslungsreiche Compilation zwischen digitaler Electronica & fieldrecording 

Geräuschkunst.. 

Soundtrack for an ARTE-film by GREGORY CHATONSKY, with tracks 

by: SCANNER, FENNESZ, ATAU TANAKA / FRANCISCO LOPEZ, 

STEVE RODEN, VLADISLAV DELAY, TIM HECKER, HAZARD, PURE, 

PITA, CHRISTOPHE CHARLES, HELLER, ABSTRACKT KEAL 

AGRAM, ROBERT BABICZ, GENERAL MAGIC... 

* UNTITLED. A TRIBUTE TO ZDZISLAW BEKSINSKI CD (Wrotycz 

Records WRT004, 2007) € 16.00 

Compilation dedicated to the polish painter & sculptor Z. BEKSINSKI, 

who was murdered in Febr. 2005 in Warsaw. Includes 12 postcards 

with replicas of his dark & surrealistic paintings (all untitled). Unreleased 

tracks by: ASMOROD, CONTEMPLATRON, DESIDERII MARGINIS, 

GUSTAF HILDEBRAND, HIS DIVINE GRACE, HYBRYDS, INADE, 

JOB KARMA, KRATONG, NECROPHORUS, SVARTSINN, ZENIAL. 

Very beautiful edition (oversized map-cover), recommended! 

"Two years ago we were all shocked by the news about the death of 

Zdzislaw Beksinski, one of the greatest painters of the XX century, 

murdered in his flat in February 2005. It’s a great loss for all people who 

appreciated a great artistic value although he was considered as a 

creator of dark and gloomy paintings and it was not so easy to deal with 

his visions. 12 artists from 7 countries decided to pay a tribute to Mr. 

Beksinski and create a compilation which will help us firstly to 

remember about his outstanding paintings and secondly spread the 

knowledge about Mr. Beksinski among those who did not have a 

chance to appreciate his craft while he was alive. The compilation will 

be released on Feb 21st which is the second anniversary of the tragic 

death of Mr. Beksinski. The Album contains special tracks, never 

released before and inspired by the works of Mr. Beksinski. As his 

paintings were never titled, all tracks are unnamed as well. 

It is not possible to transform the image into the music, but, we believe, 

it is possible to create the music illustrating the image, reflecting the 

mood of somebody's visions... Try to guess Beksinski's visions dreams 

and nightmares... 

Please notice: Part of the proceeds of this release will be handed over 

to the Muzeum Historyczne of Sanok, the major owner of Beksinski’s 

works. It will support the Gallery of Zdzislaw Beksinski. 

Copyright Ó for the replicas of Beksinski’s painting by Muzeum 

Historyczne of Sanok. Format: CD, folding cover + 12 charts with 

replicas of Beksinski’s works" [label info] 

"Durtro/Jnana is honored and excited to announce the release of the 

soundtrack Songs From Cam Archer's film Wild Tigers I Have Known. 

Andria Degens and Cam Archer have produced the album. The CD 

features songs and music selected by Archer, along with original 

sketches and photo stills from the film. The 13-track collection features 

unreleased songs from Djuna Bel, Pantaleimon, Anders & Woods, and 

Emily Jane White, along with previously released material by Six 

Organs of Admittance and Current 93, and songs specifically composed 

for the film by the filmmaker's brother Nate Archer." [label info] 

* WOMEN IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC – 1977 CD (New World Records 

80653-2, 2006) € 13.00 

Wieder erhältlich, dieser Klassiker, erschien vorher auf "Composers 

Records" (1997) ! 

"Re-Release einer der wenigen Compilations der elektronischen Musik 

(LP von 1977!), die nur Komponistinnen präsentiert. Am bekanntesten 

sicher LAURIE ANDERSON und PAULINE OLIVEROS, aber auch die 

Arbeiten von JOHANNA M. BEYER, ANNEA LOCKWOOD, LAURIE 

SPIEGEL, MEGAN ROBERTS und RUTH ANDERSON können sich 

sehen und hören lassen!" [old Drone Records info] 

'This is a long-awaited reissue of the CRI CD of the classic 1750 Arch LP. The 

music on this album exhibits an exciting, wide-open, freewheeling approach to the 

medium of electronic music which has come to be typical of this genre in the late 

1970s. No longer are composers obsessively concerned with the agonizing, 

expressionistic, and purely 'electronic' (synthesized) sound formulas which 

marked much of this music composed between the mid Fifties and the late Sixties. 

instead, today we have composers willing to mix media and sonic materials in 

thoroughly inventive ways to achieve ends which are new-sounding, and often 

more engaging, than that of the 'academic' avant-garde. This is the outgrowth of a 

fundamental change in concerns which has been evolving not only among the 

composers on this album but also in a growing segment of the musical avantgarde, 

of which these members are some of the most fecund and inspired. These 

new sources of inspiration certainly were not as widely shared fifteen years ago. 

Several composers represented here are deeply concerned with Eastern 

influences: meditation, healing, trance, states of serenity. Others are inspired by 

traditional (or 'ethnic') musics and their subsequent metamorphoses into such 

popular forms as rock and roll. Still others bring to bear a sense of wit and satire, 

rarely a prominent feature of avant-garde music in the early 1960s. This first 

anthology of women's electronic music demonstrates great refinement and skill at 

work in a variety of different styles, several of which are unfamiliar or new even to 

those who follow contemporary music. The fact that these pieces are more 

listenable than that of the Sixties avant-garde does not point to a musical 

regression as some critics have overeagerly assumed when discussing modern 

works using, say, consonant harmonic structures. Rather, and I think this is 

common denominator for these pieces and something which women composers 

and artists have been instrumental in legitimizing again for this period in time, 

these works signify a new consciousness of the relationship of art to human life 

and the important and positive interaction which can be the role of a more 

personalized art in our day-to-day experience.' Charles Amirkhanian, August 

1977. 'music of the Spheres' (1938) (Johanna M. Beyer), 'World Rhythms' (1975) 

(Annea Lockwood), 'Bye Bye Butterfly' (1965) (Pauline Oliveros), 'Appalachian 

Grove I' (1974) (Laurie Spiegel), 'I Could Sit Here All Day' (1976) (Megan 

Roberts), 'Points' (1973Ð74) (Ruth Anderson), 'New York Social Life' (1977), 

'Time to Go' (1977) (Laurie Anderson)." [label press release] 

* 20 JAHRE INVENTIONEN VI CD (Edition RZ 10016, 2007) 

€ 14.00 

"Elektroakustische Kompositionen von Edgar Barroso, Mario Verandi, 

Paul Wilson, Ricardo Climent, Vladimir Djambazov und Ludger 

Brümmer. Aufgenommen bei den Inventionen Festivals 2005 und 2006" 

[label info] 

Diverse newcomers from the "academic" New Music-area are to find on 

this great new compilation from Edition RZ, presenting the participants 

from the INVENTIONEN-Festivals in Berlin 2005 & 2006. Most 

composers work with field recordings or acoustc object phenomena and 

process these sounds with digital software means. 

The brilliant piece from EDGAR BARROSO i.e. uses only the "noise"- 

components of instrumental sounds (called "residuals") and creates 

with help of the new software (SMS-Spectral Modeling Synthesis) 

amazingly complex layerings of the "secondary" noises. 

* WILD TIGERS I HAVE KNOWN CD (Durtro Jnana 2007) 

€ 14.50 

"Wild Tigers I have known ist schwules Kino von Cam Archer. In dem 

künstlerisch anspruchsvollen Film geht es um einen 13jährigen Jungen 

der seine Homosexualität entdeckt. Der wunderbare Soundtrack dazu 

kommt hier auf CD und stammt in der Masse aus dem aktuellen Current 

93 Umfeld, was ihn für uns interessant macht. Allein schon das kurze 

aber fesselnde Intro von David Tibet ist - wenn man seine Stimme mag 

- faszinierend, die restliche CD schwebt in meist spärischen und 

folkigen Klängen." [Neofolk.de]

5. BOOKS & MAGS 

* AUF ABWEGEN Nr. 36 (Frühjahr 2007) € 5.00 

articles & interviews with / about FEAR FALLS BURNING, EARTH, SUNN 

O))), SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, RONNIE SUNDIN, BILL VIOLA, tons 

of reviews, much better layouted than before, german language mainly !! 

* BAD ALCHEMY No. 54 (Juni 2007) mag € 3.00 

long reviews about releases from AUF ABWEGEN, AMBIANCES 

MAGNETIQUES, CUNEIFORM, DEKORDER, DRONE RECORDS, 

TROUM, EMANEM, EMPREINTES DIGITALES, INTAKT, KOMPLOTT, 

KORM PLASTICS, MONOCHROME VISION, ReR MEGACORP, Y-TON-G, 

TZADIK, GHEDALIA TAZARTES, and much more, concert-reviews 

(OTOMO YOSHIHIDE QUARTET, SURVIVAL UNIT III, VAN DER GRAAF 

GENERATOR), DVD-reviews, 88 pages, german language, A5-format 

* BAD ALCHEMY No. 55 (August 2007) mag € 3.00 

"PORTRÄT PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE; THE THING vs ZU: LIVE IM W71; 

JOHN ZORNS POSSESSIONS; BELGIAN SOUNDSCAPES: HALF 

ASLEEP - IGNATZ (Michael Zinsmaier); DAS POP-ANALPHABETH: BEINS 

- RLW; DER PROVOKATEUR UND DIE DAME: KOMMISSAR HJULER 

UND FRAU; LEST, IHR RATTEN: ÜBER DISCO EXTRAVAGANZA & 

SURF-BEAT ABC; PORTRÄT COR GOUT: SAVE THE DORMOUSE; 88 

Seiten, keine Werbung." [Verlagsinfo] 

* DISCO EXTRAVAGANZA. Eine Reise ins 

Wunderland der sonderbaren Töne 

von Jens Raschke (Ventil Verlag, 2007) € 13.90 

"Ein hochkomisches Kompendium über die sonderbarsten Platten 

der Musikgeschichte. 

Was haben Captain Kirk, eine Lady aus Hongkong, Amerikas erster 

Hippie, Miss St. Louis 1926, der Gründer der Satanskirche, ein 

israelischer Gabelbieger und eine Horde kanadischer Schulkinder 

gemeinsam - Sie alle haben mindestens einmal in ihrem Leben einen 

Tonträger aufgenommen, der fernab von allem liegt, was der 

durchschnittliche Konsument für gewöhnlich unter dem Begriff "Musik" 

versteht, und den sich vermutlich nur die wenigsten Liebhaber der 

sogenannten "schönen Töne" ohne Gewaltandrohung ins Regal stellen 

würden. 

Der Soundforscher Jens Raschke hat die kuriosesten Aufnahmen der 

Musikgeschichte zusammengetragen und mit den nicht minder 

ungewöhnlichen Biografien ihrer Macherinnen und Macher garniert: 

vom singenden John-Lennon-Medium über einen gesichtsverbrannten 

Produzenten für Beerdigungsmusik bis zur verschollensten Platte des 

Universums. 

Disco Extravaganza ist eine irrwitzige Reise durch das Wunderland der 

unerhörten Töne, hin- und hergerissen zwischen Spott und 

Ergriffenheit, Stutzen und Begeisterung. Das erste und ultimative 

deutschsprachige Kompendium zum Thema "Incredibly Strange Music" 

liegt hiermit endlich vor." [Verlagsinfo] 

DREAM MAGAZINE No. 6 (2006) € 11.00 

Articles about CURRENT 93, MICHAEL GIRA, STEVE RODEN, SIX 

ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE, VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA, 

WINDY & CARL, and many more from the wyrd-folk & impro/psychdrone 

scene; incl CD with previously unreleased material by NICK 

CASTRO, MY CAT IS AN ALIEN, VIBRACATHEDRAL, etc etc over 100 

pages. 

DREAM MAGAZINE No. 7 (2007) € 11.00 

Articles about BEEQUEEN, LOREN CONNORS, HENRY FLYNT, 

SHARRON KRAUS, TOR LUNDVALL, etc.etc. , incl. CD with previously 

unreleased music by YELLOW6, FREIBAND, TOR LUNDVALL, etc 

etc.. almost 100 pages. 

* EXTRACT - PORTRAIT OF SOUNDARTISTS 

BOOK / 2 x CD (Nonvisualobjects NVO 011, 2007) 

[lim. 500] € 36.00 

"Since we started the label Nonvisualobjects two years ago, many 

collaborations with artists worldwide have arisen, a large, growing 

network has evolved and an extensive body of work has been formed 

that we would like to explore and try to sum up. The book developed 

from the idea of presenting an extract of artists involved in the current 

experimental electro-acoustic music scene, often following a rather 

reduced approach in their work. We would like to present artists that 

work in different areas in this field of electroacoustic music, to cover a 

large spectrum even in this quite specific area. With essays, interviews, 

photos, drawings and other materials presented in this book, we try to 

look at the motivation and intention behind the sound production from 

different perspectives, to possibly allow for a new-extended approach to 

this form of music. Many of the artists involved in this project do not 

exclusively work with sound, but also in other artistic disciplines. In this 

book we would like to present these other sides of their work to allow 

crossreferences-crosslinks to open up new aspects of the music. 

EXTRACT contains interviews, essays, photos, drawings and 22 tracks 

by: Keith Berry, Richard Chartier, Taylor Deupree, Heribert Friedl, 

Richard Garet, Andy Graydon, Bernhard Günter, John Hudak, I8U, 

Dean King, Dale Lloyd, Roel Meelkop, Will Montgomery, Tomas Philips, 

Steve Roden, Jos Smolders, Steinbrüchel, Nao Sugimoto (aka mondii), 

Asmus Tietchens, Toshiya Tsunoda, Ubeboet and Michael Vorfeld.' 

Limited edition: 500." [label info] 

"....The sheer silence of Chartier, I8U, Dean King and Meelkop, but also 

the street sounds of Gunter, the radio looped minimalism of Hudak, the 

looped ambience of Taylor Deupree (who has a true trademark sound 

by now), drone like material from Dale Lloyd and Keith Berry, Jos 

Smolders' musique concrete based on environmental sounds, or even a 

bit more noise based as with Will Montgomery. It's the smaller 

variations perhaps to the untrained ear, but major ones to people who 

are used to microsound. Also included are Heribert Friedl, Richard 

Garet, Andy Graydon, Tomas Philips, Steinbruchel, Nao Sugimoto, 

Asmus Tietchens, Toshiya Tsunoda, Ubeboet and Micheal Vorfeld. One 

could wonder a bit over the selection here, which seems a bit arbitrary. 

Why no Francisco Lopez, Stephan Mathieu or Marc Behrens But it's 

perhaps too much of a personal selection, but at the same time it 

introduces us to some lesser known people such as Andy Graydon, 

Richard Garet and Micheal Vorfeld (who is better known in a different 

scene, I guess, that of improvised music). This is an incomplete 

overview but it may serve as an excellent introduction to the uninitiated 

as well as shedding some light on some of the people we know so well, 

but who don't get so much coverage in the real press. As such the best 

book this year so far." [FdW / Vital weekly] 

* FEAR DROP No. 13 mag (Fear Drop 2007) € 12.00 

Great new issue with long articles about JANEK SCHAEFER, 

RAPOON, JOHN BALANCE, RICHARD CHARTIER, NADJA/AIDAN 

BAKER, KK NULL, TOY BIZARRE, LIONEL MARCHETTI, etc... plus 

bonus CD with mainly exclusive material of most of the artists featured 

in the mag (and also: REFORMED FACTION OF ZOVIET FRANCE, 

NETHERWORLD..) ... plus small extra mag with review only......french 

language. Price a little higher now but this is really essential. 

IKONEN – Zeitschrift für Kunst, Kultur und 

Lebensart 

* IKONEN-MAGAZIN Nr. 9 (Ikonenverlag, 2006) € 5.50 

"Documentes - George Bataille-Ausstellung in London 

Von Bettina Papenburg 

Artur Omar - Fotograf der Ekstase 

Von Peter Schulze 

Interview mit Lutz Dammbeck 

Von Oliver Meyer 

Fakir Musafar - Vater der Modern Primitives 

Von Birthe Klementowski 

Johnny Depp Der postmoderne Rebell 

Von Thomas Klein 

Hans-Jürgen Syberbergs Geschichtsmontagen Teil 2 

Von Bernd Kiefer 

Der Dichter Walt Whitman 

Von Dominik Irtenkauf, mit Fotos von Paul Cava 

10 Anmerkungen zu Brian de Palma 

Von Ivo Ritzer 

Todestraumata im Kino 

Von Alexander Geimer 

Das sechste Gebot - Der Musiker Patrick Leagas und 6 Comm 

Von Gernot Musch 

Jonathan Caouettes TARNATION 

Von Alejandro Bachmann 

Rezensionen: Laibach, Sunao Inami, Graumadh, Schloss Tegal, Arktau 

Eos, Karjalan Sissit, Tribe of Circle, Joolie Wood, Ure Thrall, Dernière 

Volonté, Botho Strauß ("Mikado") 

Beilage: Katalog von absolut Medien" [Verlagsinfo] 

* IKONEN-MAGAZIN Nr. 10 (Ikonenverlag, 2007) € 5.50 

German language cultural magazine, 5th anniversary issue 64 pages 

(16 more!), printed on high quality paper, full of strange and extreme 

impressions: articles on Wiener Aktionismus, shamans in Korea, Lydia 

Lunch and pro-porn feminism, Woven Hand, Arrabals surrealism, 

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, The Stooges Reunion, Franz Kafka's 

heritage, Jean Genet's poetic cruelty, Films on 'Secret Germany' and

Céline, Tsukamoto, Rozz Williams and much more. Reviews: NIN, 

Deutsch Nepal, Desiderii Marginis, Sixth Comm, Circular, Post 

Scriptvm, Darkwood, Lady Morphia... 

* ODRADEK - Nr. 5 (Summer 2007) mag 

(Wachsender Prozess, 2007) € 5.00 

DIY-magazine issued by TBC from Hamburg, with lots of reviews from the 

experimental underworld plus interviews & articles about 

WÄLDCHENGARTEN, FLYING LUTTENBACHERS, ECUADOR SZENE 

BERICHT, JEROME NOETINGER, "RAUSCHEN IST DER SOUND DER 

DIFFERENZ", ETAT BRUT, CHRISTIAN RENOU / BRUME. german 

language. 

TESTCARD 

* TESTCARD Nr. 16: EXTREMISMUS BUCH (Ventil Verlag, 

2007) € 14.50 

Das neue Testcard ist für Experimental- & Noise-Freunde nach der 

SOUND-Ausgabe (Nr. 3) sicher die interessanteste Ausgabe seitdem, 

sehr zu empfehlen ! 

"Nahezu alle Provokationsstrategien von einst sind im Kapitalismus 

aufgegangen, also von der Mode und Kulturindustrie einverleibt 

worden" Hier ein Auszug aus der Inhaltsübersicht: 

Torsten Nagel: "Es ist deutsch in Kaltland." Die Verschmelzung von 

Pop und Nation zum Mainstream. 

Jens Thomas: Anti-Anti-Flag. Über den neuen Normalisierungsschub 

von Nationalfarben. 

Martin Büsser: Alles nur ein Missverständnis. Über die Verwurzelung 

"extremer" Musik in der bürgerlichen Kultur und den "Extremismus" des 

Mainstreams. 

Nicolas Dierks: Eine kurze Einführung zur Skandalgeschichte der 

Musik. 

Peter Kaemmerer: Radikal-Crossover. Mark Stewart & The Maffia. The 

Pop Group Interview. 

Florian Sievers: Throbbing Gristle. Katharsis gegen Konventionen. 

Andreas Rauscher: Radikaler als die Sex Pistols Die Story von Public 

Image Limited. 

Matthias A. Rauch: Extrem (un)gefährlich. Die Möglichkeit des 

subversiven Extrems in der Postmoderne. Ein Gespräch mit Mayo 

Thompson. 

Susanna Niedermayr: Wenn man mit dem ganzen Körper hört. 

Körperliche Grenzerfahrung als Musik. 

Ed Benndorf: Runzelstirn & Gurgelstock. Im Gespräch mit Rudolf Eb.er 

und Daniel Löwenbrück über Noch-Musik und Psychohygiene. 

Frank Apunkt Schneider: Der Zusammenprall alter und junger Rebellen. 

Oder: Was Punk im Mai 1977 im Fachblatt zu suchen hatte. 

Martin Büsser: Zu extrem für MTV. Die vergessene Generation. Im 

Gespräch mit dem Regisseur Paul Rachman (American Hardcore). 

Kommissar Hjuler: schlimmer als die Polizei erlaubt. Tonbandprotokoll 

einer polizei-internen Anhörung, ans Licht der Öffentlichkeit gezerrt von 

Johannes Ullmaier und Stefan Bremer. 

Susann Witt-Stahl: "Party in der Gaskammer ...". Der Holocaust und die 

Grenzen der Kulturindustrie. 

Christian Hißnauer: RAF exploited. Terror-Spektakel zwischen Blutorgie 

und Schwulenporno. 

Marcus Stiglegger: Die Wüste, das Nichts. Radikal existenzialistisches 

Kino von Bruno Dumont. 

Enno Stahl: Aktionskunst, Schmerz und Hard Core. Extreme Positionen 

in der zeitgenössischen Performance. 

Moritz Honert: Der will nur spielen. Ein Interview mit Jonathan Meese. 

* YASUNAO TONE - Geography and Music BOOK & 

mCD (Ashiya City Museum of Art & History, 2007) € 15.50 

"An exhibition catalog + mini CD for his first live performances in Japan 

after 28 years. An interview (text only in Japanese... but includes many 

rare photographs), criticism, bibliography, discography. 12 x 18cm, 

50pp. CD is recorded Tone's unreleased work Geography and Music 

(1979) performed by John Cage-Takehisa Kosugi (reading), David 

Tudor (piano), Martin Calve (Chinese 7 strings zither) in 1983." [label 

info] 

6. T-SHIRTS / ART-OBJECTS / OTHER 

STUFF 

T-SHIRTS: 

* BASS COMMUNION - Loss T-SHIRT (Soleilmoon, 2007) 

[ed. of 100, size L] € 20.00 

Äusserst schönes T-Shirt mit dem LOSS-Cover und goldener Umrandung 

auf braunem Shirt ! 

"100% cotton Hanes ‘Beefy T’ shirt, dark brown, with the quietly evocative 

cover art from the "Loss” DVDA+CD package printed on the chest. An 

antique border printed in metallic gold frames the image, and the names 

"Bass Communion” and “"Loss” are printed directly below." [Soleilmoon] 

DRONE RECORDS, Stefan Knappe, Celler Str. 33, 28205 Bremen, 

Germany www.dronerecords.de 

ANSWERPHONE : x49-(0)421-79 42 996 

e-mail: drone@dronerecords.de 

Mailing/Discussion-List: Subscribe to our mailing-list at: 

www.yahoogroups.com 

You can always download a PDF-version of the NEWSLISTS from the 

website! There's also a full database with updated stock & research & 

order function. 

AGB // TERMS // ORDER & PAYMENT CONDITIONS: 

ORDERS : 

- via e-mail, fax, snail mail, answerphone [PLEASE STATE PRICES 

WITH YOUR ORDER !] 

- for telephonic orders speak on our answer-phone x49-421-7942996 

- minimum order: € 25.00 

- BACK-ORDERS: in general we do back-orders for titles not in stock, 

but re-orderable! please tell us if you don’t want that ! 

- RESERVATIONS: we do reservations (for a limited period of time) 

- ALL PRICES EXCLUSIVE POSTAGE, incl. 19% VAT ! 

VERSANDKOSTEN / POSTAGE & TRANSPORT-COSTS: 

Deutschland: Versandpauschale versichertes Paket (DHL): € 5.00 

(große Bestellungen liefern wir portofrei oder -reduziert! ) 

Europe / Overseas : small orders be send as a letter package, or as 

letter, airmail or surface. Bigger orders as DHL-parcel (premium or 

economy). WE WILL INFORM YOU ABOUT COST OF YOUR ORDER 

BEFORE. 

BITTE ERSATZTITEL ANGEBEN FALLS MÖGLICH ! PLEASE 

STATE SUBSTITUTIONAL TITLES IF YOU CAN ! 

BITTE IMMER PREISE MITANGEBEN ! 

PLEASE ALWAYS NOTE PRICES WHEN YOU ORDER ! 

PAYMENT / BEZAHLUNG: 

[Zahlung: Cash, Überweisung, Zahlungsanweisung, Scheck, paypal] 

[Payment: cash, money-order, bank-transfer, paypal, cheque] 

paypal to : drone@dronerecords.de, please add paypal-charges. 

[Bankverbindung: Empfänger "S. Knappe" (nicht "Drone"): 

Kto. 177786300 POSTBANK Hannover (BLZ 250 100 30)] 

IBAN-transfer: DE73250100300177786300 BIC: PBNKDEFF 

Receiver: S. Knappe (not "Drone Records"!) 

* WIRE. THE - Issue # 279 (May 2007) mag & CD € 8,75 

116 pages, DEREK JARMAN, RHYS CHATHAM, CARLOS GIFFONI, 

etc. plus "The Wire Tapper 17" CD with THROBBING GRISTLE 

(exclusive edit!), STIMULUS, ZELIENOPLE, KEN IKEDA, 

KAMMERFLIMMER KOLLEKTIV, and 15 more tracks!

CODES: - Drone Records

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