art is everywhere part - 34

This time around mail art from parts unknown!!!

found picture of the day

Various Artists – silver label (CD)

I bought this at Renaissance Montréal for 2.00 $. This CD comes inside a cool silver metal box. This is an electronic music compilation featuring a good dose of local talents. It`s not a recent release though, it came out in 2005. This a nice and long (14 tracks for a grand total of 70.50 minutes) electronic music compilation. It offers various music styles: minimal electronica (L`Oreille Cassée), trip hop (Curlee Peloso, Frivolous), IDM (Jay Hunsberger, Akufen, Dante & Dhula, Mike Shannon), dance floor groovy electronic music (Champion AKA DJ Champion), funky minimal house (The Mole), chill-out electronica (Slumber), minimal house (Orazio Fantini), and lo-fi song oriented electronica (Montag). The first song done by L`oreille Cassée took my head off, amazing minimal electronica with some lo-fi groovy elements thrown in, kinda short though (1.02 minutes). I would listen to this one all night. Anyways we`re always asking for perfection whilst nobody`s perfect. You figure it out.

Your Life Has Been Deciphered For You – reformulate sacrosanct impulses (CD-R)

Since 1986, `Your Life Has Been…For You `has been an international artist collaboration arranged by Zan Hoffman (Zanstones, Bodycocktail, ZH27). There`s no melody, no song structure, no lyrics, therefore this is not music per se. There`s some noise bits, no harsh noise, therefore it`s not a pure noise album either. It is an interesting recording, there`s a nice blend of `musical` moments mixed with ambience, lo-fi ambient noise, found sounds / samples, field recordings, sounds of unknown origins, with a good dose of silence / minimalism included. Upon the first listen, I thought that this was some type of improvised wanking / noodling. To be honest after repeated listening, I can say, yes it does feel improvised, but it`s also been edited. In fact it sounds pretty damned good, in it`s own particular style. What style you might ask? I would say organized aural chaos with homemade subtlety / sensitivity / serenity perhaps. For the curious, more open minded music listener out there. I like it, therefore you should (just kidding). Lots of freebies here: https://archive.org/details/zh27

Mourmansk150 – triumphant over your remains (CD)

It was a hot Sunday afternoon. I`m record hunting on Mont-Royal street, there`s a lot a great second hand record / book stores in that area. I`m scoping out the electronic music Cd`s when lo and behold, I see an Mourmansk150 CD. I`m always surprised when I find a noise recording in a second hand shop. Noise is not a popular style, except in Japan. This album was stuck between a Chemical Brothers and Moby CD`s. I look at the price 5.00 $, good deal I`m thinking. I give the CD to the cashier, ready to pay. He looks at the album, looks at me with a weird face and says:

- This is not music, it`s noise.

- I know that, I like noise.

- You like noise?

- What you consider music could be noise for me ears and vice-versa.

- I guess you`re right. Not too many folks buy noise albums.

- Agreed.

- would you like me to put some noise on the side for you?

- Thanks, but it`s not necessary. I like to hear noise once in awhile.  I like Mourmansk150. They`re interesting.

- Ok then.

At the end of the day, I bought ten albums. I come home all sweaty and all take a shower and lay down on me couch. There`s thirteen songs of power electronics / experimental noise. While not re-inventing the wheel, this is an interesting album. They use a potent mix of noise + voice and / or power electronics + voice. I enjoyed the listening experience. Standout tracks of the moment are:

5 – Untitled (20 seconds) = nice short instrumental drone / noise bursts.

7 – Untitled (28 seconds) = nice nearly ambient noise material.

9 – Untitled (4.53 minutes) = some type of banging going on + voice + lo-fi noise rumblings, I like it, I like it, I like it. Other Mourmansk150 recordings I recommend (if you can find them):

A – Témoignages et documents (their first album various experimentations at work here).

B – Autopsy (on Smell The Stench).

http://www.smellthestench.net/

More information here: http://www.mourmansk150.org/index0.html

Here:             

https://myspace.com/mourmansk150

And here:

http://nordwaves.fr/index.php?title=Mourmansk150

art is everywhere part - 33

More insanity from The Haddock!!!

The Haddock
2760 Willamette st # 205
Eugene
Oregon
97405
USA

Sister Loolomie – signals (CD)

Sister Loolomie is a solo project of (S), member of Exit In Grey (a Russian drone duo). Another fine release from Zhelezobeton (limited edition of 250 copies). There`s five tracks for a total running time of 48.54 minutes. What does it sound like? Well, here`s a brief description.

1 – No final decision here (13.53 minutes) = a collision of drones + ambient noise = subtle / relaxing / peaceful, pure aural bliss.

2 – About corpuscles (10.07 minutes) = ambient music with some nice lo-fi ambient noises = minimalism never felt so good.

3 – Prelude and part about pink dream (11.04 minutes) = minimal ambience / ambient noise + field recordings and / or subtle drones = just what my ears ordered.

4 – Sleep before the alarm (6.00 minutes) = found sounds / samples, ambient noise with numerous cutups = a challenging, but worthy listening experience.

5 – Light and cold (7.50 minutes) = peaceful rhythmic ambience. The conclusion of an almost perfect album. Contact them for availability here: http://zhb.radionoise.ru/

 

 

Homemade postcard of the day

Birds Build Nests Underground & Aranos - the mumps reflection (CD)

I recently got a parcel from Petr Ferenc (Czech Republic) with a mini CD (Phaerentz – Phaerentz) and a regular sized CD (this one). Birds Build Nests Underground are a Prague-based trio working in the field of found sound and vision. Aranos is a Bohemian singer and multi-instrumentalist (now residing in the west of Ireland). The lineup on this album consists of Petr Ferenc & Michal Brunclik (turntables and loops) and Aranos (culco, shakuhachi, daxophone, santoor, straw, cimbalom and flugelhorn). `The mumps refelections` (33.59 minutes) is the sole track on this album. This track is not an easy / peaceful listening experience. It is a mixture of musique concrete / electroacoustics / ambient noise i.e. highly experimental sounds are at work here. The whole thing starts with some turntable fuckeries / experimentations. It doesn`t sound like scratch / rap / hip hop at all (now we`re getting somewhere). It sounds like an organized chaotic stew with lo-fi noise loops, interesting. The loops / found sounds are slowly moving, slowly evolving, shifting constantly. Unless you like repetition, you won`t have time to actually get bored here. You`re getting sick of top twenty crap? The solution is right here: http://www.bbnu.eu/

Kryptogen Rundfunk – live 2005 (CD)

Kryptogen Rundfunk is the solo music project of Artyom Ostapchuk, from Russia. This live recording features two tracks, which are:

1 – live at deep sound 18-11-2005 (19.52 minutes) = this one starts with some lo-fi droning ambient noise which slowly, subtly mutates into an experimental / electroacoustic / ambient noise affair. This piece doesn`t go in harsh noise territory (MSBR, Merzbow, you name it). Which goes to prove that you don`t need to bludgeon my ears to get my attention (good stuff).

2 – live at DOM 26-11-2005 (23.41 minutes) = it begins with some really loud ambient noise, than it slowly transform itself into a semi-conscious, hypnotizing slab of spacy ambient noise. There`s a nice use of Russian voice samples here and there. Limited edition of 150 copies (mine reads 094 / 150). This came out on Zhelezobeton (also from Russia). They release mostly experimental sounds and everything has a limited edition. I`m fortunate enough to own a couple of them, which I deeply adore. More information here; http://zhb.radionoise.ru/

and here: http://kr.radionoise.ru/

Mark Sonnenfeld

Just got his latest give-out sheet. Lo and behold the nice artwork. Cheers!!!

Hermoso Moviento – CD (CD)

Another item that was lost somewhere inside my huge pile of stuff to review. Never heard of Hermoso Moviento before. I didn`t find much information on the internet either. Hermoso comes from Buenos Aires, Argentina. His album came out in 2000. This falls under the category of experimental music. Every song has a different style / flavor. In order to give you a proper idea, It`s better to give a brief description of each track. Here goes:

1 – mendigando amor (3.31 minutes) = a slightly warped re-interpretation / remix of an Argentina pop song.

2 – dicho sin palabras (4.30 minutes) = experimental electroacoustics.

3 – sentimiento simultaneo de Fortaleza y fragilidad (5.04 minutes) = various animal samples are processed beyond recognition thus creating a schizophrenic jungle mood.

4 – mentalidad de enemistad (3.56 minutes) = Argentinian instrumental music mixed with various percussions and minimal parts.

5 – el ruido es de los labio (4.03 minutes) = aural minimalism which slowly mutates into experimental noise territory.

6 – reverbera aun (6.33 minutes) = experimental noise with various bangings going on.

7 – alrededor desos manos (6.33 minutes) = various urban field recordings perhaps.

8 – luces de algun lagar (3.28 minutes) = my sound system and my computer can`t play this track. Yovibro@hotmail.com

                     

art is everywhere part - 32

More Malokian stuff. 
Enjoy!!!
;-)

Malok
P.O.BOX 41
Waukau 
WI
54980
USA

Akira Gonzales – Fujifilm (CD)

This was a donation from me good mate Alexander Wheill (he got this free when he was travelling the USA). I`m always up for free music, booze and food. I never heard of Akira Gonzales before, turns out he`s a local legend. I sit down, open a beer, and away we go. The first track `herr commandant`, is a brutal shock: a slightly noisy, bluesy, grungy (but infectious like hell) rock song. Mister Akira Gonzales is not afraid to mix things up and it shows. Every song is unique and possesses it`s own particular signature. Be it a bluesy acoustic ballad (new year), noisy grungy / blues / rock hybrid (China woman), indie / country / folk extravaganza (starting to believe), lo-fi indie pop (face is the same), acoustic folk (Fujifilm), distorted grunge / metal / sludgy guitar works (without you), and a dark, brooding, almost gothic song (sixteen). My spider sense is tingling. I can sense a couple of influences at work here: Green Magnet School, Pavement, Mudhoney, Terry Lee Hale, Current 93, Legendary Pink Dots, Sisters Of Mercy, and Sonic Youth (for those noisy, yet still melodic elements). Have no fear get it here: www.akiragonzales.bandcamp.co

Groinchurn – whoami (CD)

I have a huge pile of music to review, it`s an ongoing project. This has been lying in the bottom of my pile, for a very, very long time. Every time I looked at this CD, I don`t know why but I didn`t feel like hearing this, until now. I thought that Groinchurn was some kind of noise / experimental noise outfit. After hearing this, all I can say is I`m completely wrong here. Groinchurn was a South-African three-piece (Christo Bester - Bass + vocals, Mark Chapman – Guitar + vocals and Sergio Christina – Drums) formed in 1993. They disbanded in 2001. This is a short (14 songs = 44.10) but not sweet listening experience. The music is fast, abrupt, intense, harsh, extreme, highly aggressive grindcore (with some crust punk elements thrown in). If Carcass, Napalm Death, Deche-Charge and Agathocles are your cup of tea, you will love this album. Even an old noiser like me likes this. A particular standout track is `rotaludom` which is an instrumental almost pop little number. More information here: http://www.discogs.com/artist/388753-Groinchurn

Node Pajomo preview

This is a call for submissions for his latest compilation. I intend to participate. AND YOU???

Erik Satie – the best of (CD)

I bought this at Renaissance Montréal for a measly three dollar. I heard Erik Satie was a precursor of ambient music. I purchased it out of sheer curiosity. Erik Satie (1866-1925) was a French composer and pianist. To be honest I`m not much into piano. So far, I like the following piano oriented music:

A – old jazz.

B – Johnny Fingers (The Boomtown Rats) performing `I don`t like Mondays`.

C – Jools Holland doing an impressive piano solo on `uncertain smile` (The The – soul mining,1983).

I`m sitting down, listening to this for the first time, good stuff. I`m hearing simple (basic, stripped down) instrumental melodies, using sometimes repetition, other times he uses silence (not abusing it), thus creating light, beautiful minimal, nearly / almost ambient music. His music possesses a beautiful melancholic some would say gothic style. I think that perhaps some members of Sisters Of Mercy, The Cure and Joy Division heard his music before. So before Robert Myles `children`(1995), Brian Eno`s `ambient 1 – music for airports `(1978) there was life after all. Which goes to show you that the world keeps reinventing / recycling itself. When something new / fresh comes out, look in the past it`s not that new. It`s all been done (Barenaked Ladies) before. You can get it here free: 

https://www.song365.co/album/erik-satie-best-of-satie-37880.html

More freebies here:  

https://archive.org/search.php?query=Erik%20Satie%20AND%20mediatype%3Aaudio

Painful Defecation – songs about Jesus volume 4 (mp3)

Another mini-album (6 songs = 19.08 minutes) from the likes of Montréal`s own, Kurt Beaulieu. Songs about Jesus part four is the final part of the Jesus trilogy. This mini EP offers various styles of music / noise: lo-fi ambient noise (echo processing, heavy mental, au pays des vulves), lo-fi noise experimentations with percussions included (le docteur flatula), and lo-fi minimal electronics / ambient noise (guitares sarcastiques). My standout track this time around is `les soeurs sister`,  a weird mix of lo-fi minimalism, eight bit techno with a good dose of sonic experimentations thrown in. It sounds like eight bit techno music done with R2-D2 voice / sound samples. It`s different, it`s weird, it`s out there, therefore I like it and you should too. Get it here: http://painfuldefecation.bandcamp.com/album/songs-about-jesus-volume-4

Felix & The Buzzcatz – meowzaaa! (CD)

Last Friday night my good buddy Alexander Wheill (Wreck Age Recordings) came to my place for fun and drinks. He gave me a small bunch of CD`s (he was doing some summer cleaning). I`m always up for freebies. I basically listen to almost anything. He told me his wife bought this album at the dollar store. I never bought music at the dollar store before, so I got curious and started hearing it right away. I`m compulsive, what can I say. In life there`s always a good side and a bad side, nothing is perfect. Regarding this CD, the good sides are: good mix of boogie woogie, blues at times, contemporary / jazz swing. All of them songs will make you feel like dancing, good production value, it`s always entertaining, at first listen. After repeated listening the bad sides are slowly coming / creeping out: most of the songs sound the same and the novelty wears thin fast. It also brought back painful memories of almost forgotten one hit wonders of the same period; Lou Bega`s `mambo #5` (1999) and who could forget Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers `swing the mood` (1990). Now you know why it`s sold at the dollar store. I`m putting this CD on top of my `to give` pile (I will give you two dollars if you help me get rid of it, you have to be fast though, this offer ends soon, oh, too late, your loss, eh, eh, eh).

You Are The Illusion – you do not exist (CD)

Another CD Alexander Wheill (Wreck Age Recordings) gave me some time ago. Appearances sure are deceiving. There`s this black and red highly hypnotic / psychedelic cover. As I look at it, and it got me thinking this is probably one of those psychedelic / progressive / maybe folk (sure hope not) highly forgettable albums. I used to get a lot of those when I was writing `Mastock – the experimental music zine `. Which is one of the many reasons it folded. Anyways, upon the first listen I`m quite surprised. Heck, I`m pleasantly surprised, this is some good music. There`s ten tracks which, inserted in your CD player sounds like one long (61.27 minutes) music piece. This track is constantly moving / evolving / mutating / shifting into various sonic territories: death ambience, lo-fi noise, ambient noise, ambient darkwave with some ominous / bleak / dark undertones. Surprisingly this CD came out the same year as my favorite Schloss Tegal album – the soul extinguished (1991). Sheer coincidence or not, you decide. I would recommend this album if you like, in no particular order: Mort Garson`s – black mass Lucifer (1971), Nik Pascal – the sixth ear (1972), Morthound – the goddess who could make the ugly world beautiful (1994) and Aghast – hexerei im zwielicht der finsternis (1995). This one`s a keeper folks.

art is everywhere part 31

More Malokian art this time around. Enjoy!!!

Malok
P.O.BOX 41
Waukau 
WI
54980
USA