David Wells - 02
(Siridisc 01)
CDR
In his guise as head of the Locus of Assemblage label David Wells is responsible for releasing a string of rather wonderful mini-CDRs featuring such luminaries as Paul Bradley, Cheapmachines, Earzumba and more (lots more).
As a musician in his own right Wells produces some impressive drone based electronica. I'd previously heard (and reviewed) his contribution to the 20 Hertz labels Drone Works series (#9) which is reproduced here as track 1. Wells' approach to the drone melds it with amorphous and often ambiguous sound sources that are scattered through each piece to insert patterns and colours into his palette and shows he's unafraid to create startling music from the most delicate of sources. Certainly one of the most sedate albums I've heard in a long time, the movement of each piece can be measured in terms of glacial time. But, to quote the old adage, good things come to those who wait.
David Wells - Efegin
(Locus of Assemblage)
3" CDR
Locus label head David Wells here produces a form of drone that is characterised by rotund tones that slowly form, evolve, roll and then fade. It's a beautifully sedate affair that only once makes an overt play for your attention (which it does very nicely) to remind you of it's presence.
The Why Because - Musicshapes
(Musicshapes 003)
CD
San Francisco’s The Why Because have concocted a mutated hybrid of jazz and post-rock on these 5 improvised pieces that showcase a set of musicians at ease with each other and in full accord as to where they're heading. Recorded straight to mini-disc the production does leave a lot to be desired, at times the drums sound like cardboard boxes and the playing occasionally falls foul of it's own aspirations (and is all the better for it) before the group mind reasserts and it's all systems go once more. TWB's music manages to be both utterly chilled and maniacally twitchy alternating between atonal jazz skronk and the downright groovy. My guess would be that watching this lot jamming live must be a real blast because they're pretty damn good jamming on record. Someone needs to get them in a real studio though.
Wiracki - The Harmony Of Noise
CDR
The first thought that comes to mind when listening to Wiracki is 'symphonic noise'. Yeah I know that sounds horrible but it is kinda apt because this isn't your usual turn everything up full and wail away type of noise album, it's been thoroughly composed and listening becomes as painstaking a process as constructing it obviously was. As it progresses, 'THoN' relinquishes much of the grandiosity of the early tracks which it replaces with more psychedelic elements that free up the music to allow it to explore other avenues and this for me is where the album really comes to life. It suddenly feels more alive, more fun.
It is readily apparent that Wiracki has devoted a considerable amount of thought and effort into the construction of each piece on this album but I have to say this isn't really the type of stuff that floats my boat as I generally prefer a more spontaneous or improvised feel. However, the sheer volume of ideas on display here and the care and attention with which each track has been constructed means there is pretty much something to suit everyone's palate.
Wireless - Terminal Broadcast Station
(Flight Disaster Lounge Recordings)
CD-R
From what I can tell this is the 4th Wireless album.. They describe it as 'Brooding, classical, industrial melancholia. Swan song to a dying planet'. What you get is a damn fine opening track of swirly, psychedelic guitarscapes followed by a second track that offers you more of the same before it all gets drowned in a cod-classical soup of big strings and dark atmospheres. Things get a little bit 'Enigma' on track 3 before the album regains it's feet on the next with a nice melodic ambient piece. A tendency, however, to drift into the kinds of areas characterised by 'new age' musicians dogs the rest of this album and detracts annoyingly from its impact. I am enjoying this at the moment but as good background music. It fills a space in a room beautifully and if I'm doing something else it helps me ignore the slightly cheesy bits and enjoy the rest of it.
Wounded Knee - Green Tea Ceremony
(Shazzblat 003)
CDR
Voice and delay pedal improvisation from Scotsman Drew Wright. Not a lot I can say really except he's gone for the vaguely Tuvan / Mongolian adenoidal throat singing style. It reminds me of someone else so much that each time I play it I spend the first 5 minutes of the album trying to remember who it is which is driving me insane. For my taste a single 32 minute voice track is way too long to hold the interest as it never changes or evolves in any truly significant way. The voice is an interesting and generally under-explored tool but Wright's voice does, I think, need the support of other instruments to add extra levels to what, in their absence, is a slightly one-dimensional listen.
Xedh - Katabole
(Krakilsk kra037)
CDR
On first view of the abstract image on the black sleeve that houses the black disc my first thought was 'Hooray! Another humourless 40 minutes of dull and insipid noise.' (attentive readers will have started to notice just how bored I'm getting with full on circle jerk total noise music) but Xedh (happily) is not about the noise. Not about the noise at all...oh, ok he is a bit but he's also about a hell of a lot more as well.
Katabole is a great big simmering stew-pot of sounds and ideas - some hot some cold, some loud some quiet, some identifiable some mysterious, some spicy some bland, some that are comfortable some that are distinctly not. A stew-pot that Miguel Garcia (for it is he who is Xedh) is dipping his spoon into and stirring. Like the finest of cooks he ensures the temperature and timing is immaculate and nothing is allowed to stick or burn and all the ingredients are added so that they are at their best at the optimum time and in the perfect proportions to produce a sumptuous feast of an album.
I'm hungry.
Xedh - Serpents
(Verato Project)
3" CDR
Regular readers of WWR will already be familiar with the work of this here fella in one or other of his pseudonyms, Miguel A Garcia or Xedh. Under each name he seems to produce a different form of music. His given name is abstracted experimental drone whilst Xedh is for industrialised noise. And that is, exactly, what we have here. 3 tracks of relentless pounding metallic noise that is as true to the term 'industrial music' as it possible to get. It's a screaming, cacophonic maelstrom of sound that lasts a mere 18 minutes but at the end your ears feel like they've done an 8 hour shift in a steel pressing plant.
If you like your music loud and rhythmic then look no further.
Y.E.R.M.O. - Collision Zone
(Idiosyncratic Records idcd001)
CD
I don't know what the initialism stands for but I do know that the individual constituents that make up Y.E.R.M.O. are sound artist Yannick Franck and guitarist Xavier Dubois, both currently operating out of Belgium.
The 5 tracks of muscular dark ambient drone and clatter that make up 'Collision Zone' were originally intended to accompany the work of visual artists Nadine Hilbert and Gast Bouschet at the current (2009) Venice Biennale.
Shorn from their accompanying visuals and context it is often difficult for the music to retain it's coherence and it's validity but 'Collision Zone' is still an interesting listen. The pace is measured and the swirls of sound, along with the occasional industrialised rhythms, contort the music into some interesting shapes.
I'm not the worlds biggest fan of dark ambient as I tend to find it a little one dimensional. The 'dark' aspect seems to preclude practitioners from adding any swathes of colour to their palette. This is, to an extent, the case here also but fortunately the pairing have had the ability and the foresight to vary the shades of 'dark' that they've used and have created a valid addition to the genre.
Yair Yona - Remember
(Anova Music Publishing AN014)
CD
I get one of these type of seedees through the post every couple of years which suits me pretty well as it's not the sort of music I listen to very often. Israeli musician, Yair specialises in very laid back Fahey-esque acoustic guitar rootsy Americana. I really can't listen to this music very often as it doesn't really have a longevity for me but, like I said, it only comes around every so often and so when it does I tend to enjoy it.
Yona is a more than adequate musician and his compositions are lively, intricate and honest with a bonhomie that is hard to resist. The occasional addition of other instruments keeps the album fresh although the full string ending to the final track feels a little out of place after the rest of the album.
If I have any complaints with this album it's that Yona's playing is just too slick, too precise. I like a bit of chaos in my music or snatches of rank amateurism that reveal the human behind the music. That's not really the case here. Everything has a place and is nestled securely within it. You'll admit though that as complaints go that's a very personal one and so I really do recommend that you listen and decide for yourself.
Zanston.es - Donostiako Zuloak
(R.o.N.F. Records RNF-020)
CDr
Recorded in Spain for use in a live performance this recording by Zanstones is an interesting mix of processed field recordings. The out of place familiarity of much of the sounds gives the piece a deliciously uncomfortable surrealism which is spoiled somewhat by the overuse of the rumbling, rolling noise drone that underpins vast swathes of the cd. I can't help but feel that the recording would have benefited massively from allowing the field recordings to dictate the piece rather than the less interesting and muddily recorded rumble. Listenable but flawed.
Zoat.Aon - Star Autopsy
(Aural Hypnox AH04)
CD
Zoat.Aon is primarily the work of Jaakko Vanhala (assisted by Henkka Kyllonen on piano and Antti Litmanen on thighbone trumpet and singing bowls) although what sound sources he uses is unclear. This is an altogether more jittery experience than that of his label mates (see Aeoga and Halo Manash). The, label's, trademark drones are here but they're shorter and more dynamic overlaid with gurgles, clangs, crunches, wooshes and chitters. Over the course of the 9 tracks on offer here Vanhala never allows the music to become complacent or predictable instead it is constantly in motion and constantly intriguing. Psychedelic and hallucinatory Zoat.Aon has produced an album that is compulsive listening.
Zov Zov - Untitled
CDR
The rather gloriously named Zov Zov are a duo consisting of Oliver Ho and Tommy Gillard who have excellent taste in the paper they've used to make their cd sleeve (it's very tactile). They also make some rather nice sounds by creating rolling constructions of guitar, saxophone and electronic noodling. I must admit I was expecting this album to be all doom and gloom with extra helpings of misery but I was very wrong. Zov Zov aremore interesting and more cosmic than that. There is a quiet psychedelia here. Ho and Gillard happily vary the ambience through out mixing and matching sounds and moods with aplomb.
Recommended.
