Archive for July, 2010

GREIE GUT FRAKTION: Baustelle (Monika Enterprise)

themilkman on Jul 30th 2010 01:11 am

Greie Gut Fraktion: Baustelle

GREIE GUT FRAKTION
Baustelle
MONIKA69
Monika Enterprise 2010
11 Tracks. 49mins59secs

Amazon UK: CD | DLD US: CD | DLD Boomkat: CD | DLD iTunes: DLD

One theory is that, in times of great financial turmoil, major building enterprise can contribute to support the economy by creating jobs. Construction is also the corner stone to the collaborative project of Antye Greie-Fuchs and Gudrun Gut, who operate here as Greie Gut Fraktion. Expectedly, Baustelle, the German word for ‘building site’, is a rather diverse and complex collection of electronic avant-pop which goes well beyond the pair’s respective work.

The two women began working together after Greie invited Gut to collaborate on a commission for the BBC’s Late Junction program two years ago. Following this project, they came up with the basic idea for Baustelle and laid the foundations for the record in Greie’s studio in Finland. Ensued months of further recordings and exchange between Gudrun Gut’s Berlin base and Antye Greie’s Finnish home, on the northern island of Hailuoto, before the album was finally ready.

Released on Gut’s Monika Enterprise, Baustelle partly feeds on Greie’s experimental vocal approach, which range from whispered spoken word, often cut up and over-layered to expose entirely new messages or alter any perception of what is actually being said, to rare sung sections, in both English and German. Continue Reading »

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MACHINEFABRIEK: Duotoon (Machinefabriek)

themilkman on Jul 28th 2010 12:53 am

Machinefabriek: Duotoon

MACHINEFABRIEK
Duotoon
MF012
Machinefabriek 2010
01 Tracks. 19mins19secs

Boomkat: CD | DLD Norman Records: CD

Machinefabriek’s Rutger Zuydervelt must be the single most prolific musicians active currently. That one man can produce such a considerable amount of original music for solo projects and collaboration, either published on labels as diverse as 12K, Lampse, Low Point, Fang Bomb or Type to name but a few, or self-released, as well as countless remixes, is totally beyond belief. His latest offering comes in the shape of Duotoon, a very limited release featuring just one nineteen-minute piece. Continue Reading »

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AUTISTICI: Slow Temperature – Early Works Vol.2 / Autistici Reworked – Resonating Wires (Audiobulb Records)

themilkman on Jul 25th 2010 11:32 pm

Autistici: Slow Temperature - Early Works (Vol. 2) Autistici: Autistici Reworked - Resonating Wires

AUTISTICI
Slow Temperature – Early Works Vol. 2
AB030
Audiobulb Records 2010
11 Tracks. 51mins44secs

AUTISTICI
Autistici Reworked – Resonating Wires
AB032
Audiobulb Records 2010
10 Tracks. 55mins23secs

Slow Temperature – Early Works Vol. 2
Amazon UK: CD | DLD US: DLD Boomkat: CD | DLD iTunes: DLD

The last year has proved a rather busy period for Autistici, with no less than four releases between October last year and now, two of which collecting material recorded between 2001 and 2005 and previously unreleased, the other two part of a same project, the original, Complex Tone Test, being Autistici’s second album, the follow up to his 2008 12K debut Volume Object, and Resonating Wires, focussing on reworkings of one particular track from that album.

While Detached Metal Voice was a somewhat diverse collection, ranging from the relatively straightforward to the more overtly experimental, Slow Temperature, the second instalment of early material is an altogether much more coherent release and is in essence much closer to Newman’s two albums proper in the approach to textures and how they fit in together.
Continue Reading »

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CHRISTOPHER WILLITS: Tiger Flower Circle Sun (Ghostly International)

themilkman on Jul 22nd 2010 01:28 am

Christopher Willits: Tiger Flower Circle Sun

CHRISTOPHER WILLITS
Tiger Flower Circle Sun
GI116
Ghostly International 2010
15 Tracks. 45mins21secs

Amazon UK: CD | LP | DLD US: CD | LP | DLD Boomkat: CD | LP | DLD

Christopher Willits is, amongst other things, a guitarist, but listening to his records and how processed his sound can be, one would be forgiven for overlooking this fact. But Willits is much more than a musician; label owner of Overlap.org, software designer and audio visual artist amongst others, there is, it seems, very little he is not willing to take on. With twenty records released in twelve years, Willits has been rather productive. Beside his solo efforts (four in total), he has worked with a number of sound artists and musicians over the years, amongst others Taylor Deupree, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Oren Ambarchi or Shuttle 358, and has had music published on labels as diverse as Fällt, 12K, Room40, Plop or Mille Plateaux. Continue Reading »

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KHALIJA: Khalija EP (Force Intel)

themilkman on Jul 21st 2010 01:23 am

Khalija: Khalija EP

KHALIJA
Khalija EP
FINT000
Force Intel 2010
06 Tracks. 52mins36secs
Format: Digital

Amazon UK: DLD US: DLD Boomkat: DLD iTunes: DLD

Kicking a record label back to life, especially one with such a rich pedigree as Mille Plateaux, is by no means a small feat, and only the future will tell if the new team in charge can live up to expectations. The label, founded in 1993 as an experimental outlet for German imprint Force Inc Music Works, was brought down to its knees, like many others, by the collapse of the EFA distribution group in 2003. The label was recently brought back to life with the release of the fifth instalment in the Clicks & Cuts series and now comes under the umbrella of the Vertical Label group, which also harbours a handful of new imprints. One such label is Force Intel, which kicks off its catalogue entry with this rather impressive digital-only self-titled EP by Khalija. While this release comes with virtually no information from the label, a quick Google search reveals that this is the solo project of Wyatt Keusch, a musician and sound artist based in Los Angeles who, beside Khalija, regularly collaborates with various musicians on a number of other projects. Continue Reading »

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PHONOPHANI: Kreken (Rune Grammofon)

themilkman on Jul 20th 2010 01:04 am

Phonophani: Kreken

PHONOPHANI
Kreken
RCD2101
Rune Grammofon 2010
12 Tracks. 55mins55secs

Amazon UK: CD | DLD Norman Records: CD iTunes: DLD

Phonophani, the project of multi-instrumentist and digital artist Espen Sommer Eide, is back with a fourth serving of expressionist electro-acoustic experimentations, and this time, Sommer Eide has turned his attention to Norwegian folklore, using traditional instruments as sound sources and building them into the fabric of his record.

Sommer Eide is, amongst other things, one half of the excellent Alog, a project he founded with Dag-Are Haugan in 1997 and with who he has released five albums, four of which published on Rune Grammofon, and a number of EPs. Running in parallel, Phonophani has had for main objective to bring together acoustic and electronic instrumentation and explore the strange world that is brought to life as they meet. This has led to three radically different records, from the hypnotic orchestral textures of his self-titled debut, originally released in 1998 on Geir Jenssen’s Biophon imprint and re-released on Rune Grammofon four years ago, to the much more fragmented abstraction of Genetic Engineering (2001) and the often abrasive and angular Oak Or Rock (2004). Continue Reading »

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TAYLOR DEUPREE: Shoals (12K)

themilkman on Jul 16th 2010 01:27 am

Taylor Deupree: Shoals

TAYLOR DEUPREE
Shoals
12K1060
12K 2010
04 Tracks. 45mins18secs

Amazon UK: DLD US: DLD Boomkat: CD | DLD iTunes: DLD

Musician, sound artist, photographer, graphic designer… Taylor Deupree is above all an artist who uses a wide array of tools to document the world around him. He has collected part of his interpretations of it on several albums and countless EPs, published primarily on his own 12K imprint, but also on labels as diverse as Mille Plateaux, Spekk, Fällt, Plop, Room40 and Raster-Noton. Beside his solo projects, Deupree has also published a number of collaborative works with artists such as Christopher Willits, Kenneth Kirschner, Solo Andata, Savvas Ysatis or Stephane Mathieu. It has been three years since his last album, Northern, was published, and although he has been far from inactive during that time (he has released a number of shorter formats), Shoals is his first full length release since. Continue Reading »

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ON: Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not (Type Recordings)

themilkman on Jul 14th 2010 01:11 am

On: Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not

ON
Something That Has Form And Something That Does Not
TYPE062
Type Recordings 2010
05 Tracks. 48mins23secs

Amazon UK: CD | LP | DLD US: CD | DLD Boomkat: CD | LP | DLD iTunes: DLD

The idea behind On is quite unique. Originally the project of French experimental pianist and guitarist Sylvain Chauveau and Chicago-based drummer and percussionist Steven Hess, On has always involved a third component, but instead of being a permanent feature as such, the pair have chosen to put their documented improvisations in the hands of another artist and give him carte blanche to create an album with this material. In the past, this duty has fallen onto the laps of Helge Sten, known amongst others as one third of Supersilent and for his production work for artists as diverse as Susanna And The Magical Orchestra, Motorpsycho, Arve Henriksen or Nils Petter Molvær. On Your Naked Ghost Comes Back At Night, Sten processed the duo’s original recordings into chilling atmospheric soundscapes close to his output as Deathprod. For their second effort, the pair enrolled the services of French musician Pierre-Yves Macé, who created extremely sparse ambient electro-acoustic pieces set on the outer boundaries of musique concrète.  For this latest escapade, Chauveau and Hess recorded a new set of improvisations in Hess’s Chicago studio and called upon Austrian guitarist and laptop experimentalist Christian Fennesz to rework them into the pieces presented on this third album. Continue Reading »

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CHRIS ABRAHAMS: Play Scar (Room40)

themilkman on Jul 13th 2010 01:19 am

Chris Abrahams: Play Scar

CHRIS ABRAHAMS
Play Scar
RM437
Room40 2010
08 Tracks. 57secs41secs

Amazon UK: CD US: CD Boomkat: CD

Chris Abrahams is one third of acclaimed Australian improv outfit The Necks, with whom he has been recording and playing live for over two decades. As a solo performer, his work takes on a different path as he expands his sonic palette far beyond the piano and, in the space of four solo records and countless collaborations, has continuously pushed back the boundaries of his experimentations.

His latest album, Play Scar, his third appearance on Room40, is a mesmerising collection of granular electro-acoustic pieces caught in a haunting aural claire-obscure where nothing appears totally defined and sharp, instead leaving the mind to fill the gaps in between notes and establish the nature of the sounds used. Continue Reading »

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INTERVIEW: BURNT FRIEDMAN Against The Grain

themilkman on Jul 11th 2010 10:33 pm

INTERVIEW: BURNT FRIEDMAN Against The Grain

Operating since the mid-nineties under a variety of monikers and collaborations, German musician and label owner Bernd Friedmann has built up a totally unique catalogue. He has taken his ethic and vision into his label, Nonplace, which he founded ten years ago. To celebrate this first decade, Friedmann collected a bunch of previously unheard versions and mixes of tracks that have appeared on various albums over the years. We took the opportunity of this landmark anniversary to speak to the man about the last ten years of releases and talk about his many projects, including his much celebrated collaboration with form Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit. Continue Reading »

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ROOF LIGHT: Kirkwood Gaps / What Makes You So Special (Highpoint Lowlife)

themilkman on Jul 9th 2010 01:30 am

Roof Light: Kirkwood Gap Roof Light: What Makes You So Special

ROOF LIGHT
Kirkwood Gap
HPLL052
Highpoint Lowlife 2010
09 Tracks. 40mins05secs

ROOF LIGHT
What Makes You So Special
HPLL053
Highpoint Lowlife 2010
04 Tracks. 19mins45secs

Kirkwood Gap: Amazon UK: DLD US: DLD Boomkat: DLD iTunes: DLD
What Makes You So Special: Amazon UK: DLD US: DLD Boomkat: DLD

One of the most consistent and excellent labels to have emerged from the last ten years, Highpoint Lowlife has very much been the labour of love of one man, Thorsten Sideb0ard, who, in the space of ten years, collected some of the most interesting music, electronic primarily, but not exclusively, around. The label has been a welcoming haven for the likes of Fisk Industries, Si-cut.db, Marshall Watson, Like a Stuntman, The Marcia Blaine School For Girls, The Village Orchestra, Bovaflux, Erstlaub, 10-20 and many more. Ten years is a long time, and Thorsten is now turning his attention to writing and drawing a graphic novel, effectively spelling out the end of Highpoint Lowlife. With quite an exiting release schedule coming up, the label is gearing up for a spectacular

Already spotted on Styrax and L2S Recordings in the last year, Roof Light drops his debut album, Kirkwood Gap, on Highpoint Lowlife. The project of South London-based musician Gareth Munday, Roof Light draws influences from a variety of genres, from classic house and ambient to dubstep and garage, building them into particularly effective compositions. Continue Reading »

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K-X-P: K-X-P (Smalltown Supersound)

themilkman on Jul 7th 2010 11:49 pm

K-X-P: K-X-P

K-X-P
K-X-P
STS182
Smalltown Supersound 2010
08 Tracks. 43mins45secs

Amazon UK: CD | DLD US: CD | DLD

K-X-P: behind this enigmatic banner operate two former members of Op:l Bastards, Timo Kaukolampi (electronics and vocals), and Tuomo Puranen (bass and keyboards). So, that’s the K and the P explained. Standing in between is an X, or rather a third space which is occupied alternatively by Anssi Nykänen and Tomi Leppanen, both drummers by trade. X should therefore in this case be understood as ‘non-defined’. The musical ground covered by all four musicians is pretty vast and varied. Kaukolampi is perhaps best known for writing for, and producing, Norwegian electro-popster Annie, and while Puranen was also involved in her two albums, he has, amongst other things, been a regular member of Jimi Tenor’s band and has collaborated with a number of Scandinavian artists over the years, while Nykänen regularly played with jazz bass player Pekka Pohjola, and Leppanen was an active member of avant-pop outfit Aavikko. Continue Reading »

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