Archive for March, 2012

GREG HAINES: Digressions (Preservation)

themilkman on Mar 30th 2012 01:36 am

Greg Haines: Digressions

GREG HAINES
Digressions
PRE034
Preservation 2012
05 Tracks. 55mins30secs

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

Since his first album was published on Miasmah six years ago, Greg Haines has become one of the most consistent modern classical composers and musicians, yet he has released relatively little music compared to the likes of Peter Broderick, Nils Frahm or Ólafur Arnalds for instance. Indeed, Digressions is only his third  solo album, yet, he has also released material recorded with Danny Saul, Peter and Heather Broderick, Machinefabriek or Xela to name but a few.

Following his debut, Slumber Tides (Miasmah) and sophomore effort, Until The Point Of Hushed Support (Sonic Pieces), Haines has joined the ranks of Australian imprint Preservation with his latest offering Continue Reading »

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MARK HARRIS: An Idea Of North/Learning To Walk (n5MD)

themilkman on Mar 28th 2012 01:15 am

Mark Harris: An Idea Of North/Learning To Walk

MARK HARRIS
An Idea Of North/Learning To Walk
CATMD195
n5MD 2012
05 Tracks. 44mins22secs

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

West Midland-based artist Mark Harris was originally primarily involved with visual arts, but a keen interest in generative systems led him to develop software applications which consequently used during live performances, and resulted in a spot on Birmingham Sound Matter, a compilation curated by Francisco López published on  Audiobulb in 2009, and in a first album, The Boy Observes The Ocean, released on Hibernate two years ago. Harris is also a member of Birmingham’s audio visual collective Modulate alongside, amongst others, Higher Intelligence Agency’s Bobby Bird.

The recording of this album came about when most of the UK faced an unusually cold and snowy spell over Christmas 2010. Harris found himself snowed him at home and, making the most of the situation, started improvising what would become the centre piece of the record, a sprawling nineteen minute atmospheric formation built from processed field recordings and acoustic instruments. Continue Reading »

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CLARK: Iradelphic (Warp Records)

themilkman on Mar 27th 2012 01:38 am

Clark: Iradelphic

CLARK
Iradelphic
WARP222
Warp Records 2012
12 Tracks. 39mins53secs

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

It has been over three years since Christopher Stephen Clark last carved a hefty slice of electronic music for Warp. Following the lush abstract feasts that were Empty The Bones Of You and Body Riddle, Clark, having moved to Berlin, descended on the dance floor with his following two album, Turning Dragon and Totems Flare and smeared his heavily distorted electro-infused techno all over it, claiming once and for all his share of the club scene.

It is a very different Clark who is at the helm of Iradelphic. Ditching heavy-footed beats and hyper-active distorted electronics in favour of much more nuanced soundscapes, Chris Clark looks out towards the world and absorbs a rich palette of psychedelic hues Continue Reading »

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LOVEDALE: Green Sounds (Ilk Music)

themilkman on Mar 26th 2012 01:32 am

Lovedale: Green Sounds

LOVEDALE
Green Sounds
ILK187
Ilk Music 2012
09 Tracks. 48mins10secs

Amazon UK: CD | DLD US: CD | DLD iTunes: DLD Spotify: STRM

Spearheaded by Danish reeds player Jesper Løvdal, with pianist Jacob Anderskov, who plays both acoustic piano and Würlitzer electric piano, drummer Anders Mogensens and German trombone player Nils Wogram, who, having performed as an additional member with the band for over two years, recently took his place as a full member in replacement of bass player Jonas Westergaard. Formed in the early 2000s, Lovedale released their first self-titled on Ilk Music in 2004. Their second, Grill Music, published two years later, earned them Jazz Release of the Year at the 2007 Danish Music Awards, and was followed by a third album, Coziness Kills in 2009.

In the past, Lovedale have regularly alternated between composed and improvised pieces, but with Green Sounds, they opt for an entirely improvised approach. In practice, it means that their sound has become much freer and more fluid. Continue Reading »

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TONE ÅSE/THOMAS STRØNEN: Voxpheria (Gigafon)

themilkman on Mar 23rd 2012 01:15 am

Tone Åse/Thomas Strønen: Voxpheria

TONE ÅSE/THOMAS STRØNEN
Voxpheria
GIGA005
Gigafon 2012
09 Tracks.47mins40secs

 Amazon UK: DLD US: DLD iTunes: DLD Spotify: STRM

The human voice is an instrument like no other; in turn fragile or powerful, soft of harsh, ethereal or banal, it is, more than any other, a highly versatile tool, and it is one that Norwegian sound artist Tone Åse is keen to experiment extensively with, not only by processing it with electronics, but also by exploring largely uncharted vocal territories. A regular member of quite a few formations, including Bol with Ståle Storløkken and Tor Haugenud, or all-female vocal ensemble Trondheim Voices, she teams up with drummer and percussionist Thomas Strønen the time of Voxpheria, a hugely ambitious and challenging records which brings together fascinating vocal acrobatics, exquisite electronics and intricate drumming.

At times Ã…se’s vocals are not without recalling the soft silky tones of Susanna Wallumrød (Koloust) or the rawer textures of Wildbirds & Peacedrums’ Mariam Wallentin (Numb Street Cabaret, Chson), yet at others, she is much more reminiscent of Sidsel Endresen, not only in the slightly smoky quality of her voice, but also in her approach to words and non-words, and in her use of extremely syncopated buccal sounds. Continue Reading »

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Phaedra/Jenny Hval, The Borderline, London, 19/3/2012

themilkman on Mar 20th 2012 01:09 am

Welcome To Norway: Phaedra/Jenny Hval, The Borderline, London, 19/3/2012

Although primarily a cauldron of jazz, noise and electronic experimentations, Rune Grammofon have never shied away from gentler musical forms, most notably with Susanna Wallumrød, with or her Magical Orchestra, or Hilde Marie Kjersem. Last year, the label opened its doors to two more Norwegian female singer songwriters, Ingvild LanggÃ¥rd, who officiates as Phaedra and Jenny Hval, who both delivered stunning, if very different, records (The Sea, a folk odyssey of sort, and Viscera, a much more angular and disconcerting project, respectively). After a false start last year due to a venue double-booking a date, the pair finally hit London this Monday evening at the Borderline in central London. Continue Reading »

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ALOG: Unemployed (Rune Grammofon)

themilkman on Mar 19th 2012 12:38 am

Alog: Unemployed (LP)

ALOG
Unemployed
RLP3116
Rune Grammofon 2012
25 Tracks. 153mins30secs

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

Normally purveyors of refined intricate electro-acoustic music, Norwegian duo Alog adopted a very different approach with their latest record, deliberately leaving some pieces in an unfinished, unpolished state, and leaving their overall working processes much more to chance. They recorded with a handful of contributors (Sigbjørn Apeland, Jenny Hval, Sheriffs Of Nothingness, Jaap Blonk), reworking and incorporating some of their compositions into their own. During the three years they spent recording, Espen Sommer Eide and Dag-Are Haugan collected a wealth of material. In its full expanded glory, Unemployed stretches over four LPs and nearly three hours, with its edited CD version still clocking at seventy-six minutes.

Most of the tracks featured on the first and second LPs are also included on the CD, apart for Kompass and Leisure. Continue Reading »

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SUN HAMMER: A Dream In Blood (Futuresequence)

themilkman on Mar 16th 2012 01:09 am

Sun Hammer: A Dream In Blood

SUN HAMMER
A Dream In Blood
FS002
Futuresequence 2012
05 Tracks. 40mins49secs

Already responsible for a handful of releases on Moodgadget as A Setting Sun, Michigan-based sound artist Jay Bodley recently made an appearance as Sun Hammer on the Futuresequence free compilation Sequence1 published last year, and has since contributed to two more volumes ahead of the release of A Dream In Blood.

The cover of this album depicts a rocky formation, a section of a mountain perhaps, under clouded nocturnal skies. Whilst this echoes the artwork on Radere’s recent release for the label and that of Widesky’s forthcoming album, and establishes Futuresequence’s visual identity, it also captures the essence of Bodley’s music pretty well. Continue Reading »

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KANE IKIN & DAVID WENNGREN: Strangers (Kesh Recordings)

themilkman on Mar 15th 2012 01:36 am

Kane Ikin & David Wenngren: Strangers

KANE IKIN & DAVID WENNGREN
Strangers
KESH017
Kesh Recordings 2012
06 Tracks. 46mins02secs

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

Strangers is the debut release from Australian sound artist Kane Ikin, best known as one half of Solo Andata (12K, Hefty, Desire Path) and Swedish-born David Wenngren, who has a few projects under his belt, of which Library Tapes (Resonant, Sonic Pieces, Kning Disk) is the most prominent. Having never physically met, the pair opted for a deliberately free and organic approach by never actually discussing plans for the music or establishing any rule.

Articulated around six atmospheric pieces, all between five-and-a-half and a shade over nine minutes long, Strangers is a wonderfully evocative soundtrack, filled with slow, evolutive drone forms built from warm soundscapes. Continue Reading »

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ITAL: Hive Mind (Planet Mu)

themilkman on Mar 13th 2012 01:32 am

Ital: Hive Mind

ITAL
Hive Mind
ZIQ312
Planet Mu 2012
05 Tracks. 42mins33secs

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

Daniel Martin-McCormick has been making waves with a variety of projects for quite some time, with releases on Dischord when he was vocalist with Washington DC-based hardcore combo Black Eyes, Quarterstick and Thrill Jockey as part of disco/punk outfit Mi Ami. More recently, he turned to dark and twisted dubbey electronica with Sex Worker, a solo project which has seen him release music on Not Not Fun Records. Lately, Martin-McCormick focused his attention on yet another project, soberly entitled Ital, the time of a couple of EPs for NNF subsidiary 100% before landing a spot on Mike Paradinas’s discerning Planet Mu, for whom he delivers a slick and playful debut album.

Far from the oppressive and dark ambiences of Sex Worker, Martin-McCormick seeks inspiration in smooth progressive house and techno for this project, but this is really only part of his vision. Continue Reading »

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PETE SWANSON/RENE HELL: Waiting For The Ladies (Shelter Press)

themilkman on Mar 9th 2012 01:19 am

Pete Swanson/Rene Hell: Waiting For The Ladies

PETE SWANSON/RENE HELL
Waiting For The Ladies
PS02
Shelter Press 2012
04 Tracks. 31mins02secs

Boomkat: LP

Originally self-released on a vinyl run of just 250 copies in 2010, this split album from Yellow Swan’s Pete Swanson and Rene Hell is getting a welcome re-issue, again for a very limited run (520 copies this time) on Brussels-based imprint Shelter Press. Composed of four tracks, three of which the work of kosmische purveyor Rene Hell (Jeffrey Witscher), the side-long fourth, which opens the proceedings here, from Swanson. After a first salvo of typically distorted noise through which his voice occasionally filters out, Swanson settles for a much quieter set of textures and cyclical patterns which slowly gains in granularity throughout the rest of its course, but steers clear of the dense clusters of feedback he often displays on his records. Continue Reading »

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DIALOGUES TRIO WITH JULIAN SIEGEL: Twinkle Twinkle (Babel Label)

themilkman on Mar 8th 2012 01:14 am

Dialogues Trio with Julian Siegel: Twinkle Twinkle

DIALOGUES TRIO & JULIAN SIEGEL
Twinkle Twinkle
BDV11100
Babel Label 2012
10 Tracks. 62mins47secs

Amazon UK: CD | DLD US: DLD iTunes: DLD Spotify: STRM

Jazz musicians, probably more than any others, have hijacked fairly simple popular tunes and turned them into much edgier pieces for decades, from John Coltrane’s inspired reinterpretation of Rogers and Hammerstein’s My Favourite Thing from The Sound Of Music to Louis Armstrong’s  version of Mack The Knife, originally from Bertolt Brecht’s Threepenny Opera. It is also the approach adopted by London-based pianist Bruno Heinen for the first album with his formation, Dialogues Trio. Using the nursery rhyme Twinkle Tinkle Little Star as a starting point for this album, the trio, here accompanied of British reeds player Julian Siegel, freely reinterpret the theme into ten variations which vary quite drastically in scope and perspective. Continue Reading »

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