January News. Click For Infos.
Bonjour & hello,
Many news from raster-noton, ATP/R, EX and very
intersting Brookly based label Notenuf. The
Battle of Land & Sea are simply a stunning duo.
Read you soon & hope all’s well,
Ed
ANNETTE VANDE GORNE – Exils DVD-A empreintes DIGITALes
A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW – Scribble Mural Comic Journal CD Notenuf
BARRY LYNN – Balancing Lakes 2LP/CD Planet Mu
DAVOR MIKAN – Täuschung CD Cronica
ELSA JUSTEL – Mâts CD empreintes DIGITALes
FUCK BUTTONS – Street Horrrsing 2LP/CD ATP/R
JOHN YOUNG – Lieu-temps [Of Place and Time] DVD-A empreintes DIGITALes
JONTY HARRISON – Environs DVD-A empreintes DIGITALes
LJUDBILDEN & PILOTEN – One Hundred Fifty-Five CD Nosordo
MARTIN LECLERC – Horizons du silence DVD-A empreintes DIGITALes
OFFICERFISHDUMPLINGS – Finds Your Way Home CD Notenuf
RAF + O – Has the Air Gone Walking 10″ EP Geo
RYOJI IKEDA – 1000 Fragments CD raster-noton
SISSIKONTEST – Boys On Tranquilizers CD Spezialmaterial
THE BATTLE OF LAND AND SEA – s/t CD Notenuf
THE DOUBTFUL GUEST – Acid Sauna 3LP/CD Planet Mu
THE EX – Building a Broken Mousetrap DVD Ex Records
WILLITS + SAKAMOTO – Ocean Fire CD 12k
ANNETTE VANDE GORNE – Exils
DVD-A empreintes DIGITALes IMED 0890
http://www.electrocd.com/fr/bio/vandegorne_an/
Exiles: times of crisis, wandering, transformation, renewal.
A modern composer from the past, Claude Debussy,
gets analyzed 100 years later by the ear and
knowledge of a classically-trained female
composer who has chosen voluntary “exile” in
acousmatic music: Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Est.
An entirely vocal piece shakes up cultures from
all over the world and from the past of Europe,
and yet these voices are unrecognizable, in
exile, as they have been transformed by the
alchemy of the electroacoustic studio: Vox Alia.
An immigrant French-speaking Arab poet casts a
sensitive, lucid and uncompromising look at
Western civilization, in the form of a wounded
Easterner’s very long and intense cry over his
shattered hopes for a better civilization:
Fragments de lettre à un habitant du Centre.
A French poet and ex-ambassador whose possessions
and family have been taken hostage by the Nazis
during World War 2 tells, while in exile on a
Maine island, of the inner destitution of the
exile and the universal conceit of war actions:
Exil, chant II.
The madness of Van Gogh as the answer to the
inadequacy between the values of the market
society and the values of the upright artist:
Crise.
The reality of the known world renewed,
trans-figured by the artist’s listening,
re-presented and re-played within the figurative
space of the loudspeakers: Figures d’espace.
Annette Vande Gorne, Ohain (Belgium) [English
translation: François Couture, x-07]
A SUNNY DAY IN GLASGOW – Scribble Mural Comic Journal
CD Notenuf Records ntnf006
http://www.notenuf.net
http://www.myspace.com/sunnydayinglasgow
It all began as the bedroom projects of BEN
DANIELS and EVER NALENS. Ben moved to London,
England for a girl and wound up just walking
around a lot. Moving to Glasgow, Scotland to go
to art school, Ever didn’t realize there was a
place on earth, outside of the poles, where the
sun might not be visible for weeks at a time. He
was completely unprepared for the effects of this
upon his state of mind. Suffice it to say, sunny
days in Glasgow had a profound impact on him.
Returning to Philadelphia deeply affected by
their respective experiences, the two began
collaborating on little recordings made with
radio shack microphones in Ben’s apartment.
After a while Ever gave up to focus on pictures,
but Ben continued on, bringing in his sister,
ROBIN, on vocals. After another short while,
sister LAUREN was brought in to fill out the
sound and the group began to record in earnest on
Ben’s new laptop with a nice new condenser mic.
In March of 2006 they self-released an EP titled,
“The Sunniest Day Ever”, which was met with a
great deal more radio-play and press than any of
them had ever expected. The ensuing attention
motivated the three to record like crazy and the
end result was edited and assembled to create the
band’s debut LP, “Scribble Mural Comic Journal”.
Using mandolins, banjos, noise, samplers, lots of
cuttin’ n pastin’, and all of the normal band
instruments, Philadelphia’s A Sunny Day in
Glasgow adds lush female vocals and dance-y
rhythms to make dreamy pop music. Distorted
guitars alongside Robin and Lauren’s vocals
glisten for thirteen storied tracks on “Scribble
Mural Comic Journal.” The album succeeds in
marrying Cocteau Twins’ other-wordliness, JAMC
white noise, the best aspects of early Aphex
Twin, and the jangle of “Strawberry Wine” era MBV
to create pop music that somehow makes sense
despite making no sense.
BARRY LYNN – Balancing Lakes
2LP/CD Planet Mu ZIQ162
Streetdate: February 25
http://www.planet-mu.com
http://www.myspace.com/barrylynnmusic
After last autumn’s sublime “Glyphic”
long-player, Boxcutter reverts to his given name
for a journey through his extensive back
catalogue of material. These are tracks that date
from the period 2002-2005; up to the time Barry
wrote his classic first album “Oneiric”. An early
interest in uk garage is apparent in the 2-steppy
breaks of “London” for instance, and minimal
techno in “LTI”. Balancing Lakes, though, feels
like and album and not simply a collection of
tracks. From the gorgeous blissful amen jungle of
“Loving Dub” to the jazzy horns and otherworldly
melodies of “New Orleans” this shows a man at the
top of his game even before his debut release.
DAVOR MIKAN – Täuschung
CD Crónica 030
http://www.cronicaelectronica.org
These pieces were developed in the last four
years. A mixture of algorithmic and handmade
music. I am using generative graphic-tools
together with granular systhesis to transform
sound.
After 4 years, the distance to this music is
completely lost. This paralyzes my thinking. When
I try to have thoughts, they seem to be like a
foreign substance. And totally out of place. By
the way, also emotions. Finally I had searched my
notes and correspondece of the last years for
thoughts who are coherent with the development of
this music. They are text tracks, not in the way
of listening – as long as they are read, as a
hint to the character of the space from out of
which the music emerged.
“Who could survive physically without the spine
of self-deception – and who should have interest
in breaking it for the subject? But at the same
time, the deception should be what it is – an
illusion, which has to be figured out in case
there are self-endangering enticements come from
it.” Peter Sloterdijk, Sphären I
“Dark spots were coming into my inside, black
fungus which were spreading more and more.”
Fernando Pessoa, Das Buch der Unruhe
Š spitefully behaving bodies of sound. They are
denying the unfolding of inherent intelligence;
they are acting against their being. A Chaos.
Here the hearing aid is utterly familiar. A lot
is getting lost – acustically masked, it doesn’t
make its way to the inner ear. What is not
hearable, its vanished under the massif of sound.
It is as if here the listening make the hearing
impossible.
Olga Neuwirth describes the musik for her
“Bählamms Fest” as gestures which are leading
into nowhere. – Davor Mikan, 2007
DAVOR MIKAN lives and works in Vienna, where he
creates music about failure, beauty, lust and
delusion in the context of psychoacoustic effects
and in a personal sense (self-delusion).
ELSA JUSTEL – Mâts
CD empreintes DIGITALes IMED 0785
http://www.electrocd.com/fr/bio/justel_el/
About Mâts by Horacio Vaggione
The electroacoustic works of Elsa Justel are
striking for their rich morphological invention:
canvases made of minuscule yet consistently
varied sounds; stratified figures made of
multiple simultaneous shots, intertwining with
one another; tremblings turning into sharp and
lightning objects; objects of all sizes, objects
so diverse they relentlessly keep hold of your
attention. This is undeniably a form of music
demanding active listening, a state of awareness
to the smallest palpitations, music that always
has rich meanings to unveil, no matter how many
times you listen to it. In fact, the more you
listen to it, the more it becomes both
mysterious and habitable. It is music to be
cherished for its sophistication, vividness and
subtlety. This music imitates nothing; it is
there, warm and savant, controlled yet free,
vigorous and intelligent. It adds to the real
world a presence consisting of its own immanence.
It is this presence that Elsa Justel has been
trying to bring forth, through her unyielding
work as a composer, and succeeding so rightfully
that she immediately wins us over. I see Elsa
Justel’s music as surplus life, absolutely
essential to our existence.
Horacio Vaggione, Paris (France), May 2005
[English translation: François Couture, x-07]
FUCK BUTTONS – Street Horrrsing
2LP/CD ATP Recordings ATPRCD28
Streetdate: March 17
http://www.atpfestival.com/atp-recordings/fuck-buttons/
http://www.myspace.com/fuckbuttons
Fuck Buttons was conceived by ANDREW HUNG &
BENJAMIN JOHN POWER in the winter of 2004,
Bristol UK. Initially the group was born as an
outlet for their nihilistic-noise tendencies but
quickly, the two Fuck Buttons realised they could
harness the use of noise as a tool to immerse and
evoke. No longer afraid of melody or rhythm, the
group started fusing all these elements to the
point when drone becomes melody becomes rhythm.
With their electric live performances sealing the
notion that the two Fuck Buttons are attempting
some kind of transcendence between the listener
and the Universe itself, one could easily
envisage one’s psyches being shaken by the very
rumbles of the earth’s motions.
Tribal beats and subtle beautiful melodies weave
amongst contorting Technicolor drone-scapes while
preaching distorted-vocals scream for dear hope
herselfŠ
Fuck Buttons straddle you between the wall of
sound that lies between the beginning of
destruction and the end of birth. This grand
noise will fondle you into a state of immersed
euphoria.
* Played Supersonic, Truck festival and Portishead curated ATP
* Recorded by John Cummings of MOGWAI
* Mastered by Bob Weston of SHELLAC
* Booked to play ATP May 2008
* Playing SXSW and touring with Caribou across the States
Watch “Bright Tomorrow”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaykxPm10HE
“This icly pure, adrenalin pumping, ear-purging
slab of towering, pristine noise feels way more
exhilaratingly futuristic than anything else
released this week.” TIME OUT
“Using an array of equipment culled from boots
sales and kid stores, the duo of Andrew Chang and
Benjamin John Power make transcendental sounds
that have much more in common with Mogwai’s freak
outs and bands like Black Dice and Growing than
the faux-metal caterwauling of R2D2-being-raped
screams of most contemporary noise acts.” VICE
Fuck Buttons LIVE
25/06 SE Accelerator Festival, Stockholm
more confirmed dates soon!
JOHN YOUNG – Lieu-temps new [Of Place and Time]
DVD-A empreintes DIGITALes IMED 0787
http://www.electrocd.com
http://www.mti.dmu.ac.uk/~jyoung/
In 2002 I made my first visit to the city of
Forlì in northern Italy. It was a moving occasion
for me as it was the place where my mother was
born and where, as a young woman, she got to
know my father who was at that time a soldier in
the New Zealand Division of the 8th Army. That
was in 1944. My mother followed my father back to
New Zealand after the war, where I grew up with
many powerful impressions of the places and
events of their wartime experiences. But, as
vivid and as frequently emotive as my parents’
reminiscences were, 58 years later they all took
on a new reality for me on that first visit to
Forlì.
In the company of my father (his first time there
since 1945), I was astonished by his very precise
recollections of buildings, streets and
directions around the city. I was also reminded
of my mother’s first return to Forlì after 35
years, where she was spontaneously greeted in the
street by an old acquaintance who exclaimed ‘I’ve
not seen you for such a long time!’
Some things were more poignant for their absence.
The farmhouse at Malmissole in the outskirts of
Forlì, where my parents first actually met, has
gone. The house on via Giorgio Regnoli in Forlì
where my mother and her parents had lived after
the city’s liberation received a direct hit from
a German shell and now a notably more modern
house stands in its place. But amidst these and
many other reminders, the Forlì soundscape
triggered another response. Standing in the
centre of the city’s Piazza Aurelio Saffi
listening to bells from churches clearly audible
over great distances gave me a strong sense of
experiencing the sounds as something resonant of
the place and its historyŠ that these were
‘voices’ from the past – something permanent, yet
alive – evoking a sense of being touched by the
physicality of sounds that others had experienced
with the same immediacy over many years and
through some dark, violent times. Of course, the
emotional nature of that visit made me especially
receptive to such an idea.
But in response to a flood of expressions of
place and identity, and my own inexorable feeling
of being at once earthed and estranged in Forlì,
these works explore the interaction of memory and
experience, narrative and evocation bringing
sounds and voices from the past and the present
together in imaginary soundscapes.
John Young, Leicester (UK) [x-07]
JONTY HARRISON – Environs
DVD-A empreintes DIGITALes IMED 0788
http://www.electrocd.com
http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/harrison
** DVD-Audio – Advanced Resolution: Surround 5.1
(MLP 4824) + Stereo (4824) ** DVD-Video [NTSC,
multi-region]: Surround 5.1 (Dolby Digital) +
Stereo (4824) ** DVD-ROM: MP3 (320 kbps), AAC
(320 kbps) files *** Mastering: Dominique Bassal
1 Undertow (2007) 12m19s
ReCycle (1999-2006)
2 Rock ‘n’ Roll (2004) 11m43s
3 Internal Combustion (2005-06) 11m43s
4 Free Fall (2006) 7m54s
5 Streams (1999) 16m12s
6 Afterthoughts (2007) 15m59S
LJUDBILDEN & PILOTEN – One hundred fifty-five
CD Nosordo NSRD009
http://www.nosordo.com
http://www.ljudbilden.com
Composed and performed by Kristofer Ström.
Recorded and mixed between 2005/07 in Malmö,
Sweden. We are thrilled to present “One hundred
fifty-five”, the latest release from
award-winning illustrator, animator, and musician
KRISTOFER STRÖM (Ljudbilden & Piloten). After
several highly-acclaimed limited edition singles
and EPs (paired with such names as Kama Aina and
Gregg Kowalsky/Osso Bucco) “One hundred
fifty-five” is essentially Ljudbilden & Piloten’s
first full length album. The deluxe digipack CD
cover comes replete with a special full-colour
collage for each track, and YouTube is already
heaving with special videos made for this release
(one video per track). With echoes of Greg Davis,
John Fahey and, dare we say it, Pink Floyd in the
mix, “One hundred fifty-five” will surely make
people sit up and take notice of this
extraordinary musical talent.
The unique sound of Ljudbilden & Piloten (pron.
“yude-bill-den oak pee-loe-ten”) is the result of
Kristofer?s relentless search for new sounds. He
has used a range of objects in the creation of
loops and rhythms. On any one of the 15 new
tracks on “One hundred fifty-five” you may hear
sounds as diverse as those of Elmo (Kristofer’s
dog), a glass, a zither, a handclap or two, an
egg slicer, a guitar, a bass and a trumpet.
Based in Malmö, Sweden, Kristofer has worked with
a variety of different bands over the past
decade, yet it is his solo work as Ljudbilden &
Piloten where he can really flex his creative
muscles, which combines video work, illustration
and his trademark use of unusual percussion
objects. He says he is inspired by everything and
everyone. “I can’t put my finger on just one
thing that inspires me the most. It depends from
time to time. One day it could be an e-mail from
someone, another day the silence. Movies, photos,
art, friends, music. I can’t decide what inspires
me the most. It wouldn’t be fair to the tree with
no leaves if I turned around and said I got more
inspiration from looking at its friend who has
leaves.”
Kristofer has composed music for theatre,
dance-theatre and for short film productions.
Last summer he also worked as a music pedagogue
at NEON Gallery space in Malmö, Sweden, alongside
Lisa Nordström from Midaircondo. He has toured
Sweden with David Balula, Domotic and O.lamm,
Dead Texan, and has performed in Denmark and
Spain. 2008 will see more live performances, in
support of “One hundred fifty-five”.
His animation work has earned him such awards as
the Gold Award for “Best Budget Video” at the
Cads Music Vision Awards (London, UK), an award
for “Best Video” at the Kolla Awards (Stockholm,
Sweden). His work has been presented on Swedish
national television (notably on Kobra and
Musikbyrån/SVT) and to celebrate the success of
his stop-motion video for the band Minilogue
(over 2 million views on YouTube so far) the
producers Son Kite made and special presentation
a over an hour of Ljudbilden material (released,
unreleased, live, upcoming and sketches).
“Ljudbilden & Piloten says everything I’ve ever
wanted to say about how magnificent life is, in
much better ways than my measly words could ever
express.” – Eden Hemming Rose, Foxy Digitals (USA)
With support from The Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs.
MARTIN LECLERC – Horizons du silence
DVD-A empreintes DIGITALes IMED 0786
http://www.electrocd.com/fr/bio/leclerc_ma/
DVD-Audio – Advanced Resolution: Surround 5.1
(MLP 9624) + Stereo (4824) ** DVD-Video [NTSC,
multi-region]: Surround 5.1 (Dolby Digital) +
Stereo (4824) ** DVD-ROM: MP3 (320 kbps), AAC
(320 kbps) files *** Mastering: Dominique Bassal
1 Š et le ça (2000-01)
À l’horizon du silence (2001-02)
* Pascal Leprohon, B-flat trumpet 17m16s
2 Une journée comme les autres 3m34s
3 Solo de trompette 1 3m00s
4 Femme hystérique dans la ville 1m05s
5 Solo de trompette 2 1m30s
6 Écroulement 14s
7 Solo de trompette 3 1m05s
8 Désert – Éclaircie de soleil 6m48s
L’Odyssée (2002-03)
9 Souvenirs 1m13s
10 Respiration 1 1m10s
11 Sommeil – Réveil 2m57s
12 Respiration 2 1m13s
13 Affrontement, folie 5m40s
14 Sauf dans la brume (2005) 12m33s
Pièce pour petites oreilles (2003-04)
15 Berceuse 1m43s
16 Balbutiements 1m43s
17 «Koa le fermier» 3m12s
18 Pulsations 2m14s
19 Colère – Réconfort 5m38s
20 Il y aŠ il y avait des fleurs (2000) 12m00s
OFFICERFISHDUMPLINGS – Officerfishdumplings Finds You Way Home
CD Notenuf Records ntnf005
http://www.notenuf.net
http://www.myspace.com/officerfishdumplings
If the road to hell is paved with good
intentions, and all roads lead to Rome, then
either Rome is hell, or hell is on the way to
Rome. But Rome is no officerfishdumplings’
proposed final destination. When
officerfishdumplings finds your way home, he
takes you on a meticulously designed roller
coaster ride through bouncy and poised, glitchy
and clean, dancy and trippy, dense and spacious,
firey and cool, far-east and near-east,
equatorial and arctic, time and distance, rock
and roll. He guides you all the way, but the ride
is yours to make and keep. A detour from the
ubiquitous tedium. A stroll through the 4th
dimension. A potential utopia in the making…
When you finally make it home, you will never
want to take the old tired way home ever again.
HATIM BELYAMANI was born and raised in Morocco,
but does not hate freedom. At the Casablanca
American School, he began his indoctrination at
the early age of 3, but never learned to like
Coke… or chewing gum. As a teenager, he stayed
up late on Sunday nights watching Headbangers’
Ball, but never saw a real mosh pit. He played in
a heavy-metal cover band called Camel Spit,
though he has never ridden a camel. In 1995,
Hatim left Morocco to attend a high-brow
university, and has not repatriated since. While
in college, Hatim turned a hatred for olives into
a love affair, thanks to one treacherous martini.
He also discovered an entire new palate of
sounds, from the quirky jazz to the artfully
punk, to the hippity hop, and to the
intelligently danceable.
On a smoky night in the year 2000, Hatim
Belyamani welcomed his alter ego into the world.
The fledgling electro-acoustic sound sculptor was
dubbed officerfishdumplings, for reasons that
shall remain undisclosed here. Out of the
embryonic years spent in San Francisco came the
first EP ‘officerfishdumplings Talks, You
Listen,’ now a rare collectible item. The officer
then moved to Austin, TX, where he performed
regularly under various guises.
The live sounds of officerfishdumplings have been
unleashed in San Francisco, Austin, Auckland (New
Zealand), and Berlin. A sneak peak of this
material was featured on the notenuf records
compilation “One Winter is Notenuf” (NTNF004).
RAF AND O – Has the Air Gone Walking
10″ EP Geo Records GEO 010
Streetdate: March 24
http://www.myspace.com/georecordsuk
http://www.myspace.com/rafando
GEO RECORDS are proud to release the debut EP
from Raf and O – “Has the air gone walking.” The
EP is on shiny 10″ vinyl and features four tracks
– Sky, Cycad, 7 Blue and Squeezebox. All haunting
vocals, shimmering electronics, throbbing bass
and glitchy grooves – it’s the sound of a three
way musical and sonic collision – informed by a
pop sensibility married to an experimental spirit.
It marks a relaunch for GEO – the label mainly so
far a home for melodectronic space commander
Gagarin whose several Geo releases have garnered
largescale critical acclaim across Europe.
Distributed in physical and digital form through
a new deal with Kudos the EP is the first release
in a programme of regular EPs and albums
throughout 2008. “Has the Air Gone Walking” is a
taste of what’s to come from the debut raf and O
album due later this year. Raf and O will be
undertaking a series of gigs through the spring
in support of the album as well as a live session
on Resonance FM.
RAF AND O
have been described as: blending exotic and
electronic sounds with vocals exuding a disarming
sensual and intriguing fragility. An intricate
forest of digital glitches & beats, slow bass
movements, synth landscapes and smouldering
vocals, create a blissed out sonic picture in
which the deep and exotic songs grow.
Florentine artistry guides the intensely
captivating songwriting and vocalings of RAF
MANTELLI, which entwine with DIDS’s innovative
electronic percussion and RICHARD SMITH’s
voluptuous bass lines to startling effect. Ever
since his time with illustrious John Cale and
legendary Nico + the Faction, Dids has always set
to experiment with the sounds he creates,
bringing these parameters to texturise the fluid
yet precise framework of Raf’s songs, whilst
Richard’s bass glides across their harmonic
spectrum — together Raf and O generate a
beautiful brand of esoteric pop.
RYOJI IKEDA – 1000 Fragments
CD raster-noton R-N 089
http://raster-noton.net
http://www.ryojiikeda.com
1000 Fragments is Ryoji Ikeda’s first solo album.
As early as 1995 Ikeda started with this
influential release his consistent work on
digital sound design, having an inspiring impact
on the the founders of raster-noton label.
1000 Fragments was originally released in
February 1995 on Ikeda’s own label CCI
Recordings. raster-noton is proud to make this
important piece of electronic music available
again.
here’s an early review from www.full-albums.net:
“the works on this disc of japanese
computer-manipulated sound composer ryoji ikeda
all date from early parts of his career, the
mid-80s thru the early 90s. but by no means does
the early date on this material date the works
themselves.
the first piece, consisting of several short
parts (bursts?), snaps the listener around a
jumble of sound fragments from tv, nasa, radio,
film, raw electronics and computer-generated
tones, and so on. it’s rather disorienting
stuff…more like something you’d expect out of
the hafler trio, and actually sort of out of
character with the rest of the disc.
as for the rest of the disc, it’s taken up with
two long works, which I assume involve
computer-generated sound but which have the
lushness one more associates with analog
electronics. both are longish ambient works, but
instead of featuring static repetitive
structures, these ‘unfold’ in an intriguing
manner, like a long, slow drive across a very
sparse landscape. as opposed to the initial work
here, these are definitely the ‘meat’ of this
disc, and anyone looking for some fine ambient
work with perhaps a bit of an edge would do well
to check this out.”
SISSIKONTEST – Boys On Tranquilizers
CD Spezialmaterial SM026CD013
http://www.spezialmaterial.ch
http://www.myspace.com/sissikontest
Sissikontest, founded 2005, marks
Spezialmaterial’s departure from its
predominantly electronic roots. On their first
studio album, the threesome consisting of MARCO
CROSINA, MICHAEL EBERLI and MICHAEL BLÄTTLER
offer an electronic-acoustic blend beyond clichés
or fashion flavours. In their relaxed
awkwardness, Sisskontest wander the spectrum of
contemporary styles: catchy pop tunes, electro
gypsy folk, trashy organ eroticism, and hypnotic
dance tracks caught in loop structures are the
outcome. The group’s live performances stand out
for their dynamic interplay between fragile sound
scapes and raw guitar noize. Technically complex,
stylish effect handling, wayward real time
modulation as well as self-made instruments – all
of this makes Sissikontest’s live shows great fun.
Michael Eberli
is a founding member of Spezialmaterial. With
Sissikontest and his electronic project “Person”,
he made himself a name in sound modulation,
live-sampling and producing. His tracks have been
remixed by the likes of Plaid or Team Doyobi. In
countless live performances, he has shown that an
audience is best gripped with musical dynamic.
Michael Eberli has also developed various
audio-visual installations, many of which have
been exhibited at international art fairs. For
his music and art project, he has been awarded
numerous prizes.
Marco Crosina
is a classically educated guitar player. His
unconventional take on sound production and song
structures go beyond the usual scope. For him,
experiments with sound stands equal to
constructing harmonies. Stylistic diversity,
which comes to him naturally, edges him on to pen
ever more innovative, elaborate compositions.
Michael Blättler
is a performance artist, who has been and is part
of a great many international art projects. He is
Sissikontest’s analogue guru and guitar detuner.
With his unique tape-performances, he takes the
audience with him to new boundaries of sound,
which characterised by sophisticated minimalism.
THE BATTLE OF LAND AND SEA – s/t
CD Notenuf Records ntnf008
http://www.notenuf.net
http://www.myspace.com/battleoflandandsea
To describe the sound of The Battle of Land and
Sea, one might call up images of abandoned
sea-worn ships floating through a thick coastal
fog. And upon first listen you might call to mind
Cat Power, or the soft glow of Songs of Green
Pheasant. But eventually, you start to hear what
makes the music of Portland based SARAH O’SHURA
so special. You get a glimpse of a world through
the eyes of someone on a musical pilgrimage,
whether the tales are laden with sorrow or joy,
they are enchanting and hopeful.
Growing up in a remote northern Californian town
as an only child definitely left its stamp on
Sarah’s imagination. Taking piano and clarinet
lessons was the extent of her musical experience
until taking up guitar and singing in a band at
the age of 19. Fast forward through years of day
jobs, bands beginning and ending, shows,
recording, and we are nearly there. The Battle of
Land and Sea sprouted from a prolific weekend of
songwriting and recording while holed up with
said imagination and a four track at home. Sarah
began recording as The Battle of Land and Sea in
early 2006, with her delicate, sparse songwriting
at the center and seeking like minded musical
characters to help narrate the journey. Recording
with long time musical partner JOSHUA CANNY on
electric guitar, a beautifully patient album that
begs for repeated late night listens was created.
Six of the eight tracks on this debut full-length
stem from a hand sewn EP the band self-released
in early 2007 and revisited for this release.
Jacob Golden produced the album at his home
studio in the summer of 2006 and spring of 2007,
seasoning the home spun vibe and intimate songs
perfectly. Mixing took place in both London and
Silverlake, lending some cross Atlantic
perspective, which makes sense considering the
seafaring thread.
While Sarah remains a bit mysterious about her
upbringing and what forged the musical veil, what
we do get to know are the songs. The tracks
unfurl like pages torn out of a memoir, at times
autobiographical, at times phantasmagoric.
Leaving the listener to discern what is fact and
what is fiction, what it most clear is that all
the songs come from common truths about love,
loss and triumph.
The Battle of Land and Sea have spent the better
half of 2007 planting roots. They’ve found a home
with indie label Notenuf Records, been a featured
artist on MySpace and their new hometown of
Portland has embraced them with open arms. With
the worldwide release in January 2008, The Battle
of Land and Sea will be touring North America and
the UK in clubs and living rooms spreading the
quiet word.
THE DOUBTFUL GUEST – Acid Sauna
3LP/CD Planet Mu ZIQ189
Streetdate: February 4
http://www.planet-mu.com
http://www.myspace.com/thedoubtfulguest
The Doubtful Guest’s debut album ushers in a new
era of acid. Gone are the electro party jams,
gone the funky squiggle. This is dark,
suffocating stuff full of nightmares and
claustrphobic details that send shivers up your
spine. References would include Coil, Marc
Acardipane, Scott Brown or Neophyte. Not afraid
to show her classical upbringing (she trained as
an opera singer) and jazz heritage (granddaughter
of J.B. Floyd), Libby Floyd (London resident
formerly of Chicago) has infused the sound of
rave with doom and dread. Inducing panic on the
dancefloor, cuts like the eleven minute ‘Slaves’
build into writhing acid anthems that ebb and
flow like some viscous substance in your mind.
*Cut and mastered at 45 rpm on triple vinyl for
maximum playability and reproduction of detail.
THE EX – Building A Broken Mousetrap
DVD EX Records EX 105V
http://www.theex.nl
GRAVITY HILL FILMS presents
The Ex in New York
BUILDING A BROKEN MOUSETRAP
A film by Jem Cohen and Matt Boyd
“Furiously intense … the most poetic and
unexpectedly political concert film I’ve seen in
some time.” N. Cowan – Toronto Film Festival
An independent project of film-maker/director Jem
Cohen (a.o. Fugazi – Instrument) and Matt
Boyd, shot on September 11, 2004. The Ex live in
the Knitting Factory, the first night of their US
Tour. A celebration of life and activism. 4 songs
captured in 16 mm film, another 4 songs in DV.
One hour of intense, exciting live music,
intertwined with construction-site footage from
New York and Amsterdam, protest footage against
the Republic National Convention, city footage…
the blurred line between building and
destruction… No retakes, no corrections, no
fine-tuning. You get what you got. Same for the
filmmakers as for the musicians.
THE EX in 2007… on tour with Getatchew Mekuria
in Ethiopia and Holland +++ tour of
Scandinavia +++ tour of France/Switzerland +++ 4
weeks of A Clockwork Orange performances with
d’Electrique +++ three shows in Canada +++ tour
of Germany +++ and more concerts with Getatchew
Mekuria in Holland and France …
WILLITS + SAKAMOTO – Ocean Fire
CDE 12k 12k1046
http://www.12k.com
http://www.myspace.com/christopherwillits
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS and RYUICHI SAKAMOTO’s new
release, Ocean Fire, is a sublime soundtrack for
the ocean. It is an intense and stirring wash of
cascading tones and textured harmony. Willits +
Sakamoto surprise with rare form in this
collaboration, creating a sound world unlike
anything they have produced previously. Each
artist has gently pulled the other into new sonic
territory. Sakamoto’s gorgeous processed piano
sound reflects Willits’ beautiful shimmering
clusters of notes, a new aspect of Willits’
pioneering guitar/computer approach. Together,
their sounds merge effortlessly, creating deep
and seamless swells of gigantic melodic waves.
Ocean Fire was recorded live at Sakamoto’s studio
in NYC in spring 2006. The improvisations found
their final form through some further editing in
the months to come, and final mastering by Clayx
in Berlin. We hear the artists exploring their
relationship to each other, new sounds, and the
ocean’s boundless force and importance. This
release is dedicated to the healing and
restoration of our fragile oceans.
Sakamoto is a living legend in music. His
numerous releases in YMO, and his grammy
award-willing solo work has inspired two
generations of fans and artists. Christopher
Willits is a young talented artist who has shown
he can do just about anything. In the
late-nineties Willits began integrating his
guitar playing with unique custom digital
processing, and has since been instrumental in
redefining the sound palette of the guitar.
Overlapping all forms of music, sound, and visual
art, Willits’ work defies genre and retains a
presence of it’s own.12k is proud to release this
work that pairs one of its core artists with a
legendary composer.
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO has made a career of crossing
musical and technological boundaries. A founding
member of YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA (YMO), Sakamoto
has composed original scores for 20 films,
including: Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and The
Last Emperor, which earned him an Oscar and a
Grammy. Sakamoto’s recent releases include
collaborations with ALVA NOTO (Insen), CHRISTIAN
FENNESZ, (Cendre), and Christopher Willits (Ocean
Fire). Sakamoto recently reunited with Yellow
Magic Orchestra for one performance at Al Gore’s
Live Earth festival on 7/7/07 in Kyoto. Rolling
Stone magazine called YMO’s performance the best
reunion of the global festival.
Sakamoto is socially active, raising awareness
about issues including the environment and
anti-war efforts through projects including:
Life, Zero Landmine, which raised millions of
dollars for landmine removal, and stop-rokkasho,
an evolving music and art project aimed at
bringing attention to the dangers of a nuclear
reprocessing plant which opened in Japan.
CHRISTOPHER WILLITS is a musician and multimedia
artist located in San Francisco, California.
Striking a delicate balance between acoustic and
electronic sounds and systems, Christopher
manages to defy genre distinctions while still
defining a “sound” unto his own. His numerous
solo releases and collaborations cover a broad
spectrum of musical styles, and include one main
commonality: Willits’ unique use of the guitar
with custom-made signal processing. This
home-brewed software, along with Willits’
6-string prowess, generates a unique real-time
mixture of improvised melody and rhythm. Willits’
guitar lines and harmonies fold into each other.
Notes and phrases hook and weave, creating
complex patterns of interlocking rhythm, melody,
and texture.
Willits’ has a vast range of collaborations he is
involved in, which include bands, sound
installations, and film/video projects. FLOSSIN,
a band project organized and produced by Willits,
is currently working on a new release that will
feature the original lineup of Zach Hill (drummer
from the band Hella), Miguel Depedro (Kid606) and
Willits, plus Matmos and a familiar remixing cast
of indie-electronic/rock artists. Christopher
Willits and Brad Laner (formerly of Medicine)
recently released a new album as the NORTH VALLEY
SUBCONSCIOUS ORCHESTRA on Ghostly International
in late August 2006. Taylor Deupree (12k
label-head) and Willits have released two
full-length studio albums and a recent Live CD.
Other collaborators include Latrice Barnett
(Galactic, Kaskade, Handsome Boy Modeling
School), Paul D’Amour (Tool, Lusk), Ryuichi
Sakamoto (YMO), and video artist Scott Pagano.
Willits completed his Master’s Degree in
Electronic Music at Mills College where he
studied with PAULINE OLIVEROS, FRED FRITH and
JOHN BISCHOFF. At Mills he explored
structure-generating processes in music; a focus
not unfamiliar to former Mills affiliates John
Cage and Steve Reich. Prior to Mills, Willits
received a solid visual arts training in
painting, sculpture, and video art at the Kansas
City Art Institute.
Thanks for reading & best wishes
Dense Promotion
http://www.dense.de
http://www.myspace.com/densepr
