Kraakgeluiden is an ongoing and evolving series of events andperformances organized by a group of musicians based in Amsterdam. Likea smaller, Dutch version of the LA Free Music Society, Kraakgeluidenopens its door to musicians all over the world interested in improvisedelectroacoustic music, setting up weekly performances where musiciansfrom classical, jazz, improv, rock, even dance backgrounds, including aremarkable number of well-established personalities, perform beforeother members and guests of the loose collective. The musicians willoften play with others for the first time on the Kraakgeluiden stage,producing results that are sometimes mediocre, more often amazing, andalways interesting. Document 1is the first release from the collective and presumably not the last,compiling some of their best recorded moments to date. The disc comesin the wake of the recent inauguration of Werkplaats, a series of nineweekends in '03-'04 in which Kraakgeluiden pays for groups of musiciansto experiment for three days preparing for a Monday night performanceon the stage, held in a legalized squat in Amsterdam. The project aimsto eliminate the logistical problems (equipment-related, etc.) thatplague tighter scheduled events and to allow for deeper, more fullydeveloped communications between dissimilar musicians and their chosenmediums. Based on the music included here, it sounds as if they'resucceeding. The twelve pieces cover a huge amount of ground, rangingfrom sloppy, broad-stroked combative approaches, to nuanced moodpieces, and traversing the freest of jazz styling in between. Mosttracks utilize computers in some way, but the machines keep comfortabledistance, each musician clearly conscious of his or her presence withinthe group. While most everything bears the influence of electronicmusic making, these improvisations never slip into the faceless,formalist rut that is certainly a risk with this kind of undertaking.Even at their most indulgent, the tracks communicate the vivacity andprogressive nature of the collective, and oftentimes, the multitude ofstrange instruments, in stranger juxtapositions, is enough to keep thelistening experience interesting. This disc is worthwhile if only forthe inspiration it might lend to the formation of more organizationslike Kraakgeluiden.samples:
- Colin McLean/Cor Fuhler/Andy Moor - kraak 09.12.2002
- Format Killer - kraak 21.04.2003
- Corkestra - kraak 05.12.2000
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