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Queen Elizabeth is Julian Cope and Thighpaulsandra's ongoing "sonic ritual" project. Birthed in 1993, the first album was released in 1994 and the second double album, newly reissued, in 1997. Well over three hours of improvised music is spread over the three discs, the "shortest" of the seven tracks being thirteen minutes. As one might expect from these two space cadets, languid analog ambience (or "Ambulence" as Cope refers to it) via Mellotrons, Moogs and ARPs is the primary mode of space-time travel here, though percussion, guitars and miscellany also play a part.
On the debut, brash quasi-arpeggios make up the bulk of "Superstar" while intentionally distorted piano chords interrupt the knob twiddling drift in "Avebury: The Arranged Marriage of Heaven and Earth".
On 'Elizabeth Vagina', "Tal-y-Fan" is a shocker kicking off with bombastic rock drums and bass guitar groove, later settling into extensive modulations. And the tail end of "Temples of Ker" breaks into a charming piano and guitar led ditty, nearly negating the 11 minutes of chugging synths preceding it. It surprises me that with this much meat, there's not that much to really sink my teeth into. That is, instead of being engrossed, I more often than not find myself impatiently waiting for something better to happen. I love ambient minded music but I feel that most of this material is lacking in magick and is, well, rather self-indulgent. And everything here pales in comparison to Thighpaulsandra's later work with Coil and on his own. He took the Queen Elizabeth concept to the next level for his brilliant solo debut 'I, Thighpaulsandra' by fashioning ingenious songs amongst the meandering moments. Even Cope cops to this by admitting in the sleeve notes, in reference to a track on 'I' originally intended for a third Queen Elizabeth release, that it "vastly transcends the breadth of musical vision originally destined for the Queen Elizabeth version".
 
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H.S. Ziegler began flooding the German underground scene withself-released home-produced cassettes in the 1980s. Particularlyannoying naive and dada-esque, he used every style and toy instrumenthe could get hold of to develope his ways of expression. Throughout the1990s, he released a wide variety of stuff in nearly any possibleformat on a wide selection of independent labels, teamed up with Blummfor more than 3 CDs and making regular guest appearances on Mouse OnMars releases, starting with 'Iaora Tahiti'.
'Kopf Zahl Bauch' (Head Number Belly) is finally his all-star album,featuring guest collaborators Mouse On Mars on "Toy Tech Two", alongwith Marcus Schmickler, FX Randomiz, Reuber, Blumm, Guido M?bius, andRon Martin (more or less the whole A-Musik crowd with Joseph Suchyco-producing). This is by no means a wild electronica avant-gardecelebrity album, but a collection of alternative pop tunes withcharming harmonies and melodies and the occasional vocal tunes aboutlost loves, daily observations, and vacations in New York. "Urlauber InNew York," for example, from the 'Staubgold 20' compilation, is used asthis album's opener. These songs can get quite emotional but never tothe point of sheer annoyance.
Ballads like "Einsam" (Lonely) or "Zwei Wochen Zwei" (Two Weeks Two,again with Joseph Suchy) or just songs like "Schenken" (Give a Gift,with Reuber) get better with each listening. The only track which is abit too drowsy for me is "Lila Regen" (Pink Rain), but otherwise, thisis a very cute and friendly album.
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Randall Nieman cut his teeth in the Michigan space-rock scene playingwith Windy & Carl (then a quartet). Moving on to start a newproject, F?xa, with former Asha Vida member Ryan Anderson, Nieman wasable to fully explore the electronic counterpart to his interests, inaddition to guitar and bass work. Although Anderson his since departed,Nieman has continued with rather prolific output ('Supercharged' marksthe sixth full-length release). The array of instrumentation on thisalbum is all in dreamy hints and touches. The theremin, Moog and synthsnever overpower the guitar, bass and drums, or vice versa. Less trippythan previous efforts like 'Very Well Organized' and less airy than '3Field Rotation', 'Supercharged' draws from both styles, but infusesthem with darker, milder overtones. The first of the eight tracks,"Hide Away" is a prime example. Smoky and magnetic, this song featuresassistance from The Telescopes'/Unisex's Jo Doran and Stephan Lawrie,who lend their low, sparse vocals (something new to F?xa's mostlyinstrumental repetoire), which are submerged into the waftingelectronics. Then, later moving on in a different direction, the thirdtrack "420" is distorted and noisy. 'Supercharged' has a lot ofvariety, but still manages to retain a sense of balance, and is verypolished and even. "It Was You" is another outstanding track,highlighting Nieman's skill for handling analog electronics as well asthat of drummer Drew Peters (another figure in the burgeoning Michiganscene). The result is simple and charming. Unfortunately, thecharismatic beginning of the album just doesn't follow through to theend: "The Formula", "We Could Be Together" and "In Your Dreams" arepretty and quaint, but become difficult to distinguish after the albumreaches its midpoint and lack the character of the songs which preceedthem. That said, I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend 'Supercharged'to fans of F?xa's previous work or anyone who has an appreciation forthoughtful, introspective instrumental music, such as The Album Leaf(on whom F?xa are clearly an influence). Plus, the sublime artwork byMartin Andersen (ex-v23) is an excellent bonus.
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Anyone who mourned the passing of Otomo Yoshihide's incendiaryplunderphonic rock improv explosion Ground Zero should give 'Anode' ablast now! The opening and closing highly percussive attacks arecomparable to the middle section of Ground Zero's 'Last Concert'recording, where the duelling drums let fly, however these are morechaotic and loose, multi-layered and free. Perhaps this is no surpriseconsidering Ground Zero demolition drummers Uemura Masahiro andYoshigaki Yasuhiro are once more punishing the skins. 'Anode' wasimprovised under the conditions that the twelve musicicans do notrespond to each other, do not plot an obvious course and do not playregular rhythms or melodies. The ten and sixteen minute variations of"Anode 1" are as raucous and cacophanous as you might expect, but arealso more uplifting and joyful than anything I've heard all year. Sixpercussionists skitter and tumble thunderously foot over head as sinewaves wail, an empty turntable buzzes and electric guitar feedbacksings dissonant voids. Sandwiched between are two calm and reflectiverealisations of the 'Anode' game, which nod to John Cage's aleatorycomposition. "Anode 2" is the calm after the storm, as slow randomtrickles bounce off each other in curious lines. It segues neatly into"Anode 3" on which Nishi Yoko's prepared 17-string koto looms into theforeground pursuing a more climactic feel. Familiar names from theJapanorama tour such as guitarist Sugimoto Taku, sine waver Sachiko Mand percussionist Furuta Mari are on board, and in Liverpool a fourplayer version of "Anode 1" was the highlight. Otomo Yoshihide hasreleased a mind boggling number of CDs, usually of very high qualityand originality but some more essential than others. Alongside theI.S.O. CDs, this is the most assured and fascinating he's sounded sincethe demise of Ground Zero in 1998. Half of it's Otomo and friends attheir noisiest, and few kick up such a glorious racket.
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'Pell mell' means "in mingled confusion or disorder", a prettybefitting title for this unnecessarily full priced (maybe it's due tothe hand made, compressed paper digipak?) mini album. The disc iscomprised of just two tracks, under 20 and over eight minutes apiece,respectively. With these pieces Robin Storey explores contrastingprocesses. "Trace Area" begins with a mild drone loop which is thenaltered on the fly as additional layers are applied and peeled away. Ittakes a good eight minutes for something really interesting to takeshape - a deep, distant, meditational bass pulse jarred by percussiveracket - but it unfortunately regresses soon after. Near the end of thetrack, effected broadcast voices are tacked on as an afterthought.Compared to the bulk of Storey's work as Rapoon, "Trace" is the closestof these two to the "typical" Rapoon sound. "Pulse Codec" is much morerigid as a programmed rhythm provides the framework for electronicsounds. The beat is rather generic and off-putting right from thestart. Pretty stereo panned piano notes bounce around inside the frame,but the damn drum machine relentlessly overpowers everything else,including your concentration. 'Pell Mell' is the most disappointingRapoon disc I've encountered to date. At least half a dozen newStorey/Rapoon releases are on the horizon from Soleilmoon andKlanggalerie, including collaborations with Victor Nubla (Macromassa)and Andy Diey (Black Faction).
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It's nice to be completely surprised and wrong footed once in a while.Until about halfway through the second track "Cricket," I mistakenlythought ol' Derek Bailey was duetting his instantly recognisable(ir)regular angular electric guitar chops with some German laptopboffin. Murky low end rumblings and gurglings form a bedrock for Baileyto ponder pluck loose on top of and around. Then the realisation dawnedthat Franz Hautzinger was getting brooding motormachine revs out of thetrumpet that most lung honkers wouldn't break wind for. There is arange of flatulence in his quartertone that is as amusing as it isuniquely odd. Anyway, three hours of farting about with intent wereedited down for this disc, which is quite likely the first I've everpicked up on the back of the Bailey name alone, despite his uniquestatus in improv lore. Bailey has continually sneaked into my CD pilevia the likes of collaborators such as Ruins, John Zorn, Evan Parker,Matt Wand, Pat Thomas and Thurston Moore, but he's always been welcome.Franz Hautzinger can come back for a rum splutter anytime too. Why doimprov reviewers so rarely mention the funny side?
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"Going out intending to Dig." My first encounter with VibracathedralOrchestra was one of those wonderful moments when music materialisedfrom nowhere to blow my mind. I'd travelled over the Pennines to Leedsto hear New York saxnoise insurrectionists Borbetomagus lock horns andattempt to raze a pub, but first these five scruffy looking localurchins picked up battered old acoustic guitars, switched on an oldradio, bowed cymbals and swapped instruments whilst slowly unfurling arapturous improvised clatter that recalled the early Velvet UndergroundAMMing it up with shards of warped minimalist reflection. "FingernailR'n'B." They've since put out quite a few albums, CD-Rs and singles butthe ones my ears have been most happy to vibrate to have been the onesfor the excellent quirky vhf label. This latest is their most melodicand beautifully mind altering dose of hypnotic freedrone folk yet.There's a celebratory Eastern whirling dervish feel to much of it, butas if the dancer was caught in slow motion. "Mystical Coughing." Theentire recording is permeated with joyful abandon as whistles blow lovecries to drone boxes over clumping Maclise beats and atonal "EuropeanSon" monochords, whilst everything that can be bowed will be bowed!Chains rattle and break. The mood shifting splices between tracks arethe most dazzlingly effective edits they've yet employed. When Iinterviewed them just prior to a gig supporting Low at ManchesterUniversity the most talkative Vibracathedralist Neil Campbell floatedthe notion that every time they play they just carry on from where theyleft off the last time, so it's just one long ever changing lifepathjourney: "He Play All Day Long." However it was Bridget Hayden who hadthe perfect word to describe what their music: "Magic."
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"Wow." "Weird." "Jesus Christ." "I can't believe somebody took the timeto make this." Those will probably be the first things that passthrough someone's head upon hearing Osymyso's debut (I think?)'Introinspection' - an incredibly intricate, massive, and cool exampleof the phenomenon known as "mash-up" or "bootlegs." If you've neverheard the term(s), they're being thrown around to describe what isprobably one of the most recent new music genres - songs made entirely,or almost entirely, from cut-up pop songs, as Osymyso demonstrates, orby "mashing" two or more of them together, as those fucking hundreds ofBritish whitelabel 12"s featuring Missy Elliot or Kylie Minogue and atrance/drum'n'bass producer demonstrate. What's interesting, though, isthis genre's reliance on the Internet - obviously something that RELIESon sampling, or outright stealing, is not going to fly with too manylabels. (For another good bootleg mix that's actually legallysanctioned, check this)So, Osymyso, two guys from the UK, have released this disc on theirown, comprising two mixes - one, the 12-minute "Intro-inspection" (ONEHUNDRED AND ONE different song intros packed and mixed together), and arecording of their appearance on the German radio show Back to theBasics. What can I say about the music, other than it's sheerbrilliance and totally ass-lickingly cool? It is exactly what it is -hundreds of mashed-together pop songs - but somehow, they all cometogether so well that it sounds absolutely nothing like what it should.You're probably either going to totally love it and think it's thegreatest thing ever or think it's utterly stupid and hate it. Eitherway, you gotta hear it at least once.
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Packed in a film can-like metal box, DWM publish another well-craftedconcept piece of art & work—dedicated to member Frank Abendroth wholeft earth a few months ago. The recordings are not what one would callbrand new or hot—made in 1997/1998—but anyone who's a bit into DWMknows their plenty projects are published in their own time whenever itsuits them.
Part 1, "Muerte" starts of where Ennio Morricone left, but with todays instrumentation.
Part 2, "Tot" gives an impression of a quiet death in the pool or somewher else underwater.
Part 3, "Death" seems to desribe the mental death of working in theindustrial production line. And the machines go on followoing their ownlogic and rules.
Part 4? "Hal?l" treats death in a warzone; shattering glass, fallingbombs and permanent explosions compress for an nearly rhythmic piece.
Part 5? "Dod" concludes this summary of death with a 15 minutesledgehammer destroying dreams and hopes into a psychological wasteland.
The title is slightly misleading, as expectations of harsh noise,skulls, crosses and bones are not fullified. But still they—or in thiscase Joe Raimond on his own—achieve a very interesting realization ofthe theme showing different aspects and avoiding usual shock values orextremes.
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For his third feature film, Todd Solondz asked Belle and Sebastian towrite some music. In a situation that seems somewhat analogous to Coilwith regards to the "Hellraiser Themes", very little of what theyrecorded in New York actually ended up being used. This 30-minute EPfully documents the results of those recording sessions. Belle andSebastian take to movie scoring incredibly naturally, and obviously arewell-suited for it. Inherently cinematic and epic, some of the stunninginstrumental pieces presented showcase what truly gifted musicians theyare. "Fuck This Shit" is a particularly stand-out piece, centeringaround a harmonica and piano, while "Consuelo" feaures trumpet and somegorgeous harp work. "Night Walk" is haunting. Soundbites from the filmhave been selected with the band's typical sense of humor, andscattered between various tracks, but seem rather unnecessary, or atleast to someone who hasn't seen the film yet. A few more conventionalBelle and Sebastian tracks are present as well. "Black and White Unite"is mediocre; certainly not as good as the band is capable of. The titletrack, the usual catchy B&S fare with lead vocals by thenow-departed Isobel Campbell, is their slightly cheeky ode to Solondzhimself: "Have you considered the way / People might react to all thethings that your characters say?". "Wandering Alone" is the band attheir irresistible best -- but with a latin-flavored twist!'Storytelling' finishes off with "Big John Shaft", which has somethingof a kitschy Saint Etienne feel. Bearing in mind that this is notreally a Belle and Sebastian album per se is key to enjoying thisrelease for what it is: their first foray into a new arena of music. Ifind the fruit of their labors encouraging, and hopefully it'ssomething that they will try their hand at again in the future.
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Dose One, the nasal one from cLOUDEAD, is rapidly becoming the BustaRhymes of underground hip-hop, popping up on various albums over thepast year including Hood's "Cold House" of all places. Also, like MrRhymes, he's possessed of an unusual voice, kinda like the annoying onefrom Cypress Hill, but without being annoying, if that makes sense.Boom Bip, on the other hand, has had some well-received releases on theAnticon label.
Although originally on Mush, home of the fantastic So-Called Artists,it has just been released in Europe by Leaf. Being a fan of all thingsAnticon, I picked it up last year. Unsurprisingly, like everything onAnticon, it's great. It's also seriously weird. I mean if cLOUDEADweren't really hip-hop, then compared to this they were Run DMC. Thiscrazy amalgam of street noise, chanting, spoken word, droning and,occasionally, beats and rhymes is some of the least hip-hop hip-hopI've ever heard. The rhymes can be sung, spoken, whispered or rattledoff at speed. They're often incomprehensible, when they aren't they'reoften nonsensical. (At first anyway.) The backing can range from Lostin Space style 'space sounds' to heavy fucked up beats over the courseof only one song. The whole package, which at first just bewilders,improves with each and every listen (I must be up to listen 20 atleast). The Anticon collective are true trailblazers, reshaping hip-hopas they go, and surely trumping the Def Jux crew as the underground'sposterboys. As Dose says on 'Questions over Coffee', "I'm no leader, Ijust can't see myself following you". It's great to be around toexperience this, even if I am paying crazy import prices for everythingelse on Anticon and Mush.
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