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MAGAZINE FOR ELECTRONIC AND ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC IN THE CONTEMPORARY AND UNDERGROUND FIELD.
Contributors: Frans de Waard (FdW), Ios Smolders (IS), Peter Duimelinks (PD).
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This English group just released their first CD (reviewed elsewhere in this issue), after a long period of silence. In the past they released an LP on Pogus Productions and several cassettes on Generations Unlimited and Direction Music. Morphogenesis (Adam Bohman, Ron Briefel, Andy Courdry, Clive Graham, Clive Hall, Michael Prime and Roger Sutherland) work in an improvising way. Almost every week they meet up and record their sessions. Sometimes its members perform scores by other people, such as John Cage. Their soundsources include a lot of electronics, prepared violin, balalaika, objects, vocals, percussion, springs and Michael Prime's Water Machine. With their work the group continues a long tradition of improvised electronic music, as started by AMM and Musica Elettronica Viva in the late 60s and early 70s.
Q. Please tell me some thing about the history of Morphogenesis
A. Morphogenesis started early 1985 with little idea about releasing material. It has always been a large group with seven people involved at the moment, most of whom are not driven by the idea of releases but rather by the idea of recording for one own priva te consumption. There is very little self promotion and demos are rarely sent out. The response to the first LP in 1989 was surprising for us especially considering the uncertainty from some members of the group. The LP was well received. Maybe we would have never released another album had it not been for the good word of Jim O'Rourke who is responsible for letting Streamline know of our continued existence. Jim has known of us for some years now and has played with Michael on a few occasions. So this is our first release in 5 years, apart from a cassette release of 2 multi track pieces which was released in 1991.
Q. If you improvize a lot, how do you select material for release
A. The whole question of selecting material for release exists in a complex entangled web of seven different opinions. I'm not sure we are improving as such. We still like listening to our sound checks and other incidental pieces when we didn't know the tapes were running. It seems that the more you improve the more predictable things become as well, and you begin to take on a role that others start to expect. Too much improving has for me been the death of countless groups. The technology has certainly improved a lot and this tends to clean up the group sound. All the material on the CD is from the last two years, but there is still an interest to release some of the early tapes - full of accidents and hiss.
Q. How important is tradition to Morphogenesis (with regard to improvised live electronics, the use of scores etc)
A. Tradition is a big part for Roger who is a founding member and has recently written an encyclopedic book on the tradition of electronic music. Other members of the group are equally involved in different aspects of new music as well. With seven people I suppose you always get this complexity of opinion. Thankfully the group is rarely a full line-up, but usually different combinations. I think the CD is not as traditional as the LP is (there are scored pieces on the CD). In this sense I think we are changing.
Q. Why doesn't Morphogenesis use multitracking?
A. The main reason for not multitracking has been the frequency of group meetings. You need more time for compositions. Maybe its time to multitrack some of the hundreds of left over pieces. The other problem with composition is that you really need one person in charge. A close knit duo can just about manage but not a seven piece. The last track on the CD is actually a multitrack and two other pieces were edited down from their originals, so there is no real obsession with things being in real time.
Q. Any work with visuals (video, theatre)? Why (not)?
A. Everyone in the group has put their energy into music. Ron has some sophisticated video equipment but not the time to work on it. We did a gig in Brussels with Noise Makers Fifes who use visuals and it seems clear to me that we should have some visual aspect in live performances. The main problem is that most of our gigs we've played have been on the London improv jazz scene which usually means a small audience of familiar faces and no real fee. It just isn't happening here and it comes as no surprise that the CD is coming out in Germany.
Q. Any chance of seeing Morphogenesis live in Europe?
A. It would be great to do more gigs in Europe (you too see Europe as being somewhere outside of England). The problem again is the size of the group means it costs too much to get us over. Maybe the CD can help us get more gigs.
Q. Future plans for releases, etc.
A. For the future there is already another CD waiting to be put out, again thanks to Jim, but this one got rejected so it's in the can if anyone wants it. Michael is working on his 3rd solo project and I'm thinking of starting a CD label. London has quite a lot of hidden talent at the moment but because its cut off from continental enthusiasm it never gets off the ground, so I'd like to get a London compilation out to redress the balance.
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To some of you the word ambient gives a bad taste in your mouth. More and more music is labeled as ambient, while being only very very remotely connected to Brian Eno's original intentions, or to true innovations on that matter. Weakly recorded synthi junk backed with house beat. Time Recording's subdivision for head music, Em:t, is a true ambient label. So far four CD's have been released. The first is 0094, a compilation. It starts out with a jazzy thing, mixed with street sounds of Harlem. The not so relaxed atmosphere of New York City mixed with rather relaxed percussion and basses. This moody and relaxing atmosphere is apparent on the whole CD, even in the more up-tempo tracks, such as the spacey tracks by Gas or Qubism. Woob (1194) is next and this is very good. It mixes a lot of ethnic music with synthesizers and it creates a nice, relaxing atmosphere. Qubism (2294) stays more on the dance side of things. The last one, em:t 3394, is again a compilation. Here the 7 tracks fit very well together and they create again a good atmosphere. You'll find tracks by David Toop, A Small Good Thing (another O Yuki Conjugate off-shoot with a track you can also find on their `Slim Westerns' CD), Bad Data and the excellent track by International Peoples Gang, who, I must say, add a very 70s sound to their music. All of these CD's are recorded with the Roland Sound Space 3-D system. These are four excellent CD's, which define everything ambient in the 90s should be about: moody, atmospheric and danceable at times.
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ROBERT ASHLEY - EL/AFICIONADO (CD by Lovely Music, Ltd) Robert Ashley is a patient man, with high aspirations. 'eL/Aficionado' is part of a trilogy of operas, the first two of which are 'Perfect Lives' and 'Atalanta'. The third, 'Now Eleanoris Idea', will in the end in itself probably consist of four parts. The subjects of the story told in this trilogy deal with the invasion of consciousness (Europeans) into the United States of America. The first European invaders, the Jews, the Christians, the black slaves. The position of the native `injuns' in this story remains in the dark (at least to me). Metaphoric scenery tells their history. While in progress since 1977 this huge project will still require another few years before reaching completion. Ashley's music is not only interesting because of the giant metaphoric jigsaw puzzle the pieces for which he lays on the table one by one. Each piece of the jigsaw has been subdivided into smaller pieces. The superficial story told of 'eL/Aficiona\- do' is that of a trained and brainwashed undercover agent (Thomas Buckner) who is interrogated by his superiors (Jacqueline Humbert, Sam Ashley, Robert Ashley). The agent worked according to a code that consists of personals ad's that can be found in newspapers. Every singer is given a character defining pitch (that is, a pitch somewhere in the singer's range that, understandably, forces a certain character to emerge) (liner notes). The electronic tape that accompanies the singing is for the most part quiet and subdued, almost like new age meditation music. A quiet pulse, and slowly developing rich synthesizer melodies with rich soundcolors. The singing too, is lyrical. The agent, at first sounding quite apt (strong, self-assured) to his role as agent, after a few remarks that put pressure on him, becomes feeble, hesitating, pathetic. As if sung by an emotionally broken man. Buckner is quite impressive as the agent. The complete story about this work cannot possibly be told in this small magazine. It would be best if you just bought this cd, become enchanted and buy Ashley's complete oeuvre.(IS)
ATOM HEART - SOFTCORE (CD by Fax Records) This is dance electronics. If you allow me to categorize, which is rather easy with this one, I would say it's a mix of techno, ambient and truly intelligent music. Starting with a nineties version of Steve Hillage electronics it soon enters a different area where beats become more explicit. I always regret to hear that. It seems inevitable, though. The music on this CD is intelligent in its subtleties. Production is quite refined, subtle. Atom Heart creates depth in his composition, a phenomenon we do not often hear in dance electronics. The 2nd work starts with very low bass sequence. All overtones are eliminated. Then a beat sequence with a slow attack and the same filtering follows. A tiny whirling of high frequency ticks softly floats around this basis. After some time a melodic line, higher frequencies and reverber ated, is developed. That's not much but just enough. The 3rd work starts with a (approx.) 10kHz frequency, which is later accompanied by a bell sound melody with a lot of accent on overtones. Here, the simple drummachine breaking into the scenery really adds to the atmosphere. Not all ditties on this CD are as strong and original. Perhaps it's a way to catch the middle of the road audience in a web of more intricate and intelligent music. Definitely recommended, this one. Next issue of Vital will feature an interview with and contributions by AH's Uwe Schmidt.(IS)
TIM BRADY - SCENARIOS (CD by Justin Time Records) A previous Brady-CD has been reviewed in Vital # 27. Tim Brady is a guitarist with an impressive catalogue in jazz music. This history stills shows on the cover of this CD where his portrait photo amiably smiles at us. Brady is a subtle beast with his guitar. He has complete control. And, like many jazz musicians, Tim Brady desperately wants to show us his capabilities. This CD therefore contains music that switches between electronics, fusion jazz, heavy metal, and classical acoustic (unplugged!) guitar music. Especially the opening composition is example of this. What combines the different musical areas presented here is the agility and the perfection with which it is performed and executed. My review of Brady's previous CD on Justin Time concluded with the remark that Brady might take a few steps further on the road of electroacoustics, away from his role as guitarist and picking up the character of electroacoustic musician using strings. This CD shows that Brady on the first place definitely remains a guitarist but with an open mind towards electronic experiment. People who like both fine guitar music and electroacoustics will have a good time listening to Brady's works. He's currently touring Europe, so keep an eye open.(IS)
JOHN DUNCAN - INCOMING (CD by Streamline). Shortly after the release of 'Send' a new CD by one of the most interesting composers working in what some call 'extreme' or 'industrial music'. Working primarily with short-wave sounds intermixed with field recording. This concept is continued on this new CD. Take for instance the piece with radio sounds (layered short-wave) that slowly transform into the screaming of a dying pig. Duncan's music is not there to please you, but to tell you a rather unsettling story. This is some of the most intense music I have come across. (FdW)
ALAIN DE FILIPPIS - TON DIEU NE S'APPELLE-T-IL PAS EGO? ( 3" Mini CD by Metamkine) Staged in this composition are humanity and the human brain (human consciousness), presented here in a wildly whirling carnival of impressions. Sounds (abstracted concrete sounds and snippets of musical instruments) are always crackling, in de- or crescendo, gliding up and down, moving from left to right and vv. Somewhat like when your ears are being or have been overexposed. This composition, presented as a `drama in 8,5 movements', has a circular structure. Starting with sounds from a natural scenery, it all quickly shifts and gets corrupted, eventually jumping into the merry go round of a human brain in an urban environment. Eventually all returns to nature (of course) De Filippis is a new name to me. And as so many of Metamkine's releases it immediately punches me in the face. De Filippis is a composer with the audacity and dramatic insight of the young Pierre Henry. I hope to hear a lot more this man's music.(IS)
THE HAFLER TRIO - ONE DOZEN ECONOMICAL STORIES BY PETER GREENAWAY (CD by Sub Rosa) and HOW TO REFORM MANKIND (CD by Touch). Two recent works by one of the most cryptical groups around. Andrew McKenzie (H30's frontman) has twelve unpublished stories by the famous director and painter Greenaway. Recently the sound of the Hafler Trio changed from ambient tapestries to a more rudimentary form of sound collage with all sorts of short repetitive sounds. Here on track 2 this leads to dance music (but different from the Hafler Trio bootleg 12") and on track 6 to phase shifting theme (not unlike Steve Reich's 'Come Out'). There is also a slip, which is the track consisting of an answering phone message. 'How To...' is the third part in the trilogy 'Kill The King' and 'Mastery Of Money'. Again you'll find ambient pieces, along with more rhythmical pieces. In the third piece you'll find the same piano sounds as on the recently released 'Negentropy' LP (which was a collaboration with Adi Newton). Both CD's are not bad, but I have the feeling that the master looses his touch a bit... -let's hope I'm wrong. (FdW)
KEIJO HAINO - BEGINNING AND END, INTERWOVEN (CD by Streamline). Mister Haino is a sort of cult musician from Japan, especially in the improvised music areas. Most of his releases (mainly Japanese and some US) are difficult to get in Europe. As far as I know this his first European release. There are 11 songs on this CD, and I mean songs. Recorded live, by playing guitar and singing. Unconventional in approach, yet all the songs come off as the same thing. A man hitting strings of guitar, singing words I can't understand (though a translation is given). Not bad for a couple of songs - but 11 is somewhat too much (for me at least). (FdW)
INTERSYSTEMS - FREE PSYCHEDELIC POSTER INSIDE (CD by Streamline). A re-issue of an LP released in 1968, in an edition of 50 copies. Further information not given... This is some extreme music from a time long gone. The CD opens with white noise/feedback, and later on a voice tells a story. The white noise sometimes changes only along minimal lines and the story continues. This is some daring music, that will irritate quite a few people in 1995 also. I wish some more info was given here. An exciting album. (FdW)
ARSENYE JOVANOVIC - UNTITLED (CD by La Legende Des Voix) Jovanovic hails from Yugoslavia but currently lives in France. This CD presents four compositions spanning 15 years. What we hear in the first two works dating from 79 and 77 are sound improvisations in a certain acoustic setting. The first of the two consists mainly of improvised percussion and processing of metal plates in a cave, the second work also includes voice and sounds more like a composition. This latter one clearly breathes the atmosphere of Nono's vocal works but by processing the vocal material Jovanovic turns it into a electro acoustic composition. In the third work too, dating 1988, the atmosphere is black as night. Chaos, imminent disaster, is what this work communicates. This composition consists of a series of scenes thereby creating an acoustic theatre. Drama, I would say, of the blackest sort. The last work, Ma Maison (1993), is a construction of sounds that J. recorded at his home. Apparently it is nearby a harbour. We hear seagulls, shiphorns, wind, but also metallic feedback, breaths, wooden percussion. It is at once the most desolate and most peaceful of the quartet that is presented on this CD.(IS)
ALVIN LUCIER - CLOCKER (CD by Lovely Music, Ltd) Lucier, the great wizard of electronic conceptualism here tries to control time. Of course actually every composer does so. Lucier has taken this image literally. Lucier contact-miked a clock and routed the signal through a delay system. The delay could be controlled by a galvanic skin response sensor. This sensor measures difference in skin resistance by changes in emotional state. So, there we are with Lucier, his sensor, a clock, a delay system and a set of loudspeaker boxes. Clocker starts and soon time is no longer this simple subsequent range of ticks. It has ticks tumbling over each other, slowing down and speeding up. Ticks are swept across the room, getting softer and louder (too loud). As we are used of mr. Lucier this performance is a thought that has been carefully thought and executed with precision. I wonder what Lucier is thinking of. I keep on wondering about it. The ticks themselves are not important anymore. I want to know what is on this man's mind.(IS)
LUSTMORD - THE PLACE WHERE THE BLACK STARS HUNG and TAGC - BURNING WATER (both CD's by Side Effects/Soleilmoon). Side Effects is back in the frontline with two new releases. After a long period of silence, also Lustmord is back. Their rather monotonous sound, combining the dark with the ambient, is rather modern nowadays. Not bad at all, but not a big surprise. TAGC's long awaited Burning Water video soundtrack is now finally on CD. Again an ambient work, but lighter of tone with synthesized voices. I prefer this over the Lustmord CD. (FdW)
MAEROR TRI - MEDITAMENTUM (CD by Holonom). At long last: the second CD by this most promising German band and the first CD for a new label, Holonom. Maeror Tri released many tapes in the past, and the band grew from harsh noise to a more relaxing fusion of industrial with ambient. As yet they haven't made the step into dance music. This second CD is a showcase of their old tapes. They took the best tracks from their many tape releases and it may serve to some as a fine introduction. According to the booklet Maeror Tri work a lot with concrete sound, which they manipulate with multi-track recording and electronic effects. The 11 tracks on this CD all have that droning feeling, with tension underneath. Therefore this is not relaxing ambient, but ambient music of an unsettling feeling.(FdW)
CHRIS MELOCHE - RECURRING DREAMS OF THE URBAN MYTH (CD by Fax Records) Loop 6 was originally designed as a radiosound composition. In its original length of 6 hours it has been broadcast by the Banff radio station Radia 88 in Canada. It consists of two basic elements, one musical and one of urban sounds. The musical portion of the work is an ever changing minimal piece. Six sparse tracks of information, of differing duration, run parallel to each other. This is typically a work that has to sink into the back of your brain. After initially losing concentration, it then returns from varying lines of approach, somewhat like a mobile artwork by Alexander Calder. As an experiment for the listener at home I suggest that you continuously play this CD for 6 hours on a lazy Sunday. With open windows!(IS)
MORPHOGENESIS - SOLARISATION (CD by Streamline). Morphogenesis is a group of improvising musicians, who record every session and concert. So far the group released several cassettes and one LP. Among their members is Michael Prime, who released an excellent solo CD himself a while ago. As the group works a lot with improvisation, there isn't much dynamics on their work. It comes off as a dense field of electronic sounds, through which every once in a while one can detect some concrete sounds. Saying this doesn't mean that Morphogenesis is a boring group. Not at all, their combination of electronics, with concrete sounds in an improvised way makes an interesting cross-over in ambient music with musique concrete, but harsher and rawer than the usual ambient music. Excellent work! (FdW)
PETER NAMLOOK & BILL LASWELL - OUTLAND (CD by Fax Records) One day Bill Laswell dropped by in Namlooks studio with a bag full of tapes with recordings made in Ulaan Baator. Namlook listened and became instantly enchanted by the overtone singing on the tapes. Together with Laswell he constructed a soundscape of voices. Lasting approximately one hour the effect is quite strong. On Chill Out, the renowned release by the KLF also overtone singing can be heard. Here the basic material has been extensively tampered with by digital delaying, layering, transposing. This approach sounds much like the work of Annea Lockwood, and Eliane Radigue but without the New Age talk. Too bad Laswell and Namlook find it necessary to introduce a pulsating bass, cutting the composition in half. (IS)
ORGANUM - VEIL OF TEARS (CD by Matchless Recordings). Apart from the re-issue of the 1985 LP 'Submission' on CD a while ago, this is the very first CD by a group that have been around of 12 years. Founding member David Jackman is involved with making music since the early 70's when he was a member of the Scratch Orchestra (a strain of musicians making music according to scores in a Fluxus style). Organum released several LP's and 7"s over the years, most of which were very hard to get (mainly limited editions of 50 to 500 copies). There are five pieces on this CD. The first and last (Veil Of Tears Parts 1 and 2) consist of a soft droning sound, with sounddrops of falling objects. Other pieces have droning and scraping sound.(FdW)
OVAL - SYSTEMISCH (CD by Mille Plateaux). Strange, strange... Ever been fooled by the digital format called CD? Just as you thought it was a perfect medium, your CD started skipping, or looping, just like that old record which you'd just replaced by that silver shining disc. Nothing is perfect, and where there is a defect, people will use it. The reader knows already where I am hinting at: this CD is entirely constructed by CD's that skip, loop and do other things that it is NOT supposed to do. But do not expect some over-the-top noise thing, or a hell of recognizable sound snippets. Oval seems to know what they do: out of these defects they create new music, which is damn ambient, and influenced by laid-back dub music. It never becomes danceable, or accesible, on the other hand, it never is extreme. The future of ambient: recycled in every possible way? Post-modernism of the nineties in full expression? (FdW)
PSYCHIC TV - ELECTRIC NEWSPAPER ISSUE ONE (CD by Dossier). A magazine on CD, with as most important cover statement: "All is true, sampling is permitted". What you find on this CD, it is free to use it again in your musical projects. Of course this idea is not very new (it was done by Kapotte Muziek for instance), but it stayed in the field of cassettes and musique concrete. With Psychic TV it steps out of that and gets into the dance market. Here too it is not really new, since DJ's use all sorts of very basic dance records to mix. Problem with the Psychic TV CD is that the index only shows one track, 75 minutes in length. That makes it hard to search fast through this CD and the information is not really accesible. On the other hand it's a daring project by a well-known band. And oh yes, don't sample the Psychic TV logo, it's trademarked... (FdW)
REMKO SCHA & VAN LAGENSTEIN - POMP PUMP (CD by Helmholtz Theater). Remko Scha might be known from his LP and CD where machines play guitar: pieces of repetitive, minimal guitar sounds. This is however something different. It was made for an exhibition call ed 'De Haagse Beek Revisited'. I don't know what this was about, but looking at the cover it has something to do with a brook and an amplified pump. You hear 60 minutes of water and machine sounds, with slight manipulation. This is a highly monochrome and minimalistic work, of which the concept is not really explained. As background noise muzak it is o.k., but unfortunately much more information is lacking. Not a bad release if you are into artistic noises. (FdW)
SYUN - LANDSCAPES (CD by DIW/Syun) For some time now the Japanese label DIW sends me cd's by Avant and Syun. The latter has produced some six cd's most of them techno pop which strongly reminds me of Yellow Magic Orchestra. The two latest issues differ. Syun 005 contains 40 minutes of computer interpretations of late baroque air's. Something like what Wendy Carlos did some decades ago. Synthesizer composer Tomita also specialized in this sort of thing. It is a pity that the DIW releases are not accompanied by any press message. I'm curious to know what could be the intention to this strange release. Syun 006 contains four compositions, electronic interpretations of landscapes. Landscapes designed by fractals, I guess. Nature has no part in this. The sound of a human voice, appearing now and again, sounds very much out of place. And yet. This music breathes something romantic. That makes it a bit tacky, but remains quite fascinating. What ties all Syun releases together is the unpersonal approach. I wouldn't be a bit surprised when DIW'd tell me this music was performed by super hitec cyborg.(IS)
VIVENZA - AEROBRUITISME DYNAMIQUE (CD by Electro Institut). He's back: Vivenza, 7 years ago the main sensation in industrial music. Recording machines in a factory, mixing and alternating them. His ideas were not based on the shocking image of industrial music. Vivenza considered himself a direct successor to the futurists of the 20s. After releasing a 7", a 12" and a LP (plus a handful of cassettes) all became quiet, until recently this CD reached me. In good futurist tradition Vivenza is interested in speed and movement. Whereas futurists tried to paint these phenomena, Vivenza creates speed and movement in sound. He uses the sound of airplanes, which are the given sounds at the beginning of each track, and slowly it develops. Vivenza changes the sound (through effects?, filtering?) thus creating the illusion the plane leaves. As a concept an interesting release, but maybe half of it would have been enough. (FdW)
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Ios Smolders Energieplein 21 5041 NH Tilburg The Netherlands fax +31 13 36 17 57 Peter Duimelinks Postbus 19049 3001 BA Rotterdam The Netherlands fax +31 10 412 85 62 e-mail v2@antenna.nl Frans de Waard c/o Vital
DIW/Syun 2-13-1 Iidabashi Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102 JapanDossier Records Koloniestrasse 25A 13359 Berlin Germany
Fax Records Fax +49 69 450 464
Helmholtz Theater P.O.Box 11366 1001 GJ Amsterdam The Netherlands
Holonom Loningstrasse 15 28195 Bremen Germany
La Legende Des Voix 21 rue du 8 Mai 1945 37270 Montlouis France
Lovely Music, Ltd. 10 Bleach Street New York NY 10013 USA
Metamkine 13 rue de la Drague 38600 Fontaine France
Mille Plateaux fax: + 49 69 252280
Streamline Horngasse 2 52064 Aachen Germany
Sub Rosa P.O.Box 808 1000 Brussels Belgium
Time Recording 389-394 Alfred Street North Nottingham NG3 1AA England
Touch 13 Osward Road London SW17 7SS England
Vivenza 27 Rue Nicolas Chorrier 38000 Grenoble France