Showing posts with label 2002. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2002. Show all posts

Saturday, 22 March 2008

Edward Ruchalski - Having It Out













Label:
Humbug
Format:
LP (ltd. 50)
Released: 2002

First post for me, but I'll keep it short. Although this release doesn't out-do the fantastic Dark Night, it comes startlingly close. I'll let someone else do the talking...

'Maybe Ruchalski's most beautiful work yet, and another example of his densely layered, swirling sound constructions. Working from basic materials such as nondescript scrapes & buzzes, feedback, self-made motor mallet instruments, metal sheets, field recordings, vinyl loops from old 78's, one could easily imagine a bleak and/or very "difficult" music but neither is really the case as Ruchalski has a way of bringing real life to these inanimate objects, letting them breathe, sigh or sing in their own peculiar, rustic way. Sometimes even a narrative element is felt as if a story were being told (most likely a sad one - perhaps of the destiny of the WW1 soldier staring blankly at us from the collage on the cover?). Who knows? The music of Ruchalski remains shrouded with a sense of mystery to me. The underlying ideas are often familiar, like the almost obsessive study of the minutiae of sustained vibration.....(maybe it's "minimalism" to some extent?), or the environmental/field recordings thing .....but there's always something else in there, too. This LP contains mostly unreleased material (the side-long "Having It Out" and a shorter piece on the B-side), as well as some choice cuts from previosuly released CD-Rs "Moveable Sites" (Humbug011) and "Radio Journal" (Homemade Records). Edition of 50.'

Tracklisting:

A1. Part 1
A2. Part 2
A3. Part 3
B1. Moss Lake
B2. Highway 6A
B3. Refined Localities
B4. Elegy for V

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Tuesday, 12 February 2008

Masayoshi Urabe / Chie Mukai - Dual Anarchism


















Label: Siwa
Format: LP
Released: 2002

Masayoshi Urabe : alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass block floten, alto block floten, electric guitar, harmonica, chains, bamboo harmonica, metal joints, bell, action.

Chie Mukai : kokyu (er-hu), vocals, piano, kengali, cymbals, bells, tambourine, toys, action.

An LP of music culled from performances recorded over a ten year period and edited by Masayoshi Urabe. A companion video containing different audio material was also produced by the Japanese 'There' label and an artists edition boxed set combining the LP and video was released in an edition of 20.

contains some breathtaking shifts in dynamic with its title offering a most perfect description of the aural conflict within, a very special record indeed.

Tracklisting:

A Dual Anarchism Part 1 (22:57)
B Dual Anarchism Part 2 (23:23)

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Sunday, 20 January 2008

Aaron Rosenblum - The Hills Are Really Homes




Label:
Hank The Herald Angel
Format: Cd-r
Released: 2002

Okay, so i'm unable to find the artwork or a decent review anywhere, but i can tell you a little about this release. 'The Hills Are Really Homes' is released on Son Of Earth member Aaron Rosenblum's own label (where you can also currently purchase his fantastic 'Among The Jackdaws' cd-r), and consists of five short tracks bound together with recurring field recordings of whirrs and storms, and woven guitar melodies (of which i would say hold a more dominant role in this record than any other of his i have heard). i am one for keeping my feelings on music to myself, so all i will say to close this is just listen. this really is a beautiful record.

Tracklisting:

1 Moving Side by Side with the Land (4:38)
2 You Smile While Trouble Is Coming (3:01)
3 Please Give Me the Keys for Heaven (The Famous Delta Haze) (3:22)
4 There Are Only 4 Days Remaining (But The Seventh One I Will Take For Myself) (1:29)
5 A Person Named What Have You Remained For (Ghost With The Most) (3:47)

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Saturday, 19 January 2008

Thuja - Ghost Plants



Label: Emperor Jones
Format: CD
Released: 2002

firstly, thuja are quite possibly my favourite group of musicians. i have an amazing amount of awe for what they have created (and for what they are still creating) both in collaborations and individually. 'Ghost Plants' is the second record by thuja released in 2002. as one might expect, most of their releases are now out of print, but you can still purchase 'all strange beasts of the past' from emperor jones.

"Ghost Plants is as savory and involved as improv music gets. It isn’t a sound effects record but should be. There are piano, guitar, percussion, electronics and other shit mingling freely but in a cohesive way." - emperor jones

Tracklisting:
1 Untitled (1:16)
2 Untitled (2:35)
3 Untitled (3:10)
4 Untitled (2:03)
5 Untitled (3:42)
6 Untitled (8:09)
7 Untitled (2:26)
8 Untitled (1:10)
9 Untitled (3:29)
10 Untitled (2:38)
11 Untitled (1:54)
12 Untitled (4:00)
13 Untitled (2:31)

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