Yoko Absorbing Museum Of Modern Chaos (Clinical Archives)

Mikhail Lezin and Evgenij Kharitonov are back in business with their dizzy sound experiments again. This time they are accompanied by two another musicians - Konstantin Guro on saxophones and drums and Alexey Karmanov on rhythm guitar. While their last album Vinyl was shaped through sharp cut-ups and sonic fragmentality ,though, Museum Of Modern Chaos directs its focus toward chaotic moments in lush way. It is constituted conterminously conjuring up vivid visual highlights, and indirectly blurring the boundaries between the styles and genres. Guitar improvisation/experimental rock seems to be as a lone house in the middle of an electronic whiteout, which is exciting enough to give it constant try and attention to follow for. At times the conception is fringed by piano music (Opening Museum), and jazz elements (Free Future) either. Duo`s soundscape has aptitude to expand into mechanic (King Of Surf 1) and electronic horror ambience (Museum Of Modern Chaos (Script Type). Another Hemisphere is metallic ambient music riding on gravelly guitar riffs.

Museum Of Modern Chaos is a fascinating album for sure. Also, if you are intended to make up the contrast with this one you should listen to Yoko Absorbing`s another gem Roughly Gently & Special Lowbit Release (2008, Microbit-Records).

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9.0

[Old but important] Mu. Arecibo Psycodelic Classics 17: Abortos Musicales (Headphonica)

Before starting to review the first curiosity of the recent year - Ergo Phizmiz`s colossal, more than 14 hour long (sic!) album The Faust Cycle , it is time for a little stop to give credit to another album released under Headphonica, too.

Although the Puerto Rican drummer Nomar Díaz`s aka Mu.`s album Arecibo Psycodelic Classics 17: Abortos Musicales (2009) have the longitude of 35 minutes (within 14 tracks), it is informatively a fair-sized work. An amusant fact is that the album consists of the sounds which mainly are recorded with the microphone built up on the details of cell phones, and a ball of aluminium foil as well.

Because of having no precise visual review about this process details, I just will have to focus on song structures of it. Generally, I am being quite dubious about those artists who like to bling-bling with curious elements in their creating process as if it would be a new source for extraordinary sound, for instance, browsing Heidegger`s books - as one famous nu-jazz musician described his methodology in the interview for Wire 3-4 years ago. However, does it in fact add any kind of audible meaning to the sound? It is believable and meaningful some kind of metaphysics coming forth from accomplished song structures rather than by wrapping it around something to get some sophisticated or mystical output.

Given that there are some elements of free jazz, it is not just likely jazz, it is more avant-garde, though. Díaz, - there are some helpers too - plays drums and is mainly in a process of crossing samples over natural sounds - the snaps of the Native American shaman dirges and piano chords meet with metallic electro-acoustic beat cascades, thrill and bass, freeformfreakout and electronic layers. There is even one place where he prefers to wring his hands over ethnic drums. Moreso, there is also a true-blue hardcore rock (Demi Moore) presented - though its psychedelic incline. Indeed, the first part of the title, too, seems to suggest to psychedelic hangover, and the other concerns on interrupted song structures. However, I can`t agree with the second part, though. Notwithstanding the array of diverse sounds, the song structures will be clearly articulated and finished off. There are no moments I could think of them in another way. My favorite example is Loubriel's Psycodelic Odyssey, which is based on the array of abrasive synthetic sounds, lone and stubborn bass sequence, slight drumming, and synth passages in the ending part.

In conclusion, after the title it could be supposed that the main corollary of Arecibo Psycodelic Classics 17: Abortos Musicales was to come forth its concomitant feeling of freedom. After the end of the album, it is clear that the sounds were merely a means to achieve it.

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Chad Golda Dance Session (Rack & Ruin)

Chad Golda, a golden boy is back. His stunning debut album (Golda CHAD'S ALBUM) was one of the albums in the year 2009. Abrasive electronics/psychotic dance monster met with (freak) folk music. It was the case as if Mika Vainio had produced starstarstar (formerly known as ***, and ringostar), the band he is involved in. All of those hollow bass sequences opened up new dimensions for the listeners. Now I listened to it after a long period of time again and I discovered even some similarities with electronic tracks (Lions; Unfinished Monkey Business; Deep Pile Dreams) on Ian Brown `s unforgettable debut album Unfinished Monkey Business, and within Golda`s hazy long accords at times it reminds a bit of Angus Maclise`s bewitching drones under the roofs of Nepali pagodas during the 1970s. The phenomenal release, which by its infectiveness, effectiveness, and cutting edge sharpness as well achieved more than Animal Collective have ever reached.

In fact, my moving toward his sophomore album didn`t start well, actually, listening to it 3 months before the official release day. All of what I can remember about it I wasn`t able to listen to Dance Session over two times. Despite of the fact the album's length was shortened to 30 minutes, it seemed to be something by which I really felt myself disturbed. On the other side, no doubt, partly the impact of the first album overwhelmed it.

Indeed, listening to it again is my purpose to get the results for my unanswered questions. Writing does usher in the gig, which in fact continues through the lines of the previous album - motorik electronica/(neo)krautrock finds immediately the recipient, brain chemistry will brim over. The follow-up Two helps me to figure out why I had some complicatons during first listens. It just seemed to be a bit light-minded. Just to take a well-known and well working melody, and lift it up over caustic electro-beats. The sense of humor finally reached me yielding an enjoyable experience ultimately. It was time approximately 40 years ago when Perrey & Kingsley, the space age/lounge pop luminaries, played on analogue synths timeless upbeat melodies. This track is a home for both oddity and familiarity. The end of this one would be a wet dream for any kind of space rockers/krautrockers. 9-minute long Guitars is based upon a monotonous guitar melodic sequence which will is fringed and will be undermined by a sort of destroying electronic music. Sound walls are getting wave and collapse - everything around is going mad! Aging begins with loudly thirling electro tingles - electro-motorik tunes so habitual by the side of Kraftwerk is turned into wickedly sounding nightmare. Not unreasonable, evil is not inherently evil on its own, as behind that you can see Golda`s spooky smile. In the other way - the essence is sustained by an epic drone ghost which enlarges the inner space and add the credibility. A bit more smirk on the American`s pale again can be seen in the ending track Boom That which relies on 2-3 naive notes delivering some kind of primitive electro quarterstaff sometimes changing this course a bit, just as much as to arrive back to repeat button again.

My first assumptions about Dance Session were wrong. The album drifts between a weird sense of mind and enchanting levels of alternative pop music. He did it again!

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9.5

Josef Nadek to infect and persist (TVK)

Behind the pseudonym as Josef Nadek hides himself/herself an eccentric musician from Innsbruck, Tirol, Austria. As it is quite usual to almost all of those orthodox artists involving in the genre of avant-garde/industrial/illbient/dark ambient/noise, their specific task is to strip down the human spirit in its rotten nature and being full of hatred of humanity. More specifically - Josef Nadek is designed as a mould-infested spiritual cesspit, dedicated to compulsively explore and document various degrees of human degeneration, eradicate necrotic tissue and reflect each putrid core. Note that Josef Nadek is an utterly artificial character. Nevertheless no vile piece of filth about those in charge behind the scenes is of any significance. Josef Nadek spins his own yarn.

It is also noticeable greyish and black & white background imageries have been dominated in his visual side being actually so habitual to the old school industrial music. There is one peculiarity which was amazing in the most - by investigating the download ratings of his/her three albums under the labels such the likes of VJG, Bleak, and The Vegetable Kingdom (TVK), I noticed his/her marks have reached the results getting closer to 40.000 (in the curse of less than a year) , surpassing the next ones about 100 times! These parametres would we a kind of proudness for any of such a kind non music artist. No doubt, there is a huge fan base behind Josef Nadek`s back.

To infect and persist Vol.1 is compiled of various singles and tracks derived from different compilations, published over the previous year. This is Josef Nadek `s second album in this year - even in recent days, if to be precise. I have to assume Girone Della Merda issued under Format Noise was too pale, to get a full-fledged impression from it. On the other hand, under TVK anything is all but mediocrity. In the first place, the cover illustrated here is all but a joke - a woman imagined on it represents the decay of a human being - in its illness, slackness, and vulnerableness as well. It is actually the sequent level on its continuing degringolade pathway. By practising destroying yourselves and first at all another people the age of those TV-disciples and hedonistic jerks is destined to fail in itself.

The album begins in a very strange and unexpected key – the 60`s space age pop is mixed with country music being strictly in the vein of avant-garde music, more exactly reminiscent of some activities of legendary Bruce Haack (aka Jackpine Savage). It is followed by Coercion which gives the listener a hit by the side of noise drone. The Sayers of the law is based on a minimal string arrangement which will be digitalized thereafter. If you think, the rest of 6 tracks will continue combining with the elements of the previous tracks, you are failed to encompass it. In addition to the opening track my favorite ones are Hymn – a kind of vowel waving within weird haziness, which is fringed with abrasive digitality, and Monolyth & Cobalt, which exceeds low-end electro sentiments with cosmic music layers. Repentance of Midnight does succeed ambient structures into bombinating desolation.

`To infect and persist`, says Josef Nadek. Lets go on, hoi polloi!

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8.8

Crowcat Freestreet EP (Psychedelicate)

The State of California is nowadays full of diverse yet cutting edge music. How much good bands I have discovered in a couple of weeks – Dizzy Jaguars!, Wonder Wheel, Testicular Manslaughter, Tan Dollar etc. All those guys and gals who is wearing beach shorts and flabby shirts may be looked out way too usual but their sound is the qualitative brand in itself. In nearly 300 years ago, a French philosopher (Montesqieu) tried to determine human characteristics by bounding them to special geographical conditions. For example, people who are living in the mountains are used to love more freedom and people who are related to the living on the plateaus are biased to despotism. All we can say about California is there is no relation between interaction of thought laziness and summer blaze. I know very well all assignments in this way don`t make sense about it at all. Certainly, (physical) environments do affect the people in a certain way, but ortodoxically categorical assignments are the case of racism actually. This gives some persons the opportunity to manipulate with half-truths to reflect yourselves better and the other groups worse than they are in reality.

However, the emergence of a sequent new wave in the southwestern part of The USA is not a case to be surprised about because California is always having been an important place in the history of innovative popular music. One great act is followed by another - The Residents, Big City Orchestra, Negativland, Cromagnon, Mike Patton, Christian Marclay, Estradasphere, Tuxedomoon, Xiu Xiu, Ariel Pink, Testicular Manslaughter if to name most well-known amongst others.

Behind Crowcat is a guy named Mike McDowell - formerly having some partakings within avant-garde scene around Orange County-area (Dollar Tan, Fadestale, The Month Long Song), and his project Sun Sound Energy. Anyone who is familiar with the latter band, can a bit conjecture what could expect from his new brainchild.

Freestreet - released on McDowell`s own label Psychedelicate Records - consists of 5 tracks within 27 minutes. Obviously it is the optimal size, because this sound is broadly stretched out of pop. All what is on the EP herein can be labelled as total-pitched experimentalism - the fringes of electoacoustic and psychoacoustic environments, mutated vocal sequences/experiments, hi-speed/low-speed passages. Above it at times you can hear soaring vague spoken word samples and Freestreet can be represented without a solid fuzz noise as well. Near conventional instruments (bass, guitar, voice, drums) are also mentioned kalimba and chair(?). Is it an electric chair actually? Is it possible that the prefix "electric" is omitted to mention indeed? Throughout the way a continuous sizzle does make important sense. By its genuine sound it recalls me about limited edition tape albums of the obscure industrial acts by the 80`s. Even nowadays in the omnistylistic era Crowcat sound in a peculiar way. More exactly, his old school industrial moving about is getting closer to some enlightening works of Big City Orchestra thereabout 25-30 years ago. However, at those moments when the string instruments getting emerge, usually bass guitar (electric guitar is being directed into effect-based madness usually), a weird crossover of psych-blues and drone will be born (Clapping Fire). Of course, it all takes place in the guide of free improvisational indulgence.

Freestreet is aesthetically an outstanding publication for sure. Although intense by its form, it does wrap itself in some kind of safety, not being suppressing by its nature. In the first place I ought to admit the EP is not designed for anybody. The listeners who do have a consistent experience regarding old school industrial music/avant-garde/noise/drone are probably witted to understand it. Otherwise it may be seen too much a case of curiosity.

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9.5