|
|
Wolf Krakowski:Unbounded
Wolf Krakowski is back after the wonderful "Transmigration"
album that I review in Giljotin,
issue #26, Nr.3 1999. This album is less jiddisch
"ballads". He seeks new territory. It's more
blues country, track 3 even has some slide guitar.
I must admit, this is better than much you ever will
hear in this style of music. He has a wonderfully
honest voice, revealing the most inner feelings of a
human being. With the female backing vocals it
sometimes sounds like Leonard Cohen. Krakowski
has done it again, dared being damned honest,
and done what he wanted the most, to record something
in the heat of the moment, not thinking of any
particular kind of style, because this album is miles from
his "Transmigration" album.
Thy Veils: Prologue ('98)
From Timisoara Romania comes this haunting compositional
work. Composed, performed and
produced by one individual, Daniel Dorobantu.
The cd opens up with some kind of "doom"
church bells as a background setting. Track 2
"Voice to my ruins" is a wonderful piece with a
heavenly female voice accompanying the heavy
drum beats and electro arrangements. Track number
three is a 8 minute long journey down the abyss.
Track four is a very uplifting piano arrangement.
Track 6 gives a very deep bass feel. "The Melancholic
Death of the Sun", is as if you could see the
sun gradually going down, being left all alone
in complete darkness.This is dark ambience per
excellence. A true master of his trade has created
a monster album.
http://www.ebony-orchid.net/thyveils/
http://www.mp3.com/thyveils/
email:thyveils@innocent.com
Thy Veils: Immemorable (Oct '99)
It follows in the same footsteps as the "Prologue"
album. The dark electro compositions is back.
"The Harp's delusion, track 3 gives a medevial
feel. Track 5, "Their Breath" is very dark walls
of sound. Track 6 has a more light feel to it,
just like the break of day, waking up from a dream.
Track 7 gives some north-african rhytms, we are
entering the "Snack Charmer's" territory. The
album closes with "Hommage A Mes Nuages", a track
giving music to a feeling of complete rest.
Thy Veils: Against an oblivion of the forgotten abyss ('99)
More mysterious than the two other albums. A lot
of exciting "new" sounds is being thrown in.
It's still the dark ambience. Lovely darkness!
Daniel Dorobantu has done it again, created some truely
marvellous dark sound collages. Track 11 is the
grand finale delivered from the hands of a true genius.
The Filmstrip:Hashfuel
XO100: S/T
Pastorn & Diffen:Plenty of
Shakespace:S/T
Horchata: Integral
This is truely
wonderful material. Strange voice collages, tape loops, twisted beats and
some
very delightful
noise pieces.
Play it loud
and get prepared for a solid introspection.
This gets
you higher and higher, never reaching a anti-climax. Dark ambient like
it should be played.
You feel you
are on the run....
.....Do yourself
a favour and check out this cd!
Inimikal: Wormheart
All 13 songs
written, produced and performed by a swedish guy called Dennis Lindfors.
Some of the songs
really creates
some nice atmospheres.Simple synth rhytms on some of the songs sounds more
complex because
of the different layers of sound collages being layered on top. A
lot of musical freshness
and a lot
of different ideas being put alive gives this cd a interesting touch. I
guess you could label it dark ambient
if you want
to, but it's not necessarily correct..
Stewed Tomatoes:Alive and well
The sound is
very hollow sounding, it's surely a garage edge to this recording, especially
track 3
called E=MC2,
a rough track. Track 4 is quite the opposite, very slow and peacefully
accompanied
by some nicely
droping rain. The second track "Chronic" is my favourite, a beautiful "middle"
section with
a nice refrain. Apart from track 2 the second part of this record is much
better than the
first. I also
have to mention the song "Slip and fall" that really has something about
it that gives it a
interesting
edge, mainly because the vocal is slower, not so shouting like on some
of the other tracks.
This is a
cd that is recommandable because of a few strong songs, and not as a whole
"concept".
Dmp:...d'ya get it?
Track 1 is
introducing us to a very pleasant sounding voice, a true "whiskey" voice,
or years of
good tobacco
(it'shard to say). Some funky grooves and very polished appearance is my
general
impression.
To smooth and shiny for my taste. Track 6 is as if I should have brought
Elvis Presley
back from
the dead.Track 7 is some kind of Beach Boys crossed with some blues on
top layered
with some
heavy guitars. This recording is not exactly original in it's approach.
It's not directly
bad, but simply boring.
Evil Beaver:"Smell like christmas spirit Ep"
Track 1 is
hard and direct, direct to your face. Track 2 is a cover with some terrible
vocals.
Track 3 is
not better. It's only track 4 that is a bit tasteful in it's irony about
christmas, a famous
song "Little
Drummer Girl" is being covered. The irony has to be that Christmas is no
fun with all
those christmas
songs, the christmas feeling and being surrounded by your closest family.
Well after
this cd they have succeeded, no good christmas feeling any more!
Rowan: Grandfather's Horse
Some very nice
traditional gaelic music. It's flute, bodhran, whistle, banjo, guitars
and banjos.
Always when
I listen to traditional timeless folk music from those parts of the world
I want to
set my feet
down on the British Isles and take a long walk up in the hills crossing
the moors.
They have
managed to create some strong gaelic associations eventhough they are based
in the
US a long
distance from their roots in a geographical sense, but never far away in
heart felt
emotions .
The music should be for the people, music should be shared. Let's dance....
The title
gives a strong association about history and it's importance, never forget
your roots,
and your place
in history. Progression is simply the strong will power of each individual
human being,
supported by his "supporters".
Klaus Lang:Die ûberwinterung der molluksen klangforum Wien
Very lo-fi
ambience. A wide range of instruments plays along on this recording and
makes it very
interesting. You could almost touch the feeling of curiosity, it's
"frightening"
silence suddenly broken by a lonely instrument. It is as if you are
trying to
find your way out of the mist. You are lost and stuck in a twilight zone,
a chronical
liminality where you a are a non-person, between being somebody
and becoming
somebody else. Four intelligently tracks put together makes this
record something
really worth remembering...
Riley Lee: Empty sky
The third
out of a possible 6 volume serie of Japanese meditation music
for Shakuhachi
(Japanes flute). A very beautiful atmosphere is being created
by Lee's extra
ordinary flute play. You body is floating away, oh this is
wonderful
music for getting in touch with your inner self. The flute play is intense,
sometimes
frightening close to crossing the edge of sanity, this is a true masters
work.
The rhytms
of the flute sometimes gives you surprisesyou didn't expect, just sit down
get comfortable
and be surprised.
Joost Hegle
Tall Poppies
Records
Email:tallpoppies@moreinfo.com.au
Various Artists: Cicatrix (the ritual scarring) Collection 1
Contemporary
music by mixed-gender acts says the introduction paper to this cd, and
that's
just what
this cd is all about. It's urban loneliness, frustration and lack of hope
at once.
It's not really
a cd that gets you in a good mood, it's perhaps therapeutic in the sense
that
it gives a
description and a name to your desperation.
Well besides
that it has some very interesting tunes that you have to listen to more
than once
in order to
remember. If that's a bad thing or not I don't know, but it means that
the songs
have a complexity
that's impossible to grab after only one listening "session".
Joost Hegle
DivaNation
Records
Email:DivaNation@aol.com
Http://www.DivaNation.com
Glass Eden An organic industrial experience
This is a highly
original approach to the industrial genre, is not pure machines and angry
voices, but
also some soft and heart "warming" bits that give you a rest for a couple
of
seconds. Just
listen to the beginning of the second song before it gets hard and intense,
than a soft
break. The intro to song three is a very funky one, the rest of the song
also
keep this
funky guitar sounds alive.
Song five
is a Jim Steinman listen alike song.
Some have
compared this cd to Nine Inch Nails, but it's actually miles away.
For my taste
the guitar sound sometimes get to funky to really enjoy.
This is the
beauty and the beast mixed together in a twisted harmony.
A couple of
songs gave a good "stomach" feeling, but the rest gave a taste of not being
what it could
have been. The cd gave me a hollow feeling, a feeling of not being satisfied.
Artist direct:
Email:info@glasseden.com
Http://www.glasseden.com
Label:
Reality
Records
Http://www.RealityRecords.com
The Eternal Chapter: S/T
From Johannesburg
in South Africa comes this wonderful piece of a goth album.
Jaco Visser,
Thomas Woodrooffe and The Godfather is the members of this group.
Woodrooffe
has a deep charismatic voice that gives this production a feeling of a
whole.
"Death in
the water" is my favourite song from this album made by three highly
dedicated
guys. Keep on the good work.
Joost Hegle
Email: Eternalchapter@hotmail.com
Http://www.carpemortem.com/eternalchapter/
Orbis Pictus: S/T
A nicely done
album avoiding a lot of the ordinary goth clichès. This is darkwave
with
80's feel.
Song three is very "cranes" sounding mixed with some early Clan
of Xymox.
A really enjoyed this album, a wonder that this group is looking for a
record
deal. It should
have been knocked on their doors long ago, because this is good material.
Song four
is also very cranes sounding, to be more precise "wings of joy " album
sounding.
It's most
certainly not stoping after this first demo, a lot more is coming in years
to come...
Evelien van
den Broek's voice is haunting on the last track of this cd. Give her a
opportunity
to use her
voice more in future projects.
To all record
companies out there, give them a deal!
Email: orbis-pictus@cable.a2000.nl
http://listen.to/orbis_pictus
Draven: Paradiseisnowhere
From Switzerland
comes this project. A four piece with Orlando Greco on vocals, a person
with a vocal
with gives you a creepy feeling on your back. Just listen to track four
"Winter
Rose", a beautiful
song that you hope never ends. It's a pity that the rest of the album is
much to standard
heavy/metal for my taste. If the style of this album had been more like
track four
it would have been promising, but for all you metal heads out there is
probably
good material...
A advice guys
give Greco something else than metal company and everything will be more
rewarding.
Joost Hegle
The Last
Summer Productions
Email:STEPH@DRAVEN.CH
Http://DRAVEN.CH/
Willie Alexander (and the Persistence of Memory Orchestra) :The East Main Street Suite.
A highly unique
mix of styles. Willie Alexander's voice is walking along with the instruments.
It's no point
in placing the music into any genre, it doesn't do this cd justice.
Long live
the originality and approach to things being done on this cd.
Willie Alexander
is like a king in his own kingdom. Herb Pomeroy's trumpet sometimes
gives this
cd a very jazzy feel, a very pleasant and good hearted feel, but then again
it all
of a sudden
explore new territory. Just listen to the last track it's electronic beats,
some free jazz
together with
Alexander's "talking" voice. And that's what this cd is all about,
exploring
new territory,
never getting boring, because you never knows what to expect around the
next corner.
A very recommandable
cd!
Email:info@accuraterecords.com
Http://www.accuraterecords.com
Diet of
Worms: To thine own self -demo '99
To be honest
(and that's important) I hate Damond's shouting voice. It's if I hear Judas
Priest
on acid and
that's not good. I have listened to the cd twice but it's really hard to
find
something
I really like, some tracks begins promising but then the feeling in the
beginning
get's broken by the Judas Priest's sounding alike voice. A good advice
change
vocals, a
lot is getting better that way. The whole cd's hopelessness is best being
given a voice
in the trash-industrial-acid
Judas Priest-sounding song number 6 called "scabs".
This guys
could have had fun when they recorded the cd, but I did not feel any enjoyment
listening
to it.
Http://www.dietofworms.com
Stalking Horse: Half in shadow
The three songs
on this Ep really didn't do it for me. Very little variation. Very polished
strait heavy
with no originality what so ever. Boring guitar play together with some
"obvious"
drum machines and a Scorpions sounding vocal.
Boring, that's
the key word, I almost felt asleep after listening to this Ep that only
plays
for 11 minutes
and 46 seconds, and that's what really counts at the end, when do it end.
Joost Hegle
Email:music@bloodspoint.com
Http://www.bloodspoint.com
Wench: S/T
Amazing atmospheres
is being created. Heavenly voices is guideing you through
a mysteriously
futuristic landscape, or is it just the breath of the unknown.
Very nice
percussion rhytms is creating the basis for some of the melodies.
This is "goth"/darkwave
with a different angel, quit unique in it's style.
The cd is
just getting better and better, I have played it four times already.
Some occasionally
hard metallic beats, together with very nice electronic
arrangements,
strong voices on all tracks and an all together wonderful production
makes this
a highly memorable cd that probably never will get weeped out of my memory.
Razor Byrne Productions
Http://www.wenchmusic.com
Email:wenches@wenchmusic.com
Asscancer: S/T
Wall of noise is being accompanied by a shouting
voice. Not very structured
the first four songs. It's not before track 5
that it begins to get interesting, some
nice structured synth rhytms and a voice that
we are able to hear. It has a bit of Killdozer
in it, but it's more punk oriented. Track 7 is
a true metamorphose, it's raping!
It's angry dudes no doubt about that, just listen
to the lyrics and look on the titles
of the songs, "Fuck New York", "Evil against
Evil" and "Dear Uncle Cunt"
to name some of the titles. I couldn't figure
out their goal for this album.
Shouting "Mother Fucker" could be rebellious
if you have a idea behind it,
but this just sounds childish and very unstructured.
Not very recommandable if you would like some
good music!
Impressions of Winter: Cantica Lunae-songs of
the moon.
Very nice clock-play. Song 2 gives me a direct
association to the german group
Myrna Loy and their "I press my lips" album.
This is extra-ordinary musical pieces
of goth flavour. The female vocals are
wonderfully relaxing guiding your all the way
to dreamland. The nice percussion rhytms as a
background setting and once in a while
angelic backing vocals is the perfect combination
to make this music reach heavenly propotions.
On track 7 we get a very nice neo-classical piano
piece..The music is highly dramatical bringing
us from one scenary to another through 11 tracks.
This Germans has done it,
created something very good, something heart
warming, something for long cold
winters when you wish for summer and sun...
If I have to mention one favourite track it has
to be track 8 "Captivitas" , a instrumental piece.
Seven: If you want to play
A four track Ep that really deserves some attention.
The duo Annette Gil and
Ole Tom Torjussen comes from Norway.
It's their first release.
It is combining some power chord rock with some
sudden laidback pauses in the
middle of the songs, giving it a interesting
and unpredictable edge that gives the
cd more than just a straight rock feeling.
Annette Gil has a nice voice that fits the music
good. I like track 1 the best, mainly
because of the distortion-vocals, a real addicting
catchy tune.
Contact: Ole T.Torjussen
Thorvald Meyersgate 76A
0552 Oslo, Norway.
Patricia Barber: Companion
And the beats goes on..Barber's voice accompanied
by bass,guitar,
drums ,piano and Hammond orgel. A bar feeling
is being created, heavy smoke is in the air and
the place is crowded.
The public is very enthusiastic... Jazz on it's
most pleasant, never getting boring.
A very good piece of work!
