Clavius Productions and Sonic Circuits DC 2007 present:
Thursday, September 13
Velvet Lounge
915 U St NW WDC
http://www.velvetloungedc.com http://www.dc-soniccircuits.org/2007/ 202-462-3213
$8, doors at 8, 21+
Exploding Star Quintet (Thrill Jockey avant-jazz ensemble, featuring Rob Mazurek of Chicago Underground Duo/Mandarin Movie)
Radio Shock (NYC noise-party one-man band with keyboard/guitar/toys)
36>Ca$H $lave Clique (DC improv psych/noise duo, mem. of Nimrod/Sikhara/Steve Mackay & the Radon Ensemble/Acid Mothers Temple/Nik Turner)
Myo (solo laptop noise from Baltimore)
Exploding Star Orchestra http://www.robmazurek.com/ http://www.myspace.com/explodingstarorchestra In 2005, cornetist Rob Mazurek was approached by The Chicago Cultural Center and the Jazz Institute to put together a group that would represent the more contemporary/avant-garde side of sound in Chicago for a concert in Millennium Park??s Frank Gehry-designed concert hall. The music was conceptualized/composed in Manaus Brazil, Fontevraud, France and Chicago, and developed over more than a dozen performances of the Orchestra before it was recorded by John McEntire at his Soma Studio in Chicago.
We Are All From Somewhere Else is comprised of three distinct sections, and corresponds to a story involving an exploding star, cosmic transformation, a sting ray, the travels of the sting ray, intelligent conversations with electric eels, the destructive power of humans, the death and ascension of sting ray, the transformation of sting ray ghost to flying bird, and the transformation of bird to phoenix to rocket to flying burning matter to a new-born star.
Says Mazurek, ??I could clearly see and hear the events as a kind of animated adult/children??s story that could be presented in book or video form. In the end you have a poem text based on the original story line that is then flipped backwards to reveal another perspective on the poem. The flipped text was orchestrated by Portuguese video artist and conceptualist Joao Simoes, while I was in Lisbon making final preparations for the release of this recording.?
As the arrangements of the parts of the pieces came together it became more and more evident that Nicole Mitchell??s flutes would play a major role in the realization of the music. That said the intent of the music is not to featuring individual players (although this very well could have featured any individual in the group, as they are all very strong soloists and improvisers) it is more about the projection of a certain sound pertaining to imagination and the trajectory of the sound as movement in time and space, weaving patterns and non-patterns around and inside the idea of the poem. The overall organic approach included actual organic sounds -- for example, the sounds of electric eels recorded by Mazurek at INPA research laboratory in Manaus. The juxtaposition of two drums, two basses, two mallets, multiple flutes, two cornets, bass clarinet, ARP synthesizer, guitar, trombone, voices and flugelhorn all played important roles in the development of the final sound.
??Psycho-Tropic Electric Eel Dream? is a group improvisation centered around the sound of electric eels. The electric eel tanks Mazurek recorded at INPA contain two species of eels, Pulsating and Waveform. The sound was recorded in a special tank of 15-20 eels of various sub-species, each with its own tone. The results are fascinating tonal clusters not unlike the sound of violins. This track reveals the beauty of these fine creatures and juxtaposes our improvisation with them, and concludes with spoken word by Rob Mazurek (??Robert Ashley was in my head during this part?), some ARP by Jim Baker and some final cascades of Nicole??s flute, which was snuck into the recording on the bass amp mic sitting in the hallway while Nicole was playing in another room. ??Black Sun? features Jim Baker??s lovely piano playing. ??This piece was originally written for the great French pianist Jeanne-Pierre Armengaud,? says Mazurek, ??who I had the pleasure of working with at Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud in France during my residency there.? What you hear is Jim??s emotionally charged and understated improvisation on the theme of the composition. The sound corresponds perfectly to the text/poem of the recording in which the death of the stingray is a new re-birth of the bird and eventually a new star.
??Cosmic Tomes? starts out with storm sounds from the Amazon reversed. The powerful first section reveals a wide-open improvisation on a specific theme and then deconstructed through three harmonic centers. The Cornet is that of composer and leader Mazurek. Corey Wilkes?? poignant flugelhorn plays an important role within the center of the piece and for a moment he takes off in a more grand gesture. The song then melts into the second part of this suite; repeated lines based on the last harmonic chord of the first section find the bass taking the lead and Matt Bauder??s two tenor parts and bass clarinet part playing a major role. One hears Jeff Parker??s guitar, Jeb Bishop`s trombone, Josh Berman`s cornet, Matt Lux`s electric bass, Jim Baker`s modified piano, Nicole Mitchell`s flute, and some excellent cutting, filtering post-production work by John McEntire. Part 3 of ??Cosmic Tomes? is meant as a kind of prayer or meditation on the idea of unity in the world/universe.
??15 Ways of Looking at a Finite Universe? is a quick piece inspired by the Anna Levine book ??How the Universe Got Its Spots?, and catapults the recording into the last piece, ??Part 5,? in which we travel back to space, birthing or re-birthing new galaxies. Nicole Mitchell??s flute floats over the thick harmonics with Matt Bauder`s bass clarinet doubling the bass of Matt Lux and Jason Ajemian, creating the foundation for the sweet melodic interplay.
Radio Shock http://www.radioshock.org/ http://www.myspace.com/radioshock Radio Shock is a one-man band that plays sometimes danceable, often dissonant, noise-party music. Radio Shock??s infectious beats will make you want to get up and dance while trying to trip you up at the same time. Created by M*P*Lockwood specifically to tour and entertain live audiences, Radio Shock is designed for maximum mobility. The music is made using only a found Yamaha keyboard, a uniquely tuned guitar, and a collection of Toys??R'Us noise-makers (sometimes played all at the same time), all of which can be carried on M*P*??s person. Because of this, he has been able to tour across the country by Greyhound bus. In fact, Radio Shock is considered to be on ??permanent tour? and any lack of shows in the immediate future should be considered a brief break.
M*P*Lockwood has been a member of the critically-acclaimed No-Core band Cock Robot, and one half of the laptop-hardcore duo Lotus. But with members of these bands living in different cities, M*P* wanted a musical vehicle to play live shows right NOW, and as often as possible. Since its inception, Radio Shock has been lucky enough to play shows with like-minded artists such as Nautical Almanac, Wolf Eyes, Sightings, The Haters, Hair Police, Forcefield, Cock ESP, and many others.
Radio Shock has put out two split releases with the similarly, yet more obviously, named band ??Radio Shack,? a cassette on Ignivomous Records and a 7#8243; record co-released by several hip noise labels. Radio Shock has also produced several self-released CDRs and provided a track for the Cock ESP remix CD. Just released is a cassette tape on Pink Triforce Tapes out of Montreal. The latest release is a self-released CDR EP called
Burn Down Radio. Coming soon is a 30-second looped tape on Human Conduct out of Baltimore.
Ca$h $lave Clique http://www.myspace.com/cashslaveclique Unbeknownst to Threat Williams, OhSlamma 36 ded Mazafaqaz, and Crealonious Funk, a strange set of cosmic yet real (CREAL) events would bring them together to finally give voice to THE CA$H $LAVE CLIQUE. Yet everyone is a CA$H $LAVE. Thus they are just a small arm of Le Clique that has been CREALLY chosen by their master Dr. Fantasti to rain down sonic terror. Dr. Fantasti charged these three with the daunting task of creating a new sound, to unite CA$H $LAVES everywhere. Influenced by the indigenous of their native Washington D.C., Le Clique has taken go-go music and made it their own. Creating the undeniable force that is GO-GO NOISE CORE (go-go-no-co).
Who is this Dr. Fantasti? Some say a God, some say the Devil. The truth lies somewhere in between. The good doctor was ordered to create cash to enslave this world by his evil master, Greedasty. After doing this Fantasti fell into a deep depression and began to question his loyalty to Greedasty. Upon finding out about Fantasti??s treasonous thoughts Greedasty banished him from the heavens and sent him to earth to live forever as a plush singing hamster. Fantasti, thus was destined to live his life as a discarded novelty gift only to be used once or twice and then thrown away. However, he was purchased for Crealonious and he did not just throw him away or stuff him in a closet. Crealonious sat Fantasti in a prominent spot in his house and the doctor saw his chance to escape his terrible predicament. Using his super intellect he rewired the sound mechanism in himself so that he could speak to Crealonious.
At this time cataclysmic events were about to bring Le CLique together. Crealonious and Threat were already friends, but they had never met OhSlamma. Autumn winds began to blow and soon like a speck of pollen being blown to a flower, OhSlamma landed at Crealonious??s door step, and was welcomed in. The doctor saw his chance. He began to transmit subliminal messages to the three when they were together. Finally it began to work and they started to unconsciously prepare for the creation of THE CA$H $LAVE CLIQUE. The dye was cast on the fateful day that Fantasti, through his subliminal messages, ordered OhSlamma to pinch his foot thus allowing the doctor to reanimate himself into a living plush singing hamster.
Like Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-San the doctor began to mold his disciples. He trained them for months transforming them from conspicous consumpton machines into sonic suicide bombers. The chosen three were then given their crusade. Create a sound to unite all CA$H $LAVES and bring about the destruction of the Spectacle. So the sound was created thus fulfilling the Fantasti prophecy ??Let there be CA$H?, and the CA$H $LAVE CLIQUE was ordered to unleash their sonic terror on the world.
36 http://www.soundsfromthepocket.com/36.htm Drummer Sam Lohman displayed his talents with such bands as Sheer Terror, Nimrod and Maji, before taking on the numeric spelling of his name, Sa(3) Mu(6), while beginning his solo percussion project in Japan. After his initial show, April 1994 at Zokai Center in Osaka, 36 continued to play throughout the South Pacific and at major international events, including the ??What is Music?? fest in Sydney, Austrailia and the ??Pacific Rim Job? in Vancouver BC. 36 contributed tracks to well known Japanese compilations ??Osaka Pirate Radio? and the tribute to legendary live space ??Bar Noise?.
2004 saw a renewed flourish of activity for 36. During the first Radon Portugal showcase, Lohman did triple duty, playing with Steve Mackay, Sikhara and 36. After returning to the States, 36 joined the ranks of Spaceseed to back Hawkwind frontman Nik Turner for his US tour. 36 toured the rest of ??04 on the Ovo USA rampage, sometimes infiltrating Cock ESP concerts as well as continuing his work with Steve Mackay and the recently founded Ca$h $lave Clique.
In addition to these numerous projects, Lohman joined the ranks of Japanese ??Soul Collective? Acid Mothers Temple for a series east coast concerts in 2005 Radon??s first quatro-continental performer shows no signs of slowing in ??07 with numerous projects in the works.
Myo http://www.myosound.com Myo is Cory O??Brien, an improviser and experimenter who works with digitally processed voice and objects. Myo??s live manifestations have been described by Vital Weekly as ??louder, dirtier, gritty and angular, but still with ingredients of microsound.? Previous collaborations have included Kenneth Yates (of Harm Stryker, Insects with Tits), and video artist Metaphreaq. He currently lives and works in Baltimore, Maryland.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Friday, September 14
Velvet Lounge
915 U St NW WDC
http://www.velvetloungedc.com http://www.dc-soniccircuits.org/2007/ 202-462-3213
$9, doors at 8pm, 21+
Ramon Churruca (performance artist from Bilbao, Spain)
xedh (sound artist from Bilabo, Spain)
Piasa (harsh noise from Virginia)
Scraping Teeth (guitar/drums improv noise-rock trio from Miami, featuring Rat Bastard of To Live and Shave in L.A./Laundry Room Squelchers)
Ahlzagailzehguh (NYC harsh noise, Hospital Productions)
Kakerlak (Baltimore harsh noise)
Ramon Churruca Ramón Churruca was born in Bilbao in 1964. He belongs to an important family from Las Arenas. Since childhood, he??s expressed interest in comedy, film and pornography. He studied at the agustino school, Padre Andres de Urdaneta, and recalls that ??it was a concentration camp. A soccer culture existed: if you didn??t play, you were gay or weird.?
Influenced by the work of Doug Hall, he traveled at the age of twenty to the United States to study experimental film at the Art Institute of San Francisco where he majored in performance/video. His stay in the city made him very open-minded. Nevertheless, Ramon discovered that social class systems exist in the art world. ??Those supposed liberal worlds are really conservative.? This would be a recurring idea in his work.
When he returned to California in 1989, he acted under the pseudonym Ramón Quantalagusta in the Bilbao Safi Gallery on Las Cortes street. That??s where they did the first performances of Botxo where artists like Bada, Alberto Safi or Álex de la Iglesia participated. In this gallery, Churruca talked about for the first time of the unveiling of the new Basque: ??El Technoaldeano Urbano? (The Urban Technopeasant), the illuminated messianic figure that is reflected in Ibarretxe for those that want to build a gigantic ??bidegorri euskaldun? where they can channel their paranoias.
For Ramón, the performance ??is a declared madness. It takes a lot of mental work and written preparation. I give myself a set of guidelines that I modify according to what I see happening. The public looks for immediacy, the connection and the rush. After ??Tecnoaldeano Urbano? (The Urban Technopeasant), Churruca was ??Olentzero Farlopero?, ??Siamés Separatista? and currently acting as ??Negruri? wearing a mask of an elderly man. ??Often times, the topics are reality. I handle myself according to the language of the topics. From there comes the Negruri. He??s the devil. Like the Euskal Herria of PNV looks at the ancient society of Neguri. I am 100 years old. It has to do with the operation of the social class system in Bilbao and in the art world. For some to prevail, others must fail.? Film is one of his greatest passions and he considers himself ??a very good spectator? although he creates the fiction of others but not his own. He has made several short films and acted in a dozen of films, always in special collaborations. Álex de la Iglesia counted with him for ??El día de la bestia?, ??Muertos de risa? y ??Crimen Ferpecto.? In spite of him, Churruca assures that he works better as a performer.
The apparent tranquility and timidity of Ramón shifts when he goes into battle, in hyperactivity, madness and destruction. In his performances he has a tendency to disrobe, to confront and to criticize everyone. His criticisms are fundamentally directed to society, nationalists, the public and even himself. He laughs about everything and at everyone but he doesn??t consider himself crazy, ??They think that you are a lunatic because you do things that venture outside convention.?
xedh http://www.xedh.org/ xedh is the soundwork of the Basque Country-based artist Miguel A. García.
selected works & live:
2007 - live at El Tanque exhibition centre, Santa Cruz (Tenerife, Spain)
2007 - released ??Nacht & nebel? split with Fever Spoor at Anima Mal Nata (Holland)
2007 - sound installation at L´Mono (Bilbao, Spain)
2007 - released ??Sex? LP at Smell the Stench (Australia)
2007 - live at Arto Artian festa #5, Mogambo (Txintxerpe, Spain)
2007 - live at Bebarruko Jardunek, Matadeixe (Azkoitia, Spain)
2007 - live at Dislokes fest w/ Tüsuri (Barakaldo, Spain)
2007 - released ??Composition in red? EP at Camomille Music (Canada)
2006 - live at MEM 2006, Bilborock (Bilbao) w/Merzbow
2006 - released ??Agujero negro? LP at Hamaika (Getxo, Spain)
2006 - released ??Rencloser? EP at Picomedia (France)
2006 - live at Bilbao Arte (Bilbao, Spain)
2006 - soundtrack for Closing Time film by Iñigo Cabo & Robert Todd (Bilbao, Spain)
2006 - live at LEM 2006, EART Gallery (Barcelona, Spain)
2006 - live at MRB/AMM, Arteleku (Gipuzkoa, Spain)
2006 - released ??La indiferancia demostrada? LP at Nervous Nurse (Germany)
2006 - released ??Sort:zen? EP at Expanding Electronic Diversity (Canada)
2005 - sound installation for ??somos buena gente? exhibition (Asturias, Spain)
2005 - sound for contemporary dance piece, MID-E 2005, Arteleku (Gipuzkoa, Spain)
2005 - live at Mano Dura fest (Barcelona, Spain) w/Valvula Antirretorno
2005 - live at Portinho project (Galicia, Spain) w/Valvula Antirretorno
2005 - released ??Xenophile experimental density hamper? collab. with Zan Hoffman (USA)
2005 - released ??Dios existe? LP at Slaughter Rec. w/Valvula Antirretorno (Italy)
2004 - released ??Serpents? EP at Verato Project (Germany)
2004 - live at Colectivo Noize Fest, Montehermoso w/Valvula Antirretorno (Gasteiz, Spain)
??Conceived by Miguel A. García as a vision of industrial past and future landscapes, the music distilled by Xedh is a music of immersion, inscribed in a broad and evocative current that makes textures and their alternation an excellent narrative element. A music of planes where silence envelops perverse rhythms and opens gaps through which oppressive atmospheres slip in -- pulsing music, inviting us on an inner journey, full of images and colours, of a strangely pictorial quality.? (Victor Nubla)
??Xedh confirms by planting an enormous (rusted) nail in the allegedly apocalyptic landscape of the modern industry of sounds assembly. Heir of a certain old-school tradition (and not least), the man of Bilbao dismantles some musical commonplaces for better building a singular work which takes all his actual relevance -- There is this amplitude, the density of a formal, unnarrative suggestion of reality filtered through the abstractive prism of Xedh composition, and these constant calls to break up, if you definitively refuse to look beyond.? (Thierry Massard)
??In a constant struggle for balance, Xedh explores mathematics and cognitive logic on one side and pits it against nature and harmony. The result is an abstract brawl for domination, as you can discern the organic tissue from the synthetic in their collisions.? (camomillemusic.com)
Piasa http://www.myspace.com/pieuhsaw Piasa (pronounced pie-uh-saw) are a harsh noise band from Virginia.
Currently, Piasa is: William, Scott, Damian, Tristan, Jason, Ian, and other various collaborators.
The idea for what would become Piasa, was originally conceived in 2004 by William Mansfield and Scott Nussman, out of a desire to do something different. An early incarnation would see that idea evolve into a guerrilla noise squad...leaving bewildered patrons in shopping and strip mall parking lots scratching their heads...or running quickly back to their cars, hands held tightly against their ears, whatever the case may be.
Autumn of 2005 saw the birth of a tighter, more creatively focused, and collaborative incarnation of the band, playing shows in local basements and venues, concentrating on heavy improvisation.
In early 2006, Piasa became a mobile audio terror unit, taking their dirty sounds and filthy minds out on the road, touring in support of their first full length effort.
As of summer 2007, Piasa have been on a handful of tours, self-released an earful of recordings, continue to terrorize the everyman, and show no signs of slowing down.
Piasa has been fortunate enough to share the stage with some incredibly gifted artists and musicians, including: Realicide, Them Natives, Facemat, Kohoutek, Halflings, Yellow Tears, Shallow Waters, Medhammer, Warmth, Bobby Vomit, Orgasmic Response Unit, Being, Alan George Ledergerber, Perpetual Amnesia, Kakerlak, Spunky Toofers, Grails, Kayo Dot, Cough, Pygmy Lush, The New Flesh, Deathroes, Panicsville, Nautical Almanac, Donna Parker, All Violet, Ultimate VAG, Hollow Bush, Skeleton Warrior, HZMT, Prurient, Aaron Dilloway, Hair Police, Wolf Eyes, etc, etc, etc.
Scraping Teeth http://squelchers.net/ST/teeth.htm You might think the tight-minded would walk on by, saying this isn??t music at all, it??s just damn noise, turn that shit down! However, the members of Scraping Teeth assure such is not the case. ??We always get a strong reaction?, says bassist Isaac Ersoff. The groups guitarist, Frank ??Rat Bastard? Falestra, picks up on the idea: ??Rock and roll is supposed to cause a reaction. When it first came in, people hated it. That??s what rock and roll is. People either hate us or like us, there??s no in-between.? Does it bite, or does it have bite?
If it is difficult to embrace the ragged, jagged sounds of Scraping Teeth, well, that??s part of the challenge, part of the fun, and ultimately, part of the payoff. The Miami-based trio is breaking new ground that lies somewhere between aggressive (call it progressive if you absolutely must) rock and dissonance for its own sake, between the obscure and the ungrippable styles of new music and the blatant and overly popular structures of standard rock-roll. They may be way out there, but once you get the hang of it, they become way-in as well. It??s, um, cool.
It??s unlikely you??ll find yourself humming along to songs such as ??Death by Refrigerator? or ??Machine God Noise,? but that doesn??t mean Teeth music doesn??t contain logic and structure. It does, coached in a dense and often flatulent combination of angry guitar riffs, drones, squawking bass, more drones, screams from hell, drums that punctuate in blood, progressions that seem aimless except that the aim is not to be linear and predictable. Both active and reactionary, this music??s boundaries are drawn only by the inspiration of the moment. This stuff??s wild, man.
??I call it ??pizza music,??? Ersoff says cryptically. Falestra points out that it??s ??music not to think to.? And drummer Dimthingshine sums up the Teeth grind as ??acid-rock mayhem of the day, of the moment. Feelings of the world as we feel it.? At first glance, then, the world hurts like a misdirected dentist??s drill on full blast. Hitting a nerve.
As unfair, critically speaking, as it may be, you did get some idea what this terrifying trio is up to by checking a few song titles: ??Torture and Stuff," ??Blow Me While I Shit? and ??My Car Blew Up and Took Me With It.? This ain??t exactly Bobby McFerrin territory.
This reason it??s unfair to go by a handful of songs titles is that, much like the actual songs, the music of Scraping Teeth is timeless, endless, boundless. They don??t play songs, really, it all runs together, changing at every show, and it??s all on tape -?? you could say the trio doesn??t have any songs, or you could say they have thousands of songs. ??We have more hooks per minute,? Falestra notes. But it all happens so fast. Most bands rehearse a song, play it, and play it at a club. Then they??re married to that song for the next three years. I??ve done that (with other groups). I want to come up with something new every minute. That??s why we record every show. We can look back and refer to things, and redo a song if we want. It??s all documented. It??s a challenge to us to equal a group with a planned format, but this is viable music.? (At one point the band found itself playing to a completely empty club. Someone walked in and asked them what the hell they were doing playing to no one. ??We??re recording,? came the quick reply.)
Falestra knows what he??s talking about. Like his two associates, he??s made his bones in a number of areas, including work with more traditional rock bands. He also writes a music newsletter called Second Opinion, runs a productive recording studio called Esync, is a accomplished producer, engineer, has his own record label called Esync Ocular Exchange, and organizes the annual Expo-mental music series, which begins on Tuesday.
Bassist Ersoff is a classically trained player (the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York), records and occasionally performs with another group, Spongong, and also runs a label, Fuk-M-All Disc. Drummer Dimthingshine was behind a number of vinyl slabs released in the eighties, also runs his own label (Thingsflux Music), composes for film, writes reviews for various publications, and has worked with groups ranging from jazz to metal. He can also scream like the devil??s own whipping boy. ??I didn??t know I was going to be screaming my head off,? he says. ??But when I heard the music, I felt it needed screaming.?
Falestra was already running the show on Thursday nights at Churchill??s Hideaway (presenting a mondo bizarro mix of music and performance art), when Scraping Teeth came together in January. He had known Ersoff for about a year and had been familiar with ??Shines work for about eight years; the first time the three played together as Scraping Teeth was onstage. No rehearsal, no nothing. Get up there and rock. ??The first lyrics,? Falestra recalls, ??were the front page of New Times. Whatever was there on the cover became our lyrics. Then Isaac started coming up with concepts on tape and paper. We played off the sounds coming out of the monitors -?? it??s always improvised.? (To this day, the band still hasn??t rehearsed. It??s all done live, on the stage, now.)
Ersoff believes some people follow the group just to see what they might do next. Even the band doesn??t know that. Generally, Ersoff will kick a groove on bass, Dimthingshine will pick it up, and Falestra will squeeze from his alternately tuned guitar progressions and riffs inspired by the polyrythms of the other two. Sometimes ??Shine, who calls himself a cross between a rock drummer and a Muppet, will take the improv lead. Whatever the case, the three are savvy and talented enough to immediately react to one another??s playing. Then it all comes together as a sort of dense noise that, if you mentally peel away the layers of distraction, contains surprisingly smart and compelling melodies (and, yes, hooks) that are unlike any that have come before. ??We do things that aren??t cliche,? Falestra notes. ??We break ground, we break sound barriers. Ten years from now when this becomes pop, we??ll be able to show people our tapes from ten years ago and say, ??See??
Apparently some portion of the Miami music audience is smart enough to see already. Scraping Teeth are now booked every Wednesday at Washington Square, and Thursdays at Churchill??s. Perhaps there is something to be said for challenging music. Maybe there isn??t anything to be afraid of. ??I??m not satanic,? Dimthingshine asserts. ??I??m not possessed. It??s just that everyone thinks I am.? Falestra adds, ??You can??t be afraid of what the audience thinks.? You can only hope the audience does think. (Greg Baker, New Times, November 1990)
Ahlzagailzehguh http://www.geocities.com/collapsedhole/ "Damn! 25 tracks of harsh noise on a 20-minute 3" CD. That's unexpected! Few of these pieces run more than a minute, and none longer than a minute-and-a-half, so the short bursts of explosive noise actually move along quite nicely, especially because a lot of different sounds are explored throughout. Sure, they're all fairly in your face and aggressive, and lots of distortion is employed, but at the same time, there are different ways to manipulate different tones and styles of distortion. Apparently all of this stuff was created using broken electronic devices, metal, various household objects, effects pedals, and synths. That sounds about right, because there is a certain lo-fi quality to the recording here, and the compositions are fairly minimal as far as layering and such. From straightforward walls of harsh distortion to banging and clanging sounds, to garbled rumbles and caustic treble, there's a little bit of everything, and then some. And it rarely calms down a notch. That's not to say this is like Masonna or Merzbow or anything, it's not, but it's not at all ambient either. I tend to be bothered by tracks that start and end abruptly, as it makes things feel unintentional, and that's something that can be disruptive here. But there are so many tracks that the stuttered beginnings and endings become common enough to work. Limited to just 44 copies, the first seven came in handmade sleeves with melted black/gold wax and glue. This one, like the rest, comes in a small sleeve printed on cream-colored paper with an abstract collage of images on the front and back, and a small xeroxed insert with the song titles inside. Not bad. I like the visual aesthetic and there is a certain feeling to most of the tracks, it's a little boring, but I can appreciate it. I'd be interested to hear longer, more developed works for sure. (Aversionline)
