Today's Experimental/Avant-garde/Noise Playlist

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

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It's Thanksgiving morning, I'm up early and everybody is still in bed.
So I'm listening to headphones my buddy left over here for me to evaluate.
...Comparing Sony MDR 7506 to Sennheiser HD 595...
Sennheiser win hands down. No question.

OK...reevaluating Subotnick's "Sidewinder "
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This sounds glorious in 5.1, there's a lot moving around the room...but on headphones!... it has a distinct left/right/CENTER approach.
With both independent L/R channels in full force...about 2/3's the way thru the first side, a center channel imphasis takes hold and brings everything up to another level.
Side one is great but side two... remarkable.
It gives a definite counter-point to what's going on, on the periphery.
I still maintain, this is the best Subotnick I've heard.
Worth seeking out.

Next,
Steve Reich "Pulse/Quartet"
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This is something new!
I'm no Reich expert but this sounds like a new page in Steve's book.
Perusing the internet, this record seems to get panned on a consistent basis.
I don't understand this.
The music is two distinct sides. Two separate performances recorded in two separate studios in two separate years.
The music (for Steve Reich) is really varied.
The "pulse" of the first side is familiar but it takes you on many ups and downs.
This is the complaint of some critics. Just about the time it should crescendo, it doesn't, it continues...
But it moves the piece along to it's logical ending.
Personally, I find this approach compelling.
I don't know what these "critics" are expecting. It's like they compare the new Reich record to any other record released in the same time period.
It's not just another record on the pile. This is the first Reich released since 2012's "Radio Rewrite".
Side two is better (IMO). Especially with headphones.
Piano and vibraphone. There is lots of variance in the melody.
Almost sound track potential. That's a compliment here.
My biggest complaint is it's too short, over before you know it.

OK...next, Carter Tutti Void "Transverse"
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Live recordings from 2012.
I never heard of Factory Floor before this record.
That's probably why it took me so long to buy this because I'm a full on Chris n' Cosey nut!
Anyway, this is a good time.
The fact that this is recorded live seems to be the most impressive thing about it, as far as the critics are concerned.
I actually find it to be well recorded but the preformance is what's worth the price of admission.
A throbbing low end sets the framework.
Processed drums, synth whines and freeform guitar noise intertwine to create an improvisational sound extravaganza.
Nik Colk Void is obviously a student of the Cn'C school.
But when the student holds her own with the professors, you got something special.
Don't get me wrong, classic Chris and Cosey has this beat by a country mile but for something new (well new enough)...this will suffice.

Lastly, Eno/Byrne "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" remaster/reissue
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I've got the original release and when compared to the original, the "remaster" sounds just as powerful as the original. I can't imagine what changes were made, if any.
But the fact that this reissue doesn't have the side two track "Qu'ran" (dropped after the Islamic Council complained) is kind of a big hole in this release.
Too bad, it's a cool song, but I can understand why they didn't want to push it.
The second record has several outtakes that are pretty cool but nothing earth shattering.
There are some sample tracks included if you want to use their sounds for your own songs. Kinda cool.
The gatefold cover is nice with lots of interesting insight from David Byrne.
Overall, a nice version if you are so inclined.
 
William S. Burroughs & Kurt Cobain
The Priest They Called Him
(Tim/Kerr, 1993)

* I should think this one belongs here. It's Burrough's reading of his short story "The Junky's Christmas" against a background of geetar "noise" provided by Cobain.
 
VANISHING VOICE "STONE TABLET"2007
(Important142)
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I've never dipped my toe in the Wooden Wand Vanishing Voice pond before now.
I love many a band they run with, No Neck Blues Band, Sunburned Hand Of The Man, Jackie O' Motherfu¢ker, et. al.
But when I ran across this in the racks of my local vinyl purveyor, I snatched it up without haste.

This turned out to be a rather Kraut noise affair and it's very strong all the way through.
It starts out a bit aimlessly, with guitar played through an effect petal that sounds like it's a worn out cassette deck, all wobbly and slowed down on purpose.
The rest of the band kicks in and things come into focus with an authoritative beat courtesy of Pete Noland (of Magik Markers fame!)
The layers of guitars and effects stir into an intoxicating cloud then quites down so each instrument has time to do what ever they have to do until it builds again to an intense Can-like psych out.
Vocal-less, they let the noise do the singing.
Wailing tones and controlled feedback permeate as the drums lay down the foundation.
Side two picks up right where side one leaves off (just like those old 8 tracks did, mid song) and slowly fades out in a fog of guitar/EFX pedal noise with unintelligible female vocal wails towards the end.

There is another song on the end of side two, kinda Eugene Chadbourne/Modern Lovers in design, not sure what that's about but the first 35 minutes more than makes up for this shortcoming.
 
E JUGEND "HISTORY WORKS"2016
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I've expounded on the greatness of this band, before in this thread.

I accidentally made personal contact with one of the members through Discogs.
He was the only one that had any e jugend music for sale and I put two and two together.
He recently sent me a link to their third release which I intend on ordering on vinyl.

This is in much the same vein as their other content, but still... something about it just draws me in.
I can't help but think of Supreme Dicks meets ZNR.
Guitars, drums, keyboards, a few well placed samples and lots of delay.
By the way, I love delay, maybe that's why I cherish their music so much. I don't know.
The only criticism would be, they don't know how to end a song.
But that's ok, they just fade it into the next song like some dream state.
Morphing from one guitar workout into another with samples directing the mood.

He's got this uploaded on Bandcamp...

https://ejugend.bandcamp.com/album/history-works
 
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I accidently discovered last week, Cranioclast has a new record as of July 2018.
This is their first release since 2003's "Carl's On Acit" 10".
Fifteen years...
So, for me this was big news!
Cranioclast are easily in my top ten.
I've got everything they've ever released.
I found one seller on Discogs that had a copy in the USA so I ordered it and received it today. "CRACT ON SAIL"2018
(Auf Abwegen)
Limited to 300 copies on grey vinyl, it's very guitar oriented but still contains that other worldliness, avant psych feel they do so well.

As weird as this music is, it's actually their most accessable recording yet.
The spoken vocals are in English for starters and like I said, it contains guitar and drum sounds of varying degrees.
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For me, Cranioclast don't have a bad album, but this one...you might consider this their "rock" album. Like I said, accessable.
Very powerful and intense.
 
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I liked his tape/electronics based Legende de Eere and Electro-Acoustic Music albums so took a chance on this 1969 avante-classical press I just got from the new arrivals bin today.
Stuff I've gleaned reading about it thus far: Avante Garde that bypassed the twelve tone approach of its time in favor of Xenakis' "mathematical application of suspense and release"
"three-part, microtonal melodic texture" "88 piece orchestra interspersed amongst the audience" etc.. Sounds kind of like an instrumental rendition/approach to his layered noise found sound experimental stuff, and maybe where THX got the idea for that big swooping sound it uses to introduce itself in theatres.

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I've been in free jazz-early fusion mode for the last couple of months but a few noiser titles have filtered through.

I've expounded on the greatness of e jugend in an earlier post and ordered the "HISTORY WORKS" LP directly from the band.
It's as great as their other releases and they threw in a couple of label associated 7"s as well. Nice.

I ordered the CRANIOCLAST "THE L.K.A. SONAR KIT"2000 picture disc.
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It's very pleasent in a subliminal kind of way. Worth owning.


I've also been on a Klaus Schulze binge lately and found a clean reissue of "BODY LOVE" which is killer! One of his best.
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An excellent LP/sound track from 1977 that is recommended to you Cosmic fans.

I also found a Virgin gatefold reissue of "blackdance".
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This record gets less than stellar reviews online. I don't get this.

It starts out with a great rhythmic synth beat that sets the pace.
Very motorik...combined with congas and hand precussion, then synth lines are laid out and combined over one another. Lots of left-right panning in the mix.
Sounds build from low grumbles to soaring synth blast offs!
Things slow down a little with the beginning of side two with a baritone "opera style" singer that Schulze lays synth sounds over to create some odd phasing and interplay.
I'm immediately reminded of Controlled Bleeding, which I need to pull out and listen to now.
The last song revisits the opening krautrock stunner and is a nice finish to an otherwise panned album.


2019 saw the much anticipated reissue of the MARK STEWART + MAFFIA "LEARNING TO COPE WITH COWARDICE" first record along with a second album of recently found "LOST TAPES"
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This two record set is a must have if you're at all fond of the On-U Sound label, et.al.
Dubbed out, funk noise, filtered through a streetwise punk aesthetic, urban assult, whatever you call it...
The bonus record is every bit as powerful as their first release and holds it's own with alternate mixes and completely unreleased material from the time period. Essential.


I have a lot of Brian Eno records and a lot of Robert Fripp records.
But somehow I didn't own (NO PUSSYFOOTING)!?!
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I must have sold off a poor copy or something.
But I got it back now and it sounds glorious.

I've been listening to Fripp's "Let The Power Fall" lately.
No Pussyfooting beats it by a mile.
Powerful, controlled, expressive, experimental... a landmark recording, and seemingly so effortless.


Experimental is the operative word when talking about "THE MUSIC IMPROVISATION COMPANY"
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There is a lot going on here between Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Hugh Davies and Jamie Muir.
Released on ECM, this is beyond jazz, more into AMM territory.
I need to spend some more time with this album!

Also on the ECM label is this superlative Lp from MARION BROWN "AFTERNOON OF A GEORGIA FAUN"
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Even more expressive and experimental than The MIC^^^ and no less avant garde, Brown paints an aural picture with a stable of the who's who in improv jazz, like Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea, Andrew Cyrille, Bennie Maupin and many others.
A fascinating record.
 
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