musique concréte

Musique concrète, two words that refer us directly to the 50s, 60s and to composers like Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry. This music unfortunately ended up entering a kind of sci-fi cryogenic freeze and was in a thawed process by musicians like Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, The Beatles and even by current musicians in a rather diluted form. However, in the year 2018 it was completely unfrozen, returning with all its characteristics, peculiarities of composition/form and recording equipment by the musician Stephono - ZIP! In his EP 'Royal Echo Tape' the musician used two tape recorder (Uher Royal Deluxe and a Teac A-3440), one UHER microphone, one UHER echo tape, one AM radio, three synths (Roland Juno-60, Yahama CS 15, Korg mini Kaoss pad) and old tape reels/vinyls.

This EP have three tracks. ‘#Voice’ reminds us of 60s science fiction movie soundtracks. It features vocal sounds manipulations, synthesized sounds with characteristic melodic patterns from 70s electronic music and sound effects that could been in the same sci-fi movies! ‘#Old Tapes’ differs from the first one by the presentation of a vocal narrative, such as a spoken word, accompanied by a glockenspiel and samples of old music with altered speed. ‘#Radio’, brings all the sound manipulation featured in the 60s concrete music - as well as all other EP tracks - but its great differential is the sound of a sitar and some synthesizer(s) that can be heard throughout its duration.

In this EP we can experience an extremely curious and interesting work: concrete music that was very influenced by the sound manipulation techniques from Pierre Schaeffer and aesthetics from Pierre Henry, but totally performed in nostalgic equipment by a musician whose life extends to the 21st century! These characteristics gain even more evidence through the great idea of ​​making the EP available on cassete and reel tape within unique packaging with collages (and a bonus track named ‘Circle, Circle’). 'Royal Echo Tape' is undoubtedly a great tribute to concrete music, a beautiful visit to the past performed by a time traveler of the new millennium!



Glauber

post punk / new wave / goth rock

Heading from Bristol, Naut decided to ignore all current trends and to look back to the dark eighties. Now, this five-piece comes with a baffling debut EP, containing five pitch black goth rock tunes. Influences from bands like Sisters Of Mercy and Killing Joke run rampant and come with the overwhelming energy of post punk acts like The Jesus and Mary Chain. Song like opener 'Disintegration' and 'I'm Here' are destined to fill dark dancefloors everywhere. My personal favorite here is closer 'XVI'. It makes me curious and hungry for more, but for now I'm sure that this EP will be an excellent addition to every post punk / goth rock collection. 

doom / sludge

Sheffield doom mongers Kurokuma return with a two track EP, based on the Dope Rider strip from High Times in the 70s. The artwork comes from Paul Kirchner, the creator of the strip. The music is another slab of severe psychotic sludge doom, five and eight minutes long. Part 1 also showcases something industrial, reflected by repetitive, almost methodical drums. Part 2 simply continues to slow but brutal pummeling. Fans of bands like Conan, Dopethrone and Yob can easily trust Kurokuma to deliver the monolithic riffs and fierce vocals they crave so much. So if you want your sludge metal as destructive as a wrecking ball, this EP should do.

post-metal / doom / alternative rock

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Several months after the release of 'Serrated', Dutch heavy rockers An Evening With Knives unleash three songs that did not make the album because of the limited space on the vinyl. Yet, these songs were to important for the band to be ignored. Opener and title track 'Fade Out' deals with the death of Marco’s father due to Alzheimer disease. It's a long, heavy and cathartic lamentation, showcasing the darkest side of this band. The other two songs follow that example, be it a bit shorter. They all walk a similar path as the songs on 'Serrated', and thus would also fit perfectly into every sludge, doom and grunge collection. These guys are growing steadily, that's for sure.

electronic / ambient / experimental

An alienating two track EP that will leave you confused and entangled, that is what Soho Rezanejad delivers. Subtle electronics, minimalist drones, gloomy soundscapes and her vocals come together in two lengthy modern day folk songs. I can't help but think about a mix between Zola Jesus and Diamanda Galas, be it a bit less creepy than the latter. Yet, there is emotion, there is fear, mourning, wonder and hope in these two tracks. There is a mystifying atmosphere, one that borrows elements from dark ambient. Yet, above all perhaps, this is a unique piece of work, reminding me of an act like Dark Ensemble. Recommended only for eternally wandering souls.

post rock / post metal / stoner / sludge

In today's post rock scene, new bands pop up like mushrooms. Würzburg residents The Man Within are one of those newcomers. Mostly, that first effort comes with a low production and a careful introduction in what the band really is capable of. Yet, here that results in a full-blown post metal album with seven outstanding tracks. Most of them, including 'Mount Santo', my favorite 'Institution' (that rolling bass is hot!!!) and the massive 'Limitless' can easily entertain audiences far and wide. Although firmly rooted in the post-scene, elements from sludge metal, psychedelic rock and stoner rock are never far away. A great introduction, now let's hope they can confirm this in the near future.

dark ambient

The new brainchild of Nachtzeit, the man behind ambient dark metal project Lustre, comes up with an interesting dark ambient album. Although playful at time, this album takes us back to the mysterious  and dark age of the Norse gods. Early in 'Drömmarna' acts like Mortiis (on Cold Meat Industry) and Wongraven come to mind. Synths, soundscapes and dreamy melodies guide the listening on a musical tour of medieval Europe, so it seems, highlighting in 'Löftet' and 'Tårarn'. Strangely, the title track 'Hädanfärden' has an X-Files OST feeling about it, which isn't bad, on the contrary. Fans of old school medieval dark ambient can easily appreciate this album.

alternative rock / hard rock / grunge

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Belgian hard rock duo Breakfast At Midnight proves that two is enough to create heaps of noise. On this debut EP they blast seven tracks through our speakers, beginning with the heavy rocking 'Kidi Coke'. From then on, the rock doesn't seem to stop. Inspired by anything between Tool, Queens Of The Stone Age and Stone Temple Pilots, these two feed an everlasting fire. Most tracks drive on sheer energy but in 'What I'm To Say' and in '1813', the band delves deeply into the Pearl Jam version of grunge rock. Here, the vocals are excellent and clean while the other tunes contain heaps of aggressive screams. Not that I mind, this is pure rock 'n roll: raw, rough and heavy.

black metal / death metal

Grab onto something now because Ukrainian trio Goatsperm is about to unload a hellish, chaotic and vulgar EP, loaded with orthodox black/death metal. 'Voice In The Womb' contains three tracks, each one being a pummeling piece of extreme metal, as dark as Satan's butthole but with an ambient breather here and there. Somehow, this trio manages to combine atmospheric passages with sheer metallic terror, something that might indeed make a lot of banging heads turn their way in the near future.  Besides, 'Into The Deep Waters Of Catacombs' is one of the fiercest black metal tunes I've heard this year. If you're a self-respecting extremist, you need this.

krautrock / shoegaze / punk

What would have happened if Ramones used My Bloody Valentine's guitar effects? What would a punk rock cover album of Neu! songs sound like? Well, Finnish six piece Teksti-TV 666 might have a decent answer for you. 'Aidattu Tulevaisuus' delivers six high-octane krautrock tunes with the raw energy of punk and the immersive nature of shoegaze. I admit, it is something different from the usual slabs of rock 'n roll that appear here but 'Turbo-Mondeo' and 'Aidattu tulevaisuus' can easily get your behind shaking. My favorite here is the somewhat slower 'Rauhankone', which might be described as a down-to-earth space rock track. Recommended? Hell yeah!

ambient / electronic / experimental

Hailing from Porto, Vitor Joaquim is a sound sculptor and visual artist, active around the strange borders between soothing ambient and otherworldly noise. This new album, 'Impermanence' contains seven tracks, revolving around repetitive soundscapes, almost subconscious loops and immersive musical textures. Here and there vocals samples have been added to increase the narrative nature of the music. That, along with the minimal soundscapes, makes the title track my favorite here but I'm sure that every fan of decent ambient music can appreciate these sounds. Obviously, this comes highly recommended.

ambient / drone / experimental / noise

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An even more noisy and experimental variation on ambient sounds comes from Han, a project by Vitor Joaquim and Emidio Buchinho. This album revolves around live improvisation and real time processing, which results in something severely unusual and highly experimental. Yet, behind the gritty freestyle on the guitar, beautiful ambient loops lurk. These seven tracks are weird, immersive in one way, yet restrained and peculiar. Somehow this album feels like the early days of drone experimentation, when artists were exploring the other possibilities of their instruments. In all, this is an interesting release to dive into, but only for experienced avant gardists...

Serge

drone / ambient / score

I start this review looking to the past, at a time when ballets and operas were extremely famous and had a fantastic acceptance by the general audience. Today, these two words seem to create a kind of instantaneous "move away", mainly from the youth and most needy people.

​To be honest, I didn't look for ballets and operas until I had contact with "The Rite of Spring", "Parade" and "La Serva Padrona" (the last one was in a super cool and funny version that was played in all the state where I live). It's too bad that many years of non necessary elitism have gentrified this places where the union of theater, dance and music serve performances that don't fit the pop standards. In a kind of gradual substitution, they have moved to a central role in global scale pop concerts to catch people's attention.

However, the not-only-profit art is gradually approaching a larger and more comprehensive audience! And the coolest thing about this: it's happening in a very natural way (at least in most of them). This is the case of "Seeker," an album that was made from a score commissioned by Iván Pérez to Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) and Aaron Martin for his dance piece called 'Hide And Seek' (we can see an excerpt in the video below). Aaron recorded instrumental sounds and Machinefabriek worked on these recordings by processing, editing and adding new sounds to them. A very cozy musical aesthetic! No maximalist music, no Bartók pizzicato and no extreme techniques to frighten the new listener. Here we have music serving the choreography and vice versa, a communion of artists who know how to make art and not only feed their egos.

In the end, we have a fantastic composition for a dance show! From the big original score (included as a bonus track in the digital version), the rework in separate tracks created this great album! Another initiative by a group of artists that has generated another excellent work, distilled over time until the version that appears in 'Seeker'. Listen to the music, watch the video and, if you can, go to shows like this one in your city. After all, there is no art and there is no music without you, the audience!


Glauber

avant-garde / jazz / metal / experimental

Self-Extinction is an eccentric, but extraordinarily fantastic album by experimental jazz metal group Inhumankind, released by I, Voidhanger Records, from Italy. With nine relatively small, concise experimental tracks – Double-Headed King, Annihilation Of All Inferior Thought-Forms, Against All Odds, Citizen Qayin, Land Of The Shells, Blue Skin, Antinomic Self-Cosmogony, Self-Extinction and Eternal Sleep – this album is a great example of a genre rarely practiced or exposed nowadays, which is, more or less, conventionally described as jazz metal. Doing a fusion of several different, apparently disparate styles of music, and incorporating elements from jazz, contemporary and classical music in a very peculiar and evocative, but at the same time increasingly discreet disposition, the general artistry of Inhumankind is difficult to conceive or understand, but it’s delightful to hear and to experience. Ingratiating a colorful infusion of melodies into a gracefully splendid mosaic of textures and intonations, Self-Extinction is a horizon of opium barbiturates fully immersed in a solution of compulsory and hallucinatory caffeine, upon which a sonorous wave of curious serenity integrates your soul, to test your willingness to dive into the universe of a surprising and exponentially fascinating category of sound.

While the overall disposition of the music is simple – even ordinary by more inflictive and postmodern standards –, its somewhat fragmented nature makes each and every one of its artistic components and cells seems awkwardly impregnated with light cavities and low densities, that craves beyond the unitary dispositional structure of the music. While its curious anatomy, exceedingly impressionistic in form, saturates the epicenter of its own sonorous perimeters with the dead anxiety of its technical precision, there is a curious, but salutary consistence in between the musical notes, that makes everything quite majestic, despite the apparent simplicity that is obviously denoted throughout its notoriously subtle context. 

The quietness between the notes, and the intelligent use of silence as a musical component is quite a remarkable feature within the framework of its expansive sonorous embodiment, that amplifies the impressionistic nature of the tunes. And while there are not too much melodic variations throughout the album, it’s distinctive and deliberate harmonious predispositions are sagacious singularities, that works intelligently within the artistic concept that is generated by its inherent effect. 

While I haven’t particularly loved this album – mainly because of the genre, which failed to captivate me –, I certainly give credibility to its originality, audacity and creativity, that deserves to be highlighted and properly complimented. If you look for something very unusual to hear, and want to be surprised in a very unexpected way, you have to listen to Self-Extinction, by Inhumankind. Undoubtedly, it will be one of the most unique musical experiences you will ever have in your life.  


Wagner

drone / sludge / doom / noise

Outside of your musical comfort zone there is so much awe inspiring music to be found. When you leave the easy-listening surface behind you, you can discover sounds unheard and unimagined. Few people seem to realize that but then again, few people are open to new musical experiences.

Those people usually say "that is just noise" and they're absolutely right. It's delightful noise, piercing your consciousness and ripping your self esteem apart. I do think some people need to be forced to listen to a decent dose of noise music and I got just the album for that.

UK based trio Bodies On Everest does some good noise. Initially coined a sludge/doom act, these guys go way further than that. The album contains six tracks with opener 'unreleaseddeathvideo.flac' being a massive noise tune, nudging towards the Harsh Noise Wall scene. With eerie samples and gritty soundscapes, this track sets the tone for unholy and blatantly dissonant things to come.

'Tally Of Sevens' then comes up with the elements that usually result in sludge metal: intense riffs, pounding drums and screams. However, this is not sludge metal, this is repetitive noise rock that will slowly gnaw on your feeling of wellbeing. There is a tremendous lo-fi atmosphere, resulting in something very uneasy-listening. By now, not even halfway through the album it becomes clear that this is definitely not something for the average (doom) metal fan.

The band members themselves call their sound "dungeon wave" and yeah, if you imagine the  cries and supplications of countless of forlorn prisoners in ancient dungeon, that term is quite correct. Besides, the eerie 'Gold Fangs In Enemy Territory' contains elements from the genre I refer to as "dungeon synth". This is haunting music, barely melodic and with an overwhelming feeling of despair and solitude.

I have absolutely no band to compare this stuff with, apart from the many underground noise acts that often intrude my facebook profile. I mean, this is more Prurient than Sunn O))), more Genocidal Organ than Swans. 'Shotgun Or Sidearm' for instance has absolutely nothing to do with metal anymore. Not that this is a bad thing, on the contrary. It's interesting to hear this slab of sheer noise aggression. 

'Suspicious Canoe' brings back the basic elements and even raises the tempo but do not expect anything less destructive as the previous tracks. I think I can describe this best as something that resembles and old basement tape from Winter. Suffocating noise punk, so to speak. It just adds to the uncompromising nature of this whole album. This thing must be bad for your health, undoubtedly, but then again, what isn't these days. So check it out, you might find some new favorite noises in here.


​Serge

dark metal / doom / black metal / progressive

Coined as the scene's most highly anticipated new band, Khôrada quickly set high expectations for themselves. Founded by former members of legendary American bands Agalloch and Giant Squid, this new entity debuts with unusual artwork (by painter & sculptor Cedric Wentworth) and an unusual sound. Khôrada is not only a brand new start after the demise of their previous bands, it's also a way to further explore their creative capabilities. The result is quite fascinating, practically impossible to categorize and certainly a fresh sound in an already loaded alternative music scene. I can call it "dark metal" but there's more than darkness and more than metal to be found.

The album opens with 'Edeste', which is no way functions as an intro. The song immediately drags you into the vast, expansive world of Khôrada. Doom metal seems to be the main element, judging from the massive riffs and the mostly slow tempo. On the other hand, this song also shows a few black metal elements, which most headbangers will easily appreciate. Moonspell comes to mind but that reference just as easily disappears again. Traditional dark metal bands are more radio-friendly and easy digestible as this one. This one never shuns the experiment, not musically, not in the vocal efforts, never.

'Seasons Of Salt' further digs into the obscure underground, combining doom riffs with black metal riffs. For me, this track is an early highlight. Somehow the vocals here bring Serj Tankian to mind. Not that this music resembles System Of A Down, although both bands share an often unpredictable nature. 'Water Rights' is another unique piece of progressive doom rock. In some passages Fields Of The Nephilim as well as other, more obscure, goth rock bands comes to mind while other blast intense sludge doom through my speakers . Strange but definitely interesting, that's for sure.

I haven't mentioned post rock yet, a genre that is not to be ignored these days. And yes, here too some vast instrumental and atmospheric passages appear, mostly evolving in sluggish doom after a while. In that aspect, 'Glacial Cold' is another one of my favorites, thriving on elementary but infections doom riffs. At the end you can find two more epic anthems which will easily gain the attention of every fan of progressive and atmospheric music. 'Ossify' is a perfect closer, powerful yet melodic, experimental yet immersive.

'Salt' is a remarkable album, somewhat political at times since it was written under the pressure and uncertainty of the beginning of the Trump-era. Back then there was doubt, frustration, chaos and fear, elements which certainly reflect on the overall sound of this album. Yet, most of all, this is an intensely emotional piece of work, one that might just as well become a prelude of great things to come for Khôrada.


​Serge 

drone / ambient / experimental

It has been a while since I've seen Ashtoreth. It must have been Stratosphere's 'Collaborations I' release party where the creme de la creme of the drone ambient scene had a sweet get-together. That evening was absolute magic and is generated some interesting things for the future too.
But more about that later, now it's time to check out what Ashtoreth has been doing in the past few months or so. Among other activities, he recorded this sonic journey, along with Grey Malkin, of The Hare And The Moon fame. Simply and aptly titled 'Pilgrim', this album is a wonderful and immersive trip through ambient, funeral folk, drone and shamanism.

The whole thing opens with 'I Am The Story'. This rather short but enigmatic track slowly lures you in, driving on the typical Ashtoreth sounds. However, soon other sounds appear and before you realize it, you're being immersed in sonic visions from ancient European tribes. From then on, the music turns into narratives, into imaginative stories of darkness, catharsis and rituals. The overall atmosphere is obviously quite gloomy, and in 'The Stars Turn Towards Their Ending' things even tend to get rather scary, which in this case is a good thing.

If you want comparisons, I have to disappoint you. I could compare it to Ashtoreth and The Hare And The Moon played simultaneously and being surprisingly well adjusted to one-another.  The whole thing digs deep into the world of dark folk, dark ambient and drone while occasionally showcasing elements from noise, post rock and musique concrete. All I can say with absolute certainty is that this is a remarkable album, one every fan of the genre(s) should add to his already massive collection.

I think both artists add the right elements to the other one's musical ideas and that is probably the absolute definition of cooperation. I'm not going to pick out a favorite track, although I seem to enjoy the title track the most. But if you want my advice, it will be this: if you have about forty minutes to spare and you want to roam through a completely different world, a whole new fantasy, this album is a perfect soundtrack. Press play, lay down, close your eyes and allow the mastercraft of these two talented artists guide you through your own imagination. It will be worth it...


​Serge

electronic / experimental / rhythmic noise

The more I work for this webzine, the more I'm convinced that music has the ability to create parallel universes. Some create beautiful landscapes, some create ancient worlds, some create otherworldly environments. This album surely belongs to the latter.

It's a futuristic, dystopian universe, covered in snow and ash. It's cold, eerie and forlorn. Yet, it is also a habitat, one for people who seem to be on their dead-end. No, there is nothing jolly about this album but that doesn't make it any less interesting, on the very contrary.

Hailing from Taipei, Taiwan,  Meuko! Meuko! delivers a harsh, cold reality, aided by icy electronics, broken beats and haunting soundscapes. The album contains seven tracks, five plus two remixes to be exact. '都市念佛法會 Metropolitan Sutra Gathering' mostly serves as an intro, gently offering you a glimpse into what is about to come. Then, '眾神廟 The Temple' kicks of with the repetitive Arabian sounding sounds and the impending beats. Before you realize it, you're caught up in this bizarre world.

'鬼島 Ghost Island' at first seems to follow the current bass-loaded electronic trends but quickly turns into something even Autechre would be surprised about. This harsh IDM track is loaded with elements from breakcore, hard techno and noise. Well, most of this album is. Besides Autechre and 'A Shocking Hobby' era Speedy J, I hear influences from Imminent, Sonar and Iszoloscope, to name a few. 'Dog War' is my personal favorite, a slow but repetitive piece of rhythmic noise to haunt my very dreams.

'希卡公主 Princess Sika' is another brilliant piece of technoir, this time with spooky vocals and soundscapes. This is the soundtrack for a post apocalyptic prison movie. The remix is even less danceable than the original but nonetheless an in-your-face electronic music track. We end with 眾神廟 The Temple (Dutch E Germ Remix), another favorite of mine. So if you like your electronic music to gnaw on your soul, you definitely have to check this thing out. This is a little container of utter insanity and I like it.


​Serge

ambient / experimental / noise

Krysalisound

doom / sludge metal

experimental / avant garde

drone / electronic / ambient

hardcore / crust / black metal

psychedelic rock / stoner rock

indie / alternative rock / psychedelic rock

dream pop / trip hop

dark ambient / neoclassical / dark jazz

krautrock / psychedelic rock

death metal / deathcore

rock

groove metal

Serge

I already received plenty of these neat collector items, so many that I must have missed some over the course of time. So, in a way of both making up to that and to support a hard working quality label, I decided to combine a bunch of their releases into one big Brieviews special. I guess the word "ambient" will appear quite often on this page, which obviously is another reason why I like this label so much. 

bandcamp

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Written by Serge