I’m about to embark on a crazy busy/fun summer and would love to tell you about it.
On the 12th of July my European organization Eclectic Music eXtravaganza (EMX) performs in Berlin the 1st of 4 concerts of our mini European tour, on which I will premiere many new compositors. Here is the tour rundown:
EMX 2018 European Tour
As mention above on July 12th we play a program at Ballhaus in Berlin, Germany, in a concert called ‘New York Meets Berlin’. We then travel to Italy and perform with the EMX ensemble on July 17th at San Benedetto del Tronto in Abruzzo, Italy on July 18th we perform at the renowned Pescara Jazz Festival in Pescara, Italy, we take a short break and repeat the program on Aug. 3rd at the 2018 Outreach Music Festival in Schwaz, Austria.
The EMX Ensemble is:
Petro Krysa - violin, Franz Hackl - trumpet, Kai Schumacher - piano/synth., Mark Kostab - piano/synth., Gene Pritsker - Guitar/bass, Phil Bernhardt - drums.
With special guests joining us for various concerts including: Christoph Enzel, Michiyo Suzuki, Zachary M. Seely, Michiko Saiki and Roger Trefousse.
Simons Steensland's "A Farewell To Brains" is a Magma-inspired progressive rock album.
Featuring Morgan Agren on the drums and quite a lot of other guests.
I like it.
Data has been added to the United Mutations Archives.
It's out on the Italian AltRock record label, who more recently also released Simon's "25 Years Of Minimum R&B".
The Mats / Morgan Band discography includes two download-only albums. Both of these got released in March 2015. As they were never issued on CD, they might have been a bit neglected or overlooked by the fans. Actually, I just added them to the Mats/Morgan discography over at the United Mutations Archives earlier today. Anyway, they're (still) over at Bandcamp were you can buy them at your own convenience.
In 1999, Italian band La Macchina Ossuta had contributed their version of Frank Zappa's 'I'm The Slime' to "Frank You, Thank", a Frank Zappa tribute album.
Two years later, in 2001, the band released a promo CDR with 6 tracks. 3 of the tracks had been previously released on EP's or on album. The other 3, however, were unreleased live or studio recordings. Track 2, FZ's 'More Trouble Every Day' was recorded live at Cencio's Club on April 14, 2001.
Info has been added to the United Mutations Archives.
Two years ago, the Belgian Negocito record label released two trio concerts by artist, painter, sculptor, double bass player Paul Van Gysegem.
Actually, it was one album that consisted of one CD (Paola Bartoletti, Bart Maris and Paul Van Gysegem) and one DVD (video recording with Giovanni Barcella, Eric Vermeulen and Paul Van Gysegem). Two beautiful concerts in one package.
Last year, Negocito Records added another fine release to Paul Van Gysegem's discography.
This time, the ensemble is made up of percussionist Chris Joris, trumpet player Patrick De Groote and Paul Van Gysegem on double bass.
All three musicians are well-known in the Belgian free jazz / improvised music scene. Paul De Groote even played with Paul Van Gysegem on his "Aorta" album in 1971 !!
For "Boundless", the trio got together for three separate days. One in November 2015, one in May 2016 and one in August 2016. The result is an impressive, energetic album on which the musicians explore and communicate. Boundless, if I may say so.
Recommended listening.
Available on Bandcamp, but also on CD.
Out on Negocito Records.
A couple of weeks ago, I received part of my Zappa Movie backer stuff.
I don't remember if I already posted a picture, so here we go.
The t-shirt is nice. So are the buttons and the number plate.
The latest Mats / Morgan release got recorded in concert with the Norrlandsperan Symphony Orchestra.
Beautiful. Only available on Bandcamp for the moment, but physical copies should appear soon.
Essential listening !!
One of the encores was 'Phylox'. Obviously inspired by the music of Frank Zappa, it even includes a short Zappa lick.
The new Phi Yaan-Zek album, "Reality Is My Play Thing", is also available with a bonus disc.
Digital copies of this bonus disc were sent earlier today so I was able to give it a first listen.
WOW !!
In case you haven't ordered this new 2CD set yet, make sure you go for the bonus (Special Edition Triple CD Set) version.
This is great !!!
Phi Yaan-Zek said :
"This is a 'Lumpy Gravy' style album of new music from the California sessions, weird out-takes, behind-the-scenes interludes and special musical surprises."
And he couldn't be more right.
The "Reality Is My Play Thing" album might be excellent, but the bonus "Play My Strange Thing" album is superb.
The legendary first EP by Belgian band dEUS, "Zea", produced by none other than Peter Vermeersch and Pierre Vervloesem, will be re-issued as a 10" vinyl album.
Check out the Beefheart sample at the start of the track !!
"It's The Blimp !!"
king ayisoba: 1000 can die (2017, lp, ger, glitterbeat records)
"1000 Can Die" is the fourth album by King Ayisoba.
Charactarized by combining ancient rhythms, traditional instruments and modern electronics, King Ayisobo finds the perfect mix between old and new.
Pretty impressive.
Record producer Zea added : Guests brought new facets to some of the tracks. The trailblazing Nigerian saxophonist Orlando Julius adds a raw, reedy quality to “Dapagara,” while on “Wine Lange,” the only song not to feature kologo, Sakuto Yongo’s one-string gonju fiddle takes the music into a different, ancient dimension. The title cut features Ghanaian rapper/producer M3nsa alongside the shape shifting vision of legendary reggae producer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.
‘We met Scratch in Amsterdam airport,’ Zea remembers. ‘He and Ayisoba grabbed each other’s attention. We had a short talk, and they decided to do something together. It wasn’t planned. We already had M3nsa’s part on the track when we sent it off. That song created itself.”
“1000 Can Die” builds into a sonic epic; after that the all-acoustic “Grandfather Song” arrives like a plunge into deep water.
“It’s a preaching,” Ayisoba explains. “You can never cut the small stone. This means you have to stay strong, when you are big or small, they can never cut you when you are a stone.”
Out on Glitterbeat Records. Distributed and available from Mandaï : www.mandai.be
Here's a video recording of a recent Joe Deninzon solo performance. Check out Joe performing Steve Vai's 'Ballerina' !!
Joe Deninzon's 90-minute live performance on 7-string Wood Viper electric violin, Colwell Playhouse, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, April 4, 2018
1) Armando's Rumba-Chick Corea 1:30
2) Love Runs Out-One Republic 7:00
3) Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee-Nuno Bettencourt 12:50
4) Swingin on the Ville-Mark O’Connor 16:10
5)Teleman Canonic Sonata No. 1 movement 1 & 3 by George Phillippe Telemann 23:18
6) Caprice No. 24-Niccolò Paganini (Arr. Christian Howes) 26:40
7) Mattise La Dance from "Between the Kiss and the Chaos)-Tracy Silverman 33:00
8) Climbing-Joe Deninzon 30:30
9) Ballerina 12/24-Steve Vai 47:15
10) Array of Irrevocable Light-David Wallace (talking intro: 50.playing: 54:10)
11) Message in a Bottle-The Police 1:02:40
12) Dream Diary Cadenza-Joe Deninzon 1:11:58
13) Shock Therapy-Joe Deninzon 1:17:30
14) Everyday I Have the Blues-Memphis Slim 1:23:00
Here's some more improvised music from the New Haven scene.
As John D Venter explains :
West Street Five is the second West Street Session Release. Unlike the initial release, it is very much Electric.
Over a one week period in May 2018, Steve Chillemi and I invited various musical friends over for series of live recording sessions. These have become the West Street Sessions. There were 5 sessions involving 8 musicians and about 15 hours of live recordings. Recordings were made on one or two Zoom H6 recorders depending on the number of tracks needed. Steve and I are common to all the recordings. Thanks to Chris Venter for technical assistance and the use of much-recording equipment. We are very grateful to all the musicians that took the time to participate.
STICK MEN Tony Levin, Markus Reuter, Pat Mastelotto + David Cross Latin American Tour 2018
STICK MEN with DAVID CROSS
TONY LEVIN stick
MARKUS REUTER touch guitar
PAT MASTELOTTO drums
special guest DAVID CROSS violin, keyboards
Aug 24, Fri - São Paulo, SP, Brazil (Club Carioca)
Aug 25, Sat - Niteroi, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil (Teatro Municipal) 2 shows
Aug 28, Tue - San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina (Teatro Alberdi)
Aug 30, Thu - Mar Del Plata, Argentina (Teatriz)
Aug 31, Fri - Buenos Aires, Argentina (ND Teatro)
Sept 1, Sat - Rosario, Argentina (Vorterix)
Sept 3, Mon - Montevideo, Uruguay (Las Trastienda Club)
Sept 5, Wed - Cordoba, Argentina (Teatro del Libertador San Martín)
Sept 6, Thu - Santiago, Chile (Teatro Nescafé de las Artes)
Sept 8, Sat - Lima, Peru (Teatro Municipal)
Sept 13, Thu - Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia (Teatro Centro Boliviano Americano)
Sept 14, Fri - La Paz, Bolivia (Teatro 16 de Julio)
Sept 18, Tue - Guatemala City, Guatemala (Teatro Lux)
Sept 19, Wed - San Salvador, El Salvador (venue TBA)
Sept 20, Thu - Escazú, San José, Costa Rica (Jazz Café)
Sept 23, Sun - Mexico City, Mexico (Centro Cultural Robert Cantoral)
Sept 24, Mon - Monterey, Mexico (Escena Monterrey)
STICK MEN
TONY LEVIN stick
MARKUS REUTER touch guitar
PAT MASTELOTTO drums
Sept 25, Tue - Dallas, TX, USA (Sundown @ Granada)
Sept 26, Wed - Houston, TX, USA (Dosey Doe Woodlands)
Sept 27, Thu - Austin, TX, USA (One World Theater)
Listening to the digital download-version of Phi Yaan Zek's "Reality Is My Plaything".
It sounds pretty good.
The included pdf-booklet tells me that some of the tracks feature Bryan Beller,Marco Minnemann and Mike Keneally.
In 1995, Freak Kitchen mastermind and guitar wizard Mattias IA Eklundh wrote and recorded all the music for "Sensually Primitive". He released the album in 1996, using the moniker Mr. Libido.
Despite the fact that there is no guitar on this recording (!!), the album does sound very 'Mattias IA Eklundh'.
Food for Zappa freaks.
Next September, a fine selection of Belgian jazz musicians will pay tribute to Placebo.
Not to be confused with the pop/rock band Placebo, this hommage goes out to Marc Moulin's 1970's fusion project with the same name. They'll be doing concerts at various festivals and jazz clubs : Deurne, Leuven, Herselt, Heusden-Zolder, Sint-Niklaas,...
Geert Roelofs (drums), Hans Mullens (bass), Patrick Steenaerts (guitar), David Thomaere (keyboards), Dree Peremans (trombone), Sam Vloemans (trumpet), Wietse Meys (sax, clarinet, bass clarinet)
Here's a (way too short) fragment from Placenta Plays Placebo :
Slovak musician, composer and producer Rado Chrzan (RCH)'s second album.
It features Morgan Agren on the drums.
Morgan also participated to RCH's next album, "Four Winds" (2012).
Fascinating.
Data have been added to the United Mutations Archives.
There's lost of great recordings to be found on Bandcamp.
Recent digital travels to Camden, CT, allowed me to enjoy John D Venter (sax) and Steve Chillemi's (drums) musical adventures, not forgetting the Light Upon Blight ensemble (with Pete Brunelli !).
Here's another recording with Steve Chillemi :
The JDEFSCJV ensemble (Jeff Day, Ed Flyn, Steve Chillemi and John D Venter) as recorded performing an improvised music set on 2018 02 01.
The Power Trio Terry Bozzio, Patrick O' Hearn and Warren Cuccurullo will travel already one week earlier to Bad Doberan and will start with additional rehearsals for their very special program.
On top, Denny Walley will jump in will upgrade the trio to a quartet. And we are already keen to announce L. Shankar as a new delight at Zappanale! We’ve got a verbal agreement from the management yesterday and want to share this news with you first. Shankar will support the power trio.
The B-side of The Spotnicks' "Diamonds" 7" single was their version of Frank Zappa's 'Lumpy Gravy', released in 1969 ! The track can be found on Spotnicks compilation albums from Japan to the U.S.A.
"The Spotnicks In Acapulco (Mexico) + Rarities" is such a compilation, from Hungary.
From 1997.
Added to the Others Of Invention section over at the United Mutations Archives.
1972 saw the release of the "You Really Got Me / Willie The Pimp" 7" single by Stackwaddy.
The Frank Zappa composition also could be found on the band's album that got released around the same time, "Bugger Off".
The above pictured 3CD box collects all the singles that got released by Dandelion between 1969 and 1972. Needless to say that it also includes their version of 'Willie The Pimp'.
"Freak When Spoken To" is a book about Freak Kitchen, written by Åsa Anastasia Jonsén.
Next to the book, there's also a Kindle version.
Released in 2015 !
Krautrock Legends faUSt to Tour North America Summer 2018!
Vagabondages in North America tour featuring founding members Jean-Hervé Péron and Werner 'Zappi' Diermaier
German Krautrock legends faUSt will be embarking on their Vagabondages in North America tour in July 2018! faUSt is an experimental rock band which came out of the Hamburg music scene in the late sixties. Formed in Wümme in 1971, faUSt were the first band to have the term “krautrock” applied to their music, and to the genre that ensued. German for “fist,” and also the protagonist of Goethe's eponymous play, faUSt were one of the first bands to use the recording studio as an instrument. Their live appearances were explosive (literally), as the pinball machines and jack-hammer legends detail.
Featuring founding member Jean-Hervé Péron, faUSt's North American tour begins on July 11th in Chicago. There will be line-up changes and guest additions at various points of the tour – founding member and drummer Werner 'Zappi' Diermaier will join the ensemble in Brooklyn on July 22 to the end of the tour. Also featured with the band is guitarist Amaury Cambuzat.
Hello faUSt friends in Canada and USA!
As for 1994! and for the fifth time now, faUSt will ride again the highways of your continent, up and down from Chicago/IL to Montreal/QC, across and back, from Brooklyn, NY to L.A., CA, spreading the good words of DadaKrautRock.
Here all musicians involved in the tour... well, almost all because we do have “last-minute guests”...
In the North East faUSt will be: Jean-Hervé Péron aka art-Errorist (voc, strings, wind and tools), Amaury Cambuzat (guit, voc), Tim Barnes (drums and sounds). In Chicago we will share the stage with Bobby Conn (guit, voc), Monica Boubou (voc, violin) and Josh Johannpeter (drums). In Brooklyn we will meet up with Braden Diotte (bass and sounds)... and Zappi, yeah! That's “ze big man wiz ze big nose!” on drums, voc, tools and metal.
But wait: on the West Coast faUSt will fuse with the German/Spanish/Croatian all female dada-punk trio Ernsthafte Angelegenheiten. Yes, just call them “E.A.” before your tongue get cramped.
Each day, each gig a new adventure, like vagabonds on tour... Rund ist schoen!!! - Jean-Hervé Péron
faUSt line-ups:
July 11 line-up:
Bobby Conn (vocals and guitarist), Monica BouBou (vocals and violin), Josh Johannpeter (drums), Amaury Cambuzat (guitar and vocals), Tim Barnes (drums and sounds), Jean-Hervé Péron ((vocals, strings, wind and tools)
July 12-21 line-up:
Amaury Cambuzat, Tim Barnes, Jean-Herve Peron
July 22 line-up:
Amaury Cambuzat, Tim Barnes, Braden Diotte (bass and sounds), Werner 'Zappi' Diermaier (drums, vocals, tools and metal), Jean-Hervé Péron
July 25-29 line-up:
Ernsthafte Angelegenheiten (all-female punk trio), Amaury Cambuzat, Braden Diotte, Werner 'Zappi' Diermaier, Jean-Hervé Péron
faUSt Vagabondages in North America tour dates:
July 11 - Chicago (IL) - The Empty Bottle
July 12 - Cinncinatti (OH) - Woodward Festival
July 13 - Detroit (MI) - El Club
July 14 - Hillside Festival / Guelph (ON) / Canada
July 15 - Toronto (ON) / Canada - Jamfactory
July 16 - Montreal (QC) / Canada - BAR LE RITZ PDB
July 17 - Portland (ME) - Space Gallery
July 18 - Boston (MA) - Brighton Music Hall
July 20 - Philadelphia (PA) - Underground Arts
July 21- Baltimore (MD) - Creative Alliance
July 22 - Brooklyn (NY) - Murmrr Theater
July 25 - San Francisco (CA) - The Chapel
July 26 - Felton (CA) - Don Quixote's Music Hall
July 28 - Los Angeles (CA) - Summer Happening / Social Shamans / The Broad
July 29 - San Diego (CA) - Casbah
"Mappa Zappa" arrived at the U.M.Headquarters last week.
15 tracks by a superfine selection of artists.
Compiled by Andrew Greenaway.
As the album title hints, all the tracks were composed by Frank Zappa and carry the name of a place in the title.
The Todd Grubbs Group performs 'Transylvania Boogie', Gabba Zappa Hey! tackles 'Dead Girls Of London with an appropriate 'London Calling' intro, and so on and so on...
Beautiful stuff.
This album belongs in every Frank Zappa record collection.
Period.
This music was recorded during the making of Carl Kings documentary movie Conundrum. I was fortunate to have some great people coming down to Bell Sound Studio in Hollywood to join two days of open jam sessions and also sharing some fermented herring! The herring was the only critic moment of these two days. The rest was just great fun. Short snippets of the music can be heard and seen in the Conundrum movie, but much more was recorded. I kept all the pro tools sessions on a hard drive and opened them up recently and decided to bounce down a few sections. The musicians that took part in this was DAEDELUS (electronic mastermind and Ninja Tune/Brainfeeder/Warp records artist). JANEK GWIZDALA (bassist ace that has been heard with Wayne Krantz, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Marcus Miller and more)
TOSIN ABASSI of Animals As Leaders also came down to join our adventure but this session is not mixed and ready yet. Will return to that later. Anyways, what you will hear on these three tracks is me together with Daedelus and Janek. A long open jam session straight down to "tape" without any overdubs. I did however edit some sections and added just a few sounds and a tribe man and his wise words on top of our recording. As Daedelus responded when I sent him my mixes "What a wonderful mess of everything".
Mixing experimental electronic sounds with a powerful bass and ditto drums.
Data has been added to the United Mutations Archives.
The digital download version of the Mats/Morgan "Live with Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra" is available on Bandcamp.
Can't wait for the actual DVD/2CD set to be made available.
Back in 2010, my friend Carl King released an insanely dense and highly musical album under the persona of Dr. Zoltan Øbelisk. After finishing drum tracking for my next solo EP, he challenged me to cover a song entitled "Upptäckten Av Ancient Alien Obviation Ruler Kit" (0:26). Being a fan of the record, I also suggested the tune "Join the War on Fun!" as a brief intro piece, for it is both bitchen and--ironically--fun to play. I 'Orbinated' them, rehearsed for a week, and what you see here is some of the hardest stuff I've ever had to track.
Prog Ensemble 41POINT9 is premiering the first video and single from the band's forthcoming album “Mr. Astute Trousers.” “Confessions At Midnight” is the risqué new video that has been accepted into a service providing music to over 2500 strip clubs in the US making the single the first ever Prog Rock single and video to be accepted into this type of market. Yes, you heard that right, for the first time thanks to 41POINT9 you can hear Prog in a Strip Club. Gentlemen, you're welcome.
Says bassist Bob Madsen, “What started as an inside joke has actually become a pretty cool lil' tune. One evening the band was wondering why you never hear Prog in a Strip Club? That just seemed unfair. So 41POINT9 set out to rise to the challenge and correct this tragic wrong. Hence, 'Confessions At Midnight' was born. For the first time Progsters can now hear 'Prog In A Strip Club.' Gentlemen, yer welcome... This video tells the story of a burlesque dancer that falls in love with her Emcee and the sparks sure do fly! Enjoy!”
Norwegian guitarist, composer, painter and surrealist Jon Larsen has produced a number of albums with various ex-Zappa bandmembers.
The first one was called "Strange News From Mars" and got recorded in L.A. at Arthur Barrow's Mar Vista studio.
A follow-up album got released in 2008: "The Jimmy Carl Black Story".
In 2011, Jon Larsen released "Willie Nickerson's Egg", a project with Tommy Mars: music composed and performed by Tommy Mars. Tommy narrates the story as well. Arthur Barrow is featured on the bass. It was a download-only album.
"Willie Nickersons Egg" got re-released in Norwegian in 2013. This time on CD. Narrated by Terje Stromdahl. Music written and performed by Tommy Mars, bass by Arthur Barrow.
One of the bonus tracks has Jimmy Carl Black yelling "This is Jimmy Carl Black. The first indian on Mars'. Hilarious.
Album cover and various booklet illustrations by Cal Schenkel.
And if that isn't enough, the first track, 'Pinnsvinet Fra Skinkebekk' includes a Frank Zappa theme !!
Info has been added to the United Mutations Archives.
Here's the english version. Check out the Zappa reference at 07:00.
Jimmy Ågren's "Honk Flap And Tease" got released last year on the Garageland Label. I had this CD on my want list, but apparently it's not easy to come across.
So when Morgan Ågren's digital package arrived, I was happy to see that it included "Honk Flap And Tease".
Superb album.
The physical copy of this album does stay on my want list.
Data has been added to the United Mutations Archives.
Features Morgan on drums.
Light Upon Blight is a improvised music ensemble around Camden-CT-based guitarist Jeff Cedrone.
A couple of concerts got recorded and were made available on Bandcamp.
There's different line-ups at every concert. I picked "Dead By Mourning".
Next to Jeff Cedrone, the recording features bass player Pete Brunelli and drummer Tom Hogan.
Data has been added to the United Mutations Archives, but be sure to check this out.
Pushed by Jeff's guitar, the twenty-plus minute track shows some great interaction and keeps everyone (including the listener) on his toes.
Very impressive.
Stanley Jason Zappa will arrive in Finland in August. In these four concerts, he plays the Black Motor band as a guest, in the quartet with saxophone player Mikko Innanen, double-bass player Ville Rauhala and percussion player Simo Laihonen, as well as two Zappa and Laihon-duo concerts.
And Phi Yaan-Zek describes the special 3CD set as follows:
- Double CD in 6 panel digipack with 20 page full colour booklet.
- Limited edition companion CD "Play My Strange Thing" presented in 6 panel card wallet. This is a 'Lumpy Gravy' style album of new music from the California sessions, weird out-takes, behind-the-scenes interludes and special musical surprises.
jesus is my son: tout a une fin (même l'amour) (2018, cd, bel, cheap satanism records)
Jesus Is My Son is the solo project of guitarist Grégory Duby.
"Tout A Une Fin (Même L'Amour)" (Everything Has An End (Even Love), is the fourth release by Jesus Is My Son. The album presents seven beautiful pieces. Melancholic at times, experimental but without losing the melodic context, "Tout A Une Fin (Même L'Amour)" invites multiple listening sessions.
Very nice.
Out on Satanism Records.
Available from Mandaï: www.mandai.be
There's a new Zappa-related album out on Cordelia Records: Zappa compositions performed by various bands and ensembles from around the world.
Compiled by Andrew Greenaway to coincide with Mick Zeuner's book.
As Andrew puts it :
This collection was inspired by my dear friend Amaretto Mick Zeuner, who is currently working on The Zappa Tour Atlas. It is hoped that this will be available in time for Zappanale in 2019. The tome is very much a labour of love ("by fans, for fans"), which this CD happily heralds. Mick's cartographer chum Klaus Kühner is providing all of the necessary graphics for the book, while ‘my Cal Schenkel’, Antero Valério, has supplied the artwork for the CD.
Lou Marini was part of Zappa's horn section when he recorded "Zappa In New York".
A couple of years later, Blue Lou Marini was playing some fine saxophone solos in The Blues Brothers Movie.
Here's the scene where The Blues Brothers pick up Aretha Franklin, Matt Guitar Murphy and Blue Lou Marini.
the residents: i am a resident (2018, cd, usa, mvd1330a)
October 2017, The Residents asked their fans to submit their version of a Residents' song. A selection of these were layered and edited into 'new' tracks by The Residents.
I was rather curious to hear the actual finished product so I was happy to receive the album earlier this week.
As a result, I have been playing "I Am A Resident" at least once a day. Haunting, captivating, sounding familiar, soothing and strange at the same time.
I love it.
L'Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp was one of the revelations of last year's Zappanale festival. They have just released a new album. On the Bongo Joe record label, in cooperation with Red Wig.
"Sauvage Formes" is the OTPMD's fourth album and it doesn't disappoint. Quite the contrary, actually.
Beautiful minimalistic layers (marimba, guitar and violin) serve as the basis for fragile songs.
Excellent.
Available as digital download, but also on vinyl and on CD !
Here's the data for Shadowgraphic City's first and only album. An occasional project from 2003.
Carol Van Dyk sings and plays the guitar for Bettie Serveert, a Dutch indie rock band. She's also part of Chitlin' Fooks, a duo in which the other part is made up of Pascal Deweze.
Pascal Deweze plays the guitar in Metal Molly and Sukilove and participates in various projects by Mauro Pawlowski.
Mauro Pawlowski should need not introduction, but he was part of the Evil Superstars and played with dEUS.
Team up Carol Van Dyk, Pascal Deweze and Mauro Pawlowski and you get Shadowgraphic City.
Here's two third of Shadowgraphic City, in Chitlin' Fooks
jean-luc fafchamps: H1KhH2WM (du seuil), a five-letter sufi word (2018, cd, bel, sub rosa)
Contemporary classical composer Jean-Luc Fafchamps started his Sufi Letters project in 2000. He wants to write and dedicate a composition to each letter (28) of the Arabic alphabet.
His latest five compositions materialized in "H1KhH2WM (du seuil), a five-letter sufi word", part three of the series.
Jean-Luc adds: "I am drawing inspiration from the symbolic charts found in Sufi mysticism. Each Letter is a sonic meditation on the frontiers of conscience and the paradoxes of time.Today's word, Du seuil [From the threshold], is the third word to be released by Sub Rosa. It is a journey of sort through grief: stages of conscience, journey through hell, nocturnal anxieties, meditation, resilience. Do not worry too much though, for isn't it from the distance of death that one can shine the best light on life? Isn't all grief also a threshold ? "
Beautiful.
Out on Sub Rosa. Available from Mandaï : www.mandai.be
Here's a live version of an older Sufi Letter piece.
Last year, the Skin Graft Records label re-released remastered versions of "Trading Balloons" and "Salad Days", early albums by Cheer-Accident.
So it comes as no surprise that the brand-new "Fades" album is also being released on Skin Graft Records.
The Cheer-Accident line-up has been changed numerous times. On "Fades" the core members are Jeff Libersher (guitar) and Thymme Jones (drums, vocal). They are, however, supported by a large and impressive group of guests.
Some tracks sound more 'pop' than what I expected, but that's not a bad thing. The variation in vocalists adds to the diversity.
Out on LP (black and colored vinyl) and on CD.
The CD has two bonus tracks !
Available from Mandaï : www.mandai.be
Fukkeduk is one of the best-kept secrets of the Belgian music scene.
This avant-garde rock band only released one album. In 1994. "Ornithozozy".
The line-up shows links with The Simpletones and with Flat Earth Society, and the album got produced by Doctor Nerve's Nick Didkovsky.
Earlier this week, I mentioned a brand-new album / recording by John D Venter and Steve Chillemi, "West Street".
Well, the duo alread released one album last year. One with a superb title: "Past Performances Are Not An Indications Of Future Performances".
You might / should remember Steve Chillemi as the drummer for Doctor Dark, or maybe from his contribution to the Doot! project. Here, you can hear him like you've never heard him before. John D Venter: saxophones // Steve Chillemi: drums
More digital download from Morgan Ågren's support project for Mats Öberg.
The album was called "Invisible Rays" and it featured Morgan plus Henry Kaiser and Trey Gunn.
It was released in 2011. Also CD. (How did this escape my radar? Definitely need re-tuning!)
Anyway, superb album.
Three top musicians and 11 great tracks.
Data has been added to the United Mutations Archives.
I received this album as part of the support package that Morgan Ågren started for Mats Öberg.
Fine album. It features Morgan on most of the tracks, and Mats playing a synth solo on (only) one track: 'Curious And Comfortable', the last track on this album. Data has been added to the United Mutations Archives.
Fourth album by Al Doum & The Faryds : "Spirit Rejoin".
"Basically the Faryds absorb and re-elaborate with remarkable insights disparate elements and influences of certain Electric Jazz or Rock-Jazz-Blues of the ’70 (Miles Davis, Dr.John, Graham Bond, Jeremy Steig) and Spiritual Jazz (Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Brother Ah), marrying them with the forceful instances of certain Afro-Free (Pyramids, Alkebu-Lan) and the more Freak-Jam plots typical of Space Rock."
Founded by Johan De Smet and Rudy Cabie, The Simpletones project took a start in the late seventies. In their early years, all the compositions of the band consisted of maximum three different notes. A minimal music punk band.
In the eighties, the band morphed into a marching band, just to prove that there were no boundaries.
Later, Johan De Smet, as he got influenced by Frank Zappa, Edgar Varèse and Igor Stravinski, started composing classical music.
"Einfach" by The Simpletones is a fine example of this. The album features Peter Vermeersch, Bart Maris, Kristof Roseeuw and Tom Wouters (all from Flat Earth Society)
The Golden Dawn Arkestra released their first EP in 2014, followed by the "Stargazer" album in 2016.
They have a brand-new album out (or due out) called "Children Of The Sun", so I was in a bit of a hurry to add the data for "Stargazer" on the United Mutations Archives as this is superb material.
I love it !!
Essential listening.
GOLDEN DAWN ARKESTRA
2018 EUROPEAN TOUR DATES
31.05.18 - Düdingen, CT- Bad Bonn Kilbi
01.06.18 - Kleinreifling, AT – Seewiesen Fest
02.06.18 - Aflenz, AT - Sublime
06.06.18 - London, UK - Moth Club
07.06.18 - Lille, FR - La Cave aux Poèt
08.06.18 - Le Havre, FR - Le Tetris
09.06.18 - Tours, FR - Festival Aucard de Tours
10.06.18 - Paris, FR - Espace B
14.06.18 - Oberhausen, DE - Drucklufthaus
15.06.18 - Hannover, DE - Cumberlampe
17.06.18 - Mannheim, DE - Maifeld Derby Festival
19.06.18 - Terschelling, NL – Oerol Festival
22.06.18 - Luxembourg LU - Fete de la Musique
24.06.18 - Berlin, DE - Kantine am Berghain
27.06.18 - Lärz, DE - Fusion Festival
28.06.18 - Lärz, DE - Fusion Festival
29.06.18 - Bocholt, DE - Alte Molkerei
30.06.18 - Paris, FR - Macki Festival
"Nachtzug" (Night Train) is Hardy Fox second solo album (as Hardy Fox, that is).
The album presents 7 tracks and totals a bit over 20 minutes.
If you liked Hardy's previous (self-titled) album, you should definitely take a trip on this "NightTrain".
Very recognizable. Both in composition as in instrumentation.
With special guest Nolan Cook on the guitar. Very enjoyable.
End of June, early July, the band will be coming to Europe for a three shows (DE, NL & UK).
And August 4, they'll be playint at the Notodden Festival in Norway.
the residents: rmx (2018, cd, austria, klanggalerie gg276)
Around 2004, The Residents released a couple of remix / RMX albums. A couple of years after that, a number of remixes were made available on iTunes. That's the source for this album.
The Residents are fiddlers. Not fiddle players, just fiddlers. They like to play around and see different ways their songs could sound. They call this RMX. Some say RMX stands for "remix" but with The Residents, who knows? While the RMX concept is mostly associated with two album projects (The King and Eye RMX and WB:RMX), The Residents had also tinkered with individual songs. These were released as free streaming tracks on the band's official MySpace page (yes, they had one). In 2007 most of these tracks were collected in a compilation simply titled RMX, first made available on iTunes. Never before have this tunes been available on a physical release, so we are now glad to present you RMX as a CD including two previously unreleased rmx's! New cover artwork by Pore Know Graphics. 1. Icky Flix Theme 2. Kaw-Liga RMX 3. Blue Rosebuds RMX 4. Teddy RMX 5. Picnic In The Jungle RMX 6. Jelly Jack - The Boneless Boy RMX 7. He Also Serves RMX 8. This Is A Man's Man's Man's World RMX 9. Mahogany Wood RMX 10. Just 4 U 11. Ship's A Going Down RMX 12. The Sleeper RMX 13. Baby Skeletons And Dogs RMX 14. Hello Skinny RMX 15. The Golden Goat RMX.
