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David Kristian
David Kristian is a respected Canadian electronic sound artist who's released critically acclaimed and challenging work since the late 1980’s. Recently he has worked more on film soundtracks and film sound design, to fit in with this he has released collaboration with respected Manga artist Ryosuke Aoike called Ghost Stories(reviewed here) which offers up a two disk set. Disk one is a muilt-layered electronic/ambient horror soundtrack, With Disk two offer up selections of tracks from the first disk in 5.1 surround sound,with creepy animated Ghost Stories by Ryosuke Aoike. David Kindly agreed to give me an email interview.
FuckHead
Fuckhead are muilt-genre musically terrorist and brutal/ confrontational performance artists who focus on male sexuality, mental health and other taboo subjects. One of their most well know performance was as guests of Scott walker curated meltdown festival from a few years back. They have recently released a DVD Lebensfrische, covering most of their recorded live work, videos and their whole back catalogue in Mp3 format (reviewed here). The band kindly agreed to give me a email interview.
Herr
Herr are neoclassical/ neofolk project that manage to sound a lot more epic and real in their execution than a lot of projects going under the neoclassical banner. The bands second full length album Vondel’s Lucifer first movement (reviewed here) was released last year and stood of one of my highlights of the year. The band are also interesting split between London and the Neathlands. Michiel Spapé from the Netherlands half of the band and one of the main songwriters kindly agreed to give me an interview via email.
Ruhr Hunter
Ruhr Hunter have been weaving nature influenced sonic alchemy thats offen dark since the late 1990’s. Mixing dark ambience, folk, soundtrack elements, unusual instrumentation and found sound elements to make a potent and heady dark and mysterious brew. The Project is the work Chet Scott, whom also runs Glass Throat Records which has released most of Ruhr Hunters back catalogue, as well the music of by like minded souls. Chet kindly agreed to give me an interview via email.
The Rita
The Rita (aka Canadian Sam mckinlay) is one of the harshest noise projects around, creating what is called ‘wall noise’. Among more ltd items so far he’s released; Lake Depths Lurker on the Harsh noise label, Bodies bear traces of Carnal Violence in 2005 and last year Thousands of dead Gods both on Pacrec/Troniks. Death of a Thousands Gods appeared on my best of 2006 list (I reviewed of it here). Sam Kindly agreed to give me an email interview.
Ears On Fire
Another year passed which saw many releases again. Personally I haven't been attending all too well this time: I chose to take a step back to look into the past. With the vast amount of superb music already there that's not yet heard by me I sometimes wonder why there's still artists finding the courage to try and add to that. This of course is my personal observation, which is reflected in my top 3, which contains only old music in which I found more fire than in any new release this year. My fellow writers prove to be more in tune with these times, musically. Enjoy!
Bela Tarr
What you may ask has a piece on a seven hour plus arthouse film have to do with a site that is predominately music based?. Well it’s the almost grim ambient way that the film unfolds it’s self,and the clever and mimlist use of sound design and minimal musical invention, that I felt would fit right in with our sites interest in sound and the way it’s purveyed.
Boduf Songs
Boduf songs weave dark folk come psychedelic magic with a distinctive dank English feel about it, So far they have released a self titled debut last year and this years Lion Devours the Sun ( reviewed here). Boduf Songs is the work of one person Southampton based Mathew Sweet, whom also has numerous other self released projects, that dip more into drone, doom and other experimental genres. Mathew kindly agreed to give me an email interview.
Black Boned Angel
Campbell Kneale is most known for his work with New Zealand noise/drone/experimental project Birchville Cat Motel, but he also is has another project the horror soundtrack/doom paradise that is Black Boned Angel. So far he has released two full lengths: Supereclipse and this year's Bliss & Void Inseparable, as well as a few limited releases and an EP called Eternal Hunger. Here's what Campbell had to say regarding Black Boned Angel.
Ilppo Pohjola & Merzbow
Both Asphalto and Routemaster represent finish art house directors Ilppo Pohjola fascination with car culture and its darker side, as it links deeply into our unconscious mind and say’s telling things about are sexuality and bonding with cars. Both films are brought to in your face and ears reality with the soundtrack work Of Merzbow. Routemaster remix is the material played with two different sounds tracks in a live environment
Andy Ortmann
Andy Ortmann is one of the key figures in the American noise/experimental underground, as well as producing his work under his own name, collaborations with the likes of John Wiese and the bizarre noise collective Panicsville, he also runs his own label nihilist records. I first became aware of his wonderfully twisted work, with the Recorder out of time Collaboration with John Wiese(reviewed here) and his deeply twisted solo album Nightmania(reviewed here) that put Ortmann’s strange surreal dreams into sound form. Andy kindly agreed to answer some questions.
Jean Jacques Perrey & Dana Countryman
Jean Jacques Perrey was one of the first people to mix sampled and cutup sounds into his and his then musical partner Gershon Kingsley. Pop of the mid sixties, but produced with the use of Moog's and tapesplice techniques hitherto reserved for 'serious' music. His work is instantly familiar to millions as their 1966 debut album The In Sound From Way Out is thought of one of the classic lounge/Moog records of all time. Dana Countryman set up and editor of Cool And Strange magazine and is a talented musicians in his own right. They have just released their new collaboration The Happy Electropop Music Machine - which I reviewed here. Jean Jacques and Dana kindly agreed to give me an e-mail interview.
Band of Pain
Band of pain are one a few dark ambient acts always sure to creep the listener out. The project is creation of ex – splintered member Steve pittis, now into it's second decade of musically terror. With a new album pending and the double disk Through the past darkly( reviewed here) just out, it celebrates some of Band of Pains best moments as well as been a compilation of rare stuff Steve kindly agreed to give me a email interview.
Xela
Xela is the depraved audio offspring of John Twells- He’s just about to release the projects third album called The dead sea, a concept album based around a zombie attack at sea. Musically the project is very varied taking in drone heavy dread, decaying sea shanties, brooding synth banks and guitar elements. with more than a nod towards the Italian zombie film genre in both sound and imagery. I reviewed the album here. John Is also one of the brains behind the one of the most inventive and challenging electronic labels around the Uk based type label. John Kindly agreed to give me an email interview.
Matinee orchestra
Matinee orchestra self title album was one of the really surprise records of the year, seemly coming out of nowhere and bowling me over with it’s patchwork of sounds, a mix varied instrumentation, to make an charming and quirky album that straddles genre’s. You’ll find my review of it here. Andrew Hodson is the main man/ conductor behind the project, he kindly agreed to give me an interview, via cdr:
Phill Niblock
The movement of people working offers a fascinating journey in to a world that’s slowly dieing namely manual labour. As we become more reliant on machines to make goods, maintain and cultivate the world around us. Becoming less tired to our own bodies for sustenance, more relying on others to collect and kill our food.
Hwyl Nofio
Hwyl Nofio is a group that defies simple classification. Their sound is often melancholic, nostalgic and sometimes laced with a creeping dread. They combine avant-garde, ambient, noise, musique concrète, contemporary classical and soundtrack elements to create a sound and atmosphere quite unlike anyone else. Dwelling between composed and improvised forms. Hwyl Nofio came about in 1997, as an evolving ensemble based around its originator Steve Parry, who had previously worked with Matt Johnson of The The and Colin Potter of Nurse with Wound. Here's a report of my e-mailconversation with Steve Parry.
Jacob Kirkegaard
Jacob Kirkegaard is a sound artist, who has thus far released two albums on UK's Touch label, along with a collaboration with Philip Jeck. His first album Eldfjall (2005) investigated the sounds made by the geothermal vibrations of Iceland's volcanic geyser regions. His more recent release has been Four rooms, which was recorded within the isolated zone around the Chernobyl area. Here he investigates if radiation has a sound, I reviewed the album here. Jacob kindly agreed to give me an email interview, talking about the fascinating project four rooms and his future work.
Phil Blankenship
The evil mastermind behind seething horror noise project The Cherry Point is Phil Blankenship. He also runs the noise label Troniks which releases his own material, along a myriad of other noise projects from across the world, but always with a keen eye for quality control. His biggest recent release was California, a ten vinyl set document of contemporary California based experimental, noise, drone and improvised music, which was a co-release with, Ground Fault Recordings and RRRecords. The Troniks label has now been going since 1997 and is well recognised with in the noise scene, Phil kindly agreed to give me a email interview.
Andrew Liles
Andrew Liles is a Brighton UK based electronic musician who’s wide range of work has included an album dedicated to surrealist Hans Bellmer, collaborations with Nurse with wound, Darren Tate and eccentric English aristocrats. All wrapped up in his own disturbing world of half heard voices and child like nightmares. As he enters into a feverish period of activity that includes new albums on Beta Lactam Records and shows in America with Nurse with wound I caught up with him by e-mail.
Ryan Teague
Cambridge based Ryan Teague is part of new wave of young contemporary composers who are breathing new life into UK electro-acoustic and experimental music. Teague has with his debut record Six preludes, displayed a harmonic and soulful approach that is far removed from the clinical styles of Stockhausen and Xenakis or the overt minimalism of Bryars or Reich. His melting pot of influences and his determination to produce music that touches the heart as much as the head has made him one to watch for 2006. Here I find him preparing for the immanent release of his full length album Coins and Crosses, a record that will no doubt propel him to a wider audience.
John Maus
John Maus' debut album songs is a odd mix of twisted pop and soundtrack elements. Making one of the more original and strange albums to appear in the last few years. I reviewed it here, John kindly enough to give me a email interview, were he talks about the album, his involvement with Ariel Pink and The Animal collective.
Sublime Frequencies
Last year I discovered Sublime Frequencies, a label dedicated to release popular music and field recordings from around the world, and the following months I have been ordering small batches of their releases every month. What follows will be a mixture of an 18 CD review (with the omission of the DVD’s and the editions Leaf Music, Drunks, Distant Drums, Brokenhearted Dragonflies: Insect Electronica from Southeast and Bush Taxi Mali: Field Recordings From Mali, a choice being dictated by personal finances and preferences) and an interview with one of the label’s founders: Alan Bishop.
Brian McBride
Brian McBride’s is best known as one half of the ambient project Stars of the Lid. He released his first solo album late last year; When The Detail Lost Its Freedom, which was one of my favorite albums of last year. A beautiful, haunting collection of songs. An ambient classic, I reviewed it here. Brian was kind enough to give me a e-mail interview; were he talks about When The Detail Lost Its Freedom and his work with Adam Wiltzie on the new Stars of the Lid album.