AMBARCHI / O'ROURKE / HAINO "Tima Formbosa" (2010)

band: Oren Ambarchi, Jim O'Rourke, Keiji Haino album: Tima Formosa year: 2010

genres: noise/drone/ambient origin: Australia, USA, Japan

Para aquellos que no lo sepan, la Tima Formosa es una rara especie de medusa que habita el Atlántico Norte. Sin embargo, lo que el álbum “Tima Formosa” nos ofrece es una colaboración internacional con un trío en verdad interesante. Con sólo leer sus nombres en el título de esta entrada ya deben estar imaginando de que esto será una colosal improvisación de ruidos. De frente tenemos al mismísimo Oren Ambarchi, el genio multi-instrumentalista proveniente de Australia quien es reconocido por su sonido minimalista y ambiental, un drone muy característico de él, además de su participación como músico invitado en varias giras con Sunn O))). En seguida, está el estadounidense Jim O’Rourke, famoso por su participación con los noisers Sonic Youth, además de contar con un sin número de producciones y colaboraciones con otros artistas. Y completamos el trío con el japonés Keiji Haino, reconocido en su país por su implacable experimentación con música psicodélica, experimental, improvisación y noise, personalmente sólo he oído su trabajo “Black Implication Flooding” en colaboración con Boris.

Es así como estos tres personajes se reunieron en la Playhouse en Kitakyushu, Japón en Enero del año pasado para realizar un concierto de más de una hora de improvisación y experimentación sonora. El documento se tituló “Tima Formosa” y vio la luz hasta este 2010 bajo un cóver diseñado por el mismísimo Stephen O’Malley (Sunn O))) y miles más). El sonido pinta texturas muy variadas, atmósferas que varían desde los relajantes zumbidos de la guitarra de Ambarchi hasta el violento noise de los electrónicos de O’Rourke. El concierto es dividido en tres partes:

La primera parte de casi 25 minutos de duración es una sesión de drone muy ambiental, un gran trabajo de efectos y feedback por parte de Ambarchi y O’Rourke, mientras oímos la extraña voz de Haino entonada en alto variar durante todo el track, hasta llegar a un punto en el que parecen gritos desesperados. Una garganta verdaderamente única la que nos presume este japonés completando una atmósfera escalofriante. La segunda parte de escasos 3 minutos de duración incluye una buena ambientación y partes de noise electrónico. Aquí la voz de Haino se vuelve serena y se puede distinguir que canta algunos versos (en japonés?). La tercera parte puede ser la más experimental de todas. Es un track de 31 minutos de noise aunque aún se escuchan pocos drones al fondo. Resalta la electrónica de O’Rourke, mientras que oímos por primera vez percusiones y batería. Ésta llega a ser la parte más ruidosa del disco, la atmósfera es de nerviosismo y desconcierto. Haino grita fuerte en los pocos momentos que aparece.

Este trío ha demostrado ser una potente combinación en improvisación, no me sorprendería ver una segunda parte o un concierto más aunque no sea publicado. Y es que Oren Ambarchi anuncia en su página el álbum como “el debut” del trío. Esperemos así sea y tengamos más experimentos en el futuro. Una buena pieza para cualquiera interesado en la improvisación y el noise.

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PAN SONIC "Gravitoni" (2010)

band: Pan Sonic album: Gravitoni year: 2010

genres: power electronics, noise, electrónica experimental origin: Finland

UN ÚLTIMO ADIÓS A PAN SONIC

El 2010 no sólo se llevó a grandes como Dio y Peter Steele, sino que también acarreó la separación de grandes proyectos. A penas me estaba recuperando de la noticia de que el dúo finlandés de música electrónica Pan Sonic se separaba cuando me entero de que los maestros norteamericanos Isis han hecho lo mismo algunos días atrás. Pan Sonic anunció la separación de esta alianza entre Mika Vainio y Ilpo Väisänen en Diciembre del año pasado, tras 16 años de experimentación con electrónicos. Se lanzaría un último CD titulado “Gravitoni” durante este 2010. Pan Sonic, originalmente llamados “Panasonic”, tuvieron que eliminar la letra “A” de su nombre debido a problemas con la empresa de aparatos electrónicos de mismo nombre. Pan Sonic es probablemente el mayor representante del género power electronics y uno de los proyectos más influyentes dentro de la música electrónica experimental durante los 90’s. Su trabajo está basado en la experimentación con electrónica analógica, es decir, únicamente manipulando hardware y no software como muchos proyectos noise actuales. El dueto afirma que el uso de software haría que se perdiera el sentido por el cual ellos hacen música. Así, se nota un gran gusto por el uso de secuenciadores en todos los discos de Pan Sonic. La importancia del proyecto era tal que se tuvieron colaboraciones con grandes personajes del género noise incluyendo el enigmático japonés Haino Keiji, el maestro del noise, el también japonés Merzbow y los gigantes del drone Sunn O))) entre otros.

Pareciera que Pan Sonic simplemente decidieron terminar con todo el estudio durante la grabación de este último material. “Gravitoni” es potente, ruidoso, aplastante e inhumano. Es posible que se trate de la producción más ensordecedora que hayan hecho, además, es claramente menos rítmico que el sonido de su último larga-duración, “Katodivaihe” (2007). “Gravitoni” es un ir y venir de ruido aleatorio, potentes beats, drones, feedback y partes rítmicas. Desde que el disco arranca con “Voltos Bolt” podemos oír el fuerte ruidos de los electrónicos como advertencia de que en los próximos tracks no se tendrá piedad. Este track cuenta con unos poderosos beats que suenan a aplastante bajo dando un sonido colosal a Pan Sonic. Una parte muy interesante es el uso de ruidos de alta frecuencia que seguramente podrían perturbar a personas no acostumbradas a este tipo de sonidos. Mi favorita es “Corona”, y no estoy hablando de cervezas, este track es el más potente del disco y muestra unos beats rápidos y unos fuertes drones que cualquiera podría comparar con un sonido industrial de un martillo hidráulico penetrando un duro concreto y una sierra eléctrica cortando un metal, así suena Pan Sonic!

Después de otro ataque de ruido en “Trepanointi/Trepanation” el disco pareciera caer en tranquilidad, nos encontramos con un Pan Sonic casi ambiental, similar a sus primeras producciones. El sonido trata de pintar paisajes y texturas más que hacerte sentir aplastado por ruidos. Son cuatro los tracks que se encuentran en esta situación, aunque no resultan para nada aburridos pues se tiene una gran variedad de texturas. Por ejemplo, “Suuntaa-Antava / Indicational” experimenta con sonidos de baja frecuencia. Por último, y aquí es donde casi se salen las lágrimas por esta despedida, el disco cierra con “Pan Finale”. Una canción totalmente rítmica con partes ambientales pero que de repente descarga fuertes ruidos sobre el sonido limpio que se tenía de fondo, un track en verdad fascinante.

Así termina la historia de Pan Sonic. “Gravitoni” es, sin duda alguna, un justo cierre con broche de oro. Un material digno de mostrar que el dueto se encontraba en su mejor momento. Sin embargo, existe una pequeña esperanza de que algún día volvamos a tener en nuestras manos nuevo material del dueto como tal. Pan Sonic simplemente afirmaron poner el proyecto “into a deep freeze” según las propias palabras de Mika Vainio. Así que es probable que algún día regresen para un gran reencuentro, esperemos así sea aunque existen enormes posibilidades de que esto nunca suceda. Por el momento, ambos cerebros estarán trabajando en otros proyectos incluyendo sus carreras como solistas. Además, se acaba de lanzar “In the Studio”, un material grabado en el 2007 en colaboración con el mismísimo Haino Keiji poco antes de que grabaran el material en vivo que fue lanzado el año pasado bajo el título “Shall I Download a Blackhole and Offer It to You”. Aunque el hecho de haber sido grabado en 2007 convierte a “Gravitoni” en la verdadera despedida de Pan Sonic.

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MAMIFFER, HOUSE OF LOW CULTURE / MERZBOW "Lou Lou... In Tokyo" (split)

band: Mamiffer, House of Low Culture album: Lou Lou in Tokyo year: 2011

genres: ambient, noise, drone, experimental origin: USA, Japan

NO BETTER PLACE FOR AN EXPERIMENTAL CONCERT THAN TOKYO

Aaron Turner is one of those prolific and restless minds, an artist that is not only focused in music but also in visual arts, but, somehow, all his work seems to be linked in such a strange way that he has created his unique style. You may remember him as the vocalist and guitarist of the now disappeared band Isis. Nevertheless, he has taken part of lots of other projects including Old Man Gloom, Lotus Eaters, Twilight and these two important acts: House of Low Culture and Mamiffer. In this moment, both projects are drafting up a tour together. But in March 7 of the last year, a concert featuring these bands had place in Tokyo. This album is the recording of that session and has been released in different formats including CD, DVD, and vinyl.

Mamiffer is the main project of Seattle based pianist Faith Coloccia. Aaron Turner joined her in 2008 to star out this project after the demise of her band Everlovely Lightningheart. Personally, I listened to Mamiffer for the first time just in this year, when she released her second album entitled “Mare Desendrii”. I really find this music interesting. Mamiffer breaks the typical frameworks on music, it generates a bridge between beauty and rough textures and combine them into a unique sound experience. This is clear when we imagine what will happen when well structured neo-classical piano passages are stained by droning guitars, electronic noises, ethereal voices and even other classical elements such a cello. The result is amazing, Mamiffer takes the term “neo-classical” to another level.

House of Low Culture is a Aaron Turner’s side project which features drone master Stephen O’Malley and Jeff Caxide from Isis and 5ive's Continuum Research Project. House of Low Culture seems to be Turner’s vehicle to express the most twisted and experimental part of his mind. While music from Old Man Gloom reveals some experimental behaviors, House of Low Culture brings a more esoteric atmosphere, like slow motion figures. These are not the kind of albums you get when you’re searching for aggressive screams, guitars and drums.

This recording entitled “Lou Lou in Tokyo” is performed by four musicians: of course Faith Coloccia and Aaron Turner take part, but it’s impressive the participation of Atsuo from Boris and electronic noise master Masami Akita, better known as Merzbow, as guest musicians. I think playing in Tokyo is a nice chance to invite these outstanding artists to join the experience. Atsuo helps Mamiffer in first four tracks in the album and Merzbow joins House of Low Culture in track 5. A sixth song is included in the DVD version featuring all four musicians together (I’ve not listened to this yet). But, it’s also interesting how there is no information about the participation of O’Malley and Jeff Caxie in House of Low Culture, which means that the line-up for the track performed by House of Low Culture is developed only by Turner and Merzbow, if I’m right.

Mamiffer performs three songs from their discography and a new song. These three songs are “This Land”, “Blanket Made of Ashes” and “Iron Water”. Coloccia’s piano passages sound delightful. One can say that the piano lines are the only element similar to the studio recordings since electronics and drones seems to be improvised although they do fit with original songs. The overall atmosphere is melancholic and haunting. Turner’s guitar sounds droning and reaches a quite noisy sound in the new song “Lilac”. This guitar effects take a very important rule creating the textures needed in the sound, they make possible to stretch out the atmosphere created by melancholic piano melodies to different soundscapes making that unique atmosphere characteristic of Mamiffer. If you compare “Blanket Made of Ash” in these two versions (studio and live) you’ll find the hand of Atsuo in electronics making this song a bit more violent in this version as harsh noises rises among the floating drones and the peaceful, yet mysterious atmosphere. I love the sound of these electronics in “Lilac”. This song is especially pleasing due the notable presence of three musicians: while Faith Coloccia plays a beautiful melody on piano, Turner’s guitar rises heavy and Atsuo develops violent noises, becoming the only aggressive atmosphere in Mamiffer participation.

Merzbow attacks helping House of Low Culture in the song “Mole Man”. The song is an up to 20 minutes session including improvisations and several passages that will paint different soundscapes. In this track we can listen to Turner strange vocals which remind me to Keiji Haino or Attila Csihar in their soft phases. The track has long moments of almost quiet atmosphere, slow motion guitars with some nice effects and drones and, the unexpected sound of a gong which surely was played by Atsuo. However this lifeless atmosphere becomes into a more aggressive journey as guitar drones become heavier and Merzbow drowns the listener into a sea of noisy electronics.

It is always interesting watching any act in this vein playing live. It’s different to any other concert. Improvisation brings the listener a total doubt about what is next. I’d love to be in a Mamiffer or House of Low Culture show, this recording makes me don’t want to lose any chance. However I understand that it’s almost impossible in my country. Some people claim that all albums from experimental genres like this should be recorded live, since improvisation seems to be an indispensable approach in this kind of music. Both projects are worth listening and sure we will know more things about Mamiffer in this year since their last album is, in my opinion, one of the best of the year. House of Low Culture is drafting its new material, hope it be released soon.

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BORIS, LITURGY, MONOGATARI @ Festival Aural (live show review)

bands: Boris, Litury, Monogatari venue: El Lunario, Mexico City date: May 16, 2013 

A NIGHT OF AMPLIFIER WORSHIP

There is a major difference between attending an experimental music concert and being in a more ordinarily structured music event, and it is that the first is about a more physical experience while the latter may become into a sing-along night. Japanese freaks Boris are one of those bands that are able to develop both experiences in the same gig. This godsend happens due to their wide scope on music, switching their style in each album between drone, harsh noise, stoner, noise rock, doom, shoegaze and even dirty hardcore and punk. Thus, while one may put one’s eardrum on heavy duty by an annihilator noise attack one may be waiting for the band to play one’s favorite melody, though I am still unable to sing their lyrics no matter how many times I listen to Red House Painters' “Japanese to English”.

Therefore, the promise of catching Boris in Mexico City was an electrifying highlight inside the not that short list of gigs near my town in this year. Boris landed Mexico in the framework of Festival Aural. Aural is the experimental twisted branch of the Festival de la Ciudad de Mexico. As far as I know, Aural is an evolution of the Radar Festival formerly hosted by the same people who now set up Aural. These hard working people bless us with one of the most important festival of experimental music in Mexico, bringing us the opportunity of witnessing the performance of important names such as Sunn O))), Nurse with Wound, Mike Patton, Oren Ambarchi, Jazkamer, Keiji Haino, Z’ev, KTL, Earth, Sun Ra Arkestra and Pan Sonic’s Mika Vaino among many others. This time Boris is supported by northamerican post-black metalheads Liturgy and a Mexican project called Monogatari. The tripartite sonic experience took place in the Lunario stage, which is a very interesting venue thought to lodge high quality music live shows of all nature.

The rainy night of May 16 Monogatari assaulted the Lunario’s stage with a strong attack of harsh noise which eventually started to reveal the band’s musical aim. I had never heard about these guys before, in fact digging in the web for information yields nothing but a Japanese literature style. The guys cover their faces with strange cloths. Monogatari’s line-up features guitarist, drummer, bassist and a singer who also takes over the electronics. Their noise is one stamped by an influence of metal and perhaps punk. I didn’t feel too comfortable with the vocals which, in the more punk-ish moments, brought some screamo singers to my mind. However, in the few minutes the band starred the night, they were able to develop powerful music and show beams of originality. Some annoying people started to ask for Boris apparition while Monogatari was still playing. Among the audience you could realize that about 50% were metalheads and one can infer it, those annoying people were metalheads, this is why metal fans are often seen as selfish and disrespectful people who can’t put up with something that doesn’t appear at metal-archives.com or with new national bands.

It was time for Liturgy to bring some noise. The two-piece outfit uses a drum machine in a laptop and in the live show you’ll see nothing but two guitars and some pedals. I had come across with this band in the web before, but honestly they didn’t catch my attention. Nevertheless, once I watched them live I changed my mind. The band formerly had a bassist and drummer who were eventually laid off. These guys play in a very interesting way, using their pedals they are able to build up a colossal sound of distorted black metal riffs. The guitarist wearing glasses was a few centimeters to me and I was able to stare the complexity of his riffs. I could do it only once the crowded press was asked to leave, they were right in front the stage during about two songs in each presentation. I was surprised about the number of guys from the press. I was in the forward and the only thing I could see was a bald tall photographer’s nape. The singer manages a sort of melancholic shouts in the vein of depressive bands like Austere. Striking is the way he used the looping pedal to set up a choir varying his tone and recording. The drum machine, though sometimes mimicking the former human drummer, was often used to bring a more noise-like element reaching inhuman speeds and approaching a drone that sometimes yielded in a cyber-grind-esque sound. I really enjoyed the Liturgy’s performance, I do believe I was not the only one, actually there were some people asking the band to play “Returner”, the video that gave them popularity out there in the web.

             

And finally, it was time for some heavy rocks with masters Boris. Wata’s beautiful Orange amps were turned on and so were Takeshi’s Marshall ones; two huge pedal sets were carried to stage and were welcomed like if they were other members of the band. After a short waiting the band started out with a powerful droning riffage and Atsuo bringing noise from the gong, it couldn’t be another but “Huge”, one of my two favorite Boris songs (alongside with “Blackout”). Wata was a few centimeters to me, I fell in love with her, actually we all did when she sang “Rainbow” with her sweet charming voice. The band offered a new (unreleased?) song “Vanilla” and I don’t know if I’m wrong here but I think I heard some electronics recorded in the background which sounded like been painted by mastermind Merzbow. The whole concert was exactly what I expected (neglecting the lack of “Blackout”): they moved from droning heavy slowness, uptempo punk-ish songs like “Statement” and “Pink”, with that amazing Wata’s noisy solos; harsh noise long stages like the ending of “Flood”, when Atsuo took a pedal and unleashed a twisted brutal noise; in total contrast, we also enjoyed the relaxing soft waves of post-rock and shoegaze in “Cosmos” and “Angel” (which appears to be a different version from the one in “She’s So Heavy”). The band likes to have a modest interaction with the attendance: Takeshi spoke to us in clear Spanish “ustedes son chingones”, Wata had to thank in Spanish after the crowd screamed her name several times, and what to tell about Atsuo who jumped on the crowd during a harsh noise passage.

Boris played ultraheavy and loud, reaching the climax in the grand finale with “Flood”, when the band just lost control while Wata loops in the same characteristic riff and the noise rises up and up. Only then did I feel the wall of sound punching me in the stomach. I don’t really know if Boris exceeded the threshold of pain that night, but I am almost sure that they were not higher than the 125 db reached by Sunn O))) in the Radar Festival in 2009. However, Boris harnessed to death those mythical Orange amps as well as the Takeshi’s Marshalls, bringing us an unforgettable night of loudness and amplifier worship.

Festival Aural: Official Site
Boris Heavy Rocks!!!: Official Site
Liturgy: Facebook
Monogatari: Myspace