REVIEWS

schmickler/chisholm Der in Köln lebende Komponist und Musiker Marcus Schmickler agiert wie Lasse Marhaug gerne solo als auch im Duo mit wechselnden Partnern, für das Projekt Amazing Daze er sich den aus Neuseeland stammenden Saxophonisten Hayden Chisholm ausgesucht, der ansonsten die schottischen Bagpipes spielt für Berlins Improvisationsorchester Zeitkratzer, Chisholm arbeitet(e) mit Jacki Liebezeit, Burnt Friedman, root70, Pluramon & Julee Cruise (ebenfalls mit Schmickler) und kreiert Soundtracks zu den Installationen von Rebecca Horn. Schmickler selbst hatte im letzten Dezember mit seinem stark nietzscheanisch getränkten Opus Demos (For Choir, Chamber Quintet And Electronic Music) (siehe Reviews December) unsere englischsprachigen Kollegen etwas aus dem Tritt gebracht, und auch hier könnte man als Hörer leicht ins Schwimmen geraten, wären die beiden Stücke Amazing Daze (for Phill Niblock) und Infinity In The Shape Of A Poodle (for Björk Gudmundsdottir) nicht so minimalistisch, meditativ und dronefunktional gehalten, dass sich per relaxation exercise La Monte Young und Master Fu buddistisch ausbalanciert in perfekter Relation zueinander befinden würden. Schmickler beschränkt sich auf elektronisch generierte Soundscapes, welche die Grundlage liefern für jene langezogenen Tonschleifen aus Chisholms Bagpipes. Im Track Infinity spielt Chisholm das Sho, ein im Gagaku gebrauchtes traditionelles japanischen Durchschlagzungeninstrument, eine art hölzerne Mundorgel. Die Atmosphärik auf beiden Tracks bleibt luftig leicht und winddurchzogen, wie im zarten KlingKlang eines Windglockenspiels, das Album Amazing Daze gestaltet sich aus Licht- Raum- und Gedankenreflexionen, samt Sonnenauf- und Untergang im Zuge der Wolken, als ein Kreisen im Moment, die konzentrierte Wahrnehmung des Augenblicks. Das schwedische Label Häpna um Bands und Musiker wie Hans Appelqvist, Toshiya Tsunoda, Tape, Oren Ambarchi oder A Taste Of Ra scheint der richtige Parner hierfür zu sein, bin sehr gespannt auf die nächsten Projekte :: Marcus Schmickler/Hayden Chisholm: Amazing Daze – Häpna/A-Musik.

marhaug/asheim Okay, was haben wir hier: Kirchenorgel, Noise Generatoren, wummernde Theatralik, statisches Flirren & Rauschen, Drones, Melancholie & grünes Drachenblut. Die Partner, die der Norweger Lasse Marhaug für seine Projekte wählt, liefern immer den besonderen Touch. Im Duo mit John Hegre oder Maja Ratkje entstanden wunderbare Alben, mit seinem Death-Noise Bandprojekt Jazkamer (Metal Music Machine) konnte Marhaug im vergangenen Februar im Berliner Club Maria für die Transmediale trumpfen. Für das nun vorliegende Album Grand Mutation sitzt der ebenfalls aus Norwegen stammende Komponist Nils Henrik Asheim im gemeinsamen Boot, denn der ist Spezialist für das Grand Organ, die große Kirchenorgel, die man in einer Osloer Kirche fand, um eine Live-Session einzuspielen. Währen Asheim die Orgeltasten behutsam bearbeitet, sich zurückhält im Arpeggio, unterlegt Marhaug via Oszillatoren ein elektronisches Knarzen und Fiepsen, das die gespenstische Atmosphäre der fünf Tracks lüftet, verbindet und aber vor allem verstärkt. Zuletzt war Marhaug mit den Kapuzenträgern und Fake-Satanisten SunnO))) auf UK-Tour, und wahrlich, Grand Mutation hört sich an, als wäre Aktionist Hermann Nitsch mit den Jungs von SunnO))) auf PCP-Trip in einem tibetanischen Kloster gelandet, um sich treiben zu lassen in dieser spukhaft theatralischen (Alptraum-)Klangwelt, die so immens verfremdet wirken kann und sich doch sehr neutral, vertraut und natürlich anfühlt. Würde sich hervorragend machen als Soundtrack für einen der nächsten Lars Von Trier Filme, mit dem Titel - Mindset Happenings (Oh, What Time Now Is Hell?) :: Marhaug/Asheim: Grand Mutation – Touch/Cargo.

o'death The South has risen. Up to Williamsburg. In the form of creepy, yet competent dirty can-baning shirtless dudes. Receiving constant comparisons to Waits and Americana is nothing new to O'Death, though at this point they are one-trick ponies compared to the complexities of American roots music or the prolific, strange lyricism and breadth of someone like Tom Waits. But these boys is young yet, let 'em grow. At times a messy pile of broken strung-together whiskey bottles being dragged across a washboard, and others more hoe-down, skeleton square dance, their sound is contagious in a way. I once saw them play a basement in Philadelphia and they sounded great, somehow managing the distorted pick-ups on all of those hollow-bodied instruments without feedback, bringing their own, sometimes annoying, brand of hootenanny and hooliganistic energy. They all howl together at times, crying to Jesus or some other such cliche, over that plodding swampy back-beat. It works for them most of the time, and I think that they're a very fun band to see. This album is an enjoyable listen too, if a distant-sounding one. The affected vocals and their references to "blackgrass" leave me wanting it to be much much more frightening. This is something indie rock college kids will get down with, surely... something they can sink their missing teeth into, at least for a night. Hopefully O'Death will stay one step ahead of the game... I wish that they'd play actual square-dance nights and barnyards and back-county cemeteries rather than crowded bars. That they really came from the mountains of western North Carolina and were all fucked up inside, men of constant sorrow. We'll see what happens. For now, things are looking good, pending death and gimmickiness spares them over til another year :: O'Death: Head Home - City Slang.

SBJThe latest Album Late Summer Morning of Berlin based Guitar Maestro rings on an early summer morning, a complimentary soundtrack to this Sunday just risen, while Basho twitches and tingles, moods rise and fall, awkward fluidity, giving way to streams clearly voiced and angled, either twelve-strings or six-strings strong. Voices of his predecessors (John Fahey, Robbie Basho, Kottke) ring true, but upon further listens it becomes fresh and the similarities fall far away. It starts with the Albums title track clocking and meandering at 22 minutes giving me just enough time for a coffee, a sit back, and a listen with the morning's streams flooding, and enjoy the flow of blood and dirge as the day begins. While SBJ himself with restrained and broken Guitarfragmentations on earlier Albums like Landscapes In Exile and Unknown Music wants to gain distance from being refered to Faheys old 60s Label Takoma, the dreamdroney soundletters of Late Summer Moring give the most elegant companion to rise on a day like this. :: Late Summer Morning - Strange Attractors/A-Musik.

Australian Underground I had no idea. Let me begin by stating that anyone unaware of what was going on in the Australian underground, particularly of the late 70s is severely missing out and that this rather unassuming compilation is an excellent place to start playing catch-up. Accompanied with a thick, comprehensive, unpretentious and well-written booklet, this will catch you grossly off-guard with its onslaught of simply amazing songs, bits of music history that we are lucky to be offered another chance to hear. Some more well-known groups (not that I knew more that a couple) accompany others which nearly slipped through the cracks of underground memory such as Thug, who seemingly some out of nowhere with the amazingness of "Dad". The set operates chronologically, beginning with Radio Birdman, The Saints and The Victims who all completely tear through their tunes which, in my opinion, are instantly recognizable as missed classics in that 76-78 sloppy, uncompromising Stooges-influenced punk way. There is no energy lost in the 30 years since these originally graced 7" vinyl, and as the compilation makes its way through the years, encountering new-wave, post-punk, proto-pop-punk, goth-punk, etc, it continues to deliver equally captivating hits. As with all albums, some songs are better than others, but aside from a few detours into R.E.M.-type interpretations of post-punk this continues to impress me, not failing to include more obvious chapters from the history such as The Birthday Party's well-known "Happy Birthday", which never fails to haunt. Excellently conceived and documented, it serves as something of an archive, an anthropological report. If you ever liked punk music and you haven't heard Tactics, The Scientists (especially after they dropped the "The"!), Venom P. Stinger, The Psycho Surgeons and a hefty handful of other bands on this compilation you will be more than pleasantly surprised to hear these early gems. They're the best thing to come out of Australia since... they came out the first time :: Tales From the Australian Underground- Singles 1976-1989 DO-CD - Feel Presents/Shock Records/Indigo.