Issue #16 Extra!: New Releases

Altered States feat. Otomo Yoshihide - "Lithuania and Estonia Live"
Die Anarchistiche Abendunterhaltung - "We Need New Animals"
Jon Anderson - "The More You Know"
Ancient Curse - "The Landing"
Azalia Snail - "Escape Maker"
Bang On A Can - "Music for Airports"
Adrian Belew - "Belewprints"
Black Stage - "Black Stage"
Blackmore's Night -"Shadow of the Moon"
Body Full of Stars - "Falling Angels"
Box Of Crayons -"Colorblind Chameleon"
Chrome - "Retro Transmission"
Clepsydra - "Fears"
Crises - "Broken Glass"
Electrum - "Frames of Mind"
John Fahey & Cul de Sac - "The Epiphany of Glenn Jones"
Faith & Disease - "Insularia"
Five-O-One AM - "21st Century Dream"
The Gathering - "Mandylion"
Gerard - "Meridian"
Ground Zero - "Consume Red"
G.P. Hall - "Marks on the Air"
Tim Hodgkinson - "Pragma"
Laszlo Hortobagyi - "Summa Techonologiae"
Eleanor Hovda - "Coastal Traces"
Ivanhoe - "Polarized"
Kantata - "Samsara"
Die Knodel - "Panorama"
Leo Kupper - "Electro-Acoustic"
Lana Lane - "Garden of The Moon"
 Laren d'Or - "War of Angels"
Love Spirals Downwards - "Flux"
Masque - "Third Ear / Third Eye"
Moby Trip - "NKU"
Monolith - "Monolith"
Maryam Mursal - "The Journey"
Mani Neumeier & Peter Hollinger -"Meet the the Demons of Bali"
Niacin - "Niacin"
Niacin - "High Bias"
Nukli - "The Time Factory"
Pelt - "Técheöd"
Pink Filth - "Seventeen Bubblegum Smashes!"
Praise Space Electric - "Mushroom Jazz"
Jon Rose - "The Fence"
Saviour Machine - "Legend Part 1"
Yochk'o Seffer - "Magyar Etno"
Serah - "Senegal Moon"
Andy Summers - "The Last Dance of Mr. X"
Jeff Tarlton - "Astral Years"
Janick Top STS - "Système Solaire"
VA - "Century XXI: France"
VA - "Electroacoustic Music Vol.1 - Russia 1997, Disc 1"
VA - "Electroacoustic Music Vol.1 - Russia 1997, Disc 2"
VA - "Soundscape Gallery 2"
Visible Touch - "Forgotten Land"
Visible Touch - "Vienna"
When - "Prefab Wreckage"
When - "Gynt"
Tatsuya Yoshida & Ron Anderson -"A Is for a Accident"

Andy Summers - "The Last Dance of Mr. X"

 (RCA Victor 09026-68937-2, 1997, CD)

What's this? Former Police-man Andy Summers fronting what is essentially a power trio? And with a backing band consisting of monster bassist Tony Levin and Gregg Bissonette on drums? Perhaps the lesson that we learn here is not to pigeon-hole musicians because Summers might surprise many of us with his chops and strong leads. We all know Andy Summers from his ultra-tasteful rhythm playing, but here he sounds more like Holdsworth than that guy who played with Sting. The material is evenly split between modern jazz standards (by the likes of Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Monk, & Mingus) and Summers' originals. The arrangements are what really make this a special disc, since it rarely settles for a "jazzy" sound despite the material. They are consistently inventive and the band takes distinctly different approaches to each tune. The trio plays almost telepathically, and the setting is ideal for showcasing Summers' clean chordal work and economical solo excursions.Having only heard some of Summers' solo albums since leaving the Police I must admit that I wasn't prepared for the strength of this one. Some of his earlier work featured some rather mushy new age approaches that simply didn't put his full talents in the proper light. He comes out burning on this one and really carries the album despite the fact that the trio format can be very demanding on the leader. Andy even reinforces the power trio comparison by quoting some Clapton licks from "Sunshine of Your Love!".This disc will appeal to fans of "IOU" or "Road Games" era Holdsworth, and will also play well with fusion and jazz fans in general. While his leads are not as blistering as a Holdsworth or Steve Morse, Summers more than makes up for that with his tasty chordal work and creative interpretations of some wonderful jazz tunes. This one might just take some of you by surprise... - David Ashcraft

Chrome - "Retro Transmission"

 (Cleopatra CLP-0080-2, 1997, CD)

After a lengthy hiatus, Helios Creed has returned with a new Chrome album. Having never heard a Chrome album before I cannot say if this is representative or not. I can tell you one major influence on the band Pressurehed though. This album reminds me of Pressurehed a lot, so I must use reverse logic and assume Chrome did it first. The sound is a very metallic sounding pop with lots of spacey effects. Helios Creed is backed by the mighty Stench Bros. (I saw them with Pearl Harbor long ago) who are a great combo on drum and bass. The album begins with several techno-punk kinds of tracks and then 4 songs into this look out, they break into a tribal, psychedelic groove and never let up. Driven by the pulse of industrial pop, Chrome travels places you don't expect, but space is where you find it. Which again reminds me of Pressurehed, they both start out from the punk/industrial side and end up riding the psychedelic groove. If you like Pressurehed or feel like trying something new, I say take a chance, you might like this one. - Dane Carlson

Body Full of Stars - "Falling Angels"

 (Stone Premonitions Records SPCD003, 1998, CD)

Mark Dunn seems like quite a colorful guy. The leader and main songwriter for English group Body Full of Stars writes spirited Afro- and British pop and has a vocal delivery full of English wit and ballocks. Anyone who remembers Ian Dury's "Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n Roll" will know exactly what I mean. Besides being the front man, Dunn covers bass, keys, drums and percussion, which, when combined with rest of BFoS, tends to give the 16 songs here a nicely full-bodied charge. Where "Falling Angels" really shines is on the Afro-pop numbers, like "The Quaking Houses", "Spirit House Dance", and "Rainbow Water...". Here the percussion and guitars combine to generate some great dance grooves while Dunn spreads his catchy vocals over the top. Though "Paranoid Conspiracy" leans heavily on Chili Peppers funk, and "Bottles" delivers Madness- flavored ska/pop, the meat of "Falling Angels" is pure, unadulterated Afro-pop. If moving your feet to these kinds of rhythms suits your fancy then this is a disc I highly recommend. - Paul Hightower

Mani Neumeier & Peter Hollinger -"Meet the the Demons of Bali"

 (Think Progressive EFA 03538-2, 1997, CD)

Wooaah, wait a minute, hold the phone, and just a cottin' pickin'..... Mani has really done something different here! Some may remember the "Privat" CD reviewed last time. There, he took on every non-European musical motif he could get his hands on. This time he focuses on Balinese gamelan exclusively, in what is a real corker of a project. The last guy to try something as thorough as this was Eberhard Schoener, but this is a far cry from his "Bali Agung". The story is vague as to how Mani and Peter pulled this off technically. A matter of syncing up their drums with pre- existing recordings in a studio environment, was my initial guess. German liner notes however, suggest that the two hauled themselves off to Bali to record with various members of gamelan ensembles in a live situation. Not impossible, you may offer, but my knowledge of gamelan tells me that the configurations of unrelated ensembles that he has assembled (my ears hear Gong Gede, Anklung, Kebyar, Joged Bumbung, Beleganjur and others) would almost never occur in normal musical practice in Bali. The recording features twelve middle-length pieces in which superimposed patterns from two, sometimes three, of the aforementioned styles provide the undercurrent for Peter and Mani to weave their drumming in and around of. I do not know who is playing what, but they concentrate mostly on tom-toms, muted gongs, and bells; no cymbals. A commendable job has been done to assure textural and tempo variety throughout, but the listener must realize there is no harmony or melody in a Western sense. For those familiar with Balinese gamelan perhaps some of the mystery is given away. But for the unfamiliar a worthwhile endeavor indeed, and another feather in Neumeier's cap of eccentricity. - Mike Ezzo

John Fahey & Cul de Sac - "The Epiphany of Glenn Jones"

 (Thirsty Ear thi 57037.2, 1998, CD)

A promising collaboration between this Boston instrumental ensemble and the legendary avant-folk guitarist collapses under the burden of hero worship, hellish recording conditions, and incompatible working methods. a melange of spartan finger-picking and Forbidden Planet-like sound effects fail to ever coalesce, with the earthy guitar and antiseptic electronics seeming to unfold in entirely separate acoustic spaces. The title (an allusion to the classic Fahey LP, The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death) refers to Cul de Sac leader Glenn Jones' painful abdication of his vision of an album crafted in Fahey's mid-Sixties style (preempted by the crotchety guitar guru's refusal to play material the group had rehearsed), and his surrender to the senior artist's spontaneous studio technique. Only "The New Red Pony" recognizably deploys Cul de Sac's full bass/drums/guitar/electronics line-up, with most of the album comprising an uncomfortable John Fahey/Glenn Jones duet. On "Nothing" and "More Nothing", Fahey ventures an epigrammatic spoken word piece in the tradition of John Cage, but can only manage something distressingly akin to the mutterings of a brain-damaged wino. While conceptually intriguing, this meeting of a careworn 60's icon and 90's psychedelic torch bearers serves at best as an object lesson in the dangers and disillusionments inherent in idolatry. - Michael Draine

Janick Top STS - "SystŠme Solaire"

 (independent prod. STS01, 1998, CD)

Janick is back... The monstrous and legendary bassist of the 1973, 1974 and 1976's Magma issues his first solo effort, after years of session-work with variety singers and composing film scores. His first solo, not really, because in 1975 he had already released under his name a very rare zeuhl-ish EP, "Epithecantropus Erectus II/ Utopia Viva". Anyway, along with Bernard Paganotti who is also a former Magma bassist, he plays a very beautiful fusion jazz with reminiscent influences of Jaco Pastorius or Tony Williams.This album is a live recording at a Parisian jazz club and shows Janick with one of his old friends, Claude Salmieri, behind the drum-kit and who has almost the same musical background as Janick. Eric S‚va (also involved in Paga group) plays the saxophones with great feeling, but with no originality at all. In fact what this album lacks is not power or musical ability, it just lacks some inventiveness. Playing such a kind of music in the late 90s may appear as an act of contrition by Top who was ahead of his time twenty years ago... However, this album may appeal very much to any Jazz-fusion lover, because of the growling bass of Mr. Top and the overall top-notch ambience of the album. Even if this is not the album Magma freaks were expecting from this legendary bass- player, this surely is a very good ersatz! - Jerome Schmidt [Contact: Thieery Menu (STS) 9 rue f‚lix faure 92700 Colombes, FRANCE]

Die Anarchistiche Abendunterhaltung - "We Need New Animals"

 (Sony Music Small 489978.2, 1998, CD)

Under this rather long and cryptic (!) name is hidden a Belgian band operating in the same areas as Cro Magnon, Maximalist!, Ensemble Nimbus, Miriodor or Palo Alto (a new album out on Gazul label). After a very positively welcomed first eponymous opus in 1996, they have moved from an obscure label (Lowlands) to a sublabel of Sony Music. This rather surprising move has in no way affected their musical integrity and this second release feeds us with the same successful mixing of some East European influences played with a peculiar madness and delighting originality. The band lays the emphasis on the string section (violin, cello) and incorporates some folk-ish elements, thanks to their use of accordion. The main difference in this new album is only the appearance of some electronic parts (keys and samplers) which are not of the best effect but which are always very lightly used, so that they do not weaken the original music. The guest appearances of two female vocalists for two tracks is another new element which, once again, has no real interest, maybe just that of making the music more accessible for a mainstream listener. However, despite these minor additions, DAAU (this is their new name) is a young and brilliant band from the North European area, and is definitely worth checking out - Jerome Schmidt

Jon Rose - "The Fence"

 (ReR Megacorp JR5, 1998, CD)

Continuing in the Musique Concrete experimental mode defined by Rose's last disc, The Fence is less an album of music than it is an aural documentary. In this case, Rose has chosen Fences as his subject matter (and occasionally, as his instruments!). Intended as an experimental radio broadcast back in 1993, The Fence examines Fences as analogies for "everything that separates, controls, and isolates the human race" (from liner notes). German- language voices narrate stories (I think) over incidental music background, with occasional found sound fragments and samples thrown in. The stories deal most often with political boundaries both real and imagined (The Berlin Wall, the Iron Curtain, North and South Korea, etc.) and reflect on their effect on the people who must live on either side of these boundaries. If I could understand German, I might enjoy this more, but at least the liner notes explain what's going on well enough. Jon Rose is not your average cat. Recommended for the most conceptual performance artists (remember, Form over Function!) and die-hard history majors. - Steve Robey

Altered States feat. Otomo Yoshihide - "Lithuania and Estonia Live"

 (Trigram TR-P 903, 1994, CD)

You want insanity and unpredictability? Look no further. This album consists of live recordings by this Japanese group from two different Baltic new music/jazz festivals and two tracks recorded for Estonian radio. Surprisingly, the live tracks have infinitely superior sound to the radio recordings, which are rife with dropouts and sound very "bootleg" in quality. Never mind, this music sure packs a wallop, swinging from be-bop jazz to searing guitar rock to wild free improvisation. The band itself is basically a guitar/bass/drums trio, though they seem to be augmented by horns at times and make an extensive use of taped sounds/effects. The "musique concrete" element is further enhanced by guest performer Otomo Yoshihide, a turntable artist of the Boyd Rice variety who uses the full extent of tonal possibilities of his unusual instrument: that means surface noise, lock grooves and needle scrapes. And if you're still turned off by the poor sound quality at the beginning, relax...there's another, clearer- sounding version of the hard-hitting opening track "Motif B" later on in the album (that version segues into a particularly wild and inspired improvisation). - Mike Ohman

Pelt - "Techeod"

 (VHF#6, 1998, CD)

Here we have three ambient tracks from a not so dark trio on the Indie VHF label. According to the label website, the title of this album is pronounced "Tay-hoood", but I'm still not certain what relevance it has to the disc. Instead I'll try to break down the pieces in order on this, the group's third release: New Delhi Blues has a slack Indian tone foundation to start with, while sound development is linear with a few notable swells. The basis for this ambient tone piece use two types of recorders (both tenor and alto) which provide a light eastern flavor to an average drone setting. Big Walker Mountain Tunnel (track two) has the distinct flavor of a long metallic structure, heavy with noise construction feedback which creates a tense sensitivity. Painting on top of that canvas, the three players: Jack Rose, Mike Gangloff, and Patrick Best have worked to directly control background disturbance. By creating a bouncy foreground with electric guitars, the tone later degenerates into a (gasp) melodic Eno-ish guitar arpeggio. This is probably the most successful improv on the disc. The last sound sculpture, Mus Mesons is more noodling over prominently static matting. Overall, it's difficult to sense a grand scheme across the sometimes maddening sound collages, but that is the beauty of the art I believe. I have a hard time accepting those true fans do active rather than passive listening to this and similar works. T‚che”d is a creation for creators and not necessarily listeners. But appreciation is in the ear of the experience and of course the novice music aficionado. - Jeff Melton [Website: members.aol.com/vhfrecords]

Bang On A Can - "Music for Airports"

 (Point Music 314-536-847-2 ST01, 1998, CD)

Ambient music has come a long way since 1978 when innovator Brian Eno drafted his original experiment for use in large international airports. The intent was for passengers to feel good about boarding their planes and allow a sense of calm to initiate itself with the listener, retaining this calm as the flight proceeded from take-off through landing. Eno had his work installed in several cities, with unknown results to most who did not reside in those locations. Bang on a Can is five musicians cast together to faithfully recreate the four original twenty- year-old pieces within a live setting. Produced by Philip Glass, the disc is faithfully rendered, although many additional parts and players have been utilized. There is a risk that the project has now been blown into the pretention of high art due to the use of three art directors. But none of the tracks suffers from recreation of heavenly voices, synth swells or watery piano. The presence of the composer himself gives strong credibility to the end work, though I undoubtedly prefer the original album. It does make you wonder what it would be like to experience this faithful adaptation as you stroll down the corridors to get your boarding pass at San Francisco International Airport. I hope to attend the local performance of the work in October and report on how this minimalist work has evolved into not only a grandiose production, but a satisfying atmosphere of contented relaxation. - Jeff Melton

Black Stage - "Black Stage"

 (Maborishi No Sekai MABO-005, 1996, CD)

This is a project featuring Keiji Haino (electric guitar, flute, harp, voice), Natsuki Kido (acoustic guitar), and Yuji Katsui (violin) that - despite its release date, was recorded live in September '94. The latter two names should be recognized by Expos‚ readers from the then and current lineup of Bondage Fruit, while Keiji Haino has stellar credentials including a long string of live and studio solo albums as well as albums with his bands Fushitsusha and Vajra, and numerous collaborations - a primary mover in the Japanese new music scene. This disc is basically three long improvisations - the first two well over twenty minutes each, all fairly avant-garde workouts, with elements of jazz (mostly via Kido's Coryell-esque acoustic guitar) and chamber (Katsui's violin contribution) surfacing, and showing regular flashes of brilliance amid the stop, sputter and go of each of these pieces. They seem to have some trouble keeping their flights airborne for any extended period of time, which becomes tiresome, though sometimes listening to the three musicians search furiously for some kind of common thread gives a rare insight into the improvisational process. Vocals on the second piece are a bit stark, tortured and pretentious sounding, though one who understands Japanese may get more out of them than this reviewer did. The third and final track is the most together of the three, with several spirited instrumental exchanges condensed into its ten minute running time. Overall, though this tends to be pretty disjointed, difficult listening. - Peter Thelen

When - "Prefab Wreckage"

 (Tatra TATCD 18021, 1994, CD)

When - "Gynt"

 (Tatra TATCD 036, 1996, CD)

When is essentially a solo vehicle for Lars Pedersen (half of The Last James duo) in which he explores dark ambient realms. It's pretty hard to believe that this is the same guy who worked on "Kindergarten", but the method in which samples and swirling walls of sound are employed in the production is a dead giveaway. In fact, there are moments on "Prefab Wreckage" which make the label 'dark ambient' far too much of an oversimplification. The opener "Hands of Orlac" employs a standard log-drum type of percussion loop that you might expect to find on a Jeff Grienke or Steve Roach album, but Lars thankfully proceeds from there into his own sinister territory rather than retread over familiar ground. The title tack to "Prefab Wreckage" builds up into a massive wall of sound which is plenty impressive. Vocals are used occasionally which further takes the music into interesting and unusual places. "Gynt" is a different deal altogether. Musically based and structured on Edward Grieg's "Peer Gynt", Lars bills his version as a satiric play on the original piece. In a whopping 26 tracks, Lars throws more orchestral samples and loops at you than you could ever count. This thing must have been a complete nightmare to produce and edit. The music certainly never approaches the darker aspects of "Prefab", but the basic recording approach is the same. It's just that the end results are completely different. Unfortunately "Gynt" gets to be downright annoying in spots, as the listener longs for some type of theme or statement to latch on to. Instead, it often feels like you are getting buried beneath an endless stream of huge, loud, abrasive samples and segments. While technically very impressive, "Gynt" fails to satisfy on most every other level and "Prefab Wreckage" is certainly the more worthwhile release of the pair. - Dan Casey

Die Knodel - "Panorama"

 (Recrec Music ReCDec 74, 1996, CD)

Well I thought the RIO movement was going trad. on us when L'Ensmeble Raye's last CD hit the shelves, but now they really have gone and done it. Here is something you would expect to hear floating from the corner of a beer bar in Vienna. Die Knodel is an acoustic octet from Austria, with a slew of CD's under their belt. "Panorama" appears to be a compilation of sorts. Every offering on it is written by a different composer, none of whom are members of the group. This makes sense though - the music sounds like it was composed no later than 1935. Most of the time they stick to traditional polkas and waltzes, even to the point where Nimal starts to sound like old Art Zoyd! Things get a lot better when they flatten out the rhythms, slow it down and become more cinematic. You'd swear at these moments you are hearing something from a soundtrack to a Charlie Chaplin film. When they emphasize strings the mood becomes sinister, and emphatically more interesting. The guitar/bass/bassoon/ violin grouping is their golden weapon and I would love to hear an album dominated by such a format. Alas they stay there only for two pieces. Actually it's a head scratcher as to why this was released by the Recrec people. I assumed they were interested solely in innovative, or avant sounds. It tempts me to say they might as well be releasing Steeleye Span albums, because there is little here any more unorthodox than what the British folk rockers dish up, albeit in a completely different genre. Die Knodel is nonetheless a formidable ensemble, the playing and arranging are first-rate, and with a few beers in you it probably sounds even better. But for recordings a little more hazard would certainly not go amiss for my taste. - Mike Ezzo

Laszlo Hortobagyi - "Summa Techonologiae"

 (Tone Casualties tccd 9825 1998, CD)

While not well known in the states, Hungary's Laszlo Hortobagyi has for most of the 90's been making some of the most exciting ethno-electronic music available anywhere. Another disc from the "Annals of Gayan Uttejak Society", this is Hortobagyi's first American release, recorded in Budapest, 1994. This shows Laszlo continuing his experiments mixing diverse middle-eastern instruments and chanting with electronics, occasionally venturing into the fringes of 90's dance beats. As with previous releases, its usually hard to tell where the ritual music leaves off and the sequencers take over. There is allot of things going on in this music, but not all at once, it is very well put together with few seams showing. The way he mixes different strands together reminds me of John Zorn's Big Gundown, where he uses various musical styles almost as individual instrument voices. While not as groundbreaking as his earlier releases, still a challenging release and much more authentic sounding than many of the "tribal trance" bands. The sounds range from middle-eastern gothic to Transylvainian ambient, making Dead Can Dance and Loop Guru sound like tourist. Get this while it's still available domestically and then you maybe you'll be ready for his even farther out earlier releases (if you can find them), Fomal Hoot and Amygdala. - David Batten

Masque - "Third Ear / Third Eye"

 (Belle 9734, 1997, CD)

Third Ear/Third Eye is the brazen Japanese quintet's first CD release (following a couple of cassette releases in the late 80's, plus contributions to the Canterbury Edge and Jazz Rock sampler compilations). It can easily be divided into three distinct group sections based on line-up; the Third Ear Side, Third Eye Side, and two bonus tracks. The band occupies a middle ground between Brand X, Gong and Crimson. One second they're pounding your head with some gnarly lick, then suddenly switching into to a classy fusion motif. The album's opener H.T.P. contains an almost sickly odd meter loss within a walking bass line and brash sax leads, which changes after a few bars (and giggles). Sanchos In Your Head is an offsetting acoustic piece with sampled female vocal interjections, and whistles in a whimsical mode that fade into a traditional flute melody. These guys definitely have an amusing, anecdotal style to their arrangements. Shyoku Shyoku is an improvised piece which could metaphorically be described as Crimson meeting Gong by collision on a freeway marked by no survivors. The Third Eye Side is characterized by a guest female voice (Waiea), followed by five more songs of a similar approach, but less aggressive. The last two pieces date from a previous 1985 session with different personnel. The longest piece is 4383, which is a fade-in ambient, two hammer-on soundscape with alternating leads which evolves into a dissonant group improvisation. The album's closer, Broken Space starts with an unsettling backwards tape loop which shuffles between right channel and left. I have to admit I'm impressed by how well this all fits together, considering time delays and musician interchangeability. Although the cover art is offensive, don't flinch at a chance to find a clear choice from this notable band and label. - Jeff Melton

Praise Space Electric - "Mushroom Jazz"

 (Delerium CELEC CD046, 1997, CD)

This is progressive rock with a groove. The title "Mushroom Jazz" is actually a pretty apt name, as this is not too stylistically far away from Acid Jazz. Weird analog synth sounds, funky bass and drums, and free flying, agile guitar solos are the order of the day. All this alone would probably make this an album worth hearing, if only for its usefulness as a mood piece. But Praise Space Electric add more to this formula. They incorporate actual song development rather than mere groove-itis; they employ a different style for each song (jazz, reggae, bossa nova, rock, and more); all of which make this album that much more enjoyable. Because it tries to be so diverse, it suffers a little in the cohesion department, but their eclectic personality nevertheless pervades the whole album. My favorite track is the swift latin jazz of "Plazza de Toros," with a fine jazz guitar solo that really got me going. Recommended for jazz-funk fans (some parts reminded me of New Orleans band Galactic) or anyone wanting to experiment with that genre - this album is not a bad introduction. - Steve Robey

Saviour Machine - "Legend Part 1"

 (MCM Music/Massacre MAS CD0117, 1997, CD)

I first glimpsed a newsletter by this band at Progfest 95 (or was it '96?) And to be honest I thought it was some form of hate group and didn't give it another glance. The singer was bald, had a mark on his forehead, and a look in his eyes. There was something unsettling about the whole thing. Well, it turns out they are a Christian band! Legend part 1 appears to be a concept album concerning the Book of Revelation, "a soundtrack for the end of the world." The album starts out as a pleasant enough type of "Bible Gothic"; the quiet grinding of (semi) metal guitars, some nice piano, and the male voice who sings very low (and sounds a lot like David Bowie.) After a few listens though, the lack of emotion in singer Eric Clayton and the complete lack of tone change in composition make this a really tough listen. Almost every song has the same formula: start slow, build up and end. Problem is it's the same song over and over. Many also feature overblown orchestrated sections. Eric Clayton is Saviour Machine's heart and soul, and he really needs to alter his delivery a bit; He sings in a deep monotone, almost spoken style, and this lack of octave change gets old real fast. Taken one at a time the songs are okay, but over the 77 minutes of this CD, there just isn't enough change. I am sure many will like this just for the subject matter, but I think the music must come first. - Dane Carlson

Adrian Belew - "Belewprints"

 (DGM 9802, 1998, CD)

The second volume of acoustic performances by King Crimson lead vocalist, Adrian Belew is a different reading than Volume One from a few years ago. No bones about it, Belew is a gifted composer; his songs stand up with or without added arrangements. I suppose that's the true testament to a song sung by itself with only minimal accompaniment and one hundred percent inspired delivery. There are many gems to investigate here, including three new sound collages (the best being the combination of the other two): Nude Wrestling with a Christmas Tree, which is like a musical samba through the jungle of Belew's demeanor. Also there are two Crimson pieces: Cage and Dinosaur. Cage benefits from an acoustic guitar rhythm backing, while Dinosaur still has an impressive power without the punch of a Bruford/Levin bass/drums combination. Then there are the nine solo album reworkings split between guitar or piano driven tracks (depending on how the song was conceived). Piano based recordings include Everything, where Belew lyrically relates his astute experience as a true romantic. One of two priceless performances come from the opening track, Men in Helicopters, which benefits from an extremely Beatlesque string quartet backing. The last is the surprise live recording of The Beatles Anthology single, Free As a Bird, sung missing the second verse (he knew the original Lennon track from a bootleg). As lyricist and vocalist, Belew succeeds at placing focus directly on his impassioned singing. His personal recollections and smart pop psychology again confirm his multi-faceted genius. Disc sleeve notes include a timeline account of Belew's work on these recordings. For further info consult the Adrian Belew Appreciation Soceity Website: http://web.dbtech.net/~rhino. - Jeff Melton

Clepsydra - "Fears"

 (Avalon Records MICY-1035, 1997, CD)

Swiss quintet Clepsydra sport your typical neo-prog lineup of vocals/guitar/bass/keys and drums and on "Fears" they hold true to the neo-prog sound. Early Marillion comes to mind, especially on the songs "The Missing Spark" and "The Cloister" where keys man Philip Hubert and guitarist Marco Cerulli have the Kelley/Rothery patches totally dialed in. "Script"-era Marillion is especially heavily borrowed from in the song writing, though with the heavily accented English vocals of Aluisio Maggini, what comes out often sounds a lot like Mexico's Cast, particularly on the opener, "Soaked". Cerulli's playing stands out the most, as he moves from confident and electrifying solos to gentle acoustic solo interludes with equal skill. Unfortunately, while Maggini is a capable vocalist, he rarely deviates from a full-throttle delivery which is unsuited to some of the more meditative passages. On "The Age of Glass", for instance, the vocals smother the textural playing going on underneath and on the epic closer "Fears" (which clocks in at 12 minutes), the vocals only reinforce that the song is twice as long as it needs to be. Also, I distinctly get the impression that Maggini has no idea whatsoever what it is he's singing (in fact, the lyrics come exclusively from bassist Andy Thommen!) Still, the production values are high and the playing very confident and capable. Fans of early Marillion and Cast should find much here to enjoy. - Paul Hightower

The Gathering - "Mandylion"

 (Century Media/Magic Arts 7798-2, 1995, CD)

I've heard this group mentioned in the same breath as The Third and Mortal, so I decided to check out one of their releases. Hailing from the Netherlands, The Gathering is Rene Rutten (Guitars, Flute), Jelmer Wiersma (Guitar), Frank Boeijen (Synth), Hugo Prinsen Geerligs (Bass), Hans Rutten (Drums) and Anneke van Giersbergen (Vocals). Where The Third and Mortal use plenty of contrast (quiet, ambient parts) The Gathering keep it churning. At first listen they seem like a metal band, the songs all awash in the multiple guitar assault. However, Anneke is instantly likable, her sweet voice a rising above the music, and with further plays I have grown to really like this album. While it defiantly lacks the subtly of a Third and Mortal album, Mandylion is still an enjoyable and spirited CD. The sound is a toned down (heavily) variant on the death metal that part of the world is gaga over. I fear this lack of change, of contrast in their music may really limit this band, but will have to investigate any newer releases to see where they take it. For those who like The Third and Mortal, or those who's music has to have a bite. - Dane Carlson

Kantata - "Samsara"

 (Airo Swadaya Stupa, 1996, CD)

For background information, go dig up a copy of Expose #14, and find the review where I spent half a page trying to describe a CD by Iwan Fals. Here, the XTC/Sting/Cat Stevens-influenced singer/songwriter turns up as a member of an eight-piece Indonesian rock band. Western rock - guitars, keyboards, drums, the whole nine yards. Not to cop-out, but I think some comparisons are in order. The problem is I can't think of any! Uriah Heep? Procol Harum? Traffic? Certainly the very early 70's is where Kantata is coming from, a time when this kind of hard rock (with unmistakable prog elements) was common radio fare. Organ, guitar, and singing dominate the arrangements. That timeless 70's sound, that most Euro-American groups abandoned after say 1978. a time when an album by even Alice Cooper would wisk you through a myriad different moods and stylistic approaches. The sole 80's element I hear is an extra slab of distorted sludge on the electric guitar. Instantly though, the listener can sense the most unique trait in Kantata's sound, something that markedly distinguishes them from anyone else: their vocals, which regularly find three or more rambunctious testosterone-pumped men in chorus, all growling and barking out the lyrics with an exuberance like a fight song at a war rally. What they are singing about is an Indonesian's guess but I imagine given the unrest their country has faced that some heavy social commentary is all over this CD. ("Demokrasi" shows up in one song). How much of the appeal to "Samsara" is sheer novelty is often tough to discern, but "Samsara" is as good as probably half the albums I review in this magazine. If I ever happen to be in Jakarta I'll check the local CD outlet for some Kantata titles. - Mike Ezzo

Visible Touch - "Forgotten Land"

 (Meander Records, 1996, CDEP)

Visible Touch - "Vienna"

 (Meander Records, 1997, CDEP)

They're called Visible Touch though they have nothing whatsoever to do with 80's Genesis or any Genesis for that matter. Think instead of all those great 80's hair-farmer bands: The Scorpions, Judas Priest, Stryper - you get the picture. Actually, there are some nice moments as well as some fine synth playing from Uli Taaken spread across these two EPs though they're far and few between. What we get instead are gems like "Love Gun" which must have been a Spinal Tap out-take, "Never" with its bitchen, head- bangin' chorus, and "Vienna" (the unplugged version!) which is played on one of the crappiest acoustic guitars I've ever heard. Of the two, "Forgotten Land" gets the nod though "Vienna" sports "Breathless", an all too short (2 1/2 min.) instrumental and easily the best track of the lot. I could wish for better things in the future from Visible Touch though my guess it that they are heading straight into pop-metal hell. For Kerrang! subscribers only. - Paul Hightower

Five-O-One AM - "21st Century Dream"

 (WMMS 105, 1996, CD)

Somewhere between Marillion (Season's End) and the SI label bands Lies "five-O-one AM". That is, song oriented pop with elements of prog. Combine that with WMMS's reputation and "five-O-one AM" was deep in the hole. My ears were happy to learn that this Dutch band has a lot more to offer. While "five-O-one AM" may not offer the complexity of composition many crave, they also manage to avoid many clich‚s. For starters, the vocals are way above average. Edu Arde is a wonderful singer, no odd inflections or translated anomalies. There is nothing fishy going on here either. Like Marillion's Seasons End, the songs are well crafted, and very heartfelt. If you are like me and like to sing along, this is some really good music. This plays like a concept album about things lost and finding hope. Many melodies repeat. Arde wrote the lyrics and keyboard player Jan Pezie wrote nearly all the music. His piano work is great too, some of his synth runs are a bit unoriginal, but fitting. The drums are a tad simple for my tastes, but the players are competent. The guitar solos are restrained and tasty. This album really surprised me, "five-O-one AM" offer up very well written and performed album that to my ears lays to waste anything done by the Marillion boys since the aforementioned album. If this is the first "five-O-one AM" album, I hope it's not the last. - Dane Carlson

Ivanhoe - "Polarized"

 (WMMS 150, 1997, CD)

Can't get enough of that Iron Maiden? Check out Polarized. There is no doubt, as musicians, Ivanhoe are first rate. The singer, Andy B. Frank is very good, if he's a German singing in English, it doesn't really show. Some great guitar parts here as well, Achim Welsch is not as abrasive as a pure metal player, and even though I hear some nice piano on this, keyboardist Markus Britsch doesn't rise above the rest as often as one would like. Some rockin' here, a ballad there, but nothing you can sink your teeth into. The songwriting just doesn't grab me. The sound isn't anything new. Dream Theater, Iron Maiden and Queensryche were there first and did it better. - Dane Carlson

Ancient Curse - "The Landing"

 (WMMS 140,1997, CD)

The strains of an acoustic guitar, the soft vocal intro, then comes the barrage. If I were to contain this review to only one word, it would be Metallica. Ancient Curse seem to be straddling the line between what is called "prog-metal" and straight metal (straight from the Metallica songbook at times). You get deep throated growly vocals, rapid machine gun guitar riffs, ballistic drumming. Yes it's all here, even a few slow numbers. It is far more "proggy" I suppose than Metallica will ever be. The band shifts into more interesting territory with "Reborn in Fantasy" a 15 minute piece that gives a little more variety. The singer Peter Pietrzinski is not quite the harsh wailer of metal standards, at times he shows his voice to be very melodic and pleasant, but many of the songs have him growling out vocals like James Hetfield. Gunnar Erxleben plays in the same way, one song total metal, the next lots of style . Ancient Curse acts like it's two different bands, one harsh Metallica sounding, the other more interesting compositionally (is that a piano?). Much of "The Landing" is too chugga-chugga all out metal for me, but it has some moments. Suffice it to say, if you like metal riffery and just can't get enough of that Metallica sound, Ancient Curse should fit the bill nicely. - Dane Carlson

Maryam Mursal - "The Journey"

 (Real World CAR 2370-2, 1998, CD)

Maryam Mursal is a singer from Somalia now exiled and living in Denmark. Somali music, like the country itself, is a unique mixture of African and Arabic. On this release, Mursal approaches her culture from a European pop perspective, freely mixing Somali instruments, melodies, and rhythms with contemporary grooves provided by her Danish collaborator Soren Kjaer Jensen and producers Simon Emmerson and Martin Russell of Afro-Celt sound System. As with the best Afropop, the beats drive the music, ranging from slinky Egyptian shuffle to James-Brown-goes-to-Africa rave-up. Many tunes are punctuated with a horn section, and the Elektra strings feature prominently on several cuts. The recording was done largely at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios, and Gabriel adds backing vocals on the album, though not in an especially noticeable capacity. This album functions equally well for the fan of cross-cultural dance music or the novice seeking new sounds. It's quite representative of the best the genre has to offer. - Jon Davis

Serah - "Senegal Moon"

 (Great Northern Arts, 1998, CD)

Serah is an American born composer and singer who has lived in both Africa and France. Her material straddles the boundaries of new-age, world music, and pop, and this is her fourth release. The eleven pieces herein carry a strong African flavor, but also a strong sense of euro-folk-classicism. Her voice is excellent, but a little frail and unrefined at times - which in a way gives the disc a nice touch, but it's also a nice contrast with vocalist Grace Storm, who provides the more soothing and ethereal backing vocal passages, while the Mauritanian born vocalists Daby and Omar Tour‚ and Senegalese vocalist Guilla Thiam provide the more rhythmic African based vocal stylings which to some degree are an integral component of almost every piece on the disc. No expense was spared in the production, and the strong contingent of backing musicians should be ample evidence thereof: Bass god Bernard Paganotti (Magma, Weidorje, Paga, Manu Katch‚) and his trademark style can be heard on every tune; also in the lineup is Paga keyboardist Bertrand LaJudie. Paganotti's son Antoine (who has worked with Patrick Gauthier and others in the past) capably mans the drum kit, and his daughter Himiko offers backing vocals, while guitarist Patrice Tison and Percussionist Xavier Desandre round out the lineup. The packaging is all-out as well, a cardboard tri-fold five color with die cut sleeve and gold printing. While the instrumental component and vocalizing are quite strong, too often the material wanders too close to new-age pop territory. Obviously this was conceived as a mainstream project, but it just happens to be interesting and somewhat progressive due to the African music content and the outstanding players/arrangers that back her. - Peter Thelen

Jeff Tarlton - "Astral Years"

 (Delerium DELEC CD062, 1997, CD)

I would bet money that Jeff Tarlton sleeps with a book of Kirouac's poems in his arms and Morrisons Van and Jim on his turntable (c'mon folks, it is SO hip to have vinyl). Tarlton is an American street musician living in Berlin who's come to the attention of the folks at Delirium and been allowed to record his song/poems for posterity. The 20 songs on "Astral Years" were actually recorded everywhere from Detroit to the Czech Republic, with a small army of guests. Most of what you hear, though, is Tarlton alone, usually accompanying himself on acoustic guitar, reciting his poetry, occasionally in verse as on "Beacon ing", but generally in a kind of monotone delivery set to a drone backdrop. A few songs receive a fuller production, as on "Ex celeration" and "I Wonder", but in general these are, as the liner notes put it, "sparse jewel set arrangements". That's a nice way to say that there ain't much to these songs. I'm sure they're minimalistic and short (typically two or three minutes tops) by design, but Tarlton is a bit too oblique for me. He obviously has a fascination with the trippy hippie scene of the late 60's even though I'm sure he himself is perpetually clad in black (It IS Berlin, after all.) The bottom line for me, I guess, is that if I want to hear mediocre folk music badly sung and played on a crappy old acoustic guitar I can go down to Santa Cruz to get a fix. One for the coffee house set. - Paul Hightower

Niacin - "Niacin"

 (Stretch Records SCD-9011-2, 1997, CD)

Niacin - "High Bias"

 (Stretch Records SCD-9017-2, 1998, CD)

The cover of the first Niacin shows the venerable Hammond B3, a creature of legend. So you get an idea what you are in for. Who is Niacin? I think this would be called a "pet project" where Three "names" have come together, at least that's my version. The only name I know of is bass player, Billy Sheehan. Yes, Mr. Bass Dynamo (something about a power drill...). The band also features Hammond player John Novello and drummer Dennis Chambers. John Novello's Hammond playing dominates these two releases. Now I don't know about you, but whenever I hear the mighty Hammond I think of Emerson, Lord, Michaels or Rolie and that mighty Leslie sound. There is a lot of history with this instrument, and while these two releases are filled with quality playing (no denying that), they are also totally forgettable. These guys strut their technically capable stuff and basically bore me to tears. Maybe live they would crank it up, but these songs just seem too easy, like this is a lark or something. There's defiantly nothing new here and they don't deliver it with any special flavor. A novelty at best, but pretty insubstantial. Although I doubt you ever thought you'd hear Billy Sheehan doing Birdland did ya? - Dane Carlson

Ground Zero - "Consume Red"

 (R‚R GZ3, 1997, CD)

One could say without stretching the truth too far, that "Consume Red" (part one of the three part "Project Consume") is basically an hour of pure thrash/noise experimentation, delivered piping hot by this Japanese eight piece ensemble featuring turntable terrorist Otomo Yoshihide, and seven others playing bass, guitars, samplers, drums, samisen, soprano sax, and a few other things. No vocals (other than an occasional voice sample) or keyboards so far as these ears can tell. Two saxes play off one another in free space for the first five minutes or so before the noise contingent starts to kick in, with the samisen joining at about the ten minute mark, adding a touch of Japanese tradition. The most brutal, distorted and ugly noise outbursts are injected at first only sporadically, but eventually more frequently, destroying nearly everything in their path. Around the 25 minute mark the double drums, samplers, noise bursts, turntables, another sax and general damnation and chaos all cut loose at once burying everything else that was before. It's shocking, stunning, anarchic, and mysteriously intriguing, but definitely not for the faint hearted. Eventually the drums find a groove and thrash away together under the general cacophony for the duration, even with some apparent chord changes, with more layers of sound being added with each passing minute. Things are slow developing, maybe a little too slow at times, but nonetheless this - while not so 'musical' in any traditional sense of composition, arrangement or development, is an interesting and fascinating listen nonetheless. - Peter Thelen

Pink Filth - "Seventeen Bubblegum Smashes!"

 (private release, 1997, LP)

Um. This is not Pink Floyd, it is Pink Filth. The name is not only a clever pun to fool high school stoners into buying the album (if they could find it in any store on this planet) but it also is a pretty good description of the music. Pink, because it is disturbingly bubblegummmmmy and Filth for the complete lack of any polish. I could go on for two pages about all the influences I could find, so I'm not going to mention any. Oh, believe me I want to, but as soon as I think of one that fits it changes into something that is not even remotely connected except by one thing (you'd better sit down). None of it sounds anything like what is usually referred to as progressive. But in my opinion that makes it the most progressive of all. There, I got that out of my system. Part of it sounds like the music for that game Zelda. When I was 13 I spent an entire weekend finishing that damn game. Maybe Pink Filth did too. Damn it, I said I wasn't going to mention any influences. I guess the best thing about it is that I have no idea what the hell it is. It's not like you could find it anywhere any way. This will go along side the hundreds of thousands of other bands I like that nobody in the entire world has ever heard of. So what's the point you ask me, the point is that as long as people like Pink Filth make music that shows such a huge pop influence and such complete disregard for what the evil commercial recording industry wants them to be then there is hope. Hope that our children will get to grow up with cool radio stations that actually have good reception. Um. when I'm 60 will Marilyn Manson be on the oldies station? I just wanna know. Keep in mind that this particular listener has listened to such much weird music in the name of misguided art that he just doesn't give a damn anymore. - Rich Norwood

Moby Trip - "NKU"

 (Cranium Music CRM001, 1998, CD)

Moby Trip is a trio from New Zealand operating in the retro-psych realm. The band features guitars, bass, and drums, with the guitarist doubling on keyboard programming, and vocal duties shared by bassist and guitarist. The album is recorded live, all taken from a single performance at Hamilton, in November '97. The thirteen minute opening suite is probably the best the album has to offer, a very typical sixties' psych workout, with some heavy guitar jamming, Floyd-like dream breaks, effect-laden intro, and some fairly average sounding vocals. While the instrumental performance is merely passable as well, there are still some interesting moments, occasional spirited solo flights, and that genuine sixties style echoey/reverb production that give it character. But by the end of the fourth track the album starts wandering all over the place, losing whatever focus it may have initially had. At the end of the day the listener would probably do better by going back and revisiting the first few Steppenwolf albums, Fever Tree, or Blue Cheer's "Vincebus Eruptum". - Peter Thelen

[Cranium Music, PO Box 10-309, Te Rapa, Hamilton, New Zealand. richard@cranium.co.nz]

Azalia Snail - "Escape Maker"

 (Garden of Delights GARDEN5, 1995, LP)

Anyone remember when indie rock really was far-out and "alternative?" Welcome to the lo-fi, do-it-yourself world of Azalia Snail, an eccentric, individualistic woman with an intensely personal, charmingly noisy avant-rock sound. Her music is made in the same spirit as bands like Bongwater (Kramer with Ann Magnusson) Two Foot Flame, and even Daniel Johnston; that is, it's guitar noise and anarchy informed by an art school sensibility (sound like the Velvets? You're getting there). Azalia Snail is apparently a semi-big name in the indie rock fold, having collaborated with Sebadoh, Beck, Three Mile Pilot, and Suzanne Lewis (Hail, Thinking Plague). While I enjoyed this album, I think its relevance to progressive rock is more due to attitude than execution. If you're looking for a fine quality recording job with songs that have melodies that soar, you should look elsewhere. However, if you're ready for something a bit different, a personal statement that works on its own terms, Azalia Snail may be for you.- Steve Robey

Faith & Disease - "Insularia"

 (Ivy Records IR33-12, 1998, CD)

The new Faith & Disease album is a continuation of the sound set forth on the Livesongs: Third Body album. That is slow, dreamy music, more similar in style to Mazzy Star than Dead Can Dance. If ambient music is meant to strip away the unnecessary, inducing a state of calm, the music of Seattle duo Faith & Disease might achieve that end. Vocalist Dara Rosenwasser croons sweetly over the sparse backdrop of sound. The music is slow, understated and quietly intense as if a single sound could shatter it. Think of the feeling you get when sitting in the sun for a while, the way the outside world gets slow...and blurred...and fuzzy, or the sensation of being underwater. The cast has changed a little here, players seem to come and go, and this recording has numerous guest musicians. The heart of Faith & Disease remains Dara Rosenwasser (vocals) and Eric Cooley (bass, guitar, and percussion). The are ably assisted by Steven Knouse (guitars) and Joshua Furman (drums and percussion). Faith & Disease use a variety of percussion, augmented by lap steel, flutes, keyboards, violin and pedal steel at various times. It seems each successive release by this band has refined and defined their sound. Insularia has taken them out of the gothic realm and placed them into a more 'hip' alternative sound, and for followers of the band that transition seems natural. Faith & Disease continue to make good music that doesn't fall into any preconceived category easily, and that's always good. - Dane Carlson

G.P. Hall - "Marks on the Air"

 (Esoteric Binaural EBL 025, 1997, CD)

This recording serves two masters. First, it presents soundscape artist G.P. Hall live on stage, and secondly, it demonstrates the binaural recording process. Binaural recording places two small microphones on either side of a dummy head to record an event that, when listened back through headphones, enhances the realism of the listening experience. Or so I'm told. I didn't use headphones while listening to the CD so I'll just have to take the publisher's word for it.As far as G.P. Hall goes, I'd place him musically somewhere between Robert Fripp and Peter Gabriel though not as inventive or creative as either. Many of the pieces on "Marks on the Wind" remind me of the beginning of Gabriel's "Lay Your Hands on Me" in that bursts of percussion (entirely synthetic here) intersperse with improvised soundscapes, played either on guitar or bass. There are no vocals and the overall ambiance of the music is subdued and mellow. There's a nice industrial quality to much of Hall's work due to his choice of sounds and effects and in the liner notes he professes a fondness for the aesthetics of industrial settings. My only gripe with the disc is that the pieces are generally too short and never really develop beyond their initial thematic statement. Consequently, they fail to generate a great deal of energy or drama. And, for all it's vaunted glorification in the booklet, I found the recording to be somewhat flat and sterile. While I'm sure it suited economic and practical needs, recording to a Mini-Disc is rarely going to produce a high-quality product, binaural or not. Still, for fans of the soundscape concept, this one should please. - Paul Hightower

Yochk'o Seffer - "Magyar Etno"

 (Pannon Jazz PJ1028, 1997, CD)

Magyar Etno is a collection of mostly solo pieces by this renowned jazz saxophonist. Seffer creates melodies in the folk style of his native Hungary, and uses these as starting and reference points for some exploratory improvisations. He alternates between bass, tenor, alto, and sopranino saxes on the nine tracks here, and also throws in a piano solo as well. Two of the tracks, including Thelonius Monk's "Epistrophy", make use of overdubbing to allow Seffer to provide his own piano accompaniment to his solos. The remaining tracks were presumably recorded live as spontaneous solo improvisations. The music has a free, playful quality to it, reflecting Seffer's substantial jazz vocabulary and technical strength while never wandering too far from the original ethnic themes. With over 45 minutes of Seffer's masterful sax playing on unfettered display, Magyar Etno would probably be of particular interest to sax players and students of improvisation. - Rob Walker [Contact: Stereo KFT, Bartok Bela ut 59, 1114 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/Fax: (361) 166 9674]

Leo Kupper - "Electro-Acoustic"

 (Pogus Productions 21009, 1997, CD)

You have to admit, with a title as academic sounding as this, one would not be unjustified in expecting a musical experience on the equivalent stimulation level of a botany lecture. That "new music" mindset that associates gain with pain. Whether or not Leo Kupper is a major subscriber to that theory is still up in the air; this baffling CD actually presents material to both support and refute the idea. Refutation clearly comes in the form of the first three compositions, dominated by the santur - a kind of hammer dulcimer used in North Indian music. Before we go further however, it must be noted that Kupper has sequenced the work into three sets of material. Well, this trio of santur pieces towers over everything that follows. The tonal and textural qualities of the instrument are such that abuse is near impossible. Smooth, soothing, and easy to imbibe, these aural massages revel in a mood liberated utterly from the restraint of "systems" and other such constraining devices. So far so good I say; we trundle on. Group two is scored for prepared guitar, accompanied by fluttering electronic effects and voices. Nice, but clearly a turn away from what was an even more promising direction. And unfortunately thereafter we drop further. Two marathoners clocking in at a combined forty- five minutes finish things off. A droning, spacious backdrop, and intermittent electro effects, provide bedding for what I can only describe as bits of vocal exercises, on the first. The second deals mainly with experiments in spoken voice overlay and juxtaposition. Not my cup of tea. But what frustrates is that the best material comprises merely thirteen minutes of the overall length. The guitar works add an additional twelve. But as for the rest, well let's just say it contributes the negative element to quite an unholy mixture. - Mike Ezzo

Eleanor Hovda - "Coastal Traces"

 (O.O.Discs OO29, 1997, CD)

Hovda is an important, yet little known composer who has been active on the contemporary music scene for over twenty years, mostly through live performances, scores for dance companies (of which "Coastal Traces" is but one), and as a composer whose work has been performed by numerous string and wind ensembles, including California Ear Unit, Kronos Quartet, Boston Musica Viva and the St.Louis Symphony. Surprisingly, though, is that this is the first complete CD of her own material, featuring pieces composed from 1991 through 1998, for the Nancy Meehan dance company.Sometimes the way music is created is at least as interesting as the music itself. The pieces herein were composed for a three-piece ensemble featuring Libby Van Cleve on double- reeds (oboe, english horn, shenai), Jack Vees on electric bass, guitar (electric and twelve string) and waterphone, and the composer playing the innards of a grand piano using friction mallets, plucking and using 'strings' made of violin bowhairs, with a microphone inside the piano to capture the resonances. So what does it sound like? The music here doesn't lend itself well to the standard twelve-tone western-classical descriptives, being more of an ambient/industrial/ experimental type nature. Sounds from any source tend to be protracted and change slowly over time, and often exist barely at the threshold of hearing. At some points a sound (usually one of the reeds) may jump out of the mix and assert itself, giving some definition to the otherwise amorphous nature of the bowed piano strings and bass. At other times the whole ensemble comes up to a louder growl. The fact that the entire performance here is acoustic allows it to offer some subtle details in the area of harmonics and resonance that electronically produced music cannot match. But because so much of this is played at a level that is barely audible, much of its detail is lost in a casual listen. Those ambient explorers looking for some acoustic relief from the otherwise-nearly-all-electronic ambient realm might do well to check this one out. - Peter Thelen

VA - "Soundscape Gallery 2"

 (Lektronik Soundscapes LS-100, 1998, CD)

On the heels of last year's excellent ambient anthology comes a new gallery from Lektronic Soundscapes, a second overview of what is still a unique and inventive genre. There are not as many big names on this one overall, but a few long time stalwarts are featured. Michael Stearns is here with a wonderful warm floating piece that reminds me of the days of "Jewel" and "Ancient Leaves." Bon Lozaga's piece brings back the days of "Zeit" period Tangerine Dream; an evocative contribution. Hans Christian's strange digital piece reminds me of some of Lightwave's experiments. Michel Huygen's "Megaluz" is the longest piece on the disc, typical of his romantic style and similar to the soundtracks Tangerine Dream recorded in the 80's. The other contributions are excellent, from people like Matthias Grassow, Caul (a very dark "Rubycon" like piece), Alpha Wave Movement, and Jeff Pearce. Excellent music all of it, well tracked and cutting edge. - Mike McLatchey

Laren d'Or - "War of Angels"

 (Periferic BGCD 010, 1997, CD)

The same veiled (an under-promoted!) Hungarian label that is teasing us with Talizman, and After Crying, now goes to the other side for a symphonic keyboard recording by Laren d'Or. A solo project? Most likely, as there is no group roster to refer to. The Euros are going big guns over stuff like this, due to the vast popularity of Vangelis and Jean-Michel Jarre. And while the former's status is justified, Jarre is iffy at best for me, barring his excellent debut, "Les Chants Magnetiques". What I find particularly frustrating is when a guy like that attracts hordes of followers who don't realize that the genre he came from sports a wealth of vastly superior work by artists they have no interest in hearing. Anyway Laren d'Or stands head and shoulders above any commercial projects I can think of. "War of Angels" features a variety of all instrumental dramatic and cinematic moods in an electro-symphonic mode that would work perfectly as soundtrack material. Though I was honestly not expecting to like this, the CD kept me engaged throughout, mainly because of the clever use of an unusual assortment of sound textures. For example, one piece began as a Kraftwerkian pastiche, but transformed itself into something completely different. Last issue's Olyam release may be a proper reference point for this CD, but Laren is much less predictable, insofar as he will readily jump from a simple melodic passage, to a more classical/romantic Enid-like territory; nowhere near as slick as of others of this ilk. This is the greatest charm of Laren d'Or's work in my opinion. How much better though if it were a whole band playing? That might not be bad advice for him to follow. The way it stands, non-converts would have to really be in the mood for something like "War of Angels", but that isn't necessarily criticism. - Mike Ezzo

[Contact: Stereo KFT, Bartok Bela ut 59, 1114 Budapest, Hungary. Tel/Fax: (361) 166 9674]

VA - "Electroacoustic Music Vol.1 - Russia 1997, Disc 1"

 (Electroshock Records ELCD 004, 1998, CD)

VA - "Electroacoustic Music Vol.1 - Russia 1997, Disc 2"

 (Electroshock Records ELCD 005, 1998, CD)

Interestingly enough, this excellent - what should be a 2CD set, is packaged as two separate discs with almost identical covers. Only the careful eye will note the small red "Disc One" or "Disc Two" on the back cover and the different track listing. That said, this is for the most part some pretty wild stuff, like something O.O.Discs might release: two discs (of roughly 75 minutes each) of experimental electro-acoustic music by a number of different Russian composers. The proceedings kick off with three tracks by Taras Bujevsky who, using strings, woodwinds and found/taped- sounds achieves an almost Art Zoyd like atmosphere. Vladamir Komarov explores the next two, with a heavier reliance on tapes, samples, voices and electronics. Next is "Life In The Outside", a 21 minute four-part piece by Artem Vasiliev whose title pretty much says it all: twisted sampled percussion, tape manipulation, filtered acoustic sound effects and electronics. Way out there. Andrew Rodinov closes disc one (and disc two as well) with a shorter piece for programmed percussive samples and ambient electronics. Disc two starts with two pieces by Vladamir Nikolayev - one pretty much for solo violin that eventually gets consumed by electronics and sampled sounds, the other a collage constructed of hundreds of samples of voices laughing, yet put together in such a way that it's completely rhythmic and musical. On disc two one will find compositions by both Edward Artemiev (father) and Artemiy Artemiev (son). One may recall we covered Artemiy's first three releases in issue #14; his offerings here follow in a similar vein: cinematic ambient visions that ebb and flow in a dreamlike state of flux, combining electronics, acoustics and judiciously applied samples. Edward's offerings are more based in acoustic instrumentation, punctuated with sampled effects, extremely dark and sinister like a soundtrack to your worst nightmare. Stanislav Kreitchi offers his avant-percussive "Music for Wood and Metal", and the ten minute, three part "Tryptich - Ocean", delving deeper into the realm of samples and aggressive electronics. There's a lot here to be sure, and some of it is not all that easy to listen to, but intrepid sonic explorers should find plenty herewithin to spark the imagination. - Peter Thelen

Electroshock Records, Ul.Krilatskaya 31-1-321, 121614 Moscow, Russia]

Tim Hodgkinson - "Pragma"

 (R‚R TH1, 1998, CD)

This is a disc of difficult music since the listener must have the discipline to hear the "big picture" and not get caught in a scattering of perceived dissonant ideas. In the composer's own words: the starting point for his works begins with improvisation and arrives at finished material through the execution a musical action. Pragma consists of six pieces to a random puzzle which have been created across the last two years. Dissecting them one by one will give you a good appetite for what to expect. Repulsion is a mood grabber with plenty of open space for clarinet, and an interjecting brass section who have an unhealthy dialogue so to speak. The second selection, SHHH is a quiet conversation between heavily manipulated, taped voices providing a disturbing, almost ghostly mood. The third work is a controlled mayhem using prepared viola and definitely not for the faint of heart. I'm surprised that modern horror film has not grasped the potential of Hodgkinson's penchant for sorting through a seeming disarray of disparate ideas. The tense tone his work creates could easily catapult a teen movie goer into a frenzy in say... Scream 3? Possibly, but more likely this modern composer will still languish with others who only appeal to a small, but educated audience. - Jeff Melton

Tatsuya Yoshida & Ron Anderson -"A Is for a Accident"

 (F.M.N. Sound Factory, FMC-009, 1998, CD)

This duo of Yoshida on drums and vocals and Anderson on guitar and vocals, is rather in the style of Ruins, the group which Yoshida a led, along with various bassists, and occasional guitarists. Yoshida was also a member of YBO2 which included noise guitarist K. Null. Both groups manifested in the influence of the obscure but visionary and idiosyncratic French progressive rock group, Magma. The very peculiar Magmoid influence, with its angular, throbbing, buzzing bass lines (here invoked at times by Anderson's heavy guitar) appearing front and center, the frenetic and virtuosic drumming, distinctive harmonic vocabulary and invented language are combined with post-punk hyper-energy, power and attitude, plus the unconstrained liberty of free improvisation make up this series of improvisations by Yoshida and Anderson. Both musicians have chops to spare, but they really don't indulge is rip-snorting histrionics and displays of technique. Rather, they go for a texture, a visceral response, an attitude of verve and exuberance, and they nail the sucker. The resulting music is frenzied and exhilarating, if not cathartic. And while one is inclined to mentioned the likes of John Zorn and Elliott Sharp in the same breath--they represent a handy point of reference and this will certainly appeal to admirers of both of these musicians- -Yoshida and Anderson offer up music which is stylistically separate and most distinctive. - Dean Suzuki

[F.M.N. Sound Factory, c/o Parallax Records, #103 Heights Ecrat 201, Sugadaizin-cho Bukkoji Shinmachi-dori, Nishi-iru Shimokyo-ku, Kyoto 600, Japan]

Gerard - "Meridian"

 (Musea FGBG 4247.AR, 1998, CD)

One of Japan's longest lived symphonic bands, Gerard has produced a long string of albums beginning with their eponymous debut in 1984, featuring an expanded six-piece lineup, which by the second album "Empty Lie Empty Dream" a year later was down to a four- piece fronted by bandleader/keyboardist Toshio Egawa and guitarist/vocalist Yukihiro Fujimura. These two stand as symphonic rock classics and contain much of the band's best material to date. A long hiatus, presumably a breakup and reformation resulted in 1991's "Irony of Fate" with a harder-edged, more guitar dominated sound, and Egawa and Fujimura the only remaining original members. Today, of course Gerard has no guitarist, they are effectively a trio of keys, bass and drums, with Egawa being the only original member, employing Canadian born vocalist Robin Suchy as required to sing where singing is required. Meridian is an interesting album as six of it's seven tunes are rearranged remakes of material on those first three albums, four from the first album alone. In its original incarnation, the instrumental opener "Acts of the Apostles" was a very powerful statement. The new version dispenses with the fade-in intro and guitar parts, and would be an incredible tune if it weren't for the extremely sloppy and distorted mixdown that much of this album (but most notably the first two or three cuts) sports - regrettable, because many of the tunes are much improved in their new arrangements. Also included here is the ten-minute "Evidence of true Love" which appeared as an EP on Musea earlier this year. Overall, the performance and new arrangements presented here are superb, but even the most tolerant listener will be annoyed by all the distortion in the mix. - Peter Thelen

Box Of Crayons -"Colorblind Chameleon"

 (WMMS 073, 1997, CD)

This one took me several listens before I could even begin to pin it down enough to write a review. Covering a wide spectrum of art rock, Box of Crayons are certainly interesting. Their starting point is usually the acoustic guitar, laying down friendly, tuneful songs with nice lead vocals that are kind of a cross between Brett Kull and Peter Hammill. Quite often, however, the mix includes such colorful instrumentation as clarinets, vibes, trumpet, keyboards, samples, and so on, somehow making each song sound different from the last. My favorite was the spoken word piece "Ashes, Ashes," which pits a real neat recitation over some cool vibraphone backing. A sample from the lyric: "...holidays past when Irving Berlin songs came true and father looked a little bit older and grayer than everyone remembered..." - that's pretty evocative. Then, the next song goes into a Camel-like instrumental (circa Stationary Traveler), and the song after that reminds me of IQ. "Busy Signals" predictably uses telephone sound effects, but they are disturbingly effective in providing the pulse for this rather bleak tune.The packaging contains lots of crayon art, along with an invitation for their fans to color in their own Box of Crayons logo and send it in (in the interest of "interactive art"). Yes, this is esoteric stuff, and though I'm not sure if I like it yet, it sure got my attention. - Steve Robey

Love Spirals Downwards - "Flux"

 (Projekt 85, 1998, CD)

Featured at last year's Projekt Fest in Chicago, the fifth release for this duo also happens to be this writer's introduction to them. Their music could be characterized as ambient electronic pop with a powerful and ethereal vocal content provided by Suzanne Perry. Overall their sound has a bit of a late-eighties alternative pop feel, arty, dreamy and introspective, with the frequent use of repetitive danceable rhythms (obviously drum programs), a very synthetic based feel, and those echoey production qualities, with a sort-of Cocteau Twins vocal approach. Predictably enough, the album's best tracks seem to be the most electronic based, repetitive and least 'pop' (like "Nova" or "Sunset Bell", for example) though most of the tracks herein tend to be fairly accessible. Most of the instrumental content is so obviously pre-programmed that it's really hard to get excited about - generally rather lifeless and cold, though that is clearly offset by Perry's warm and spirited voice parts, even the very interesting vocal loops and manipulations on the aforementioned "Sunset Bell". Fans of ambient electronic pop might do well by giving this one a spin. - Peter Thelen

Electrum - "Frames of Mind"

 (Electrum, 1998, CD)

Here are three guys who love Rush and decided to record an album together of songs influenced by the Canadian trio. It's a scenario I've seen played out over and over (see Afterlife in these pages) with varying degrees of success. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give Electrum a five. There are plenty of strong ideas throughout this CD and in only a few places could I spot the nicked Rush riffs. "Voices" and "Inertial Dampers Off-Line" work best overall though my overriding criticism is that the entire disc sounds like a collection of demos. The first problem is the lack of vocals. Vocals can work or not (and with Rush influenced bands it rarely does) but without them, the songs seem to be missing something. Problem number two is that guitarist Dave Kulju doesn't solo at all. Instead, he strums out rhythm parts on his Stratocaster that end up sounding thin and dull. That with the first problem make the songs sound as if vocals and solos were meant to be laid on later. The final problem is that, while Gino Foti's bass and Joe Musmanno's drumming are clearly up to snuff, they and Kulju are simply poorly recorded. I had to crank the volume on my stereo just to get an adequate level off of the CD. The occasional use of keyboards worked fine and perhaps if more time were spent pulling the arrangements together, Electrum could end up with something to be truly proud of. - Paul Hightower

[Contact Electrum at tomservo@nh.ultranet.com or www.nh.ultranet.com/~tomservo]

Nukli - "The Time Factory"

 (Delerium DELEC CD030, 1997, CD)

Nukli are a psych-rock band who have a fairly long history peppered with only a few, rare releases. Having spent a good part of the '80's gigging in England on the festival scene with the likes of the Ozrics, the band eventually dissolved as the keyboardist moved to Canada. Delerium has recently issued "The Time Factory", which is a reissue, archival, and new release all in one. Based mostly on the unfinished (but still released) cassette "Book Of Changes", "The Time Factory" completes the music by adding in the keyboard parts and staple psychedelic TV-land one-liners and samples. The main riff on "Book Of Changes" is one of the best passages on the album. The band keeps revisiting this theme in between funkadelic tripped-out pseudo-disco passages and the aforementioned sample montages. Vocalist Kev Hegan sounds very similar to Bill Berends (Mastermind) at best, and by the 2nd track things are a little worse. However, the last two tracks re-done from the cassette are essentially all instrumental and includes a restatement of the main theme from the first track. Here, the band is at their best, with some decent guitar work from Hegan and solid keys from the apparent band leader Eric Pavlak. The last track digs deeper into the band's history, from the mid '80's, when some (evidently) important figure by the name of PSi Steve played with them. Propelled by dated a drum machine, this last track adds little to the album, other than a lot of time. Fans of the psych scene are sure to enjoy this release, but the slightly below-average production values, gimmicks, and vocals might not fare well for those used to Ozrics or Porcupine Tree. - Dan Casey

Lana Lane - "Garden of The Moon"

 (Angular SKAN 8212.AR, 1998, CD)

When one has to crank out fifty or sixty reviews per issue, you pretty much have to be listening to music at every possible opportunity, including hours spent at the so-called day job. Usually it's headphones or unbearably low volume levels so you don't disturb co-workers who can't handle anything stronger than Garth or Celine, but once in a while the urge comes over this writer to crank it up a little and see what kind of reaction comes from others - like the guy who thought Deus Ex Machina sounded just like Kansas. Remembering that Lana Lane's first record seemed to recall eighties rock chanteuse Pat Benatar, I decided this would be the one - the headphones came off and the volume increased - just enough to be heard by passers by. 10:12AM, a hardware engineer sticks his head over the corner of the cubicle: "Hey, I used to really dig Heart, even went to see them a few times. Is that a new album?". About thirty minutes later another person commented "Isn't that the group with the two sisters? What's their name?". Okay, for two people to independently come up with the same idea, there must be something to it, right? It's difficult to dispute if we are strictly talking about Lane's voice - she's an Ann Wilson deadringer circa '82, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that in my book. The instrumental component features solid musicianship by a cast of great players, including keyboardist Erik Norlander of Rocket Scientists fame and stick maestro Don Schiff. Operating instrumentally in mildly symphonic hard-rock territories, the band showcases the singer's talents well. A number of cool extended keyboard and guitar solos by Norlander and axeman Neil Citron will no doubt warrant some progressive credentials, yet taken on its overall merit, this is really a mainstream 80's rock album - any of the songs here could have been major hits a decade ago. And one might suppose that they still have some potential in the nineties, yet on radio these days one never hears this sort of power driven female fronted rock anymore. - Peter Thelen

[Pendragon Merchandising USA, (909) 784-1712 www.pendragonusa.com]

Jon Anderson - "The More You Know"

 (Purple Pyramid CLP 0245-2, 1998, CD)

I knew there was something fishy about this CD when I looked at the song lengths - all are nearly identical. Pre-planned? Hmmmm, could be. After six solo releases since 1994, a vacation in Bermuda would have provided Anderson with a requisite stop gap to allow reflection on his future. Unfortunately this wasn't to be. Why unfortunate? Because it could have kept him from the mistake of producing "The More You Know". It seems he had some pop material which he needed to rid his system of, and here it is. This one represents the lowest point of his career, the result when "World Beat" inspires songwriters to become "international artists", a euphemism for the phenomenon where all musicians sound the same, whether from Britain or Tibet. Cheesy non-percussion conspires to turn every song here into bland radio-friendly drivel. Even moments of quiet reflection are painted day-glow pink by that prerequisite for 90's pop music - the groove. The beat. Boom - bap, baboomboom - bap. With such an import placed on drums can't at least a real person play them? Outside of Jon's wonderful vocal delivery, nothing of any redeeming worth can be found here. There are millions of people to whom you could recommend this CD. None of them however are fans of Jon Anderson! Jon, your "Song of Seven, "Animation", and a handful of others sit proudly in my collection, but here I have to put my foot down. Not that I'm expecting "Olias of Sunhillow" every year. It can't be done, but that is just the point - when you are too prolific the quality tends to dip, as this release obviously shows. For now I think a healthy rest and reflection period is in order. I have no doubt something magnificent from you awaits us ahead. - Mike Ezzo

Crises - "Broken Glass"

 (Angular Records SPV 085-10032 CD, 1998, CD)

OK, another CD from Angular, yet another German Dream Theater clone. I thought the Germans liked Saga but I guess that was the good old days. "Broken Glass" covers all the requisite bases: James La Brie clone on vocals, Mike Portnoy clone on drums, James Petrucci clone on guitar (well, not quite, but then again, who is?), a light dusting of keyboards, and just enough tricky time signatures to keep things interesting. I guess I should give Crises credit for at least dealing with the accent-mangling-the- vocals problem by just getting an American, Russell Gray, to do the singing. The songs generally fall into the 6:30 range, just long enough for a cool intro, a blistering metal riff or two, a couple of verses, a chorus, another verse and chorus, the proggy middle bit, and a big verse and chorus to close it off. Next... Actually, the requisite big-epic-title-track (clocking in at nearly 20 minutes) and the closer "Drops of Rain" were the most listenable for me due to some tasty synth playing from Marko Brenzinger and creative arranging. Unfortunately, the rest of the disc is just too derivative to interest me. I guess if you think Dream Theater is da bomb then you might enjoy "Broken Glass", but I just can't get behind it. These are talented players who will hopefully stretch out a bit in the future and create an identity of their own. For serious Dream Theater fans only. - Paul Hightower

Monolith - "Monolith"

 (Musea FGBG 4252.AR, 1998, CD)

At first listen this k/b/d band delivers up derivative progressive rock of the highest order. However, I discovered that a good chunk of this was written in 1977, nearly predating the sound they lean upon. Bill Hamer had the multi-part opener penned and was unable to find an outlet. Years later he sent the tapes to Musea. Monolith are far rockier than ELP (though ELPowell could be a reference). The band serve up some heavy keyboard-driven stuff; Hamer is all over the keys. It's the kind of music I love to sing along with, heavy-handed prog with grandiose themes. Imagine ELP meets Black September. The bulk of this album is "The Apocalypse Concept" a sci-fi kind of tale that really cooks: Tons of synth and Hammond. Bass and Vocals are handled quite well by Gordon Winfield; his vocals are far gutsier than Lake, and he's a solid bass player too. Drummer Ron Mattia is no slouch either, pounding away with precision and grace. The album starts to fall flat after this piece, wearing the listener out. The 3 remaining older tracks are carry on the same vein. The last two tracks leap at out you instantly, you just knew they were new. Monolith founder Bill Hamer admits he wimped out on these two: "Mr. Personality" and "When Push comes to Shove". Both are of the pseudo-prog/pop style we all know as early 80's style, however the infectious verse's and hooks in "When Push comes to Shove", actually make it better than most Asia or GTR offerings. Monolith deliver a tasty slice of late 70's power prog. - Dane Carlson

Blackmore's Night -"Shadow of the Moon"

 (EAR 0037552EDL, 1998, CD)

Well if this album doesn't make you want to run barefoot through the heather I don't know what will. Former axeman for Rainbow and Deep Purple has joined with his Lady to create an utterly enchanting album. I guess while his body was smashing guitars onstage, his soul was strumming a 12 string under the moon. I am a sucker for mandolin and folk chordings in general, both of which you get plenty of on "Shadows of the Moon". The album consists of mostly original music (the one trad. song is Greensleeves of course) and the melodies are all instantly likable. The real treat here is Ritchie's fianc‚/wife, the singer Candace Night. Her voice is just plain beautiful. The vocals on Renaissance's Ocean Gypsy are right on the mark. She's not a multi-octave belter, but she really sounds great here. Ritchie still gets in a solo or two; this isn't a complete acoustic project. The band is Ritchie on all things stringed, Candace sings and Pat Regan plays keyboards. The group is supplemented by the Minstrel Hall Consort; Gerald Flashman (recorders, trumpet and french horns), Tom Brown (cello) and Lady Green (viola and violins). Also joining on one song is Mr. Flute himself, Ian Anderson. The music on "Shadow of the Night" is mostly of a folk nature, but the band has updated the sound and added other music to the mix. Shades of Elizabethan and Baroque styles blend with the good-natured pop/folk. The only complaint I have is the album is a wee bit too long, while the music is really good, there is a lot of it. A great release by an old war-horse. - Dane Carlson