HYPNOSKULL. PANIK MEKANIK. CD. ANT-ZEN ACT187
if hypnoskull's recent work could be defined in a word then
'diversification' would be the word. he has always been an open minded
human being and who collaborates with musicians of all genres. patrick
stevens has moved far beyond the 'hardcore' corset he is still
associated with. stevens' self-concept doesn't care about 'boundaries'
of any kind. 'panik mekanik' perfectly displays that there are no
reservations whatsoever in p.stevens' work. on this album you will find
a large variety of styles, ranging from heavy breakbeats and
drum'n'bass to dark hop and even ambient and soundtrackish tunes. but
in each and every note you recognize that it's the unmistakable
hypnoskull. fast break-attacks like 'the self detonation device' and
'in thee air' - that's patrick as you might know him from his'
high-energetic live performances. 'mekanodruggembryo' or 'basement
alpha mission triggerz' show the dark, moody hypno-side - and these
tracks only show a few facets... it took a long process of selections,
queries and adjustments to finalize 'panik mekanik', but as always the
effort was worth it - the end result being a fantastic piece of work.
this is undoubtedly the best hypnoskull album so far - now it's your
turn to evaluate!
available: now !!!
ULTRA MILKMAIDS. POCKET STATION. CD. ANT-ZEN ACT190
the ultra milkmaids can be found in unusual places: record stores,
stages, maybe even on video covers. the ultra milkmaids can also be
discovered in many record collections - if you file your records
alphabetically then all their records can be kept in one place. but if
you sort by genre... trouble may start. 'peps' for example will be
stored where all the 'difficult' stuff is - soundscapes, bits'n'clicks,
the 'new music' which is actually fifty years old now (if you know how
to spell 'pierre schaeffer') - but we zone out. 'pop pressing', well
that's another story. if you enjoyed that record then you will park it
not too far from your many stereolab and sonic youth albums. with this
release, u.m. has returned to the guitar-oriented basics they
originally started with in 1993 but now there is the addition of the
experimental sound modifications from the 'peps' days. this new release
entitled 'pocket station' is the logical sequel to 'pop pressing'. the
band itself classifies the u.m. sound as 'hypnotic and melodic
rock'n'roll' - which might look a bit vexing. sure the instrumentation
could be used by a 'rock-and-roll-band': acoustic drums, electric
guitars and bass. however, the use of the sampler and gbf-moog system
mentioned in the booklet stops any comparisons to the rock genre. what
we have here is a truly fine mixture of post eighties experimental rock
(in all its varieties) - augmented with the sound ingredients the
milkies are well-known for. 'less drem' with it's long sallow synth
line followed by psychedelic backwards-guitars and irritating clicks is
a perfect example of u.m.'s ability to mold 'unreasonable' styles into
one. there is always a surprising continuation within their songs - 'my
star' could be a velvet underground cover (with the residents' vocalist
as a guest), but in the end the synth takes over - and believe me, this
is not a hawkwind tune... so try this release, let it take over. it
might be possible that you will discover new worlds by entering
seemingly 'old' ones. file this album wherever you like...
available: now !!!
GENEVIEVE PASQUIER. VIRGIN PULSES. CD. ANT-ZEN ACT191
geneviéve pasquier's debut cd 'soap bubble factory' introduced this
outstanding artist to listeners who do not have access to a record
player (having a vinyl collection isn't expected anymore). now, after
countless customers' requests, both geneviéve and ant-zen are
presenting g.p.'s finest vinyl tracks on compact disc (for the first
time). what you will find is the complete 'virgin thoughts' lp, three
7" tracks, 'fairy tale' from the split-10" with bastards of love,
g.p.'s 'in stahlgewittern II' compilation contribution - and the
previously unreleased 'blitzkrieg baby' (part 1 and part 2). the style
ranges from distorted noise-influenced industrial ('don't think i
am...') to dark electro beats ('pulse'); also included is her take on a
pop tune ('today the disco'). this retrospective shows geneviéve's
artistic variety right from the beginning. the mastery of many
electronic sound facets, combined with her exceptional voice -
claiming, alluring, repelling, suspicious - was and will be g.p.'s
trademark. all of this is perfectly displayed on this truly fine
release.
available: 30october2k6
S:CAGE. MADNESS TURNS TO GLASS. CD. ANT-ZEN ACT206
it has been two years since 'remote' and now s:cage has returned with
'madness turns to glass'. with this release stephen seto has achieved
the emotional response that he is known for; accomplished via his
unique mixture of melody, aggression and iciness. that is, he has
continued on the path he started with his debut. what's astounding in
s:cage's work is the ability of mixing various moods through the
assemblage of sounds. there is beauty and aggression at the same time
but there is no disruption; which is perfectly exemplified by the13+
minute track, 'madness'. a kaleidoscope of melodic keyboard lines,
enriched with disturbing samples and sudden broken beats - it could be
the symphony of an awakening megalopolis; a million individuals living
their daily lives at the same time. rhythm is ever present in s:cage's
compositions, but rhythm is not just a carrier of a 'beat' - in
'collapsing breath', the structures change constantly, keeping the mind
and ear busy. the manipulated voices seto collected are never
overbearing, they are a part of the instrumentation. as seen by cordell
klier appearance as a guest musician and vocalist in 'sprawling,
endless cities'. in s:cages sound space nothing is as it seems - take
'vapour', a dreamy soundscape where voices from the real world and fast
rhythmic textures interfere and affect the dream. when the record is
over and 'madness' has finally turned to 'glass', you will realize that
you have to take another listen right away. so that you can get a
deeper understanding (and pleasure) of this work. digi-sleeve special
cardboard packaging
available: 01november2k6
SQUAREMETER. NYX. CD. ANT-ZEN ACT208
following the fantasy influenced 'war of sound', the exotic 'aswad' and
the haunting 'frozen spark', mathis mootz produced his latest concept
work, 'nyx' (night). 'nyx' is not only the album title but it's also
the ancestral name of the eight greek goddesses and gods that are the
inspiration for the track titles. mootz says that this work 'is the
most satisfying squaremeter release since i started the project'. the
name of the first five mythological statures characterize an attribute
for which they stand for: vitiation (moros), death (thanatos), sleep
(hypnos), discord (eris), retribution and revenge (nemesis). the last
three tracks are named by the moires (goddesses of faith): klotho,
spinning the thread of life, lachesis who decides this thread's length
and atropos who cuts the thread relentlessly. nyx and her descendants
represent the dark regions of greek mythology - self-evidently 'nyx' is
the aural implementation of what these figures stand for. the deep
drones, bass pulses and disturbing soundscapes seem to originate from
some otherworldly region and worm their way through the listener's
psyche (and into nightmares). often, releases of this genre have a cold
icy mood but the spirit of 'nyx' is red-hot - even when the deathless
long pauses occur within the tracks. except for 'nemesis' no rhythmic
structures will be found here as an anchor. time itself seems to be
invalidated, experiencing this album will be as if you slipped into a
black hole for an eternity. this is like watching waves crash against
rocks in slow motion: there's a sense of movement and development, but
it's almost as if that development is taking place on a grander time
scale than what we are able to grasp. truly epic and massive:
enveloping and cleansing, the sound of tectonic plates colliding.
adjust the headphones - references are legion.
available: 06november2k6