The second release in the over-priced under-packaged series of livediscs on Mute's Jenny Divers label is another concert from Panasonicrecorded in 1995. This recording however was from one show in London,(as opposed to the two-show in NY release reviewed a few weeks back).The sound is much different as the group knows how to cater to thedifferences in fans and concert goers in both cities. While the NY showwas full of meaty bass-heavy beats, this disc is littered with moreintrospective art-school class "A" electronica, with much aim to pleasethe stuffy London chin-scratchers searching for irony in an electronicconcert. The disc is considerably shorter, totalling only 53 minutesbut thankfully is indexed track-by-track. Once again, only the seriousfans need to worry about shelling out the stupid cash to pay for thisslab of black plastic accompanying the CD, each without artwork. samples:
Kid 606 wasn't far from the truth when he claimed that "Matmos are the A-Team of electronica" — the new full-length album is a triumph for this San Franciscan duo. Their fourth album follows along the progression taken with 'The West,' moving even further away from random technological fuckery on their first two to create a cohesive, conceptual, organized result.
The band that made aname for themselves by loudly invoking their own anonymity andobscurity since 1972 is not really about secrets anymore. Many of theirprojects from the late 1990s up until now have been very high-profile,with backing from large software companies, international tours, andtons of product ranging from the typical t-shirts to little statuettesand build-'em-yrself model kits. Even the faces and identities of theband members — once the carefully guarded secret around which theybased their marketing — are apparent enough to the fan who does alittle bit of research. 'The Residents' has become, quite deliberatelya brand that is applied to a range of product. That's why the groupwants to be sure that the product with their brand name on it is up totheir quality standards. When it isn't, as in the case of this CDreissue of the "Assorted Secrets" cassette of rehearsals from 1984,when they lose a bit of that control, is when the music gets the mostinteresting. 
Somewhere way up north,an Opera is coming together featuring Stockport's finest. V/Vm wasthere in secrecy at the scene of the crime: the Crown Inn, MD in hand,stealing the sounds coming from the stars. Little did they know thattheir secret revolutionary plans were to be documented, exposed,reproduced and distributed. Four contributions from five of the starshave fit on this slab of thick black wax, seven inches in diameter(where would the music community be if everybody turned to metric,huh?) Meatgrowth, Miss Bill Apauling, Mrs. Attitude, and a stunningduet between White Sox and Sandals have all made their appearances.Select audio transition periods have been carefully inserted withlittle intervention from the V/Vm Test Records label. Listening, Ithink I've heard Sandals before on the AuralOffalWaffle - recordingoriginally as CC White, this stellar singer is now performing duetsunder a sneaky new guise. I don't know what the full opera is going tosound like but it's destined to become one of the year's best of theworst.
Thread is essentiallyJames Izzo and "Abnormal Love" is his debut for Middle Pillar. Izzohas obviously put much effort over the past year into making this albumdynamic and diverse with a strong sense of continuity. Each song flowsinto the next, several with the aid of brief segue tracks, to make onecohesive whole out of all the pieces. We shift naturally throughpassages of sample collage, electro/ebm, orchestra, dub, pianoarrangement and ambient soundscape. Three songs have vocals. Izzo'sare a bit pallid on their own, as on part 2 of "The Horror of theUndeserved Gift", but more functional alongside those of former SWANSmember Jarboe. "Biomechanical Intercourse / The Malformed Heart" getsthings pumping with a steady electro heartbeat rhythm. "In SweetSorrow (Duet Version)" differs from the single version (see Thread "
Part experimentalcommunity theater and part Ryoji Ikeda, this disc is the studio versionof what has been performed around the world since October, 1999. Fromthe start, much of the music seems to be built on sounds and conceptswhich appeared first on Ikeda's "Time and Space" CD set. Rhythmicpatterns are constructed from a small collection of electronic bytes,on top of this are added various other drones, squeals and abrasivenoise, along with the occasional spoken word from Simon Fisher Turnerand Rene Eyre. Much like a disc from Ryoji Ikeda, special attention ispaid to sound depth and spacial conceptions, but there's a magical,almost human element of surprise. Unexpected jolts of energy strikelike a flash of lightning, bringing almost completely unbearable whitenoise sounds. Subsequently, other tracks move away from the familiarIkeda sound, incorporating drum-machine generated beats and truemusical compositions. Short pieces provide atmospheric yet sonicallychallenging aural matrixes, weaving patterns perhaps constructed forinfinite repeats while well-crafted light displays illuminatepost-industrial backdrops so artspotters can scratch their chins insilence. Keep in mind, this disc could very well be somewhatsouvenir-like of the live installation, something of which I haven'tseen and can't really comment on, but there's diagrams available ofstage setup and requirements listed at the 
I must admit that Ihonestly don't remember this record being this good when I got it onvinyl two years ago, but now that it's on CD I feel it's worth amention. The Montreal trio known as Exhaust consists of Gordon Kriegeron clarinet, bass and guitar, godspeed's Aidan Girt on drums andvarious other things and Mike Zabitsky in control of reel-to-reel tapecut-ups. Their first release from 1996 was only on cassette, threesongs from that were remixed and appear on this eponymous release. Thetrio not only know how to interact well with each other on this disc,creating moderate tempo grooves and spacey cuts from improvisedsessions and limited sources, but they know when to quit and start thenext track. The ten tracks on the disc just barely squeak in over 30minutes, which is perfect for something as enjoyable yet somewhat thinas this. On each track it seems as if the recordings are going straightto the tape without overdubs of more instruments and effects. Aiden'srhythms are simple yet beat-box influenced and hyper-manipulated inparts, Gordon's musical contributions change from track to track andcan be a dub-sonic bass loop, squelching guitar or calming clarinet.Almost taking center stage are the samples and tapes, which unlike inthe godspeed setting carry no profound message and seem to be used forthe sole sake of their sound. Godspeed fans shouldn't jump into thisrelease expecting to hear something similar to A Silver Mt. Zion orMolasses, Exhaust is much different.
The debut release fromJoon Hong and Varunee co-operator Chokdee Rutirasiri and hasmaterialized as the third release on the young Boston-based labelVarunee. Miro's first full-lengther was co-produced in Chicago withMatt Lux (of Isotope 217) and features contributions from Lux and a fewother area players. The disc opens up with an enjoyable Mouse OnMars-influenced instrumental bit, a moderate-paced melodic yet glitchypiece, from there the disc becomes somewhat sour and repetitious. Thefollowing eight tracks are good starts, but seemingly underdevelopedand homogenous. What works on here is the experimentation of sound: thecollective has found great uses for their gear, plays it well and hasmade the sound work for them in a great environment. The charming organsounds and analogue keyboards mixed with digital processing is somewhatof an accomplishment. Unfortunately the production is a bit muddy andrarely allows the instruments to really stand out with their ownidentity. What doesn't work on this disc is the overly dramatic yetflat vocals: this album should have been either entirely instrumentalor only had voice on two tracks. (Which ones I can't decide on becauseI'm not terribly fond of the singer or context.) On the up-side ofthings, I'll be interested to hear how this group progresses, as thisstart certainly has quite a bit of unrealized potential. Hint of advicefor new bands: start with singles, get experience, work your way up. Adebut album is an ambitious undertaking, both financially andpsychologically, rarely is somebody going to make a stellar debut. Evenif you do, chances are you'll always be compared to that debut or killyourselves trying to top it. Create a buzz and leave short but powerfulimpressions on the listeners.
