Marc Leclair – musique pour 3 femmes enceintes (CD)

It was a cold Sunday afternoon. I was at Renaissance Montréal looking at their huge second hand CD`s. I got lucky that day. I found a bunch of sealed Mutek_rec CD`s. Mutek_rec is the accompanying label of Montréal Mutek festival. The first album from Marc Leclair AKA; Narod Niki, Anna Kaufen, Akufen, David Scott, Horro Inc., Noiz Slack-R, Reno Disco and Juicebox. This is interesting Marc mixes electronica, techno, IDM, glitch with as good dose of minimalism. The end result`s a peaceful sonic voyage in the land of electronic minimalism. It feels like you`re at the beach, lying in the sand, a nice and warm wind passes through your body. Your chilling out, relaxing then you kiss your girlfriend on the neck. You`re daydreaming, wake up and get back to work. Fortunately the music`s still there. My standout tracks are

6 – 116ième jour (9.20 minutes) = acoustic guitar mixed with minimal IDM, good stuff.

8 – 205ième jour (6.33 minutes) = funky, almost disco minimal IDM, simply beautiful.

9 – 236ième jour (8.10) = funky IDM with a party feel. More info here: http://www.mutek.org/

Hiroshima Yeah! # 144 – February 2017 (zine)

Man I love this four pager, black & white, photocopied, cut & paste monthly zine. I like to read this while having a pint of Hoegaarden, a glass of white wine. Unfortunately I`m writing this on my lunchtime so coffee it is. On the first page there`s poetry from `the ragged end of nowhere`. My favorite pieces of the moment are

Most mornings

Most mornings,

Before work,

I would sit

Hunched over

A coffee,

Waiting for you

To pass.

Then I would
Watch you

Disappear

Down the street.

Now it`s me

Who has

Disappeared.

And I wonder

If you`ve even

Noticed.

And

Monday morning commute

They surge forward,

A monstrous zombie horde,

Single-minded

In their pursuit of caffeine

And getting to work on time.

If you pause,

Even for a moment,

You will be swept away

Or trampled underfoot.

This isn`t just

The Monday morning commute,

This is the very essence

Of modern life itself.

But, on their own,

They lose some of their powers.

On their own,

They are easier to kill.

Simply beautiful. Gary Simmons provides us with `14.82 billion years of hell `his insane, psychotronic, punk as fuck monthly musings. There`s some music, books and concert reviews (Mexrrissey – ABC, Glasgow, 25<sup>th</sup> January 2017). We end it all with another weird, odd short story `zips, eyeliner, warehouse `written by, you`ve got it all right Mark Ritchie himself. You want some, come get some: donbirnam@hotmail.com

Hiroshima Yeah! # 143 – January 2017 (zine)

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011) is the cover star of my favorite full size, black & white, photocopied, cut & paste monthly five pager. We begin with poetry and `the cold straight world of men`. Standout pieces are

Waiting

I always seem

To be waiting.

Waiting for someone

To turn up at a pub.

Waiting for the next

Cold, cruel dawn

Waiting to feel something

Other than this ache,

This feeling that gnaws

At my innards

Continuously.

Waiting for happiness.

Perhaps I am waiting

For death.

And

Large windows

Through large windows

I watch the day

Disappear.

And

My fallen comrades

We practiced.

We played.

We drank.

We laughed.

Going nowhere together.

Those moments

Are always with me

Through all

The rough times.

My fallen comrades,

I salute you all.

And finally

Ornament revisited

In the past,

I`ve been mistaken

For an ornament,

And that`s how

I want to be

Most of the time;

Unseen,

Unnoticed,

Left alone

To quietly

Gather dust.

Feels like pure poetry to me. There`s our `18.82 billion years of hell `monthly column from Gary Simmons. We have some music and DVD reviews as well. Some more poetry from the likes of Sid Clark, Mitch Hell & Gary Simmons and a short story (freaks), from Mark Ritchie (da man in charge). We conclude this monthly insanity with some nice sketchbook entries by Andrew Willshaw. Get more info here: donbirnam@hotmail.com

Shy Rights movement – point of departure (CD)

SRM is the solo music project of Mark Ritchie. He also publishes my favorite monthly zine (Hiroshima Yeah!). A nice but rather short album (10 tracks = 38.33 minutes). The instrumentations are basic, stripped down. Mark sings and plays the electric / acoustic guitar. I like his latest effort. The music is lo-fi, personal, introspective, psychedelic at times, intimate, homemade bedroom pop, going into folk, indie, old country and rock territory. Think about a jam session with the likes of Bob Dylan, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Neil Young and the Jesus and Mary Chain (with lots of lager / cider pints on da side). Interesting. https://shyrightsmovementblog.wordpress.com/

Sleeper – the crawlspace feat.ID (CD)

I got a parcel this week from Stan Boman (Reality Impaired Recordings) with some nice CDs inside. There`s minimal information regarding this band named Sleeper, except they`re from Kansas. This is my first listening experience. The band lineup is basic; guitar, bass, drums with some vocals sometimes (or voice samples). I`ve been listening to a lot of electronic music lately. I like some variety in my sonic menu. This is a challenging, interesting but hard to describe album, the music is all over the place. It feels like some unfinished jam sessions. Here, let me give you an idea. We have some ambient noise dirges (done with electric guitar), grungy, dirty guitar works, heavy sludge with vocals, lo-fi experimental space noise continuum, hip hop with sludgecore, abrasive instrumentations, ambient noise with dub elements thrown in, a slow, yet relentless attack of the senses. Imagine a drunk & stone jam session with (in no particular order); Tad, Sonic youth, Alice In Chains, Earth, Cyanosis, old Controlled Bleeding , Skin Chamber , Revolting Cocks with some electroacoustic on the side, you get the drill. Not for everybody.  I like it.                                                   

Plastikman – artifakts (BC) (CD)

This is Richie Hawtins fifth album. It came out in 1998 on M_Nus. There`s a special mention on the cover BC which means before consumed (his fourth album). Both recordings came out in 1998. It seems Consumed was released before Artifakts. Anyways it`s irrelevant. I`ve been hearing this CD all week long and I can`t get it out of my player / head. The arrangements are subtle, it`s looks and sounds perfect. There`s seven songs (with a long 20.26 ghost track) on this recording (73.29 minutes). The music blends techno, acid, electronic with a good dose of minimalism. Minimalism never felt that good before. Highly recommended. Check this out:                     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQfXG8P7Rms

Slotek – 7 (CD)

Slotek is Skiz Fernando JR he is also known as The III Saint, The Mystic, Wordsound I-Powa and Spectre. I own a copy of Spectre first album `the illness`. It`s an amazing mix of electronic, illbient, hip hop, abstract and dub. I`ve been listening to this album for the last three days. This CD blends downtempo, abstract, electronic and dub. A relaxing listening experience. There`s a nice selection of mellow dub breaks with some highly processed voice / movie samples in there, thus creating a creepy, and dark ambience. Electronic abstract dub with a mystic feel perhaps. Recommended if you can find it. This baby came out way back in 1997 on Wordsound. Some info included here: http://www.wordsound.com/

DJ Brokenwindow – parallel universe # 1 (CD)

I bought this CD at Renaissance Montréal, again. I mean, for 2.00$ how can I resist? I often purchase second hand albums of DJ`s. It gives me a chance to discover something new, challenging an interesting perhaps. DJ Brokenwindow is David Chandler, an American (Portland, Oregon, off all places) electronic music composer. He has a couple of solo music projects (Avid D, Mr. Pharmacist, David Chandler and Solenoid) he also plays in some bands (Hard Hearing & Office Products). I never heard his music before. I fix myself a coffee, sit down, put my headphones on, relax, and push the play button on me CD player. This is a nice and long album (23 tracks = 71.50 minutes). The music consists of mash-ups of electronic, leftfield, hip hop and disco music. Not re-inventing the wheel here, nonetheless this is interesting. I`m not much into mash-ups. I`m more into morph-ups i.e. morphing various sound sources altogether, then processing them beyond recognition, thus trying to create something new. There`s some good and average mash-ups. On a positive note, I`ll mention only the ones who caught my attention.

5 – Living on Vanilla Ice (3.59 minutes) = Instrumental - 'Living On Video' by Trans-X. Vocal - 'Ice Ice Baby' by Vanilla Ice.

7 – Oh Yeah, uh uhn (3.20 minutes) = Instrumental - 'Oh Yeah' by Yello. Vocal - 'Uh Uhh (Acapella)' by Twise.

15 – Der cookie und der prinz (1.34 minutes) = Instrumental - 'Der Rauber Und Der Prinz' by Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft. Vocal - 'C Is For Cookie' by Cookie Monster/Sesame Street.

Homemade postcards of the day

mail art of the day

Mika Vainio – onko (CD)

This is Mika Vainio, one-half of the minimal electronic music duo Panasonic (along Ilpo Vaisanen) solo music project. Onko came out in 1997 on Touch (a UK record label founded in 1982). I have a couple of Mika`s solo albums. Everything I hear his music, I have the same reaction. A difficult, challenging, but worthwhile listening experience. There`s four tracks (67.28 minutes) which are

1 – Kelvin (8.50 minutes) = subtle ambient noise minimalism, amazing.

2 – Jos (6.03 minutes) = electronic tones / frequencies slowly / subtly moving / shifting / going into meditative ambient noise territory.

3 – Onko parts 1-11 (36.24 minutes) = a long evolving piece with subtle shifting movements of ambient static perhaps + lo-fi hums + minimal electronics + rhythmic industrial noise + more lo-fi hums + noisy drones + short rhythmic drones + ambient noise + more minimal electronics + a stripped-down tribal beat with soft ambience near the end.

4 – Viher (green / cellular) (16.11 minutes) = a long shifting drone track. An interesting album if you can find it.    

Synthesthesia – therapy (CD)

This was Steven Snomed solo electronic music project. He recorded two albums under that moniker (therapy was the second one) and seems to have called it quits. Therapy came out in 1995 0n Hybrid Structure Productions (a Montréal record label active circa 1994-2001). This is a nice and long album (14 tracks = 75.16 minutes). This is electronic music mixing elements of techno, acid, electro, dub techno and acid techno. I`ve been hearing this all day long and it doesn`t work for me at all. The music sounds terribly old and dated (imagine an outtake from New Order`s fine time song, you get the drill). Most off the tracks sound the same i.e. dance floor material. It`s a good thing I bought this `classic` album for only 2.00$ at Renaissance Montréal.

Emerson Andrews – I teach your children (CD)

This CD was recorded live on April 16^th, 2008 at Moe`s bar & Grill, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Emerson Andrews is a co-worker of Stan Boman (Bloody Puppies, Lucid, Socialistic Jonny Goblet and Vaginal Discharge). Stan runs Reality impaired recordings (which occasionally releases grind, punk, noise, power electronics and experimental music). This full length is a spoken word live performance. I rarely listen to spoken word. I don`t have much spoken word albums at home, except some stuff from Steven Jesse Bernstein. I do like Bernstein a lot. His piece named `come out tonight `is simply amazing (available on youtube). You will hear thirteen spoken pieces; drinking doozies, colorful pussy, mermaid!, problems with society, fat in the day, cartooney looney, ninjaaaaahhhh!, r & creepy, crack to E5, the glory of horses, animals & whores, jerk off time with mom and stigmata job. An angry, pissed off, funny in it`s own crazy intensity recording. If you`re into political correctness, don`t buy this. I did and I enjoyed every parts of this, recommended. Contact: 

Reality Impaired Recordings

1265 E, Sunset CT

Springfield

MO 

65804

USA     

Montag – alone, not alone (CD)

Montag is the solo electronic music project of Antoine Bédard from Montréal, Québec, Canada. This is his second album, which came out in 2004 on Gooon (a defunct pop electronica record label). My good buddy Counterfeit introduced me to Montag`s music more than ten years ago. I found this at a second hand record store, in the cheapy bin section. I bought this 3.00 $ I think. This is a nice but rather short album (12 tracks = 37.16 minutes). The music blends elements of electronic, modern classical, downtempo and IDM. There`s some song oriented tracks and a couple of instrumental numbers as well. This is relaxing, deeply introspective, Ethereal at times, nearly ambient, lo-fi, dreamy, lightly melancholic, meticulously crafted, homemade bedroom IDM / pop / electronic music. An electronic version of Eric`s Trip perhaps. I`m not sure but I like this album a lot. Recommended. Some info here; http://www.montag.ca/

Homemade postcards of the day

Poems of the day

Complexe d`affirmation latent

Oui boss

Oui chérie

Oui papa

Oui maman

Pis moé calice?

Losing myself

Yes boss

Yes dear

Yes mom

Yes dad

Yes sir

Yes mam

Yes my brother

Yes my sister

What about me?

Various – Montréal sound matter – Montréal matière sonore (CD)

I got this at Renaissance Montréal for the usual fee 2.00$. This album was produced for the Montréal sound matter / Montréal matière sonore exhibition at the Darling foundry (from 7^th July to 27^th August 2006), organized by quartier éphémère visual art center. The music consists of field recordings, which are often processed beyond recognition. The willing participants add up elements of noise, musique concrete, electroacoustic, found sound, ambient noise, some type of controlled banging, sparrow sounds, processed lo-fi noise, rumblings, voice, lo-fi grindings and some industrial noise as well. The result sounds like peaceful, almost meditative experimental cacophony i.e. a sonic stew / jambalaya if you will. There`s eight artists (56.54 minutes) on this CD. They are; Hélène Prévost, Steve Heimbecker, Louis Dufort, Tomas Philips, Chantal Dumas, A_Dontigny, Francisco Lopez and Mathieu Lévesque. Some info here: http://www.pogus.com/

The Haddock of the day

The Haddock
2760 Willamette Street # 205
Eugene
OR
97405
U$A

Various – celestial journey II – the legends of space & ambient music (CD)

I found this stuck between two Beatles album at Renaissance Montréal. This compilation came out on rising star in 1997. Did I mention it cost me a mere 2.00$. the CD contains tracks from the likes of Keven Braheny & Tim Clark, Tangerine Dream, Patrick O`Hearn, Christopher Franke, Andreas Vollenweider, Dik Darnell, Mars Lasar, Steve Mcdonald, Constance Demby, Harold Budd & Brian Eno and Jonn Serrie (11 tracks = 56.05 minutes). When it comes to electronic music, I`m open to almost anything, I`ll listen to anything. That doesn`t mean I like everything I hear. Such is the case. The music at hand didn`t age well at all, it sounds kitsch and dated. It`s a mixture of: ambient, electronic and modern classical compositions. Fortunately, I found a couple of amazing pieces. I`ll transfer them on my mp3 player, then I`ll give this album away, do you feel lucky punk? Go ahead and make my day (apologies Clint), and my standout tacks are:

2 – Tangerine Dream – mothers of rain (4.59 minutes) = amazing spacy, new age, downtempo.

5 – Andreas Vollenweider – night fire dance (4.56 minutes) = happy go lucky modern classical electronic music.

11 – Jon Serrie – mystery road (5.59 minutes) = peaceful, meditative, relaxing, spacy ambience.   

Homemade postcard of the day

Sold artwork

One in a blue moon I manage to sell some of my art. This one was a special request from a co-worker.Enjoy !