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Ampersand Etcetera - 2001 Midwitch: Life Underwater (ff002) Neil Campbell: Excerpt From The Never-ending Bowed Metal Song (ff003) Random Number: New Global Vulgar (ff005) No Energy: Kneale/Monk/Henderson: Cicada Shrines (ff008) Klunk: Infrathin (ff009) Dead Manıs Gravel: The Cuckoos Sang In Their Appropriated Nests (ff012) Fencing Flatworm catalogue: the fishy and beautiful cd-r label from Leeds (see 2001_13 for the first part). The second release was another from Rob Hayler the label boss (typical of the small label: most people start it for themselves, and appropriate friends and then expand further). After a brief blippy-silly-jolly song (Gillıs vs gill's) the delightful life underwater lightly and mysteriously manipulates a drone, minimally changing it subliminally and obviously by turns for 16 minutes. Another little toon Octopus meets bagpipes, unsure is followed by Rays, a longer, more intricate drone piece, with separable parts bubbling and interweaving over the ground, ending in a cycling spiral of gentle buzzblips that reblossoms. The Excerpts from Neil Campbell sounds just like its title: a 37 minute chunk of continuous mutating beautiful droning tones ringing haunting: within and around the mood style and mode of the VibraCathedral Orchestra (rather than the more electro of Campbellıs other Flatworm). After the more droney first three albums, Random Number (M Robson) comes from a different direction. 14 tracks in the label-time of around 40 minutes, so nothing that extends in any major direction. Glitchy chunky cut-up techno meets samples of lush orchestras, voice tones and other subtlising substrates. Complex and entertaining, it inserts a nice balance into the label along with S.O.M. and Klinik. There is no indication who No Energy is or are. However, they have produced an album of brooding drones which shift from pulsing (Termite strings, Planning) through edgy (Unfold in) and drifting (Crush). On some there are eruptions of sound late in the piece, like the bleeps and chords in the generally pulsing zippy Slow fireworks, percussion in Crush or vibraphone in Spark fuse to flame that then turns quite noisey. Samples and jazz turn up deep throughout In the shade, and a soft ending ensues through Dead air. Kneale (broken toys), Monk (violin) and Henderson (reeds) recorded their 46 minute improvisation in Wellington, New Zealand the flatwormıs fence extends quite a way. The piece is largely what you would expect from the instrumentation: squeaking toys and reeds, blowy reeds, and the violin creating a grounding/centring drone. Either annoying or beautiful or both depending on your view, it balances the lyrical and noisey carefully. The second half, after a minimal centre, also features some clattering bangs toys being broken or banged together. Klunk use their 36 minutes to carve out a bright sequence of glitch tracks layering layers of clicks over a developing tone in Klank lecture [part 1] that slides into a metal tone and a more restrained second half, or the complex long variation in Of: klunk that swings through machines and slow taps, softer sections, rummaging and swirls, hoarse sirens and a big crackling finish. Fig. 16 is very mechanical, looping whirs and clicks and buzzes rhythmically with a base that sounds like a typewriter, and Flikker d/s is a short very gltchy slide. Things become more mellow in the second half with the bloopy F.g.k (though still clicky) and the drones, chits, clicks and animal calls of the organic Fluxus + [plus]. Campbell pops up again as part of Dead Manıs Gravel, along with Phil Todd (Betley Welcomes Careful Drivers, Anna Planeta, Ashtray Navigations) and B Lewis. Two tracks: The goldhead torpedo'd the love boat is longer, a dense drone with things inside it piano, shimmers, voice sounds, little calls and high tones that tend to overtake it towards the end, while Capitalism red in tooth and claw is a more active and aggressive drone, sliding towards noise, a cycling rumbles, edgy tones, voicey eruptions and computer whizzes: not unlike some of the harsher VibraCathedral. Relatively short (25 total) but works the time well. A broad and interesting church is being presided over by Mr Hayler. The output to date clearly suggests an vibrant scene round Leeds (and extending beyond, as any good label eventually must), and I hope Fencing Flatworm continues to provide us with their aquatic-auditory message. The variety and quality make this a top label. &&&&&&&&&&&& |
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