Ramshackle Day Parade – 2012 (Compilation)

Lately, Edmonton and the surrounding area has been experiencing an emergence in noise, drone, and experimental music which shouldn’t be much of a surprise given the amount of support from websites such as Weird Canada which have undoubtably added to the growth of the scene, or has at least mildly pulled it out of obscurity. With this more recognized popularity what began as a Canadian specific label and distributor, Ramshackle Day Parade, is now home to a diverse range of experimental music. This release is a compilation of 16 tracks from musicians and bands that have released music on the label this year.

I originally became familiar with Ramshackle Day Parade when I reviewed ‘Nocturnal Reveries’ by improvisational drone / noise band, Pigeon Breeders which are featured on this release. Some other notable mentions on this release include a track from Pigeon Breeders side project Ocra and one from Will Scott as well as a track from drone / jazz trio TAIWAN who I became familiar with a few weeks back when I reviewed ‘Belladonna‘.

This 2012 compilation features a diverse selection of noise from the traditional dadaist inspired eclecticism of raw noise to tracks that take a more musical approach mildly integrating smooth jazz or and lounge (TAIWAN, Pigeon Breeders) . The compilation starts off nicely with the melancholic ambience from TAIWAN whose unique direct-to-VHS style sounds eerie enough but at the same time it also has this sensual nature about it. One thing that I found so enjoyable about ‘Belladonna’ was the mood and how well the project was able to replicate such a strange and specific sound. The crackle and sputter adds to the overt mysterious nature of the track and makes for a lot of interesting background textures that really do well in evoking that sense of nostalgia that the trio does so well in creating. There were quite a few tracks that are raw minimalist noise and I don’ have a problem with that but I found that there were a solid handful that really separated themselves from the rest.

Will Scott, the musician who contributed to much of the percussion and electroacoustic textures on Pigeon Breeder’s Nocturnal Reveries contributes to the compilation with his track ‘A Moment of Mathematical Clarity’. Although short this is one of my favorite pieces from the compilation mostly because of the sudden unexpected shift halfway through the song that switches from abstract electronic noodling to serene guitars and vocals. Sometimes I feel like even in experimental music even with the spontaneity of noise it can get dull yet this track kind of shows that there is still a lot of forward thinking- making something non-musical into something within the frame of listenability is a talent that Will Scott proves with this track.

‘Drifting Towards Darkness at Noon’ is a song that at first seems slightly out of place on this compilation, although it is still welcomed. If you have listened to Meat Force before it should be fairly apparent that this project, much like TAIWAN draws influence from old horror soundtracks but this track does deviate slightly from the warped and manipulated symphonic soundtracks heard on “A Corpse Waltz”. This time around Meat Force shoots for a more downtempo almost lounge-esque atmosphere while combining it with ambient textures that give it a breathy but dark mood.

Although there are some strong pieces like I stated at the beginning of my review, a lot of the tracks are very minimalistic which shouldn’t be a problem seeing as I do enjoy music that employs reserve, however, I feel like there isn’t much payoff in listenability when the minimalism doesn’t really capture an emotion or grab my attention, a similar problem I ran into while listening to Jahktute’s ‘A Record of Things Gone‘. As with many compilations each contribution is fairly hit or miss but if you enjoy noise and experimental music there are quite a few solid tracks from a label that is deserving of your attention.

Overall Rating: 6.5

Favorite Tracks: TAIWAN – Untitled, [willscott] – A Moment of Mathematic Clarity, Meat Force – Drifting Towards Darkness at Noon

Recommended: Check out Zugzwang Productions, another small experimental label.

Released: 24 April 2012

Links:

Listen to the comp. here

Ramshackle Day Parade

Redntoothnclaw

TAIWAN – BELLADONNA

TAIWAN is an experimental recording artist from Edmonton who creates a breed of ethereal jazz infused ambient music that harkens back to the sound of forgotten direct to VHS romance and horror movie soundtracks. While the music is already creepy enough there is an added eeriness from the tape crackle and hiss to the spot on replication of such an obscure sound; BELLADONNA is a 30 minute 18 track foray into the sounds of something lost and forgotten in time, something strangely romantic, familiar and alien, and nostalgic yet new all at the same time.

While the idea of replicating old film scores and bringing a modern twist to them is nothing new (see Zombi, Bohren & der Club of Gore), the type of music that TAIWAN replicates and how similar his interpretations are is where this album shines. TAIWAN’s lo-fi aesthetic and attention to detail in recreating such an obscure sound is surely an art form within itself.

The sounds on BELLADONNA are mostly cheesy Casio style synth arrangements. TAIWAN’s sound is very 80’s-esque inspired new wave, kitschy with what would be the sonic equivalent of some old VHS tapes, forgotten in someone’s basement, the tapes damaged by so many floods and worn out by constant fast forwarding, rewinding, and playing. All of the tracks, although different in style are tied together by their easy listening sound from gritty detective noir themed jazz to sensual piano ballads. It evokes a powerful nostalgic response bringing back memories of wooden paneling and grainy discolored photography, memories that even if one had never experienced are still able to evoke a sense of mystery and wonder that is just as visceral.

The album’s sound is contributed heavily to the phenomenon of nostalgia; instead of rejecting these old sounds it embraces the archaic, taking it back and reworking it into something partially new and listenable even if it still deliberately holds ties to the past. Part of me really enjoys this aspect of replicating, or more accurately this reworking of something old and obscure into something even more strange yet part of me wonders if it would be possible to expand on something like this. The future, a concept TAIWAN openly rejects is quickly closing in and I wonder where the project is going to go when it is confronted with the idea of just that, the future.

TAIWAN has turned drone and ambient music, two genres so focused on a futuristic sound into something old yet new at the same and while I do feel that this stylistic decision is extremely limited in a world where time is quiet literally speeding up I can’t deny the uniqueness that BELLADONNA possesses and the firm hold that these curious and eerie tunes have on that nostalgic longing for the past that everyone possesses from time to time.

Overall rating: 7.0

Favorite Tracks: ‘B04’, ‘B05’

Recommended: Meat Force

Released: 11 November 2011

Links: Listen to Belladonna on Bandcamp

Redntoothnclaw

Pigeon Breeders – Nocturnal Reveries

Nocturnal Reveries is a 7 track album by experimental ambient / noise trio Pigeon Breeders based in Edmonton, AB which was released on the Ramshackle Day Parade label. On Nocturnal Reveries the band focuses on creating lush bodies of noise that see Pigeon Breeders working with a more organized arrangement of songs as oppose to the freeform chaos that has become ubiquitous to this style of music.

On Nocturnal Reveries the band exploits and manipulates their instruments into forming layers of texture in order to create an encapsulating amount of depth. What sounds like bottles or pieces of metal clank together in the foreground of ‘Urban Decay’ while orchestral bodies of sound rise and fall in the background. The track does meander for a little bit but further in it becomes more dense and intense as a variety of strange and otherworldly noises are introduced into the mix. Modulated pitches emit swirls and screams and rebounding bleeps and bloops that appear as though they are interacting with each other. As I listen I imagine the sound coming from a large mothership hovering above a city. As I described, there are a ton of sound to hear in the second track alone but throughout the span of the album Pigeon Breeders continually introduces something different, even if you are unsure of what the origin of the sound is. I think what is even more impressive is that Pigeon Breeders doesn’t simply stick to a certain set of sounds, they maintain their own identity through their playing style and consistency alone.

One of my favorite things about Pigeon Breeders is each members ability to play like a normal band, to turn these otherwise directionless, formless ambient / noise epics into more structural compositions by introducing instruments not normally prevalent in noise and ambient, specifically the drumming on ‘Garlands’ and ‘Light Clutter’ in which the band implements into their songs surprisingly well. The drums aren’t just thrown in either, Pigeon Breeders instead builds the other components of their music around them adding an additional level of familiarity to an otherwise alien mixture of sounds. Instead of playing like a normal band, with guitars that sound like guitars, synths that sound like synths, bass that sounds like bass, etc. they use their instruments to create sounds that the instrument wasn’t initially designed to create; in a way the band transcends the identity of a band in relation to their instruments and instead, like many ambient / noise musicians they ditch the whole idea of the musician behind the music by introducing familiar sounds that are unfamiliar within a specific genre.

There were moments on this album were I was feeling bored. I was impressed and constantly intrigued by the first half of the album, it all felt so dense and at the same time airy and expansive but after ‘Light Clutter’ a lot of what I heard didn’t really do much for me, the rest of the album felt static, it lacked the energy that I craved from earlier in the album which is unfortunate considering how strong the album was up until that point. This is a good release from a young group that simply lacks a little polish. The trio creates organized movements of sound that remain complex and spontaneous in nature, it is as though they are not being composed by a group of musicians but by a body of advanced machinery or a piece of futuristic technology; that of which is the raw collective sounds of metal rubbing against metal, hissing and screeching, and low hums juxtaposed by high orbital sirens that surround the listener making it apparent that this release is just as much a visual experience as it is an audible one.

Overall rating: 7.4

Favorite Track: ‘Urban Decay’, ‘Garlands’

Recommended: The sounds of an alien space craft flying overhead.

Released: 17 March 2012

Links: Check out Pigeon Breeders on Bandcamp

Redntoothnclaw

Orphan School – Secret Admirer

On the two track EP, ‘Secret Admirer’, Orphan school deviates from the mysterious dark ambient / noise of his previous recordings and shoots for a strange combination of simplistic folk and throat singing to create a haunting and dark encapsulating experience.

‘Secret Admirer’s’ sound relies on it’s simplicity; these stripped down folk songs utilizing ukulele, strange background noises and deep resonant throat singing that puts emphasis on creating a dense and vivid body of music. Secrete Admirer’s lack of instrumentation results in a skeletal sound that forces the listener to pay attention in ways not possible otherwise. Where this EP really shines is the range this guy gets with his voice, from a cavernously deep drone to something of a midrange nasally hum that results in some of the most expressive throat singing I have come across. I think that even for those familiar with this style of singing the vocals will be an immediate deterrent but for the more adventurous type, for those who won’t have a problem embracing Orphan School’s distinctive sound this will be something of a gem.

In terms of folk music most will argue that having a beautiful voice or even displaying the ability to sing “properly” is almost always absent. Instead the musicians abilities are focused on enhancing other aspects of their craft such as songwriting, lyrics, and story telling – not to say that the style of singing employed on this album isn’t beautiful but that the lyrics are also a standout part of the music that adds to ‘Secret Admirer’s’ creepy world and alien imagery. On the second track, ‘Next Year’ Orphan School Sings ‘ if you take a look outside there is always something beautiful to find’ which makes for an odd but extremely stimulating juxtaposition with the unusual vocals. The two tracks on this EP do well in projecting a strange feeling, a sense of anxiety and awkwardness through the vivid lyrics utilizing this lovesick character to project them. Orphan School is telling a story and I can’t help but become enthralled in it.

This will undoubtably be challenging piece of music to digest for some but if you can get past the initial shock of what you are hearing the experience is a disturbing, strange, surreal, and sometimes beautiful venture into new sonic territory. Check it out for yourself, take from it what you will, and enjoy.

Overall rating: 8.1

Favorite Track: Enjoyed both tracks

Recommended: Be prepared for anything and embrace it.

Released: 14 February 2012

Links: Peep Orphan School on Bandcamp

Redntoothnclaw

Kolumbus – Of Every Tragedy Before Our Eyes

Kolumbus is an ambient/drone musician from Sydney, Australia. In the fall of last year I reviewed his album Fleeting Hope For False Optimists. ‘Of Every Tragedy Before Our Eyes’ is the project’s latest EP consisting of five short tracks.

‘As We Enter the Nihil’ kind of acts like an intro with these soft ambient swells  that weave in and out of each other. I’m not very fond of the tone of the synthesizers, they seemed stale and unrefined as though they were composed on a cheap Casio keyboard. ‘The Silence That Cleanses Your Throat’ contains some minimalistic drumming which could have been a nice touch but I don’t feel like it actually enables the track to progress, it is just this loop of light drumming. Although I was generally unimpressed there were a few moments that were enjoyable such as the  fourth track, ‘In Thoughts’ that contains some really nice drones and featured this low sub-bass rumbling texture throughout that really helped the brighter overlapping tones stand out. The title track continues this low end bass with a little bit of grit and distortion which came off as being inauthentic and after a while just became distracting, burying the subtler drones beneath it.

There is often a fine line between minimalistic and boring and Kolumbus crosses that line. It should of course remain basic enough to where it doesn’t clutter or overwhelm the listener with sound while remaining fulfilling for those listening to where they will feel inclined to return to the music. The problem I had with ‘Fleeting Hope For False Optimists’ was the album did not run cohesively enough for me, a lot of the songs lacked enough content for me to remain interested. Whereas, it still retained some semblance of structure and created a mood by utilizing samples; ‘Of Every Tragedy Before Our Eyes’ lacks in doing that and as many problems as there are with this, the major one is the progression or lack of. One of my favorite things about ambient and drone is the idea of listening further, giving repeated listens just to here something different each time, to gain a new experience; drones within drones, small micro sounds that are at first not apparent, overtones and undertones, etc. It is all a part of the fun that should come with the experience of listening to drone but with Kolumbus I have lost touch with those small traits that makes the genre interesting because those aspects are either non-exsistant or far too sparse to pick up on. The tracks don’t really go anywhere and when you finally feel like they do or that something is going to happen it doesn’t.

Where Kolumbus failed with ‘Fleeting Hope For False Optimists’ is to create something interesting or captivating in a minimal way by using the absence of content and the use of samples alongside to create a sense of emotion. The samples that were present in that last release helped the music become more of an emotive experience and although the album didn’t thrill me it filled in a lot of the cracks that made me dislike it but with this release these small factors have been removed making ‘Every Tragedy Before Our Eyes’ feel like a rushed effort and an overall unenjoyable one. There is little that is salvageable; even some of the more patient fans of drone and experimental music are going to have a tough time getting through this one and not feeling bored.  This was large step backwards and an overall disappointing release.

Overall rating: 3.8

Favorite Track: –

Recommended: –

Released: 04 February 2012

Links: Visit the Bandcamp Page

-Redntoothnclaw

Qwertzuiop – Unending

Unending is the latest release from one man ambient black metal project Qwertzuiop. I became familiar with the project when I reviewed his full length, Dead Oak earlier this year.

Unending shows Qwertzuiop moving slowly away from the harsh black metal inspired dreariness and embracing more of the dark ambient attributes that were originally apparent with his first release; a natural transition given that black metal and ambient music hold firm ties with each other. With the raw louder elements of Dead Oak taking a back seat, much of the sonically extreme sections such as the distortion laden guitar are replaced with strings, textures, and generally a larger presence of atmospherics that forces the music to focus on composition resulting in an attempt to create something more organic than it’s predecessor.

Like many of these projects, the influence of black metal is not always apparent to the extent of openly wearing its inspirations on its sleeves but there are definitely pieces borrowed from the genre that are retained, although they are minor. The cold lumbering drums are still there, although oppressed and very low in the mix and some distortion makes it’s way into the songs every now and then. The orchestral arrangements are a vivid picture of the unending grey skies, heavy clouds, and dark forests that have become so associated with the imagery of black metal itself.

When compared to Dead Oak, ‘Unending’ is pretty quiet sonically, with the exception of the third track, ‘IX’, which is one of the more powerful moments on the album that features a sequence of uptempo drumming that sounds like it’s straight out of an early Burzum album. I love the intensity that builds up to the tracks conclusion; an enjoyable track that gives that does a good job of changing things up without compromising the grim impression of Qwertzuiop’s music.

As haunting as ‘Unending’ wants to be it can also be just as beautiful. On the fourth track ‘X’, the music is primarily made up of string swells that makes for a good contrasting piece bringing a little light into the dark picture that Qwertzuiop succeeds in producing. The final song continues the ambient style carried over from the previous track and utilizes field recordings of what sounds like rustling and twigs rubbing up against one another to create textures that give a bit of added depth to the song. I really enjoyed the last two tracks, they actually make me wonder what Qwertzuiop would be able to do with a longer track length. Being that these last two releases were rather short, all under 20 minutes in length I think that a larger track list or perhaps even longer songs times would open up possibilities.

Although this release sees Qwertzuiop progressing the same problems I had with Dead Oak are still present on this release. With many of the bedroom black metal projects and with these “bandcamp musicians” in general they have forced themselves into a niche where musicians mash together all of the popular attributes of different genres (i.e. shoegaze, ambient, black metal) in hopes of creating something new with the resulting output. Not only has this become formulaic but a lot of the time the result is a lackluster kitschy take on popular styles. Where as this would have been ok a few years ago with multi-genre projects like ‘Have A Nice Life’ gaining popularity in 2012 it just seems archaic and has become predictable. It isn’t a flaw that is going to make this album unlistenable by any means but I think it is a good sign that combining multiple genres together does not result in originality all of the time.

The recording quality on a few of the track could be better as well. On the first track the mixing on all of the instrumentation and textures sounds like they are at the exact volume and I know lo-fi music doesn’t have a great track record with equalization and proper recording techniques, which I would be ok with but when it gets to the point where it is detracting from the music it is time to take the initiative to tone it down and find other ways of incorporating an unrefined aesthetic into the music. I wouldn’t be this bothered by the mixing style if the music weren’t so linear; it isn’t nearly delicate or layered enough to where you would be able to revisit it and hear something new every time so I’m struggling to understand why the production is the way it is.

With this change in direction I’m intrigued to see were this project goes, the added orchestral sounds are a nice touch that add a lot to the mood but ‘Unending’ is pretty much more of the same that comes up a little short of with what it attempts to do.

Overall rating: 6.8

Favorite Track: ‘IX’

Recommended: Dark orchestral sounds with the attitude of Norwegian black metal.

Released: 13 January 2012

Links: Check out ‘Unending’ on Bandcamp

-Redntoothnclaw

mhva – Warmer / Colder

Warmer

Colder

Mhva is a musician from Oslo, Norway who’s glitchy drone / noise soundscapes have garnered some positive response within the soundcloud community and within soundcloud threads on /mu/ which isn’t hard to understand where this following comes from once you listen to his work. Warmer / Colder is a double album consisting of two separate EP’s. Since these two EP’s are made to be played as a whole I decided to review them as an entire album instead of reviewing them both separately which does not necessarily mean that they cannot be enjoy apart from each other.

Warmer / Colder is full of dark mysterious soundscapes and collages of noise in the repetitive fashion of drone. Like most drone recordings the tracks on this album are quite lengthy and change very little sonically, fortunately there are elements of noise, glitch, and even some traditional piano playing that are present throughout these two EPs which do well to prevent the content from getting boring for listeners who may be new to or impatient with the genre while allowing the songs to remain at a glacial pace for familiar listeners. There are many moments of subtle change throughout these two releases; tiny shifts in sound, quiet background noises, drones within drones, and silent tectonic movements that all come together to create a collage of sorts which is one of the fascinating aspects of drone. It is this ability to create the illusion of doing more with less and when you begin to pick up on these acute changes it is at that point that what you are hearing becomes more than just repetitious raw noise and transforms into an actual experience.

I found myself immediately in a state of calmness with the first track which features some simple drones with a bit of foreground noise that becomes progressively more apparent throughout the music, a formula that is explored throughout the album. ‘Pretty Late’ is made up of lumbering melancholic piano chords that are fittingly pieced together with unintelligible spliced samples that act as a musical and textural background element throughout the track. The samples, although minor, give the track a feeling of sadness, not in such a way that it is depressing but in a weird beautiful kind of way making this track to be amongst mhva’s more musical and accessible. This isn’t the only song to feature remnants of traditional sounding instrumentation; “The Punctum” a track on Warmer features some similar piano chords that play amongst a sea of colorful sounds that come into and out of the track.

Mhva creates some interesting experimental compositions that are familiar enough for fans of this style of music to remain interested while being different enough in it’s own right to achieve his own niche within the genre but the music does lack structure and content in which there are moments where I found myself growing bored or impatient with the progression on some of the songs, particularly on a few of the longer tracks such as ‘Beetle’ and ‘Enginery’. I am well aware that this type of music rides on a lack of content but in the context of what mhva has created, what is here is not sparse enough to be interesting in an ultra-minimal way nor is it dense enough to be something I would come back to often, especially when taking into account that the album spans two lengthy EPs. The combination of all these sounds creates some great textures but there is a point where these good ideas fail to become something musical and simply remain ideas, in this case a collection of interesting sounds.

Warmer / Colder is an example of what could have been a truly unique and powerful piece of music that barely falls short of its own expectations. Regardless, I cannot stress enough that with all forms of experimental music the listener themselves are often required to do some of the work as well in order to appreciate what one is being exposed to so with that said, I think this can be something great if the listener is willing to dig deep enough and remain patient in doing so.

Overall rating: 6.8

Favorite Tracks: ‘Five Nights’, ‘Pretty Late’, ‘The Punctum’

Recommended:  Like being in a room full of printers that are simultaneously dying as they all attempt to finish a final job.

Links:

mhva on Soundcloud

-Redntoothnclaw

Vasko – Enough Enough

Vasko is the solo recording project of Brian Sopher, a Columbus, OH musician who has busily recorded, produced, and released music as Glasslung, Folted and has performed as a duo in drone / noise project Hintergrund. ‘Enough Enough’ is Brian’s first dubstep release as well as the first EP under the name Vasko.

I missed my chance / procrastinated in reviewing this when it was released late last year but nonetheless, I feel like this should be talked about and deserves a review regardless of whether it is still relevant.

On this EP Vasko’s style of dubstep is a dark and disjointed journey thats plays off of it’s minimalistic influences. The song structure is skeletal, basic, built on deep sub bass that tectonically shifts beneath an aura of ambience resulting in something sleek and futuristic while having the same mystery and curious appeal as some dusty lost tape recording. There are large spacial synth swells that produce this overarching feel of something expansive or maybe even cosmic but at the same time everything still remains restrained being careful not to overwhelm. The overall mood is calm even though there is this surrounding unease, a sense that not all is right and that beneath the soft airy synths is something deeply sinister. Everything is neatly organized but still has the organic feel of a piece of drone music where it forces one to pay attention and pick out parts of the music taking away something ambiguous and new to each listen.

The album begins strong, ‘Touching Till’ is a sensual pursuit of bass heavy rhythms that features a sample that repeats throughout the track. It may be just me but I get this slight R&B influence as well, not only on this track but on the EP in it’s entirety. The beats are thin sounding, and at times seem to fall out of time with each other. Its a primitive approach, stripped down to a wiry sound, one that is as dark and mysterious as it is comforting. I could honestly listen to it over and over again. One of my favorites, ‘Women’ is a beautiful feast of synth sounds that contains little in the way of beats or dubstep and for what it is, it is just fine. There is a tasteful palette of delicately layered synths that does enough to make up for the sparse beats.

The album closes with ‘Traumzeug’, a stark interpretation of post-dubstep that at times outshines the classification itself. There is this distant metallic clanging that keeps the beat throughout ‘Traumzeug’ bringing out this feeling of anxiety, building tension that never sees release and ultimately leaves you waiting for something that never comes. Relying heavily on a minimalistic approach I can’t help but feel like there were moments where the music became repetitive and felt stagnant which I can imagine is always a  concern when creating something like this. Fortunately the songs are a good length, never going past the five minute mark ensuring that if things do become boring they aren’t boring for long.

The focus of Enough Enough tends to favor atmosphere over beats and like much of Brian’s work prior to Vasko, it has this same strong ambient presence that runs throughout the songs on this EP which makes for a fairly even blend of relaxing ambience and minimalist dubstep in an attempt to challenge the listener with a few unconventional sounds.

Overall Rating: 7.9

Favorite tracks: ‘Touching Till’, ‘Conveyor’, ‘Women’

Recommended: Futuristic; fans of UK garage and Burial will have no problem getting into this.

Links:

Brian’s Soundcloud profile

His previous work as Glasslung