Some heavy European talents on Level Crossing (CIRCUM DISC CIDI2301) – Sakina Abdou, Matthias Müller, Peter Orin and Joke Lanz, calling themselves Trapeze perhaps as a one-off on these December 2022 recordings. Sadly it’s a true snorefest, surprisingly so for an event involving Joke Lanz and his anarchic turntables. Only two tracks ‘Trapeze’ and ‘Disco Kid’ display any signs of life, and even here the proceedings threaten to tip into comedy cabaret with their stilted attempts at “free” playing. Remainder of disc is the sound of four strangers at the world’s worst cocktail party, completely unfamiliar with each other and failing to engage at any level. Bland, aimless textures result. (30/08/2023)
John Krausbauer and David Maranha with a self-titled seven incher (PUBLIC EYESORE PE154) doing the amplified drone thing with violin and electric organ across two tracks, titled ‘Bringing It Back’ and ‘Round and Round and Round’. Feels oddly dated already, from a time when Tony Conrad was being rediscovered about 25 years ago, and many cultured citizens felt the need to celebrate the glories of an endless string drone. At least Krausbauer is putting some elbow grease and vigour into his bowing work, thus creating more of a swirling and kinetic effect than some of the more clinical, minimalised experiments we’ve heard previously. Feels like edited highlights from last night’s party, until the hangover wears off and they realise what they thought were dazzling witticisms were actually rather insulting remarks, and they won’t be invited back. (18/08/2023)
Viable Systems 6 (VSM 011CD) from Keith Berry, the latest instalment in his Eno-influenced solo instrumental drones. This time he’s added beats, rhythms, and other instruments that sound like guitars in among the pastel-shaded keyboard work. This represents a stylistic advance on his previous releases, which foregrounded the possibilities of his generative systems approach, but also has the unfortunate side effect of making his music seem rather trite and banal, easy-listening wallpaper for the contemporary urbanite. An ersatz version of Martin Denny or Les Baxter’s exotica orchestrations. The surface sound remains lush and inviting, but Berry doesn’t have enough of a gift for melody to make this tropical bird sing. Even the track titles seem designed to remind us of old picture postcards, from a time when skies and oceans were tinted in the studio to appear even more blue than nature. (21/09/2023)