Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Disinformation – Antiphony
Etichetta:
Ash International – Ash 3.4
Formato:
2 × CD, Compilation
Paese:
UK
Uscita:
1997
Genere:
Electronic
Stile:
Noise, Experimental
Elenco tracce
Società, ecc.
"Antiphony" is based on the Disinformation records Stargate Ash 3.2 LP, R&D Ash 2.9 CD, and
Ghost Shells Ash 2.7 EP.
Distribution:
UK - Kudos>>Pinnacle/These
USA - Dutch East India
Europe - Semaphore
Japan - Digital Narcis Ltd.
Codice a barre e altri identificatori
—————————————————————
CD One:
RLW
Bruce Gilbert (2)
Kapotte Muziek
People Like Us
Chris and Cosey
atom heart
John Duncan/Giuliana Stefani
L.O.S.D.
Mark Van Hoen
CD Two:
S.E.T.I.
Disinformation
Zbigniew Karkowski/Eric Lyon
M. Behrens
Mark Poysden.
Reviews:
CMJ (USA):
“How do you rework something that’s barely even there in the first place? That’s the challenge
faced by 15 contributors to this double-CD set of “interpretations” of Disinformation’s beatless,
toneless, nearly noiseless recordings of crackle and hiss, electrical signal’s hum and sonic impulses
from astronomical phenomenae results are subtle but richly textured noise, amazingly varied and
compelling, though only a few contributors succumb to the temptation to add a recognizable form
of music to the mix. A few tracks are near-subliminal,others flicker like a fan in your face, but
almost all demand careful listening. Chris and Cosey and Bruce Gilbert are the big name
contributors up and coming sound artists like Kapotte Muziek and Mark Van Hoen also appear, and
one 17 minute track is listed as “Untitled” by Anonymous.And Disinformation itself steals the show
with a soundcheck of its performance at London’s Disobey club; a single jagged tone, like
construction noises boiled down to their essence, that starts quietly and gets louder until it suffuses
the air and threatens to blow the room apart.” (Robin Edgerton/Douglas Wolk)
CD 1
1. RLW “Unidentified” 9.14 drone tones and hard whistles
2. Bruce Gilbert “National Grid (Part 1)” 2.38 power grind
3. Bruce Gilbert “National Grid (Part 2)” 2.35 rattle and distorted rumble
4. Kapotte Muziek 3.28 bass bombs, claxons and distorted shortwave signals
5. People Like Us “Fire At Will” 8.25 stereo separated blips and loops into sampled pop song
6. Chris and Cosey “Stargate” 6.21 bass pulse and processed white noise drones
7. Atom Heart “Stage #4” 7.21 static crackles, tinkling, whine
8. John Duncan and Giuliana Stefani “Charge Field” 10.55 fast blips of shortwaves
9. L.O.S.D. 8.15 creaks, groans and bell-like tones
10. Mark Van Hoen “Radio Land” 5.42 musical approach w/ Russian voices, oscillating tones, sax,
CD 2
1. S.E.T.I. “N=N” 7.42 slowly ebbing dark ambient
2. Anonymous “untitled” 17.27 flute and ambient-industrial atmosphere
3. Disinformation “Headlights” 0.12 spoken word
4. Disinformation “Sound Check For The Disobey Performance” 5.19 live
5. Zbigniew Karkowski and Eric Lyon 11.43 processed noise
6. M. Behrens “Addition” 11.16 layered blips and burps
7. Mark Poysden “Breathsweep” 9.11 from Self-Transforming Machine
Elves layered power drone with sweeping white noise and higher-pitched whines
Reviews:
VITAL (Netherlands):
A whole bunch of remixes incorporating sounds sucked out of the lowest reaches of the radio
spectrum by Joe Banks, aka Disinformation. Currently one of my favourite artists on Ash, Joe
Banks has now three releases out on this label, two on vinyl and another as a full-length CD. I am
quite smitten by the latter mostly because my body perceives it as dense information which, if tuned
right, I might be able to decode. Especially good for those large-pupilled late nights and dream
excursions. The packaging echoes that of the earlier Mesmer and Fault In The Nothing collections,
and duplicates some of the information included with the original Disinformation releases. Once
again, it reads like surrealists on ketamine. It seems right from the start that many of the remixers
who contributed to this CD were taken by the weird glock-type melody included as part of the last
track on the R + D CD, which itself was sourced form an unidentified HF broadcast. Ralf
Wehowsky opens this set with a mostly sedate track which closes with disturbing banshee screams.
Succint Bruce Gilbert contributes two brief tracks – the first an angry robohornet, trapped and
circling in a narrow space. The second is a more granular excursion. Kapotte Muziek manipulate
existing work(as they always do) in a surprisingly brief track which leapfrogs about but lurks
mostly in the low. Big steel doors thunder, they don’t rattle. People Like Us stagger two sides of the
same thing in a rather pointless track and are followed by Chris & Cosey. Their contribution,
‘Stargate’ sounds like slowly unfurling slipstreams of a long-past event. They wind up then they
wind down. Slow and soothing in the midst of all this. Prolific German Atom Heart is subtle too.
John Duncan is not. And at last, my two favourites on Disc 1: LOSD provide a track which
develops into a long stretched out conversation between two or three primordial subterraliens,
which are often to be found hiding somewhere in the music these guys produce. Last track on Disc
1 is by Mark Van Hoen…and it may even be the weirdest of the lot. Strange juxtapositions in Radio
Land. Haunting, demanding, totally…Disc two kicks off with a decent dark deep drone provided by
SETI, gradually being taken over by a more high end drone and likewise high peeps. Somebody
who wishes to remain anonymous provides us with an applyentitled ‘Untitled’ piece in which the
Sakahashi piece and truly ambient music beneath. There is kitschy touch to this, but it stays on the
good side. A short spoken word piece is followed by Mr. Disinformation himself, followed by the
‘soundcheck of Disobey performance’ (is there an analogue thing to Merzbow’s track on ‘A Fault In
The Nothing’, also recordedat a soundcheck?). A noisy beast this one, and the question remains:
how was the concert itself? Karkowski and Lyon got their kicks out of sampling kicks, a nice stereo
spectrum opens up, but as more kicks and keyboards drop in, they are lost in their piece. Far too
long this piece. Marc Behrens is doing his collage thing (whereas he could have been doing his
techno thing too). Slowly building, by carefully placing each new sound on top of the other. Mark
Poysden stretches the Disinformation sounds in his sampler and the random filter play their piece.
Taking all the good tracks from both CD’s would still deliver two CD’s of music, as the weak are in
minority on this set. [MP + FdW]
“Touch Sampler”, como o nome indicia, é uma compilaçao de apresentaçao do catálogo da editora
inglesa Touch (responsável por ediçoes de, entre outros, The Hafler Trio e Sandoz). Editora
caracterizada pelas suas preferências experimentalistas, nao é propriamente uma surpresa o facto de
nao estarmos perante uma vulgar compilaçao. Por um lado, a editora nao se limita a escolher uma
meiadúzia de faixas de maior apelo comercial e, por outro lado, metade das faixas sao inéditas.
Ainda a contribuir para a mais-valia deste trabalho encontram-se a continuidade sonora (nao há
espaços em branco a separar os temas) e a excentricidade estética no seu todo, onde se pode
destacar o esboço para “Blue Monday”, dos New Order (em “Video5863”), o folclore xamanista do
Polyphony Group of Lacerda (Albânia), o minuto e meio de conversa para atendedor de chamadas
dos HaflerTrio, a pop ambiental de Daren Seymour (dos Seefeel) e Mark Van Hoen(dos Locust) ou
a gravaçao de Igusti Ngurah Togog & Son, onde estes interpretam o som de ras com uma folha de
palmeira (o genggong balinês). Ao todo, sao 75 minutos de ecletismo sonoro-musical, onde o factor
surpresa está sempre presente. Epistemologicamente, antifonia tem dois significados: a) o canto
antifonário de uma composiçaomusical por dois coros; b) qualquer efeito musical ou sonoro que
responde ou ecoa a outro. O termo inclui o conceito de espaço e a relaçao pergunta-resposta. Neste
duplo CD (126 minutos, carteira de plástico com postais ilustrados) editado pela Ash International
(uma editora-irma da Touch), “Antiphony” surge como um conjunto de interpretaçoes e remisturas
de gravaçoes psicoacústicas realizadas pelo projecto hertziano de Joe Banks, Disinformation. Dado
o mote, refiram-se alguns dos nomes aqui envolvidos: Bruce Gilbert (Wire), Chris Carter e Cosey
Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle), Mark Van Hoen (Locust), S.E.T.I., Zbigniew Karkowski (The
Hafler Trio) e John Duncan, entre outros. Apesar da revista norte-americana Wired ter descrito este
projecto como “música ambiental para verdadeiros homens” e da MTV lhe chamar “heavy metal
para o século XXII”, parece-me ser mais descritivo algo como frequências alternativas, ora em
estado de frenética excitaçao ora em estado de revigorante repouso, ou modulaçoes de pressoes
atmosféricas que exploram as fronteiras entre arte e ciência. Esoterismo sonoro, onde a
instrumentaçao utilizada é tao importante quanto o próprio músico, na verdade, o que aqui se ouve
deve ser preferencial mente encarado como “gravaçoes” do que propriamente como “peças
musicais”. O seu propósito é mais informativo que de entretenimento, onde o ruído, nos seus
múltiplos significados, nao é encarado como um virus a eliminar mas antes como motivo sonoro
exótico a explorar. Se “Antiphony” pode ser ouvido como um disco ambiental, entao o conceito de
ambiente nao deve ser lido como um transmissor de informaçao passivo mas, ainda mais que activo,
interactivo. [Miguel Santos]
Immerse (UK):
” With a glut of mediocre compilations on the market at the moment,it was with some caution that I
approached this latest offering from Ash International. However, it soon became obvious that this
was no hastily assembled genufection to market forces,but more a labour of love. From the
gorgeously produced packaging to the slightly eclectic mixture of artists and soundmongers, such as
Chris and Cosey, John Duncan, and RLW – to ‘lesser knowns’ like L.O.S.D. and Mark Poysden all
interpreting the VLF recordings of the CD’s compiler Joe Banks a.k.a. Disinformation, this
compilation oozes style and quality. Many of the tracks sit seamlessly together, and no sign of any
‘fillers’ here. Surely one of the finest compilations of the last twelve months, this is certainly one to
rush out and buy.” [BN]
gman2 (web):
“Joe Banks (aka Disinformation) also uses extraordinary sources. He bypasses synthesizers and
physical instrumentation for the statics and Low-Frequency transmissions of both the natural and
synthetic worlds. Disinformation records afford a rare opportunity to eavesdrop on realms of sound
which pass through our ears unheard. As a tribute to (and continuation of) Banks’ work, many of
our finest modern ‘sonicists’ present Antiphony (Ash International). Material from the three primary
Disinformation recordings (Ghost Shells, R&D, and Stargate) is treated by such experimentalists as
Mark Van Hoen (Locust), Chris and Cosey (ex-Throbbing Gristle), Andrew Lagowski (Europe’s
S.E.T.I./Legion), the prolific Uwe Schmidt (Atom Heart), European post-industrialists such as RLW,
and famed concrete masters Kappote Muziek. Their interpretations are predictably varied, spanning
Bruce Gilbert’s abrasive roar of electricity unleashed, People Like Us’ jigsaw-hewn static collage,
the infinite trance-beyond-the-stars expected from Chris & Cosey, and Van Hoen’s crackling, eerie
slow-dance through “Radio Land.” Most of the contributors use Disinformation’s hisses and pops as
a gateway to amorphous melody (S.E.T.I., Atom Heart, L.O.S.D., and Anonymous’s fantastic
boundless ethnoambient piece) or patient evolutions through (oft malignant) Industrial atmosphere
(John Duncan & Guiliana Stefani, Zbigniew Karkowski & Erik Lyon, RLW, K.M., M. Behrens).
Mark Poysden’s “Breathsweep” stands out as an engulfing, star-throated exploration of the
innerspace mapped by Paul Schtze, Main, Stars of the Lid, :zoviet*france:, … and Nurse With
Wound.”
Magnet (USA):
“Joe Banks (aka Disinformation) also uses extraordinary sources. He bypasses synthesizers and
physical instrumentation for the statics and low-frequency transmissions of both the natural and
synthetic worlds. Disinformation records afford a rare opportunity to eavesdrop on realms of sound
that pass through our ears unheard. As a tribute to (and continuation of) Banks’ work, many of our
finest modern ‘sonicists’ present Antiphony (Ash International). Material from the three primary
Disinformation recordings (Ghost Shells, R&D and Stargate) is treated by such experimentalists as
Mark Van Hoen (Locust), Chris & Cosey (ex-Throbbing Gristle), Andrew Lagowski (Europe’s
S.E.T.I./Legion), the prolific Uwe Schmidt (Atom Heart), European post-industrialists such as RLW
and famed concréte master Kapotte Muziek. Their interpretations are predictably varied, spanning
the abrasive roar of Bruce Gilbert’s electricity unleashed, People Like Us’ jigsaw-hewn static
collage, the infinite trance-beyond-the-stars expected from Chris & Cosey and Van Hoen’s
crackling, eerie slow-dance through “Radio Land”. Most of the contributors use Disinformation’s
hisses and pops as a gateway to amorphous melody or as evolutions through (often malignant)
industrial atmosphere. Mark Poysden’s “Breathsweep” stands out as an engulfing, star-throated
exploration of the innerspace mapped by Paul Schütze, Main, Stars of the Lid, Zoviet France and
Nurse With Wound.”
i/e (USA):
“The third of Ash International’s thematic double disc compilations presents another sonic
panorama of striking enigmas, set between photographs and texts concerning the VLF receptions at
the basis of the music of Disinformation. Indeed, it is Disinformation whose music here is
interpreted by a wide array of experimenters, many of whom appear out of character. Setting the
tone is RLW, of Selektion fame, providing a bleak canvas of low rumbles, pointilized with various
tones and crackles. Not allowing a fall into the beautiful gray void, the collection introduces an
antiphonal array of textural choirs: dark electroacousticians (RLW, Kapotte Muziek, M. Behrens,
Mark Poysden), noisemakers (Bruce Gilbert, John Duncan & Giuliana Stefani, Disinformation),
oscillator electronicians (Chris & Cosey, Atom Heart, LOSD, SETI), and electronic pulsationists
(People Like Us, Mark Van Hoen, Zbigniew Karkowski & Eric Lyon). And yet this rather facile
division gives little indication of the variety encountered along the two-hour journey, or of the
density of data emitted and occasionally bulk-downloaded through the speakers during this
symphonic ode to the mysterious information in the largest and smallest of particles.” [Joshua
Maremont]