AUBE

[FreakAnimalFinland]

AUBE "Hydrophobia 1993" 12"
Cheeses International

Unreleased works. I was first little confused with this. There is 30 mins tape called Hydrophobia on Vanilla records, and this ain't 30 mins! I had to pull out clock and time this recording and yep, 20 minute one sider! So looking more carefully, and indeed, Hydrophobia is 1991 tape on vanilla, but this is recorded in 1993, and apparently been totally unreleased until now. Great stuff, though! Water noise in best early Aube tradition. Gets noisy too.
I think covers would have been nicer if they looked like Aube, since his graphic design was so crucial part of spirit of project. These look pretty darn amateurish design. What matters the most, is the sound is good, master cut seems clear and smooth, and to be able to get something I feel is golden era of Aube, I'm very thankful for people who made this possible!

[acsenger]

I recently listened to the Sensorial Inducement LP, which I think is a very good album. Recorded in 1996 using a "Monophonic Analogue Synthesizer/ Roland SH-2". I remember the label's (Alien8 Recordings) description comparing it to early electroacoustic music such as Pauline Oliveros' Alien Bog/Beautiful Soop, and there's some similarity indeed. At times it gets intense, but not extremely noisy. I'm fond of this record for nostalgic reasons too: it was my first LP, ordered after it was released in early 2000, shortly after I found out there was a kind of music called noise and experimental music. The design of the packaging is simple but beautiful, and the (clear) vinyl (good pressing too) plays from the inside out.

Other than this record, the only other Aube I've kept (had a couple CDs but sold them) is the Aube/MSBR/Koji Marutani CD. I don't remember much of it (apart from the use of cool vocal samples) but it's a good release. It was another early noise purchase, perhaps in 2001; as usual back then, I sent cash hidden in an envelope to the French label (E(r)ostrate) that stopped its activities not long afterwards.

I also have one side of the Re-chant/De-coda 7" on Drone Records on a double CD compilation of 7"s on that label. I remember it being great, benefitting from the length constraint of the format.

[LigmaEnigma]

Aube's works reveal sonic possibility of objects without attaching extraneous ideas. I listened to Set On multiple times this week. Its aesthetic purity helps it feel like some natural phenomenon without a sense of artificiality.

[burdizzo1]

Always loved the Aube aesthetic, and was always a bit bemused that his releases never became really collectible, as Merzbow's seemed to. The sounds were usually more structured than the aforementioned, but would often build into a cacophony to rival anyone. I think under-rated - as is illustrated by the small amount of traffic on this topic.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Urashima doing great thing and re-pressing the 4xCD box of Aube they did recently. It is curious how many of previous Japanese noise releases Urashima has done, are not sold out. VOG, Hijokaidan, Pain Jerk, etc etc. Despite somewhat realistic pressings, they have not sold out. This Aube box was c. 300 copies, but still sold out instantly and necessary to repress.

[BatteredStatesofEuphoria]

Always loved the Aube aesthetic, and was always a bit bemused that his releases never became really collectible, as Merzbow's seemed to.

I wouldn't say that entirely. His early tapes and special editions can go for a lot, especially. As mentioned, the recent Urashima box with the Praxis Dr Bearmann reissues sold out in no time.

Merzbow is Merzbow. No one else really ever reached that level of exposure outside the noise/experimental scene to drive sales, so he's a special case. But Aube always seemed to be right there on the "next level down." I think if the demand for some of Aube's material seems less it may just be a combination of the fact that most of his CDs were put out in editions whose numbers were large enough to satisfy demand and that his later work maybe isn't quite as popular overall.

[burdizzo1]

Well, speaking of the Parxis Dr. Bearmann stuff, that 3 LP series seemed like it would be a very collectible set. Yet, looking on discogs, there's been plenty of them moving, and some at not terribly high prices - and that includes the first, most limited one. You know, at the time, I reckoned you had to have all the series, and I just thought it'd be harder to track down the one limited to 200. And I know it's not quite the same thing, but Con-Dom's Sermon 7" series, the individual pieces seem to fetch more, especially the more limited ones. You could also say the same about the Gen. Org. 10" Archive series, but that, of course, is different again. Anyway, at that time, I would have far preferred Aube's concept, and its realisation, than Merzbow's, and it has always - as I say - slightly bemused me that Merzbow was the one that 'broke through'.  Heck, even this topic doesn't have much traffic! I'd say Aube's legacy deserves more!

[Baglady]

Unlike Merzbow, there's nothing "spectacular" about Aube. There's no total freakshow factor to what he did. On the contrary, I'd say it's surprising he has the status he has, as well deserved as it is though. It's not exactly crowd pleasing entry level noise, at least not on "craziness merits", which some of Merzbow's best 1990's albums were. Sitting through Noisembryo with maintained focus demands a certain listener, sure, but the initial "fookin 'ell!" is unavoidable. Can't say the same about Aube's equally demanding noise. Soundwise a japnoise Daniel Menche (which is another partially overlooked fella, especially his later/present day works which by far outshine his early work, which is pretty rare for an old timer of his caliber), at least to me.

[Cranial Blast]

I think my favorite Aube stuff is still and will always be Dazzle Reflextion. That album is flawless when it comes to minimal noise atmosphere. I've been hooked on that album for years!