MONOCHROME VISION

Started by pentd, May 24, 2020, 10:09:22 AM

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pentd


Dmitry Vasilyev was a giant. He pushed hard against many windmills to share his massive knowledge of obscure experimental music.

If you're unfamiliar with his work, and even if you are, here's this very interesting report/interview podcast about the gears worked in USSR, how difficult it was then and how fucked things are now. Also some interesting music obviously

https://extra.resonance.fm/episodes/athens-inner-city-broadcast-number-17-dmitry-vasilyev-beyond-the-iron-curtain-2017-11-30

He curated the genius label Monochrome Vision, which had a run of almost 60 releases, CD's not cdr's. He ran a massive distro operation. He made one of the first fanzines for electronic/industrial music. He wrote THE encyclopedia about italian ug music "Viva Italia", which is still only in russian, but hopefully a translation will emerge one day. He organised many shows and tours for experimental artists. He made a podcast which ran, if i understood correctly,at least 290 (?or more ?) episodes. He was on the international jury for the Prix Russolo international music contest  ... what else?
He worked out of this tiny Moscow apartment squeezed full of records and music memorabilia. Tirelessly.

Podcasts are still online, tons of amazing music:
https://www.mixcloud.com/iem_podcast

I'd like to hear your anecdotes about Dima, and also some reviews and comments about MV releases. Here's my quick recommendations:

Factor X: "022" CD
https://www.discogs.com/factor-X-022/release/3174638
(Dirty tape manipulation noise collages)

Thanos Chrysakis: Magma CD
https://www.discogs.com/Thanos-Chrysakis-%CE%9C%CE%91%CE%93%CE%9C%CE%91-MAGMA/release/3284886
(Surgical electroacoustic textures, alien ambient trip)

If, Bwana: Radio Slaves CD
https://www.discogs.com/If-Bwana-Radio-Slaves/release/1008086
(Cacophonic tape collages, plunderphonics i guess)

more some other time...

EDIT: added/corrected podcast info

impulse manslaughter

Nice guy, traded a lot of stuff with him. That Factor X cd is a favorite of mine as well.

pentd

Next up:

Miguel Ruiz: "Grosor" CD
https://www.discogs.com/Miguel-A-Ruiz-Grosor/release/727926
(Sinister brooding synthesis and creepy sound collages)

I always wondered if he broke even, or if he had some kinda normal job. Probably we outside of eastern bloc don't grasp the bigger picture of the financial mechanics in Russia.... but just look at this insane distro list:

http://monochromevision.ru/catalog/index.html

pentd

next up:

Kinetix : "Gestaltsystem 01 / Possible Forms" 2xCD
https://www.discogs.com/Kinetix-Gestaltsystem-01--Possible-Forms-/release/727971
(scarce and surgical, quite minimalist electronix, pulses, feedbacks, long reverb spaces)

this is not a normal album, but a set of 2 cd's aimed to be played from 2 cd-players simultaneously, both on random play. the resulting combinations of layers are the piece then. installation sound art by italian veteran gianluca becuzzi, who might be familiar to some lurkers round here from his occult arts. think pan:sonic, galakthorrö, berlin skool etc

for reasons i happen to have an extra copy of this 2cd, if anyone's up for a trade


pentd

next up:

h.h.t.p. & portablepalace : Cavitation CD
https://www.discogs.com/hhtp-portablepalace-Cavitation/release/733018
(scarce and calm dialogues between prepared piano and electronic interferences, outerwordly atmospheres)

Dima was a huge fan of forest excursions to collect mushrooms, which he also had a massive knowledge about... food mushrooms, not the hippie trippie ones. according to some stories some trips would take hours of walking before getting to the super secret destination to find rare delicacies.

pentd

#5
next up:

Das Synthetische Mischgewebe : The Escape Of The Electrified Dermatologist Epitomises His Dissent With The Compromising Juxtaposition Of The Smell And The Sound Of A Pair Of Wings Injured In Subdued Romance -- 2xCD
https://www.discogs.com/Das-Synthetische-Mischgewebe-The-Escape-Of-The-Electrified-Dermatologist-Epitomises-His-Dissent-With/release/950803

ok this is all over the place, and not a "background droning / noising" record AT ALL... a collection of veteran Guido Hübner's collaborations with ERG, Artificial Memory Trace, The Oval Language, TBC, Jörg Thomasius + squeezing in some sounds from MSBR and Govt.Alpha..... phew!!! it varies from mega-quiet, microsound, microdrones to absurd cut-ups, sudden bursts of LOUD SHIT, backwards tape manip... strange body sound theater, a la schimpfluch, nww... you name it, it's probably somewhere here. truly engaging, and recommended for those rare moments when you have time to sit down and actually listen. quite hi-fi actually!!

i have to add: this one has a quite artsy, "pain in the ass to read" artwork.. sori dima!

pentd

next up:

VA: Viva Italia 5xCD
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Viva-Italia/release/10668747

a massive project covering every possible aspect of italian electronic underground music from ?70's to recent times, including solar synth wave pop up till ugly death noise. this came with the book, but only as a mini edition of 100 (4x CD) and diehard 50 (4x CD + 1x CDR). again, insanely deep digging of vaults, and my mind is twisting as i imagine how painstaking detailed work it is to secure permissions for all of this!? as always with compilations, not everything is for everyone, but certainly most of it is tasty for noiseheads. also flawless mastering by kruml.

i am seriously considering to up this on archive.org cos it feels criminal that this kinda anthology is for 150 elitist wankers only

this book is dima's magnum opus, and i hope someone is working on an english translation, because from what i've heard, not even italians knew there was so much goin on, let alone russians. as far as i know this book (or any other MV work) didn't get much spotlight in western "music" "press", which is insane, cos it's certainly not an unnoticeable fanzine type thing... it's a massive 2kg chunk!

W.K.

That's the heavy book that only was available in Italian and Russian right? I crazy it never got an English translation, really curious about it. Hope it won't be forgotten.
Straight murkin' riddim blud, absolute vile gash

pentd

only in russian!! (insert brain explosion sound here)

W.K.

I like his dedication but yeah, almost can't imagine the Russia crowd being big enough to put so much effort in it. No criticism, only fascination!

Would also like to get more information from the Russian 'scene' or artists. I have ordered a few times from Zhelezobeton in the past but the postage was a bit much to swallow and didn't got on with it for long, but still very much interested in their world of music. It's so much different than ours. Interesting people too.
Straight murkin' riddim blud, absolute vile gash

metalpunk

My favorite CD from Monochrome Vision is LE SYNDICAT "Timespace Losses 1982 / 1987". There was also super interesting podcast about the band.

One sweet thing to share about Dima. When I sent some newsletter and few days after check some stats everytime Dima was a "top reader". He actually read my each newsletter for 4-6 times! Unbelievable!

FreakAnimalFinland

I think I have talked about Monochrome Vision in some other topic. At least some titles should be at the playlist. I got quite decent pile of the CD's, but nowhere near all. Not even most. Probably not even half! There was so much of stuff I was not aware of, and basically was playing it safe, taking things like Le Syndicat mentioned above, or THU20 and so on. Always grabbed handful of other new or old titles to distribution if they seemed to suit the mailorder. What amazed me, was that no matter if title was totally unheard 80's re-issue material or more recent arty side of experimental sounds, they always were good.

While I appreciate this label a lot, and we were doing trading every year, but I never got really good overall impression of label "style". Neither I can't name many releases from top of my memory. I'd have to check the shelves of discogs and then say - yep - really good one. Somehow just doesn't make permanent impact on brain. This lead to funny incidents, such as listening DEDICATION II compilation, and thinking I really really need to get more Miguel Ruiz stuff! Then going to discogs to check out who sells it, placing order to german guy for 2nd hand copy. CD arrives and I'm like... "wait a minute!!".. check out my distro shelves and realize I have had this CD for sale in my own distro for years.

E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
MAGAZINE: http://www.special-interests.net
LABEL / DISTRIBUTION: FREAK ANIMAL http://www.nhfastore.net

tisbor

Cool to see a thread about Dima here!
I met him only in his last few years. The first time was here in Bologna at a presentation for his Viva Italia book. His knowledge of obscure italian industrial/noise atrocities far surpassed mine. He even managed to go meet one of the very few people that ever played this kind of stuff in my tiny hometown! I gave him a Taeter tape and eventually was invited to play in Moscow with legends Teatro Satanico (who are maybe worth of another thread?). Hanging out with him and his mother was sweet and fun. One of the few people I met who was truly and totally passioned about this vile kind of music.