I agree that Duncan doesn't "feel" like an LAFMS artist -- his work is decidedly bleaker and darker than most of the project associated with that label. But he's in there and adds yet another facet to the always-enigmatic LAFMS jewel. (if you want to hear Duncan in the company of fellow LAFMS-ites, check out the CV Massage group, which appears as part of the "Riot" CD reissue on Dark Vinyl.)
I can't quite say "start anywhere," but close -- I feel like Duncan has a pretty solid hit-to-miss ratio, enough so that even when things don't move me at first, I usually end up assuming that I just wasn't in the mood and I'll "get it" at some other date in the future.
While his conceptual work has a lot of different approaches and styles, sonically a lot of the albums have similar components, mostly shortwave and other "coded" sounding frequencies. His Allquestions label released a bunch of his records in the '00s, often with surprising collaborators like Mika and Ilpo of Pan Sonic or Graham Lewis from Wire. Used copies range from extremely reasonable ($5 to $10 for the disc with Zeitkratzer) to collectors-only prices ($40 to $60 for desired treats like The Keening Towers).
Here are some of my personal favorites:
- The Crackling (with Max Springer): Made partly with sounds from the Stanford Linear Accelerator. It's in that Duncan zone I enjoy most, in which it sounds like you're spying on the inner machinations of huge super-computers or military weaponry. (The three-way split with Aube and Schloss Tegal, titled "The Mind of a Missile," makes this feeling more explicit with its military-dossier-style oversized folio sleeve and Aube's use of "digital signal data" as source sound. It's also sufficiently high-pitched that the packaging explicitly warns you against listening on headphones.)
- Riot: Apparently, the recent reissue on iDEAL is more than a remaster or brightening up, but a true "definitive version" -- the original LP (one of Duncan's most legendary and beloved) was mixed down on a machine that didn't capture all eight audio tracks originally recorded, so only four of the eight tracks appeared on the original copies. I've A->B'd the Dark Vinyl reissue CD from the '90s with the new LP, and it's indeed a more active, ferocious beast, more layers but also still hewing to the original feeling. Instrumentation: "Voice, Shortwave, Steel Door."
- a previous poster recommend Klaar and River in Flames, and they're both terrific and highly recommended. One of them (I think River in Flames) concludes with one of Duncan's most unhinged, aktionistic extended vocal howls on any of his records. He works himself up into a hoarse, shuddering mess by the end. A 2CD version combining both releases exists, but inexplicably, it's usually cheaper to buy the original two releases, in my experience.
- John See Soundtracks was one of the most available Duncan CDs out there (RRR had it in print forever, and may still), and it's still an excellent intoduction to the various things he does, from soundtracks to his XXX movies (lots of women moaning) to incendiary (literally...one involved the burning of a giant fabric curtain separating Duncan from audience) performance pieces.
- Our Telluric Conversation (with C. M. Von Hauswolff): A great package from 23five with a thick booklet, slipcase, very tactile. Of the two collabs with C. M. Von Hauswolff, I prefer this over "Stun Shelter," but I'm not convinced I won't change my mind later.
- Palace of Mind: Most of his solo Allquestions CDs are great, but I remember liking this one the best.
Like I say, I'm not going to dismiss too many of his discs out of hand -- always worth a re-visit, some of them are quite minimal and require patience that I don't always give them -- but some discs that didn't really move me on first or second listen include Stun Shelter (with C. M. Von Hauswolff), Tongue (with Elliott Sharp) and Presence (with Graham Lewis). The last one seems like a match made in heaven, and maybe I was in a bad listening mood that day, but I just didn't connect.
Collaborations that *really* worked for me include There Must Be A Way Across This River (with Z'EV and Michael Esposito), Contact (with Andrew McKenzie), and Home, Unspeakable (with Bernard Gunter).
I remember liking The Scattering, Incoming, Mort Aux Vaches: Seek and Tap Internal without remembering exactly why.
I need more time with The Nazca Transmissions, Organic (recent reissue on Etats-Unis), Nav (2CD collab with Francisco Lopez), and Crucible before forming an opinion.
Errant Bodies Press (the publisher that was tied somehow to Groundfault) did a John Duncan book/CD set that used to be readily available but now appears to be a bit rare. It's worth seeking out, and it not only contains a lot of background into his early actions, but also contains some rare audio, including the hard to find "Creed" EP.
Good luck, and enjoy the journey!
Quote from: Zeno Marx on August 11, 2019, 09:57:52 PM
Longtime love for [almost] all the LAFMS cats. I say almost because I know nothing about John Duncan. I don't think I've even paid any attention to the folklore. A total blank. No reason or argument as to why. Anyone recall when Ace Farren Ford was selling tons of cool LAFMS paraphernalia, original tapes, LPs, and "artist editions" on ebay in the late 90s? I still kick myself for not buying more than the few things I ended up winning.
I don't know why, but I don't think of Duncan when I think of LAFMS. The bright side of that is I have an entire artist and world to explore that is part of a bigger set that I already think is fascinating and fantastic. The latest episode of Noisextra is to blame, and I thank them for it. Listened to "Purge" and am now ready. Is there a key point to start, or is that a bad question considering his talents, expansive interests, and long history of experiments? I look at Discogs and get a bit overwhelmed. I wouldn't want to pick the wrong things and get turned around again.
https://youtu.be/YWCKw8Pwt1Y
