Michael Barthel - Stapel. Efeu-Fährten (Tochnit Aleph): Out of three listens so far, I've only heard this while sleep-deprived or physically-strained - so my judgment is a little skewed still. But if I'm hearing this correct, this is one doozy of a disc! The source of the sounds: I'm not so sure, but I feel like I'm being mentally suffocated amongst sheep, amongst crowds, amongst overexerting media blitzkrieg. All funneled in and through some kind of Xanax sound-poetry. Instead of Schwitters/Merz absurdities, you've got aesthetically pleasing works. (Somehow! Maybe it's the blown-out nature of the recordings). Just a surge, and then not a surge, of dreamlike spaces. Could easily see this being placed atop many an art film. Solid album all the way!!
Wolf Vostell - Dé-Coll/age Musik (Multhipla/Tochnit Aleph): Guilty by association but proven innocent. I expected something ala Paik from these recordings, but I think anyone with an appreciation for 80's industrial tape music could find quite a lot to enjoy herein. Spliced up radio signals, un-manipulated recordings of spaces, tape hiss, white noise, voiced sped up and slowed down. It's all very distant and engaging in its own way. My only complaint is that every track is essentially a 3-minute snippet and it's usually cut rather abruptly.
Abigor - Leytmotif Luzifer (Avantgarde Music): I know I'm in a minority for adoring Abigor's modern efforts, but this one is a total shredder. I'm a little saddened by the absence of electronic elements, as I always felt like they heightened the overwhelming aspect of the music. Still, it's good they didn't go full-on techno with this so who am I to complain? The production's way less "clicky" and the drums finally sound fantastic. Bass playing is still insane and highly enviable. Guitars are very much in the vein of the last decade or whatever. There's even a few elements that are maybe a little too "familiar". Nothing like the landmark that Fractal Possession was simply for the fact that they've already carved their niche.
G*Park - Reuters (Tochnit Aleph): Not sure that this goes anywhere that Zeier hasn't already, but I think G*Park can be forever magnificent so long as you keep listening sessions spaced out enough. He's also always very smart with album lengths; they're always over at a perfect moment - never overstaying their welcome. So, what you have here is 30ish minutes of abject decay through field recordings and mic play. Steady rumble versus disattached atmospheres.
Moniek Darge - Crete Soundies (Kye): Sought to check this out because Kye is always either really great or a total miss. Also spent a year of my youth in Crete while my father was in the service; since this was supposed to embody a spirit of Crete living and passed, I thought there's some good potential. And it's there - at times. The recordings can be very cryptic and "far-off" creating a very surreal and desolate mood. At other times, Darge's, or someone's voice totally kills it. The atmosphere just stops. Certain other sonic moments have a similar effect. Not much of a "Cretan experience" - not that I'm really one to know. Not sure if Moniek has a penchant for quirkiness - judging by a quick google image search, I think she does - but that stylistic choice nearly ruins all three tracks. Pass...
