artstrike 1 9 9 0 - PhotoStatic Magazine - Detritus

PhotoStatic Magazine Nº37 P R O D U C T I O N ,
#222: Fruit Bat Savvy. C60–4 tracks. Rich Clark,
Al Margolis, Dan Andreana, Detta Andreana. — This
tape mixes calliope, opera tenor, shortwave whirr and
buzz, and pinball machine in an aggressive-sounding
mix. Formless din made up from tapes, turntable
and radio; a kind of re-enactment of a Cageian aleatory
score perhaps. Side one was recorded live and
is called “Grand Exhausted Mystic Crowbar Part I”, a
title which is more entertaining than the music itself.
Side 2 opens with a dizzying cacophony of nostalgic
tunes all playing together at the same time. This tape
has some interesting moments, but never seems to quite
come into focus for this listener.
#247: Dreammachine. C60–$5. — A live set recorded
at Kirby’s in Wichita Kansas. Most of it is pretty
difficult even to hear, and what is heard (I can discern
flute noodling and conga tapping) is obscure, like
hearing your neighbor-to-the-left’s classical music clash
with your neighbor-to-the-right’s bad jazz through the
thick plaster of your apartment walls. These sounds
come together to form a generalized sonic stasis, rather
dead to these ears.
#250: Voices New and Old by Michael Horwood.
C60–6 tracks–$5. — A “serious” set of compositions
based on the human voice in its natural habitat: in
conversation, asking questions, sometimes reading its
own poetry. Built around classical structures, such as
the fugue, these often long pieces make their sense
out of a variety of treatments and techniques, from
warpspeed tape drive wow/fluttering, tape-repeat
phasing and echo, and other studio tricks. The light
touch to the arrangements is pleasing, and although
a bit academic, they’d probly be intellectually satisfying
to those of us with such leanings.
#251: Confirmation by Allegory Chapel, Ltd. C60–
10 tracks. — Moody, almost eerie, these works offer
a world filled with irony with a sense of cultural displacement.
The pieces work through a manipulation
of conventional found recorded sound placed in the
milieux of electronic distortions, this is laced with dramatic
sonic gestures that are exciting, if a bit empty.
In spite of this, this is a quite enjoyable tape. —ld
Who’s Margaret Freeman by Chris P. C60. Write:
Mielle Christophe, 182 ave Jean Lolive, 93500 Pantin
France — Rapid, varied drum effects carry heavy
melodious guitar sounds, dark thick voice is exerted
over the well controlled pop influenced compositions.
Sometimes tape affected, always well mixed, this cogent
repertoire stands up to that of many signed record
label artists. —jh
The audio cassette reviewers for this issue are: Ll. Dunn, John
Heck, and Paul Neff, who are all members of the Tape-beatles.
All works sent for the purposes of review are welcome and
encouraged. Everything sent will at least be mentioned.
1404 A U G U S T