a reminder for the first night of tonefloat live at the legendary paradiso in amsterdam. with exclusive performances by fear falls burning, theo travis, and sand snowman, the event will showcase music from new and recent albums. the evening also mark the first lowlands performances ever by theo travis (as a solo artist) and sand snowman, so be there! tonefloat's in house dj maarten van der vleuten will provide sounds in between performances. please check the paradiso site for tickets and directions.
copies of the hot-of-the-press releases (and yet officially to be released) the sand snowman 2cd/lp two way mirror and the theo travis // fear falls burning lp the tonefloat sessions, will be available to buy at the evening.
sand snowman will be doing a live radio session for x-rated show, on kink fm, the leading alternative rock radio stadion in holland. listen in on sunday 1 february, at 9pm.
tf59, tf60
we have received copies of the sand snowman cd's sooner than expected, which means that shipping of pre-orders for the sand snowman 2cd/lp two way mirror and the theo travis // fear falls burning lp the tonefloat sessions starts from 4 february onwards.
fear falls burning @ dwars
an interview with, and live music from fear falls burning, as recorded in june 2008, is now available as an online stream from radio6/dwars.
tf049, a review (4)
this lp from the eightfold model is made up of some truly gorgeous guitar-based dronescapes. while some of the music is a little derivative, this still turns out to be a satisfying, meditative listen. things start off with a very stars of the lid inspired guitarscape. it's hard not to have that kranky sound when you work with looping guitar swells. while this track is effective in producing a strong mood, its lack of originality leaves me wanting more. thankfully, the rest of the record finds the band honing a more personal approach to their droning loops. there's nothing too mind blowing about the band's sound but it's all composed tastefully well out of lo-fi textural patterns of harmonium, guitar, and various field recordings. the eightfold model make it seem easy, but really there's a big difference between the thoughtfully restrained sounds of this group and the thoughtless jammings of a beginner. there's a warm analog glow to the whole album which produces an inviting quality that makes it easy to get lost in. there might not be any new ground covered with the melancholic drones of the eightfold model, but the quality of the compositions make this album one worth seeking out for any devoted inward gazer. 8/10.
source: digitalisindustries.com
source: digitalisindustries.com
tf041, a review (4)
bij tonefloat weten ze hoe ze de vinylkoper moeten verwennen: een prachtige klaphoes, geweldig artwork, 180 grams vinyl: zo hoort een plaat te zijn. maar het gaat natuurlijk om wat er op dat vinyl staat en ook in dacht opzicht wordt de luisteraar op zijn wenken bediend. tenminste, als die van duistere ambient houdt. want maarten van der vleuten levert zijn donkerste en intenste werk ooit af. de plaat is opgedragen aan het niet meer bestaande regina coeli klooster in vught en symboliseert de overkill aan geluid waarmee dagelijks om de orgen worden geslagen. een geslaagde tegenstelling. in de vier collages met een lengte van zo'n tien minuten gemiddeld komen soundscapes, percussie, gezangen, gebeden, stemmen en noise allemaal gefragmenteerd langs. zonder dat het een chaos wordt, want van der vleuten is een meesterverteller met geluid. perfecte muziek voor de donkere dagen na kerst.
source: fret
source: fret
tf058, a review (4)
open heart surgery: two worlds welling up from the same passion.
a plaintive bass drone slowly billows in from the void and merges with a quiet clockwork of secretively embracing, solitary tones. for a few seconds, the music seems suspended, withdrawn and unsure of where to flow next. then, without notice, a majestic melody ends the impending uncertainty. soaring high up above and pushing the music forward, it is repeated twice before taking an unexpected octave-leap. even though it will only become clear later on, this is a decisive moment. for what at first seems to be the track's leitmotif will never return in its original form. instead, merely a truncated torso of its two opening tones remains, interlocking with a pitched-down echo to create a magnetic musical field. and yet, the memory of this initial moment shapes the direction of everything that is to come. shimmering, bell-like patterns start appearing and coalescing into breathing sheets of glistening timbre, the fragile tension and concrete, physical pulse of the opening bars slowing down to a resting haze of lulled drift still driven by the desire of returning to the thematic splendor which sparked it, yet slowly fading out into a silence filled with the acceptance of the impossibility of that wish.
this, in a nutshell, is the subdued, seductive sphere opening an album of four closely interrelated medium-length excursions into a world of liquid forms, slow pulsation and uncertain development. in fact, with regards to the latter, it is almost impossible to make out whether there is any kind of traditional 'progression' in the sense of music consciously steering towards a clearly defined destination at work here at all. just like observing the movements of freshly hatched tadpoles in a pond, each piece releases a minimal amount of symbiotic guitar lines and follows them as they begin to attract and reject each other. what starts out as repetitive loops seamlessly transforms into organic soundscapes without definitive centre of gravity nor discernible fore- and background. solo melodies are absorbed into more opaque and collective textures but keep surfacing intermittently, while various overlapping harmonic cycles create thick, syrup-like clouds of gentle oscillation. all elements are subject to all but imperceptible variations, resulting in a work which replaces forward motion with mellow flow, prefers remaining in the moment above making voluble statements and sounds both gloomy and peaceful at the same time.
as almost everyone exposed to these pieces seems to enjoy them straight away, it might seem strange that dirk serries should have waited so long before taking his concept to the studio and, eventually, the stage. performing them at home and as warm-ups for his gigs, they were, for years, nothing but spontaneous improvisatory meditations for him, focusing attention on different ambitions. it goes without saying that the increased confidence culled from the immediate and overwhelming reaction from a still growing audience for his fear falls burning project will undoubtedly have played a part in changing his perspective. and yet, there is more to it. serries has already referred to microphonics as his most private album and after a cornucopia of publications over almost three decades of artistry, it is the very first release of any kind to bear his civil name. with regards to the fact that it certainly doesn't herald a complete change of direction, the main question here must therefore be what exactly is so personal about it.
this is all the more puzzling for an artist like serries, to whom articulate verbal messages have always meant very little in comparison with the wordless power of intuition and imagination anyway. and yet, on closer inspection, there is indeed a pervasive sense of the record representing his personality more adequately than any previous effort. when he announced the discontinuation of vidnaObmana, many of his fans might have doubtful about the new direction – and after investing almost half of his life into the project, he must have been equally excited and nervous as well. since then, the expanding drone cosmos of fear falls burning has rewardingly taken over from the inquisitive ambient galaxy of vidnaObmana. but it has always been clearly marked as a new entity - not as a break, but rather a gentle rupture within a continuum. this rupture has now been mended as microphonics has ended up a sort of golden means between the two projects. taking the approach of one man, his guitar and a couple of effect pedals on the one hand and blending it with the atmospheric structures of his earlier work on the other, the album bridges these two worlds, which have always welled up from the same passion, more openly and traceably than any other full-length or ep before.
while fear falls burning, with its direct and physical approach to performing and composing, already represented a seminally important step in breaking down unnecessary borders between the listener and the artist, microphonics has finally arrived at a state where there is no emotional shield or mask between the artist and his music anymore. with its clear and volatile sound, the album constitutes the acoustic equivalent of open heart surgery. there are no concepts, scenes, layers of distortion or irony to hide behind here, everything is meant just the way it is said. it's not so much that serries has operated so very differently in the past. but the fact that he is openly admitting that this dark, yet tender side of his character is very much who he really is, turns this album into a musical message and, indeed, into his most personal work to date.
source: tokafi
a plaintive bass drone slowly billows in from the void and merges with a quiet clockwork of secretively embracing, solitary tones. for a few seconds, the music seems suspended, withdrawn and unsure of where to flow next. then, without notice, a majestic melody ends the impending uncertainty. soaring high up above and pushing the music forward, it is repeated twice before taking an unexpected octave-leap. even though it will only become clear later on, this is a decisive moment. for what at first seems to be the track's leitmotif will never return in its original form. instead, merely a truncated torso of its two opening tones remains, interlocking with a pitched-down echo to create a magnetic musical field. and yet, the memory of this initial moment shapes the direction of everything that is to come. shimmering, bell-like patterns start appearing and coalescing into breathing sheets of glistening timbre, the fragile tension and concrete, physical pulse of the opening bars slowing down to a resting haze of lulled drift still driven by the desire of returning to the thematic splendor which sparked it, yet slowly fading out into a silence filled with the acceptance of the impossibility of that wish.
this, in a nutshell, is the subdued, seductive sphere opening an album of four closely interrelated medium-length excursions into a world of liquid forms, slow pulsation and uncertain development. in fact, with regards to the latter, it is almost impossible to make out whether there is any kind of traditional 'progression' in the sense of music consciously steering towards a clearly defined destination at work here at all. just like observing the movements of freshly hatched tadpoles in a pond, each piece releases a minimal amount of symbiotic guitar lines and follows them as they begin to attract and reject each other. what starts out as repetitive loops seamlessly transforms into organic soundscapes without definitive centre of gravity nor discernible fore- and background. solo melodies are absorbed into more opaque and collective textures but keep surfacing intermittently, while various overlapping harmonic cycles create thick, syrup-like clouds of gentle oscillation. all elements are subject to all but imperceptible variations, resulting in a work which replaces forward motion with mellow flow, prefers remaining in the moment above making voluble statements and sounds both gloomy and peaceful at the same time.
as almost everyone exposed to these pieces seems to enjoy them straight away, it might seem strange that dirk serries should have waited so long before taking his concept to the studio and, eventually, the stage. performing them at home and as warm-ups for his gigs, they were, for years, nothing but spontaneous improvisatory meditations for him, focusing attention on different ambitions. it goes without saying that the increased confidence culled from the immediate and overwhelming reaction from a still growing audience for his fear falls burning project will undoubtedly have played a part in changing his perspective. and yet, there is more to it. serries has already referred to microphonics as his most private album and after a cornucopia of publications over almost three decades of artistry, it is the very first release of any kind to bear his civil name. with regards to the fact that it certainly doesn't herald a complete change of direction, the main question here must therefore be what exactly is so personal about it.
this is all the more puzzling for an artist like serries, to whom articulate verbal messages have always meant very little in comparison with the wordless power of intuition and imagination anyway. and yet, on closer inspection, there is indeed a pervasive sense of the record representing his personality more adequately than any previous effort. when he announced the discontinuation of vidnaObmana, many of his fans might have doubtful about the new direction – and after investing almost half of his life into the project, he must have been equally excited and nervous as well. since then, the expanding drone cosmos of fear falls burning has rewardingly taken over from the inquisitive ambient galaxy of vidnaObmana. but it has always been clearly marked as a new entity - not as a break, but rather a gentle rupture within a continuum. this rupture has now been mended as microphonics has ended up a sort of golden means between the two projects. taking the approach of one man, his guitar and a couple of effect pedals on the one hand and blending it with the atmospheric structures of his earlier work on the other, the album bridges these two worlds, which have always welled up from the same passion, more openly and traceably than any other full-length or ep before.
while fear falls burning, with its direct and physical approach to performing and composing, already represented a seminally important step in breaking down unnecessary borders between the listener and the artist, microphonics has finally arrived at a state where there is no emotional shield or mask between the artist and his music anymore. with its clear and volatile sound, the album constitutes the acoustic equivalent of open heart surgery. there are no concepts, scenes, layers of distortion or irony to hide behind here, everything is meant just the way it is said. it's not so much that serries has operated so very differently in the past. but the fact that he is openly admitting that this dark, yet tender side of his character is very much who he really is, turns this album into a musical message and, indeed, into his most personal work to date.
source: tokafi
tf054, tf055, a review
even as the over-analytical 21st century rational men and women that we are, many of us secretely foster a desire for the age of miracles and fairytales to return. this yearning extends well beyond the lord of the rings and the hundreds of millions of fantasy books being sold each year. what cynics and critics all too quickly deride as escapism is, in reality, a deeply felt wish to be one with nature again, to feel an integral part of an environment instead of merely fulfilling a clearly circumscribed role within a static corset of demands and rules. while cinema has wholeheartedly embraced these desires in a slew of megalomaniac multipart productions over the past few years, the music scene has either been slow to react or leaft the topos of nature to genres like black metal, whose vision of romance somewhat conflicted with the pronounced notion of harmony and the political ideals of early psychedelia.
musical one-man project sand snowman can therefore not only be regarded as a reaction to the lightning speed changes of the internet age (especially as its headquarters are situated in one of its neural nodes, london) but also to the blatant lack of composers capable of coming up with convincing propositions in this context. on the other hand, the unhurried tempo of his releases as well as their sobre medial presentation bypass the usual hectic schedules and marketing schemes of the business, making an alternative explanation seem even more probable: that sand is simply a romantic who lives in a world of his own and cares more for the beauty of the narrow sideways than for the grandezza of the majestic mainstreets.
the direction he has taken on his first three full-lengths supports this theory: sand snowman albums are delicate acoustic epics between folk and brittle progressive rock, filled with a plethora of gently strummed acoustic Guitars and instruments like mandolins, sitars and xylophones. angelic female singers with ephemeral, breathy timbres will come to the studio to lend their voices to softly layered polyphonic arrangements, which sand has carefully laid down in great detail prior to their arrival. the prominent use of a small-scale recorder ensemble lends an otherwordly mediaeval touch to the production, while subtle electronic manipulations and inventive interlacing of thematic material occasionally stretch tracks to more than ten minutes. verse and chorus, meanwhile, are replaced by the supremacy of the flow and by melodies gently repeating themselves in search of a sweet, intoxiating trance.
after two small, but lovingly designed print runs of "i'm not here" and the twilight game sold out in no time on cd, the vinyl reissue of these albums serves a double purpose: making them available again and presenting the oeuvre of sand snowman in the format which undoubtedly suits it best. just pull out the full colour covers from their protective sleeves of nicely rough brown cardboard and you can virtually get lost in the branches, twigs and leaves of its tree imagery for hours. the music on "i'm not here" is of an equally ephemeral and dream-like quality: a core motive connects these tracks of mellow delirum and sensual shyness and softly guides the listener through a labyrinth of sympathetically spaced-out songs. the flipside, with its long stretches of atmospheric instrumentals, sudden moments of groovy percussion work and classic motivic development is like a mirror image of the opening section with its hushed, subdued approach – but it, too, eschews silent persuasion over strident tones: the last minutes of the album are entirely consumed by a warm guitar loop seamlessly fading into the lead-out groove.
if its predecessor did its best to disappear completey, the twilight game may still be quiet, but comes across as the more tangible of the pair. on a first listen, that is. the opening quartet of songs still has an approachable edgeand a fragile catchiness to it, which contrasts nicely with their otherwhise demure and oblivious charm. the inclusion of male vocals by a certain jerome adds an eartly timbre to the ethereal female energy of nyx and moonswift, while the sparse arrangements focus all attention on melody and harmony. already in the early stages of the album, a hazy sense of divertedness is beginning to manifest itself, as if the action were taking place behind space-warping screens of milky glass. in the second half, filled with fantasies about ether eyes and a spider by moonlight, this notion takes over completely: a slide guitar ascends into the sky, the piano paints palpatating patterns onto the canvas of the night and the plaintive tremolo of a heartbroken mandolin sets a sea of emotions on fire.
both albums rely strongly on that deciding moment when the instruments take over from the players and when the compositions appear to be leaving the world of men to explore the realms of magic and imagination. it is in these instances that the music of sand snowman sublimates from what many will simply refer to "pieces in the tradition of syd barrett and the incredible string band" to a musical wonderland. the solidity of song structures falls apart and the listener suddenly needs to find his own way through the beautiful maze that has taken their place. that may be a scary thought to some. but to many, the idea of entering a space of fairytales and miracles must seem like the fulfillment of a desire they'd already considered unquenchable for far too long.
source: tokafi
musical one-man project sand snowman can therefore not only be regarded as a reaction to the lightning speed changes of the internet age (especially as its headquarters are situated in one of its neural nodes, london) but also to the blatant lack of composers capable of coming up with convincing propositions in this context. on the other hand, the unhurried tempo of his releases as well as their sobre medial presentation bypass the usual hectic schedules and marketing schemes of the business, making an alternative explanation seem even more probable: that sand is simply a romantic who lives in a world of his own and cares more for the beauty of the narrow sideways than for the grandezza of the majestic mainstreets.
the direction he has taken on his first three full-lengths supports this theory: sand snowman albums are delicate acoustic epics between folk and brittle progressive rock, filled with a plethora of gently strummed acoustic Guitars and instruments like mandolins, sitars and xylophones. angelic female singers with ephemeral, breathy timbres will come to the studio to lend their voices to softly layered polyphonic arrangements, which sand has carefully laid down in great detail prior to their arrival. the prominent use of a small-scale recorder ensemble lends an otherwordly mediaeval touch to the production, while subtle electronic manipulations and inventive interlacing of thematic material occasionally stretch tracks to more than ten minutes. verse and chorus, meanwhile, are replaced by the supremacy of the flow and by melodies gently repeating themselves in search of a sweet, intoxiating trance.
after two small, but lovingly designed print runs of "i'm not here" and the twilight game sold out in no time on cd, the vinyl reissue of these albums serves a double purpose: making them available again and presenting the oeuvre of sand snowman in the format which undoubtedly suits it best. just pull out the full colour covers from their protective sleeves of nicely rough brown cardboard and you can virtually get lost in the branches, twigs and leaves of its tree imagery for hours. the music on "i'm not here" is of an equally ephemeral and dream-like quality: a core motive connects these tracks of mellow delirum and sensual shyness and softly guides the listener through a labyrinth of sympathetically spaced-out songs. the flipside, with its long stretches of atmospheric instrumentals, sudden moments of groovy percussion work and classic motivic development is like a mirror image of the opening section with its hushed, subdued approach – but it, too, eschews silent persuasion over strident tones: the last minutes of the album are entirely consumed by a warm guitar loop seamlessly fading into the lead-out groove.
if its predecessor did its best to disappear completey, the twilight game may still be quiet, but comes across as the more tangible of the pair. on a first listen, that is. the opening quartet of songs still has an approachable edgeand a fragile catchiness to it, which contrasts nicely with their otherwhise demure and oblivious charm. the inclusion of male vocals by a certain jerome adds an eartly timbre to the ethereal female energy of nyx and moonswift, while the sparse arrangements focus all attention on melody and harmony. already in the early stages of the album, a hazy sense of divertedness is beginning to manifest itself, as if the action were taking place behind space-warping screens of milky glass. in the second half, filled with fantasies about ether eyes and a spider by moonlight, this notion takes over completely: a slide guitar ascends into the sky, the piano paints palpatating patterns onto the canvas of the night and the plaintive tremolo of a heartbroken mandolin sets a sea of emotions on fire.
both albums rely strongly on that deciding moment when the instruments take over from the players and when the compositions appear to be leaving the world of men to explore the realms of magic and imagination. it is in these instances that the music of sand snowman sublimates from what many will simply refer to "pieces in the tradition of syd barrett and the incredible string band" to a musical wonderland. the solidity of song structures falls apart and the listener suddenly needs to find his own way through the beautiful maze that has taken their place. that may be a scary thought to some. but to many, the idea of entering a space of fairytales and miracles must seem like the fulfillment of a desire they'd already considered unquenchable for far too long.
source: tokafi
tf067, tf068
following vinyl editions of bass communion albums ghosts of magnetic tape and ii, molotov and haze will receive a double album vinyl tonefloat treatment, with a bonus 10inch of haze shrapnel exclusively available with the first 500 copies. the release is scheduled for 7 april.
tf047
we were quite surprised to learn that one of our wholesalers had some copies left of the the use of ashes (ft. bass communion) 10inch on both orange and blue vinyl. we are offering them for 20 euros each or 36 euros for a set of two (including airmail postage worldwide). please head over to our store if you're interested in purchasing them.
3 seconds of air
3 seconds of air is a coming together of 3 musicians, dirk serries (fear falls burning, vidnaobmana) on electric guitar, long-time companion martina verhoeven on electric bass, and paul van den berg (who performed with dirk on the amplifier drone album). they started a process that has been slowly building up its momentum since 2000, and finally appears on the surface. this entity of 3 kindred spirits is an ode to the psychedelic music of the late sixties, early seventies. armed with 2 electric guitars and 1 electric bass, routed through a set of tube amplifiers, 3 seconds of air infuses their specific wall of sound with references to blues, ambient, avant-garde and noise music. 3 seconds of air is currently recording their full-length debut to be released on compact disc and vinyl through tonefloat later this year.
tf055, a review (2)
sand snowman make autumnal, rich, instrumental dense & often creepy mix of 70’s folk/rock, soundtrack elements, horror dipped psychedelics with a sprinkling of electronics and other more modern elements here & there.
the twilight game manages a difficult balancing act been both highly atmospheric and sonically detailed yet at the same time very tuneful and approachable. the songs are often sang either with rich harmonic layers male and female voices or just sultry and slight eerier female vocals on there own, the lyrics littered with downbeat vibe, eerier and macabre twist and turns. Towards the end of the album the discordant/ eerier psychedelic elements that have peppered all the tracks take a really foothold creating a very tangible feeling of unfolding sanity and possible blood splattered and demented end. but just as you think it’s all going to end very downbeat and nasty – the waving and lush tones of the piano, strings of last track the lamb ushers in with the female singer singing with an almost sultry jazz feel which brought to my mind an almost 1930’s vibe - but still there still shadows flirting over it’s surface - so it's far from an happy end.
i have to say i’m completely smitten with the twilight game, i can't count the number of times it’s been played in the last few weeks - it’s haunting, memorable and layered and composed with such depth and feeling - i know it’s very early to call but i’ll be very surprised if this doesn’t turn up somewhere high in my end of year list.
source: musique machine
the twilight game manages a difficult balancing act been both highly atmospheric and sonically detailed yet at the same time very tuneful and approachable. the songs are often sang either with rich harmonic layers male and female voices or just sultry and slight eerier female vocals on there own, the lyrics littered with downbeat vibe, eerier and macabre twist and turns. Towards the end of the album the discordant/ eerier psychedelic elements that have peppered all the tracks take a really foothold creating a very tangible feeling of unfolding sanity and possible blood splattered and demented end. but just as you think it’s all going to end very downbeat and nasty – the waving and lush tones of the piano, strings of last track the lamb ushers in with the female singer singing with an almost sultry jazz feel which brought to my mind an almost 1930’s vibe - but still there still shadows flirting over it’s surface - so it's far from an happy end.
i have to say i’m completely smitten with the twilight game, i can't count the number of times it’s been played in the last few weeks - it’s haunting, memorable and layered and composed with such depth and feeling - i know it’s very early to call but i’ll be very surprised if this doesn’t turn up somewhere high in my end of year list.
source: musique machine
tf59
many will see the new sand snowman album two way mirror as a 21st century continuation of a tradition which began with artists like the incredible string band and nick drake, and which continued through into syd barrett's finest moments. they may have a point. for years, sand snowman has spent a quiet life in the heart of london, countering the harsh noises and hectic bustle of this strung-out metropolis with miraculous albums of mysteriously quiet music. his first three full-lengths, released in strictly limited editions and vanishingly small print runs, established a musical cosmos filled with bright wonder: in the best of psychedelic traditions, sand's songs did not fearfully seek for an escape from reality, but subtely twisted its parameters to create delicate shifts in perception. based on a framework of acoustic instruments including mandolins, xylophones, vibes and recorders, and ornamented by atmospheric drones and discrete electronics, themes could either concretise into miniature traditionals or coalesce into long, progressive folk collages. accessible melodic passages and groovy drum shuffles, meanwhile, were juxtaposed by hazy instrumentals and ghostly ambient sections.
after re-releasing i'm not here and the twilight game on vinyl, tonefloat now presents the latest chapter of this trilogy. written over the course of a long winter, two way mirror impresses with an illustrous line-up of guest musicians, which include porcupine tree's steven wilson and singer-songwriter jason ninnis, as well as enigmatic long-time companion moonswift on vocals. despite its star potential, however, the music has only turned more singular: arrangements are more minimal and intimate than ever, concentrating all but exclusively on a fragile balance between guitars, piano and polyphonic vocal harmonies. a sense of plaintive emptiness and pensive solitude is hiding behind the sweetness of the melodies in the opening half of the album, which the silent finale thwarts with experimental zest. the way in which sand segues completely independent songs into coherent, interrelated suites may indeed be comparable to the techniques of others, but he is following in no one's tradition but his own.
after re-releasing i'm not here and the twilight game on vinyl, tonefloat now presents the latest chapter of this trilogy. written over the course of a long winter, two way mirror impresses with an illustrous line-up of guest musicians, which include porcupine tree's steven wilson and singer-songwriter jason ninnis, as well as enigmatic long-time companion moonswift on vocals. despite its star potential, however, the music has only turned more singular: arrangements are more minimal and intimate than ever, concentrating all but exclusively on a fragile balance between guitars, piano and polyphonic vocal harmonies. a sense of plaintive emptiness and pensive solitude is hiding behind the sweetness of the melodies in the opening half of the album, which the silent finale thwarts with experimental zest. the way in which sand segues completely independent songs into coherent, interrelated suites may indeed be comparable to the techniques of others, but he is following in no one's tradition but his own.
tf044, a review (2)
na vellkommen inn uit 1992 en balloon mood uit 1996 kwam anja garbarek - jawel, de dochter van de fameuze jazz saxofonist jan garbarek - met het in 2000 in london opgenomen smiling & waving. het leverde haar in 2001 meteen een noorse grammy oftewel spellemannspris op.
zeven jaar later brengt het rotterdamse label tonefloat het album uit op een 180 gram schijf - waarvan de eerste vijfhonderd exemplaren geperst worden op wit vinyl - gestoken in een uitklaphoes van zware kwaliteit. als bonus is een 7inch schijf toegevoegd met daarop twee nummers die tot voor kort uitsluitend te vinden waren op een gelimiteerde noorse cd van het album: i won’t hurt you en blinking blocks of light.
anja heeft enkele bekende gasten uitgenodigd zoals steven wilson van porcupine tree en richard barbieri van de groep japan. mark hollis van talk talk speelt piano, bas en melodica terwijl in één van de twee mede door hem geproduceerde songs, the diver, robert wyatt te horen is. dit nummer, waarin de stemmen van robert en anja prachtig samenvloeien, is slechts één van de hoogtepunten van het album.
altijd weer is er die noors onderkoelde sensuele stem van anja. net als bij haar vader zijn er ook in haar muziek geen grenzen te ontdekken. klassiek, pop, jazz, elektronica; het loopt naadloos in elkaar over, zonder dat dit ook maar enig maal geforceerd of onnatuurlijk klinkt. het ene moment is haar stem ingebed in klanken van een klassiek kamerorkest, het volgende moment wordt hij onderbroken door abstracte beats. een prachtig muziekdocument in een uniek jasje.
source: www.hifi.nl
zeven jaar later brengt het rotterdamse label tonefloat het album uit op een 180 gram schijf - waarvan de eerste vijfhonderd exemplaren geperst worden op wit vinyl - gestoken in een uitklaphoes van zware kwaliteit. als bonus is een 7inch schijf toegevoegd met daarop twee nummers die tot voor kort uitsluitend te vinden waren op een gelimiteerde noorse cd van het album: i won’t hurt you en blinking blocks of light.
anja heeft enkele bekende gasten uitgenodigd zoals steven wilson van porcupine tree en richard barbieri van de groep japan. mark hollis van talk talk speelt piano, bas en melodica terwijl in één van de twee mede door hem geproduceerde songs, the diver, robert wyatt te horen is. dit nummer, waarin de stemmen van robert en anja prachtig samenvloeien, is slechts één van de hoogtepunten van het album.
altijd weer is er die noors onderkoelde sensuele stem van anja. net als bij haar vader zijn er ook in haar muziek geen grenzen te ontdekken. klassiek, pop, jazz, elektronica; het loopt naadloos in elkaar over, zonder dat dit ook maar enig maal geforceerd of onnatuurlijk klinkt. het ene moment is haar stem ingebed in klanken van een klassiek kamerorkest, het volgende moment wordt hij onderbroken door abstracte beats. een prachtig muziekdocument in een uniek jasje.
source: www.hifi.nl
tf041, a review (3)
hoe valt te verklaren dat een muzikant die, verspreid over ruim twee decennia en onder meer dan 26 verschillende pseudoniemen, massa's releases op zijn conto heeft staan, toch nauwelijk (nog) een belletje doet rinkelen? we hebben het hier over een nederlander nota bene, niet één of andere obscure producer uit een godvergeten hut op de evenaar. misschien doet het ambientalbum moonwater dat hij in 1993 onder de vlag in-existence uitbracht op het r&s sublabel apollo her en der nog wat stof opwaaien; alterego's als 48v, phantom power, flux, major malfunction, e144 of cryptic zijn echter grotendeels in de vergeethoek beland, de liefhebber van dance uiteraard buiten beeld gehouden. dansmuziek en meer bepaald (ambient) house, trance, progressive, acid, elektro, techno, ... dat is de natuurlijk biosfeer van maarten van der vleuten. in dat milieu heeft hij een solide reputatie opgebouwd. op high intolerance towards low energies is van al dat echter geen sprake. dreigende soundscapes en drones (die gelukkig niet verglijden tot stereotiepe dark ambient), gestut door subtiele percussie, diepe bassequenties en rake, sfeerversterkende samples, maken hier de dienst uit. dat is niet nieuw. en ook geen flauw reanimeren van in-existence. onder die naam is van der vleuten namelijk altijd muziek blijven maken. in 2005 verscheen zelfs al een eerste release op tonefloat, meer bepaald vow of silence op de onderafdeling c records. high intolerance towards low energies onderstreept opnieuw de kwaliteiten van een man die in een rechtvaardige wereld al lang geen (her)introductie meer hoefde. deze fraai verpakte elpee komt in een editie van 500 op 180 gram geperste exemplaren. op is op!
source: gonzo circus
source: gonzo circus
tf049, a review (3)
the eightfold model is serries' zoveelste samenwerkingsproject op rij. ditmaal ging hij een partnership aan met michael beckett (schneider tm, kpt. michigan). fysiek hebben ze, zoals zo vaak het geval met dit soort collaboraties, elkaar nooit ontmoet, maar dat heeft het organische karakter van het totaalgeluid nergens gecompromitteerd. vreemdsoortige veldopnames (het meest herkenbaar zijn de doedelzakgeluiden) worden gepaard aan ijle gitaarloops, abstract aanvoelende electronica en soundscapes met een licht industrieel fundament. het keulse kompaktlabel en hun ambient pop reeks in het algemeen en het werk van wolfgang voight's gas in het bijzonder lijkt dan weer zijn stempel te hebben gedrukt op de hypnotiserende afsluiter vrooom. Om maar te zeggen dat dit album veel facetten kent. het resultaat is een stuk donkerder en dreigender van toon dan serries' solowerk en het duurt bijgevolg langer om het te doorgronden en er vervolgens aan te wennen. als microphonics i-v de warme melk is voor het slapengaan, dan is the eightfold model de late maaltijd die nare dromen kan veroorzaken. ietwat moeilijk te duiden album dus, maar niettemin alweer een significant 'andere' en relevante release in serries' gigantische discografie.
source: gonzo circus
source: gonzo circus
tf058, a review (3)
vidnaObmana behoort defintief tot het verleden en met fear falls burning gaat het meer dan uitstekend. toch is dat voor dirk serries geen reden om op zijn lauweren te rusten. integendeel, ook als fear falls burning is hij zijn productieve zelve. in ruim een kwarteeuw heeft hij echter nooit een album uitgebracht onder eigen naam. microphonics i-v is dan ook een primeur. een tweede feit is de vaststelling dat bloed kruipt waar het niet gaan kan: vidnaObmana mag dan officieel zijn doodverklaard, serries' drijfveer - kort samengevat een grote liefde voor het minimale, harmonische, dromerige en meditatieve - is dat verre van. het opdoeken van dat project betekende geenszins het verlies van zijn vakmanschap om die passie te vertalen in contemplatieve soundscapes in diepte en breedte. hoewel het instrumentarium (één gitaar, een buizenversterker en een rist effectpedalen) aanzienlijk verschilt met vroeger luidt microphonics i-v de terugkeer in naar het atmosferische werk van vidnaObmana. de modus operandi mag dan verschillen, fans die bleven hopen op een opvolger van the river of appearance zien met deze prachtig vormgegeven luxevinylrelease hun stoutste dromen verwezenlijkt.
source: gonzo circus
source: gonzo circus
tf060
following a personal invitation by tonefloat, woodwind guru theo travis and drone master dirk serries of fear falls burning joined forces for the first time early last year. recording two long pieces, both artists realised their contribution in their own studio on the spot and in one go, with serries feeding his guitars through his trademark effect pedals and travis operating his customised ambitronics to organically extend the natural palette of his flutes. after the material had been exchanged, they then proceeded to process and structure these performances independently before spending the rest of 2008 triumphantly touring the frenzy of the absolute album (fear falls burning) and teaming up with artists such as david sylvian, steven wilson and robert fripp, and touring with various acts (theo travis). roughly a year later, the duo is back with a string of carefully selected live shows and the 180grams vinyl version of the tonefloat sessions. while the cover references the classic designs of blue note's vintage jazz records, the music contained within is discreet yet sensual, darkly beautiful and alluringly mysterious. despite the mininal instrumentation, the album's quiet, but undeniably unfolding cinematics belie its puristic approach: calmly pulsating breaths and warm, earthly flute tones are washed over by hypnotically protracting and constricting washes of guitar harmonics, as faint traces of form and melody rise like ephemeral islands from a deep timbral sea.
the vinyl exclusive album is pressed as a 180 grams vinyl lp in carl glover designed gatefold picture sleeve, pressed on blue vinyl (200 copies) and black vinyl (400 copies). the tonefloat sessions can be pre-ordered from the tonefloat store for 16 euros for the black vinyl edition (plus 8 euros for worldwide priority shipping) or 20 euros for the blue vinyl edition (plus 8 euros for worldwide priority shipping). pre-orders will be shipped tuesday 3 february.
the vinyl exclusive album is pressed as a 180 grams vinyl lp in carl glover designed gatefold picture sleeve, pressed on blue vinyl (200 copies) and black vinyl (400 copies). the tonefloat sessions can be pre-ordered from the tonefloat store for 16 euros for the black vinyl edition (plus 8 euros for worldwide priority shipping) or 20 euros for the blue vinyl edition (plus 8 euros for worldwide priority shipping). pre-orders will be shipped tuesday 3 february.
sand snowman at x-rated
sand snowman will be doing a live radio session for x-rated show, on kink fm, the leading alternative rock radio stadion in holland. listen in on sunday 1 february, at 9pm.
tf075
originally one of the proposed covers for tf041, carl glover used this studio photograph for the tonefloat live poster and flyer.
with the knowledge that it is a tonefloat favourite, carl couldn't resist using the same photo for the generic pochette for the mailout of promos.
tf041, a review (2)
you might know dutchman maarten van der vleuten from his earlier work using a lot of different aliases like integrity or major malfunction. for his more ambient work he was in-existence, producing good albums like moonwater or vow of silence. nowadays he is just maarten van der vleuten, and surprised everyone with his latest album high intolerance towards low energies.
this is one mighty album with some very dark elements, mixed with voices from far far away. you get four long tracks, each with dark synths and drones, and these voices make up every track to be the perfect soundtrack when you are exploring graveyards or old monasterys. track two is called regina coeli, inspired by the old monastery with the same name. when you read this you may think of a dold meat industry release, but this record goes beyond most albums on this label. this comes straight from the galaxy with sparkling synth lines, but always gloomy.
this is a very exciting album only available on vinyl, pressed in a limited edition of 500 copies in a luxurious gatefold sleeve. So hurry up and get this album!
source: myspace.com/tipvanbob
this is one mighty album with some very dark elements, mixed with voices from far far away. you get four long tracks, each with dark synths and drones, and these voices make up every track to be the perfect soundtrack when you are exploring graveyards or old monasterys. track two is called regina coeli, inspired by the old monastery with the same name. when you read this you may think of a dold meat industry release, but this record goes beyond most albums on this label. this comes straight from the galaxy with sparkling synth lines, but always gloomy.
this is a very exciting album only available on vinyl, pressed in a limited edition of 500 copies in a luxurious gatefold sleeve. So hurry up and get this album!
source: myspace.com/tipvanbob
tf036, a review (5)
een dikke plak vinyl krijgt 3voor12/arnhem-nijmegen opgestuurd, een dikke plak ontoegankelijkheid die white nights - the hand of tzafkiël heet. de popliefhebber die alleen van coupletjes en catchy refreintjes houdt, hoeft vanaf deze regel al geen woord verder meer te lezen.
the use of ashes (ontstaan uit ultra-scene pioniers van mekanik kommando, die zelfs nog vernoemd staan in meesterverzamelwerk de beste muziekverhalen van 1945 tot nu door leon verdonschot) is een fragmentarisch te werk gaande ‘band’. subtiel wordt laag over laag gelegd, of juist vanuit het totaalgeluid weggenomen. het resulteert in een collage-achtige (zestiende!) release van dit nijmeegs trio.
heden ten dage zou deze muziekvorm mogelijk als ‘freakfolk’ worden beschreven, maar in alle eerlijkheid, wat zegt die term dan toch over wat de band doet? op white nights hoor je akoestische gitaren, spaarzame (drone) elektronica, tingeltangelmuziek, vervormde stemgeluiden (leve de vocoder), toetsenpartijen, field recordings en nog veel meer. een nogal weids uiteenlopende rangschikking van geluidsoorten die wonderwel behoorlijk goed ineenvalt op het album, mits je the use of ashes’ ding een beetje wil begrijpen.
tijdens een enkel gedeelte van het album verlies ook ik de aandacht. ter illustratie; binnen een stuk geluidscollage, dat ik met verslapte concentratie doorluister, meen ik uit het niets plots een feesttoeter te ontwaren die me weer bij de les brengt. een blik uit het raam leert dat het geluid in werkelijkheid live aan het totaalspectrum wordt toegevoegd door een koter met een fluitje die aan de hand van zijn mama over straat wandelt.
white nights is, in tegenstelling tot wat je bij een titel als deze op het eerste gezicht zou verwachten, donkere kost. gedeelten van de plaat lijken bijna hemels te klinken maar hebben altijd een duistere ondertoon. als een sluimerende asgrijze trip waar het in alle verontrusting toch goed toeven is; simpelweg omdat je jezelf erbij neerlegt dat je toch niet weg kan. the use of ashes zou ook niet misstaan op bijvoorbeeld een morbide label als cold meat industry. geloof me, die toch tamelijk zieke geesten aldaar kunnen zeker iets met deze klanken en zouden de band een groter bereik kunnen geven.
white nights is een bijzonder product waarin bijvoorbeeld een fragment als kiss the dark nog verder uitgewerkt zou mogen worden om door te groeien naar een monsterlijke climax. maar the use of ashes is lekker eigenwijs en houdt het bij de twee en een halve minuut maximaal per item. bijzonder plaatwerk!
wat overigens niet onvermeld mag blijven, is dat het artwork goed ondersteunt wat de band je met deze plaat brengt; het is somber en onheilspellend mooi. en zo’n lekkere plak vinyl, tja, met dit niveau van muziek mag dat bij mij wel wekelijks op de deurmat worden gedropt.
source: 3voor12
the use of ashes (ontstaan uit ultra-scene pioniers van mekanik kommando, die zelfs nog vernoemd staan in meesterverzamelwerk de beste muziekverhalen van 1945 tot nu door leon verdonschot) is een fragmentarisch te werk gaande ‘band’. subtiel wordt laag over laag gelegd, of juist vanuit het totaalgeluid weggenomen. het resulteert in een collage-achtige (zestiende!) release van dit nijmeegs trio.
heden ten dage zou deze muziekvorm mogelijk als ‘freakfolk’ worden beschreven, maar in alle eerlijkheid, wat zegt die term dan toch over wat de band doet? op white nights hoor je akoestische gitaren, spaarzame (drone) elektronica, tingeltangelmuziek, vervormde stemgeluiden (leve de vocoder), toetsenpartijen, field recordings en nog veel meer. een nogal weids uiteenlopende rangschikking van geluidsoorten die wonderwel behoorlijk goed ineenvalt op het album, mits je the use of ashes’ ding een beetje wil begrijpen.
tijdens een enkel gedeelte van het album verlies ook ik de aandacht. ter illustratie; binnen een stuk geluidscollage, dat ik met verslapte concentratie doorluister, meen ik uit het niets plots een feesttoeter te ontwaren die me weer bij de les brengt. een blik uit het raam leert dat het geluid in werkelijkheid live aan het totaalspectrum wordt toegevoegd door een koter met een fluitje die aan de hand van zijn mama over straat wandelt.
white nights is, in tegenstelling tot wat je bij een titel als deze op het eerste gezicht zou verwachten, donkere kost. gedeelten van de plaat lijken bijna hemels te klinken maar hebben altijd een duistere ondertoon. als een sluimerende asgrijze trip waar het in alle verontrusting toch goed toeven is; simpelweg omdat je jezelf erbij neerlegt dat je toch niet weg kan. the use of ashes zou ook niet misstaan op bijvoorbeeld een morbide label als cold meat industry. geloof me, die toch tamelijk zieke geesten aldaar kunnen zeker iets met deze klanken en zouden de band een groter bereik kunnen geven.
white nights is een bijzonder product waarin bijvoorbeeld een fragment als kiss the dark nog verder uitgewerkt zou mogen worden om door te groeien naar een monsterlijke climax. maar the use of ashes is lekker eigenwijs en houdt het bij de twee en een halve minuut maximaal per item. bijzonder plaatwerk!
wat overigens niet onvermeld mag blijven, is dat het artwork goed ondersteunt wat de band je met deze plaat brengt; het is somber en onheilspellend mooi. en zo’n lekkere plak vinyl, tja, met dit niveau van muziek mag dat bij mij wel wekelijks op de deurmat worden gedropt.
source: 3voor12
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