this is the voice of re:mote induction.Monday, August 25, 2003
new releases from ant-zen/hymen
vromb. jeux de terre. cd/2lp. ant-zen act161
tracklist:
introduire la terre (comme lieu et matière), dans la maison, tremblement,
l'effet blatte, bunker/les abeilles, chrysope hydrocéphale, contamination -I
(l'eau et la terre), interlude libellule, virus annaxe, gigantisme,
contamination -II (radio et télévision), le vol de l'anach empereur.
until 1993, hugo girard's only appearance on record had been on a canadian compilation cd (adolphe présente), but these new ambient industrial sounds caused enthusiastic reactions in europe and canada. the first full length
release was a canadian / german label collaboration: 'jeux de terre' . this cd was beautifully packaged in a 7"x10" cover and the disc was in a hand numbered paper sleeve. also included was a postcard and several large prints
of nicely drawn insects - the text was in both french and english. the original 'jeux de terre' has been deleted for years. now there is the opportunity for vromb addicts to get it again on cd and for the first-time on vinyl. this re-release is in celebration of the ten year anniversary of vromb.
the concept behind 'jeux de terre' (earth plays) was of a journey through an imaginary world of insects. insects that had not been identified yet - as you can now read in english for the first time. 'insects, go for food or discovery, warzone, life purpose at the insect dimension' as girard explains it.
the sound on this disc is less beat oriented than later vromb releases, but nevertheless it is partly rhythmic. drones and basses create a hypnotic and sometimes threatening atmosphere. you might seem to hear natural, even
sampled, insect sounds but there were no samplers used. just 'strictly analog and digital synthesis'. you can hear what makes vromb's music unique even on his debut. a soundtrack to a film yet completed.
the ant-zen re-release contains one unreleased extra track which was intended for the original version and an 8 page booklet which includes a modified version of the original artwork.
official vromb website:
vromb. rayons. cd / 12" lp. ant-zen act151
tracklist:
klinikum, premier générateur, éclairs, rayons, la rayure, boulevard,
perpendiculaire, non-réel, circuit imprimé, deuxième générateur.
hugo girard's (a.k.a. vromb) input has grown enormously during the last few years. it started in 1993 with the release, 'jeux de terre' (now re-released) and then continued with only a few releases over next six years. but since 2000 there have been at least two records a year. in 2003, after his first split release with szkieve and a 10" vinyl, the fourth full length vromb album on ant-zen, 'rayons' (rays) will be released on cd and vinyl.
girard's intention on 'rayons' is to translate several kinds of rays into music - ranging from sunbeams to optical rays. so, 'rayons' can also be seen as an aural sight-seeing tour. the 'speed' factor is that of a person moving (whether by foot or in different vehicles). this movement was transformed into rhythmic patterns. imagine the aural equivalent of taking a walk during a thunderstorm ('éclairs') or feeling the sun peaking through a clouded sky while window shopping ('boulevard').
all sounds were generated with analog and digital synthesizers. the listener might believe that they are hearing modulated samples but this is not true. it is once again, an example of girard's virtuosity in creating 'naturalistic' soundscapes with pure electronic equipment.
for the images on the album cover, girard gave the photographer, alain gauvin the basic audio tracks for inspiration. the final musical structure on 'rayons' is based on inspirations from gauvin's pictures which were taken in the montreal area.
so close your eyes, let yourself go and feel the rays coming out of your speakers. also, look forward to vromb's live appearances in europe and canada at the end of this year!
official vromb website:
ambre. le mensonge. cd. ant-zen act140
tracklist:
le déclin, raz, sebkra, erratique, derrière la nuit, hiatus, hourvari,
étique, vernal, la vie est belle, plaisir et moisissures, l'appel.
written & performed by olivier moreau, john sellekaers and c-drík fermont.
www.ant-zen.com/imminent . www.metarc.com
. www.syrphe.com
ambre's second full length release explores a new direction in sound - this will be especially evident for those who are familiar with 'enclave'. however, there are still no rhythms in this aural universe, but it is still mighty cold and extremely dark in there. even in this cold and dark place, life forms (creatures, not machines) are created. you can hear them celebrating their rituals, you can hear them talk and you can hear them sending greetings to zoviet france's parallel universe (perhaps even a small postcard is sent to pierre schaeffer). but you can never hear them dance - never. these strange life forms don't need a purpose for what they do. do you need a purpose to exist? neither do they. what do you mean... it's all a lie? turn up your stereo. put on your headphones. turn off the lights.
believe.
this cd comes in a folded embossed heavy cardboard cover.
cell auto mata. the devil is in the detail. cd. ant-zen act155
tracklist:
fallen dice, aus558, esa unit, gws hearse, huevos de oro, ign558, ish galil,
sem kern, sauvée, hipsters, trisol dot grey, rip rozz, we met under concrete, trisol swap.
after six years and several releases on different labels, matthieu maire decided to cancel all activities that were executed under the celluloid mata moniker. but it wasn't his intention to end his musical activities - something just had to change. as a member of the ant family he was in contact with philipp münch (synapscape, ars moriendi and a solo artist (rorschach garden)). mata decided to exchange musical ideas with philipp and a new project was formed. a project that would include the creative output of both musicians. hence, cell auto mata was created. maybe you heard the first result on ant zen's 'daruma' compilation and maybe you wanted to get some more - well, here it is. we proudly present cell auto matas first full length release.
the first impression you might have while listening to this cd is that these are songs - not just "tracks". for instance, 'huevos de oro' or 'ish galil' are based on a 4/4 beat, melodies and even vocals - in other words they are
structured like a song. but this isn't pop; the industrial and technoid influences of both members melt together and deliver music that is beyond a listener's expectations and previous listening experiences.
the cd's mood seems to be quite dark and serious at first, but as the title implies: the devil is in the detail (and behind the surface). you need more time for this record than you might initially think (also you need time to check out all the nice little photos on the cover).
those who are familiar with both of the artist's previous releases might be able to identify the musical roots of this cd. such as the 'synapscape-ish' sequencer treatments in 'gws hearse' or the 'surf-organ' on 'hipsters'. nevertheless, this cd is an original and should not be seen as 'just another collaboration'. it should be heard as the debut album that it actually is.
cell auto mata on the web:
hecq. a dried youth. cd. kaleidoskop kal003y. 2003
tracklist:
01: intro 02: untitled01 03: nor nar 04: holo 05: numb woods 06: sake falls 07: tahoe 08: brake01
09: cicle 10: kolics 11: sun ricq 12: reptile prog 13: ...her skinny hips towards the sun...
14: vault 15: brake03 (long version) 16: pegas 17: brake two 18: fat starving data 19: untitled02 20: untitled03
well, what the heck is hecq?
hecq is not beefcake, and hecq is not lusine icl - but hecq could be a
phantastic listening experience for those who are into these artists.
actually, hecq is benny boysen from germany, and 'a dried youth' is his debut album.
in his' own words, "cold, functional elements are combined with organic, 'natural' ones, the result is a hybrid between different styles and moods". as many artists, hecq uses his' works as a 'link' between artist and 'reality'. his' music is the aural reflection of the artists' daily life. abstract beats combined ambience samples and sometimes melancholic melodies merge into a musical portrait of a non-conformist's daily life.
'a dried youth' is ambient-electronic soundscape music for the open-minded listener - enjoy !
additional info:
www.hecq.de
kaleidoskop - a division of minuswelt musikfabrik - www.minuswelt.com
distribution via ant-zen · info@ant-zen.com · www.ant-zen.com
lusine icl. condensed. september2k3. cd. hymen records ¥734
tracklist:
in flight, risa, chao, rabblerouse, dr. chinme, shin, rushhour, chao (crunch rmx), cascade, vacate, mojave, lullaby, neon.
since 1999, jeff mcilwain (a.k.a. lusine icl) has explored and combined a mixture of electronic music genres (and even some genres which do not exist yet). these explorations have ranged from experimental ambience to danceable
rhythmic treatments. his fanbase has grown with each release, and lots of open minded listeners have enjoyed albums such as 'iron city'. each release has spotlighted mcilwains variety and virtuosity in merging several styles.
this cd includes various lusine works which were available only on vinyl or only on compilations -except for the unreleased track, 'cascade'. none of these tracks have been released before on hymen records. although
'condensed' is actually a compilation, it has the aural impression of a regular full length album.
cd addicts can find the entire 'chao ep' ,released just a few months ago, on mental industries. also included from mental ind. is the track 'mojave' (which was taken from the 'bored ep' compilation 12"). 'in flight' appeared
for the first time on the debut delikatessen records 10", 'sustain'. 'rushhour' and 'vacate' are 7" vinyl tracks which were published on zeal records and awkward silence. 'risa', 'shin', 'lullaby' and 'neon', are cd tracks, but from compilation only releases - originally on !k7, tigerbeat6, eatthis and u-cover. this is a fine collection of lusine's work from the last 4 years. highly recommended.
official lusine website:
www.lusineweb.com
end. errata. 12". september2k3. hymen records ¥044
tracklist:
necessary fictions, the image economy, society of the spectacle, torschlusspanik, the culture industry (black lung rmx), theatres of memory (mehmet irdel rmx), society of the spectacle (xanopticon rmx).
photography by seze. www.seze.net
artwar by salt
thematic companion and stop-gap follow-up to last year's science/fiction, end is back with another batch of post-glitch soundscapes and futuristic nightmares.
errata reprises a few of science/fiction's dj-friendlier tracks (the shuffling plastic beats of the image economy and the hip-hop dirge of society of the spectacle) and offers some new essentials: necessary fictions is all icy melodies and a hypnotizing staccato groove while torschlusspanik is a ferocious scatter-beat number complete with hard bleeps and 70s theremin. all topped off with stellar remixes by black lung, mehmet irdel, and xanopticon.
the perfect soundtrack to being stuck at a shitty temp job while everybody else is enjoying their vacations. if only the boss would install a turntable next to the water cooler....
end website:
http://www.worldwentdown.com
neutral. caller id . sept2k3. cd. hymen records ¥733
tracklist:
answering machine #1, cut paper, bird in the air (xingu hill remix), silent, hey ash (atlas' anthem remix by solenoid), carbon (end remix), paper boy (main post boy remix by telepherique), answering machine #2, 180 (cientos y ochenta remix by chango feo), carbon paper, j. doesn't do acid anymore (gridlock remix), jazz interludes for looney tunes, desire of (p.a.l remix), february and march (burning rome version), answering machine #3.
for caller id, nicole turned over tracks from her debut album, 1999's font translation errors, the 2001 mini album driving backwards, and her critically acclaimed second album, 2002's motion of, to a diverse group of remixers. among them are well known ant-zen and hymen noise arbiters xingu hill, p*a*l, and telepherique as well as newcomers like the cinematically-driven end. and since caller id, like motion of, is a joint release with mad monkey records, it seemed fitting to bring in mad monkey labelmates burning rome and chango-feo for this finale. rounding out the remixer list are oregon's best-kept electro twiddling secret solenoid and famed digital break stylists gridlock.
but caller id isn't just remixes. fans of her music will find three unreleased tracks woven into the release, adding a cohesiveness to caller id that makes it more than a simple collection of diverse remixes. caller id feels like a new album, much like mad monkey's first release - on which neutral appears - the legendary enter the monkey compilation. fittingly, caller id closes the loop for not only neutral and her first creative incarnation, but for mad monkey as well.
beginning with font translation errors - which mad monkey first introduced in an edition of 23 wooden cages with a stuffed monkey - neutral's sound charted the sonic territory between fat industrial rhythms and dense, imagist lyrics, all at a time when most electronic musicians were crawling up their own asses with laptops and plug-ins. nicole's unique sound caught the eye of planet-? impresario mike paradinas, who subsequently released her 7-inch beef bouillon/my sweatshirt after playing with her at the inaugural safety in numbers festival in new york.
neutral's vinyl-only mini album driving backwards appeared as mad monkey's first joint release with hymen just a few months later, pounding out more evocative sound for her growing fan base. but it took nicole over a year to find the feeling she wanted for motion of. simultaneously heart wrenching and subtle, motion of shed the artifice of electronic music's go-go attitude with a remarkable combination of traditional instruments and masterful songwriting. again, neutral's music was hailed as an antidote to the cold, calculated music produced by her software-laden peers; neutral's music persevered through the torrent of glitch and clickpop to produce a juicy warm fruit for everyone's ears.
the succulent nature of neutral comes out crystal clear in the remixes that make up caller id. one of the more startling inclusions is xingu hill's radical dissection of "bird in the air." xingu hill's john sellekaers carves out the steamy guitar flesh of the original, substituting a complex machination of static pops and digital effects, forging a metallic facsimile true in spirit to the original. telepherique applies a chilled salve of industrial effects to make "paper boy" a most relaxing, contemplative track.
mark kolmar of burning rome reconstructs "february and march" from driving backwards into a bass-driven pop instrumental that's simultaneously somber and invigorating.
verily, every track on caller id is a work to be savored. mike cadoo, who as part of gridlock turned "j doesn't do acid anymore" into a velvety synth dirge, muses on this a bit, noting that neutral is intriguing "because her tunes are far different than that of the usual suspects we remix."
"nicole is really genre-less," he continues, "and we thought it would be good fun to mash up her stuff."
with an artist of such expansive talents as neutral, it's a unique challenge for remixers to produce something that adds to the original instead of detracting, suggests end's charles peirce. "well, you know, there's always this weird balance with remixes about how far you take it away from the original, and i definitely wanted to preserve the original character of ('carbon') - that nice heavy groove in particular and i really appreciated that she had bothered to put some vocals on things."
"it's one of those remixes that i actually overworked quite a bit, really approached from a lot of different angles," he says. "i had even written a whole long keyboard melody for it at one point -- but then found it all worked better once i stripped that all back and just let it be the original rhythm and voice, albeit through some filters."
for the hymen and mad monkey labels, the release of neutral's caller id marks the end of one collaborative chapter and the beginning of another. in particular mad monkey records wants to pass along a message to everyone who has supported the label and neutral since the start: so long and thanks for all the bananas.
neutral on the web:
www.ant-zen.com . info@ant-zen.com
www.klangstabil.com/hymen . hymen@gmx.net
hymen / ant-zen. p.o. box 1257 · 93135 lappersdorf · germany
vromb. jeux de terre. cd/2lp. ant-zen act161
tracklist:
introduire la terre (comme lieu et matière), dans la maison, tremblement,
l'effet blatte, bunker/les abeilles, chrysope hydrocéphale, contamination -I
(l'eau et la terre), interlude libellule, virus annaxe, gigantisme,
contamination -II (radio et télévision), le vol de l'anach empereur.
until 1993, hugo girard's only appearance on record had been on a canadian compilation cd (adolphe présente), but these new ambient industrial sounds caused enthusiastic reactions in europe and canada. the first full length
release was a canadian / german label collaboration: 'jeux de terre' . this cd was beautifully packaged in a 7"x10" cover and the disc was in a hand numbered paper sleeve. also included was a postcard and several large prints
of nicely drawn insects - the text was in both french and english. the original 'jeux de terre' has been deleted for years. now there is the opportunity for vromb addicts to get it again on cd and for the first-time on vinyl. this re-release is in celebration of the ten year anniversary of vromb.
the concept behind 'jeux de terre' (earth plays) was of a journey through an imaginary world of insects. insects that had not been identified yet - as you can now read in english for the first time. 'insects, go for food or discovery, warzone, life purpose at the insect dimension' as girard explains it.
the sound on this disc is less beat oriented than later vromb releases, but nevertheless it is partly rhythmic. drones and basses create a hypnotic and sometimes threatening atmosphere. you might seem to hear natural, even
sampled, insect sounds but there were no samplers used. just 'strictly analog and digital synthesis'. you can hear what makes vromb's music unique even on his debut. a soundtrack to a film yet completed.
the ant-zen re-release contains one unreleased extra track which was intended for the original version and an 8 page booklet which includes a modified version of the original artwork.
official vromb website:
vromb. rayons. cd / 12" lp. ant-zen act151
tracklist:
klinikum, premier générateur, éclairs, rayons, la rayure, boulevard,
perpendiculaire, non-réel, circuit imprimé, deuxième générateur.
hugo girard's (a.k.a. vromb) input has grown enormously during the last few years. it started in 1993 with the release, 'jeux de terre' (now re-released) and then continued with only a few releases over next six years. but since 2000 there have been at least two records a year. in 2003, after his first split release with szkieve and a 10" vinyl, the fourth full length vromb album on ant-zen, 'rayons' (rays) will be released on cd and vinyl.
girard's intention on 'rayons' is to translate several kinds of rays into music - ranging from sunbeams to optical rays. so, 'rayons' can also be seen as an aural sight-seeing tour. the 'speed' factor is that of a person moving (whether by foot or in different vehicles). this movement was transformed into rhythmic patterns. imagine the aural equivalent of taking a walk during a thunderstorm ('éclairs') or feeling the sun peaking through a clouded sky while window shopping ('boulevard').
all sounds were generated with analog and digital synthesizers. the listener might believe that they are hearing modulated samples but this is not true. it is once again, an example of girard's virtuosity in creating 'naturalistic' soundscapes with pure electronic equipment.
for the images on the album cover, girard gave the photographer, alain gauvin the basic audio tracks for inspiration. the final musical structure on 'rayons' is based on inspirations from gauvin's pictures which were taken in the montreal area.
so close your eyes, let yourself go and feel the rays coming out of your speakers. also, look forward to vromb's live appearances in europe and canada at the end of this year!
official vromb website:
ambre. le mensonge. cd. ant-zen act140
tracklist:
le déclin, raz, sebkra, erratique, derrière la nuit, hiatus, hourvari,
étique, vernal, la vie est belle, plaisir et moisissures, l'appel.
written & performed by olivier moreau, john sellekaers and c-drík fermont.
www.ant-zen.com/imminent
ambre's second full length release explores a new direction in sound - this will be especially evident for those who are familiar with 'enclave'. however, there are still no rhythms in this aural universe, but it is still mighty cold and extremely dark in there. even in this cold and dark place, life forms (creatures, not machines) are created. you can hear them celebrating their rituals, you can hear them talk and you can hear them sending greetings to zoviet france's parallel universe (perhaps even a small postcard is sent to pierre schaeffer). but you can never hear them dance - never. these strange life forms don't need a purpose for what they do. do you need a purpose to exist? neither do they. what do you mean... it's all a lie? turn up your stereo. put on your headphones. turn off the lights.
believe.
this cd comes in a folded embossed heavy cardboard cover.
cell auto mata. the devil is in the detail. cd. ant-zen act155
tracklist:
fallen dice, aus558, esa unit, gws hearse, huevos de oro, ign558, ish galil,
sem kern, sauvée, hipsters, trisol dot grey, rip rozz, we met under concrete, trisol swap.
after six years and several releases on different labels, matthieu maire decided to cancel all activities that were executed under the celluloid mata moniker. but it wasn't his intention to end his musical activities - something just had to change. as a member of the ant family he was in contact with philipp münch (synapscape, ars moriendi and a solo artist (rorschach garden)). mata decided to exchange musical ideas with philipp and a new project was formed. a project that would include the creative output of both musicians. hence, cell auto mata was created. maybe you heard the first result on ant zen's 'daruma' compilation and maybe you wanted to get some more - well, here it is. we proudly present cell auto matas first full length release.
the first impression you might have while listening to this cd is that these are songs - not just "tracks". for instance, 'huevos de oro' or 'ish galil' are based on a 4/4 beat, melodies and even vocals - in other words they are
structured like a song. but this isn't pop; the industrial and technoid influences of both members melt together and deliver music that is beyond a listener's expectations and previous listening experiences.
the cd's mood seems to be quite dark and serious at first, but as the title implies: the devil is in the detail (and behind the surface). you need more time for this record than you might initially think (also you need time to check out all the nice little photos on the cover).
those who are familiar with both of the artist's previous releases might be able to identify the musical roots of this cd. such as the 'synapscape-ish' sequencer treatments in 'gws hearse' or the 'surf-organ' on 'hipsters'. nevertheless, this cd is an original and should not be seen as 'just another collaboration'. it should be heard as the debut album that it actually is.
cell auto mata on the web:
hecq. a dried youth. cd. kaleidoskop kal003y. 2003
tracklist:
01: intro 02: untitled01 03: nor nar 04: holo 05: numb woods 06: sake falls 07: tahoe 08: brake01
09: cicle 10: kolics 11: sun ricq 12: reptile prog 13: ...her skinny hips towards the sun...
14: vault 15: brake03 (long version) 16: pegas 17: brake two 18: fat starving data 19: untitled02 20: untitled03
well, what the heck is hecq?
hecq is not beefcake, and hecq is not lusine icl - but hecq could be a
phantastic listening experience for those who are into these artists.
actually, hecq is benny boysen from germany, and 'a dried youth' is his debut album.
in his' own words, "cold, functional elements are combined with organic, 'natural' ones, the result is a hybrid between different styles and moods". as many artists, hecq uses his' works as a 'link' between artist and 'reality'. his' music is the aural reflection of the artists' daily life. abstract beats combined ambience samples and sometimes melancholic melodies merge into a musical portrait of a non-conformist's daily life.
'a dried youth' is ambient-electronic soundscape music for the open-minded listener - enjoy !
additional info:
www.hecq.de
kaleidoskop - a division of minuswelt musikfabrik - www.minuswelt.com
distribution via ant-zen · info@ant-zen.com · www.ant-zen.com
lusine icl. condensed. september2k3. cd. hymen records ¥734
tracklist:
in flight, risa, chao, rabblerouse, dr. chinme, shin, rushhour, chao (crunch rmx), cascade, vacate, mojave, lullaby, neon.
since 1999, jeff mcilwain (a.k.a. lusine icl) has explored and combined a mixture of electronic music genres (and even some genres which do not exist yet). these explorations have ranged from experimental ambience to danceable
rhythmic treatments. his fanbase has grown with each release, and lots of open minded listeners have enjoyed albums such as 'iron city'. each release has spotlighted mcilwains variety and virtuosity in merging several styles.
this cd includes various lusine works which were available only on vinyl or only on compilations -except for the unreleased track, 'cascade'. none of these tracks have been released before on hymen records. although
'condensed' is actually a compilation, it has the aural impression of a regular full length album.
cd addicts can find the entire 'chao ep' ,released just a few months ago, on mental industries. also included from mental ind. is the track 'mojave' (which was taken from the 'bored ep' compilation 12"). 'in flight' appeared
for the first time on the debut delikatessen records 10", 'sustain'. 'rushhour' and 'vacate' are 7" vinyl tracks which were published on zeal records and awkward silence. 'risa', 'shin', 'lullaby' and 'neon', are cd tracks, but from compilation only releases - originally on !k7, tigerbeat6, eatthis and u-cover. this is a fine collection of lusine's work from the last 4 years. highly recommended.
official lusine website:
www.lusineweb.com
end. errata. 12". september2k3. hymen records ¥044
tracklist:
necessary fictions, the image economy, society of the spectacle, torschlusspanik, the culture industry (black lung rmx), theatres of memory (mehmet irdel rmx), society of the spectacle (xanopticon rmx).
photography by seze. www.seze.net
artwar by salt
thematic companion and stop-gap follow-up to last year's science/fiction, end is back with another batch of post-glitch soundscapes and futuristic nightmares.
errata reprises a few of science/fiction's dj-friendlier tracks (the shuffling plastic beats of the image economy and the hip-hop dirge of society of the spectacle) and offers some new essentials: necessary fictions is all icy melodies and a hypnotizing staccato groove while torschlusspanik is a ferocious scatter-beat number complete with hard bleeps and 70s theremin. all topped off with stellar remixes by black lung, mehmet irdel, and xanopticon.
the perfect soundtrack to being stuck at a shitty temp job while everybody else is enjoying their vacations. if only the boss would install a turntable next to the water cooler....
end website:
http://www.worldwentdown.com
neutral. caller id . sept2k3. cd. hymen records ¥733
tracklist:
answering machine #1, cut paper, bird in the air (xingu hill remix), silent, hey ash (atlas' anthem remix by solenoid), carbon (end remix), paper boy (main post boy remix by telepherique), answering machine #2, 180 (cientos y ochenta remix by chango feo), carbon paper, j. doesn't do acid anymore (gridlock remix), jazz interludes for looney tunes, desire of (p.a.l remix), february and march (burning rome version), answering machine #3.
for caller id, nicole turned over tracks from her debut album, 1999's font translation errors, the 2001 mini album driving backwards, and her critically acclaimed second album, 2002's motion of, to a diverse group of remixers. among them are well known ant-zen and hymen noise arbiters xingu hill, p*a*l, and telepherique as well as newcomers like the cinematically-driven end. and since caller id, like motion of, is a joint release with mad monkey records, it seemed fitting to bring in mad monkey labelmates burning rome and chango-feo for this finale. rounding out the remixer list are oregon's best-kept electro twiddling secret solenoid and famed digital break stylists gridlock.
but caller id isn't just remixes. fans of her music will find three unreleased tracks woven into the release, adding a cohesiveness to caller id that makes it more than a simple collection of diverse remixes. caller id feels like a new album, much like mad monkey's first release - on which neutral appears - the legendary enter the monkey compilation. fittingly, caller id closes the loop for not only neutral and her first creative incarnation, but for mad monkey as well.
beginning with font translation errors - which mad monkey first introduced in an edition of 23 wooden cages with a stuffed monkey - neutral's sound charted the sonic territory between fat industrial rhythms and dense, imagist lyrics, all at a time when most electronic musicians were crawling up their own asses with laptops and plug-ins. nicole's unique sound caught the eye of planet-? impresario mike paradinas, who subsequently released her 7-inch beef bouillon/my sweatshirt after playing with her at the inaugural safety in numbers festival in new york.
neutral's vinyl-only mini album driving backwards appeared as mad monkey's first joint release with hymen just a few months later, pounding out more evocative sound for her growing fan base. but it took nicole over a year to find the feeling she wanted for motion of. simultaneously heart wrenching and subtle, motion of shed the artifice of electronic music's go-go attitude with a remarkable combination of traditional instruments and masterful songwriting. again, neutral's music was hailed as an antidote to the cold, calculated music produced by her software-laden peers; neutral's music persevered through the torrent of glitch and clickpop to produce a juicy warm fruit for everyone's ears.
the succulent nature of neutral comes out crystal clear in the remixes that make up caller id. one of the more startling inclusions is xingu hill's radical dissection of "bird in the air." xingu hill's john sellekaers carves out the steamy guitar flesh of the original, substituting a complex machination of static pops and digital effects, forging a metallic facsimile true in spirit to the original. telepherique applies a chilled salve of industrial effects to make "paper boy" a most relaxing, contemplative track.
mark kolmar of burning rome reconstructs "february and march" from driving backwards into a bass-driven pop instrumental that's simultaneously somber and invigorating.
verily, every track on caller id is a work to be savored. mike cadoo, who as part of gridlock turned "j doesn't do acid anymore" into a velvety synth dirge, muses on this a bit, noting that neutral is intriguing "because her tunes are far different than that of the usual suspects we remix."
"nicole is really genre-less," he continues, "and we thought it would be good fun to mash up her stuff."
with an artist of such expansive talents as neutral, it's a unique challenge for remixers to produce something that adds to the original instead of detracting, suggests end's charles peirce. "well, you know, there's always this weird balance with remixes about how far you take it away from the original, and i definitely wanted to preserve the original character of ('carbon') - that nice heavy groove in particular and i really appreciated that she had bothered to put some vocals on things."
"it's one of those remixes that i actually overworked quite a bit, really approached from a lot of different angles," he says. "i had even written a whole long keyboard melody for it at one point -- but then found it all worked better once i stripped that all back and just let it be the original rhythm and voice, albeit through some filters."
for the hymen and mad monkey labels, the release of neutral's caller id marks the end of one collaborative chapter and the beginning of another. in particular mad monkey records wants to pass along a message to everyone who has supported the label and neutral since the start: so long and thanks for all the bananas.
neutral on the web:
www.ant-zen.com . info@ant-zen.com
www.klangstabil.com/hymen . hymen@gmx.net
hymen / ant-zen. p.o. box 1257 · 93135 lappersdorf · germany
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