Tori Kudo & 3C123 LP (vinyl)

Posted in music, Vinyl on April 9th, 2024
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An’archives are pleased to announce the release of a self-titled album by Tori Kudo & 3C123. A reissue of a cassette that was originally released on Uramado in 2020, this is the first time this live session has appeared on vinyl. The performance, featuring Kudo on piano and 3C123 on clarinet, was recorded on October 18, 2009, at the Uramado venue in Shinjuku. A beautiful and quixotic forty-minute set, it reconnects both Kudo and 3C123 with various musical histories, including those of classical composition and free improvisation.

The performance documented on Tori Kudo & 3C123 is a curious one. While they both appear to slip into improvised ruminations at times, for the most part, Kudo performs pieces by Erik Satie on the piano, over which 3C123 teases an excoriating stream of improvisation from the clarinet. His playing here is wild in its poetry: sometimes lushly nestling alongside Satie’s melodies, elsewhere loosing Ayler-esque squalls from the instrument, it’s a bravura performance that is matched, in an indirect manner, by the poise and pacing of Kudo’s generous, fluent recital.

When asked about the thinking behind the performance documented here, Kudo explains by describing the historical juxtaposition of Satie with Takehisa Kosugi’s improvised violin as “an essence of the Japanese art of collective improvisation.” The playing here, as within Japanese collective improvisation, is about sitting ‘alongside’ each other, not necessarily in direct (or even indirect) reference, but rather sharing the space; “just being there together,” Kudo says, and letting go of the need for performers to engage in interplay.

Tori Kudo & 3C123 is certainly part of that tradition, and this is where its curious poetry resides; in that ‘third space’ that sits in between, but not directly connecting, the two performers. Kudo makes an analogy with Fluxus, which is appropriate. But you can also hear their shared history here, somehow, as Kudo and 3C123 have known each other since the eighties, when they shared a house in Kunitachi City, Tokyo. Their musical paths have been multiple – Kudo, of course, best known perhaps for his Maher Shalal Hash Baz ensemble; 3C123 as a member of Vedda Music Workshop, and with other Japanese musicians like Koichiro Watanabe.

It’s a lovely album that’s as mystifying as it is direct and beautiful.

Author: Tori Kudo & 3C123

Publisher: An’archives

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Komplaint Dept.

Posted in Art, music on April 1st, 2024
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The latest volume of writing by influential New York–based critic and curator Bob Nickas collects his 2012–14 column for Vice magazine’s Komp-laint Dept. This column unleashed the full omnivorous range of the author’s interests. There are essays on musicians such as Neil Young, Sun Ra, Royal Trux and Lydia Lunch, which look at their biographies and the history of Nickas’ personal relationship with their music; there are lengthy and often very funny “complaints” about, among other things, two different presidents, Jeff Koons, New York architecture, the meeting of fashion and punk, religion in general, nostalgia and the problem with contemporary graffiti. Additionally, there are meditations on filmmakers such as David Cronenberg and Nicolas Refin. The book is rounded out by perhaps the definitive (two-part) examination of how and why Richard Prince uses appropriation.

Author: Bob Nickas

Publisher: Karma

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Militant Oriental – Peel Session II (vinyl – 12”)

Posted in music, Vinyl on March 27th, 2024
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In 2004, 2/5BZ’s second vinyl EP which featured 3 tracks from his second appearance at Peel Session in 2004 (proposed early 2004, broadcasted in late 2004) together with 3 unreleased tracks has been released under his own label Gözel Records in 2006 and has beed re-pressed many times .
2/5BZ, aka Serhat Köksal, has worked as a multimedia artist with various releases in video, music, and literary formats since 1991 in Istanbul and performed live audiovisual performances under motto “NO Touristik NO Exotik” in 20 countries and 96 cities in clubs, festivals, squats, exhibitions and multimedia perforformances at well-known festivals such as Club Transmediale in Berlin, Sonic Acts in Amsterdam, Donau Festival .
2/5BZ had an interview with John Peel in 1994 for BBC world Service . ” Of all the music I heard in Turkey, I liked 2/5BZ best “, commented John Peel and aired his works two times at Peel Session in BBC Radio 1 with following announcement “ that track is from one of my favourites sessions of the recent past from 2/5BZ from Istanbul.No Touristik No Exotic it is called..” John Peel (2004)

A1 Militant Oriental (Peel Session II)
A2 Karabesk (Peel Session II)
A3 Öküz İstanbul (Peel Session II)
B1 Petrol Stress (Remake)
B2 Bbam (Electro Saz Baǧlama)
B3 Şaka Etmiyorum (Nurkish Dub)

Bass Guitar – Yahya Enis Akin (tracks: A1, B1)
Clarinet – Tim Hodgkinson (tracks: B1)
Other [Dub] – Abdurrahman Palay (tracks: A3, B3)
Producer, Tape, Electronics, Voice, Other [Electro Saz], Sampler – Serhat Köksal
Voice – Armarǧan Temizel (tracks: B1)
Voice, Other [Mauv] – Benek (5) (tracks: B2)

Author: 2/5 BZ

Publisher: Gözel Records

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Zweikommasieben #28

Posted in magazines, Motto Books, music on March 24th, 2024
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The sound of each individual’s voice is thought to be entirely unique. Like a fingerprint, its composition is distinct, nuanced, and one-of-a-kind. While all this is true, it’s a concept that has been challenged in recent times by the refinement of AI-powered systems which are able to emulate voices to a tee. And not only voices, for that matter, but whole styles and aesthetics: an AI-generated facsimile of Drake and The Weeknd’s voices titled “Heart on My Sleeve” made the rounds this year and was even submitted for Grammy consideration. It’s a legitimate song, and a proposal that does not only keep legal departments busy, but also allows for myriad reflections on originality and, bluntly, the future of music. But as the future of music is a broad and daunting topic to speculate on, we want to hone in on what’s been prefaced above: issue #28 of zweikommasieben centers the voice as means of expression, and wants to expand on what is meant by that: it’s not only what is heard, but also why a voice is used and by whom. This latest edition considers what it means to voice, and its physical, societal and political dimensions.

Truthfully, voices as a topic might be even more daunting to tackle. Its political implications are manifold and have to be considered in seriousness. Voice can’t be separated from reflections on the ingrained power of attitudes, beliefs, and norms that dominate. Exhibit A for these complex entanglements is a conversation Dounia Biedermann had with South Korean artist bela. The musician explains how they use all kinds of different voices other than their recognizable speaking voice to articulate and access deeply felt emotions towards their home country and identity. “Whispering, growling, screeching, and inhaling” help them in disrupting cultural boundaries of power that historically constrain and silence marginalized identities. With this approach, bela finds an ally in Krista Papista: in conversation with Jazmina Figueroa she informs that her latest album was an explicit tribute to the lives of victims of femicide in Cyprus, and the marginalized voices that are not heard within the Cypriot national ideology. By subverting traditional music genres and poetics, both Krista Papista and bela push forward the need to queer history and to reveal longstanding, harmful, national myths.

In a queer history, we are no longer pointed towards dominant and singular voices, but instead expand to a context that is polyvocal—a term we encounter in artist Claudia Pagès’ contribution to this issue: through the tools of light, drums, and text, a different temporality and reading of history is proposed. Tuning out of the prevailing source of authoritarian speech, and tuning in to the voices of many, also leads us to consider the articulation of the collective. In his interview with Helena Julian, artist Tianzhuo Chen points to the shared voice of humankind as a whole, and its yearning for a state of flow and togetherness.

For the latest iteration of the visual column “Formations”, Imane Djamil provides a portfolio of photographs taken in the Moroccan seaside town Tarfaya. In the series, we are confronted with the boundaries that can be imposed on one’s legitimacy to express. We witness glimpses of everyday life, in close proximity to the severely precarious migratory sea passage towards Europe. Hearing the voice of the local community, we equally become aware of whose voice is missing.

Naturally, the voice is also an instrument that is shaped by its limitations. Although, still today, it seems to have preeminence above all other forms of human expression. The full width of the use of voice and sounds produced by individuals is further explored in an essay by Dagmar Bosma. The artist and writer muses on the act and appearances of different forms of stimming, which is a verb that originates from the neurodivergent community. Bosma highlights the sonic dimension of stimming with its vocalizations and repetitions of sounds and rhythms, as a way to equally express and soothe.

A recurring interest of zweikommasieben is, to speak with Claudia Pagès, to be polyvocal. Previous issues tried to achieve this by highlighting all the different people involved in bringing a magazine to life (in issue #22) or allowing authors, translators, photographers, and designers to make additional editorial notes (in issue #23). This time around, the graphic designers Kaj Lehmann and Raphael Schoen are using typographic matter to create a similar effect: different cuts of the same font (which was designed by Lehmann and previously used in issue #17) are applied to choral effect.

One could argue that for a voice to exist, it needs to be heard. In this 28th edition, we wish to offer exactly that. In the next pages, you will perceive a multitude of voices—from roars to whispers—, sometimes out of tune or out of time, with the intention to be recognised by those who dare to listen.

Author: Helena Julian, Mathis Neuhaus (Eds.)

Publisher: Präsens Editionen; Motto Books

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Une Idée du Temps – Eliane Radigue

Posted in music, photography on March 7th, 2024
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‘Une idée du temps’ rend hommage à Éliane Radigue, pionnière de la musique électronique à 92 ans. Avec son ARP 2500, elle a créé un son distinctif basé sur sa vision audacieuse et son sens unique de l’acoustique, du temps et de la durée. Le livre présente des portraits et des photos de son ARP 2500 prises entre 1955 et 1972, avec une introduction de Joseph Ghosn en anglais et français. Premier tirage limité à 300 exemplaires.

Author: Laia Bonastre (Ed.)

Publisher: Laia Selects

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T.O.1 (cassette special edition)

Posted in music, Tapes on March 5th, 2024
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Black Cassette Tape, handmade printed fabric case, riso printed
paper cover, DL code.
Limited to 40 copies.

1st self-released EP of Tot Onyx, T.O.1 is a collection of fragments of Onyx’s live performances from recent years (mainly 2023), recorded in her studio as part of her creative process during the preparations. While her albums are highly conceptual and revolve around specific subjects, this EP serves more as her annual report, in which she aims to share with the public how her thoughts are shaped by time through the practice of performing live.
credits
released February 2, 2024

Recorded and mixed by Tot Onyx in Berlin, DE.
Mastered by Koshiro Hino in Osaka, JP.
Artwork by Tot Onyx.

  1. (Ever Get The Feeling) You’ve Been Cheated? 03:44
  2. Naked Repugnance 03:24
  3. Mutilation pt.2 02:39
  4. Carnival of Anxiety 05:05
  5. Sasshobun, Shori 05:12
  6. Mutilation pt.1 02:00
  7. Karma 02:58
  8. Feeding The Enemy 04:33

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Toyota Corona (Vinyl)

Posted in music, Vinyl on March 4th, 2024
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Toyota Corona
3 LPs

was made during – and is the result of – confinement
it is a film without images, it is a home-made film,
and my home is Berlin,
it is the soundtrack of a period
during which some activities were stopped and in the silence left behind,
have given way to other sounds, other machines,
animals too,
many animals..
and then events, news,
in short a generalized feverishness.
And as it is written somewhere on the sleeve :
no story
no movie
no
credits
released May 30, 2023

master by rashad Becker
lacquer-mastercut by andreas (LUPO) Lubich
featurings: claudius, dorit Chrysler, thomas Jocher
label: Loud Loud

  1. intro/nitropeu 00:54
  2. restructured / part 1 01:28
  3. restructured / part 2 (he wants, she doesn’t) 02:04
  4. interlude – Martinville 1860 03:14
  5. une taille 40 une taille 41 c’est moderne 02:12
  6. snake Plissken 04:05
  7. A4 02:39
  8. underground nostalgia 05:45
  9. does music imitate or speak to wolves? 03:37
  10. [— _ _ [birds]] 02:48
  11. skipping billie 03:12
  12. exhale exhale 01:27
  13. polyuréthane 02 13:09
  14. polyuréthane 03 10:22
  15. the comet Rosetta is speaking loud and clear to some frogs in India 05:50
  16. A3 is twice a A4 05:18
  17. Indiana Creek was full of indians 05:25
  18. [— [birds]] 05:08
  19. plane and drone [master and slave] 02:57

Author: Franck David

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Claudius Wagon Lit (Cassette)

Posted in music, Tapes on March 2nd, 2024
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1.kuru 01:36
2.hedge 02:03
3.le départ 01:13
4.lagno 01:02
5.machine sex 01:05
6.surge 02:51
7.anthropophage 01:38
8.scherben 03:10
9.happier than the morning sun 02:04
10.glasmensch 05:20
11.vanishing twin 00:48
12.brume 01:53
13.candor,my tepid friend 03:29
14.uruk 01:53
15.hinken 02:05
16.kiki watt 02:42
17.topor 01:13
18.tiqqun 02:47
19.day is done 01:24
20.daliah 02:08
21.restructured II 02:53
22.decapitated forms 02:57
23.lidschlag 01:55
24.second coming 01:26
25.gehende berge 01:09
26.metanoia / k-hole 03:10
27.leisesprecher 02:28
28.detruire 02:06
29.fear of heights 01:44
30.vapeur 04:32
31.nissodia 01:18
32.zufall und notwendigkeit 01:03
33.hekatombaion 01:04
34.niurgun bootor 02:35
35.last dream 02:35
36.owl 02:01
37.purge 02:26
38.the sun goes down 01:24
39.mars bar 96 nyc live 04:32
40.kauai’O’o 01:25
41.body doubles 04:10

released December 25, 2023

all tracks claudius 2023
cover art by edgar degas
featuring franckDavid on restructured II
lazara rosell albear plays sheng on glasmensch
recorded and mastered at e12 studios berlin

Author: Claudius

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Post California

Posted in music, Tapes on February 29th, 2024
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Post California, a project led by an ex-member of A V G V S T, uses samples of distorted pop music, vaporous layers and exaggerated, almost noisy sound treatments to produce a sort of after new wave. Their music is at times shaken by nervous beats, at other times drowned in streams of ambient and sprinkled with flashes of industrial.
Post California’s second album, View from a View, is a collection of six tracks based on random sampling, collage, and hypnotic synth and guitar micro-loops, wrapped in reverb and damaged by compression.

Soleil of Persian Square design screen-printed on organic cotton t-shirt.

Available in sizes L and XL in black and gray colors

Music by Post California
Artworks by Pierre La Police, from the Parpalate series
Design by Myriam Barchechat / factformfiction.com
Limited edition cassette, printed and duplicated at La Fabrique du Nouveau Printemps, Toulouse 2023

URGENCE MORT SUBITE was composed for Nicolas Milhé’s video installation Milton, 2020.
I Saw a Rope in Your Eye was composed for Laura Gozlan’s video installation Mold II, 2014.
Omninight Technologies contains samples from Edward Levy by A V G V S T, 2012.

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Belong to Me

Posted in music, performance on February 26th, 2024
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Vibrational Semantics Series

Vibrational Semantics explores the voice’s ability to shift seamlessly between signification and sorority, from speech sound to noise. Questions of linguistic ambiguity, embodied voicing and feeling/meaning are investigated in relation to the place and presence of the performed voice.

The project is part of Samuel Brzeski’s ongoing artistic engagement with Lydatgalleriet, involving several newly commissioned text works curated by Samuel and commissioned by Lydgalleriet.

Author: Daniela Cascella

Publisher: LYDGALLERIET

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