Starting with Polio, I'm nibbling at the portion of new records from the recently very vital Norway's label Humbug. One of the most active people on New Zealand scene hides behind Polio name - Peter Wright. He started his artistic activity in the late 1980s, and over the decade has become involved in various projects of which CM Ensamble, Atonal Death, and Polio seem to be the most important. "Concrete" presents three methods of digitally created soundscapes. By the way, the methods of creating Polio music have been similar so far - Peter took secondary materials which have not been used in his solo records and recycled them for Polio's needs. However, the information on the cover shows something opposite this time (the reason being probably a live recording). As I said before, the material on "Concrete" is of ambient nature: Peter generates threads of sound that alternate in respect of loudness as well as the interfering sonic elements. Splitting the live recording into three over 10-minute-long blocks shows how the tracks differ from one another despite similar methods of generating. Having variably distributed accents, each track shows features common for all of the pieces, at times not easily recognizable - drones, hisses, vibrations... A perfect, atonal music for the weary mind...

SHIFTS "Vertonen"
Humbug | Humbug015 | CD-R | 2003

Shifts is probably the least known of all of Frans de Waard's project - until very recently one of the men behind Staalplaat, and the member of Goem, Beequeen, Kapotte Muziek, and which probably is no more (though Beta-Lectam Ring Records announces a Shifts's record this year, so I may be wrong). 'Vertonen' was recorded back in 1995 and was supposed to be released on Freedom From but its proper premiere didn't take place until 2003 on Humbug, the material remastered. Post-mortem Shifts' record perfectly suits the basic cannon of the music Frans de Waard is widely known for. Being based on concept of repeatability in music, the seven tracks are curious examples of work only with repeatable elements in different variations (full sequences, and withdrawals thereof, or punctual sound constructions) in order to build trancey trips that retain some feature of background music. Indeed, there's no rhythm as such, the effect of trance is achieved through delicate pulsations, rippling of the sound flow, vibrations and drones. 'Vertonen' works fine, but I couldn't say that I've never heard anything similar to what Shifts offers. Anyway, Frans Waard is a skillful craftsman that is able to reforge his visions to attractive sounds, so it's not a bad stuff at all.

V/A "Cottage Industrial, vol.1"
Humbug | Humbug028 | CD-R | 2003

As I have said many times so far, I'm not very fond of compilations. That's why I was a bit reluctant to explore this over 70-minute block prepared by Norway 's Humbug. I like the label's releases very much. Andreas has a gift of picking interesting groups, and as I understand it, this compilation is a sort of an 'aftermath' of his struggling with a host of stuff he currently gets. He's gathered 15 artists in the 1 st volume of "Cottage Industrial". Contrary to the title, they are not strictly related to the music or cultural aspects of industrial movement. The area they penetrate consist of mainly ambient and noise peripheries. However, the techniques of sound generating and processing indicate that their interests include extensive spheres of ways of composing as well as equipment treatments. Indeed, I have problems telling which artists I would like to listen to in a full time format... But if I were to, I'd pick up Lukasz Ciszak (for a deep trip into the center of the sound), Verde (for interesting rhythm variations with the use of clock-working planking, and synchronization of the entire work), Ilios (for deep listening into background sounds), A.M. (for sonorous play), Id Thef Able (for following Henri Chopin's voice works, although I'm not truly into that kind of stuff). The rest always remains the rest, not really bad, but I can't say anything particularly good of them either...

REYNOLS "Live in Stavanger"
Humbug | Humbug024 | CD-R | 2003

As the title suggests, this is a live record from the first European tour of Argentinian shamans of sounds Reynols in 2003. It's hard to say what special quality Reynols have which the others have not... Suffice it to say that their records can attract the listener's attention more than many others who use similar means and techniques. The concert in Stavanger begins sluggishly enough, as many of their records do, only to achieve a hypnotizing degree of tension that holds you in its grip until the last sounds subdue. Generated guitar distortions are layering on each other in no-hurry rates building moving blocks of sounds in such a way that no one could notice how they change in infinite loops of guitar drones, as if we have been placed in the climax moments of Windy & Carl concert - magnetizing power of oscillating sound threads. Miguel Tomasin's astral voice appears at some moment, which really sounds as out of worlds, giving to the gig an additional taste of a ritual. The CD-r, as well as the whole concert, do not have a culminating point, it does not reach a critical point of tension, but it subdues independently. Magic, fine 37 minutes! Unfortunately, the latest news is that Reynols are defunct now (or have a long break at least) !!!

[krzysztof sadza]