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BIG
NEWS OF THE MONTH
Jim Brenholts' eagerly
awaited music review/reference book, Tracks Across the
Universe: A Chronology of Electronic and Ambient Music,
is now available. This long-anticipated volume also includes
three CD-Rs of music, much of it unavailable elsewhere, by a
virtual "who's who" of ambient and EM. The book (with the
CD-Rs) is available through the following online
retailers:
Sincere congratulations to
Jim on his perseverance and all his blood, sweat and tears
that went into this highly-anticipated book. Ambient fans
should support Jim's efforts by buying the book which will
hopefully encourage more scholarship and publishing efforts
concerning these under-appreciated genres of
music.
A re-release of Murat
Ses' first solo album Automaton under the name
Automaton (Automaton Square) Miami Impressions" is
planned. Parts of the same were recorded in Miami, FL in
2001-2003. There is lots of new stuff built on Automaton's
known structures, some new melodies, effects, electronic
ambient sound and Miami impressions were added. Check out
the planned cover of the album here.
Stephen Iliffe has (for
the past two years) been writing Painting With Sound -
the Life and Music of Hans-Joachim Roedelius - a 120
biography and critical discography with the musician's life
story, from WWII to his avant-garde Berlin years, through to
Cluster and the present. The book will feature 60 album
reviews and 100 photographs. Roedelius has been graceful in
cooperating and fact-checking the biographical sections but
otherwise the author has taken an independent view of his
music - which ranges from avant-garde, industrial,
synth-pop, ambient and beyond. The book will be published by
Meridian Music Guides in the autumn.
Laura Sullivan (see her
review in the current issue here)
has recently recorded a CD titled Sea Dreams,
produced by Chris Camozzi. She is currently seeking a
licensing and/or distribution deal for this album or she
will release it independently sometime this year. The CD
features beautiful piano melodies combined with violin,
guitar, harp, cello and subtle sounds of the sea.
For fans of acoustic
guitarist Clarelynn Rose: Most of the music is written for
her third CD, but recording is a long way off still. It'll
probably be out in 2004.
Tony O'Connor (arguably,
Australia's top new age music artist) announces the
following: Bushland Dreaming & Tales of the
Wind are now in limited re-release. Previously
discontinued, both albums are available for a short time,
with original artwork. Please see the Special Offers section
on the Catalogue page on his
website for all the
info.
Other new CD info (this
info comes from mailing lists and press releases;
descriptive comments below are not from a Wind and
Wire reviewer, unless specifically annotated as
such):
- Syn's Thru the
SynGate (Syngate,
2003) Artist
site "...7-tracks
on the CD, very rhythmic with lots of analog sounds,
sequences, electronic percussion and sound
fx."
- Burning Shirt Music new
release announcement: Ceremony is the first
release from dark music trio SanRenSei. This is
electronic music that rasps and wheezes - growls and
moans - haunts and consoles. It's a deeply emotional take
on reality's ability to leave us on an edge with only
wonderment for support. (This is a numbered edition
limited to 96 copies). More info? Go
here
- vidnaObmana
and David Lee Myers have released Tracers, a
limited edition (500 copies) album on Klanggalerie.
On this album, vidnaObmana teams up with Myers (of Arcane
Device fame) to deliver a wonderful drone album full of
dream-like soundscapes. Different from vidnaObmana's
collaborations with Asmus Tietchens, Tracers is
one long flow, very meditative and of a haunting
beauty.
- A new small label,
Suilven Recordings, based in Lancashire, England, has
released its first two albums. The label's music is
described as "...diverse, but the emphasis is on
experimental/ambient/avant-garde /prog/ folkish....
anything." The first two recordings are solo albums from
label founder Daniel Patrick Quinn: The Winter
Hills and Jura, the latter of which is
basically an hour long ambient piece. For sound clips and
more info, head over to the label's
site.
- From my good friends
Kees, Ron and Paul at Groove
Unltd. here is
some info on their latest releases:
- "Coming in the next
month or so is the remastered version of
Evolution. The first solo CD of John Dyson
after his break with Wavestar The re-release will also
have a bonus track. And at the end of August it's the
new CD from Dom F. Scab, called About a tree.
There are 2-3 other products that we want to
release this summer but at this moment the contracts
have not been signed yet so we can't reveal any names
now. And oh yes... On E-Live we will release a
limited, compilation CD with special and unreleased
tracks. Details about this will also come
a.s.a.p."
ARTISTS:
Please email
me
with album titles and info if you want your latest release
mentioned in this column. (please, new releases
only)
From Brian McWilliams
(one half of the ethno-tribal/ambient duo Remanence), comes
word that work is "nearly done" on the duo's next album.
Expected release time frame is the end of summer. Brian is
also nearing completion on a solo effort as well.
Darren Rogers is working on his next album, Being,
which will be "dedicated to the people that have lost loved
ones......To heal their souls..." There is no time frame for
when it will be released, per Darren, except "sometime in
the future:)"
Be on the lookout for Moments of Suspension, a
compilation from it's Twilight Time. It's being described as
"A Collection of Instrumental Curios from The Curiosities
Cupboard featuring previously unreleased tracks from:
Knitting By Twilight, Blueshift Signal, Overflower and
Incandescent Sky. Should be available later this summer. Go
here
for more info.
Zero Ohms (Richard Roberts) is hard at work finishing his
next release, titled True Degrees of Freedom. No
other news about this one yet, but yours truly may get a
preview listen soon. Any recording from Richard Roberts is
an eagerly-awaited one!
From Dean deBenedictis' comes this news: There will be a
Novabeats compilation eventually released. Details are being
discussed and it's soon in the making. This CD will include
some great Los Angeles electronic music artists of the last
6 years who were also featured on Critical Mass, a
compilation CD released on Mindspore Records in '97. Go to
Novabeats
website for
updates.
Here's some cool news from Australian DJ George Cruickshank:
Leading Australian ambient radio programme "Ultima Thule" is
set to release an inaugural CD to mark its 15th anniversary
in February 2004. To be titled Event: Horizon, the
double CD compilation will feature a unique selection of
newly-composed, unreleased material from a roster of the
world's foremost composers of ambient, atmospheric and
electronic music. It is expected that the recording - all
profits from the sale of which will benefit Australian
public radio's Fine Music Network - will be sold exclusively
online through the Ultima Thule website. A limited
production run is anticipated, and pre-registrations of
interest are now being accepted. Go
here for more
info.
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