About a year ago, I discovered the MOMA (Museum Of Microcassette Art) project, which definitely doesn't need an introduction, or does it? Now, I never listen first to what I buy. If the cover attracts me, or what is written about it (in this case by Hal), I just buy it. Most of the times, my feeling is correct and sometimes, well, I end up with crappy music (in general, I am not talking about MOMA). One of the MOMA-recordings that didn't attract me at all was MOMA093, from HAR$, titled 'Sketches for String Quartet with Windows, Open'. But for some strange reason, I always got pulled back to reading about that recording, again and again, until I finally decided to give it a go. And I haven't regretted it at all! It quickly became one of my favorite MOMA-albums. Another one of the MOMA-albums I kept postponing to buy is MOMA120, from Rinus van Alebeek, titled 'New Jerusalem'. There wasn't really a description of the record and the word 'Jerusalem' kinda scared me away also. But again, for some strange reason, I got pulled back again(maybe the orange cover) and I decided to buy it and once more... no regrets at all! It quickly became one of my favorite MOMA-albums. Guess, what I want to tell about MOMA115? Yes, the one from Emmanuel Rébus, with no particular title... Indeed, the same story, no attraction at all... but I kept on going back until I finally decided to buy it and yes... It quickly became (and so on). When something gets my attention, as the three previously mentioned albums did, I have the habit to learn/read more about the artists in question. And so, I found out that Harold Schellinx (HAR$), Rinus van Alebeek, Emmanuel Rébus and a fourth companion, Jean Bordé, make music together as DIKTAT and it is amazing! Mr. Bordé plays double bass and the three others play dictaphones! This is how Mr.Schellinx explains it himself: "If you would have the chance to hear Diktat play more often you will hear that the same voices and snippets of talking come back in a different setting." So, he doesn't see Diktat as a group that performs and performs, but as a piece of music that has different instantiations. Each time they perform, is a different instantiation of the piece DIKTAT.
If you think that I am finished with talking about Mr. Schellinx and companions... wrong! A while after my discovery of DIKTAT, I found out that he has this other thing going on, called 'unPublic'! He explains it himself as: "The only difference with a concert is, these are not concerts"... The first 'unPublic'-session they had was in Paris, on 18 October 2013. Again, the same names Jean Bordé (double bass, toy piano), Emmanuel Rébus (melodica, dictaphones), HAR$ (iPad/electronics, dictaphones) and joined by Doan Tri Minh (laptop/electronics, piano, toy piano) and Yoko Miura (toy piano, melodica, piano)... check it out! I love the concept and the music of course, judging by the unPublic Bandcamp account, I think I am their biggest fan (and almost only fan). Here's what happens, they get together (France, Belgium, Switzerland, South Korea, ...) and they start playing/ improvising/jamming/recording, having their own little concert without a public, hence 'unPublic' and without rehearsals. Every 'unPublic' has other participants, the only returning artist on all sessions is HAR$. At the moment, I think there are 40 something albums available and I simply love every one of them. Other artists, appearing on these sessions are: Rinus van Alebeek, Anton Mobin, Jeff Kolar, Jeff Surak, ... The point of my little story... not every story has to have a point! You can read some more about HAR$: www.harsmedia.com unPublic Bandcamp site Har$ Bandcamp Have a nice day.
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In the beginning there was: Let's go back in time a little for my first scribbles on Electronic Cottage. September 1987, that's when Gerry (classmate) gave me a mixed-tape of The Residents (side A had The Third Reich 'n Roll album and side B various songs). You can imagine the look on my face (at age 14) when I found out that music like that existed. Needless to say, I got hooked immediately and the following Saturday I went to town and bought everything that I could find of them. Remember the time that they still had real record stores? The smell of a record-store, the vibes inside the shop, I will never forget it, punks/rockers/skaters all side by side, each looking for their own little gems, CD-shops kinda ruined that one for me. Soon, I became a little collector of anything and everything I could get my little hands on... I started writing them (Ralph Records) and I even got some personalized items in the mailbox! I spent a small fortune on them back in the days, I got so deep into The Residents, that if I became a little deeper... I would be a Resident. I even had The Warner Bros. Album years before it got officially released. October 27, 1989 my first concert of them, after two years of collecting I could finally see them... what an experience! (could've been the LSD, but I doubt it) Let's be honest, everything they made in the 70's, simply amazing! The 80's same-same/but different, no other band even came close in producing such an amount of great albums! Ok, I didn't really like the Commercial Album, but that's a matter of taste. But then, only three years after I got to know them, they came out with Freak Show... I didn't get it, it sounded really boring to me. And unfortunately, I have had that feeling ever since. I don't want to say that they got less genius, or less inventive, but something was missing for me. I stopped collecting, stopped going to their shows, I even sold my collection (for the wrong reasons) and for way too little money. May 8, 2001 I went to see them once more and halfway the show, Frank left the building. April 28, 2010 one last try and once more, it just didn't do it for me anymore. (maybe, it was the lack of LSD, but I doubt it) Why I am writing this? Because, I wonder if other people have the same feeling about The Residents or maybe I am looking for someone who can convince me to listen to a certain album of them after 2000?
And why, why, why did Hardy Fox come out??? What happened to being anonymous?! Did he want to make more money as a solo-artist? To end my little rant, I want to say that I still have the utter most respect for the Eyeballed Ones! From 1972-till present, not many bands can top that! But in my humble opinion, as a collective... they could've existed forever! But then again... maybe they will.
Post-scriptum: Hell No! I will not stop making music! |
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