HR116 - Various Artists - Canada - C46 — 1989
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Side A:
ESRUK - RESULT DARREN COPELAND & COMPANY - AMNESIA NOT ½ - EVEN AND OR IS AT NOW FORGOTTEN ROUGHAGE - ROUGHAGE IN PARADISE (EXCERPT #1) |
Side B:
PU/NI/SH/ME/NT - TEN (MULTIPLICITY) ROUGHAGE - ROUGHAGE IN PARADISE (EXCERPT #2) DARREN COPELAND & CO - THE DEAD AIR SPACE PT5 ESRUK - MINE |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
The Harsh Reality ‘Country’ series continues with Canada. There are only four artists (one as two ‘bands’), but kudos to label captain Chris Phinney for shining a maple leafed light on them. Chris mailed loads of postcard invitations to participate in the compilations and these were the enthusiastic Canadians who responded. All are similar in that they indulge in some form of soundscape/collage exploration.
Esruk (Vancouver) bookend Sides A and B with two tracks. 'Result' is a noise-ambient collage of machinery, electricity, squeals and other audio ephemera, plus densely buried voice samples. 'Mine' begins far less busy, being a percussion and bubbly crackles minimal workout. But it builds in volume and intensity until I felt like I was strolling through a mad scientist laboratory fun house.
Darren Copeland & Company (Mississauga) also contribute two tracks. 'Amnesia' consists of airy, droning ambient drift, along with light and steady block percussion and a parade of alien radio signals. After a few minutes a whispery yet disturbingly deranged voice starts reciting spoken word, and from there center stage alternates between the spaced out signals, pulsating drone, and spoken word. 'The Dead Air Space PT5' has a strangely ghostly yet whirly swirly soundscape collage vibe. I like how the chanting voices from beyond pulsate along with cavernous tones and other valium paced oscillations to create a deliriously hypnotic effect. Super cool stuff from these guys.
Al Conroy (Winnipeg) contributed two tracks as two different artist names. As Not ½ he creates a soundscape collage with a nifty combination of frenetic swirls, wind blowing, and tape dragged effects. The contrasts make for a pleasantly off-balance experience. As PU/NI/SH/ME/NT Al conjures up a short piece of druggy, draggy, bird chirpy minimalism.
Finally, Roughage (Various places in Quebec) contribute two tracks which are both excerpts from a live appearance on CKUT-FM in Montreal. 'Roughage In Paradise (Excerpts #1 & #2) feature a cut-up cavalcade of voices, wigged out free-jazz, musical drones, experimental soundscapes, and sounds/effects galore. The voices are variously drugged, demonic, and chipmunk, and the music continually yet seamlessly evolves in dramatically different directions. File under Insane Asylum Psychedelia. My favorite of the set.
The Harsh Reality ‘Country’ series continues with Canada. There are only four artists (one as two ‘bands’), but kudos to label captain Chris Phinney for shining a maple leafed light on them. Chris mailed loads of postcard invitations to participate in the compilations and these were the enthusiastic Canadians who responded. All are similar in that they indulge in some form of soundscape/collage exploration.
Esruk (Vancouver) bookend Sides A and B with two tracks. 'Result' is a noise-ambient collage of machinery, electricity, squeals and other audio ephemera, plus densely buried voice samples. 'Mine' begins far less busy, being a percussion and bubbly crackles minimal workout. But it builds in volume and intensity until I felt like I was strolling through a mad scientist laboratory fun house.
Darren Copeland & Company (Mississauga) also contribute two tracks. 'Amnesia' consists of airy, droning ambient drift, along with light and steady block percussion and a parade of alien radio signals. After a few minutes a whispery yet disturbingly deranged voice starts reciting spoken word, and from there center stage alternates between the spaced out signals, pulsating drone, and spoken word. 'The Dead Air Space PT5' has a strangely ghostly yet whirly swirly soundscape collage vibe. I like how the chanting voices from beyond pulsate along with cavernous tones and other valium paced oscillations to create a deliriously hypnotic effect. Super cool stuff from these guys.
Al Conroy (Winnipeg) contributed two tracks as two different artist names. As Not ½ he creates a soundscape collage with a nifty combination of frenetic swirls, wind blowing, and tape dragged effects. The contrasts make for a pleasantly off-balance experience. As PU/NI/SH/ME/NT Al conjures up a short piece of druggy, draggy, bird chirpy minimalism.
Finally, Roughage (Various places in Quebec) contribute two tracks which are both excerpts from a live appearance on CKUT-FM in Montreal. 'Roughage In Paradise (Excerpts #1 & #2) feature a cut-up cavalcade of voices, wigged out free-jazz, musical drones, experimental soundscapes, and sounds/effects galore. The voices are variously drugged, demonic, and chipmunk, and the music continually yet seamlessly evolves in dramatically different directions. File under Insane Asylum Psychedelia. My favorite of the set.