News from the Origami network

The Origami Republika network has been an interactive network for musicians and have for the last twenty years shared music for free through the website. As it is shutting down, Origami Republika is looking for a new web solution. From the website:

"kunst.no have hosted our online web archive for ten years,
as they close down now, we are looking into more interactive options

origami republika is indeed very active outside this web archive,
and we celebrate our twenty year anniversay with
several new releases, artworks and performances

so do not despair, find us here:
myspace: origamirepublika
twitter: origamiHQ
facebook group "origami republika"
e-mail: origamirepublika :at: gmail.com
yours, coordinatore (aka boe)"

Still a lot of fun coming from the Origami Republika network though, and to make the wait for a new website shorter, the Trass MP3 releases are still online, co-released and and hostet by Norwegian label Ambolthue. The latest release being the Origami Binarika - Windung Zu Selbst Mit Traum (below).



Two new limited acetate releases also out now, the Origami Boe/Cock E.S.P. "Berlin Wedding" 7" and the Origami Boe/Origami Tacet "Split" 10" (Origamie Boe show from Dresden 2007 plus a drone track with him and Michael Duch including backyard recordings from where Bowie and Iggy lived in Berlin). Order from tchartan -att- yahoo.com

Improvising in Bergen

Next week Bergen (NO) will see two days with various musicians, improvising being the only common aspect of them all. First Bergen Kunsthall will be visited on Tuesday the 27th of April by Will Guthrie (AUS) (left) & Mikko Savela (S), who will present their avantgarde-rock-jazz plus the duo Sainct Laurens (CAN) who by their home-made electronics and acoustic instruments will create feedback and ancient spanking new music.

On Wednesday the 28th Norwegians in Lemur (below) will meet musicians from The N Ensemble (from the N Collective) at Galleri 3,14. Lemur is described as a norwegian all star quartet of composers and improvisers. Combining their work from classic composition, noise, chamber music, free jazz etc - the four instrumentalists of Lemur creates a highly surprising blend of contemporary sound and attitude. While The N Ensemble consists of classically trained chambermusicians, composers and improviser, focusing on merging electro-acoustic, chambermusic and improvisation. For this gig, Lemur and four musicians from The N Ensemble will explore the art of collaboration and create new acoustic music.

John Cage exibition at HOK - 3rd concert

At Høvikodden Art Center John Cage is being tributed with a big exibition that opened in February and will go on until the 30th of May. The Anarchy of Silence – is the largest exhibition about Cage that has been held since his death in 1992. It is also the first time that an exhibition puts his work into political, artistic and historic context. In addition to his own works, the exhibition features works that he created in collaboration with other artists. Throughout the exhibition period, the commissioned work Studio by Deathprod (Helge Sten) will be on show in the Studio as a permanent sound and light installation. As a finale, Deathprod will hold one of their rare concerts inside this very installation at the last concert day, this Sunday the 25th of April. Also performing on the day is Lemur with Tom Løberg, who will read his Norwegian versions of Cage's Indeterminancy texts. Andrea Neumann will present a reconstruction of Cage's TV piece Water Walk, with a live collage of bathtub splashing, wine bottles and boiling water.

Monolithic in Italy

Norwegain extreme noise metal duo Monolithic is doing some gigs in Italy the next few days. Whatch out as the pure complex energy these guys are presenting, will make volcanos nice.



Ashes to Ashes Italy Tour
21.04 Monolithic - Milano (Ita) - Magnolia
22.04 Monolithic - Roma (Ita) - Traffic
23.04 Monolithic - Verona (Ita) - Esposta
24.04 Monolithic - Brescia (Ita) - Latteria Molloy

Vocokesh - Electric Indian Blues LP (Review)

Label: Pure Pop For Now People
Catalog#: Pure 04
Format: LP, Album
Country: Germany
Released: July 2008

I have started reviewing some underground vinyl releases not only Norwegian. My love for the vinyl format will always follow me, and I figured that should count in developing this blog also.

This is my first Vocokesh experience, but will not be the last in account of this release. The LP is beautifully done with a handmade cardboardcover. Limited to 200 copies, there are only a few left at the label.

Side A starts off with a bluesy, untidy, short- just over 3 minutes track. The overall sound is off-tune, with lovely disharmonies between guitar and sitar, which bears very little of typical indian sitar sound.

The next track gives a change of mood and tidyness. No Sitar. Almost 9 minutes, slow blues, harmonies, ambient soundscapes. More spacelike mood, but then it changes mood, almost a very early 70s PF blues rhythm. It is clearly very similar to the chords and bass lines of PF, and this track is one of my favourites on the LP.

The last track before turning the vinyl is more than 10 mins, with lovely guitar sound. They use a bit more use of fuzz and feedback. The track seems more untidy. Halfway it gets more slow bluesy like track two, moving closer to that PF mood, but still more daring use of guitar without loosing it, and without being to prominent and it gives me some chills… as it moves to the end.

Side B starts off with the title track. The sitar is back (electric), slow blues, just over 7 minutes. There are more harmonies, and it is a well built track. Not much happening first, but the eastern indian sound qualifies the name. Good combination of the PF bluesy style and indian moods and harmonies, some organ, lovely track (one of the best also imho).

The next and also last track of the album, is more than 14 minutes. It starts with wind, bass, guitar, quite a long intro. No specific rhythm other than bass. The guitarist is using some stereo echo, which sounds nice. The combination of synth effects and electronics, makes it improv sounding with some jazzy use of drums. Halfway it moves into some blues rythms with some synth, and strange use of effects and guitar. A wonderful bass line-represents the melody, and nice use of the guitar wich feeds here and there without being overwhelming, makes a great finale!

Jazkamer - Self Portrait CD (review)

Label: Pica Disk
Catalog#: PICA017
Format: CD, Album
Country: Norway
Released: April 2010

We’ve come to the April edition of Jakamers monthly, and of the previous being quite electronic, "Self Portrait" is the complete opposite. A pure acoustic Jazkamer release must be of the rare kind.

This album consists of three untitled tracks, the two first almost 11 minutes each and the last just over 16 minutes. The first impression of the album makes me think of some kind of metal furniture being pushed around at random, and microphones recording whatever happens in the room. Whatever pieces of equipment they use, it certainly comes out deep and multilayered, and feedback-like, dark ambient sounds are still evident. The first track seems to be highly improvised, making the track not going anywhere, but clarely the performers seem to be exploring the sounds that appear as they “move the instruments” about.

The second track starts out sounding almost exactly the same, but after a while it is clear that we have some rhythm. Rhythm being slow moving, but still it is kind of looping going on, same patterns being repeated over and over again. The third and last track is completely different, as Jazkamer moves to some kind of strings. Again slowly moving patterns creating a track that is very relaxing and soothing. So, a very ambient sounding track completes the release of quiet acoustic noise, if ever there is such a thing. All in all a very ambient record.

Sound sample here.

Løver & Tigre re-release

Plastic Strip Press announces a re-release of the Norwegian punk classic Grr... by Løver & Tigre. Løver & Tigre was an Norwegian post-punk outfit that consisted of members from the Norwegian new wave band The Aller Værste! (Sverre Knudsen & Chris Erichsen), the string-swing band Hot Club de Norvége (Jon Larsen, Ivar Brodal, Per Frydenlund & Svein Aarbostad) and Betong Hysteria (Geir "Bulle" Underdal)

The release comes with seven new bonus tracks, new linernotes and unseen photographs. It will be a Digipack CD with 12 page booklet and it will be in stores on the 3th of May 2010. The album was originally released in 1983 on Knudsen own label entitled Plateselskapet Norge. The first pressing of 2000 copies were all handpainted from scratch in a gigantic one day DIY painting session. This obscure record is now regarded as one of Norways finest post-punk releases and one of the strangest combos of musicians that ever has appeared on a record together.

This re-release of Grr... also includes seven tracks from an unknown live recording, made at the Henie Onstad Art Centre in 1983, which features Audun Strype on bass and Nils Økland playing the fiddle.

Lasse Marhaug Japan tour April 2010

Lasse Marhaug starts his Japan tour tomorrow. Here the details:

APRIL 11:
MarhauGomi [Lasse Marhaug + Pain Jerk]
Maranata/Kelly Churko
Miclodiet/Ito Atsuhiro
Kubota Kazuma/Endo Kazumoto
Kunt
Ichiraku Madoka
Soup, Tokyo.

APRIL 13:
Lasse Marhaug/Pika (Afrirampo)
Jojo Hiroshige with 821
Maranata
Tatsuhiko Matsuura
ALCHEMY NOISE EXPO 2 @ Bears, Osaka.


APRIL 14:
Lasse Marhaug [solo]
Maranata
Akira Toyonaga
Deie
Takuji Naka
Socrates, Kyoto.


APRIL 15:
Lasse Marhaug [solo]
Maranata
At Hall, Oita.


APRIL 17:
Lasse Marhaug [solo]
Maranata
Corrupted
Fucked
Against Extreme Music Festival, Fukuoka.


APRIL 18:
Merzbow/Hair Stylistics/Marhaug
Maranata/Sayaka Himeno
Lasse Marhaug [solo]
SuperDeluxe, Tokyo.


http://lassemarhaug.no/


New album out now:
Lasse Marhaug: The Quiet North [CD]
Second Layer Records