RIO Drop-In Centre

avestin wrote: @ BV, I have been and will be exploring more modern composers (Branca, Glass, Reich etc) and I think thi deserves a thread of its own.

This would be a very interesting conversation topic... the only problem is I don't know how much participation from other members on this board it would recieve (though I might be plesently surprised). I'm very interested in 20th Century classical alongside minimalist piano composers.

avestin wrote: On another note, I am listening lately to Robert Wyatt's albums - Rock Bottom and End of an Ear. I think he can be considered an avantgarde artist pioneer with those albums (I am not too familiar with his output as a solo artist). Do you care for his solo work?

I think if you ask a lot of people they would tell you "The End of and Ear" is actually the beginning album of the whole RIO moment. Though I have not heard it so I cannot comment upon this matter first hand. I own two albums by Robert Wyatt. Rock Bottom and Shleep. My favourite out of those two album would be Shleep, it is a very playful album in comparison to the melancholy atomsphere surrounding Rock Bottom. I find Rock Bottom a little too self indulging for my tastes, but this can be understandable from the occurances surrounding his life at the time of writing this album (though I do still love this album)
    

Trouserpress wrote: Re: Charming Hostess on PA. It's not up to me alone, but I'd say definitely. I don't know about their a capella work, but judging by what others have said, it might be sensible to treat them as different groups and only add Eat and Punch to the archives, with maybe a brief discussion of their post-big band lineup in the biog.

I think that would be a great idea. From what I have heard of there later material, it doesn't possess the same progressiviness of their band material. So Eat and Punch would be a good addition, with side mention of their later work. But that is just my opinion.

Trouserpress wrote: So, umm... have I mentioned Wha-ha-ha on this thread yet? I'm really eager to get some discussion going about them. Progreviews - have they come under your radar? If not, they're e-f***ing-ssential in my opinion.

After you and Assaf mentioning the greatness of this band I'm going to have to track these guys down. I have had a little browse of the internet to find some information. When I saw the words "Japanese Avant-garde/noise" it really got me exicted. I have been looking a lot into the Japanese scene and they were a band I breifly looked over. They appear to have three albums, so which would you suggest as a starting point?
   

Yeah Taal are a total different bread. Have only listened to Skymind and so far I have not really been overly impressed, I mean I can tell it is a really good album but for some reason it really has not sat to well with me. Though I do love the female vocals.

You will try and have to spread to word about Sotos to others one this site

eugene wrote: Geck0 wrote: Sotos - Platypus is very interesting so far guys, thanks for mentioning them to me!  I still want the debut though!   I am hesitating whether Platypus is an absolute masterpiece or very close to being masterpiece. It actually depends on my mood when listening. And I want their debut too!!!!!

I glad everybody is enjoying this fantastic album Also I can give my recommendation on their first album. I don't think it quite reaches the highs of Platypus, but it is still a fantastic album.

Geck0 have you had time to listen to Zaar's album yet? If you like Sotos you will love this album.
     

Geck0 wrote: Sotos - Platypus is very interesting so far guys, thanks for mentioning them to me!  I still want the debut though!

@ BV, I have been and will be exploring more modern composers (Branca, Glass, Reich etc) and I think thi deserves a thread of its own.

@ TP, YES, Wha-ha-ha are very good as well, imo. I have Shinutokiwa Betsu (or whatever it's called and I love their energy - or what other perceive as madness, but I do not concur with this. If consider this to be sane. It's the world around us that's insane  They have some moments at which they seem to be lost (2nd track - Whaha Whaha) but overall it's pretty condensed and rich music.
But, yes a recent discovery for me and a very good one at that.

EDIT - They should be added to PA. I've added them to RatingFreak.com database so Joren can add them to our chart.

On another note, I am listening lately to Robert Wyatt's albums - Rock Bottom and End of an Ear. I think he can be considered an avantgarde artist pioneer with those albums (I am not too familiar with his output as a solo artist). Do you care for his solo work?


Edited by avestin - June 28 2006 at 11:40

Steve Martland is definately worth the mention in this thread as I also think a lot of RIO fans would get pleasure from his music. For some reason I found his music something really easy to get into, in comparison to some of the earlier composers going around in the '50s (stockhausen, Koenig, Cage etc..). I think the two genres go hand in hand, well this is the case for me anyway. For me the discovery of 20th Century Classical came before taking an interest in RIO/avant-garde prog. This was mainly due to the factor of my ignorence towords the genre as a whole. Taking this point of view into listening to a lot of RIO music I pick up a lot of similarities between the two genres. And I think Steve Martland is a perfer example of fusing the two together.

I have always thought an integral part the darker side of the RIO genre is the use of 20th Century structures in their compositions. (this statement is very much directed towards bands such as Univers Zero). I find these links also to be present in several Zeuhl bands. For example everytime I listen to Shub-Niggurath I am always reminded of one of my favourite songs; Requiem by György Ligeti, and this is one of the reasons I take such a liking to this album.

I have been listening to Ahvak for most of today, so have listened to the album several times. I'm luck enough to be in a job where I can listen to my music all day . It has taken me a few listen to get into, but it is really something that is growning on me. Upon first listening I really was not sold, it sounded like there was too much going on at once, give it a forced sound. But the more I listened to it the clearer patterns became in there music. I find a lot of different emotions are expressed in their music and I think this is the reason it took me a little while to disgest the album.

I love the whole 20th Century classical structure behind the songs. And as with so many bands of this type we once again see how much of an influence Stravinsky has been on the genre. It was also refreshing to heard all the world influences they have brought into their music, it is something quite different from anything I have heard before.

I deffinately hope these guys are going to be making another album as they do have some space to grow, so I would be very interested to see what they could come up with if they were to record a second album. I think the likelihood of a second album would in some way or another be dictated by the presence of Kerman. As we all know he is a very busy man (with his other projects) and seems to be a integral member of the band.

Been doing a bit of reseaching on the band and most of the material is quite old (just post when their debt album came out). Hopefully somebody of closer contact with the band would be able to tell us some more accurate information on the topic.

This is a interview with a few member of the band which I though people here might be interested in.
www.ragazzi-music.de/interviews/ahvak_eng.html

Also another link out of interest, pictures of them live in concert 2005
planet.nana.co.il/ahvak/

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Also I'm glad to hear you are enjoying Cerberus Shaol, maybe they could even be included here! I would be more than happy to write up some material for the band if other people are of the same mind as me about this band.

avestin wrote: Only yesterday night did I manage to download Eat and later today, hopefully, I will have time to listen to it. If you say, BV, that it is good, then I trust your judgement.

Thanks... tell us what you think of it?

Also how have you been enjoying Cerberus Shaol?

I plan on giving the Ahvak album a more indepth listening today, so I will get back here later with a progress report

progreviews wrote: Black Velvet wrote: Syzygy wrote: I also recently heard Zypressen for the first time, and I'd definitely recommend them. If Koenjihyakkei are the Japanese Magma, Zypressen are the Japanese Art Zoyd although they're somewhat warmer and less forbidding. Good compositions and outstanding arrangements. I can second this recommendation they are a fanstastic band. Brought their s/t album a few months back and loved it, it is not surprising considering my love for Art Zoyd. I heard they have a second album out but I cannot find anything about it... anybody know anything about it? Also I have heard them likend to the Chamber Rock group Lacrymosa, anybody heard of these guys?  Sorry, catching up to old posts... Zypressen and Lacrymosa are often compared to each other with Lacrymosa generally described as heavier and more aggressive, while Zypressen is closer to chamber-rock. Both bands' albums are out of print (Zypressen has only one; Lacrymosa has two), and I've only heard Zypressen. I think it's ok but nothing mind-blowing. I'm very interested to hear Lacrymosa though.

No I can agree Zypressen is not mind blowing but still a worthy listen. I'm very interested about Lacrymosa. If you happen to find any information, I would be very interested. I have been able to find very little about the band, so I think I will have to look into things a little more.

I'm not to sure but I think this place still stocks Zypressen's one CD. If people are interested.
http://www.znrcds.com/osc/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Zypressen+&osCsid=c0bf84d067f3f806ef2b253b3ef6b7c6&x=8&y=11