Movements (music for dance)

YIN YUE for PENNSYLVANIA BALLET:

A1 - DRAGONFLY II
Original soundtrack for the choreography 'A Trace of Inevitability'
by Yin Yue with Pennsylvania Ballet, in accordance with Yin Yue Dance Company & Pennsylvania Ballet.
This music was commissioned by Pennsylvania Ballet and premiered at 'World Premieres 2019' in the Merriam Theater, Philadelphia, USA, November 7th, 2019.

Musicians on Dragonfly II:
Peter Hollo: cello
Gareth Davis: bass clarinet
Oene van Geel: viola & stroh violin
Gulli Gudmundsson: el. bass, double bass & e-bow
Michel Banabila: midi instruments, sampling, electronics

PATRICK O’ BRIEN for CUNY DANCE INITIATIVE:

B1 - ILLICIT ACQUIREMENT
Composed for the choreography 'Enough' by Patrick O’Brien with Patrick O’Brien Dance Collective.
This music was commissioned by Patrick O’Brien with support from CUNY Dance Initiative and premiered in LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, New York, USA, November 14th, 2019.

CONNY JANSSEN for CONNY JANSSEN DANST:

C1 - CROWDS (Big Data Poetry Mix)

Was originally created for Big Data Poetry, an audio visual live performance by Geert Mul & Michel Banabila
 and was used in the choreography 'Home' by Conny Janssen for Conny Janssen Danst with Michel Banabila & Maarten Vos, and premiered in the Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Rotterdam, NL, January 20th, 2017.
C2 - I WON’T PLAY YOUR GAME
C3 - GUERRILLA TACTICS

C4 - NEW ENERGY FORMS
Were commissioned by Conny Janssen Danst for the choreography 'Zout' by Conny Janssen with Conny Janssen Danst & Anne Soldaat and premiered in the Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Rotterdam, NL, February 13th, 2011.

ANNABELLE LOPEZ OCHOA for SAN FRANCISCO BALLET and BJM DANSE MONTREAL

D1 - JUMP CUTS II
Was 
created for 'Guernica' in accordance with Annabelle Lopez Ochoa Company & San Francisco Ballet and premiered in the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, USA, April 24th, 2018.

D2 - A STRONG SENSE OF URGENCY

Was used in the choreography 'Zip Zap Zoom' by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, in accordance with Annabelle Lopez Ochoa Company & BJM Danse. Zip Zap Zoom premiered in San Diego CA, USA, October 18th, 2009.

NORMAN RECORDS:
These eight tracks represent a decade of Banabila’s career - ‘Dragonfly II’ and ‘Illicit Acquirement’ premiered barely a month before 'Movements (Music For Dance)' came out while closing number ‘A Strong Sense of Urgency’ dates from 2009. When heard in this light it becomes fascinating to chart the development of Banabila’s practice across these ten years. The earlier pieces are concerned more purely with rhythm, channelling a cinematic sense of foreboding through driving drumlines that verge on techno at times. Vatican Shadow is not a million miles away, though the dance context inevitably gives tracks like ‘Crowds (Big Data Poetry Mix)’ a bit more of a high-art feel.

While this sound remains in the recent work, Banabila’s touch has become more deft of hand. This is apparent from before you even put ‘Dragonfly II’ and ‘Illicit Acquirement’ on - both tracks are afforded a whole side of wax here, their length a testament to Banabila’s widened scope. While they do eventually blossom into driving groove-based music - ‘Illicit Acquirement’ has a cool Venetian Snares-type thing going on - their opening passages are characterised by a hitherto-unheard lack of drums. There’s both Penguin Cafe and Steve Reich to ‘Dragonfly II’s nimble-fingered string work, and ‘Illicit Acquirement’ begins with some of the most abstracted sounds on 'Movements (Music For Dance)'. Banabila executes both moves expertly, successfully broadening his sonic palette without sacrificing the emotion and muscularity of those earlier compositions. (Fred MG)









Released December 25, 2019

All tracks composed, performed & produced by Michel Banabila.

Design: Yasar Saka / YAY Music & Media.
Front cover photo: Deberían Permitir (Buenos Aires, 2012)
by Mista Stagga Lee under CC 2.0 license
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Back photo Yin Yue: Arian Molina Soca.

D2 (A Strong Sense Of Urgency) was licensed from Steamin'Soundworks with kind permission by Roel Kruize / published by Steamin’Songs. All rights reserved © + ℗ Steamin’Soundworks. More info: steamsounds.com

Joost Kroon: drums on Jump Cuts II.

Pressed at Deepgrooves, Leeuwarden.
Executive producer: Nico van Hemmen.
Mastering & remastering by Marlon Wolterink at White Noise Studio.

DISTRIBUTION:

NORMAN RECORDS (EU)
normanrecords.com/records/179690-michel-banabila-movements-music-for-dance

SQUIDCO (US)
www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=28431

Cat. nr. NVH01TR.
2020 © + ℗ Tapu Records.

AMBIENTBLOG review

Nan Wang - Pareidolia (IFFR 2019)

An extended noisy remix from Danube (Imprints 2018) for the new film by Nan Wang: 'Pareidolia', on IFFR 2019 (Bright Future selection)



In Pareidolia, analog abstract patterns made on 16mm film are used as source material for finding similar figurative images, interpreted by an online search engine. Hundreds of these matching images were edited into abstract film clips, resulting in an exciting visual and psychological cinematic experience.

VoizNoiz part 1 reissued on 2LP vinyl by Steamin' Soundworks

First album from the VoizNoiz series (CD / 2000 - Pork Recordings , Tone Casualties) reissued by Steamin' Soundworks on a 2LP vinyl album (ltd 234), including a 16 minute remix by Michel Banabila & Oene van Geel. Expected in October 2018, available via Norman Records. Fully remastered by Marlon Wolterink. 175G vinyl in hardback gatefold sleeve. Photography Jacky van Dijk / design Rutger Zuydervelt. More info at Steamin' Soundworks Bandcamp & Steamsounds.com

Remix (Side D) by Michel Banabila & Oene van Geel:

Zeeland

Zeeland: field recordings / ambient.
Sounds for an upcoming project by Gerco de Ruijter.

Between Sweet and Salt / #2 Plompe Toren from Gerco de Ruijter on Vimeo.

Sound Years

Sound Years (limited edition 33 rpm transparent 175 gr heavy weight vinyl)



Side A
(this side has the tracks jointed, making it one uninterrupted mix):

A1. Close To The Moon (previously unreleased / 2016)
A2. Earth Visitor (from Earth Visitor / 2016)
A3. E.T. (from Traces / 2007)
A4. Gorlice (from Live in Gorlice / 2014)
A5. 47 Voice Loops (from 47 Voice Loops / 2013)


Side B
(this side has the tracks jointed, making it one uninterrupted mix):

B1. Stone Bridge (from Hilarious Expedition / 2005)
B2. Niki Jumpei (from Gardening / 2012)
B3. TAPE (mix 3) (from Bouwwerk / 2010)
B4. Shortwave (from Hilarious Expedition / 2005)
B5. Radio Spelonk (from Music for viola and electronics II / 2015) with Oene van Geel
B6. Vuka Vuka! intro (from Songs from Vuka Vuka! / 2005)
B7. The Turtle Came Back (from Gardening / 2012)
B8. Yarra (from Travelog / 2013) with Machinefabriek






Released February 2, 2017

All tracks composed by Michel Banabila except:
'Radio Spelonk' by Banabila & Van Geel.
'Yarra' by Banabila & Zuydervelt.



Mastering: Marlon Wolterink at White Noise Studio.

Photography: Gerco de Ruijter.
Layout: Rutger Zuydervelt.



Discogs.

UPC 753907987683.
Pressing: MPO France.
Manufactured by Mobineko.

2016 ℗ Tapu Records / 020TR

SumDark 12

Dark electro



Track 1-4 recorded by Michel Banabila. Track 5 recorded by Kees van de Wiel, live at Summer Darkness 2012,Tivoli, Spiegelbar, Utrecht, for X Rated / Concertzender. A special thanks to Bob Rusche & Hessel Veldman. TRBOP 13 / 2012 © Tapu records.

Reviews:

CHAIN D.L.K.:
This is interesting dark ambient with a beat. "Crowds" is a pulsating, rhythmic piece with crowd samples woven throughout. "Eyes of the Witness" keeps the beat moving, but this time a bit more traditionally. At some points, such as "Sumdark 12," it is pretty minimal, which actually works for this disc. "The Empire in Transition" is also a peaceful bit of droning soundscape. About half the disc is taken up by a live recording from "Summer Darkness 2012." We begin this set with a live version of "Crowds," but it is a bit more intense in the live version. The second part of the live set began as a simple beat-driven track that reminded me at times of old Plastikman and then got more gritty as it progressed. Overall this was a pretty good live set. This album weighs in at around 49 minutes. (Eskaton).



AMBIENTBLOG:
Available as a digital download for some time, but now also as a strictly limited CDr edition. Contains four tracks that were the basis for Banabila's impressive (at times even terrifying) set performed at the Summer Darkness festival in Utrecht, 2012, as well as a 22 minute live recording from that performance. Definitely showcasing the darkest of the many sides of Michel Banabila (Peter van Cooten).

HYPNAGOGUE:
Sum Dark 12, from prolific electronic musician Michael Banabila, consists of four original, standalone tracks and one long live track, performed at the Summer Darkness 2012 Festival, that incorporates elements from the first four. If this recipe sounds interesting to you, you are correct. This is a ride you’ll be taking more than once, and you’ll be taking it with the volume turned up and the bass cranked. The first four pieces are diverse and plenty strong on their own. “Crowds” comes in on a spring-loaded beat, then ramps up its density and intensity. There’s a certain tribal feel to the rhythm, paired off with industrial undertones. Throat-sung notes snarl under the beat, and then Banabila slides in a growing chorus of the titiular crowd sounds and suddenly we’re in mid-ritual and working toward a frenzy. The build here is superb, and when Banabila drops a little house beat into the middle of this epic swirl of sound, it just amplifies the existing cool. Banabila shifts gears with “Eyes of the Witness,” giving us a set of minimalist elements wrapping themselves around a glitchy beat. A snaky melody adds tension. ”Sum Dark 12″ follows, an expressionistic mix of wandering sounds–static, church bells, electric crackle, vocal samples, bass drones, and more, cooked together into a mind-grabbing mist. Banabila keeps it on the subdued side, letting the pure atmospheric elements do the work. After the three tracks that precede it, “The Empire in Transition” comes as a bit of a surprise–a spacey and soft ambient piece that moves gently across its five-minute span. There’s none of the grit and barbed edges of its fellows, just a surprisingly calming flow. The live track is a 22-minute affair that, as you might expect once you know its genesis, rolls through several tonal changes as it progresses. It opens with the dark/tribal elements from “Crowds,” layering in and building up. Minimal elements take their turn as this early stage charges urgently along, taking firm hold. The build sneaks up on you until suddenly you’re back in the middle of that chanting, ritual-crazed mob and lost in the proto-tribal thrum. Banabila switches tone a little less than halfway in, picking up a bass ‘n’ drum feel, maintaining the deep groove but cleaning out the sound. Again he drives the thing forward on a big, pulsing, won’t-let-go beat and starts layering in his source sonics. This is seriously sweet EDM with just enough of a shadowy edge, and my favorite section of the piece. At the 15-minute mark we dive into the “Sum Dark 12″ sound-set and get bare and experimental for a bit. As the track winds downs, the swirling animal call of didgeridoo blends with the churning industro-tronics and fades, slowly, to nothing. Sum Dark 12 ranges from interesting to exhilarating, and once it has you in its grip, it has no intention of letting go. Each of the original pieces are full and engaging on their own, and the dark chemistry that creates the live set is inspired, perfectly managed, and utterly immersive. This is a great release from Michael Banabila, one you must hear. (John Shanahan).



MOUSIQUE.NL:
Sum Dark 12 zou je eigenlijk kunnen zien als twee ep’s op 1 schijfje: de eerste vier tracks zijn originele composities die Banabila vervolgens gebruikt heeft voor een optreden op Summer Darkness in Utrecht eerder dit jaar. Daarvan is de vijfde track een live-weergave. Banabila klonk nog nooit zo donker en beklemmend als op Sum Dark 12. Het album begint met Crowds, een nummer van ruim 6,5 minuut, dat bijna industrieel overkomt; het begint met een metaalachtig repetitief patroontje en wat onheilspellende klanktapijten. Vervolgens wordt door middel van donkere drums en keelzang (!) een dreigende sfeer opgeroepen. Het nummer ontaardt in een opzwepende kakafonie wanneer een schreeuwende menigte en tribalachtige ritmes de track naar een climax stuwen. Zo meeslepend had ik Banabila nog niet gehoord! Eyes Of The Witness duurt ongeveer even lang, maar zet een heel andere sfeer neer. Nog steeds wel wat donker, maar lang niet zo beklemmend. Stevige beats en een moddervette bas geven dit nummer ballen. Banabila laat zich op deze plaat niet van zijn meest subtiele kant kennen (waarmee ik niet bedoel dat er geen subtiliteiten in zitten), en dat bevalt me voor de verandering prima. Halverwege voegt een eenvoudige melodie de nodige luchtigheid toe en tegen het eind vervagen alle ritmes tot er een duistere drone overblijft. Het titelnummer (9 minuten) drijft op knisperende glitches, een soort ontstemde electronische harmoniumklank, stemfragmenten en klokgelui. Later worden hier etherische zang-samples en langzaam toenemende noise aan toegevoegd. Het nummer ontaardt in pure digitale noise en laat een zeer onheilspellende sfeer achter na het uitsterven daarvan. The Empire In Transition (ruim 5 minuten) is een prachtige track die aan het eind van de serie perfect tot zijn recht komt. De titel zal niet toevallig zijn gekozen, het nummer is veel opener en positiever van karakter dan de overige; de luisteraar wordt als het ware daadwerkelijk getransformeerd naar een andere, hoopvollere sfeer. De laatste track tot slot, zoals reeds gezegd, is een 22 minuten durende live-weergave van het optreden op Summer Darkness. Aan de basis hiervan liggen de eerste vier composities, maar het geheel is nog heftiger, nog angstaanjagender. Een mooie weergave in elk geval die laat horen waar deze geluidstovenaar toe in staat is. (Peter Tuin).

CALEIDOSCOOP:
Het is zonder meer het meest duistere dat de veelzijdige artiest heeft voortgebracht. Beangstigend mooi! (Jan-Willem Broek).



DARK ROOM MAGAZINE:
Michel Banabila è nato ad Amsterdam nel 1961, e dal lontano 1983 produce con orgoglio e passione lavori di ambient sperimentale che gli sono fruttati varie collaborazioni e buoni riscontri dalla critica specializzata, anche se la sua carriera è decollata solo nel 2000 con "VoizNoiz". A partire dal primissimo LP "Marilli" Banabila ha dato alle stampe ben trentuno album, tra full-lenght, mini e apparizioni su compilation, spesso attraverso la sua Tapu Records, etichetta che viaggia a braccetto con la prolificità del musicista. Si è inoltre esibito su diversi palchi d'Europa e ha firmato colonne sonore per lungometraggi, documentari, lavori teatrali e installazioni, oltre ad aver fatto parte di progetti come Byzantium, Chi ed East Meets West. Si ha di fronte un artista determinato, che fa risplendere tutto il suo bagaglio di esperienza e talento. Questo "Sum Dark 12" è solo una delle tante release annuali del musicista olandese. Nel solo 2012 si contano sei uscite tra il formato fisico e il download, e in quest'annata si è già arrivati a quota due (più la collaborazione con Philippe Petit nella compilation "Malpertus"). Ed è proprio alla scena sperimentale d'avanguardia, di cui fa parte anche il francese Petit, che va ad aggiungersi il nome di Banabila. "Sum Dark12" è un mini-album in CDr di quattro inediti, più una live track catturata durante il Summer Darkness 2012 e dedita alla pura improvvisazione, essenza dell'anima di Banabila. Michel pare devoto alla psichedelia teatrale dei Tangerine Dream o del krautrock degli 80s. Le quattro tracce inedite, a partire dalla oscura e acida title-track, presentano un ponte tra elettronica e rumorismo ambient, tutto sostenuto da emozionanti crescendo a far da struttura. "Crowds" risulta afasica e ansiogena come già sottolinea il titolo, mentre "Eyes Of The Witness" sfoggia una diabolicità da film noir. "The Empire In Transition" è un classico tappeto dark ambient che arreca un po' di nostalgia per i primi anni del nuovo millennio, quando una label come la Cold Meat Industry deliziava con le sue regolari pubblicazioni. Il piatto forte però pare essere proprio il brano conclusivo, un'esibizione registrata da Kees van de Wiel durante il Summer Darkness della scorsa estate. Banabila si dimostra abile e plastico nel mettere in piedi la sua 'nebbia' sonora, a partire dal brano "Crowds", per poi sfociare in monolitici beat simil-industriali. "Sum Dark 12" non può essere un lavoro esaustivo, ma è la giusta occasione per presentarvi un uomo/artista che con il suo umile contributo riesce a ricalcare territori vincenti. L'ennesimo esempio di come la scena indie non scarseggi mai di idee. Se l'ambient d'avanguardia di un'etichetta come la Alrealon vi scorre nel sangue, Michel Banabila va appuntato nella lista dei musicisti che compongono la colonna sonora della vostra vita. (Max Firinu.)



Discogs

Released August 21, 2012.
All tracks composed and performed by Michel Banabila.

0+1+0+1+0+1+0+1+0+

Industrial / dark ambient scapes

FOURTH DIMENSION.NET:
Picture yourself in a slightly altered mental state, in a room with someone lightly playing a small African drum while an orchestra slowly begins to tune down the hall. Gradually, your mind is drawn into the mix of sound, drawing out textures and harmonies that may only be imagined, the atmosphere growing heavier and more foreboding as time passes. So begins this four-track album from prolific Dutch artist Michel Banabila – slowly, beguilingly and with a slightly sinister undercurrent. Nothing is overstated or showy but, by the end, I was struck with a profound sense of unease. The second track builds from the rhythmic chugging of what sounds like a machine press into a lumbering rhythm that falls short of being danceable, while at the same time having an undeniable propulsive quality. The third track is likewise built around rhythm, but this time it is a slow groove with shimmering, ghostly atmospherics hanging delicately in the background. The final piece is a slow burn, distant voices and snippets of violins churning at the bottom of a cauldron. I’ve broken this down between tracks because I find that each one is so different from the others that it’s almost the only way to approach it. The release as a whole is a collection of disparate elements. But those disparate elements are very good- hypnotizing, almost and suffused with atmosphere. I found that the third track lets the side down a little, but the others are high enough quality that I’ll forgive it. There is an almost soundtrack-like element to Banabila’s work. I’d love to see the movie. (KM)

Tapu Records TRBOP 05. / Released November 28, 2010.

Discogs

East Meets West - Hoy Babo Hoy

I played in East Meets West from 1990 until 1992.
Produced by Robert Musso.
Assistent engineer: Willem Cramer.
Photography and artwork by Eelco Maan.
Recorded at the Markant Studio, Heeze, Netherlands.
Mixed at 39th Street Studios, New York, USA.

Thanks to Nick Thompson playing violin on Hoy Babo Hoy, Yogi Gilles for playing djembe on track 1/3/5/6/8 and to Hans Hoeksema for playing djembe on track 1/5/6. 1991 ℗ Silenz Records / DoReMi
Thanks to Jurgen Brouwer and Fijko van Leeuwen for helping us with all the preperations to make this record. Thanks to Arthur Anemaat for never complaining and to Asad Oberoi for inspiration.
East Meets West performed on many festivals beginning 90's in The Netherlands and Belgium, and also appeared at The Womad Festival, Reading, UK, 1992.
Additional musicians live : Joke Hamminga (percussion), Derk Groen (guitar), Coen Aelbers (percussion), Daniel Bloem (percussion), Bruno van Klaveren, and Gerald Olieberg (bass).

CD, vinyl LP and 7" vinyl releases: Discogs.
released September 1, 1991.







TANAR ÇATALPINAR:
Leadvocals on all tracks / sopranosax on track 1/3/4/5/6 - cymbals, davul and mey on track 5 - darbuka on track 7/9 - ud on track 7/12 - bluesharp on track 11.

OSCAR P. SWAMP:
64 Fender Jazzmaster on track 1/2/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12 - 12-string acoustic on track 3/11 - 6-string acoustic on track 2 - 6-string acoustic slide on track 8 - spanish guitar on track 1 - bass guitar on track 2 - backin' vocals on track 2/6/10 - bluesharp on track 1 - traditional washboard on track 6 - cymbal on track 2.

MICHEL BANABILA:
Keyboardbass on track 1/3/5/6/7/8/10/11/12 - backin' vocals on track 7/12 - reverse piano on track 10 - melodica on track 3 - keyboardstrings on track 9 - distortion-solo on track 9 - flangingdrone on track 5 - synthesizer-solo and percussion on track 12 - 'silly cow' on track 6/12 - organ on track 2.

ALEX EIND:
Tradtional low drums - doun-doun and goume on all track - hi-hat and snare drum on track 1/6/10 - echoes spacemetals on track 12 - backin' vocals on track 1/6/10

WILLEM CRAMER:
Keyboards on track 3/4/5/6/7/8/10/11/12 - computerprogramming on track 1/2/5/6/7/8/10/11/12 - organ on track 1 - cymbals, timbales and tambourin on track 1 - snare drum on track 2/7/8 - acoustic guitar and vocal on track 7 - big box percussion (basedrum) on track 5 - keyboardbass, toms, chimes and desertwind choir on track 9











Tanar Catalpinar on facebook

CHI - The Original Recordings

Cassette (1986) - CD (1996) - Vinyl LP (2016)

I played in Chi from 1985 until 1987.



Photos

Recorded live on 4-track cassettedeck in 1985 at a farm in Moordrecht, The Netherlands.
Kuhl II (bonustrack) was recorded live at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

CHI is:
Hanyo van Oosterom (bass, guitar, piano, percussion, synth) Willem Cramer (loops, sequences, percussion, guitar) Koos Derwort (bamboo flutes, clarinet and mouthsounds) Michel Banabila (philicorda organ, percussion, bass, flute and fx) Sound treatments by Jurgen Brouwer Video by Fyko van Leeuwen

Input Selector fr:
Fondé en 1984 par Hanyo van Oosterom, Chi fut l’un des premiers groupes européens à jouer de l’ambient sur scène. Hanyo est à la basse, guitare, piano, percussion et synthé, Willem Cramer s’occupe des loops, séquences, percussions et guitare, Koos Derwort joue avec sa voix, des flutes en bambou et une clarinette, Michel Banabila à l’orgue, des objets trouvés, et le tout est traité par Jurgen Brouwer. « The Original Recordings » fut enregistré en live en 1985 sur un enregistreur cassette 4 voies, dans une ferme à Moordrecht aux Pays-Bas. Le 8 ème morceau de l’album, « Kuhl II », fut enregistré au Paradiso à Amsterdam. Sorti à l’origine en CD sur Staalplaat/Container Music, il fut remasterisé en 2015 et déterré par le label anglais Astral Industries sur lequel il sera pressé ce mois-ci après deux disques par DeepChord et Wolfgang Voigt, rien que ça. La sortie est annoncée pour le 29 février. Le voyage commence par Kuhl dont les nappes viennent petit à petit se lier aux percussions puis aux rifs de guitares et aux synthés. Before The Mountains prend la suite avec une boucle répétée tout au long du morceau, sur laquelle fluctueront percus et rifs de guitare électrique. Troisième piste de l’album, Hopi fut la première enregistré par Hanyo pour Chi. On croirait entendre une sorte de cithare mêlée à divers instruments, basse et voix. Arrive ensuite Twisted Camel, sans doute mon préféré de l’album, qui sonne plus électronique malgré le son des flutes de bambou, des gongs et des petites notes aiguës donnant un côté céleste à cette piste. Le deuxième disque s’ouvre avec Mahat qui pose l’atmosphère avec une nappe très douce sur laquelle évoluent percussions et flutes. Soppin’, plus rythmé, commence sur une basse presque acid greffée à des petits clappements, une mélodie magique et des airs de clarinette. Dance marque une note tribale et percussive avant de laisser Kull II clôturer plus suavement cette épopée unique. 31 ans plus tard on se laisse happer par l’album entier dès l’écoute de chacun des morceaux. Surpris par la fraicheur des tracks qui sonnent très actuels grâce aux sonorités électroniques, on imagine bien à quel point le groupe était à l’époque avant-gardiste. Une sortie à ne pas louper, surtout quand on sait que les précédents disques ont été vendus autour de 100€ sur Discogs. (Arnaud)



Boomkat:
Astral Industries pluck out a cult ambient peach for reissue with Chi’s The Original Recordings (1985); a heady collection of communal invocations written on a farm in Holland during the fertile early ‘80s era of new age and post-punk exploration. The recordings are wonderfully spacious, allowing the atmosphere of their environment to perfuse the music’s broad, sweeping layers and mingle with their pineal vision to become a vital, animated part of the record itself. For comparison, these recordings share certain similarities with the kind of records recently reissued by Amsterdam’s Music From Memory label, yet there’s something more mystic, less sweetened about Chi’s music that perhaps places it in a psychedelic Dutch lineage with later, ambient elements of Psychick Warriors of Gaia, or even the gentle, tactile tone of Machinefabriek music also made out in the sticks. Definitely one to swoon for - highly recommended!

Bleep:
The Original Recordings draws material from recordings made on the commune’s Moordrecht farm in the mid-80’s, utilising modest synths, guitars and handmade percussion to craft riveting pieces of free-form expression that seem to embody the communal spirit of the group. Yet, this is music free of any of the clichéd new-age signifiers, more an authentic collection of naturally evolving, meditative pieces, steeped in a kind of rare collective telepathy that occurs when creating music as a living conjoint. The sedate mood is set on ‘Kuhl’, with gentle guitar strings interweaving with gentle hand-drumming and sweeping synths, ‘Twisted Camel’ nods to the kosmiche styles emanating from Germany at the time whilst ‘Dance’ conjures tribal, bordering on shamanistic vibrations with its primordial rhythms recalling the oddball quirks of ethno-warriors Futuro Antico. Whilst these comparisons can be made, the atmosphere feels absorbing, yet detached and unreplicable – truly unique music of a certain time and place.



Norman Records:
This Dutch lot like to take it slow and steady. From their blissful, unfurling synth and organ chords to the gentle pounding of the hand drum, there’s a clear respect for all things dirgey, as if every repetition strikes with ever more hypnotic intent. Yes, it’s ‘new age’-y to some extent, but not limp and lifeless like the shit that new age usually gets associated with, exercising restraint and not reaching for the obvious ‘trippy sound’ dial on their synths. The hand drums rarely sound like hand drums too, apparently they’re all homemade percussions and you can tell by their strange and slightly ramshackle sound signature, giving the whole thing a more unique character. Bass guitars subtly underline the main jam, while what might be guitars or another synth makes quiet wailing pitch-bend things like the banshees of the night. Shoutout to the Marimba-esque tones of ‘Twisted Camel’. Being a double 12”, The Original Recordings are lengthy and provide enough time to truly immerse you inside each of the quality drone-outs. Also, we all agree that that cover is brilliant.

Vinyl Factory:
After treating us to the subaquatic voyage of Deepchord’s ‘Lanterns’ and the messianic ambience of Wolfgang Voigt ‘Live In London’, Astral Industries excel themselves with a vinyl reissue of Chi’s masterful ‘Original Recordings’. The Dutch ensemble decamped to a farm in Moordrecht in 1985 and fully immersed themselves in a living, breathing collage of found sounds, electronic experiments and organic instrumentation. Dubby and psychedelic, the eight tracks on offer meander between the swampy exotica of Mike Cooper and the blissed out electronics of Cluster.



CHI was founded by Hanyo van Oosterom in 1984.
CHI was one of the first European groups that performed ambient music on stage.
The premiere of their audio-visual show was in 1986 at The Lantaren/Venster in Rotterdam.

Hanyo van Oosterom on CHI:
"CHI started in the late punk years in the early eighties. A time of changes. Brian Eno and David Byrne released one of the best albums ever: "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" that was a real mindblower. Also artists like Robert Fripp, Jon Hassell, CAN and King Crimson were a big inspiration". "We started doing sound experiments in an old farm in Moordrecht. In the summer all doors and windows open, birds flying in and out. In the distance we saw the highway to Rotterdam. In the winter we sat close together, no heating, only blankets, candles and brandy". "We did sessions of 3 days and nights, we brought a full pa-system for every session (thanx Jurgen and Fyko) to get the right feel. Usually we played from the late morning untill sunrise. Fyko was playing his spacy videos and projecting trippy slideshows. Jurgen was creating all kind of effects and recording everything". "We used the Commodore 64 to create sequences. We had two synths (Juno 60 and JX3P), a few guitars, and old Revox tapedeck for loops (some loops were 7 meters long running past bottles) and a lot of weird handmade instruments, percussion, bamboo flutes, an old, broken piano, a small Philicorda organ and various effects like water, shaked yogurt (Soppin), mouthsounds, streetnoises, etc". "Basicly the music is half electronic, half acoustic. What made it special is that we also performed it live. We brought our personal hifi-sets on stage for easy listening comfort. We carried 20 monitors for the video and had 3 big screens for slideshows". "Highlight was our Paradiso show on main stage (1986), broadcasted live by national radio. We ended up with a bunch of punks and freaks, but they really loved it. Our cassette was a collectors item at the legendary Amsterdam based label and recordstore Staalplaat. They released a CD in the nineties that you can still order online".




Jurgen Brouwer & Hanyo van Oosterom, 1985.

ASTRAL INDUSTRIES reissue 2016





Chi first reunion after 30 years at Cafe Oto, London 2016:

CHI live in London 2016 (snippets) from Michel Banabila on Vimeo.

The CHI Factory 2016

1996 CD 'The Original Recordings' digipak frontcover - Staalplaat / Container: (design GeertJan Hobijn)




Commodore computer printed cover for the first 1986 cassette release via Staalplaat Amsterdam: