A review by Dionys Della Luce
Showing posts with label independent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label independent. Show all posts
Monday, 12 September 2016
Saturday, 6 August 2016
Feedback + Modular + Radiowaves
KINDAMUZIK:
Drie namen voor een beestje waarin drie gezichten te horen zijn; feedback - check!, modulaire synthesizer - check!, radiogolven - check! Heb je nog helemaal niks aan als je geen idee hebt wat het is, wat je ermee moet en hoe je er een beluisterbaar album of twee van moet maken. Enter: Michel Banabila; jarenlange ervaring in de achterzak, experiment hoog in het vaandel en dan vooral: nieuwsgierigheid naar waar de apparatuur hem voor verrassingen plaatst. Op deze twee albums jakkert Banabila dartel over knopjes; hij lijkt druk in de weer met podmeters en patchkabels. Een antenne plukt fragmenten statische ruis en stukjes uitzending uit de ether. Her en der knarst iets. Een pruttelende golftoon komt op; feedback dreigt nadrukkelijk platwalsend een mengpaneel zonder inputs over te nemen. Gaat daar nu de deurbel? Of is het toch een op hol geslagen brokje elektronica ergens in de keten? Banabila weet verdraaid goed wat hij kan doen, maar laat ook los. Hij weet speels vrijheid te behouden en daardoor ademen de platen een letterlijk experimenteel musique concrète-achtig aura. Verknipt en elektroakoestisch, maar ook vloeiend en verhalend; geïmproviseerd, maar ook met een hand aan de trapleuning van de rode draad. Naar beneden stuiken is er dan ook niet bij. Machinerie komt tot leven en blijkt ook gewoon een speelgoeddoos. De spullen moeten bijeen gebracht worden als op een assemblageband; tegelijk ben je wel eens wat kwijt, verkeerd neergelegd, file kwijt of corrupt, bandje terugspoelen. Drievlakselektronica kan een steriele bedoening worden waarin kille processen zich achter glimmende frontjes afspelen, met daartussen een bult spaghetti aan kabels. Ongetwijfeld zal het in Banabila's studio zo'n zooitje geweest zijn aan apparaten. Zijn absolute meerwaarde bestaat eruit dat hij de machines tot een warmbloedigheid wekt; modulaire processen en golven uit de lucht in interfererende botsingen brengt, luistert en die feedback weer kunstig inzet. En dan kom je ergens in de hoek van 8 bit-achtige gekte, Asmus Tietchens, Felix Kubin en ook de grootmeesters van de GRM, zoals Guy Reibel, uit. Nederconcreet; een nieuw genre ? (Sven Schlijper)
FEEDBACK + MODULAR + RADIOWAVES:
Released October 14, 2015.
Michel Banabila: feedback, A-100 modular, WebSDR, fieldrecording.
Edited and recorded in Logic Pro.
Cat. nr. 011TR.
2015 © + ℗ Tapu Records.
FEEDBACK + MODULAR + RADIOWAVES II:
Released November 12, 2015.
Michel Banabila:
feedback, A-100 modular, monotron, webSDR, fieldrecording, tape.
Radboud Mens:
sinewaves, clicks and bass (3)
Edited and recorded in Logic Pro.
1,2,4,5,6 composed by Michel Banabila.
3 composed by Michel Banabila & Radboud Mens.
Cat. nr. 012TR.
2015 © + ℗ Tapu Records.
FEEDBACK + MODULAR + RADIOWAVES III:
AMBIENTBLOG
FMR3 is the third and final (?) release in Michel Banabila‘s series of experiments in combining the three sound sources from the title. It opens in quite a radical way with a loud synthetic gong that immediately draws full attention, followed by a minimal machinelike noise – an industrial meditation. Modular synths are very fashionable, but too often the musical results only interesting for the nerdy buttonfreaks using them – there’s too much of ‘what does thís button do??’. But not in Banabila‘s hands. By using clever combinations of different sources, and by careful manipulation, his compositions – even the most minimal ones – get a fascinating cinematic tension. In Banabila‘s diversely branched discography, the FMR series is connected to his electronic works (like The Department of Electrical Engineering releases) and thus quite a lot more experimental than his works for theatre, his jazz-related outings or his crossovers with world-music. Michel Banabila still manages to combine the best of a lot of musical worlds in his rapidly growing discography, and there’s no sign of slowing down! (Peter van Cooten)
released January 31, 2016.
Michel Banabila:
feedback, A-100 modular, webSDR, soft.synths, sampler, fieldrecordings.
Lukas Simonis:
guitar - feedback sounds [1,3,6].
Track 2 recorded live at Noodlebar, PinkPank Rotterdam, January 23th, 2016.
Cat. nr. 014TR.
Edited and recorded in Logic Pro.
Composed by Michel Banabila.
2016 © + ℗ Tapu Records.
GONZO CIRCUS:
Michel Banabila is een veelzijdig componist. Hij werkt bij voorkeur met synthesizers waar hij een duizelingwekkende veelheid aan klanken uit tevoorschijn peutert. Hij schrijft voor ensembles, verwerkt omgevingsopnamen in zijn muziek. Die muziek is te horen bij films en, vanzelfsprekend, in optredens - onder meer in het bloeiende en groeiende circuit van analoge elektronica. Dat laatste genre komt volop aan bod op ‘Feedback + Modular + Radiowaves II’, zoals de titel al aangeeft het tweede album in een serie waarvan onlangs ook een derde deel verschenen is. Banabila zet contrasterende geluiden tegenover en achter elkaar: onstuitbaar verende toontjes, een langgerekt dor raspen, bliepjes en bloepjes, een opgewekt borrelen, een langs het verschiet snellend fluitje. ‘Basic Patch’ is een onafgebroken stoet van klankwagentjes, het ene nog maller en merkwaardiger dan het volgende. Soms heb je het gevoel een immens losbarstend onweer te horen naderen, maar dat wordt al snel onschadelijk gemaakt met ritmes waar het hoofd onwillekeurig glimlachend op gaat meedeinen. Het afsluitende ‘Radio Sky’ ontvouwt zich langzaam met nasaal trillende bassen en rondspokende fluittonen, alsof hij je na al die opwinding en variatie toch wat rust wil gunnen. (Rene van Peer)
3 from Michel Banabila on Vimeo.
Des Traces Retrouvées
Part 1 (45 RPM vinyl)
www.discogs.com/Michel-Banabila-Des-Traces-Retrouvees/release/850396
Track 4 is available on CD & vinyl LP, fully remastered, via Bureau B / Tapete Records (June 2016):
'EARLY WORKS - THINGS POPPING UP FROM THE PAST'
released October 19, 1984
Performed & written by Michel Banabila
Bass (V) by Peter van Straten
Guitar (V) Otto Janszen
Cover by Biquénôssà, Boudewijn van der Wagt
Photography by Mathieu Benistant
Recorded & mixed by Peter Riebeek
TRICHORD / MB191084
---------------------------------------------
Part 2 (45 RPM vinyl)
www.discogs.com/Michel-Banabila-Des-Traces-Retrouvees-2/release/1734791
released May 30, 1985
Denise Anken: vocal (I)
Michel Banabila: found objects, tape treatments, pianola, bottlesounds, percussion (I & II)
I, II, III & VI recorded at Studio 150 Amsterdam.
IV & V recorded at Peter Hoeks studio.
Photography by Matthieu Benistant.
Trichord Records / MB300585
---------------------------------------------
Part 3 (cassette)
www.discogs.com/Michel-Banabila-Des-Traces-Retrouvees-3/release/2658866
released December 1, 1987
Track 2 (October), track 6 (The Call) and track 9 (The Workers) are available via Bureau B / Tapete Records, June 2016, on vinyl and CD, fully remastered : 'Early Works - Things popping up from the past' soundcloud.com/bureau-1/bb227-michel-banabila-early-works
All tracks composed by Michel Banabila.
1, 3, 4, 5 © Steamin' Songs publishing.
2, 6, 9 © Tapete Songs publishing.
Bass – Pien Selliger (track: 14)
Design [Inlaycard design] – Jurgen Brouwer
Engineer – Jurgen Brouwer (tracks: 1- 9, 11-14), Peter Hoeks (tracks: 10)
Flute – Koos Derwort (track: 13)
Ovation guitar – Piet Legerstee (track: 2)
Mastered by [digital mastering At The Mix-lab] – Jurgen Brouwer
Percussion – Michel Banabila (tracks: 11 + 14)
Photography – Matthieu Benistant
Producer – Banabila, Brouwer.
Sampler [S10-sampler] – Michel Banabila
Sounds [soundprogressing] – Gerard van Wolferen (track: 8), Kees Went (track: 8)
Synthesizer [synthesizerprogramming] – Willem Cramer (tracks: 5 ,8, 13)
Voice – Michel Banabila (track: 1)
Woodwind [sipsi] – Michel Banabila (track: 10)
Oscar Smit / OOR
www.discogs.com/Michel-Banabila-Des-Traces-Retrouvees/release/850396
Track 4 is available on CD & vinyl LP, fully remastered, via Bureau B / Tapete Records (June 2016):
'EARLY WORKS - THINGS POPPING UP FROM THE PAST'
released October 19, 1984
Performed & written by Michel Banabila
Bass (V) by Peter van Straten
Guitar (V) Otto Janszen
Cover by Biquénôssà, Boudewijn van der Wagt
Photography by Mathieu Benistant
Recorded & mixed by Peter Riebeek
TRICHORD / MB191084
---------------------------------------------
Part 2 (45 RPM vinyl)
www.discogs.com/Michel-Banabila-Des-Traces-Retrouvees-2/release/1734791
released May 30, 1985
Denise Anken: vocal (I)
Michel Banabila: found objects, tape treatments, pianola, bottlesounds, percussion (I & II)
I, II, III & VI recorded at Studio 150 Amsterdam.
IV & V recorded at Peter Hoeks studio.
Photography by Matthieu Benistant.
Trichord Records / MB300585
---------------------------------------------
Part 3 (cassette)
www.discogs.com/Michel-Banabila-Des-Traces-Retrouvees-3/release/2658866
released December 1, 1987
Track 2 (October), track 6 (The Call) and track 9 (The Workers) are available via Bureau B / Tapete Records, June 2016, on vinyl and CD, fully remastered : 'Early Works - Things popping up from the past' soundcloud.com/bureau-1/bb227-michel-banabila-early-works
All tracks composed by Michel Banabila.
1, 3, 4, 5 © Steamin' Songs publishing.
2, 6, 9 © Tapete Songs publishing.
Bass – Pien Selliger (track: 14)
Design [Inlaycard design] – Jurgen Brouwer
Engineer – Jurgen Brouwer (tracks: 1- 9, 11-14), Peter Hoeks (tracks: 10)
Flute – Koos Derwort (track: 13)
Ovation guitar – Piet Legerstee (track: 2)
Mastered by [digital mastering At The Mix-lab] – Jurgen Brouwer
Percussion – Michel Banabila (tracks: 11 + 14)
Photography – Matthieu Benistant
Producer – Banabila, Brouwer.
Sampler [S10-sampler] – Michel Banabila
Sounds [soundprogressing] – Gerard van Wolferen (track: 8), Kees Went (track: 8)
Synthesizer [synthesizerprogramming] – Willem Cramer (tracks: 5 ,8, 13)
Voice – Michel Banabila (track: 1)
Woodwind [sipsi] – Michel Banabila (track: 10)
Oscar Smit / OOR
The Transformation of a 1983 LP
Marilli vinyl LP (1983)
Remixed (2015)
Disquiet Junto (2015)
Marilli was the first full-length album that I self-released as a 33 1/3 rpm vinyl LP. It dates back to the very first time I began to experiment in a studio.
I was like a kid entering a toy shop, totally excited and, of course, I got hooked forever. Anyway, Marilli consists of quite simplistic and somewhat hilarious recordings. It was recorded on 8-track tape in three studios across Amsterdam: Hero Wouters, WHG and SPN.
The sounds include balafon, kalimba, a Korg MS-20, voices, bird calls, tape, keyboards, percussion, and a Mexican turtle flute, plus contributions from musician friends on bass, cello, drums, steelpan and guitar.
There was no sampler used, but I "borrowed" some voices from other records.
Marilli was reissued by Seance Centre in 2017: www.seance-centre.com/shop/michel-banabila-trespassing
These are remixes made in 2015.
Much thanks to the participants for their creative reworks.
I also like to thank all the wonderful musicians who contributed to the original album, and whose sounds are now re-emerging here in a totally new way:
Lesley Joseph - steelpan
Piet Lichtveld - guitar
Cecil Wespel - bass
Willem Melker - drums & guitar
Paul Newsum (R.I.P.) - guitar & percussion
Niek Stafleu - cello
Martijn Veldhoen - percussion
Atti Bauw - guitar
Original info on Marilli on discogs: www.discogs.com/Michel-Banabila-Marilli/release/2057842
A special thanks to Eduard Vingerhoets and Richard Johnson.
Reviews / quotes:
AMBIENTBLOG:
I still clearly remember hearing an unknown artist performing on a sunday afternoon radio program in 1984 (‘Spleen, VPRO). I learned that Michel Banabila had self-released his debut album called Marilli – which I immediately bought from the only record shop in Amsterdam that stocked it. That was the beginning of a long and adventurous fan-relationship: I have been following Banabila’s music for over 30 years now! The music he currently creates is very different from what he created back then: Banabila considers his debut as a ‘quite simplistic and somewhat hilarious recording […] Quite embarrassing, really […] The overall effect is extremely naive, the sounds were nice and organic, but my “composing” process was not’. While this may be true from the viewpoint of the artist that has grown and looks back on his early work, the original album still has the same feeling for me… it presented new sounds, a new freedom, a new ‘world fusion’ music (remember: this was relatively short after the release of Eno/Byrne‘s ‘My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’). (Marilli also marked the start of a new collective called Chi which did some remarkable multimedia ‘fourth world ambient’ performances.) “You can’t change the past”, Banabila concludes and he decided that there will be no re-release of the original Marilli. But things took a different turn when 2015 saw renewed interest in the debut album. Former Chi-members Hanyo van Oosterom and Koos Derwort made a remix of the first album track and that became was the launch of a new project named Marilli Remixed: 23 remixes of the original analog recording by artists from all over the world (including Michel Banabila himself). ‘I asked them (the remixers) to skip the voices in their remixes, and to only use sounds from the record itself. (They) Came up with these really amazing works to transform the album into a more minimalist 2015 version. It has become a remarkable collection, especially for those that still can remember the original album, of course. But that’s not necessary – those that dón’t know the original will find pleasure in the 2015 remixes too. No matter Banabila himself may think of his original work, it clearly was worth remixing: the respect for the original material is felt in all details. (Peter van Cooten)
GONZO CIRCUS #132:
We zeiden het al, Michel Banabila is een veelzijdig musicus. Dat is hij in zijn solowerk, dat is hij misschien nog wel meer in zijn samenwerkingen met anderen. Dat laat hij horen op ‘Tapu Sampler 2016’ en op ‘Marilli Remixed’. ‘Marilli’ was zijn eerste album, een lp die hij in 1983 uitbracht. Die lp, ondermeer geïnspireerd op het baanbrekende ‘My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’ van Brian Eno en David Byrne, is niet meer te verkrijgen. Banabila wil dat graag zo houden, ook toen een label hem vroeg of ze een heruitgave mochten verzorgen: de muziek was te zeer gemaakt met een benadering waar hij niet op terug wil komen. Maar het materiaal aan anderen toevertrouwen om er remixes van te maken is natuurlijk een heel andere zaak. Onder de genodigden kom je namen tegen als Jos Smolders, Radboud Mens, Roel Meelkop, Frans de Waard en Machinefabriek - niet de minsten. Ook Banabila zelf nam zijn oude werk geducht onder handen: hij verknoopte zes nummers van de lp. Het resultaat is een droomversie van muziek die op zich al gebaseerd was op een gedroomde werkelijkheid, waarin culturen versmelten zonder een spoor van wrijving en conflict.(RvP)
REMIXERS:
Andres Jankowski [1605munro)
1605munro.com
Andrew Lagowski
lagowski.com
Arno Peeters
tapetv.nl
Bogumil Misala [IP]
soundcloud.com/ip-identity-problem
Core Shift [Mike Kramer]
soundcloud.com/coreshifter
Hanyo van Oosterom
numoonlabrecordings.bandcamp.com
Hero Wouters
herowouters.nl
Jos Smolders
earlabs.org
Koos Derwort
bam-boo.bandcamp.com
Machinefabriek
machinefabriek.nu
Marc Weidenbaum
disquiet.com
Martin Hoogeboom
soundcloud.com/martin-hoogeboom
Naoyuki Sasanami [Naotko]
soundcloud.com/naotko
Peter van Cooten
ambientblog.net
QST [Frans de Waard]
fransdewaard.com
Radboud Mens
radboudmens.bandcamp.com
Roel Meelkop
r0m.nl
Theo Calis
discogs.com/artist/1266654-Theo-Calis
Wouter Veldhuis
organic-industries.bandcamp.com
Lukasz Szalankiewicz [Zenial]
zenial.pl
Compiled by Michel Banabila.
banabila.com
2015 ℗ Tapu records / 013TR
Photos from remixers: equipment / workspace & screenshots arrange windows:
Marilli, Amsterdam 1983
Resident Advisor: www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?2530.
Remixed (2015)
Disquiet Junto (2015)
Marilli was the first full-length album that I self-released as a 33 1/3 rpm vinyl LP. It dates back to the very first time I began to experiment in a studio.
I was like a kid entering a toy shop, totally excited and, of course, I got hooked forever. Anyway, Marilli consists of quite simplistic and somewhat hilarious recordings. It was recorded on 8-track tape in three studios across Amsterdam: Hero Wouters, WHG and SPN.
The sounds include balafon, kalimba, a Korg MS-20, voices, bird calls, tape, keyboards, percussion, and a Mexican turtle flute, plus contributions from musician friends on bass, cello, drums, steelpan and guitar.
There was no sampler used, but I "borrowed" some voices from other records.
Marilli was reissued by Seance Centre in 2017: www.seance-centre.com/shop/michel-banabila-trespassing
These are remixes made in 2015.
Much thanks to the participants for their creative reworks.
I also like to thank all the wonderful musicians who contributed to the original album, and whose sounds are now re-emerging here in a totally new way:
Lesley Joseph - steelpan
Piet Lichtveld - guitar
Cecil Wespel - bass
Willem Melker - drums & guitar
Paul Newsum (R.I.P.) - guitar & percussion
Niek Stafleu - cello
Martijn Veldhoen - percussion
Atti Bauw - guitar
Original info on Marilli on discogs: www.discogs.com/Michel-Banabila-Marilli/release/2057842
A special thanks to Eduard Vingerhoets and Richard Johnson.
Reviews / quotes:
AMBIENTBLOG:
I still clearly remember hearing an unknown artist performing on a sunday afternoon radio program in 1984 (‘Spleen, VPRO). I learned that Michel Banabila had self-released his debut album called Marilli – which I immediately bought from the only record shop in Amsterdam that stocked it. That was the beginning of a long and adventurous fan-relationship: I have been following Banabila’s music for over 30 years now! The music he currently creates is very different from what he created back then: Banabila considers his debut as a ‘quite simplistic and somewhat hilarious recording […] Quite embarrassing, really […] The overall effect is extremely naive, the sounds were nice and organic, but my “composing” process was not’. While this may be true from the viewpoint of the artist that has grown and looks back on his early work, the original album still has the same feeling for me… it presented new sounds, a new freedom, a new ‘world fusion’ music (remember: this was relatively short after the release of Eno/Byrne‘s ‘My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’). (Marilli also marked the start of a new collective called Chi which did some remarkable multimedia ‘fourth world ambient’ performances.) “You can’t change the past”, Banabila concludes and he decided that there will be no re-release of the original Marilli. But things took a different turn when 2015 saw renewed interest in the debut album. Former Chi-members Hanyo van Oosterom and Koos Derwort made a remix of the first album track and that became was the launch of a new project named Marilli Remixed: 23 remixes of the original analog recording by artists from all over the world (including Michel Banabila himself). ‘I asked them (the remixers) to skip the voices in their remixes, and to only use sounds from the record itself. (They) Came up with these really amazing works to transform the album into a more minimalist 2015 version. It has become a remarkable collection, especially for those that still can remember the original album, of course. But that’s not necessary – those that dón’t know the original will find pleasure in the 2015 remixes too. No matter Banabila himself may think of his original work, it clearly was worth remixing: the respect for the original material is felt in all details. (Peter van Cooten)
GONZO CIRCUS #132:
We zeiden het al, Michel Banabila is een veelzijdig musicus. Dat is hij in zijn solowerk, dat is hij misschien nog wel meer in zijn samenwerkingen met anderen. Dat laat hij horen op ‘Tapu Sampler 2016’ en op ‘Marilli Remixed’. ‘Marilli’ was zijn eerste album, een lp die hij in 1983 uitbracht. Die lp, ondermeer geïnspireerd op het baanbrekende ‘My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts’ van Brian Eno en David Byrne, is niet meer te verkrijgen. Banabila wil dat graag zo houden, ook toen een label hem vroeg of ze een heruitgave mochten verzorgen: de muziek was te zeer gemaakt met een benadering waar hij niet op terug wil komen. Maar het materiaal aan anderen toevertrouwen om er remixes van te maken is natuurlijk een heel andere zaak. Onder de genodigden kom je namen tegen als Jos Smolders, Radboud Mens, Roel Meelkop, Frans de Waard en Machinefabriek - niet de minsten. Ook Banabila zelf nam zijn oude werk geducht onder handen: hij verknoopte zes nummers van de lp. Het resultaat is een droomversie van muziek die op zich al gebaseerd was op een gedroomde werkelijkheid, waarin culturen versmelten zonder een spoor van wrijving en conflict.(RvP)
REMIXERS:
Andres Jankowski [1605munro)
1605munro.com
Andrew Lagowski
lagowski.com
Arno Peeters
tapetv.nl
Bogumil Misala [IP]
soundcloud.com/ip-identity-problem
Core Shift [Mike Kramer]
soundcloud.com/coreshifter
Hanyo van Oosterom
numoonlabrecordings.bandcamp.com
Hero Wouters
herowouters.nl
Jos Smolders
earlabs.org
Koos Derwort
bam-boo.bandcamp.com
Machinefabriek
machinefabriek.nu
Marc Weidenbaum
disquiet.com
Martin Hoogeboom
soundcloud.com/martin-hoogeboom
Naoyuki Sasanami [Naotko]
soundcloud.com/naotko
Peter van Cooten
ambientblog.net
QST [Frans de Waard]
fransdewaard.com
Radboud Mens
radboudmens.bandcamp.com
Roel Meelkop
r0m.nl
Theo Calis
discogs.com/artist/1266654-Theo-Calis
Wouter Veldhuis
organic-industries.bandcamp.com
Lukasz Szalankiewicz [Zenial]
zenial.pl
Compiled by Michel Banabila.
banabila.com
2015 ℗ Tapu records / 013TR
Photos from remixers: equipment / workspace & screenshots arrange windows:
Marilli, Amsterdam 1983
Resident Advisor: www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?2530.
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