OVX006 : Institut de ’Pataphysique Appliquée' / Vexations Vol.6

 

Covert art by A.L.

OVX006 : Institut de ’Pataphysique Appliquée' / Vexations Vol.6

What Martin Amstutz says about their proposal:

"Erik Satie was born on 17 May 1866. When in 2016 his 150th birthday was about to be commemorated, the Insitut de ’Pataphysique Appliquée' (I’PA) seized the opportunity to stage Satie’s Vexations in full lengths at a concert venue called Palace in St.Gallen, Switzerland. An open call invited musicians of any style and instrument to participate, some three dozens artists joined the experiment. The performance started on 16 May 2016 at 8 p.m. and ended a bit after midnight on May 18. It was a remarkable experience for the participants and the audience alike.

Initiated by objet α, the Vexations were anew enacted after a somewhat similar concept on 2 February 2021 at the Music Box Museum in Moegi no Mura, Japan. The circumstance that this version widely accorded with the I’PA’s cooperative approach caught the latter’s attention. The I’PA is now honoured to contribute forty rounds of Vexations to objet α’s release. The recording took place on 27 March 2021at the Palace, St.Gallen."

You can watch the entire performance here:

Participants were:

Bobby Moor and Josquin Rosset, piano;

Sarah Bislin and Julia Herkert, violin;

Stefan Gschwend, guitar;

Martin Amstutz, bandoneón and coordination;

Johannes Rickli and Ben Stokvis, technical assistance.

Bobby

Josquin

Julia

Martin

Sarah

Stefan

Further reading:

www.vexations.ch/vexations.html

www.palace.sg

Bandcamp only release on the 30th of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: 40x Vexations - Bandoneon, pianos, violins, guitar

ODG148 : Machine Mass / Plays Hendrix

 

Cover art by Elisabeth Waltregny

ODG148 : Machine Mass / Plays Hendrix

IN THE SPRING OF 2017 MACHINE MASS MORPHED INTO A POWER TRIO (MICHEL DELVILLE on guitar, TONY BIANCO on drums, ANTOINE GUENET on keyboards) TO RECORD A TRIBUTE TO JIMI HENDRIX !

THE CD VERSION OF THIS ALBUM WAS RELEASED BY MOONJUNE RECORDS TO CELEBRATE JIMI’S MUSIC ON THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE JHE’S FIRST RELEASE ARE YOU EXPERIENCED.

Augmented by the addition of the otherworldly talents of young maestro keyboardist, Antoine Guenet (The Wrong Object; Sh.TG.N; Univers Zero), fellow sonic adventurers -- and Machine Mass founders -- guitarist Michel Delville (The Wrong Object; douBt; Alex Maguire Sextet) and drummer Anthony Bianco (douBt; Elton Dean; Dave Liebman) combine forces to steam through a set which provides a refreshing retake of some of the most influential psychedelic rock classics from the '60's that changed the face of music! While the songs reference frameworks familiar to most classic rock aficionados, the comparisons end there: the trio follows flight plans which are uniquely their own, achieving moments stunningly fresh, instinctive, profound and moving. The addition of piano and keyboards to the tracks provides a welcome approach, imploring reharmonizations as well as complete revisions many hipsters, both young and old, will revel in! 

In typical Machine Mass fashion, the music thumbs its nose at convention and is unapologetically uninhibited in its delivery. The group pushes boundaries on all front, producing a record that is as fascinating from a tonal / textural perspective as it is from the 'harmonic rethink' and the mass of corporate liberties taken within the song structures, respectively. 

Machine Mass' "Plays Hendrix" is an engrossing, brilliantly conceived retake on some of rock's most adventurous classic moments; a quintessential album for fans of rock, psychedelic and progressive, alike. 

THINK HENDRIX-MEETS-COLTRANE-MEETS-MILES-MEETS-ZAPPA WITH PLENTY OF THE BAND’S OWN DNA

MICHEL DELVILLE guitar, Roland GR09, loops, stylophone (#8), electronics, samples


TONY BIANCO drums, percussion


ANTOINE GUENET keyboards, synth, acoustic piano

"i must admit now that i collect hendrix covers. his material is SO strong that there are many, and very few really ones. this is one of the best ever. these tracks are hot, and strange, and beautiful, and strong, yet essentially faithful in a colorful way. magical workings!Piste favorite : Fire." CH

"Interesting and fascinating album - a definite original new take on Hendrix. It would be great to have a second set , with long stretched out versions, all longer than 10 minutes. Piste favorite : Burning Of The Midnight Lamp."  Nick Bradley

"This is definitely the least Hendrix-by-numbers tribute I ever heard. The Belgian-American trio came up with something very special. The ingredients may come from all corners of Rock's big cuisine but the result has clearly written Jazz on it. Which means, that it can take some time to recognize the songs ;-} Fascinationg stuff! Piste favorite : Little Wing."  Carsten Pieper

Originally released on MoonJune on the 1st of June 2017.

Digital release on the 28th of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: Third Stone from the Sun

2: Purple Haze

3: Little Wing

4: Spanish Castle Magic

5: Fire

6: Voodoo Chile

7: Burning of the Midnight Lamp

8: You Got Me Floatin'

9: The Wind Cries Mary

And on Bandcamp:

OVD048 : Pierre Vervloesem / 2020

 

Cover art by Manu Ribot

OVD048 : Pierre Vervloesem / 2020

Says Pierre about his album: 

"2020 was a nerve-wracking year you won't fail to notice if you're still alive. Sometimes the need to make an album takes you like a shit. The rule for this time was: one day to compose the album, one day to record the album with a real person behind real drums."

Pierre Vervloesem : guitars and Bass

A Professional Drummer : Drums

Recorded à La Grange de Caste by Jean-Pierre Jonckheere

Digital release on the 25th of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: The first track

2: Le deuxième morceau

3: La tercera pieza

4: Die vierde stuk

5: Pyataya chast

6: Sjötta lagið

7: A hetedik dal

8: L'ottava traccia

9: Het negende nummer

10: Ingoma yeshumi

11: Di elft shpur

12: To dodékato tragoúdi

13: Det trettende stykket

14: Caudhauṁ gīta

15: Quinta decima pars

And on Bandcamp:

OVX005 : Taro Yoshihara / Vexations Vol.5

 

Cover art by A.L.

OVX005 : Taro Yoshihara / Vexations Vol.5

What Taro says about his proposal:

"On February 3, 2021, I attended the Vexations performance and had a shocking experience.

The experience was like being absorbed into the score. It made me think again about the effects of sound on the body and mind.

On March 27, I recorded in the studio without an operator, so I had to go back and forth between the recording booth and the control room many times.

I used a Kawai piano and RODE microphones for recording.

I usually do a lot of sound processing, but this time I didn't add anything, and recorded it as it was."

Taro YOSHIHARA (1968) lives and works in Yamanashi Prefecture.

He studied electro acoustics at Ina-GRM in 2001.

He is involved in the acoustic design and management of electroacoustic concerts.

Taro San

[制作ノート]

2021年2月3日、Vexations上演に参加し、衝撃的な体験をした。スコアに吸い込まれるような体験であった。音が心身へ及ぼす影響についてあらためて考えさせられた。3月27日、オペレーター不在でスタジオで録音したため、何度も録音ブースと調整室を往復した。録音はカワイのピアノ、RODEのマイクを使用した。普段は加工ばかりしているが、今回は何も加えず、ありのままを録音した。

プロフィール

吉原太郎　Taro YOSHIHARA 1968-

山梨県在住。

2001年Ina-GRMで電子音響を学ぶ。

電子音響コンサートの音響設計や運営に携わる。

Bandcamp only release on the 23th of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: 40x Vexations - Kawai piano, Rode microphones

OVD047 : Manu Ribot / Speechless

 

Cover art by Manu Ribot / A.L.

OVD047 : Manu Ribot / Speechless

The new album from Manu Ribot travels once again on the border of the 50/60/70 with a mix of soundtrack music style out of a Hollywood science fiction or zombies movies! 

It's also a reminder of the lounge era music but with such a modern sound and an eccentricity never achieved at the time. It sounds like a five men orchestra but it's a one man show only! It makes you move and jump and be happy and doing air guitar on your sofa! 

It's hot, it's fun, it's the new Manu Ribot!

What he says about it:

"This record is an attempt of doing an album in the reverse way. 

It all started with this metal devil head i grew up with, something to tie curtains of some sort that i had took a picture of.

Wow! it could be a nice thing for an album cover, so i photoshoped it in some ways and was pleased with the result.

Then i realized the facial expression of that devilish figure seems to express perfectly the word Speechless, nice title for an instrumental album.

Then Covid confinement occured i decided to use those horrid times into something positive...

I told myself let's try to picture musicaly this speechless facial expression...

It turned out well and i thought it's good enough to be the last song of an album...

Ok let's do this record reversed from last to first song and try to picture musicaly some things that leave me speechless, from the most ludicrous to the more genocidal of our modern days.

Voilà!"

Performed & Mixed by Manu Ribot

EQ & Mastered At Fiasco by Pierre Vervloesem

Digital release on the 18th of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: Introduction Speechless

2: I Menemy

3: Petroleumweg

4: Sales Riot

5: Flaw Enforcement

6: Anti-Homeless Architecture

7: The Grand Puke of Luxembourg

8: Plastic Continent

9: Estimado Weon

10: Karoshi

11: Enemy Awards

12: Speechless

And on Bandcamp:

OVX004 : Daniele Morelli / Vexations Vol.4

 

Cover art by A.L.

OVX004 : Daniele Morelli / Vexations Vol.4

What Daniele says about his proposal:

"The amount of memories I have thinking about Erik Satie’s music is endless, so when I heard that Off record wanted to record an entire version of Vexations with different artists i decided to give my contribution.

It’s a composition which means something like annoyances.

Sometimes art is virtuosism, sometimes is something else. In this case Vexations is like a purification ceremony.

A personal purification through the repetition of irregular chords, that’s why Vexations.

I decided to record the theme and its harmonisations with sounds and effects to cause even more troubles but also reflections and meditations at times. All the effects and sounds that you will listen have been made with the guitar."

"Pedals I use are Freeze, Holy Grail Reverb, Malekko analog Delay,

Maxon Overdrive, an Octaver and Ditto Looper."

Daniele

Daniele Morelli is an italian-born guitarist and composer. He started to play piano at 7 and guitar at 11 years old. He studied for 4 years at the Music Artwork Village before concentrating his studies on jazz guitar. He studied at Siena Jazz and in 2009 he moved to Lyon,

France to attend the Conservatoire (jazz department).

He studied with masters as Barry Harris, Jonathan Kreisberg, Gilad Hekselman, Mike Moreno, Philippe Roche and many others.

Daniele has performed in many clubs and festivals in Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and Mexico where he actually lives.

He produced 3 albums, his first, “Milvus” (2008), his first solo album “Mision azul” (2016, see ODG047) for OFF Record, and the upcoming album “La valigia dei sogni” with Matteo D’Ignazi on drums (Off-September 2021).

Bandcamp only release on the 16th of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: 40x Vexations - Electric guitar and effect pedals

ODG145 : Leonhard Huhn - Udo Moll / ZombieNation

 

ODG145 : Leonhard Huhn - Udo Moll / ZombieNation

The roots of this project reach back to a residency that Udo Moll spent in Kyoto in 2018. He started researching ancient japanese video games that were mainly released in the 1980s and 90s for the Nintendo and SEGA platforms. Based on images taken from those games and on texts from William Shakespeares the Tempest, Udo developed the first version of the electro-acoustic multimedia-performance Shakespeare ZombieNation. 

In the beginning of 2020, right before the CoVid-outbreak, he decided to expand on this subject tin collaboration with Leonhard Huhn. Together, they conceived Shakespeare ZombieNation II and premiered it, already without audience, in the middle of Germanys first lockdown. This performance   then turned into a video production that took place in a quite eerie World War II - bunker in the middle of Cologne.

During rehearsals, Leonhard Huhn recorded a lot of improvised material, that forms the basis of this release. Nonetheless, this is not a documentation of improvised music. All the compositions are results of extensive editing, cutting, splicing, layering and thus, re-contextualising of the initial improvisative process. Consequently, this modus operandi positions Huhn and Moll as well in the tradition of musique concrète as in recent developments in genres like minimal techno, Hauntology or Onkyokei.

Because both musicians started their careers as Jazz performers on acoustic instruments (Udo Moll is trumpet player and Leo Huhn plays mainly alto saxophone), they developed a very idiosyncratic approach towards electronic instruments by incorporating concepts like breath, acoustic space, orchestration and microtonality into their work with modular synthesizers and electronically altered saxophones and voices.

Leonard and Udo

Leonhard Huhn _ alto saxophone & electronics
Udo Moll _ modular synthesizer
All tracks taken from a live performance enhanced by a video and remastered after.

3 teasers:

Digital release on the 11th of June 2021.

Track Listing:

1: Kenseiden

2: Urchins Shall All Exercise on Thee

3: Cave noire

4: A Huge Grounding by the Street

5: Hell Is Empty and All the Devils Are Here

6: Dracula Hakushaku

7: Asterix' Helmet

8: Solbrain

9: Cloven Tongues Do Hiss Me into Madness

10 : Bogs, Fens, Flats

And on Bandcamp:

 

OVX003 : Ayumi Satake - Yuna Watarase / Vexations Vol.3

 

Cover art by A.L.

OVX003 : Ayumi Satake - Yuna Watarase / Vexations Vol.3

佐竹あゆみ/Ayumi Satake is a Japanese pharmacist.

What she says about her proposal:

"I don't play much music, but I go to listen to it a lot.

I wanted to hear the sound of a flowing river, so I went on a trip with the music box.

I saw the footprints of Japanese macaques. The pheasant was walking. The raccoon dog ran away. The deer was eating the leaves.

Above the clouds,

I heard the sound."

Ayumi San

Yuna Watarase (curator/cosplayer).

What she says about her proposal:

"I participated in the event with Organetta II and organito(Music box). I think it was difficult to play because it is an instrument that anyone can play easily. I wondered if I could properly connect the slurs to the next person. Would I be able to make the most of the charm of the organetta II and organito while the other participants showed their individuality by playing in a jazz style? I was filled with anxiety from the time I decided to participate until the day of the event. Once we started, it was a lot of fun and I think I reconfirmed the original appeal of music, which is to "enjoy" sound. I would definitely like to participate in a similar event if it is held again."

She graduated from Tsurumi University, Faculty of Literature, Department of Cultural Properties. During her studies, she studied Hojo Saburo (Uesugi Kagetora). Currently, she has a passion for the Date and Katakura families.
She started cosplaying because she hates the existence of "herself" and wants to be someone other than herself. Mainly cosplays Midare Toshiro (Touken Ranbu) and Ranka Lee (MACROSS Frontier).

Due to her troubled personality, she doesn't like to practice and loves to perform (ensemble), so she can't keep up with her instrumental lessons and has dabbled in various instruments such as piano, percussion, and flute. She loves "La vallée des cloches" ("The Valley of Bells") from Maurice Ravel's suite "Miroirs".

Yuna San

渡良瀬　ゆな（学芸員/コスプレイヤー）

鶴見大学文学部文化財学科卒業。在学中は北条三郎（上杉景虎）を研究。現在は伊達家、片倉家にお熱。“自分“という存在が嫌いで、自分じゃない誰かになりたいとコスプレを始める。主にコスプレするのは乱藤四郎（刀剣乱舞）とランカ・リー（マクロスF）。

練習嫌いの本番（合奏）好きという困った性格のため、楽器のレッスンが続かず、ピアノ、打楽器、フルートなど様々な楽器に手を出している。モーリス・ラヴェルの組曲『鏡』の『鐘の谷』が大好き。

Vexations 感想

私はオルガネッタⅡ型とオルガニートで参加させていただきました。誰でも簡単に演奏できる楽器だからこそ、演奏は難しかったように思います。きちんと次の方にスラーを繋げられるのか。ジャズ風の演奏などで他の参加者が個性を出しているなか、私がオルガネッタⅡ型やオルガニートの魅力を最大限活かす演奏が出来るのか。参加を決めてから当日まで、不安でいっぱいでした。始まってみると楽しくて、「“音”を“楽しむ”」という音楽本来の魅力を再確認したように思います。次にまた同じような企画を行うのであれば、ぜひ参加したいです。

Bandcamp only release on the 9th of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: Ayumi Satake: 20x Vexations - Musical Box

2: Yuna Watarase : 20 x Vexations - Organetta (barrel organ)

OJP057 : Ruben Van Rompaey feat. Toshinori Kondo / Tokyo Fusion

 

Cover art by A.L., original painting on canvas by Rachelle van Rompaey 

OJP057 : Ruben Van Rompaey feat. Toshinori Kondo / Tokyo Fusion

In loving memory of Toshinori Kondo 15 December 1948 – 17 October 2020 

"I first met Kondo during my 2011 tour in Japan where we did three memorable concerts together, in Kyoto, Sasebo and Fukuoka. It turned out to be a unique encounter: an exciting first meeting between Kondo’s amazing electric trumpet and the captivating beats of Middle Eastern drums and percussion. 

Toshinori and Ruben in 2011

This album, named Tokyo Fusion, serves as a reflection of the synergy originating from our collaborations. It’s a compilation of tracks I have written and produced between 2014-2020, all of them featuring Kondo's brilliant electric trumpet improvisations. 

The album captures the essence of Kondo’s free spirit electric trumpet, regularly blending with oriental soundscapes, crossing borders of space and time. Some of the original recordings from 2014 were featured on the album Mirage and specially re-edited and re-mastered for this album. 

The music can be roughly divided into two parts: the first part contains previously unreleased tracks, the second part mainly consists of remixes and remastered tracks. 

In October 2020 Toshinori Kondo sadly passed away. 

I feel honored to releasing this album as a dedication to Kondo's super-creative dimensions, whose sounds will keep astonishing the universe forever!" -Ruben Van Rompaey

During the recording sessions

Ruben

The complete original painting

Written, performed and produced by Ruben van Rompaey, Bergen op Zoom Holland 2014-2020. 
Featuring Toshinori Kondo - electric trumpet 
Executive producer: Frans C.M. van Rompaey 
Guitar solo 'Ginza Lounge - Part 2' by Rutger van Rompaey 
Vocal samples by Maarten Zweers 
Mastered by Rutger Verberkmoes @ Accent Audio Studio Bergen op Zoom, Holland.
Cover painting (acrylic on canvas) Toshinori Kondo and Ruben van Rompaey by Rachelle van Rompaey (site).

Digital release on the 4th of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: Dream Warriors            

2: Ginza Lounge               

3: Shibuya Crossing        

4: Darbuka Lounge           

5: Ginza Lounge – Part 2 

6: This Ain’t Lounge         

7: Corona Avenue            

8: Mister Tabla                  

9: Coming Up                   

10: Rainbow Bridge           

11: Lunar Eclipse               

12: Kyoto Nights                

13: Tribute

14: Shibuya Crossing (V2.0) - Bandcamp only release

15: Downtown - Bandcamp only release    

And on Bandcamp:

OVX002 : Synapses / Vexations Vol.2

 

Cover art by A.L.

OVX002 : Synapses / Vexations Vol.2

What Line (see also Synapses beautiful album 'Introduction' OUC027) says about their proposal:

"On February 12, 2021, one year of forced confinement is approaching, artistically speaking it is frankly the looking like the end of all. 

The impression of immobility and uselessness is dense. Alain proposes the project to record Satie's Vexations. Neither one nor two, we say to ourselves: “Saperlipopette, here is a very appropriate project! Serious immobility, here we are! "

"Recorded with a zoom in one take, the seriousness deserves the appropriate material damn."

"Le 12 février 2021, on approche l’année de confinement forcé,  artistiquement parlant c’est franchement la débandade. 

L’impression d’immobilisme et d’inutilité est dense. Alain propose le projet d’enregistrer les vexations de Satie. Ni une, ni deux, on se dit : « Saperlipopette, voilà un projet tout à fait à propos ! Immobilités sérieuses, nous voici !"

"Enregistré avec un zoom en une prise, le sérieux mérite le matériel adéquat sacré bleu."

Bandcamp only release on the 2nd of June 2021.

Track listing:

1: 40x Vexations - Flute, electronics, metalic percussions and voices