&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
AMAZING SOUNDS
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

No. 71
February 28, 1999

====================

++++++++++ COMMERCIAL MESSAGE:

THE TRILOGY BY AT-MOOSS IS AVAILABLE IN THE VIRTUAL RECORD STORES
OF:

AMAZING SOUNDS

http://www.amazings.com/mailorder.html

AND

AT-MOOSS RECORDS

http://www.arrakis.es/~at-mooss

++++++++++

++++++++++ COMMERCIAL MESSAGE:

"INNERSEED" ALREADY RELEASED

"INNERSEED", the new solo work by Dom F. Scab has already been
released.

Scab, who usually develops his activity within the band At-Mooss,
has created a conceptual work, with a sophisticated elaboration of
sounds, and where suggestive environments give way to precious
sequences in the purest style of the School of Berlin.

Analog and digital synthesizers share a perfect harmony, providing
"INNERSEED" with a unique warmth, and re-creating those
atmospheres that characterized the great success of the cosmic
style in the electronic music of the seventies.

You can find further information about this composer on his web
page:
http://www.arrakis.es/~domfer
e-mail: domfer@...

++++++++++

====================

CONTENTS:

NEWS

THE ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN EASTERN EUROPE (Chapter 1) This mini-
series is a brief approach to the electronic music and innovative
/ alternative styles in Eastern Europe.

REVIEWS:
HASLINGER: "SCORE" RGB Records
JOSEPH LOIBANT: "SINE" At-Mooss Records
PLASTHA'S MOUNTAGE: "PROTOPLASTHA'S" At-Mooss Records
REYNOLD WEIDENAAR: "MAGIC MUSIC FROM THE TELHARMONIUM" Magnetic
Music

====================

Note: If mail to you bounces. you will be automatically removed
from the list. If in doubt, re-subscribe. If you're already on the
list from the same email address the second subscription will be
rejected as a duplicate.

====================

Attention: Long links can work badly when trying to click on them
if they appear cut into two or more lines. In case you cannot use
them directly because of this or other reasons, we reccommend you
to copy the COMPLETE link (including each one of its fragments) at
the location window of your browser. The link must appear in its
entirety in a single line.

====================

NEWS

NEW RELEASES / RE-RELEASES / DISTRIBUTIONS
(For more information and sound clips, use the links)

Madredeus: "O Porto"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I0RJ/thesciencebookboA/

Steve Roach / Vir Unis: "Body Electric"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I145/thesciencebookboA/

John Whelan: "Come To Dance: A Celtic Tradition"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I417/thesciencebookboA/

R. Carlos Nakai / Paul Horn: "Inside Monument Valley"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I17O/thesciencebookboA/

Various Artists: "Dublin To Dakar: A Celtic Odyssey"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I082/thesciencebookboA/

TANGERINE DREAM FUTURE RELEASES:
"Sohoman" April 1999
"What a blast!" April 1999
"Mars Polaris" May 1999

Vidna Obmana is currently working on his new solo album, in two
parts, of which the first chapter "The surreal sanctuary" will be
issued on Projekt in 2000.

====================

THE ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN EASTERN EUROPE
By: JORGE MUNNSHE
Chapter 1

It is impossible to attempt to compress the musical universe
enclosed behind the iron curtain by decades in a single mini-
series. A basic approach to the reality of the musical avantgarde
in each one of the multiple, rich cultures of this great unknown
which is Eastern Europe, nowadays in full development, would need
the making of a book. Therefore, this mini-series will only be a
brief vision, perforce incomplete, of these innovative styles
sustained on cultures maybe as ancient or even more so than those
in the rest of Europe.

It is difficult to make an updated portrait of the situation in
the Eastern countries, due to the spectacular, fast changes that
are taking place in them. For instance, the track of numerous
musicians living in the former Yugoslavia has been lost, after
they changed from sharing the same nationality to becoming
citizens of confronted warring communities. After the end of the
war, contact with several of them has been re-established. Yet
there are some whose present status is currently unknown and whose
personal circumstances previous to the beginning of the war seem
to suggest a personal tragedy. In this sense, I will be grateful
for any information forwarded to me on the current situation of
alternative musicians from the ex-Yugoslavia. (My personal email
is: jmunnshe@...)

THE STATES OF THE EX-USSR
Immediately after the founding of the USSR, the attitude of
the Party towards the artistic manifestations diverging from the
pre-established canons to explore other terrains was quite
favourable. The reason for this is the fact that they were
considered a form of Communist Revolution within the arts, as they
demolished the aesthetics shaped during centuries of aristocratic
and bourgeois domination. Therefore, the kind of music completely
divergent from the Classical style, then identified with the old
society to be changed, received the benediction of the
authorities, and its production was promoted.
Nevertheless, this situation was not to last for long. After
the first few beats of the new regime, idealism gave way to the
techniques of repression. Alternative art became a synonym for
defiance to The Establishment, in this case the socialist state,
and later a palpable sign of subversion. The artists of new trends
were also revealed as potential agitators, if not having openly
hostile attitudes towards the dictatorship. In these
circumstances, it was better to promote artistic orthodoxy, well
known and therefore easily controlled, rather than risking strange
ideas that could contain philosophies contrary to the regime and
whose mere manifestation was in a way a rebellious act or one of
dangerous individuality. Once this musical revolution had been
smothered, its initiators were prosecuted because of their
political attitude, or had to convert to more orthodox musical
forms due to the boycott suffered by their more risky works. Among
these pioneers mention must be made of Nikolai Roslavetz (1881-
1944), Sergei Protopopov (1893-1954) and Alexander Mossolov (1899-
1973).
The interest in electronic music in the states of the ex-USSR,
is not new, either. And not only the interest, but also the active
research in this field. Russian composer Lev Termen developed
pseudo-synthesizers in the 1920s, with which he toured Europe and
America harvesting an enormous success through concerts of
electronic music. It had been always thought that the great
economic depression suffered by the United States, the country
where he had settled, made him desist from carrying out his
projects, and that it was for this reason that he came back to
Russia. However, recently another version of the story has been
revealed, according to which Termen was kidnapped in the United
States by Soviet secret agents and was taken back to the USSR.
His scientific genius would have whetted the Supreme Soviet
appetite for brains.
Volodin is another forgotten pioneer.
In the 1930s, professor Sholpo established a laboratory for
sound synthesis where he developed his variophone, a precursor of
the synthesizers.
In the early 1960s, and while Moog was designing his own
synthesizers in America, Eugene Murzin developed his ANS
synthesizer independently, whose first prototype already
functioned in 1961, the year in which the Russian forefather of
electronic music, Edward Artemiev, used it in his compositions.
Also in these early days, the Skriabin Studio for Electronic Music
was created in Moscow. Similarly, mention nmust be made of Sophia
Gubaydullina, Edison Denisov, Alfred Schnittke, Oleg Buloshkin,
Stanislav Kreichi, and Yuri Bognadov because of their historical
work, among other composers related to the research in sound as
well as the New Music and Electroacoustic genres.
Nonetheless, despite these worthy developments, technology in
the USSR did not advance beyond the analogic. Foreing digital
instruments were only available to those artists tutored by the
government, most of whom were devoted to the most commercial
trends of Pop music, with the least content or message, and
certainly without critical attitudes against The Party. The main
problem that "amateur" musicians in these countries had was the
lack of adequate musical technology, which had to be bought in the
black market ten times more expensively than its cost in the
Western countries. In some countries computer technology was
forbidden even if it was a present brought among the luggage of a
foreigner. In the Soviet states, the only popularly available
computer was the Commodore-64. Likewise, one must take into
account that the copyrights for the release of an album granted
the musician were so scarce, that the main source of income had to
be their live performances.
Sergey Tutov and Oleg Onoprienko are musicians who collaborate
with Edward Artemiev. On April 1990, they began to produce the
radio programme Tangerine Wave, on the (at those times) State
Radio Television of the USSR. They had scarce means to carry out
their projects. Due to these always surprising peculiarities of
the Soviet Kafkaesque bureaucracy, they only had an available CD-
player. They did not limit themselves to playing electronic or
avantgarde music, but also they spoke about it, the musical
technology involved, and the new artistic concepts. The audience
success was remarkable, as the new musics were subversive there,
almost as much as Rock was. Pop and Classical music were, on the
contrary, supported by The Party.
In the USSR functioned the Association of Electroacoustic &
Computerized Music, under the auspices of the Composers Union.
This state association carried out very scarce activities, and its
concerts were "parodies", according to what several musicians
claim. The members of the Association were allowed to enter
competitions and festivals abroad. However, they could not do so
in their own country, as there were none.
Perestroyka allowed for the founding of some private record
labels devoted to the new musics in Russia, a fan club of
electronic music, and other entities and collectives. Likewise,
the programme Tangerine Wave was joined by others, both on the
radio and the television. The first TV programme devoted to this
kind of musics was produced by the Ukrainian Television. In
Ukraine there is so much interest in the new musics as there is in
Russia; for instance, a festival on New Music has been held in
Kiev for quite some time, and the Ukrainian Radio sponsors the
release of electronic music albums.
Gorizont became known as some sort of Russian version of
Kraftwerk, releasing an LP by the "Soviet State" record label
Melodia, which after the Perestroyka came to release things that
were unthinkable a few years before.
Another release by Melodia was the band Jungle, a combination
of Jazz with ethnic musics, relying on synthesizers.
Valentina Ponomareva was described in her debut as a fusion of
Enya and Diamanda Galas.
Igor Cherniakski, who was a member of a Polish Rock band, is
now devoted to the new musics as a soloist.
Sven Grumberg is the global composer of synthesizers,
fusioning styles and instruments from Europe, India, China and
Tibet in an electronic texture highly sophisticated in nature.
Several new avatgarde artists appear in a compilation album
promoted by the LAVA association. Another sampler, this one with
"official" support (as well as fourteen thousand copies, together
with international distribution) gathers experimental pieces
performed by veteran artists recorded in the late 1960s and the
early 1970s, with the ANS synthesizer. In it we can find: Sophia
Gubaydullina, Alfred Schnittke, Edison Denisov, and of course,
Edward Artemiev. Other important native samplers are the ones by
the Russian label Electroshock Records, as well as the ones
produced by Western labels, among which most remarkable are the
ones released by Erdenklang.
At the same time, in Russia and Ukraine, many synthesists are
appearing, although most of them are devoted to Techno or Trance
music. Some of the most remarkable ones are EDS, Oleg Makeyev and
Zartipo.

====================

REVIEWS:

HASLINGER:
"SCORE"
RGB Records
This album is on the same line followed by the latest ones by Paul
Haslinger. The music combines Pop elements with World Music traits
and futuristic atmospheres. There also are Jazz traits. Although
there are some slow passages, most of the music has a good rhythm,
with a prevalence of the drums in the rhythmic structures. The
most innovative pieces are like urban folk music of the future.
Pay attention because in the next years many imitators of
Haslinger's composing style.will no doubt appear.
A.HINOJOSA

If you wish to purchase this recording you only have to use this
link:

http://cdu2.cduniverse.com/asp/albuminfo.asp?lc=25040+506&frm=lk_amazings/

PAUL HASLINGER
Paul Haslinger began his music studies in 1982 at the Academy of
Music, Vienna, Austria. By 1985, he was playing live gigs as
support act for Tina Turner and doing session work with a number
of Austrian groups. Haslinger joined Tangerine Dream for their
1986 studio album "Underwater Sunlight" and subsequent world tour.
He continued with the band on "Tyger" (1987) and the Grammy-
nominated "Canyon Dreams" (1988), along with a number of
soundtrack recordings, including "Shy people" and "Miracle Mile".
Following several additional soundtracks and studio albums,
Haslinger left Tangerine Dream in 1990, soon after receiving his
Masters degree in musicology at the University of Vienna. In 1991,
Haslinger relocated to Los Angeles, USA. He began collaborations
with ex-Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann and with the French
band Lightwave. The group's debut album on Fathom Records, "Tycho
Brahe", came out in 1993, the same year Haslinger created the
Assembly Room Studios. He has also composed some soundtracks, as
for instance "Pointman" (1994). Haslinger first solo album "Future
Primitive" was released in 1994. Active in the burgeoning Los
Angeles interactive multimedia scene, he was named music director
for Siggraph 95. He also produced and collaborated with Lightwave
on "Mundus Subterraneous" (1995).

If you wish to purchase any recordings by this artist you only
have to use this link:

http://cdu2.cduniverse.com/asp/exactartist.asp?search=Haslinger%2C+Paul&frm=
lk_amazings/

JOSEPH LOIBANT:
"SINE"
At-Mooss Records
Joseph Loibant gives us a gift of a magnificent, powerful
electronic music. He has produced one of the clearest samples of
what can be done with synthesizers in the field of the Space-
sequencer music. He displays his wide musical vision, not limited
by the Seventies fashion or the imitative patterns of the current
electronic music stars. His music also enters Synth-Pop and Jazz
sometimes. In this release he combines melodies of great strength,
with strong sequencers and drums, outlining an impressive sonic
atmosphere typical of a soundtrack for an adventure movie.
J. MUNNSHE

If you wish to purchase this recording you only have to use this
link:

http://www.amazings.com/mailorder.html

JOSEPH LOIBANT
Synthesist Joseph Loibant is the founder of the band At-Mooss. He
possess a wide musical trajectory, which includes his activity as
a member of the techno band Programa, together with Carlos Guirao
(ex-member of Neuronium) and Jose M. Ciria. As for his personal
style, Loibant is the most eclectic member of At-Mooss. This is so
due to the many trends he has dealt with during his long career as
a musician, ranging from Jazz to Techno. He is a skilled sound
engineer / designer.
Essential recordings:
SINE
In At-Mooss:
MORPHING SYNTHESIZERS 1
MORPHING SYNTHESIZERS 2
MORPHING SYNTHESIZERS 3
In Programa:
SINTESIS DIGITAL
ACROPOLIS
IMPACTO

You can find more information at:

http://www.arrakis.es/~at-mooss

If you wish to purchase any recordings by this artist you only
have to use this link:

http://www.amazings.com/mailorder.html

PLASTHA'S MOUNTAGE:
"PROTOPLASTHA'S"
At-Mooss Records
The music by Plastha's Mountage joins elements from innovative
Pop, Synth-Pop, Trance Music, Ambient, Dark Wave and Techno. In
this album, Joss & Loop , Ben Howard Jr., and Panik offer us nine
compositions of a fresh air, where rhythm is the leading element
for most of the time. The percussion has an important role,
supported by the sequencers. Powerful rhythms sound wrapped into a
complex tapestry of melodic sequences. Of an impeccable make (the
album has been very well produced and even better recorded), this
is a release that will surely be liked by a wide range of
listeners.
E. KOGLER

If you wish to purchase this recording you only have to use this
link:

http://www.amazings.com/mailorder.html

PLASTHA'S MOUNTAGE
Plastha's Mountage was formed by Joss & Loop , Ben Howard Jr., and
Panik. Their style can be labelled within the most modern kind of
Trance/Techno/Synth-Pop. The band utilize an uncommon amount and
variety of syntesizers and other electronic equipment. They
produce powerful rhythms and sequences that do not leave the
listener indifferent.
Essential recordings:
PROTOPLASTHA'S

You can find more information at:

http://www.arrakis.es/~at-mooss

If you wish to purchase any recordings by this band you only have
to use this link:

http://www.amazings.com/mailorder.html

REYNOLD WEIDENAAR:
"MAGIC MUSIC FROM THE TELHARMONIUM, THE STORY OF THE FIRST MUSIC
SYNTHESIZER"
Magnetic Music Publishing Co.
Highly reccommended. Can something else be said after that? Just
in case, we will warn you that Weidenaar, one of the best
acquainted with the history of Telharmonium, the amazing 200-ton
electric instrument that created numerous musical timbres, has
produced a video of an incredible worth for the aficionado. His
task to compile information, photographs, everything, contribute
to generate a documentary that will take us into the musical
particularities of this wonderful machine, developed by Thaddeus
Cahill during 1893-1906. All images and dialogue are historically
authentic; most of the music selections are known to have been
performed on the instrument. However, no known recordings of the
Telharmonium exist, so the music was recreated on a Yamaha
synthesizer. Reynold Weidenaar was born in the USA in 1945. He
studied composition with Donald Erb and Brian Fennelly, and began
creating works for moving visuals and music in 1978 on 16mm film.
His films and concert videos have received over 80 honors and
awards. He has received Guggenheim and Fullbright fellowships in
video and an N.E.A. composer fellowship. He is Assistant Professor
of Communication at William Paterson University (USA)
J. MUNNSHE

A history of the instrument in print may be found in Weidenaar's
book "Magic Music from the Telharmonium", Scarecrow Press, 1995.
If you wish to purchase this book you only have to use this link:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0810826925/thesciencebookboA

====================

We are preparing an international directory of record companies,
artists, festivals, radio shows, zines, webs, journalists,
associations, and other organizations & people working in the
field of electronic music, Ambient, New Instrumental,
Experimental, World Music, and so on. The inserts are free. The
persons or firms wishing to be included can send us a file of no
more than 600 words with the data they consider as being of
interest (contact addresses - snail mail, telephone number, fax,
email, URL... -) and an explanatory text on their activities in
English) to: amazings@...

We are also preparing an encyclopaedia of composers of electronic
music. The artists wishing to be included can send us a biography
(with a list of works and contact address if they wish to) of no
more than 900 words, in English, to amazings@.... Inserts
are free.

The persons or firms having a page in internet related in some way
to the alternative musics can communicate the URL, as well as a
brief description of its contents, to webmaster@..., and
we will set a link from our web to theirs (The insert of a link in
our web is free whenever it is corresponded with a similar link
from their web to our web)

====================

Our warmest greetings for our readers and until the next edition
of Amazing Sounds.

====================

Subscriptions:

You can subscribe by using our subscription form here:

http://www.amazings.com/amaze.html

Or sending a blank message to:

amaze-subscribe@onelist.com

To unsubscribe from the list, send a blank message to:

amaze-unsubscribe@onelist.com

For further information and back issues:

http://www.amazings.com/amaze.html

You can access all the contents in Amazing Sounds from the first
articles to the hottest news in our web organized as a directory,
in HTML format, with photos, and with hundreds of links:

http://www.amazings.com/ingles.html

Amazing Sounds is a professional electronic magazine free for the
readers. It is financed only by means of its sponsors. The firms
wishing to insert commercial advertisements in these pages can
contact us at:
advert@...

Recording companies, artists and other professionals of the
alternative musics wishing to send us their news can contact our
team of journalists at:
amazings@...

Our readers can send us their public comments to:
mail@...

All the texts are copyright of their authors, and their partial or
total reproduction by any means, or their re-distribution without
the prior permission of the publisher(amaze-owner@...)is
prohibited.

**********