[xs-69] heitor alves - gimme some more sounds

Today we present you the amazing gimme some more sounds, a work done by Heitor Alves, during a workshop with Vitor Rua (GNR, Telectu, Organização), and Dwart, that took place in the summer of 2009. This work is a simple and amazing multi-track recording, featuring a very naif, and well-acomplished work, which features improvisation, with found instruments, namely a whole-range of instruments, that are basically found objects, and which reflect the best spirit and stuff made by Heitor Alves, when trying to seek for transposing with transcendentalism his personal life experiences of the summer, to the music he made. Aesthetically it basically results, in a simple, but well archieved recording which comes from the ideias of Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry, to Pauline Oliveros, going throught stuff like John Cage, and Beatriz Ferreira. All made with a very personal aproach, throught improvisation, and studio recording techniques

For those who don't actually don't know, Heitor Alves builds electronic instruments, having already build to people such as Vitor Rua, Rafael Toral among others. You can find them in http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/.

Have a nice day listening to this music, and share this experience with your family and friends.

download: (.zip)

[xs-68] karlheinz essl and matthew ostrowski - flechtwerk

On May 5th 2009, Austrian composer Karlheinz Essl and New York-based sound artist Matthew Ostrowski met for a free improvisation concert at ISSUE Project Room in Brooklyn, NY. Although it had been 8 years since their last performance as a duo, the show turned out to be very powerful, each performer complementing the other in ways neither had anticipated. They were so excited about the results of this almost chance encounter that they decided to make the recording available to the world.
This album is dedicated to the memory of Suzanne Fiol (1960-2009), founder of Issue Project Room.

Download (.zip)

[xs-67] zuramone - the spiders dance

Nowadays many rock musicians are used to have side projects, where they include electronics. That's not something particulary new. We were already used to see phenomena like this in the 70s and the 80s, and it was exactly what happened with alex (aka zuramone), the drums player from the evora's (south-west of portugal in the south-west of europe) band "lotus mecanica". He was also drummer in the les baton rouge band and he is involved in another band with musicians from les baton rouge, great lesbian show and ideas for muscles.

Musically we can say that Alex's band (zuramone), is actually some sort of rockabilly stuff, and although this is not particulary very close to rockabilly, it ended by being like some sort of hybrid between some drum n bass (sometimes close to photek when the acoustic drums appears), and something close to trance music, reminding me some aproaches in shpongle. In short, hardware electronic instruments, like drum machines, synths and so on, then a couple of guitars, and some drums.

download: (.zip)

[xs-66] BpOlar - subversive vespers

BpOlar is son of a jazz musician and as such he was raised from a very young age listening to the jazz masters, and although is approach diverted from this it is part of his background and as such is part of his aproach to the berlin electronic music scene. BpOlar is also a multidisciplinary artist, creating digital drawings and paintings and 3D video clips to document his music and for live usage, or the opposite (makes music to illustrate video). One of these works is presented together with this release.

BpOlar music is strongly focused on creating textures, with a close relation with ambient music. This textures are nonetheless rough and arid, and lead us to alien environments where beats, noises and voices all create suspense moments, where you feel alert all the way through. This release is composed of four tracks and a bonus movie, that complements this particular vision.

If you pay attention to BpOlar work you'll find, in his drawings/paintings, movies and music, traces of this imaginary world, where the central element is the feeling of unsettlement.

download

[xs-65] DNP X-Citer - algorrithmic chaos

artist: DNP X-Citer
album: algorrithmic chaos

download
release date: 25/08/2009
more details and stream
contact: myspace

When Tiago Morgado idealized Algorrithmic Chaos for his DNP X-Citer alter ego he thought of a way to break, in a certain way, with the IDM tradition, following some of the guidelines defined by Scanner the german musician (in the sense of not confining IDM to reductionist formulas). The background for this DNP X-Citer ep is Tiago's influences and reverence to artists such as Aphex Twin, Autechre (warp records), Alva Noto, Ryochi Ikeda and Byetone (raster noton) but also Nine Inch Nails and his approach to industrial rock that Einsturzende Neubauten, Throbbing Gristle and etc... brought to music. All this influences can be identified in the electronic part of the DNP X-Citer ep which serves as the basis for an improvised "free/structured" with alto viola. Again in this improvisation several references can be found, such as, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Pharaoh Sunders, Frank Zappa, John Zorn, Otomo Yoshihide, Fred Frith, Evan Parker, among others.

The electronic part of the ep was worked with the use of algorithmic composition techniques, where instruments in the DAW (digital audio workstation/sequenciador) were triggered by MIDI, according to simple theoretical and systematized assumptions from the AC Toolbox (designed by Paul Berg from the Sound Institute of Haia). tiago morgado as been working with these tool because he believes that it can be helpful in his work with algorithmic composition.

Algorrithmic Chaos is a technical work, without an a priori conceptual background, but when Tiago Morgado analyzed it a posteriori an organized chaos appeared. And based on that, using contemplation maybe you the listener can identify a theme for this ep.

[xs-64] ziur - granular world

In the year that we celebrate 40 years upon the arrival of men at the moon, and so many scientific discoveries, and so many lab discoverers and adventurers I present you a composer – Ziur. His passion for the discovery and study of the unknown leads us to the essence of sound, of its granular essence, presenting us another meaning, invisible to the naked ear. And like a stone is a stone on earth or on the moon, sound will always be sound whether savage or trained by Ziur.
Leonardo Rosado (xs records curator)

André Ruiz is a composer and professor at the Braga’s Conservatório Calouste Gulbenkian and he is also known in the electronic music as Ziur. He released is work concrétement at xs records [pt netlabel] in which he explored the digital media and the paradigm of composition initiated by Pièrre Schaeffer or Pièrre Henry. Ziur as been working in a series of initiatives and collaborative projects using the icompositions platform. Granular World he presents us with a series of experiments that take us to the granular synthesis domain, using the ixiquarks software developed by Italian softwarehouse ixisoftware developed with supercollider (this software is freeware and opensource). This music is as a performance component based upon the mentioned software which was refined a posteriori.
Tiago Morgado (xs records curator)

“Granular World” is an album conceived from inumerous experiences made by André Ruiz aka Ziur (the composer) using granular synthesis processes. All compositions were made in real time, i.e., all transformation processes and progressive developments were done and recorded in real time, which excludes it’s exact remake. Starting from simple recorded sounds (crystal glasses, tam tam’s, piano chords, etc.) it was possible to create diversified and individual compositions, which can suggest the listener several environments.
André Ruiz (composer)


download
release date: 16/08/2009

more details and stream

contact: myspace
cover art: back and front

[xs-63] subterminal - filled with light

With eyes wide open.
Like in a reawakening. A strange awake that repeats itself every night; every passing day, or so it seems. Like a virtual experience; or maybe not. Maybe it is just a normal but scary awakening. ... "Filled With Light".

"Filled With Light" awakens us in two different ways. The first, because it is only an EP which is part of an album yet to be released; the second, because in that album, poetry, a core element always present in Subterminal's work, makes an eulogy to digital life. "Filled With Light" is like a trailer of a full movie that we anticipate; a summary with a beginning middle and end. For now, the awakening is what matters most and "Filled With Light" awakes; awakes us.

In that slow awake, "With You" introduces us to the theme, to the electronic principle that conducts the EP. However, "Filled With Light" is the track that captures our attention; because of the movement; the layers of sound; the excellent alto viola played by Tiago Morgado. There is a slight techno-industrial mood coloring Leonardo Rosado's words, the man behind Subterminal. At last, "For the First Time" definitely introduces us to what's coming. A confrontation with a different reality; or, an almost-reality. "For the First Time" introduces us to a confrontation between poetry and technology, created by dense sound ambiences, images, differing in rhythm and form. They are different lines of the same life; parallel or perpendicular. The exhaustion of conflict.

"Filled With Light" was composed and played almost entirely with an iPhone, with some extra sounds from other objects. After "Alumina" and "Insight", released in 2009, the reawakening of Subterminal is of happiness. "Filled With Light" is a great step forward when comparing with prior releases, which leads to the expectation of a very interesting conceptual album. Coupled with the refinement of his personal electronic universe, the author added a better voice treatment. The production of the EP was made by Tiago Morgado.

... to keep the eyes wide open.

Press Review by Rui Dinis, A Trompa


download

release date: 03/08/2009

more details and stream

contact: blog & myspace

cover art: back & front

[xs-59] Essl.Burger. Live!

segue a press review da nova edição da minha netlabel, a gravação de performances de karlheinz essl com klaus burger no museu essl na alemanha. karlheinz essl é uma das principais figuras da actualidade da performance com live electronics. teve background de contrabaixista, mas decidiu dedicar-se à música electrónica. actualmente, com phd na área da computer music, é uma das mais emblemáticas figuras da música electrónica nos nossos dias. criou a library de objectos para MaxMSP RTC-lib

As a netlabel, we've always been worried about bringing music with an ascending quality to people, although some our releases seem a bit controversial, since we try to get as much diversity as possible.

This month, we can say that we are extremely proud to release Karlheinz Essl's and Klaus Burger's duo ESSL.BURGER. Not only because Karlheinz Essl is one of the most relevant figures of nowadays improvised music with live electronics in Europe, but also because we believe that together with our previous release and the following we might be heading to new pathways and manners of discovering ourselves in the music we are in contact with (in our music as an ascetic path belief), and in what we believe to be our role in this universe.

Tiago Morgado (reviewed by Leonardo Rosado)

artist: essl.burger

album: live!

download

release date: 07/06/09

more details and stream

contact: Karlheinz Essl myspace homepage & youtube - Klaus Burger myspace & homepage

ESSL.BURGER live!
free improvisations for brass and electronics

ESSL.BURGER was born when two distinct individuals, composer Karlheinz Essl and tuba player Klaus Burger met for a free improvisational gig in 2004. Out of the blue and without arrangements these two spirits met in time and space and their sounds melted together in a way which has never been heard before. Since then Karlheinz Essl's and Klaus Burger's paths continue to cross from time to time at different points on the planet. Their mutual goal is to experience new ways of musical communication and to create stunning sonic worlds where the sounds of brass and electronics evolve into a unique musical entity

Klaus Burger is one of the finest tuba players in Europe with strong connections to contemporary music, but his music also has roots in extra-European traditions such as Mongolian music. Aside from playing the tuba, he is a master on a strange trombone-like instrument called cimbasso, and he plays the didgeridoo as if he lived in the Australian outback.

Beyond his work as a composer of experimental music, Karlheinz Essl has developed his own electronic instrument called m@ze°2, which is based on a computer program written in Max/MSP. Since 1998 he has been using his realtime composition environment predominantly for free improvised music. He has performed with the crème de la crème of avantgarde music. With his instrument Essl can interact spontaneously to any kind of sound environment or music utilizing a variety of external controllers in order to shape the musical output.


ESSL.BURGER live! was recorded on March 4, 2007 during the artacts 07 festival for jazz and improvised music in St. Anton (Tyrol, Austria) and at the Essl Museum in Klosterneuburg/Vienna (Austria) on June 3, 2007.

XS Records: past present and future (meditation on the ascetic role of music in human existence)

We are looking only for music with some sort of aesthetic interest. Disregarding music genres and other classifications.

Tiago Morgado & Leonardo rosado

If you’re interested in seeing your work released in our netlabel, please email tiago_vla@sapo.pt, leonrosado@gmail.com and xsrecords.pt@gmail.com, via yousendit or other similar service a zipfile containing mp3 files (at least 15 to 30 minutes of music, in mp3 192 or 320 kbs), a txt file with info, and images for the cover (front and back) that we will adapt to our layout, and we will answer you.

XS Records [Portuguese Netlabel] is a Portuguese netlabel headed by the musician Tiago Morgado. It was started in the early 2008, turning into reality a long time idea of promoting his own work and creating a circuit for creativity, promotion and distribution of free music online, with support on creative commons licenses. In 2009, Leonardo Rosado sharing the idea behind the netlabel became also its promoter.

For those who use it and want to use it, Music is certainly more than just a form of expression or language, no matter if we consider it to be universal or not. It is part of our existential condition, it is a way of transcending beauty, through love and friendship and all that is around it - Life. Music is beyond religion or judgment, no matter if you are atheist, Agnostic, Christian, Buddhist, or Hindu, open minded or anything else. It is a way to practice Asceticism, no matter if you believe or not in the relationship between macro and micro-structures. It is a way of making a statement about and for the world and ourselves.

In my life I have learned some things, of which the main and most recent discoveries, is that we all make part of the very same thing, and we are all connected. So if Music is a relevant dimension of our existence, we make Music with and for other people. Even if we think that we can make it without other people, something extremely personal, something like a daily-route escape, the seeds of our existence are embedded in it, our dreams, our fears.

In the past year XS Records [pt netlabel] started a gigantic task - creating a circuit for people to share Music, in their own personal way, such that each ones personal vision is not captive to each ones studio, but free for other people to listen to it. And in that way share everything we make and our beliefs, with respect for the differences among all of the people that are inside this boat, this train, this airplane, on this thing that is our Life. The blind man is welcome, the virtuoso is welcome, the average men and women are welcome. Everyone one is Welcome, to share the same embrace that is MUSIC.

And this is not only done by welcoming everyone, but also by breaking all boundaries bringing as much diversity as possible in the name of an ascending quality, and in that sense since the Music in this two sided-release is really good, then consequently a lot of really good people are here represented. And I can say I am proud to share this with these guys, so I will let you discover each one personally.

I've done my best compiling this, and hope you all listen to this Music and have a lot of pleasure listening to it. If you enjoy this compilation then, I can say: I was successful doing it.


Download (.zip)

cd 1

01 - João Clemente - Chamber of Dismemberment by Chariot

02 – Aaldo - Mantra

03 - Minson - Contagious passion

04 - Ziur - The mind of a budist monk

05 - Claudio Moreira - AQUATICA Artificialis & Naturalis

06 - The Astroboy

07 - Isaac de la Concha - Caminos y valles

08 - Subterminal - Still

09 - Light Implant - Barack Obama

10 - Topi Reta - Cuando los Payasos invadieron la Tierra

11 - Hyaena Reich - Zlknf - telegramme de brest cover wampa

12 - Luis Salgado - Pict

13 - Miguel Urbano - Doepfer1

14 - Most People Have Been Trained To Be Bored - Spontaneity less hampered

15 - ocp - Untitled Tower

cd 2

01 – Necrostilet – Amor de cabeça perdida (feat. Valter Hugo Mãe e Luis Fernandes)

02 - João Clemente - Chamber of Heart-digging

03 - Filipe Lopes - Whitemusic

04 - Essl.Burger - EsslMuseum#2

05 - Daily Misconceptions - How to wake up slow and easy in the morning

06 - José Gomes - Distorção 16Bit L2

07 - AGF - minimalTunesia

08 - Adamned.age - In abwesenheit

09 - Jorge Nunes - Tatoo

10 - Hola One - Hipnozia