After "Logos" on Musica Maxima Magnetica records (cmp review on these pages) I find myself reviewing another Paolo Di Cioccio album that this times takes a more radical turn in a direction of experimental electronic and Theremin purism. Although the album "I Sing the Voice Electric - Theremin Recital" also features oboe and various electronic modulation in the form of synthesizers and processors, it is obviously a record focused around that beautiful Russian instrument called Theremin. For those who are unfamiliar with it, think of it as an electro-magnetic device with two antennas that produces sounds according to the position of the performer's hands in the air (they never actually touch the instrument). Di Ciccio's latest Theremin extravaganza has all the bells and whistles of a Theremin recital, from the classical vibrato sound that will reminisce you of old American UFO and sci-fi movies from the fifties to new experiments in unconventional sound design, from minimalist isolationism to ambience audiophilism. Although I like experimental avantgarde music I must say I definitely prefer Paolo's more "musical" side ("Logos" being a great example of his skills), even though I recognize the artistic value of a work that calls for a "new sound world" (like the CD's Italian-only liner notes by the author explain) and I value his effort in combining his new approach to the art of sound with his profound knowledge of music. The CD cover has an illustration of the Twin Towers called "The Giants" (by Tonino Caputo), but the CD makes no further reference to NYC or any of last year's events.

In the mid nineties Autopsia (originally from ex-Yugoslavia, now exiled to Prague) gained some recognition through their personal re-interpretation of 19th century orchestral music and released several CDs on german label Hypnobeat (subsidiary of Hyperium). After thirteen years of music (Chain D.L.K. actually interviewed Autopsia a couple of years back - you may find the interview in the Archives section) and ten years away from Staalplaat, the very label who put out the debut 12" "The Knife" is releasing this collection of deleted takes that showcases their somber, martial and liturgical neoclassical style. Listening to "Colonia" and knowing that they are from Yugoslavia, I can't fail to make the Laibach connection, but they are not a Laibach clone at all (even though Autopsia too is very political, they are more classical, less military-like, and the use of vocals is drastically different, as in almost completely instrumental, with way less vocal parts and only occasionally using reading and recited parts instead). Another comparison that might help you locate the unusual genre played by Autopsia is Russian label Electroshock records and their neoclassical releases by Anatoly Pereslegin or by Artemiy Artemiev and his father Edward Artemiev (they too use grand brass and wood instruments ensembles, harpsi chord, timpani and drums, bells, strings orchestrations and the like, which pretty much is standard instrumentation on "Colonia"). "Colonia" is a concept album about death, «death as time, the age of its reign, death from perspective of faith that encompasses the totality of any being which is founded in metaphysical construct?» Autopsia declares to be less into music and more into «death and the pity of death; the music is in the pity?». «Autopsia creates images with which it nourishes that what it destroys?»(more about all of that in the booklet).

Staalplaat & Extrapool's Brombron joint venture has Stilluppsteypa-member Heimir Bjorgulfsson and Jonas Ohlsson signing the fourth chapter. The project consists in locking up two musicians in Nijmegen's Extrapool recording studio to see what they come up with and then release it in a jewel-case-size carton-only package that sets new standards in recycling. "Brombron 04: Unspoken World Tour" is a very eclectic assembling of 23 tracks that range from experimental glitch music to edgy electronic music. Definitely more tending to the throbbing, pulsing and pounding, as opposed to the weird, unconventional and noisy, but keeping a very well balanced and still uncompromised approach. The two educated Nordic Amsterdam residents put together a really pleasing collection of tunes distancing from their individual productions (I guess it's true that with union comes strength) and offering you a taste of what they conceive a combustion of modern hi-tech digital electronics and vintage analog sonics to be.

The elusive Manchester-based Steve Gears has been around for a while as B-Dum B-Dum Sound and 7% Solution (perhaps you may have heard about him from collaborations with the In The Nursery brothers' Les Jumeaux side-project and Wire's Colin Newman) and "Dip" is probably the sum of all these experiences and the exteriorising of all the sensations he gathered. A deeply emotional album that has the loaded tenseness of 80's post, the otherworldly floatation of dub, the artsy atmospherics of some mainstream-outsiders, the architecture of a electronics, the liberty of experimentalism and the mysteriousness of dark. The beautiful and entrancing peace of "Dip" is shared and contended by a lush feeling of loneliness and a tasty aesthetic of romanticism. In no specific order a list of influences may include David Byrne, Daniel Lanois, David Bowie, Gary Neuman, Brian Eno, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Mick Harris, Deadbeat, Minimal Compact, Wire and many (and I mean MANY) others but, then again, it is all vague and mystified, restrained and evened out. Smoothing the edges and straightening the surface to allow for the softest ride along the waves of stringed arpeggios, the intimacy of a small orchestration, the coagulation of ethereal loops, the laid back and shy beats and the visionary vocals (his very own warm and lyrical interpretations occasionally caressed by female background), who are really the focus of this modernized-retro'-beauty compositional effort.

I know the Venus Fly Trap since the early days as Alex Novak has been a member of Attrition and my older brother was into them. I listened only to their live album and few other things but this time I had the possibility to span through their whole discography as this five CDs gather almost all the songs the band produced during the 1987/1997 period.
Let's get into the details:

- MARS contains "Morphine", "Desolation Railway" and the MLP "Mars". Listening to these releases I heard echoes of Teardrop Explodes, Three Jones and various influences that go from post punk to psychobilly. This CD contains also the original versions of "Morphine", "Catalyst", "Desolation Railway" and a live version of "Step Inside"

- TOTEM (like the following PANDORAS BOX) has got the tracks coming from the Danceteria label period and includes "Rocket USA" 12" (1989), "Totem" (1990) and "Europa" 12" (1990) along with the "Europa" remix and the live versions of "Shadowplay" and "Rocket USA" plus the "Rocket USA" video clip. With this the atmosphere goes darker with echoes of Bauhaus and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry. If you thought that "Rocket USA" is a cover of the Suicide song, you got it... Last note: on production we have got Kevin Haskins

- PANDORAS BOX contains "Pandoras Box" LP and selections from "Achilles Heel" 12" and the live album "Jewel". Always with Haskins on production the single and the album sligtly move away from the previous one leaving goth influences and starting exploring psychedelic rock with punk/funk tiny influences (as Gang Of Four did) but without missing their dark vein. Here you can also find the video of "Europa"

- LUNA TIDE includes "Shedding Another Skin" (1992) and the "Luna Tide" album (1994). To be precise I don't see any tracks from the first one as being a compilation of singles all the tracks are already on the other releases. Anyway, with this the new Venus Fly Trap's sound comes out and we can say that the dark period is definitively over. The tracks have got mainly rock and punk influences and the songs are guitar oriented. Sometimes (like on "Urban Sprawl Pt.1) the old influences come out. To be honest this is the album I enjoyed less

- DARK AMOUR is the last one and contains the album with the same title along with a song titled "13 o'clock". Luckily dark atmospheres are back along with some electronic arrangements and a sort of dark tension is noticeable. Songs like "Passport To Dark Amour" and "Pulp Sister" are direct and catchy and I prefer the band to sound this way: less rock or psychedelic and more direct and twisted

Wow... it has been difficult but I hope you got the picture. If you want my advice, I'd pick up TOTEM and DARK AMOUR... Enough said. ;-)