The Tentacle | Releases | February 1999

February 1999

Recent recordings by Northwest sounders
Musicians/labels:
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Aono Jikken: A Page of Madness (Gold Mountain Supply Company)

Seattle-based experimental ensemble Aono Jikken has released "A Page Of Madness," a new soundtrack for Teinosuke Kinugasa's 1920s Japanese silent avant-garde film classic of the same name. Aono Jikken (pronounced Ah-Oh-No Gee-Ken) includes Susie Kozawa, Yoko Murao, Mike Shannon, Esther Sugai, and William Satake Blauvelt. The new score is a highly textured soundtrack that employs over 50 different instruments including Japanese taiko drums, Chinese and East Indian stringed instruments, Turkish and Moroccan horns, flutes and reeds from throughout Asia, percussion instruments from around the world, Western instruments, found objects, and specially created instruments made of metal, plastic, and kelp by sound sculptors Ela Lamblin, Richard Waters, and Susie Kozawa. "A Page Of Madness" was recorded at Jack Straw Productions as part of JSP's Artist Support Program. The CD is released on the Gold Mountain Supply Company label and is available in Seattle at Wall Of Sound, Orpheum, The Landing, Sonic Boom, John's Music, online from Anomalous Records at www.anomalousrecords.com, and at all three Seattle-area Tower Records locations.

Olympia's Zzaj Productions has released a flurry of limited edition CDs featuring a range of unclassifiable musics. "Olson/Gravatt/Kramtones/Zzaj" presents "very exploratory and free-ranging rawk and jazz" from the quartet of Jeff Olson (keyboards), Stacey Gravatt (guitars), Kramtones (percussion), and Rotcod Zzaj (keyboards). "Kissinger & Zzaj" brings together the good doctor and Pennsylvania-based "rock-improv guitar genius" Mark Kissinger in a session described by improv guitar legend Davey Williams as "one beautiful mess that rocks the house." "The Scarab Polemic," featuring Joe Hardin and Zzaj (keyboards, vox, insanity), is described in inimitable Zzaj fashion as "'bout th' most WHACKED versions of deranged organ-isms you'll ever hear!" On "Necessary Illusions," Zzaj provides jazzy backup to spoken word artist Belinda Subraman. Rounding out this batch of adventurous releases is "Harlan Mark Vale/Zzaj," a keyboards/spoken word/vocal outing featuring "beautiful electronic improvisations that are quite uplifting. Those familiar with the work of Vale will love 'Loop Thing', which features Zzaj on spontaneous vocals." To learn how to order these CDs online, see the Zzaj Productions Web site at www.olywa.net/rotcod/CDS.htm.

January 1999 | Back to the Present

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The Tentacle
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