Forma – Forma 7.4

                Forma might best be referred to as “Komische Pop Music”. You see, none of their songs reach the same track lengths as their fellow label mates Bee Mask, Mist, or Fabric. Instead, you’re given an easily accessible 35 minute album with plenty of warm, inviting melodies. They don’t intimidate the average listener say the way Mist’s track lengths do. 

                Beats exist, though only in the simplest of ways. Even though Forma would be perfectly fine leaving the beats alone they allow them to develop as part of the drones. Slowly but surely each song manages to flow into the next. I think of it as a current of sound, always present, never ceasing.

                Each song is named after some obscure number. Their intention (Forma is a trio) is to give it more of a futuristic bent. “Forma 237A” begins the journey into this mellow territory. Listening to the first song, you become a bit unaware at how quickly or slowly the next song creeps up. Actually, each time I try to listen to just one song, I get a bit sucked into the sonic ecosystem this fine Brooklyn group has created.

                Spectrum Spools is only a few months old but I’m already pretty pleased with their picks for 2011. Forma continues their fine tradition. Forma also offers audio from some of their concerts in the Brooklyn area (being a trio of komische music isn’t exactly a profit making endeavor). Support them as best you can.

Mist – House 7.9

                Mist starts out in the best way possible. You’re immediately treated to a spastic, electronic version of ‘the rubber band’ from early Bugs Bunny cartoons. Then you hear the giant swells you’d expect from a member of Emeralds (John Elliot) and fellow komische revivalist Sam Goldberg. Despite this being meditative music, it moves quickly, never lingering too long. 

                A rhythm, however slight, moves all six of these tracks forward. They work on a large scale and often repeat central themes. Slowly they expand the template and size of each song. Eventually you get to the excellent one-two punch of the finale pieces. “Dead Occasion/Ovary Stunts” works cyclically with the beginning of the album. You’re re-introduced to near-percussion just as things begin to feel unreasonably loud. “P.m.”, works with deeper sounds.  Here they work to create a sense of wonder before introducing the rhythm of the piece.

                Spectrum Spools has proven itself to be fairly reliable in their releases. Thankfully their North American counterpart has proven itself worthy of Editions Mego’s considerable help. Mist more than exceeds my expectations. Perhaps even more than the previous releases, this is an extremely easy release to enjoy. If you want to ease someone away from krautrock into ambient, this would be an ideal starting point.

Bee Mask - Canzoni dal Laboratorio del Silenzio Cosmico 7.1

                 Here’s the first release from Edition Mego’s ‘Spectrum Spools’ division. If this is the kind of quality they’ll be having, I’m perfectly fine with it. Before I went to bed, I put this on and sort of drifted around for a while. That’s the kind of music you’re getting into.

                Side I starts off as if it was a irr.app.(ext.) track. Tension gradually builds through the light scraping sounds. Chris Madak teases this out as a loud drone is processed in the background. Eventually it just overwhelms you. Compared to Side II, this one is considerably louder.

                Almost as an exact opposite, Side II sounds much more melodic and calm. Sure, there are a few blasts of static noise. For the most part though, the Cleveland native touches upon the calmer aspects of drone music. The ending is pure gold.

                Overall, Bee Mask moves extremely quickly for a drone artist. During the course of 30 minutes, he introduces all sorts of strange themes. Some of these would not be out of place on a James Ferraro recording, while others feel more homages of Terry Riley’s early work. Either way, he does it well. It moves by quickly while still giving you plenty to ponder.

Fabric – A Sort of Radiance 7.9

            Spectrum Spools has started off strong. While I was first hesitant about another entry into the burgeoning field of Kosmic music, I felt a bit weary. Thankfully Fabric allays all my fears. As it started up, I said “This is going to be a good trip” and I was right. 

                Immediately you’re brought into this vast, pulsing environment created by Matthew Mullane. Matthew Mullane is based in Chicago but originally came from Ohio. Seeing how many other kinds of musicians of similar ilk came from Ohio, I wonder if there’s something in the water over there because this flows so well. Each piece, whether short or long, contributes to this environment. So many of these sounds are ones you might hear fairly often, like the sweep introducing “Soft Disconnect” but it is the evolution of these pieces that’s truly amazing.

                Each piece (excluding the shorter vignettes) builds up so nicely. And there’s never just a single pattern, they are woven together so tightly. It rewards a listener who pays close attention, something I always appreciate. While the synthesizer lines build up, he often includes noises which are considered heresy around these kinds of sounds, like light percussion or melodies coming in and out of focus. 

                Really, I’m just happy that Fabric finally got the proper attention it so richly deserves. This is late-night, spring time listening. It is full of life and hope.

Spectrum Spools: A New Label

                Editions Mego may be one of my all-time favorite labels. Originally they started out as plain-old Mego. Due to various circumstances I have yet to be privy to, they became a Phoenix, burning out and rebirthing as a new label which does essentially the same thing.

                Lately they’ve been changing that format a little bit. For one, they’ve been releasing a lot more ambient-based sort of stuff like Mark McGuire and Emeralds. Sure, the noise hasn’t ended; they have the wonderful Robin Fox and Hecker. But its gradual shift towards more mellow soundscapes is hard to ignore. Plus, some of their releases have begun to get greater attention: Oneohtrix Point Never got a positive write up in none other than Pitchfork, alongside a few others from the Editions Mego roster. Usually it is just Boomkat covering them, so having a review site that more people read has definitely helped them out.

                Keeping this in mind, they created a sub-label: Spectrum Spools. Spectrum Spools will serve as their North American comrade. According to their blurb on their website, they claim it will be: “showing yet more talent shining up out of the North American synth underground”. Hopefully they’ll be right. It is about time the wonderful American experimental underground got some credit. 

                I look forward to these guys making good on their promise. Their diversity often means that I don’t always like what they put out, but more often than not, they release quality, something many labels forget when trying to jump on the bandwagon. Keeping tabs on experimental classical, digital, noise, metal and even folk (see Bill Orcutt’s unstable material) they make sure to try accept the weirdest of the weird.

                Right now I’m eagerly awaiting Fabric and Bee Mask’s material. We’ll see whether or not this proves to be a prudent move by Peter Rehberg, or if it will show he’s losing his mind. Be aware this is the same guy who thought participating in race car competitions would be a good idea for an Avant-Garde record label. Not sure why he thought that, seems kind of insane thinking about turning the masses onto obtuse noise and ambience with race car drivers. Plus, I think it ended up costing them a ton of money they probably didn’t have, though record label owners have to be somewhat crazy I figure.

                March I’ll start having these two artists reviewed and seeing what they really have to offer, or if it’ll turn out being phoned-in ambient garbage like what I’ve been hearing more and more of lately. Here’s hoping for success.