The music on this CD is the best example of what is impossible to categorize with the standard approach. The whole conception is based on contradictions and confusion, so the whole impression is very distracted. It's the first release of Archegon label (which owner is also member of Négligé) and, despite the band exists since 1986, we can't trace neither roots nor current points of musicians. But this is common feeling about any debut album. Further, the only detail concerning album music definition is marked in the booklet as "live computer music, no overdubs". Well, live and computer music seems to sound very contradictory? Atonal and non-rhythmic, but I would like to avoid to call it improvisational, just because I see improvisation as reflection of spontaneous senses, and here all is very straight and barely emotional. The large variety of found sounds, colours and textures makes this record technically amazing, but rather artificial, deformed and non-vivente. And again, the lack of inner structure is confronting with its technogenic matter, so the links with industrial music are incorrect too. The same tendency you can see (hear) in the early experimental electronic music (Kraftwerk or some early United Dairies releases). The lineup was formed from three Germans: Guenter Schroth, Karl F.Gerber and Wolfgang Foag - more recently they all joined Six And More, but also each one is known for his solo works. So, now is the time to end with this one, and if you like the non-adequate vision of the physical world around you, just take it.
Contacts: Archegon, c/o Guenter Schroth, Muehlgasse 31, 60486 Frankfurt/M, Germany

Phil Niblock is american composer-minimalist, creating the music for traditional instruments, but not in traditional way. The musicians listening to a plain tone generated by computer, and trying to play exactly the same note during the long period of time. Various shifting microtonal deviations caused by human factor, the sounds are resonating and producing unpredictable interference effects. Slowly changing sound affects the mutation of composition, but the listener still ask himself: can the sound change? This double CD consists of only 7 pieces, monotonous and meditative, each one about 20 minutes long. It is the music mainly for wind instruments (flute, didjeridoo, tenor-sax and posaune. Unlike such composers as Glass and Penderecki, Niblock dissociate himself from the traditional rules of classical music performing. The only performer of his music is the sound itself, or, more exact to say, the model of sound, which is created by composer step by step. The album is on sound and nothing else. In a few minutes after beginning of the Niblock piece, the acoustic space (of the hall or other listening room) become a sort of the gel, adsorbing every foreign matter noise. A stark sound shroud appearing very static, but react on a single little motion, for example, when you slightly turn your head. Speaking shortly, Niblock is more interested in perception than performing technique and scores. This double CD is the identical reissue of "A Young Person's Guide to Phill Niblock", released in 1995 by Blast First label.
Contact: Experimental Intermedia, PO Box 1754, Canal Street Station, New York, NY10013, USA

Pure digital sound, organized into cycled structures, symbolizing automatic processes. Musically it has found place somewhere between noise music and minimal techno. Notstandskomitee is a solo project by Malte Steiner, the mastermind behind Das Kombinat. It was born in 1991 and originally was not supposed to exist on the regular basis. But the unexpected resonance after few live performances submitted to Malte additional inspiration, so this is already fourth full-length album, after some cassettes released by Block 4. Being the real technohead multimedia artist, Malte uses all possible ways to create virtual world: from VRML-scripts to VST-plugins. His field of activity in music is also very wide: from solo project to various collaborative projects, for example, within Six and More live crew. "Automatenmusik" takes a further step over the past albums, where the melodies and vocals had occurances, it focuses the listener on very monochrome and alienated world, full of primitive, disharmonic, raw and cold pulses, sequences, queues and cycles, completely excluding the human presence in the music creation. Algoritms instead compositions, programs instead instruments, automats instead musicians... the future is already here.
Contact: Block 4 c/o Malte Steiner, Gefionstr. 9, 22769 Hamburg, Germany

Russian album of our all time faves - still hardly to believe that it's true! Well, Novy Svet earned many credits due to their honest and instant music vision - a bizarre inner world, full of boldness, adventurism and frankness. They do not afraid to appear ridiculous or misunderstanded when lost in thoughts about most important things. Novy Svet always have their own unique view of any single thing, and I doubt whether there are people who can escape their music touch. There's always a kind of mystery around this band - you can expatiate on it hours by hours, but no one will understand you exactly. But who cares? Well, let's listen better what they have for us - sad clowns who had found their fun among the last celebration of life. This CD was conceived for a long time - first as compilation of best tracks from old albums, unavailable for russian audience for a reason of very slow communication (when Novy Svet was already a cult for Europe, it was completely unknown in Russia). There was also plans for re-releasing regular CD-albums in low-budget form, specially priced for Russia. But, as fate has willed, we got all at once (thanks to Igor Vaganov for his exclusive help)! New album with retrospective parts, dedication and collaboration of many enthusiastic people here and there. The album itself look like a Palekh-souvenir - when you take this three-panel digipak, it feels like there is a space inside, so when you open it, treasure will appear... but isn't it really so? Music is the absolute treasure, it combines the best feelings like deep sadness and elational passion - if it is life, I'll be happy to fly there from my dream.
Contact: Achtung Baby or Cold Lands