Extreme

Robert Vincs - Devic Kingdom $15.00

Devic Kingdom draws upon a remarkable sonic palette and his talent as a saxophone player extraordinaire. The majority of the album was recorded on location as single takes at various ‘sacred sites’ scattered throughout the Victorian highlands.  This was done to capture the serene energy of the land and the natural reverberation of the countryside. Devic Kingdom also includes a variety of other wind instruments, including the Korean Bone Flute and the unique Greenwood leather horn. Scott Dunbabbin contributes to the diversity of sonic texture with his self-designed SDIII Six String upright Bass.  The Fairlight CMI continues to play a part in Robert’s musical expression, especially considering it is still the only digital instrument that can manipulate the amplitude and duration of 32 harmonics in 32 wave segments, by interactively processing selected tracks.  It brings a strangely organic sound and a primitive digital ambience to the music as a whole. Devic Kingdom is the logical expression of Robert’s diverse influences; culminating in a unique fusion of music genres. Dense interplays of sonic timbre, melody, asynchronous rhythm and the twin flames of human and machine harmonize within the sacred site.  The post-Coltrane era spawns no end of possibilities for new-music in which Devic Kingdom remains accessible and, in moments, exquisitely beautiful. (file under avante-jazz)

Land - Land $15.00

Jeff Greinke, composer and founder of LAND, has always been recognised for his unique ability to layer and texture ambient soundscapes. Inherent in his music is the highly developed way he uses the studio as an instrument. His direction with LAND, however, was to push this layering technique using a four piece band, although texture continues to be a focus. More attention is paid to melodic construction, musical themes and rhythm. Joining Greinke (synthesizer, sampler) is Lesli Dalaba (trumpet), Dennis Rea (guitar) and Ed Pias (drums, percussion) who infuse their wide ranging sensibilities in such a way as to create a varied, dynamic, yet cohesive music. Elements of jazz, ethnic, dance and ambient music are all evident, as well as the Fourth World sound of Jon Hassell. But it’s Greinke’s own personal vision which makes the music unique. His previous release, “Big Weather”, is an obvious departing point. LAND is also very much a live band. Their album is essentially a live recording with studio enhancement. Hence, their music succeeds equally as well on stage as it does on CD. (file under avante-jazz, ambient)

Maju 5 $15.00

Maju-5 shows this Japanese duo of Sakana Hosomi and Masaki Narita at the height of their musical powers. Maju have managed to find the “human spirit inside the machine”. Equipped with samplers, effects and laptops and a sensibility that is unique to Japan, Hosomi and Narita continue to forge their enveloping alchemy in a way that is achingly beautiful.  Their effortless interaction only heightens the truly special music they create. Maju-5 has escaped the realms of fashion to create a music that is timeless in its magnificence.  It is a pure and personal expression that rewards and surrounds the listener. The duo that is Maju, Hosomi and Narita, has been working together for nearly a decade.  Their music shows a great kinship and mutual understanding that results in a true harmony of musical vision.  Maju-5 is a musical journey that you will want to go on forever. Maju (pronounced “May-you”) is Japanese for cocoon. (file under electronic, ambient)

Luca Formentini - Tacet $15.00

Whatever happened to silence? This is a question that Luca Formentini provides his own answer to on his debut album for Extreme, Tacet; an album of exquisite grace and enveloping textures. Aiding him on this exploration is a stellar cast of musicians including Markus Stockhausen, Steve Jansen (Japan, Nine Horses), Steve Lawson, Deborah Walker and Frank Moreno.  Each of these musicians bring their unique talents to an album that is unified by a shared understanding that silence is a space that is much sort after in today’s hectic existence. Formentini is a revered musician in his own right, playing the guitar in a distinctive style that combines resonance, processing and improvisation to produce a raw and intuitive music that speaks to the senses.  His guitar of choice is fretless electric and this allows him to explore the spaces in between, much like his music does on Tacet. Formentini has the wonderful position as a musician who can create comfortably in the styles of contemporary composition, ambient and improvising ensemble player.  This diversity of talent reflects his origins as a rock and electronic musician who has always maintained his unique voice as an artist and only ever performed original compositions. Tacet has arrived at a time when we are much in need of silence.  As society continues to speed up, Tacet creates a silence that allows us to stop and breathe and be refreshed by its organic beauty. (The word ‘tacet’ is Latin for “it is silent”. It is also a musical term to indicate that an instrument does not play for a long period of time, typically an entire movement. (file under ambient, post-rock, atmospheric)

Pablo's Eye - You Love Chinese Food $15.00

PABLO’S EYE, by means of heavily processing imagery based on simple material such as Polaroids and photocopies, try to create in their graphic work the same balance they find in their music. Surreal imagery and distant sounds are brought in to develop the mystery. This particular juxtaposition and surreal quality of both the graphics and the music illustrate the continuity of a tradition in Belgian art well known through the work of artists such as Rene Magritte and Marcel Broodthaers. PABLO’S EYE don’t really endeavour to be a band, it is more a temporary atmosphere, like a taste, like a dream. As a group, P.E.’s common goal has always been to create a feeling of travelling in time and space by going from past memories to future hopes, by meeting people from all over the globe. This feeling is clearly illustrated in some of their lyrics, fed with an intimate emotional angle; their aims tend to go to universal awareness. You are most welcome to join them. (file under ambient, avante-jazz, world, cinematic)

Pablo's Eye - You Have A Yearning For Perfection $8.00

This Belgian collective describe the music as a “temporary atmosphere, like a taste, a dream.” When you hear the music you will know what this means. Critics have been applauding PABLO’S EYE, describing their music as “a provocative puzzle that must be felt”, “deeply unfashionable and deeply brilliant” and “beguiling, constantly shifting music. PABLO’S EYE have remixed AMB 7, from You Love Chinese Food, and added a new track JACO. JACO is in 2 parts, and combines elements of trip-hop, minimalism and polyrhythmic adventure with that special atmosphere that is unique to PABLO’S EYE. AMB 8 & 9 can succintly be described as ambient, bliss, trance journeys that shift in and out of conciousness. This an EP release with 45 minutes of music and includes the new version of AMB 7. (file under ambient, electronic)

Maju - Maju 3 $15.00

With their third album, Maju has evolved into a crystalline form that provides a complete understanding of what they want to achieve. Their music has successfully emerged from the soup that is always a part of creation. This holds to the truism that any group’s third album is a defining moment. Maju’s pivotal members, Sakana and Narita, are both actively involved in making the music that is a part of Tokyo life. Their production and musical talents can be heard in advertisements, in films and on the albums of J-Pop stars. Sakana and Narita also created the music on the psychedelic DVD release by acclaimed director Haruhiko Shono. The other musicians who contribute to Maju make the music even more distinctly a voice of contemporary Japan. As with life in Tokyo, there is always something new to discover in the music of Maju. The third chapter in their story is the most rewarding so far and there are surely many more installments to follow. (file under ambient/electronic)