Andrew Chalk • Crescent (Robot Records, 1999)

Outside, behind the whistling of the wind are the sounds of my local church bell ringing 5pm. Or is that more discreet sounds coming from Andrew Chalk's CD Crescent? It's hard to tell. I don't wish to stop the music, for fear that the new iTunes wont start again. There seems to be some problems with the latest upgrade...such is science. I remember when the removal of the Margolis parasite caused paralysis in over 90 percent of those afflicted. In our quest to save the patients life we had thought it wise to remove all of the creature. Being that the thing was using parts of the host for it's own body mass, you would just spend time in the operating room cutting away...eventually hitting nerves where the worms tendrils had wrapped around...that sometimes is the problems of progress. We know now that if we just held back and waited, the worm would come out by itself, with just the slightest of scarring to the host.
Progress is not the problem here on this CD. This is perhaps near perfect melding of ambient sounds with that of melody. While there is in operation here Chance Music, nothing sounds haphazard. Little melodies come forward, only to be layered underneath ambient sound. At moments it seems like your listening to a movie, and then without warning you're in the movie. Even though it was predated by Eno's Ambient 4: On Land, and as is often the case the first of an idea is the best. Chalk has improved on the notion of Ambient music, by bringing in the sounds of outside life. Also present on this recording is David Jackman and Christoph Heemann, who's own unique takes on sound are felt. Jackman contributes his Japanese flute playing, and Heemann remixes.

Please click on the review title for sample track: Harvest

The Ceylibe People • Tanyet: By Lybuk Hyd (Vault, 1968)

Io! Io! I am without emergency trips to the Hospital - not to worry dear reader, I am usually the one standing over the operating table. So with this, and the weather delightfully normal (chill in the air, bluish hue cast on exposed extremities) I could not help but stay in for the evening, thus giving me time to fill in another review.

Last week was my Birthday. I know what you are thinking. That if you had your brain placed in a metal cylinder and transported to such far off places like Yougoth or even Mu, aging or birthdays become abstract notions, and you are correct. In my opinion, if everyone in old age homes could take a trip to any one of the celestial caverns that Dark Mater emanates from it would make them feel like infants. But I digress...Good fortune had showed itself to me in the for of an affordable copy of Tanyet, by The Ceylibe People. From just one look at the cartoon cover by Rick Griffin, to the song titles composed in words of some abandoned language, you know your in for a rewarding experience.

Sitar melodies lurch along with Delta Blues riffs. Mellotrons' go from menacing drones to faux minuets, while what sounds like a real violin joins in. Somewhere in this mix is the sound of a young boy announcing his name. If all this is not enough, perhaps the most intriguing is the mix. Replicating the musical equivalent of a Cut-Up, rarely are both speakers used at the same time. Either all the music is coming from just one speaker, or its layered on.

For the novice of all things difficult, this might be hard going, but the fact that its so tuneful more than compensates.

I am not sure if the Tanyet LP predates Strictly Personal By Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band, but there are similarities. The drumming on Tanyet has that same organic / rhythmic thumping, and there is the above mentioned Delta Blues here supplied Ry Cooder.

These sound workouts would show up again in the Performance soundtrack, perhaps the only reference point that could be sighted.

The only drawback to this heady mixture is it's running time. Both sides on the vinyl album clock in at roughly eleven minutes, making this more like an EP. Included here on CD as a bonus is a "reprocessed" mix, both tracks having the same running lengths as the LP mix. Is this reprocessed version a augmented mono mix? There are times where some instrumental passages seem to pan, while on the stereo version it would mean one speaker now has taken over for the other.

One further note, there was a non LP 45 released afterwards: Changes b/w Ceyladd Beyta. The a side was a reworking of the track Tygstl with a different name, however the b side is a mystery to me. There's a track called Ceyladd Beyta on the LP, so could Ceyladd Beyta also be a variant?

While digging around on the Internet for the Ceyladd Beyta track, I've found a poster from 1968 with them second to the bottom of bill. The headliner was Jefferson Airplane. As good as the Airplane was, this certainly is a case of saving the best for last!

Please click on the review title for sample track: Ceyladd Beyta