Reviews: (Vital Weekly) The 7"; I always love them. Partly, of course, it is the format of my earliest days of buying music. These days, I don't play them as often as I would love to. In the past, I expressed my feelings about this particular format and some experimental music it sometimes contains. I am not the only lover of the format, so it seems. However, many 7"s in Vital Weekly's world are excerpts of longer works, so it starts with a quick fade, ending with a quick fade out; everything to accommodate the format, I sometimes think. I'd rather hear a well-developed piece of music for this format and save your fade-outs for a CD. How does it work on the 7" by John Krausbauer (amplified violin) and David Maranha (amplified organ)? The latter is best known for his work with Osso Exotico and many of his minimalist buddies (Phill, Niblock, Akio Suzuki, Werne Durand or Stephan Mathieu). From the first, I only heard one solo CD (Vital Weekly 1140), also from the minimalist music world. They both play the music that benefits from a longer duration and sadly, that is the case here too. They offer two excellent minimalist music here, paying tribute to Tony Conrad and Henry Flynt, John Cale and La Monte Young. Two furiously played pieces, loud and clear; loud, clear and too short. Both these pieces could be four times as long and on an LP and still be enjoyable. The whole fade-in/fade-out thing is sadly present here too. That is the only downside, but I realize an important one to the music here. Should longer recordings exist? Let this 7" be a teaser for the full-length release. - Frans de Waard
(Lost In A Sea Of Sound) Radiating two levels of conscious thought, John Krausbauer & David Maranha blur inner feelings with raw energies. The two tracks on this 7" vinyl disc are special. These sounds pull aural history and future sonic pathways towards a single moment. From generations of classical Indian music with sarangi and tampura to modern day creative skillfulness using electric currents, John Krausbauer & David Maranha balance instruments and like mindedness. These selections are an absolute treat to experience. A combined energy using a magnificent command of adeptness and knowledge, creating a sonic intimacy we could only hope there will be more to come. John Krausbauer with an amplified violin and David Maranha playing electric organ, all on vinyl! A Public Eyesore release in a limited edition. Copies are currently available from the Public Eyesore website. - Ken Lower
(Bad Alchemy) DAVID MARANHA, 1969 in Figueira da Foz geboren, ist ein alter Bekannter von den 90ern und Osso Exótico her, was er danach mit Manuel Mota in Curia, mit Stephan Mathieu, Z'EV, Helena Espvall, Will Guthrie, Gerard Lepik & Phil Minton schuf, ist mir leider entgangen. Ganz unbekannt blieb mir JOHN KRAUSBAUER, obwohl er ebenfalls seit langem Musik macht, im ABC aus Aures, Bunny und City Of Churches, mit dem Heavy Drone Rage von Tecumseh oder dem Drone-Doom von Trees in Portland, Oregon, mit der Ecstatic Music Band oder The Essentialists. Gleich sein Debut mit Mechakucha (1999) enthält – kurios, wie klein die Welt sein kann – mit 'The Nebraska Trilogy: My Best Friend Hails From Nebraska / Willa Cather Turns 16 / Omaha City Lights' einen perfekten Track, um an „Woven Territories“ anzuschließen. In Indianapolis geboren und nun in Oakland verortet, zeigt die 7“ (PE154) den Zusammenklang seiner Amplified Violin mit Maranhas Amplified Organ. Geprägt von der geteilten Vorliebe zu Drone, Minimal und Deep Listening – Maranha hat ja mit Phill Niblock gearbeitet, Krausbauer sich mit „Blues for the Grave“, „Beats“ (für 3 Akkordeons) und „Paralleled“ als zeitvergessen surrender, rituell vokalisierender, mitkrofrequent flatterzüngelnder Dröhner gezeigt. Wobei 'bringing it back' & 'round and round and round' in ihren nur jeweils 5 Minuten den längeren Atem der Musik in dudelsack- und drehleierartigem Dröhnen und Schillern nur als Kostproben ins Ohr flößen können. - Rigobert Dittmann
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