17 Sons Of Abraxas -- Dual Face 204 (2011)

17 Sons/Bandcamp 

• Avant-electronica 
• Drone 
• Acousmatic music 
• Experimentalism 
• Glitchtronica 
• Improvised music 
• Musique concrète 
• Abstract 
• Avant-garde 
• Micronoise 
• Sound art 
• Microtonal 
• Experimental electronica 

Käesolev album koosneb kahest pikast loost, millede kogupikkus ületab paarikümne minuti piiri. Ma ei teagi, kas seda tõlgendada improviseeritud leebe mürafoonina, mille vahel ja ümber kulgevad kiirendatud droonhelid ning abstraktsed krõbinad; või teisalt konkreetmuusikataiesena, mis seisneb heli painutamises, väänamises ja ümbermõtestamises millekski uueks. Siin tahutakse helimaastikke, mis paneb kuulajaid küsima, et mis asi see muusika ja heli on (ning mis vahekorda need omavahel asetuvad). Tõepoolest, see on heliskulptuur kui kunstiteos -- siin puuduvad meloodiad ja harmooniad, ent tulemus on sellele vaatamata sugestiivne ja emotiivne. See põhineb atmosfääril, tekstuuril ning heli puhtal mateerial. Kohati tundub, et mikrofonid pelgalt salvestavad toorest vibratsiooni õrna tagasisidestuse kajaga, ning kuulaja taasesitab seda enda helisüsteemides. Kõik, kes seda kuulavad, avardavad ruumi enda ümber, end jäädes lõppkokkuvõttes isoleerituks. Justkui kasutataks ostsillaatori sagedusi ja muudetaks valjust, et tekitada rikkalikult sagedusnihkeid, keskmest väljapoole vibreerivaid sagedusi, pikki akorde, pool- ja veerandtoone ja muud helilist kraami. Näiteks taies avaloo teises pooles paisub krõbinatest-kahinatest-sahinatest koosnevaks helimereks, mille panoraamiline mõõde on eepiline. Teisisõnu -- eelduslikult tehnitsistlik moolok ilmutab siin-seal eluvaimu, et kuulajal oleks võimalik ikkagi suhestuda. 8.0 (7.0-8.5)

Toxic Toys Zone -- Crisis Creatures (2014)

17 Sons/Textural

• Experimental rock 
• Ambient 
• Micronoise 
• Abstract 
• Post-rock 
• Avant-garde 
• Post-industrial 
• Illbient 
• Dark ambient 
• Experimentalism 
• Sound art 
• Guitar ambient 
• Avant-rock

Tänapäeval vaieldakse sageli mõttetute asjade üle, mis veelgi sagedamini on poliitilist laadi; on mõistlik naasta pärisasjade manu -- mis on hoolega valmis tehtud, käega katsutavad ja kõrvaga kuuldavad. Näituseks kuulata muusikat, mis kõlab hästi sõltumata taustast ja ajast(ust), millal kuulaja seda kuulab ja mõtestab. Mitte vaielda teemal, kas professor või muusik on suurem patukott, kuigi mõlemad käisid vaenuliku riigi propat toitmas, nägemata külastuses probleemi (eelduslikult on tõde mõistust rakendavale inimesele teada). Hea asi ei ole suhteline -- hea on siiski absoluutne. See album sisaldab viit kriisilooma, kes on pinges ja pingul -- justkui vibunöör, olles valmis noole väikseima võpatuse peale välja laskma. Siinne muusika põhineb kitarridel, ent pillidelt on võetud (rokkmuusika) võitja strateegia -- käigud, rifid, akordiarendused-noodi ülesehitused. Ühelt poolt minimalism on siinse võitja nimi elik kuidas artist oma viha taltsutab, lastes sellel vaikselt paisu tagant välja immitseda. Ent ometi on see rokkmuusika -- rokkmuusika algses ohtlikkuses nagu seda tajuti 60 aastat tagasi (mitte ontlikkuses nagu seda tajuti 40 aastat tagasi) -- kus kitarr oli masinavärgi käitaja, kui prepareeritud elutu mehhanitsistlik loom, millesse oli elekter sisse suunatud -- väljendades varem instrumendile omaseid jooni moonutatult, valulikult, liialdatult et mitte öelda ebaloomulikult (nagu ütles suur Briti muusikaline vabamõtleja Mark Edward Smith, et rokkansambel ei ole midagi muud kui instrumentide piinamine, nendel laamendamine). Siin on ka see piinamine esindatud, ent salakavalalt ning peeneviisiliselt läbi viidud. Näide sellest, kui mürane ja väänatud helipilt on trumbiks pööratud. Väljaandjaks oli peamiselt eksperimentaaltehnot ja -elektrot edastanud Prantsuse netiplaadifirma 17 Sons (ning Textural Records).

Nihil Limit -- First EP (2004)

17 Sons//Jamendo//Bandcamp

Alternative dance/Hi-NRG/Electronic music/Electro/Electro-house/Minimal synth

Mida muud võikski oma esimese üllitise pealkirjaks panna kui mitte "esimene". Numbriline markeering on päris hüva, kuna nimelise üllitise puhul paneb mõtlema, et mitmes see või too artisti diskograafias üleüldse on. Prantsuse leibel 17 Sons oli viljakas plaadifirma, mis üllitas huvitavat muusikat nullindate keskpaigast kümnendate alguseni. Käesolev 21-minutiline on just seesugune, mis plärtsub eri stiilide piiridel, olemata tegelikult tõupuhas vaatamata ülalmainitud stiilidele -- seesugused asjad kipuvad piisavalt mängulised ja huvitavad olema, et kõrv kreeni vajuks ja jalg tatsuma hakkaks. Ühelt poolt minimalistlik -- et mitte öelda helilistelt eeldustelt kasin -- ning teisalt meeliliigutavalt kombineeriv. Rütm taob suht monotoonsel sagedusel, ent paralleelkanalis elavad vilgast elu elektrojurakad. Jörisevad, undavad, huugavad -- justkui elegantselt krampides tõmmeldes. Ning pannes ka kuulaja võnkuma. Minimalistlikust sündimuusikast väljakasvanud äge tantsukas.

8.0 (7.5-8.5)

Roman Panatela – March 2006 EP (2006)

17 Sons

Archive.org

• Techno pop 
• Electronic music 
• Kraut-techno 
• Motorik 
• Alternative
• Electro pop
• Kraut-electro 
• Minimalism 
• Krautrock

Comment: it is the pleasure of mine to loot the catalogue of a French imprint, 17 Sons Records. And those 22 minutes by Roman Panatela are something truly special to be enjoyed for. More profoundly, one can enjoy minimalist rhythms of electronic music as if a train chugging in one rhythm with some barely discernible shades. The more I keep listening to it the more I perceive it to be a contemporary counterpoint or progression of krautrock. Indeed, seminal influences of Kraftwerk, and Neu! come out of it in a refreshing way. This 4-track outing is a good accompanist for one`s drawn-out journey in the car while enjoying monotonous landscapes around and the stripes in the middle of a route going by. It is called motorik. It is a motorik experience by contemporary standards because you are driving with the electric car. Top fare. 

Cola Idol – Terminal Zone EP (2011)

17 Sons

• Techno 
• Minimal 
• Alternative 
• Avant-techno 
• Experimental techno 
• Post-industrial

Comment: the French imprint 17 Sons Records provided music which could be denoted as techno but undoubtedly with intriguing experimental twists. I have reviewed such artists as Mobyl (Pact EP), Nihil Limit (Drifting EP), Urmal Vesnat (Musics For Near Future Ceremonies), Formika (Never Change The Way You Walk) among others under the umbrella but this one is probably one of the most splintered ones due to hirsute bits, cut-up pulsations and branched rhythms that at times might sound a little bit as a DIY and lo-fi exercise but it is not that case because of being thrown in front of our feet to reach the other goals. Splitting Motions gets inspiration from Throbbing Gristle rather than having flirtation with the contemporary club culture. The more you listen to it the more you will get immersed in these tight and knavish labyrinthine corridors. At times it seems to be more a mathematical formula and research than music. For instance, listen to Percussive Research, at least formally. However, it embraces something strange and intriguing to intermingle it with more familiar details. Yet it will not be resulted in complications – it is an elegant yet quite alien-alike music form in comparison to those ones you have met earlier. Robots are there to pitch the tent for their party evening. In truth, it is difficult imagine a human being from Paris, France to be hidden behind these vibrations. Fabulous one. 

The Shining Men – Interlude Music EP (2010)

17Sons

Jamendo

Bandcamp

• Techno
• Lo-fi
• Electro
• Tech-house

Comment: Undoubtedly it is a challenging outing because of representing some styles with unconventional sonorous appearances and corroded sonic frequencies. More profoundly, electro, techno and tech-house vibes have been emerged by exploiting low-end bits and rough, bumpy rhythmic patterns. It is fairly impressive to hear obsessive mood in some tracks  (Girl Passion, for instance). At times the artist follows cues of the minimalism though doing it in a small scale (Goodbye Birds). Despite its unconventional appearance the result used to be on the top by its quality. 

Formika - Never Change The Way You Walk EP (2007)

17 Sons

Jamendo

Bandcamp

Lastfm

• Tech-electro
• Alternative dance
• Minimal techno
• Experimental techno
• Experimental electro
• Leftfield

Outstanding tracks:

Your Smell

On Foot

Tëal - Arxitt EP (2011)

17 Sons
Bandcamp

9.2

/Experimental techno, Abstract techno, Minimal techno, Noise, Avant-electronica/

Comment: first of all, it is an eminent effort for your body and mind centre. Indeed, it is a truly angular, chrome-coated and shade-filled set of a handful of obsessive tracks. Experimental, creepy, pitch-bent, mostly monotonous techno shapes are interlaced with witty noise vapour as if were introduced to broadcast signals between the muscles of robots and the neuroglias of human brain. Anyway, this is music for man-machines and its clones which occurs to seem quite horrifying sometimes. You could compare it with Autechre, very compulsive Autechre, though.

Mobyl - The Pact EP (2011)

17 Sons
Jamendo
Lastfm

8.5

/Minimal techno, Tech-house, Avant-techno, Experimental techno, Bubblegum techno/

Comment: As we know very well one of the intentions by the French-based label 17 Sons used to be releasing catchy techno music among other genres. However, I really get involved in listening to this 4-track EP, which is a crossroad of Autechre-like intellectual techno (dynamic breaks seem to be a bit corroded and angular) and bubblegum-mish yo-yo-tech-house appearances. There can be perceived for propulsive up-and-down filtered cadences, drilling machine-like grooves, swelling-squealing sonic effects. Less is more - this would be a motto of the issue. It almost sounds like someone`s life observed through the spectrum of a stroboscope.

Nihil Limit - Drifting EP (2011)

17 Sons
Jamendo

8.6

/Minimal techno, Electro, Electro pop/

Comment: First of all, a meticolously adequate description can be borrowed from the 17 Sons` website. /...made by drifted machines producing linear, techno grooves with impulsive modulated sounds/. Indeed, it sounds like a vulnerable Krafwerk-esque template in the 21th century based on minimal layering, more profoundly, on the sequencer-evoked beats with moderately dosed but at times progressing electro torrents in it. As once Karl Bartos said in his interview to the Estonian newspaper Postimees that people should more listen to the Beatles than nowadays minimal techno (reportedly overwhelmingly prevailing in Berlin) because the former lacks of melodies (to be remembered every band needs to have it as Kraftwerk once had it). Regarding the Nihil Limit`s sound, indeed it is being devoid of having melodies in the classical perspective (and apparently cannot be remebered either), yet, the whole is embellished with harmonic halo oozing from the rhythm structures (and coming still close to Kraftwerk`s sensitive robots). In a nutshell, although having no vision about this quite profilic artist`s previous workouts, the recent issue (of 5 tracks) makes hugely sense now and here.

Urmal Vesnat – Musics for Near Future Ceremonies (2011)

17 Sons
Jamendo

7.0

/Ambient, Soundscape, Minimal, Drone, Ambient drone/

Comment: This is a case of three long tracks of pulsating ambient sound and "dances", inclinated to show up some metallic vapours and dark-hued shades around it. Despite of some slight progressions within it, however, this does not offer a pivotal turnabout for to be reached upon the next perception level either. Its margins are used to be mostly bleak, furthermore, all of that which is set inbetween its extremities can be detected for in the same simplistic way too. Indeed, business as usual - if to give it the admittance from the average experience of ambient embodiment.

Radical Substance - Radical EP (2011)

17 Sons

Bandcamp
Jamendo

7.4

/Lo-fi, Primitronica, Dark ambient, Experimental techno, Ritualistic ambient, Hauntology, Non music/