From Noah Sent Fri, Jan 15th 1999, 15:17
From Noah Sent Fri, Jan 15th 1999, 15:17
per Danny T's request...
xx@x
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"0r|0n @5 @ 5ymb0l 0f +h3 @++@|x@xxx |nf|n|ty"
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 16:44:35 -0600 (CST)
From: Noah <xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xx.xxx.xxx>
To: Ohmbiont <xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx>
Subject: review: Journeyman "Mama6"
Journeyman "Mama6" (NTone CD2)
Every once in a while the subject of Woob pops up here. Woob is similar
to another project by Paul Frankland, called Journeyman. Another person,
Colin Waterton helps out occasionally with Journeyman material. Mama6
definitely represents an intriguing stage of ambient tech-know with this
restless full-length. The pieces all sound fairly different from each
other, while each of them sort of continually heightens until reaching a
point of more lively, even danceable activity. It took some prodding to
get the label to finally send me this record, which came several months
after my initial request, but it was certainly worth the wait.
Valves/Esterlay:
The first tones on this CD are dark, ominous, and foreboding. Random
television and radio scraps of foreign dialogue and middle eastern strings
circulate around. This intro is much in the same style as the first Woob
record. Warped pulsations filter in, no coherent rhythms, just layers of
the various echoing sounds. Definitely wooby. A pigeon is heard. At 4.5
minutes, a bell tolls, and then the first airy chords of music. The other
sounds continue. A man speaks, "Where the Sam hell 'djew come from...?"
"Cambridge," another answers. More sounds of commotion. Gunfire, an
uprising? Things seem to be somehow tangentially related to the JFK
assassination in Dallas, Texas. I feel like I'm watching a film. Then
again, Frankland material tends to have that soundtracky effect. One of
the two men is named Mr. Livingston. "You were in Dallas to hear the
president's speech I take it." Halfway into Esterlay brings a gentle
bassdrum. Chimes and a pulsed bassline, very rich and filled-out sound
quality. The snare that eventually rolls in is indicative of the positive
atmosphere of some '93-'94 Chicago area flyer parties. Nostalgia, i
suppose... ahh the days of Miles Meada and Mystic Bill pumping out the
newest chunky dance beatz. Where have the years gone? Anyway, a nice
loop of an acoustic bass joins in. More filmic excerpts. Background talk
of the future century. For the outro, we get back to the acoustic loop,
this time at half speed. Esterlay is a good opener and an excellent
example of building up the music, sound by sound, as the song goes on.
Mama6 (Parts 1 & 2):
If you thought a Baptist female chorus couldn't be effectively used in an
ambient context, think again. Frankland uses these and descriptive
segments of dialogue from Tron mixed with a blend of synthe sounds to
create a futuresque landscape. "We can't *get* to the MCP without the
help of *my* user..." A retropolyrhythmic loop fades in at about 5.5
minutes. Sounds of the mission control terminal drop in every now and
then. Then everything gets more musical. A pleasant, sub-dance-paced
groove, nothing fancy, just a solid dance loop. Another voice speaks of
idealistic predictions of the future, being able to physically project
dreams on screen. By the time the first half of the album is over,
Journeyman takes us from impending doom and conspiracy to Disney humor and
sci-fi environments. Not bad, and the overall effect is interesting.
Percussion comes back in toward the end of the piece, now considerably
faster 4otF bpm. Also mixed in is a synthe riff that reminds me of
Megatonk's "Belgium" (remember the 2nd Excursions Comp?!). Part 2 is a
bit slower bpm-wise, but structurally similar and the same loops are used.
These tracks are great if only for the Jeff Bridges samples ;-)
Latneiro (Woobs Sunrise Dub) was included on a compilation, though I can't
seem to recall the name of it. This one is aptly named and would do
better in the morning, as the title suggests. Also, this is the only
track on the album without a darker side to it.
3001 (edit): I can only say that this is kind of dubby, 604, and reggae
all at once. A nice deep bassline. Gets real watery and spacey in the
middle until yet another quick dance loop is tunneled into it. More
starship-chamber environment sounds. Then the haunted dub becomes a
haunted house.
Disco-graphy, imagery, and samplespottin' data @:
http://www.jps.net/btribble/woob_discog.html
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