Alva Noto: Unitxt

'Unitxt,' the 2008 album by Alva Noto, also known as Carsten Nicolai or simply 'Noto,' celebrates the German composer's 28th studio album to be released, excluding collaborations. In typical form, the composer combines heavy glitch elements with complex rhythmic structures to create an offering in the inimitable Alva Noto style.

Alva Noto: Unitxt

The album consists of 25 tracks, separated into two distinct parts: 10 original compositions followed by a series of 15 tracks realised by converting data from programs such as 'Powerpoint' or 'Fontlab4.0' into digital audio files, creating compositions informed by the aesthetics of noise music comparable to the Japanese artist Merzbow.

Minimal in style, with every track devoid of traditional harmonic and melodic constructs, this album is dependant on two clear elements, the sounds used by the composer and their rhythmic use within each track. This is shown immediately from the first track, 'u_07.' In this particular track, Alva Noto has combined surprisingly bassy glitches with various digital beeps. Later, Anne-James Chaton features in edited vocal elements which lie atop Noto's rhythmic glitch backing.

The electronic timbres used later develop in 'u_08' to give a clear brooding characteristic, rather curious considering the lack of harmony, illustrating the composer's ability to create emotions out of sounds rather than complete music. In contrast to this, the later tracks of the album which were created from executable data serve as more of a blank canvas from an emotional standpoint. These later tracks serve a greater stylistic purpose and can also serve to introduce fans of noise music to Noto's work.

For a review of Noto's earlier 'Insen' album, click here.

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Soulwax: Part Of The Weekend Never Dies

In 2006, Soulwax, the electronic music duo from Belgium, released a rockumentary and accompanying live album of their 2006 'Part Of The Weekend Never Dies' tour. The live CD comprises of material from various previous releases in their own unique dance-punk style.

Soulwax: Part Of The Weekend Never Dies

The album begins with 'Teachers,' an uptempo homage to the duo's spiritual fathers, quoting names such as Van Halen among their other influences. The track begins with a gradual accelerando, once the tempo is reached however, the pace remains throughout the entire album. This track is followed by 'Move My Body,' which also begins with a brief excerpt of 'Theme From Discotheque' which was released under the alias of Soulwax, Samantha Fu. Throughout the album, the pair sample numerous works produced both by Soulwax and other aliases, as well as other established acts.

Later in the album come 'E-Talking' and 'Another Excuse,' both of which fans will know from earlier Soulwax releases. This live performance of both tracks injects even more energy into the the tracks than was seen in the original releases, likening them even more stylistically to the French duo Justice.

It is this reviewer's belief that anyone who has seen the duo perform live, either as Soulwax or their 2ManyDJs counterpart, will testify that their live performances remain largely unparalleled in terms of energy. This release presents a highly exciting series of performances which show off the duo's material at its finest. While the CD/DVD set is no replacement for being at a live gig, the music on this release serves as a great example of the duo's exuberance during a live set.

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Zero 7: Simple Things

In April 2001, the British electronica duo Zero 7 released their debut album 'Simple Things.' In the style of the French electronica duo Air, much of the album combines synthetic lines alongside more typical acoustic writing with a steady beat and overlaid vocals. The album was certified gold within 4 months, having sold more than 100,000 units.

Zero 7: Simple Things

The first track of the album, 'I Have Seen,' combines bass grooves with acoustic guitar and drums to create a strong backing to the vocals which lead the track. Like their contemporaries, this album uses themes of surreality throughout, particularly noticeable in this track.

Moving on to the next track, 'Polaris,' the use of electronics is seen more clearly, underpinned once more by a steady, albeit subtler, beat. The title track, 'I Have Seen,' which comes later in the album continues to exhibition the duo's creative use of electronics alongside string writing to create a more dramatic and melancholy atmosphere.

Various elements of downtempo composition and free improvisation occur throughout the album, but for this reviewer the subtle influence from ambient music adds the most interest in this release. This is seen clearest in 'Distractions' but is featured in several other tracks. The variety of influence diversifies further into jazz in tracks such as 'End Theme,' ultimately creating a varied and interesting album which can introduce electronica for those who are uninitiated in such music.

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Jean Michel Jarre: Geometry Of Love

During the early 00's, inside a market much more diverse than when Jean Michel Jarre first began composing in the 70's, Jarre released several works which deviate from his pre-established style seen in earlier releases. 'Geometry Of Love' follows the lounge jazz 'Sessions 2000' and dance 'Metamorphoses' releases, this time creating an Lounge Ambient influenced album.

Jean Michel Jarre: Geometry Of Love

Important for this release is the manner in which it was conceived. Rather than Jarre's early releases which were made from hardware synthesisers, this album was created primarily via the means of digital software sequencing. This creates a drastically different soundworld compared to all of the artist's previous output, creating a more 'open' sonic environment which employs timbres more congruent to Ambient music.

The album begins with a fusion of sampled strings with more conventional synthetic writing in track one, 'Pleasure Principal.' To its credit, this is a rare example of ambient music to employ drum and percussive elements without a breakbeat influence, which can detract from a composition's ambient quality. In lieu of clear melodies, this track uses more subtle musical material to lead the piece.

The album contains a two-part title track, interestingly separated, with 'Geometry Of Love part 2' only coming at the end of the album. These tracks have become part of several live sets by Jarre, including his 2005 performance in the Forbidden City in China.

This album contains a wealth of good material which fans of ambient music would enjoy. When the album concludes with the second part, which is written in a similar style but developing the musical ideas seen in part one, the nostalgic effect created proves highly calming and pleasantly disorientating.

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