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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