John Wiese

Started by Duncan, May 10, 2017, 02:24:46 PM

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Duncan

Couldn't see a thread.

Just spinning  'Black Magic Pond' (Blossoming Noise) for the first time in years and it is really hitting the spot.  My plan is to spend today revisiting the little work of his I have but I want to hear about your recommendations.

The impressions I've gotten is that his more recent work has veered into more musique concrete/electroacoustic territory which is fine with me and, of course, present in much of his older more noise based recording too.  I'd be particularly keen to hear what people think of newer stuff?

He is also an excellent live act too.  At this stage in life (hah!) I don't give a fuck what the performer is doing onstage so long as the sound is interesting, however Wiese remains a bit of a go-to when the boring laptop vs not laptop argument rears its head.  His approach seems very tactile while totally focused and you can tell that, for the most part, he is mixing sounds live rather than just scrolling through things on his macbook.  I recall with fondness/bitterness watching him, Cheapmachines and Dieter Muh (though perhaps not in that order) one after the other at the Rammel Club weekender in 2012 and there was a feeling among several of us in attendance that there might just be no fucking point in making our own music after such a series of great sets. 

holy ghost

I'm a fan - I particularly like the Deviate From Balance DLP. It's a genuinely interesting "album" with a lot of variance, interesting collabs and a really bananas ending thing with tons of cool folk. I've gone back to it over and over again.

Mirror is great too. Pretty sure this had a different title and was reissued from a previous recording, but it's a great listen. Super harsh. It sounds a lot like the Sissy Spacek album "Wreck" on Phage Tapes.

The collabs with Evan Parker and Dave Phillips are also really cool.

My other go to Wiese records are Seven of Wands, Circle Snare and Black Magic Pond.

Deadpriest

His split with Merzbow is one of my favourite Merz albums at times, very ecstatic.
My book of poetry: http://www.histergrant.com/

Zeno Marx

Quote from: Deadpriest on May 11, 2017, 05:13:34 PM
His split with Merzbow is one of my favourite Merz albums at times, very ecstatic.
They got a great timbre and texture on that album.  Merzbow's best computer era work?  I hope I included it in the collaboration album thread, because it deserves to be there.

Wiese was kicking ass with Sissy Spacek last year.  I believe two albums on my favorites of 2016 (that I still haven't finalized and posted).
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

Deadpriest

Quote from: Zeno Marx on May 11, 2017, 06:39:22 PM
Quote from: Deadpriest on May 11, 2017, 05:13:34 PM
His split with Merzbow is one of my favourite Merz albums at times, very ecstatic.
They got a great timbre and texture on that album.  Merzbow's best computer era work?  I hope I included it in the collaboration album thread, because it deserves to be there.

Wiese was kicking ass with Sissy Spacek last year.  I believe two albums on my favorites of 2016 (that I still haven't finalized and posted).

I always thought Bariken was really excellent laptop era.

Was SS's (ha) pure grindcore album last year? Because that was some really innovative stuff.
My book of poetry: http://www.histergrant.com/

holy ghost

If we're talking SS as well Duration Groups and Reversed Normalization are about as perfect two records can be. I loved the grindcore record but the other two, goddamm were those excellent. The addition of more of a free jazz structure plus the Ace Farren Fords sax contributions were incredible. It's almost a shame they were CD only just because not as many people will buy them.

I was able to get 1, 2, 3, 4 & 6 of those limited tapes too, but somehow not 5. I'm beginning to think it doesn't exist. There was so much SS material last year it literally blew my mind trying to track it down.

jaysidetracked

I didn't get tape #5 either. Very strange that the other ones were readily available but #5 was only available for their east coast tour I believe.

I feel like SS fans buy their cds. I love cds so its not a problem for me. They do a ton of 7"s too. Waiting patiently for more releases this year.

absurdexposition

#7
Booked SS as headliner at Vancouver Noise Fest 4 years ago. Their set was perfect and it was a great way to end the night. I love Charlie. John and Charlie (as Unexamine) played solo at the fest the year prior. Always enjoy getting decimated by Wiese's live mixing assaults, but have to say I don't listen to the recorded output and don't really own anything these days.

Barring Rogue Astronaut era, Wiese was part of some of the best Bastard Noise material as well.
Primitive Isolation Tactics
Scream & Writhe distro and Absurd Exposition label
Montreal, QC
https://www.screamandwrithe.com

holy ghost

They played with Mike DuBose on vocals last time I caught them and wow man it was like total Fear of God type stuff. It was hands down, one of the best things I've witnessed in a decade.

I'm almost relieved to hear no one else has gotten #5. The other 5 in that series were fucking brilliant. When I got that package with everything it was one of the best mail days ever.

yosef666

Quote from: holy ghost on May 12, 2017, 08:33:27 PM
They played with Mike DuBose on vocals last time I caught them and wow man it was like total Fear of God type stuff. It was hands down, one of the best things I've witnessed in a decade.

I'm almost relieved to hear no one else has gotten #5. The other 5 in that series were fucking brilliant. When I got that package with everything it was one of the best mail days ever.
I was only able to score 1 of the tapes... Charlie didn't even end up with copies. Hoping to track the others down at some point...
Where we're from, the birds sing a pretty song and there's always music in the air.

"As long as humans have hands to draw with, topics such as fucking, sucking, tits, ass, sodomy, pink cunts and big dicks along with death, murder, politics and power will always be on our cave walls." -Joe Roemer

Decrepitude

Quote from: absurdexposition on May 12, 2017, 07:26:58 PM
Barring Rogue Astronaut era, Wiese was part of some of the best Bastard Noise material as well.
True. The Sound Engine CD for example is some of my favorite BN.

I only have Nerima CD collaboration with Pain Jerk and Teenage Hallucinations collection from Wiese but both are good. Especially Nerima. Very energetic HN.

I've been wanting to get into Ss but frankly don't know where to start. I heard the last years grindcore album which was great though.

jaysidetracked

Quote from: yosef666 on May 13, 2017, 12:59:12 PM
Quote from: holy ghost on May 12, 2017, 08:33:27 PM
They played with Mike DuBose on vocals last time I caught them and wow man it was like total Fear of God type stuff. It was hands down, one of the best things I've witnessed in a decade.

I'm almost relieved to hear no one else has gotten #5. The other 5 in that series were fucking brilliant. When I got that package with everything it was one of the best mail days ever.
I was only able to score 1 of the tapes... Charlie didn't even end up with copies. Hoping to track the others down at some point...

All I heard from John is that it was a noise tape, and not a noisecore tape. Would you say this is accurate Yosef?

Zeno Marx

Quote from: Deadpriest on May 11, 2017, 07:37:15 PMWas SS's (ha) pure grindcore album last year? Because that was some really innovative stuff.
Disfathom = grindcore  https://sissyspacek.bandcamp.com/album/disfathom
Reversed Normalization = noisecore  https://sissyspacek.bandcamp.com/album/reversed-normalization
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.


Bloated Slutbag

Oblique No Strategy with T. Mikawa is one of the harshest damn things I've heard, from either of them. From anyone. A single(?) live session remixed and mastered by Wiese with supreme emphasis on the scorching-est extremities. This operates for me as tribute to Mikawa/Incaps, taking all of the elements I like best from the banker buds and compressing them into four white-hot hole cleansers. Feel all pink and squeaky clean in the rather deafened aftermath.
Someone weaker than you should beat you and brag
And take you for a drag