New Material on Free Albums Galore

Free Albums Galore offer links to a bunch of new (and free) stuff.

Satie – Pianoless Vexations
Genre: Classical, Avant-Garde, Improvisation

While most of the offerings on Free Albums Galore are complete albums, I will often present a lengthy single work, usually in the realm of classical music or modern compositions. Erik Satie’s Pianoless Vexations is such a piece…all 8 hours of it.

Satie’s Vexations is an unique piece for piano consisting of a simple motif repeated 840 times. The work was found on a single page in his notebook after the composer’s death. Some scholars wonder if Satie ever meant it to be taken seriously at all. The composition was first performed by John Cage and other pianists in 1963 with the performance lasting over 19 hours. You can read a fascinating essay on Vexations here.

Ubuweb has made available an 8 hour performance called Pianoless Vexations. As the title implies, the instruments used includes anything but piano although there is a harpichord and even a toy piano. The 2006 concert was performed at the Sculpture Center in New York. 24 musicians and groups took turns in periods of approximately 20 minutes repeating Satie’s musical theme.

While it would be difficult, perhaps even unadvisable, to listen to the entire recording from beginning to end, each separate segment has its virtues. The interest is maintained in how each artist interpret the phrase and sets it in motion through the time allotted. Laptop composer Randy Nordshow starts the performance and plays only the first note of the piece concentrating on the various effects of a single sonority. Violinist Amy Granat takes a similar approach on track 9. Guitarist Jay Sanders (track 2) is more loyal to the motif but adds variation through a chordal underpinning of each note. A recorder trio manages to convey an early medieval sound while The Bruce Arnold Jazz Trio (track 5) sets the theme in the bass as the two other musicians add improvisational color. Alan Licht and Angela Jaeger (track 6) plays it pretty straight with voice and guitar. Perhaps the most interesting interpretation is by the bluegrass group, The String Messengers (track 7). Other performances worth noting include Margaret Leng Tan on toy piano (track 17), Trudy Chan on harpichord (track 19), and Stephin Merritt and Ethan Cohn (track 23) on marimbas unintentionally accompanied by a crying baby.

Whether this is a bizarre oddity or an unique masterpiece is best left to the scholars with too much time on their hands. Pianoless Vexations is certainly a work that will interest those listeners who wish to hear creative artists placing their own mark on a vexing compositon.

The tracks are available in 192kbps MP3.

Roomful of Emptiness – Roomful of Emptiness
Genre: Jazz

Roomful of Emptiness is an “solo jazz-guitar project” by Matti Paalanen. While guitar is his primary interest it appears he plays all or most of the instruments on this album. He cites Pat Metheny, John Laughlin and Al DiMeola as his primary influences and it shows. On this self-titled album, Paalenen’s laid-back style puts the emphasis on jazz in his particular form of jazz-rock fusion. His playing is full of imaginative flowing lines and well structured improvisation. “Royal Flush” may be the best song on the album with its complex melody and rhythms. “Morning” and “Anxious” are close seconds. This album should please any fan of jazz fusion or mellow jazz grooves.

The album is available by separate tracks or full album zip in 192kbps MP3.

Downliners Sekt – Statement of Purpose
Genre: Electronica

Downliners Sekt isn’t your ordinary down-tempo trip-hop electronic fare. The first track, “Benz” sets a pattern that is oppressive and menacing but still drags you in. “Disable” appears to liven up with a nice dance tempo until the voice sample emerges; comments on the dangers of chemical terrorism. The album continues with a light-at-the-end-of-tunnel effect yet always keeping you from that light. This would be a depressing recording if Downliner Sekt wasn’t so good. In fact “Weather Underground” in an outstanding track with a marvelous vocal by Emma Louise Yohanan wrapped in a fantasy of electronic sounds. The industrial “L.R.A.V” is almost as good and is an enjoyable example of sensory overload. “Manvantera” is both trancelike and nightmarish. The last three tracks are a bit anti-climatic considering what has gone on before but still exceptional. There is a masterful use of musical tension and release that keeps you wondering what will come next. The entire album is a worthwhile download but, at the very least, download and marvel at the incredible track, “Weather Underground”.

The album is availabe in 320kbps MP3 through either separate tracks or album zip.

Various Artists – Protest Records Volumes 1-5
Genre: Rock, Other, Electronica, Hip-Hop, Pop, Folk

The netlabel Protest Records has been around for a while and fairly well publicized. In the current global environment it has become appropriate to take a look at it again.

As its statement says, Protest Records “”exists for musicians, poets and artists to express LOVE + LIBERTY in the face of greed, sexism, racism, hate-crime and war”. The stances taken are best expressed as liberal, against the current American administrative, and in some cases, radical or anarchic.You don’t have to agree with their political viewpoints in order to appreciate the both the courage and the artistry of the musical statements by these diverse and talented musicians.

There are five albums available. The site states ten but volumes 6-10 are either incomplete or non-existant. As would be expected. it is a mixed bag. Some tracks really makes you take notice while others are as effective as hanging chads. Of course, I’m going to concentrate on the good stuff. There are a number of known names involved, including The Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, DJ Spooky, and Cat Power. While their contributions are worthy of their status it is the lesser known musicians that appears to take bigger risks. on the first volume, Steven Taylor parodies the Iraq War in the style of 60s folksingers. Avant-garde guitarist Eugene Chadbourne offered a witty departure from his usual thing on “New New New War War War”. The second volume starts with a poignant “Pictures of Adolf” by Jim O’Rourke and Glenn Kotche. It was recorded in 1971 but fits well into our current era. ” Soylent Gringo’s “Let’s Start a War” is one of my favorite tracks and is as clever as the band’s name. MC Frontalot offers just one of many good hip-hop numbers on the series. With a total of 50 tracks, it is probably best to let you find your own favorite but I sure there will be something for everyone.

The five albums are available as separate tracks in MP3 at varying bitrates.

tlon – From Elsewhere To Nowhere
Genre: Ambient, Electronica

Jean-Sébastien Roux records under the name of tlon for the Autoplate netlabel. His music consists of electronic soundscapes which takes on a metaphysical nature. Roux’s liner notes discusses philosophical questions (What is our purpose? Where are we going?) that defies any definitive answer. Perhaps Roux believes the answer is best expressed with sound rather than words.

Whether From Elsewhere to Nowhere succeeds philosophically is best left to the listener. Musically it is a haunting and beautiful conceptual work. Roux manipulates organic sounds and string samples into his delicate electronic environment. It is very meditative but can also be listened to for its complex layers. “In The Shadows of the Unexpected” is the most accessible piece with its mellow beat 0ver organ chords and what may be water sounds. The sensations of “Do We belong here” are almost claustrophobic. My favorite track is “Escaping The Land” due to the psychedelic layers of sounds. This is one of the better electronic / ambient albums on the internet.

It is available in 192kbps MP3 from either Autoplate or Internet Archive (from the link below).