| September 2006 news
September 28, 2006
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Test Tube is, as of today, featured on Last.Fm - the famous worldwide music community. Last.Fm gives you the possibility to pre-listen all tracks at 128Kbps compression quality, among other features. You can also download them to your computer, but unfortunately at the same 128Kbps.
Anyway, spread the word!
Peas,
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September 26, 2006
OLYMPIA'S FALL
• tube'|050 - Desolation Wilderness - Sense Pulse Vision
«It is somewhat common these times, to see young artists and bands going back to the past seeking inspiration and influence to make contemporary works, today. Nic - Nicolaas Zwart - is no exception. This 19 year old musician from Olympia (Washington, USA) presents us with his third EP, after
releasing at AudioTong and at Maetrix Solution. The recipe used by Nic here is pretty much the same used before: Old-school synths, pushed away in long-form dynamic waves, cold and edgy soundscapes with a warm and fuzzy feeling, and artificial and spatial bass lines, where everything else rests on.
'Arc of A Bird' starts with some very emotional synth lines, melodical and nostalgic, that start to open up to filtered percussion and rhythmic fx. There's a twist in it after a couple of minutes, introducing some new elements, like bass, staying in the background for some time. Nic's compositions need some time and room to breathe and gain some strenght to make it to the end. This song is a perfect example.
'Mumbai Slum (Version 2)' is a long piece, which actually feels longer than it really is. Very slow paced, like a slow motion digital symphony, it sucks us into its void of synths until you lose track of time. This is a really hipnotic track, although Nic doesn't use any drone elements in it. Nicely accomplished.
'Winter Forest' works as the EP's interlude, building up a church-like melody of organs and synth effects, with some interesting reverb and sharp sounds underneath.
'Arc of A Bird Part Two' could be the subtitle for 'Street Kid'. Nic uses the same synth lines that he used in the first track, but this is a much more intricate and complex track. Almost crosses IDM territory, when he throws those percussion bleeps and bloops in the first half. It then evolves in a slow and descending march towards the end.
Final chapter with 'Welcome To Nowhere'. Sounds like the goodbye it pretends to be, but it could also work like another interlude, if this EP were to grow any further. More warm synth lines, glitchy but discrete effects and fuzzy melodies wrap up a very interesting EP from Desolation Wilderness.
We're left with the feeling that Nicolaas still has much more to say, and we hope he continues to deliver. Nice one.» - Pedro Leitão
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September 19, 2006
BACK CATALOGUE
Hi again. Our server migration is now complete.
Our entire catalogue has been re-packed, re-tagged, updated and is available for download. Speaking of downloads, they're faster too. Help yourself.
Welcome back.
Peas,
'|
September 16, 2006
GROWING PAINS
Hello. As you might have figured out about now, we are in the process of changing servers. Test Tube content is being uploaded as I write this post.
You'll find that many of the files are still missing - Jpeg, Zip and Mp3 files - so please bear with us while we complete this painly slow upload process.
Things will be much better from now on. We will no longer be excessively dependant on archive.org
server space. All of our releases will be available here at home. Yes, all of them. As such, we expect bandwidth to hit the roof, but we're cool, because now we have up to 1Tb (that's 1 Terabyte) to burn monthly.
Our FTP service for demo sending has changed, too. Please check the 'contact' page for the new details.
Stay tuned for more improvements over the new week.
Peas,
'|
September 12, 2006
DEVIL IN MY JAZZ
• tube'|049 - Diatribes - Parenthèse Polonaise
«“Diatribes” is the name of a 1996 album by Napalm Death. With no apparent relation, “Diatribes” is also the name of a trio dedicated to improvised music. Originally from Geneva, this trio is Cyril Bondi (drums, percussion), Gaël Riondel (saxophones, clarinet, flute) and Laurent Peter – a.k.a. d’Incise – (laptop, objects, effects). Working exclusively with digital distribution, this swiss trio have released a total of six works to this moment, each through a different label: Edogm, Zymogen, Tulipesä, Insubordinations, Stomoxine and Digitalbiotope. “Parenthèse Polonaise”, their new work released by Test Tube, shows off a band exploring free improv soundworks.
On the trio’s website we find three words to classify their sound: free jazz/electro-acoustic/noise. None of them is wrong, but this may not be the absolutely right definition. More than free jazz or noise, this music is descendant of European driven free/improv, in the lines of Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Han Bennink or Peter Brötzmann. Right on the first track, “Cieszyn 1.1”, there is a percussion sequence which evokes Tony Oxley experiences. d’Incise’s work, on laptop and effects, complements the percussion action, forming a cohesive sound block. Gaël Riondel’s blowing works as contraposition, in an insanely interaction. Sometimes the drums elaborate a certain rhythmic steadiness, but don’t extend it on too rigid formulas, the blowing is strong and inconstant, and the effects sharp ‘round the corners. The recording, with all the background room and audience noise, probably isn’t the most appropriate for audiophile fans, but encapsulates the session’s informality – and, consequently, the expressively freedom of this music. As the most evident example of this trio’s creativity, there is track #11, “Trzebinia 1.4”, where tribal sounds are mixed together with crescendos and noise. The following track, “Bielsko Biala 1.3”, on the other hand goes to more familiar territories; it is a piece closely related to the free jazz of the New York loft scene, circa 1969. Closing the album, an 8 and a half minutes track starts slowly just to grow until it arrives to a diabolic free finale.
It’s safe to say that these “Diatribes” don’t come from death metal, but they’re not far from the devil.» - Nuno Catarino
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September 01, 2006
SUPPORT TEST TUBE, A BIT MORE
Perhaps you noticed already a little 'donate' button further down this page, perhaps not. But it's there. Yes, we are accepting donations from now on.
We will be moving to a new server soon, probably before the end of October. A bigger, faster... and more expensive server. So, if you feel wildly generous and would like to help us pay the expenses, we would be most thankful to you.
Each test tube benefactor will receive one CDR release of his choice mailed free of charge to his home, plus the chance of being listed in a test tube supporters section that we will add to the about page.
This doesn't mean, obviously, that we will not keep working the same way, and stop releasing new and free music if no one donates. This will not change, ever.
But thanks anyway, because when you download our releases, you are already supporting test tube.
Peas,
'|
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