Gangleri – music reviews

Changes is not my favourite band, but they always have a few nice songs. “Lament” starts with a piano track and continues with a bit too usual Changes folk music. Fortunately furtheron there are some other styles such as an OFWATM like song and some more experimental and less (neo)folky tracks. “Lament” has new and new versions of old songs. I am not ravingly enthousiastic about this new album, but as always, there are a few very nice songs here.
Links: Changes, Hau Ruck!

However I have the debut 10″ of Novo Homo, I have seen the man live a couple of times and I like what he does with Der Blutharsch, I have almost completely neglected Bain Wolfkind. Stupid me! “The Swamp Angel” is an amazing dirty (blues) rock album which reminds me of Bluebob here and there. Wolfkind has more releases available, I might need to see if they are as enjoyable as this one.
Links: Bain Wolfkind, Hau Ruck!

This is almost a joke! For more than the price of a cd you get a large single with two tracks (45 rpm). The title track should have been released under the monicker Position Parallele and the other is just a replay of “Tout a Disparu”, but halfway it switches to disco mode with a rather boring sound. Of course it is not totally unexpected that Dernière continues its development in sound, but I hoped that with the (not really bad) disco sideproject Position Parallele, Dernière would at least have remained some kind of military pop sound. Rather it seems that both projects mingle. Of course I had to get used to earlier sound development of this French project, but “La Nuit Revient” is a lot worse than I feared on initial listening.

When I ordered this cd I did not realise that it was a rerelease of this classic split project of many years ago. I knew the album, but did not really like it and therefor never bought it, so in the end, I did… The project is interesting. 6 Comm’s ambient soundscapes combined with Aswynn’s recitals of Norse texts, but I happen to not too much like much of the music and also I don’t particularly enjoy Aswynn’s voice and pronounciation. The cd has it’s moments and surely is a classic release for having such a thick layer of paganism so long ago, but in my opinion this rerelease is more for archival reasons than for the quality of the recording.
Links: 6 Comm , Freya Aswynn, Hau Ruck!.
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Position Parallèle are Geoffry D. and Pierre Pi. The first is of course better known as Dernière Volonté, the second seems to have been involved in the same project in the earlier days. It is not totally unexpected that Geoffry D. took his accessible sound a step further and leave the “military” sound behind. Position Parallèle became a disco cd, or better said: a synthypop cd, because some songs remind of New Order or Soft Cell and I can promise you, the sound is as ‘faulty’ as the cover! Very recognisable are Geoffry’s vocals, but the sound differs a lot from DV as you can imagine. The cd turned out nice. It is not as good as ‘that other recent disco cd’ “Magic” of November Növelet, but it is a nice listening. A bit of a short one though, 35 minutes.
Oh, a nice joke has been made with the Hau Ruck! logo on the cd.
Links: Position Parallèle, Hau Ruck!.

I have the idea that this bands operates somewhere in the margins of the scene, but maybe they are more popular than I think. I have some compilations when them on it, a split 10″ with Spiritual Front and now I decided to buy their latest album. “The Silent Life” sounds quite ‘typical’ for the band, but as you may know, Naevus have a sound of their own. There are the typical vocals, poppy sound that can not really be called neofolk anymore and electric guitars. “The Silent Life” turns out to be a poprock kind of album. Not smashing, but nice and easy to listen to. The bands deserves the recognition if they don’t already get it, not because they are the best ‘new thing’, but just because they keep doing their own thing and do it well too.
links: Naevus, Hau Ruck!
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If I am correct this 7″ was released especially for the Wave Gotik Treffen 2007 performance (where I got it). Two typical but very nice DV tracks with catchy ‘military pop’. Nice package and of course very limited.
links: Dernière Volonté, Hau Ruck!
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Our young Dutch group sent a copy of the live-cdemo “Voorwaarts Lisse!” to mr. Julius who was interested enough to release a 10″ of Volksweerbaarheid. After some delay, it is finally here. Nicely “pigheaded” (what a strange expression!) with all lyrics in Dutch, title in Dutch (and a funny one, it means nothing more than “grooves in black vinyl”), titles in Dutch and artwork mostly in Dutch. Quite tastefull artwork too, I might add. Unfortunately there are only two tracks that are not on the cdemo and two others tracks are directly taken from this previous release. Also the demo is louder, more drumming and this 10″ more neofolky, but don’t worry, you will hear the drums too. Volksweerbaarheid is developing a nice style of not too typical neofolk with much drumming, some industrial elements and wonderfull 50′ies poetry-lyrics. Not too typical subjects and therefor not too easily put in certain corners. Hopefully a cd will follow soon, the band has material enough I heard in Lisse. <25/12/03><4>

After a long periode of silence, here we have the second issue of the Greek magazine “L’Ame Electrique”. This magazine is very well printed, written in good english and has interesting interviews with Tribe of Circle, Les Joyaux de la Princesse, Waldteufel, Novy Svet, Of The Wand and the Moon, Gae Bolg & the Church of Fand (among others). However there could have been a shitload of reviews since the first issue, they sticked to recent and relevant releases. What is even more interesting though, is that the magazine comes with a cd with one track of each band that ever released something on Albin Julius’ (Der Blutharsch) “Hau Ruck!” label and the tracks are mostly exclusive and in chronological order.
So, in this order you will hear C.O.Caspar, Novy Svet, Dernière Volonté, Of The Wand And The Moon, La Maison Moderne, Tribe of Circle, Novo Homo, Lucisferrato, I-C-K, His Divine Grace, Decadence, Reutoff and Changes. Since Hau Ruck! offers a variety of styles of music, not all tracks are my taste and also it appears that most bands didn’t contribute their best material. But since all tracks beside Of The Wand are exclusive and it has all the bands from Hau Ruck! this compilation may be a good introduction for those who are not too familiar with the bands and a good expansion of the collection of those who are. Besides, the magazine itself is worth the money already! <26/2/01><3>

This is a goodbye compilation for the Seküencias de Culto magazine and was released by Albin Julius. It is a very diverse compilation. It opens with hard industrial and noise from bands like Propergol, Operation Cleansweep and Thorofon, but there is also dark ambient from for example Raison d’Être, folky music from In Gowan Ring, Hekate and Camerata Mediolanense and I should definately not forget to mention the contributions of Inade, Tribe Of Circle and Turbund Sturmwerk. This and more comes in a nice double digipack with moody artwork. A very nice compilation. <17/12/04><4>

I missed the first Adesso Viene Il Bello, but hearing this one I don’t mind too much. I wonder why Albin Julius who often said that he doesn’t want to have anything to do with fascism would release 7″s with Italian fascist marches. Hearing the music I get the idea. Also I wonder what the reason is that people like myself would like to get a 7″ with fascist marches. I suppose this must have something to do with a fascination of things taboo or obscure. Anyway, the “Italian fascist marches” aren’t really marches, but more Schlager-like old folksongs with fascist lyrics. I know that herr Julius is heavily into Schlager music, so I think that this is what he likes in this music. Personally I am not too pleased with the music, this this is just an addition to my collection. <23/7/02><2>

War is what? The stupidity of mankind? The title of this cd is not written correctly it seems. “Because war is the stupidity man” would be the translation. Odd. Anyway, a not too great industrial 7″ on HR!. It comes on heavy baby-pink vinyl, but the sleeve looks very nice. <30/8/03><2>

Tribe Of Circle was there before the military sound reached the goth masses. The previous cds are from 2000 and 2001, so I wondered what the band thought to add to the scene five years later. ToC remained ToC with repetative slow industrial with a lot of samples, but obviously listened to the developing scene and added some of the bombast, drums, orchestrations and vocals to their sound. The result is a convicing album with good to great tracks and a very ‘modern sound’. I wonder if this album will resist the course of time. I also like the first two albums, but I hardly ever play them nowadays. <4/12/06><3>

It is impossible to keep up with these Hau Ruck! releases. They are always very limited in number, sell extraordinary quick and are not available from many mailorders. It even seems that Ebay is the best way to get them. I got this one from Equilibrium Music.
It seems that many HR! releases are neofolkish things, so I was lucky that Sorgeist was a project that fell into my hands. Sturmovik like industrial which is pretty nice. Of course a luxery package and heavy vinyl. <30/8/03><4>

Things are going rapidly with Hau Ruck! This is already the 19th release from this label and there are several more coming up soon. This cd is by the Russian project Sal Solaris that we know from the “Heilige Feuer” compilation (see elsewhere). Like I mentioned in the “L’Ame Electrique” review (also see elsewhere), not all Hau Ruck! releases are really my taste. I am not too crazy about His Divine Grace with the monotous soundscapes for example The same problem comes with “Outerpretation Of Dreams”. This cd is very monotous, minimal and has no atmosphere that I enjoy. Mostly you will hear soundscapes which I wouldn’t even call “ambient”, let alone “dark ambient”. Sometimes there are some industrial-like sounds, but there is nothing that Sal Solaris did to make me like this cd.
Maybe if you are interested in soundscapes, you should try this one. <26/1/02><2>

I don’t think Tesco had read my review of the debut cd of this band when they send me this cd. I don’t really like this first album. I did hear that the second cd was a bit more ‘serious’, but I don’t think I would have bought it myself.
But indeed, the second albums is a bit more serious than the first cd. There is more industrial, a bit of ambient, but most of the music is still the typical, silly music with the most dull vocals since TILT! But since the more industrial parts of the first cd sounded a lot better than the rest, this second cd is a big improvement. And actually the vocals start to sound more funny than just irritating, so do I grow used to them or do I start to see the joke?
Anyway, for those of you who don’t know the “Paccia a Paccia” cd, the music is tranquil and often rather silly folky, jazzy or whatever it is music, with very peculiar vocals. On the debut it sounded a bit like a drunken guy trying to sing, this time it’s the same kind of voice, but more ‘real’ singing. “Cuori Di Petrolio” contains a healthy amount of industrial sounds.
This is still not my favourite cd of all times, but I like it a lot better than the first cd and I guess it may be funny to play when you’re in a silly mood.
And a tip for those who are not familiar with this band yet, first try this one and if you think you can stand more sillyness, get the debut then. <10/11/00><2>

A strange release of Albin Julius (better known as Der Blutharsch). I know Nový Svet, from Julius’ “Wo Die Wilde Kehrlen Wohnen” compilation 7″, where NS actually contributed the nicest track. The first time I listened to “Faccia a Faccia” I was quite irritated by the silly music on this disc. Now that I heard it a few times, it is quite funny in a way, but not something that I will play for enjoyment…
Try to imagine a group of people singing silly melodies in Spanish (?) as if they are totally drunk. With (traditional) instruments they produce even more silly melodies and once in a while you can hear some industrial or dark ambient tunes. The first 10 songs are fairly short and in this vein, the last track lasts for some 20 minutes and I think it is this track that makes people compare NS to Der Blutharsch. Not that I hear many similarities myself, but the last track is a bit more industrial of sound with churchbells and to me this is the best track of this cd by far. After a boring gap of nothing, the usual ghosttrack in the vein of the first 10 songs.
Conclusion? I guess only “love it or hate it” covers this silver disc. A second cd is announced for the end of this month, but I don’t think you will read about it in these pages.
This cd still says “World Serpent Distribution” by the way, but I think you better try Tesco! <9/9/00><2>

After having heard a couple of Hau Ruck! releases, I could expect this one to sound rather strange as well. And indeed it does.
“In Some Brutal Way…” opens with a soundscape that goes over in a martial sound. It is slow and minimal. The second track is a minimal rhythmical track and the third track is more dance-like. Also a dance-like track at the beginning of face B and this track has some robot-voice in it as well. Then some minimal industrial sounds with marchdrums and the last track sounds a bit like an electro/dance track. For experimental purposes quite nice, but musically not too good. <9/9/00><2>

Hau Ruck! isn’t only probably the most active label from the scene (this is already HR!26), but also one of the more experimental. When the earlier releases had somewhat of a “Der Blutharsch sound”, Novy Svet proved that this was not the aim for Albin Julius’ label. Then some more folk-oriented bands were signed and dark ambient releases saw the light of day. Lucisferrato doesn’t fit into any forementioned catagory.
The openingtrack is some strange vocal-experimental soundscape, which I can also say about the second track. Further dark and monotous soundscapes, strange experiments and at the end some more industrial-like music.
I have listened to this cd several times before I wrote this review and I am still not sure what I think of it! Strange stuff!! <10/2/02><2>

If I am right this is the first cd of this French act after a tape and an lp. Now they are picked up by Herr Julius of Der Blutharsch who is pushing the boundaries of Hau Ruck!/WKN. I-C-K makes more old-style industrial, but quite minimalistic and not very heavy. It is said that previous releases are complete power electronics though. On “Les Hémorragies Nihilistes” you will hear fairly tranquil, mostly rhythmical industrial with samples, some noise-influences and here and there some more dark-ambient tunes. Not all tracks are equally good, but overall this is a pretty nice cd. <12/1/02> <3>