Potlatch - Live at Fabrica
Potlatch is a free jazz octet directed by bassist Pedro Roxo. It is in the tradition of AACM and other 70s style experimenters. Live at Fabrica is a nice representation of this group and exhibits in three tracks their impressive talent at making meaning out of chaos. The first track is a relatively short effort of noise that doesn’t really say much to me. However “Narngis”, being just as frantic, shows a lot of thought and imagination in this manic piece. However my favorite one is the middle track also titled “Potlatch” which takes a different route altogether.. It is a pastoral effort of sparse tones that are beautifully intuitive. This is one of the better avant-garde jazz albums that you can find free and legal on the internet.
The album is available from Insubordinations netlabel in 320kbps MP3.
Sound artists Pilesar and Spence(r) Madsen created this EP during a lull with their primary group Mandible. Using a primary drum / guitar base they embellished with the use of toy instruments which explain the titling of this project as Toy Safety Recall. Decidedly lo-fi, there is an abundance of creativity and enthusiasm in these ten tracks. My favorite track is also the most “normal” sounding track, “When One Enters Tain”. There is a feeling of the joy of discovery as the artists use these odd “instruments” and it translates well in the recording. For this reason, I recommended a listen to this unusual and imaginative online album.
Performance art appears to be alive and well. While this is an audio representative, it doesn’t take much imagination to see the music on Le Voyage as something that was meant to be seen and heard. Pigeons and The Insane Porridgemakers (I wonder if the original Russian sounds just as weird) is a cooperative of 10 artists bringing everything they know into this odd but irresistible project. Bits of Folk, electronica, avant-garde, spoken word, jazz, psycho-drama and rock don’t always meld together but weaves in and out like a compulsive eater in a international smorgasbord. There is a strong amount of psychedelica in these performances and I suspect the whole thing brings out a sort of a Rorschach Test reaction in the listener. It is certainly something different and something different goes a long way in getting a thumbs up at Free Albums Galore
You know DIY has gone over the edge when the artist braggs that his music was recorded “with one mic made out of cell phone parts and a ball of aluminum foil”. The album titled Arecibo Psycodelic Classics 17: Abortos Musicales by Mu. is a cornucopia of percussive sounds that seem to be dually influenced by John Cage and an army of toddlers let loose in a music store. While there is a temptation to think of Mu as someone who simply wants to find as many sounds as he can get out of the household appliances, he is actually quite imaginative and has some structure hiding behind the noise. Those familiar with avant jazz percussion of the 70s will get this album faster than most but I think the rest will still enjoy this interesting noisefest.
The Indonesian cornucopia of music on netlabel 
When the words “experiment” and “music” are used together I usually know what to expect. An experiment is just that, an attempt at something in which the actual results are not totally known. It may be interesting, even groundbreaking, or it may be a failure. Australian avant-garde violinist Jon Rose loves to experiment. His album Fringe Benefits is a two disc, 29 tracks collection of experiments from 1977 to 1988 ranging from brilliant to “WTF!”. Fortunately for the listener, very few of these tracks can be called boring.
The 
The first comparison I can make to the avant-garde ensemble 
Sandro Marinoni’s Ten Little Songs from The Clinical Archive netlabel reminds me of Faberge eggs; small, mundane (eggs?..I mean…really!), but full of exquisite details and flourish. The ten tracks are short, none being over 3 minutes, yet are tiny gems of sounds. Some are repetitive, others are simple, and some do manage to soar like a song. Marinoni plays all the instruments with the exception of the Coltranish “Dark Solo” in which he is joined by pianist Andrey Kutov and were recorded between 2006 and 2009. I especially like his playing of the tenor sax on “Dark Solo” and “Requiem” yet he is more than competent on trombone (”Head Bone”) and flute (”Frame”). This album is a quiet but delectable treat.
The lute is not exactly the first instrument I think of when someone says “avant-garde” or “contemporary music”. Yet 
Jason Mullinax aka 
Quiet Orchestra is a Los Angeles collective of local musicians. The twenty-plus musicians come from all genres of music including rock, jazz and world. The music tends to be improvisational yet strangely cerebral. While the ensemble has some very innovative artists in its ranks, its best known member is guitarist 
Iranian-American composer and instrumentalist Dariush Dolat-shahi is adept at both contemporary electronic music and traditional Persian music. He is also a master at the 
Joxfield ProjeX’s sound constructions may be avant-garde yet they have an accessible appeal for those who are not necessarily familiar with the more “out-there” performances of experimental music. Sound artists Oax and Xan have an involving style of music-making. These are complex compositions that ropes in the listeners. Clinical Archives currently have three very good albums by these interesting musicians.
The demise of Autoplate is a huge loss to the netlabel world. For seven years Autoplate has specialized in experimental electronic music introducing listeners to innovative artists like 
I can’t think of another solo cello album, so that makes Vladislav Makorov’s Multiplying - Multicello fairly unique. The main instrument is an electric cello yet it is enhanced by overdubs and preparation of the instrument using objects like bamboo and combs, reminiscent of 
This self titled one track EP by In Zaire is nothing less than sonic overload. Musicians G.I. Joe and Claudio Roditti man this live recording, a grindcore assault of overbearing guitar, drum, tribal chants and noise. It reminds me of the equally loud and abrasive efforts of the John Zorn & Bill Laswell fronted 
Simply put, 
Pianist and composer Gianni Lenoci plays and conducts on this 28 minutes long album of structured improvisation titled Ephemeral #2. The composer write short fragments of music which are used as the beginning of an improvisation by the musicians in this large ensemble. The piece develops through the mutual “structuring” and interaction of the artists. The most interesting part of this piece happens in the first ten minutes which isprimarily Lenoci on piano. He has a Cecil Taylor influenced style that is complex and turbulent but quite fascinating. The ensemble doesn’t really get involved until the next two-thirds of this work when it becomes a complex example of structured chaos. It might be too chaotic for the average listener but those who like challenging music and have some knowledge of free improvisation will find this album to be a worthy addition to their collection.
The best compliment I can paid H Stewart is that she has a very personal and unique sound. Her four albums sound as if they are coming from the innermost depths of her soul. While she manipulates liberally with electronic affects, her main instrument is her voice and it is haunting and intimate. Her music reminds me strongly of Gregorian chants, Buddhist meditation music and Aboriginal drones so I can be forgiven if I also interpret her music as being created in the spiritual realm.
Normally I like to write my own review but WM Recording’s description of Wal*Mart Approved Music is too entertaining to miss, Here it is in its entirety…
Here’s is Zack Kouns’ description of his album A Catalogue of Erica’s Misfortunes…
