Kairos 113, December 2019 Concertzender

The last Kairos of 2019. Our Wo. is catching up. With an open mind he has settled in once again to undergo the wizardry of .No's vociferous musical tastes, feeling and uncanny ears for blending music that was never made nor meant to be heard together, at times in the most literal sense. What would happen if he teamed up with Soulwax's Dewaele brothers in Too Many DJs? That is an enticing thought, but what are Wo.'s experiences during this Kairos?

Kairos more and more turns into a work of musical art itself I noticed over the past years. Where songs or compositions were mixed into each other, like Ben Liebrand did in the 80s or something with his disco hits show. In Kairos it is ever so much more subtle; also because of the choice of music itself of course. Songs weave in and out of each other in such a way that I truly do not know what or who I'm listening to. A feat that only a person with a very sound ear, hearing the music behind the music, can hear. Oh, I can do that. I always sing parts of '1 Nacht Alleen' when I hear 'Suzanne' or a specific line because a little melody in a song sounds like it. This is different. Atmospheric music is blended with a song by someone else. Whole parts of it to. Choirs sing where they weren't before. Etc. Each Kairos is a show full of surprises. Some horrific(ly long), some of extreme beauty, but always an adventure to listen to, as each second can hold another surprise. So, that is said. Time for the show.

The few seconds intro are followed by a piano. What else, I'd write, as the piano is the main instrument of choice for months if not more than a year already. A high male voice is the standard as well. This song is vulnerable, so empty a truck could drive in between the notes and words. Fink has come by on the blog last year with his latest, well received album, 'Bloom Innocent'. 'My Love's Already There' is the kind of song that deserves but also needs full attention, otherwise it will have evaporated into nothing. If music were as light a gas, this is its sample. I can see it disappear before my eyes. Music at its most vulnerable. I can only imagine what happens when a song like this is played in a venue and all the pricks in the audience continue their beer swilling conversations as if in the pub. A horrid thought. "My love's already dead", Fink sings. A line that sets the tone for this Kairos?

Strange things start happening. The percussive sound could be an extension of the song, but is not. Weird sounds are added before a more traditional sound comes in, a cello and a piano. 'A hopeless Place' by Tears Ov. Never heard of, but the mood is certainly continued. We are in a dark place for sure. A place where ghosts roam and make warbled noises. They say something but indiscernible for my ears.

There's no telling any more what I am listening to. Music blends but is it the original recording or .No at work? I can't tell. Susanna was in there somewhere, but it is only when a solo piano comes in, Jacco Wynia's, that I can truly tell where I am in the show. Another of the many piano new romantics that pop up in this country by the dozens it seems. Not my music, of course - where are the guitars?!- but I do hear the beauty in the music, despite the fact that you will never find me playing an album like this. For that I am too restless I guess. Something needs to happen, more than is happening here. With storm Ciara slowly fading out, the title 'Storm Coming Up' isn't appropriate any longer, but who cares. In the composition it is hard to discern that storm, but o.k. (O.k., since writing I learned storm Dennis is coming.)

It's time for Nick Cave once again. My tip is paying up. Hearing 'Ghosteen' for the first time last October I knew two things for certain: I am going to buy the album on vinyl and this music will work really well in Kairos. 'Sun Forest' is one of the many songs on the album that hold the total inner sanctum of Cave's mind. It is circa 40 years ago the wild post punker from Melbourne entered the stages of the world with The Birthday Party and 36 since starting a solo career. The road travelled by the artist Nick Cave is immense. The death of his 15 year old son, the "Ghosteen", can only explain part of what we can hear on 'Sun Forest'. It is a journey of decades leading to an absolute masterpiece. One hard to listen to at times, but a masterpiece none the same.

Somewhere in between Paul Haslinger returns to Kairos with an extract from his 'Exit Music' album. Somehow it wraps itself around 'Sun Forest', adorning it with even more atmosphere and violins. Or, what belongs to what? It is hard to tell, as it could belong together.

Fink is allowed a second contribution. 'Rocking Chair' is more mysterious and as such fitting to what we have just heard. It is more a non-song, more atmosphere than music. Over it Fink sings almost like a Medieval church choir. Deep voiced, multitracked and meditatively repeating his few words.

A piano brings salvation. While a high whining guitar moves around in the background. Again a track by I Am Oak from his latest album 'Osmosis' is played. Thijs Kuijken is purely himself, yet different. 'Wondrous Way' is delicate, vulnerable, yet fire sure. Each note played is in its place and played with confidence. That in my opinion is the difference with his previous work and the reason 'Osmosis' works so well. When speaking of artistic growth, this is an album to point out.

The violins over the fade out of 'Wondrous Way' could have been a part of it, had it not been pulled forward so much. It is Fink's third song on this Kairos. This time it is the title song of the album. Again empty, slow piano notes and sparse words. Fink is in no hurry, yet sings "I don't want to live my life", which expresses some urgency as he does not seem desperate. The song changes totally when percussion moves in and a lively bass joins in. It even has a groove now. Wondrous how a song can change just by adding a few instruments. So telling of the imagination of an artist, that nothing has to be as it seems. Somewhere birds and other noises join in. Someone has been fiddling with a few knobs while making the program.

It turns out to be a field recording by Harrold Roeland. Birds of all sorts can be heard, when another piano sets in. This time it is Paul Haslinger again. Slow notes move over the field recording that continues. Strings chime in but also a sound that I have a hard time recognising. So probably an object on Stewart Island caught by Roeland and not on Haslinger's record.

Haslinger makes way for Emilie Levienaise-Farouch. Violins move in and against each other. Rather erratic compared to the rest of Kairos. The waking up part of the show has arrived it seems.

Nick Cave's voice comes in with philosophical observations on where men comes from and what men is. 'Fireflies' is a story told, not sung. In the background atmosphere is created by Warren Ellis, Nick Cave's favourite sidekick in The Bad Seeds, now that all guitarists have more or less left the band. 'Fireflies' is also not a song, it is atmosphere.

That is relieved by a real song. A Kate Bush like song finds its way to my ears. It isn't Kate for certain, the style of her first few albums is unmistakeable though. It is Norwegian Susanna and her The Brotherhood of Our Lady. 'Ship Of Fools' is another Jeroen Bosch title as his paintings were the inspiration for her album.

She is replace by Trondheim Voices, again Norwegian. These singers were a part of Kairos before, I recall and not something I recall with glee. The composition is minimal. Atmospherics in voice and sound. Again things blend. What is what? The high female voice most come from Michael Price's 'Shape Of Dreams'. High, ethereal, so high as if trying to orbit and escape this valley of earthly tears. And why not?

It is darkness that takes over. Dark, droning sounds that move in and out of the forefront. I am supposed to hear an adapted Saint Nicholas song, but what .No did to it I have no way of telling. A lone guitar sets in. Again Lyenn returns to the show. His delicate voice works his way into my consciousness, that is still trying to figure out what happened to 'Dag Sinterklaasje'. As if a character from a horror movie was allowed to record the song. The contrast with 'In Reveries' is so tremendously huge, it is almost shocking. Somehow I see a man with a huge knife standing behind him boding an ill fate. And it doesn't end well, just listen to the final seconds. What a fate. Poor Lyenn.

Wo.

You can listen to this Kairos here:

https://www.concertzender.nl/programma/kairos_533992/

This is the playlist:


00:00-06:38  Fink. My Love’s Already There. Album ‘Bloom Innocent’. R’Coup’D/DGR.
05:53-09:11  Tears Ov. A Hopeless Place. Album ‘A Hopeless Place’.
The Wormhole/Modern Matters.
08:50-10:32  Susanna & The Brotherhood of our Lady. Exterior.
Album ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’. Susannasonata/It’s All Happening.
10:05-15:44  Jacco Wynia. Storm Coming Up.
Album ‘Climate Changes’. Mosaic Music/It’s All Happening.
15:09-21:55  Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Sun Forest. Album ‘Ghosteen’. Ghosteen Ltd.
19:26-19:35  Paul haslinger. Valse I (fragment). Album ‘Exit Ghost’. Artificial Instinct.
20:38-24:01  Paul Haslinger. Valse I. Album ‘Exit Ghost’. Artificial Instinct.
23:22-29:24  Fink. Rocking Chair. Album ‘Bloom Innocent’. R’Coup’D/DGR.
28:48-33:26  I Am Oak. Woundrous Way (fragment). Album ‘Osmosis’.
32:59-40:05  Fink. Bloom Innocent (slightly adapted).
Album ‘Bloom Innocent’. R’Coup’D/DGR.
38:48-42:10  Harrold Roeland. Field Recording set 20 – Stewart Island forest dawn (fragment). Album ‘The Long Way Round. Self-released.
40:20-43:30  Paul Haslinger. August 2-22. Album ‘Exit Ghost’. Artificial Instinct.
42:35-45:11  Emilie Levienaise-Farouch. Minnesang.
Album ‘Like Water Through The Sand’. FactCat Records CD13-20P (130701).
44:59-48:23  Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Fireflies. Album ‘Ghosteen’. Ghosteen Ltd.
47:59-49:42  Susanna & The Brotherhood of our Lady. Ship of fools.
Album ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’. Susannasonata/It’s All Happening.
49:21-51:47  Trondheim Voices + Asle Karstad. Below/Ritual#4.
Album ‘Rooms & Rituals’. Grappa LC49093.
51:32-52:03  The Real Group. Aftonen (fragment).
Album ‘Stämning’. Virgin 7243 812535 2 6.
51:49-54:49  Michael Price. Shade of dreams.
Album ‘Tender Symmetry’. Erased Tapes Records ERATP112CD.
53:57-56:17  Anoniem. Dag Sinterklaasje (fragment, heavily adapted by Wino Penris). Kinderkoor Sjandantino olv. Jan Warnaar.
Album ‘De Allerleukste Sinterklaasliedjes’. Disky SP 872962.
55:50-59:57  Frederic Lyenn Jacques. In Reveries.
Album ‘Slow Healer’ by Lyenn. V2 Records Benelux
59:47-59:57  Anoniem. Dag Sinterklaasje (fragment, heavily adapted by Wino Penris). Kinderkoor Sjandantino olv. Jan Warnaar.
Album ‘De Allerleukste Sinterklaasliedjes’. Disky SP 872962.

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g