Various - Le Jazz Non (A Compilation Of Nineties NZ Noise) download free

IT APPEARS - TO my delighted ears - that there is a movement going on in New Zealand these days and it's not a resurgence of the Dunedin sound neither. Bruce Russell (guitarist for A HANDFUL OF DUST) is the founder and chief instigator of this fabulous label, and is single handedly leading the charge, setting the stage and proudly carrying the flag of NZ "Free Noise." What is "Free Noise" you ask? Nick Cain sums it up for us in the liner notes found in the labels now trademark natural cardstock packaging as "the soundbite label which has been applied to a certain brand of newly emergent New Zealand musical activity. It is 'free' because it adheres to principles of improvisation, and it is 'noise' because in rhythm, texture, tone, melody and volume it is outside the parameters of what is domestically accepted as 'music.'" Among the bands, as far reaching as Port Chalmers; Auckland; Blenheim; Christchurch and Wellington - SURFACE OF THE EARTH are one of my new found favorites. What you experience are 12 unique manifestations of sound (some with words) that transport the listener on a shimmering non-dimensional carpet ride via transistors, tapes, garbage cans, shimsaw (a shimsaw is a stretched band of steel with pick-ups); saw-blades and some piano and guitar. Songs of note include Michael Morley of GATE "To Kiss the Wall"; THELA "Look Out! The Fucking Hot Jet"; RAIN doing "Invisible" with Kim Peters on vocals; LAME & SORRY "Minus Eleven" featuring Alastair Galbraith as Little Lame McGee; SANDOZ LAB TECHNICIANS "It's All Just" and the organic drone of SURFACE OF THE EARTH. Pay attention to the sounds because thru all this experimentation comes divination. And as the title suggests - Jazz it's not - but like Jazz (improvisational), it's the start of something big that could define a culture - and a music.