007/ FEATURED ARTICLES/
MIWON/ST8 Hendrix EP
12" G 003 / KREC 007
Recycle Your Ears
Miwon starts with a nice light hearted track driven by a naive melody and a little tiny beat. Not really retro, but definitely poppy in its atmosphere and original in its sound. I don't know how long I could listen to this kind of thing without getting bored, but this works quite nicely if you are looking for something uncomplicated and light. The following track, a remix of St8, is calmer and more ample, sliding slowly around waves of light sounds, while the beats, always present, are put more in the background, and almost all the traces of any melodies are removed. Same thing more or less for the last track on this side, which strays further from the rhythmic beginning and slowly introduce the calmer soundscapes of St8.
On his side, St8 (say "state") starts with a gentle and subtle oscillating track, the kind of thing that catch your attention by its minimalistm and calm, then unveils its pulsation and changes slowly, with layers of dreamy electronic sounds. Imagine an Ultra Milkmaids tracks to which would have been added a drop of light but essential beats. "Cheek" is a somewhat more accessible track. If the sounds are basically the same, it also contains some short vocal samples, echoed over a calm but slightly hypnotic mix of little effects and delicate sounds. Drowned in reverb, this is an almost ethereal, yet catchy and definitely rhythmic track. Finally, "Müra" is pretty close to "Tarve", if not a tad lushier and warmer. All in all, St8 sign three tracks that are well odne and quite dreamy, but who might have benefited from more various element, and from being less drenched in reverb.
Calm and relaxing, the tracks on this 12" are pleasant, if not always totally original. This is something I will not mind listenint to again, but which might not have anything in itself to make of it a record one will remember. Therefore, nice but could have been a bit better.
Nicolas, July 25th, 2002
http://www.recycleyourears.com/reviews/reviews3/miwst8.htm
L'entrepot
Gedeelde uitgaven van het Berlijnse Grundrauschen en Khovirecords van Estland. De kant van Grundrauschen wordt vol gespeeld door stadsgenoot Miwon aka Hendrik Kröz. Voor Khovi heeft Hendrik Luuk alias ST-8 de eer, hij werkte mee aan de zeer goede plaat van Galaktlan begin dit jaar en vormt samen met Taavi Laatsit Uni.
Het kenmerk van Miwon is pop. Geen platte commercie maar vlotte synthesizer melodieën zoals we ze hoorden in de eighties. Hierin verwerkt zit Oer Duitse elektronica die aan Kraftwerk doet denken. Vooral in ‘Cold Beauty" en de bewerking van de ST-8 track "Seisund" komt dit naar voor. Zijn laatste nummer "Kite" is veel donkerder.
Met ST-8 waren we al wat vertrouwd door de Khovi samplers waarop hij telkens vertegenwoordigd is. Hij zou zo bij op de Future Sound Of Jazz compilatie kunnen. Vooral op zijn openingsnummer "Tarve" maakt hij veel gebruik van traditionele instrumenten (piano, gitaar, orgels,….) en jazzy ritmes, dit geld ook voor de bewerking van de Miwon track "Cheek". Zijn laatste "Müra" dat ook op een sampler gestaan heeft (zoals "Seisund") gaat meer richting hip en of trip hop.
Beide kanten kenmerken zich door zeer warme klank collages waar Miwon zeer vlot en toegankelijk is, ST-8 is eigenzinniger en zijn complexere sample collages neigen richting Jazz. Zeker de moeite waard en VINYL.
english translation
Shared release from Grundrauschen (Berlin) and Khovirecords (Estonia). The Grundrauschen side is from the hand of Miwon aka Hendrik Kröz who is also from Berlin. For Khovi has Henry Luuk alias SH -8 the preferably, he is involved by the recordings of the very good record from Galaktlan in the beginning of this year and forms with Taavi Laatsit Uni.
The mark from Miwon is pop. Not one vulgar commercial solely smooth synthesiser melody like we hear them in the eighties. In this processes sit original German electronics that remind of Kraftwerk. Specially within ‘Cold Beauty" and the version from the ST -8 track "Seisund" show this. His last tune "Kite" is much darker.
With SH -8 were we yet a bit familiar through the Khovi samplers on which he was often represented. He could be on the Future Sound Of Jazz compilation next time. Especially on the openings track "Tarve" uses he very much traditional instruments (piano, guitar, organ,….) and jazzy rhythms, this also for the Miwon track he plays "Cheek". One's closing bid "Müra" which was also on a label sampler (also "Seisund" ) goes more in the direction of hip or trip hop.
Both sides mark themselves through very warm sound collage were Miwon sore smooth and open is, SH -8 is obstinate and one's complex sample collage sound a bit Jazzy. Undoubtedly the worthwhile and VINYL.
http://users.skynet.be/entrepot/rev/m/miwon_st8.htm
de:bug
Nochmal Kohvi, der Sonntag scheint gerettet. ST-8 beginnt auf "Tarve" sehr kühl klickerig, dabei aber fast schon mitfühlend funky und verwebt diese zeitlose Dronigkeit mit einer Gitarre. Perfekter Einstieg. "Cheek" schiebt sich schwer zwitschernd und plinkerig säuselnd ins Ohr, wo im Hafen bereits verträumt aufs offene Meer geschaut und gesungen wird. "Mura" dreht sehr durch, gräbt sich durch einen ganzen Haufen Heuwagennoise, bevor der zerrende Drone im befreundeten Grundrauschen kollabiert und alles sehr klarer Techno wird. Dann Mivon, der ganz offenbar fürchterlich gute Laune und mal schaut, wie sich Popharmonien grinsend kicken lassen. One For The Sonnenaufgang. "Seisund" ist eher bedrippselt, schaltet einen Gang zurück und freut sich über einen kleinen, aufgehenden Filter, der dem Sägezahn Gewitterbeine macht. "Kite" schließlich als dronig verwischte Ballade mit Tropfsteinhöhlenlässigkeit verabschiedet uns in, tja, man weiss es nicht, fühlt sich aber besser. Auf jeden Fall. Ich liebe diese Kids.
thaddi *****
http://www.de-bug.de/review/15987.html
Loop
Una nueva entrega del interesante sello estonio Kohvirecords. Un disco corto que en 35 minutos nos descubre a unos artistas que en clave de pop electrónico cultivan un estilo con referencias muy cercanas entre s?. Por su parte Barbariz en el espacio que le corresponde en el disco compone y desarrolla su m?sica de un modo emocionalmente muy cercano al de su colega Pastacas. De hecho su m?sica contrasta y apoya el folk medieval electrónico de Pastacas. Todo esto puede sonar algo confuso. Pastacas es un m?sico muy atrevido. Su interés se centra m?s en el proceso que en los resultados que persigue. Su discurso se sit?a entre Arvo Pärt y Squarepusher. Orquestaciones y gui?os a m?sica medieval al estilo de la banda sonora de Robin Hood. Barbariz por su parte trabajó patrones de percusión ar?tmicos que mezcla con guitarras, sintetizadores, acordeón, flautas y voces. Eero Barndok es un m?sico innovador al que no le asusta experimentar y descubrir nuevas v?as sonoras. Ambos artistas defienden una m?sica que sin ser especialmente atractiva para mi criterio es sin duda una apuesta muy personal, m?sica que nos llega de lejos. Un disco por explorar y que apetece escuchar sobretodo por su personalidad y melancol?a.
Texto Alejandro Vidal
http://www.loop.cl/comentarios.asp?cod=BAR1159799971
