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there are 35 titles on die schachtel in stock.
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 die taubnessel 
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threads:
modern-composition
printed-matter
free-improvisation
minimalism-drones

 best of 2011 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #dsart10 cd

catherine christer hennixthe electric harpischord” book and compact disc set

  • the electric harpischord (25:24)
october 2010 release ; ... one of the last pieces of the “holy minimalismpuzzle, initially slated for release on john berndt’s recorded, but now issued years later on die schachtel in a lovely “spirit box” including all manner of epherma, remembrances, and poems from peers henry flynt, la monte young, and catherine christerc.c.hennix herself ...

this is monumentally important music, folks ; it should be approached with the due reverence reserved otherwise for prime-era palestine, riley, and young ...
die schachtel press release...

catherine christer hennix the electric harpsichord

genre: early minimalism, drone
format: cd+ book
description: deluxe edition, silver and gloss varnish print, innovative silver / black cardboard book+cd edition, 60 pp in english. limited to 500 copies .

in every media, the work of christer hennix shows extraordinary mastery of the interrelationship between eastern and western thought

- la monte young

known to the very few, the electric harpsichord is possibly the obscure masterpiece of the days of the early american minimalism. recorded live in 1976 after many years of study under the guidance of pandit pran nath and lamonte young, it has finally found the perfect home in the die schachtel art catalogue: a lavishly produced and innovative silver / black cardboard book+cd edition, that gives the work the space and merit it deserves as a unique work of art, complete with two poems by lamonte young especially written for this edition, and an extensive essay by henry flynt.


an improvisation performed on just intonation tuned keyboards put through time lag accumulators similar to those used by terry riley, hennix has produced one of the most remarkable pieces of music to emerge from the la monte young school of minimalism. a swedish born composer, who studied in the tradition of the xenakis and stockhausen in the 1960s, hennix met la monte young and hindustani raga master pandit pran nath at the nuits du fondation maeght festival in 1970, and pursued studies with both men during the 1970s. while the use of the time lag in riley's works such as "a rainbow in curved air" results in an experience of blissful, focused, samadhi-like calm, hennix's drone work has more in common with the chaotic fluxes of psychedelic experience or the mandalas of tibetan buddhism. this is a moving eternity, pulsating, shifting-something like a raga perhaps, insofar as a raga is a specific deity invoked into sound, shifting, fluttering inside the matrix of the drone

hennix’s the electric harpsichord is a gigantic piece, ma killer, a work which exists outside of style or genre. it is unbelievable. it creates blocks of sound that move in and out of each other to create the effects. it is a pure perfect piece of music that resonates and resounds and creates a universe that it is impossible by other means. in our primitive and unenlightened culture it becomes a work of transcendent power.

- glenn branca


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first in stock on
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threads:
digital-musics
minimalism-drones
sound-art

 best of 2008 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #dsart06 cd

stephan mathieuradioland” compact disc

  • raphael (10:04)
  • gabriel (10:02)
  • michael (10:08)
  • promede (5:06)
  • auf der gasse (5:03)
  • licht und finsternis zum auge (8:20)
  • prolog im himmel (7:05)
july 2008 release ; new version of this popular disc - no longer in an “oversized” green-plastic neon nightmare, now housed in a just-as-lovely digipack-sized custom package that, frankly, rivals the “limited” edition (i.e. if you didn’t manage to get one you’re not missing much !!!)

regarding the music ::

ah, excellent ... a bunch of us have been waiting for mr. mathieu here to drop something new for years ; “the sad mac” and “sad mac studies” have stuck with me, always on hand for extended car trips. that’s he landed here @ die schachtel, releasing his first album in many years (the last thing i can remember is that akira rabelais dvd-collaboration on con-v) is telling, as is the dedication to walter marchetti ...

musically speaking, mathieu’s trademarks are here in droves; each piece rings out with a warm & enveloping tonal palette, with most pieces hovering around a slowly evolving set of digitally-frozen chord-shapes with faint whisps of bell-like tones coming in & out of the mix ... just beautiful. highly recommended !!!
die schachtel press release...

radioland is stephan mathieu's long awaited 5th full length studio work, following his acclaimed the sad mac cd from 2004. exclusively based on real-time processed shortwave radio signals, radioland takes the listener on a carpet ride across endless, majestic shimmering landscapes. radioland is a mesmerizing reflection on the bubble of information thats all around us, all the time, by one of the truly unique minds in today's abstract digitalia.

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new to stock as of
september 7th, 2011


threads:
1970s-electronic
analogue-synth
electro-acoustic-composition

 best of 2011 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds24 cd

franca sacchien” compact disc

  • ainsi fut le commencement, il n’y aura pas de fin (10:58) 1970
  • arpa eolia (8:17) 1970
  • quando mi hanno ucciso, se così posso dire, e quindi rinasci. (9:02) 1972
  • danza, mia cara (28:32) 1971
august 2011 release ; long-awaited cd version of perhaps my all-time favorite die schachtel release :: franca saachi’s “enlp from 2005 ...

ainsi fut le commencement il n’y aura pas de fin” (roughly, “thus there was the beginning, there will be no end”) does a fine job in invoking worlds-other via distant bleeping and low-end dronecraft ...

arpa eolia” (“aeolian harp”) is a positively doom-laden, dissonant pipe-organ etude ...

quando mi hanno ucciso, se così posso dire. e quindi rinasco” (roughly, “when they have victim of a murder to me, if therefore I can say. and therefore revive.”) is concerned with subtle tonal shifts of oscillating, filtered figures ...

finally, “danza mia cara” (“we danced my beloved“) is a positively frazzled extended display of backwards tape effects / histrionics and raw blurbling modular synth (my only reference points for something as alien would be pierre henry’s brainwave-epic “mise en musique du corticalart” and perhaps the best side-long early 70’s schnitzler tumblers) ...

pure magic in sound, no less ...

ps. hearing the full “danza, mia cara” without having all 28-minutes squashed onto a single lp-side is a quasi-religious experience ... listen to the sound-sample for an extended bleep ...
die schachtel press release...

franca sacchi
en
ds 24 cdbox 2011

one of the very few female composer of early electronic music, franca sacchi studied at the well known rai studio of fonologia in milan in the 60s. she developed the “en-static” principle, which included improvisation, electronic music, ritual, performance, teaching and meditation. her music focuses mainly on sound, which is treated as raw material and endlessly explored.

sacchi's free concept of duration and deep emotional feel brings her closer to eliane radigue and la monte young, especially for the long and sustained tones which are suddenly turned into pulsations and gritty sound textures. her work was also included in the seminal broken music exhibition in berlin.

originally published by die schachtel as limited edition lp, this lavish golden cdbox + booklet presents her best work in a fully remastered edition.

edition of 500 copies

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$29.01

new to stock as of
august 9th, 2011


threads:
1960s-electronic
1970s-electronic
analogue-synth
experimental-instruments
electro-acoustic-composition
modern-composition
machine-music
live-electronic

 best of 2011 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds23 lp

gruppo npsnuove proposte sonore • 1965-1972” long playing record

  • ricerca 4 (5:48)
  • funzione 4 (2:48)
  • modulo 4 (3:53)
  • interferenze 2 (4:35)
  • massse 1 (3:15)
  • massse 2 (2:39)

  • freq. mod. 2 (6:30)
  • insiemi (7:40)
  • filtro 1 (6:36)
  • hardlag ii (5:33)
august 2011 release ; ... needless to say, but it’s great to be back on track with die schachtel, who are here picking up their “silver series” of lp’s after a good few-yearsbreak ...

this edition issues some of the earliest electronic music from italy, composed at two different facilities (in padova & varsavia) by a changing cast of composers & artisans revolving around teresa rampazzi ... utilizing an array of crude laboratory test equipment & recording devices, this music is anything but a series of stuffy, academic affairs, largely concerned with raw analogue tone-clustering & audio-rate fm / am-type processes, issued under clinical / technical names that absolutely drip with machine-shop chic ...

absolutely eye-opening stuff & easily one of my favorite reissues of the year of any stripe / style ; the production spec & attention to detail is everything you’d expect from a ca. 2011 die schachtel vinyl edition ... highly recommended !!!
die schachtel press release...

gruppo nps
nuove proposte sonore 1965 - 1972
ds 23/2 vinyl lp 2011

limited edition of 300 copies. deluxe silver cover with silver foil design, custom inner sleeve and 12-page booklet in english and italian.

the nps - nuove proposte sonore (new sound proposals) group was founded in padua (italy) in 1964 by the composer teresa rampazzi together with the visual artist ennio chiggio. working with analogical devices they produced some of the most compelling electronic music of the period, and they soon became one of the most reputed electronic music centers in italy, together with the s 2 fm by pietro grossi in florence and the smet by enore zaffiri in turin.

with the departure of chiggio, the years 1969-1970 tranformed it in a female-only collective (teresa rampazzi, serenella marega and patrizia gracis). the two periods were characterized by different instrumentation, and it is surprising how they were able to achieve great results with some simple means. at least in the beginning.

in the first period they used a couple of two-tracks tape recorders (sony 777 and sony 521), an eico low frequency generator, a radio station to produce long wavelengths frequencies, a mixer, an oscillator, a revox, and a self-built loudspeaker. they had to use the stairwell as an echo chamber.

in the second one, when the studio was more established, they had six manually-controlled oscillators as well as six modulated ones, a white noise generator, an octave-band filter and a variable one, an amplitude modulator, a noteswitch, a reverb, a 10-channels mixer, a unit for audio signal routing, four tape recorders, a stereo sound system and a frequency meter (during the last years they also bought a 2500 arp synthesizer).

this deluxe lp edition presents the group’s compositions for the first time ever.

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threads:
1960s-electronic
1970s-electronic
analogue-synth
experimental-instruments
electro-acoustic-composition
live-electronic
machine-music
modern-composition

 best of 2011 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds23 cd

grupo npsnuove proposte sonore • 1965-1972” compact disc

  • ricerca 4 (5:48) 1965/1968
  • funzione 4 (2:48) 1965/1968
  • modulo 4 (3:53) 1965/1968
  • interferenze 2 (4:36) 1965/1968
  • masse 1 (3:15) 1965/1968
  • masse 2 (2:39) 1965/1968
  • freq mod 2 (6:31) 1968/1972
  • insiemi (7:40) 1968/1972
  • filtro 1 (6:36) 1968/1972
  • hardlag ii (5:33) 1968/1972
august 2011 release ; cd version of the grupo nps lp, comes in a gorgeous foil-stamped silver box with a 36-page booklet in italian & english ...

... needless to say, but it’s great to be back on track with die schachtel, who are here picking up their “silver series” of lp’s after a good few-yearsbreak ...

this edition issues some of the earliest electronic music from italy, composed at two different facilities (in padova & varsavia) by a changing cast of composers & artisans revolving around teresa rampazzi ... utilizing an array of crude laboratory test equipment & recording devices, this music is anything but a series of stuffy, academic affairs, largely concerned with raw analogue tone-clustering & audio-rate fm / am-type processes, issued under clinical / technical names that absolutely drip with machine-shop chic ...

absolutely eye-opening stuff & easily one of my favorite reissues of the year of any stripe / style ; the production spec & attention to detail is everything you’d expect from a ca. 2011 die schachtel vinyl edition ... highly recommended !!!
die schachtel press release...

gruppo nps
nuove proposte sonore 1965 - 1972
ds 23 cdbox 2011

the nps - nuove proposte sonore (new sound proposals) group was founded in padua (italy) in 1964 by the composer teresa rampazzi together with the visual artist ennio chiggio. working with analogical devices they produced some of the most compelling electronic music of the period, and they soon became one of the most reputed electronic music centers in italy, together with the s 2 fm by pietro grossi in florence and the smet by enore zaffiri in turin.

with the departure of chiggio, the years 1969-1970 tranformed it in a female-only collective (teresa rampazzi, serenella marega and patrizia gracis). the two periods were characterized by different instrumentation, and it is surprising how they were able to achieve great results with some simple means. at least in the beginning.

in the first period they used a couple of two-tracks tape recorders (sony 777 and sony 521), an eico low frequency generator, a radio station to produce long wavelengths frequencies, a mixer, an oscillator, a revox, and a self-built loudspeaker. they had to use the stairwell as an echo chamber.

in the second one, when the studio was more established, they had six manually-controlled oscillators as well as six modulated ones, a white noise generator, an octave-band filter and a variable one, an amplitude modulator, a noteswitch, a reverb, a 10-channels mixer, a unit for audio signal routing, four tape recorders, a stereo sound system and a frequency meter (during the last years they also bought a 2500 arp synthesizer).

deluxe silver cd-box, silver-foil design, complete with a 36-pages booklet in italian and english.

edition of 500 copies

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$23.51

back in stock as of
august 9th, 2011

first in stock on
august 31st, 2010


threads:
australia
1960s-electronic
1970s-electronic
digital-musics
electro-acoustic-composition
musique-concrète
analogue-synth

 best of 2010 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds20 cd

pietro grossicombinatoria” double compact disc set

  • pietro grossi - pg4 - 1965 (excerpt) (10:42)
  • pietro grossi - sp - 1965 (excerpt) (6:44)
  • pietro grossi / s 2f m - om - 1966 (excerpt) (11:15)
  • vittorio gelmetti - modulazioni per michelangelo - 1965 (8:34)
  • riccardo andreoni - studio sugli impulsi - 1968 (excerpt) (6:38)
  • albert mayr - proposta sonora viii" - 1968 (excerpt) (6:30)
  • aurelio peruzzi - studio 1 - 1967 (4:23)
  • smet - el 25 - 1966 (2:50)
  • nps - interferenze 2 - 1967 (4:13)

  • pietro grossi - create [a] (0:30)
  • pietro grossi - sound life 24 (5:17)
  • pietro grossi - fuga xii (1:34)
  • pietro grossi - sound life 11 (2:10)
  • pietro grossi - silencio (0:06)
  • pietro grossi - sound life 17 (1:09)
  • pietro grossi - fuga xii inversa (1:26)
  • pietro grossi - arte della fuga elaborata (1:30)
  • pietro grossi - combinatoria 1970 (3:44)
  • pietro grossi - monodia 1970 (9:57)
  • pietro grossi - create (2:08)
  • pietro grossi - silenzio (0:06)
  • pietro grossi - sound life 25 (0:56)
  • pietro grossi - fuga xiii (1:36)
  • pietro grossi - sound life 11 (2:51)
  • pietro grossi - fuga xiii inv (1:39)
  • pietro grossi - sound life 27 (1:45)
  • pietro grossi - arte della fuga elaborata (1:33)
  • pietro grossi - sound life 42 (6:38)
  • pietro grossi - create (11:24)
  • pietro grossi - variazioni su scarlatti sonata 119 (1:35)
  • pietro grossi - sound life 11 (3:07)
march 2010 release ; finally on a proper, replicated cd, the bulk of the pietro grossicomputer music” 2lp (originally issued by “two nuns” in 1972 ; though most of you prob. know it via the creel pone replication) ...

about which ::

historically i’ve never been all that fond of first or even second-tier moog / computer-sploitation lps; i’m talking about “switched on bach” and the flock that followed in its wake - “switched on country” / “everything you always wanted to know about the moog*” / etc... while i’m sure it was all well & good @ the time (as the record-buying public proved in record numbers), but in retrospect it’s not all that interesting to hear mussorgsky’s “pictures at an exhibition” synthesized on a moog 900 series modular, or george jones on a pdp-11 at that...

so... why is this collection of late 60s / early 70s computerized insanity, presented in essentially the same manner (albeit with much nicer artwork), so damn amazing? in the same way that someone like louis wain’s later paintings of cats are so damn amazing when compared to those of his “fruitful” career; he, not unlike grossi here, went through the looking glass and came out the other end with his grand-vision altered beyond recognition...

the first disc/lp offers a 12 minute demo (in italian) of the ibm system/360 software systems (referred to as dcmp* and play1800* throughout...), then 2 bach pieces, then a side of paganini etudes, all realized using the aforementioned software/hardware system... but even here we’re starting to witness signs of grossi’s willingness to roam into “non-musical” territory; parts are sped up and slowed down well beyond recognition, parameters are ruthlessly tweaked into needle-in-the-forehead domains using shrill, generally unpleasant timbres... but that’s not even the weirdest part...

by the second disc/lp, grossi has thrown the notion of realizing “known” music(s) out the window entirely, instead offering up a series of blistering original compositions realized on the same system/software... only these are just fried, buzzing-bee-scapes, on par with with what people like florian hecker are doing with modern machines and software... yet this was back in 1971! by the time the 20-minuteunending music” starts drilling through your cortex, things are already way beyond normal and far into the realms of the unreal... case in point grossi’s own description of said piece in the booklet (also containing an essay entitled “computer and pentagram” (?!?)) ::

sound agglomerates the elaboration of which, as in the case of «monodia», is virtually unending. in this work, variations in timbre and volume of the sound are added to those of tempo and frequency. the composition of monodic, with the exception of a two voices section from the eleventh to the fifteenth minute. direct bi-channel recording was made possible by the digital-analog converter

as to the “sound agglomerates” :: anyone’s guess... one can almost witness grossi’s descent into madness as the solo studio hours/tan start piling up; the neat holes in all of those punch cards getting messier and messier (again... ala louis wain; his cats getting more & more angular; their insane eyes eventually taking over the frame...vs. grossi’s transposed classical melodies eventually giving way to a collection of 200mph atonal arpeggiation and raw sawtooth burn...) those wanting to experience the whole range from method to madness can start right at the beginning; others with shorter attention spans and a tendency towards the absurd will want to jump right to the second disc for a veritable mind-fuck that trumps most contemporary computer-skree... just ridiculously noisy/buzzing sawtooth crunch... and again, from the early 70s no less!

... this is augmented with a disc of music composed at grossi’s s 2f m by a league of composers including vittorio gelmetti, albert mayr, teresa rampazzi, riccardo andreoni, aurelio peruzzi, and others ... all shining examples of 60’sacademictape music, in and of itself something of a treasure-trove ... but issued in accord with the aforementioned computer music skronk, this set becomes an essential document of not just italian electronic music, but the entire global early tape/computer music scene ...

highly recommended !!!
die schachtel press release...

pietro grossi combinatoria

genre: early electronic, tape music, early computer sounds
format: cd box
description: deluxe silver cd-box, silver-foil design, complete with a 28-pages booklet in italian and english

a comprehensive guide to the core recordings of one of the most visionary and inspiring, subversive and radical musicians from italy, this 2-cd box deluxe edition captures pietro grossi’s original vision, presenting a wide selection of his studio early recordings, beautifully re-mastered to preserve the enduring quality.

pietro grossi used to playfully define himself as pigro [lazy], but he wasn't lazy at all! few musicians have been working everyday at such a cracking pace, creating, teaching and writing, and when we listen to his music we should bear in mind how this complex figure of musician, cellist and composer, and also visual artist, has developed creative thinking in a path where a blend of very different aspects organically cohabited.

since the late '50s grossi was convinced of the potential of the 'new sound' and was totally obsessed with pioneering it, to the point where he would found the s 2f m (studio di fonologia musicale di firenze) in 1963 -  which made its headquarters in florence at the conservatorio, and then in his apartment! - spending days and nights on end splicing tapes and working with various modified machines to create his abstract soundscapes. the two cds features his first analogical electronic music, as well as some s 2f m studio works by colleagues such as vittorio gelmetti, gruppo nps (with teresa rampazzi) and albert mayr, while the second disc is focused on the prototype computer generated sound synthesis.

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back in stock as of
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first in stock on
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threads:
1970s-electronic
psych-prog
electro-acoustic-composition
musique-concrète
analogue-synth
minimalism-drones

die schachtel (italy) #ds18 cd

claudio rocchisuoni di frontiera” compact disc

  • superstart (2:40)
  • la forza (2:37)
  • il risveglio (2:18)
  • frammento (0:07)
  • apertura (1:35)
  • oh lyra... (2:22)
  • oscillando (1:53)
  • il rame e gli armonici (3:48)
  • tarantella (3:48)
  • canzone popolare (1:41)
  • ho' (2:07)
  • del r(ub)(id)are cultura (2:17)
  • suoni interni (1:39)
  • dopo arona (3:14)
  • acoustic seedback (1:44)
  • per antichi canali (2:50)
  • ritmi (4:29)
april 2009 release ; intriguing set of mid-70s home-studio electronic music miniatures from stormy six member (also a popular solo artist in his own right) claudio rocchi ...

oren frames the album well below (in a language familiar to mms readers, no less) so i won’t go into too much detail ... but it’s worth noting that this one hits pretty close to home, coming across as the bastard love child of giorgio moroder’s einzelganger (much gated / processed / vocoded voice), cluster’s mid-70s work (experimental, but often melodic synth patternage), and the nuno canvarroplux quba” lp (hard to place electronic filigree, devoid of any sort of stylistic notion) ...

highly recommended !!!
die schachtel press release...

ds18 cd (electronic prog)
claudio rocchisuoni di frontiera

back in 1975 when "suoni di frontiera" ("borderline sounds") was released, claudio rocchi was already a well known figure in the italian pop scene. in the late 60's rocchi had burst onto the scene as a member of milanese psych-prog legends stormy six. he performed on their "le idee di oggi per la musica di domani" lp in 1969 and soon after, the acid folk of "viaggio", rocchi's solo debut, was released in 1970. that same year rocchi hosted an influential radio show on the italian national broadcasting station, rai. 1971 brought the simply awesome "volo magico no.1".

an acknowledged classic, it emerged as not dissimilar to roy harper's landmark song cycle of progressive/psych folk, "stormcock." the album – especially the epic 18 minute title track – established rocchi as the italian psych-folk minstrel par excellence. then, after traveling to india, improvisation and eastern philosophies began to shape his next few albums, “essenza” from 1973 being a high point. 1974's “il miele dei pianeti le isole le api(“the honey of the planets the islands the bees”) featured guitars, tabla, strings and percussion but the following album from 1975, “rocchi” was, according to the man himself, “a real u turn” it featured a handful of songs, though rocchi baffled his hardcore following by introducing cut-ups, environmental sounds and analogue synthesizers recorded at his home studio using a revox a70.

this brings us to the experimental electronics of his next album “suoni di frontiera”. consisting of 16 “sketches” made at home, this recording went much further out than “rocchi”. described by so-called authorities to be naïve and unsophisticated, to these ears “suoni“ is a highly personal and extremely charming collection of psychedelically damaged constructs. all of rocchi's celebrated and highly recognized vocals were now processed and modulated - if they were heard at all. they sat alongside his spacey and dislocated homespun synth stylings that sound simultaneously retro and futuristic. what more can one ask for?

rocchi described the release as “diving deeper into psychoacoustics, a practical theory on healing music, mind resonances, inner flows“. yep. and thanks to the good folk at die schachtel, another crucial piece of the 70's italian puzzle has been unearthed for our pleasure.

dig in.

oren ambarchi, melbourne, february 2009

deluxe tri-fold white digipak, silver and gloss varnish print, 12 pages booklet in english and italian.

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$17.01

back in stock as of
august 9th, 2011

first in stock on
may 8th, 2008


threads:
1960s-electronic
1980s-electronic
electro-acoustic-composition
musique-concrète

 best of 2008 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds16 cd

pietro grossimusicautomatica” compact disc

  • progetto 2-3 (14:19) 1961
  • collage (13:57) 1968
  • unicum (28:05) 1985
may 2008 release ; yikes; has it really been 5 years since die schachtel initially unleashed the lp version of this, their debut release, onto an unsuspecting public? looks like it (kind of depressing in a way ... feels like yesterday ...).

it only fits that they’d follow up (eventually) w/this cd reissue, coming in a lovely metallic-printed box (similar to the cd-set that comes w/the bertoncini book) containing a 24-page booklet (in english and italian) documenting grossi’s time @ the rai, including the follow essays :: “music and automatization : acquisitions and expectations (1969)”, “about computer music (1969)”, “the ‘instant zero’ of music (1985)”, and a biography ...

regarding aforementioned lp version, i had this to say back in may of 2003 ::

progetto 2-3 (1961) is the sort of resonant long-tone piece that ascends me high into an alpha-state. “...this is the origina of progetto 2-3, six sonic bands whose interval relations were obtained by dividing into equal parts the intervals of extreme frequencies. these were arbitrarily assigned to the first band, and then calculated through a specific computer algorithm. the modality and succession order of intermediate frequencies, like pauses between bands, were controlled through combinatorial calculation procedures: combination, permutation, position, etc...” beautiful grainy tonalities, very hard to fathom this being a ‘relic’...

collage (1968) is, for me, the prize of the record... a murky tape & computer construct of almost biblical proportions. what little of grossi’s music i’d heard until now (mostly later/80s pieces) didn’t quite prepare me for this clangorous freakout ... resembling xenakis’ “diamorphoses” on uppers. a key piece from a historical perspective (very little of the milan studio rai output is currently available) ...

unicum (1985) is a side-long gestural piece from a few years later incorporating muted computer-generated fibbles & all manner of mystery noises in an extended trance-out.

i’ll say it again; “collage” is w/o compare; one of the noisiest/racket-oriented bits of early tape-music & pretty much needs to be heard by any acolyte of the early-noise spec. very glad die schachtel have come forward w/this mass-market edition for any/all to experience; again or anew. highly recommended !!!
die schachtel press release...

the long awaited cd edition of our first vinyl release ever (2003), will finally give a wider audience the opportunity to listen to some of the most intense compositions of this visionary and uncompromising composer.

minimalist before the minimalists, pioneer of computer music, founder of the studio of phonology of florence, visual artist and hacker ahead of his time. this was pietro grossi, a larger-than-life italian composer who questioned the concept of musical authorship and the idea of personal artistic expression: “a piece is not only a work (of art), but also one of the many “works” one can freely transform: everything is temporary, everything can change at any time”. “ideas are not personal anymore, they are open to every solution, everybody could use them”.

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first in stock on
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threads:
psych-prog
1970s-electronic

 best of 2007 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds14 cd

art fleuryi luoghi del potere” compact disc

  • uno spettrio si aggira per (4:36)
  • brigate hans eisler (4:41)
  • fabbrica rosa (11:32)
  • e=mc2 (5:01)
  • la morte al lavoro (11:56)
  • l’overdose (7:58)
april 2007 release from die schachtel; a high-quality production (no surprises there) as an oversize cd-box (same as the insiememusicadiversa & aldo clementi sets) containing a 16-page book & a fold-out poster for your wall, and at the bottom, a compact disc containing the 1980 debut album by art fleury, a trio loosely affiliated with the rio (rock in opposition) movement.

no, i’d never hear of them either, and i consider myself something of a rio-head... while i can certainly hear nods towards henry cow (with whom they toured at the tail-end of the 70s), and especially franco battiato, this is much, much weirder, completely disjointed in spots and quite addled with tape-speed-effects, random electronic squiggles, mellotron drones, and the occasion rock-trio move.

fans of faust and/or the more deconstructed end of late 70s experimental rock music; this set is an absolute goldmine - once again we’re provided with a window into an avenue of italian underground music that had long been glossed-over...

of the spring 2007 die schachtel litter; this is the pick...
die schachtel press release...
ds14
art fleury
i luoghi del potere
cardboard cdbox, 16-page booklet in english and italian + poster.

art fleury was born in brescia, northern italy, in the mid-seventies. they were still in their teens when they had the opportunity to open the concert of the group area at the famous parco lambro festival in milan (1976), in front of fifty thousands people. in the following years they extensively toured and played with henry cow, and in 1980 they were finally able to produce and release their first record, “i luoghi del potere” (the places of power), which they started recording in 1977.

superficially (or intentionally) included in the “prog” genre, “i luoghi del potere” (originally conceived as the soundtrack of an imaginary movie), is a very personal and radical experience, at times recalling faust’s free-form kraut riffing, or the industrial sound collages of nurse with wound. the music is articulated through an outstanding dynamic juxtaposition of instrumental parts, with frequent structural and harmonic fragmentations, and a diverse array of unusual sound elements: from a sort of brass-band progression to radio frequencies, from cacophonic intermezzos to expressionist tape-collage techniques.

through this free flow of sounds, only apparently casual, the group wanted to expose the alienation, the folly, the hopes and fears of their times, through a creative act that pushed to the limits their expressive means.

...

liner notes :

the group art fleury - initially known as amg, from the initials of the three members' names (augusto ferrari, maurizio tomasoni, giangi frugoni) - was born in brescia, northern italy, in the midseventies.

they were still in their teens when they had the opportunity to open the concert of the group area at the famous parco lambro festival in milan (1976), in front of fifty thousands people.

very soon they joined the cooperativa l’orchestra, a milan-based collective enterprise of underground artists and musicians, very active and well known in italy during the seventies.

in the following years they toured and played with henry cow, and in 1977 they changed their name to art fleury. in 1980, in bologna, they were finally able to produce and release their first record, "i luoghi del potere" (the places of power).

their affiliation with revolutionary groups of the radical left wing (they were part of lotta continua, a group of radical activists), gave their music a dimension that went beyond the artistic act, or the sheer provocation. their music, and the history of the group, is charged with the hopes and fears of the intense and somewhat dramatic season of the revolutionary ideal.

in "i luoghi del potere", art fleury offer their hallucinated interpretation of that idea. the music is articulated through an outstanding dynamic juxtaposition of instrumental parts, with frequent structural and harmonic fragmentations, and a surprising range of unusual sound elements: from a sort of brass-band progression to radio frequencies, from cacophonic intermezzos to expressionist tapecollage techniques. through this free flows of sounds, only apparently casual, the group put on stage and exposed the alienation, the folly, the hopes and fears of the modern times, through a creative act that pushed to the limits their expressive means.

their uncompromising attitude towards the "music system" (the market, the establishment), was an additional way to remark the constant presence of power, which controls and pre-determines our individual choices: in this sense the "places of power" are not only the traditional places of social oppression (the factory, the city, the school, the politics), but also all the actions and mechanisms of the capitalistic system which controls music and art.

superficially (or intentionally) ascribed to the "progressive" genre, "i luoghi del potere" (originally conceived as the soundtrack of an imaginary movie), is in fact a very personal and radical experience, through which music becomes once again the vehicle for the re-appropriation of our personal sphere, and at the same time a chance to rethink the way we listen to music, out of any pre-ordered cultural, social or political context. in other words, out of the "places of power" which are still alive and active.

augusto ferrari (keyboards)
maurizio tomasoni (soprano sax, flute, clarinet)
giangi frugoni (guitars, bass)

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back in stock as of
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first in stock on
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threads:
modern-composition
1980s-electronic
electro-acoustic-composition

die schachtel (italy) #ds12 cd

aldo clementipunctum contra punctum” compact disc

  • concerto (18:20) 1986
  • gian(ca)rlo cardini (5:28) 1978
  • fantasia su roberto fabriciani (17:15) 1980/1
  • parafrasi (19:28) 1981
die schachtel’s cd-box reissue of late 70s/early 80s compositions by this heralded italian composer. contains 2 pieces for instrumentation (some nice, gnarly prepared-piano - listen to the sound-sample) and electronic/tape/computer accompaniment ...
die schachtel press release...
genre: avantgarde
format: cd box
description: deluxe white and silver-foil design cd-box edition, complete with a lovingly designed 64-page booklet in english and italian.

aldo clementi marks out the distance with an absolute refusal to provide narratives, whether of tension resolved, or simply of that logically unending succession of states of being so dear to many of his contemporaries. his materials, whether gathered from a tonal past, generated as a jeu d'esprìt from the names of dedicatees, or produced by a purely abstract process, are projected into a rotational steady state that has no logical end or beginning.” - david osmond-smith, 2005

on the occasion of his 80th birthday, die schachtel is proud to present "punctum contra punctum", a deluxe compact disc box dedicated to aldo clementi, one of the most important figures of italian music of the 20th century. born in sicily in 1925, he studied piano and later composition under the guidance of teachers such as goffredo petrassi and bruno maderna, who also introduced him to electronic music at the rai studio of phonology in milan.

like many composers of the period, he employed serial technique early in his work, to abandon it later on in favor of a very personal, ingenious and unique method for creating new music. blessed with extraordinary skills of invention and assimilation, clementi may be the one living composer for whom "genius" is not too strong a word. his musical language is extremely articulate and profound, resulting in a fascination with obsessive repetitions, collages, canons, and incredibly complex rhythmic textures which have to be heard to be believed. at the same time his music maintains to stay fresh, dynamic and highly enjoyable. a must-have for all the modern music lovers, and a great discovery for the most adventourous and prepared listener.

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back in stock as of
august 9th, 2011

first in stock on
december 14th, 2009


threads:
1970s-electronic
1980s-electronic
electro-acoustic-composition
musique-concrète
analogue-synth
electro-acoustic-improvisation
sound-poetry

 best of 2009 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds09/2 lp

teresa rampazzimusica endoscopica” long playing record

  • musica endoscopica (25:01) 1972

  • environ (6:45) 1970
  • with the light pen (8:34) 1976
  • metamorfosi (8:30) 1981  
october 2009 release ; after several years of inactivity, die schachtel’s legendary “metallicvinyl series returns in full force with this luxury edition of the recent teresa rampazzi collection (replete with a bonus track exclusive to the lp edition) ...

re: the music ::

... starting with the sparse “environ,” the sheets of filtered white noise & rising/falling electronic oscillations remind me a bit of a more through-composed take on what louis & bebe barron were doing ca. 1956 ... this is followed by “musica endoscopica,” a series of 12 miniatures (each named after the digestive organ conceivably responsible for each respective noise) realized on modular synth & some extremely sproingy reverb, undoubtedly the centerpiece of the disc, with each 2-minute segment offering up a different patch / sound-combination ...

the latter two pieces are from the early digital era ; the synthesized bell tones of “with the light pen” are straight out of chowning’s book ...

despite recent / depressing developments in the euro-dollar exchange, this one actually costs a little less than the prior entries ; even with the full die schachtel spec (i.e. embossed, foil-stamped “metallicjacket, proper printed inner sleeve, full-size 4-panel booklet in italian & english) ... highly recommended !!!
die schachtel press release...

ds9 teresa rampazzi musica endoscopica

genre: early electronic music, computer music
format: lp
description: limited 300 copies deluxe silver cover with silver foil design,
custom inner sleeve and 4-page booklet in english and italian.

following the acclaimed cd edition, here's the long-awaited limited "silver" lp edition of the teresa rampazzi incredible early electronic music. it differs from the cd edition for the inclusion of "metamorfosi", a previously unreleased an magnificent drone piece.

teresa rampazzi, a seminal yet very little known female italian composer/musician, founded the "nps - nuove proposte sonore" - an experimental music collective formed in the late 60s, she was also one of the founders and main figures of the "centro di sonologia computazionale" a computer music research center active from the early 70s at the university of padua.

it would be easy to see electronic composer teresa rampazzi as italy's equivalent of daphne oram or delia derbyshire, those long-neglected pioneers behind the bbc radiophonic workshop. but zoomed in closer, though, a more intriguing picture begins to emerge: "musica endoscopica" is in fact an immersive journey into a futuristic / early digital electronic music with dense, long drone pieces made of complex textures explore the computer's capacity to produce endless variations of source material, and at times anticipate some of the electro-feel to emerge in the years to follow.

a welcomed return of die schachtel to their celebrated "metallic" series vinyl lp edition, dedicated to the early electronic italian composers.

...

from the liner notes ::

…i encountered the electronic music exactly at its birth, listening to its cries in the large marienhöhe concert hall, in darmstadt. (actually the term ‘arrived’ is not correct; no one ever joins any place; we are always walking).

teresa rampazzi describes in this way her encounter with the electronic synthesis. it was the year 1952, when she first participated to the ferienkurse für neue musik at darmstadt (she went several other times later). at that time teresa rossi (this was her maiden name) was 37. she was a pianist, performer of avant-garde music and chorus singer; she was married with 2 children.

the 1952 edition was one of the most famous edition of the ferienkurse: boulez declares schoenberg’s death, there were the first concerts der jungen generation (teresa was in the chorus of españa en el corazón by luigi nono). nevertheless, a small electronic instrument (a frequency generator) struck her instead. she had understood that that was the only way to completely reject tonal music.

... so in that [marienhöhe] concert hall, for the first time eimert showed to the public a small frequency generator. musicians looked at it suspiciously and did not attach too much importance to it. for me, that little, tricky object could certainly grow, multiply, shock the world, that is the musical world.

teresa comes back in padova changed. but she takes a few years to finally abandon her instrumental activity. meanwhile, in her lounge she meets composers, musicians and theoreticians (niccolò castiglioni, franco donatoni, severino gazzelloni, rené leibowitz, heinz-klaus metzger). in padova, she plays in 1959 during a concert with john cage, metzger and s. bussotti. in 1963 she organizes an electroacoustic music concert. but she completely carries our her plan only in 1964, when she meets ennio chiggio, a visual artist member of the gruppo enne. “from darmstadt she took every time with her just moods, perturbation, never detailed reports; and we tried together to elaborate them”. chiggio worked at that time with a company that produces electronic materials: he obtained a low-frequency generator, a semiprofessional philips recorder, and a mixer. teresa contacted him to borrow a mixer and a tape player for an audition. in 1978 – in a interview with michela mollia from which we propose here several long quotations, teresa describes her first experiments as follows:

… you cannot ask a newborn baby to make a long speech. i started to babble when i enthusiastically decided to use the [eimert’s generator]. i mixed just short signals for some few minutes. they were not phrases nor words. i shut down and sold the piano, though i’ve almost destroyed it during my performances with john cage. and i bought the same little frequency generator i’ve seen at darmstadt. with it and a mono tape recorder, i tried to make my first electron experiment.

their first experimental work was a sound collage made together with ennio chiggio, which functioned as musical background for the vernissage of an exposition by the gruppo enne at the biennale in venice. on 22nd may 1965 – together with the arrive of serenella marega and a young engineer, memo alfonsi – the n.p.s. (nuove proposte sonore) group presented itself in a concert with a programmatic manifesto.


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first in stock on
january 31st, 2005


threads:
sound-installation
minimalism-drones

 best of 2005 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds03 cd

christina kubischon air” compact disc

  • djungle walk (7:09)
  • travel (9:47)
  • circles (5:24)
  • speak & spell (8:15)
  • circles ii (5:11)
  • listen through the walls (8:52)
  • djungle walk_alt.mix (7:17)

  • interactive track (pc/mac): the complete “in air” project + mpg movie
reissue disc, a collection a mid-80s sound installations by the long-time reigning champion (in both concept and sound) of such, christina kubisch. continually expanding... amazing clear plastic cd case with tranparent/translucent printing; truly befitting c.k.’s concept...
die schachtel press release...
christina kubisch: voice, flute, synthesizer, tape
giulano zosi: voice


christina kubisch on air
final and comprehensive document on the series of 'on air' installations

the final and comprehensive document on the series of installations named "on air" or "magnetic air" which christina kubisch exhibited in italy and europe from 1982 to 1986. twenty years later, "on air" has remained a fascinating listening experience, and represents a unique illustration of the artistic integration of sound and vision.the interactive section provides a virtual journey through the spectacular 1984 installation created for the medieval town of gargonza in tuscany, complete with 1 hour of additional music and a 15-minute video, also including photos, biography, info and scores

genre: sound art, electronic music
format: enhanced cd (audio + multimedia track) for pc and mac
description: clear acetate gatefold cover, transparent cd (c-thru), opaline outer sleeve, promo sticker
copies: 500 total

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$75.01

new to stock as of
august 9th, 2011


threads:
free-improvisation
electro-acoustic-improvisation
digital-musics

 best of 2011 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds zimp 001/100 cd

musica improvvisa” decuple compact disc set

  • thau - defrost (10:00)
  • thau - other tropics (5:27)
  • thau - harmattan (12:10)
  • thau - lightning strike (7:15)
  • thau - equatorial freeze (6:10)
  • thau - ice cups (6:27)
  • thau - misty (8:53)

  • an experiment in navigation - the earth abstracted from its geomorphic features (7:29)
  • an experiment in navigation - wreckage in gaddani (8:14)
  • an experiment in navigation - tidal resonance (11:15)
  • an experiment in navigation - crustal navigation (3:02)
  • an experiment in navigation - gnomonic (4:01)

  • tumble - trampoline (5:13)
  • tumble - gymnastic apparatus (5:52)
  • tumble - consisting of a strong canvas sheet (3:34)
  • tumble - attached with springs (5:52)
  • tumble - to a metal frame (10:50)
  • tumble - used (4:56)
  • tumble - for tumbling (10:09)

  • ossatura with gene coleman & marina peterson - non prima (11:09)
  • ossatura with gene coleman & marina peterson - non oltre (18:22)
  • ossatura with gene coleman & marina peterson - non ancora (10:37)
  • ossatura with gene coleman & marina peterson - non piu' (10:48)

  • xubuxue - skyline blue (15:00)
  • xubuxue - skyline red (15:00)
  • xubuxue - skyline green (15:00)

  • xubuxue - skyline blue 2.0 (15:00)
  • xubuxue - skyline red 2.0 (15:00)
  • xubuxue - skyline green 2.0 (15:00)
  • xubuxue - skyline blue 5.1 (15:00)
  • xubuxue - skyline red 5.1 (15:00)
  • xubuxue - skyline green 5.1 (15:00)

  • wintermute - henry dorsett case folk song (8:29)
  • wintermute - neuromancer (7:07)
  • wintermute - molly, the razorgirl (4:53)
  • wintermute - intrusion countermisures electronics (4:44)
  • wintermute - chiba (4:15)
  • wintermute - wintermute (3:35)

  • amuleto - mind the gap pt. 2 (3:20)
  • amuleto - langsam, mit innigem, ausdruck (6:04)
  • amuleto - final del juego (7:56)
  • amuleto - rise and (9:12)
  • amuleto - fall of western empire (7:15)
  • amuleto - mind the gap pt. 1 (6:25)
  • amuleto - almanacco dei posti sperduti (10:03)
  • amuleto - cani neri (10:56)

  • tumble - trampoline (5:13)
  • tumble - gymnastic apparatus (5:52)
  • tumble - consisting of a strong canvas sheet (3:33)
  • tumble - attached with springs (5:52)
  • tumble - to a metal frame (10:50)
  • tumble - used (4:54)
  • tumble - for tumbling (10:09)

  • a spirale - untitled (1) (2:31)
  • a spirale - untitled (2) (2:32)
  • a spirale - untitled (3) (2:13)
  • a spirale - untitled (4) (2:58)
  • a spirale - untitled (5) (4:51)
  • a spirale - untitled (6) (4:24)
  • a spirale - untitled (7) (4:26)
  • a spirale - untitled (8) (1:32)
  • a spirale - untitled (9) (4:45)
  • a spirale - untitled (10) (3:23)
  • a spirale - untitled (11) (3:48)
  • a spirale - untitled (12) (2:52)

  • amp 2 - parent-explains (12:43)
  • amp 2 - results (11:57)
  • amp 2 - monograph (6:39)
  • amp 2 - natural (11:13)
  • amp 2 - thousand (4:44)

  • ligatura - t29 (10:03)
  • ligatura - t21 (9:16)
  • ligatura - t19 (7:05)
  • ligatura - t22 (6:15)
  • ligatura - t9 (7:54)
  • ligatura - t18 (8:20)
october 2010 release ; ... a fairly astounding 10-disc set (with an extra dvd of visuals & multi-channel mixes of the xubuxue recordings) laying out the “state of the art” re: contemporary italian improvised music ...
die schachtel press release...

vvaa
musica improvvisadsimp1 10cd+dvd box 2010

musica improvvisa is a cutting-edge project of multi-sensorial improvisation, an open dialogue among different musical experiences, narratives and aesthetics that charters the unexplored soundscape of the telluric territory of the new italian improvised music.

ten groups that span from the south to the north of italy, from the well-known to the totally obscure, whose music goes from an harsh assault to the ear to a visionary post-electronic / post everything free-form structure. the brilliant outcome has been lovely packaged by die schachtel in a deluxe box featuring 10 full length cd albums in a series of painstakingly designed individual cd / lp sleeves (one has also an additional dvd of visual scores) plus a 24-pages booklet and a poster.

the names in this essential first edition are:
a spirale (massimo spezzaferro, maurizio argenziano, mario gabola);
amp 2 (domenico sciajno, dario sanfilippo, antonino secchia, gandolfo pagano, andrea valle);
amuleto (francesco dillon, riccardo wanke);
an experiment in navigation (xabier iriondo, roberto sassi);
ligatura (alessandro giachero, maurizio rinaldi, andrea lamacchia, fabrizio saiu);
ossatura + gene coleman & marina peterson (elio martusciello, fabrizio spera, luca venitucci, gene coleman, marina peterson);
thau (sabina meyer, hans koch, paed conca, fabrizio spera);
tumble (andrea belfi, attila faravelli);
wintermute (xabier iriondo, cristiano calcagnile, massimo falascone);
xubuxue (cd+dvd) (pietro d'agostino, marco ariano, elio martusciello, gianfranco tedeschi).


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new to stock as of
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threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
musique-concrète

die schachtel (italy) #ds zc08 cd

philip corner / manuel zurriajoy flashings” compact disc

  • first travels in the new millenium (37:44)
  • feelings (a music) (6:48)
  • gamelan situ (16:27)
  • stravinski could-be (5:22)
  • joy flashings (5:39)
may 2011 release ; intriguing set of electro-acoustic improvisations by noted contemporary flautist / alter ego leadermanuel zurria & messiaen student / fluxus artist philip corner ...
die schachtel press release...

philip corner - manuel zurria
joy flashings
dsc8 cd digipack deluxe 2011ltd 500 - 6 panel digipack deluxe

a joyful product of mutual understanding between this two outstanding composers, described by manuel zurria in the booklet with the following words:

philip gave me the key to enter a secret and wonderful room, full of fabulous things and made me discover a part of me i did not know.

much more than a journey through sound, this work is a reflection on our modern world and the role played by music and soundscapes. it’s a journey through traditional instruments and modern techniques of sound production, from the usual electronic ones to the ultimate icon of contemporary society: the iphone.

here, music has been reduced to a mere suggestion, a medium used in order to discover the potential of the player, plucking at his heartstrings. the wide range of sounds shares a common feature of the composerswill: to experience music as a whole, without limits and boundaries related to the specific instrumental destination. two worlds melt here and the results of this blessed encounter is well expressed by the title. enjoy.

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new to stock as of
august 9th, 2011


threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
musique-concrète
digital-musics
playback-music
field-recordings
site-specific

die schachtel (italy) #ds zc07 cd

fabio selvafiorita / valerio tricolideath by water” compact disc

  • death by water (41:09)
may 2011 release ; superb contemporary musique concrète from 3/4hadbeeneliminated’s valerio tricoli & fabio selvafiorita, featured elements of field recording & tape manipulation captured by selvafiorita on , further processed & transformed by tricoli in milan ...
die schachtel press release...

fabio selvafiorita - valerio tricoli
death by water
dsc7 cd digipack deluxe 2011

ltd 500. released in a 6-panel digipak

die schachtel is proud to present death by water: a four-hand musique concrète composed by fabio selvafiorita and valerio tricoli.

this one track disc has been realized between milan, where it has been composed, and giudecca island, in venice, the location of the field recordings and reel-to-reel tape treatments.

the music stresses and questions the dramatic and alchemical potential of a musical landscape marked by water, as the work is intended to approach the fourth movement of t. s. eliot’s poem “the waste land”. fabio selvafiorita e valerio tricoli created a work full of narrative suggestions, visceral and metaphysical at same time

iv. death by water

phlebas the phoenician, a fortnight dead, 
forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell
and the profit and loss.
                       a current under sea
picked his bones in whispers.  as he rose and fell
he passes the stages of his age and youth
entering the whirlpool.
                      gentile or jew
o you who turn the wheel and look windward,
consider phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

(t.s. eliot, the waste land, 1922)

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new to stock as of
august 9th, 2011


threads:
musique-concrète
new-zealand
modern-composition
free-improvisation

die schachtel (italy) #ds zc06 cd

thollem mcdonas / stefano scodanibbioon debussy’s piano and ...” compact disc

  • the memories of ourselves (4:11)
  • they're seen from other places (4:28)
  • now from now to now (2:34)
  • birth of a modern mind (2:35)
  • a child opens her ears (3:58)
  • a lifetime away (2:27)
  • and oceans between them (2:13)
  • dreaming of dreaming (6:40)
  • of living a life (4:04)
  • with the wind (3:46)
  • a pause before the rest (2:58)
  • bombs rain on burial day (5:31)
  • another century passes (3:01)
  • jupiter mercury venus moon (2:45)
  • the last music she hears (5:00)
  • in return to it all once again (5:25)
january 2011 release ; ... a selection of virtuoso improvisations from storied contemporary-repertroire bassist stefano scodanibbio & pianist thollem mcdonas (heard here performing on debussy’s piano, hence the title) ...
die schachtel press release...

dszc6 thollem mcdonas - stefano scofanibbio on debussy’s piano and...

genre: electro-acoustic, digital glitch, electronica
format: cd
description: deluxe tri-fold digipack cd edition

die schachtel is proud to present a recording that embodies the virtuosity of thollem mcdonas and stefano scodanibbio in the spirit of claude debussy's rebellious creativity

as terry riley wrote:

anyone who has heard thollem or scodanibbio as a soloist might well imagine what a combination of their unique genius could produce.  awesome, well matched virtuosos in an ocean of sound.

during the listening of this cd, you will witness the renowned talent of scodanibbio, a 21st century paganini, whose innovations on the contrabass inspired some of the most important composers of the xxth century, such as cage, berio, scelsi and stockhausenthollem devised the improvisational scheme specifically for this occasion, demonstrating once again his distinctive sound and his unique approach to music.

this album was recorded on the only piano claude debussy owned the last 14 years of his life kindly loaned by the city of brive-la-gaillard and musee labenche of art and historythollem and scodanibbio’s improvisational style creates a sonic flow, resulting in a unique combination of historical and contemporary musical genius. in his liner notes for this album terry riley continues,

an imaginative idea, wonderfully realized with virtuosity, improvisational mastery and intuitive communication of deep sensibility all residing here in the magical marriage of their artistry.

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first in stock on
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threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
musique-concrète

die schachtel (italy) #ds zc05 cd

angelo petronellarimandi e scoperte” compact disc

  • parte 1 (12:54)
  • parte 2 (19:24)
  • parte 3 (14:40)
march 2010 release ; second die schachtel set from insiememusicadiversa member angelo petronella, stripping away (most) of the ina-grm-isms of the first in favor of a more “contemporarysound (i.e. tons of spectral processing, granular freezing, etc) ...
die schachtel press release...

angelo petronella rimandi e scoperte

genre: electronic music
format: cd
description: deluxe tri-fold digipack cd edition

long awaited new album by the enigmatic composer angelo petronella, in a superb piece of electroacoustic microsound, intertwining scrupulous minimalism, environmental recordings, and an intense glacial drone nebula.

angelo petronella is a »missing link«, a unique artist drifting to and from between classic instrumentations and electronics. he has been raised at the drums, initiator of  the legendary insiememusicadiversa collective ensemble in the mid 70s, then fallen in love with the early synthesizer and computer, sound installation an field recordings: the range of sound worlds he has traveled so far, with brilliant but little known results, encompasses classical instrumentations, tape manipulation and state-of-the-art computers.

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threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
musique-concrète
minimalism-drones

die schachtel (italy) #ds zc04 cd

osvaldo coluccinoneuma q” compact disc

  • untitled (1) (16:04)
  • untitled (2) (4:17)
  • untitled (3) (3:32)
  • untitled (4) (18:14)
march 2010 release ; ripping, rippling electro-acoustic studies from composer osvaldo coluccino, firmly rooted in “the drone” while offering myriad micro-detail(s)...
die schachtel press release...

osvaldo coluccino neuma q

genre: electronic music
format: cd
description: deluxe tri-fold digipack cd edition

the new addition to the die schachtel 'composers' series, osvaldo coluccino "neuma q" is an utter immersion into the purest electronic sound, exploring a broad spectrum of electroacoustic phenomena, low-end drone, magically constructed and sequenced in a way that preserves its intimate feel. the composer as a seismograph of both the inner and the outer world and the composition as a record of a momentary, a musical horizon that combines four pieces that defy any standard modern music evaluation criteria and explore new spaces of sound.

osvaldo coluccino (1963), is a composer and poet. his compositions have been commissioned by biennale musica (biennale of venice), milano musica (teatro alla scala), orchestra sinfonica nazionale della rai (rai nuova musica), compagnia per la musica in rome, and have been also performed at several international festivals.

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threads:
guitar-themed
electro-acoustic-composition
electro-acoustic-improvisation

die schachtel (italy) #ds zc03 cd

luigi archettinull” compact disc

  • untitled (1) (2:24)
  • untitled (2) (8:01)
  • untitled (3) (5:37)
  • untitled (4) (6:28)
  • untitled (5) (2:32)
  • untitled (6) (6:08)
  • untitled (7) (5:47)
  • untitled (8) (6:53)
  • untitled (9) (3:19)
  • untitled (10) (2:56)
  • untitled (11) (2:52)
  • untitled (12) (2:55)
  • untitled (13) (2:48)
january 2010 release ; new music from venerablerioguitarist / composer luigi archetti, here working in more solemn, electro-acoustic modes ...
die schachtel press release...

luigi archetti null

genre: electro-acoustic, digital glitch, electronica
format: cd
description: deluxe tri-fold digipack cd edition

“what can we hear now? a sound, as though grains of sand trickle down onto a fine membrane….”

this sound, as though grains of finest sand trickle onto a membrane–the last thing that the narrator in stanislaw lem’s “solaris” hears when he starts out on his journey to a world that is falling apart–is the most fitting way to describe the characteristics of luigi archetti’s music null.

stylistically, the compositions can be placed within the field of planar tonal design, and with this, also an experimental treatment of static sounds and microtonality, out of which finally something like monolithic sound sculptures have emerged.

oscillating in filigree nuances, the modulation of a drone that seems to last an eternity alone indicates that the sense of real time has been canceled–while, at the same time, another acoustic track surfaces like a distant memory, only to disappear again. one begins to think that a sonorous world has come to a standstill or has been silenced. soon, however, a sonic texture gradually begins to spread, scraps of sound seem familiar for a moment and already disappear again before one can grasp them; in the meantime the lower-frequency oscillations of the sound crawl under one’s skin in the form of vibrations.

a feeling of strangeness and disconcertment becomes physical. with this the senses are automatically sharpened; all ears, one dives into a universe of sound, which is something different and more than what one can decipher acoustically.

a universe of sound particles spreads out, in which the sounds provide no references to a possible location. what the ear might consider to be the crunching sound of snow crusts, the deep droning of ice breaking, the scraping of migrating glaciers is often merely an acoustic hallucination, while actually the sounds have been composed using the finest of sound particles, which archetti’s ear has taken from completely different sources, such as the hum of generators, or the white noise of a blank video tape being played, or drone sounds created with the e-bow, which he extracts from his electric guitar (often with scordatura tuning).

an intermediate realm is created in which acoustic sedimentations are layered into a sound tapestry so dense that it feels like there is almost no air left to breathe or to hear with anymore. but it also draws one in like an invitation to journey further into unexplored regions, a journey through timeless and spare acoustic events with a rivetingly hypnotic effect.

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first in stock on
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threads:
modern-composition

die schachtel (italy) #ds zc02 cd

girolamo de simoneshama” compact disc

  • luciano (0:58)
  • vinile (2:12)
  • distrazione (1:47)
  • ribattuto (0:58)
  • in albis (1:32)
  • campane o della solitudine (4:22)
  • zi’ giannino (1:11)
  • sogni, excorcismi #1 (1:08)
  • sogni, excorcismi #2 (1:30)
  • sogni, excorcismi #4 (0:50)
  • sogni, excorcismi #8 (1:41)
  • chiari (8:08)
  • vinile #2 (0:51)
  • sketch (5:11)
  • questa terra (1:45)
  • improvvisa! (5:25)
  • aure (1:33)
  • organza (1:42)
may 2008 release ; a subdued set of pieces ranging from minimal / languorous solo piano to abstract electro-acoustic constructs from luciano cilio-affiliated composer girolamo de simone ...
die schachtel press release...
girolamo de simone emerged from the "new avant-garde" scene, which arose in naples in the 70s around his maestro luciano cilio, of which he plays several parts in the legendary dell’universo assente cd. the pieces presented here are intimate and introspective miniatures, full of melancholy and sweet decay. blending acoustic and electronic particles, de simone creates a fascinating osmotic process of endless beauty.

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first in stock on
january 16th, 2008


threads:
modern-composition
concert-recordings
electro-acoustic-composition
live-electronic
minimalism-drones

 best of 2008 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds zc01 cd

manuel zurriarepeat!” triple compact disc set

  • lászló sáry - pebble playing in a pot(8:01) 1980
  • arvo part - pari intervallo (4:23) 1976 -1980
  • luc ferrari - madame de shanghai (15:17) 1996
  • louis andriessen - lacrimosa (9:05) 1991
  • salvatore sciarrino - immagine fenicia (5:18) 2000
  • arvo part - spiegel im spiegel (9:37) 1978
  • louis andriessen - de lijn (0:38) 1986
  • lászló sáry - canon (4:53) 1978

  • tom johnson - kirkman's ladies - rational harmonies in three voices (14:13) 2005
  • kevin volans - walking song (5:28) 1984
  • john cage - ryoanji (17:27) 1984-6
  • morton feldman - trio for flutes (4:26) 1972
  • alvin lucier - 947 (7:42) 2001
  • tom johnson - 32 breaths (5:40) 2000)

  • stefano scodanibbio - ritorno a cartagena (9:14) 2001
  • aldo clementi - canzonetta (2:32) 2005
  • viktor ekimovsky - in canes venatici (7:58) 1986
  • jonathan harvey - ricercare una melodia (5:31) 1987
  • zoltan jeney - landscape ad hoc (12:07) 1980
  • aldo clementi - parafrasi 2 (11:09) 2004
  • stefano scodanibbio - voyage resumed (12:17) 2005
january 2008 release ; an impressive, triple-disc recital-set from alter ego flautist manuel zurria, featuring a hand-picked selection of pieces by alvin lucier, luc ferrari, salvatore sciarrino, morton feldman, john cage, lászló sáry, arvo part, louis andriessen, tom johnson, kevin volans, stefano scodanibbio, aldo clementi, viktor ekimovsky, jonathan harvey, and zoltan jeney. much emphasis on psycho-acoustic interference (listen to the clip of the lucier piece), live-electronics & delay-lines ...
die schachtel press release...
dszc1 manuel zurria repeat!

genre: minimalism, electro-acoustic
format: 3xcd digipack
description: triple cd – multi-fold deluxe digipak + 16-pages booklet

the restless experimentation and creativity of manuel zurria (of alter ego fame) has resulted in a brilliant series of collaborative works with legendary composers such as luc ferrari, alvin lucier, arvo part, john cage, morton feldman, lászló sáry, louis andriessen, aldo clementi, zoltan jeney, stefano scodanibbio, salvatore sciarrino, jonathan harvey and kevin volans. a truly stunning mixture of electronic and longform electro-acoustic pieces, repetitive ethnic rhythms, drones and delay, field recordings, flute and the human voice.

repeat is the diary of an obsession that has been accompanying me for four long years. alighiero boetti, one of the fathers of italian conceptual art, had fit out along a wall of his house in rome his most introspective work: the wall. on this wall he showed, continuously modifying their choice and position, objects and works belonging to his own production or to the one of other artists friends, together with objects he found by chance on the street, family pictures and drawings of his children. in other words, his own world. during the realisation of this project i have been reading “difference and repetition” by gilles deleuze, which gave me the occasion to ponder on the involvements that bring back to the principle of repetition in music of our time. in a certain sense, deleuze’s writing allowed me to focus on the importance of repetition as a perceptive fact, and as an experience of listening in accumulation. in the same time, i thought of repetition as difference, as a minimal fact, as trance. this element has been determinant in my activity and allowed me to collaborate during the years with musicians who look at repetition as an exciting experience, both physical and mystic.

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threads:
electro-acoustic-improvisation
guitar-themed
free-improvisation
concert-recordings

die schachtel (italy) #ds z13 cd

7k oaksentelechy” compact disc

  • seon avalanche (17:06)
  • soziale plastik (7:10)
  • labor anti-brouillard (12:19)
  • at last i am free (6:53)
may 2011 release ; second die schachtel offering from alfred 23 harth, fabrizio spera, luca venitucci, and massimo pupillo’s 7k oaks, recorded on stage at the belgian interact festival ...
die schachtel press release...

7k oaks
entelechy
dsz13 cd digipack 2011

ltd 500, 6 panel digipack

the second full-length album by the experimental / free-jazz quartet 7k oaks, live recorded in concert at the interact festival in hasselt. this new release is at the same time a confirmation of their musical background as well as an exploration of new territories: about an hour of full-blast energy, with a variety of directions ranging from walls of electro-acoustic noise to free-jazz bursts, hypnotic rythmic patterns and lyrical melodic themes.

it is the entelechy of an acorn to be an oak tree: the music flows naturally through the tracks of the disc, thanks to the mastery of these outstanding performers, able to drive the listener amongst the unexpected twists of their music in order to appreciate every pleat of their timbre.

in short, entelechy has it all: alfred 23 harth (cassiber, otomo yoshihide new jazz quintet) blistering tenor squall, fabrizio spera (ossatura, blast) limitless percussion, luca venitucci (zeitkratzer, ossatura) ceaselessly inventive keys and massimo pupillo (zu, original silence) masterful bass created unquestionably a masterpiece.

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threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
musique-concrète
analogue-synth

die schachtel (italy) #ds z12 cd

nicola ratti220 tones” compact disc

  • air resistance (4:59)
  • untitled #1 (7:45)
  • doom set (5:48)
  • untitled #2 (3:56)
  • twin set (4:51)
  • cathrina (6:35)
  • empire (3:02)
may 2011 release ; lovely set of stasis-fueled electronic music from composer nicola ratti ...
die schachtel press release...

nicola ratti
220 tones
dsz12 cd digipack deluxe 2011

ltd 500. released in a 6-panel digipak

die schachtel is proud to present 220 tones, a disc that points out a crucial change in the artistic life of the well-known guitarist and composer nicola ratti. this brand new dimension strengthens the craftsmanship to which this amazing artist has accustomed us and, at the same time, marks out the discovery of a melodic side of rhythm and a new taste for electricity used as creative energy.

in 220 tones, nicola ratti chose to play instruments that cannot live without electric tension, such as synthesizer, farfisa organ, record player, electric guitar, reel-to-reel recorder and crt television. the relationship between the material instruments and the untouchable electrical flow brightens the instruments themselves and creates a deep energy and an intense atmosphere that streams through the whole music. all this is merged with an innovative use of rhythm, forcing you to wander between techno and electro-acoustic music.

the perfect balance between all these features is proficiently combined with both the mastery of the musician and the imagination of the composer, making you feel the charm and seduction of live performance much more than the recording dimension. 220 tones requires an intense and attentive listening and it should be enjoyed as a whole.

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threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
musique-concrète
guitar-themed
minimalism-drones
modern-composition

die schachtel (italy) #ds z11 cd

3/4hadbeeneliminatedoblivion” compact disc

  • untitled (1) (17:00)
  • untitled (2) (7:14)
  • untitled (3) (5:12)
  • untitled (4) (9:35)
january 2011 release ; ... fourth album from the quartet of valerio tricoli, stefano pilia, claudio rocchetti, and tony arrabito’s 3/4hadbeeneliminated ...

... for my money, these guys are the finest purveyors of digital-age collage / concrète-rock ...
die schachtel press release...

3/4hadbeeneliminated
oblivion
dsz11 cd digipack deluxe 2010

ltd 500 copies

die scahchtel is very happy to present the long-awaited return of 3/4hadbeeneliminated. the group (guitarist/double bassist stefano pilia, turntablist/sound assembler claudio rocchetti, tape manipulator/vocalist/guitarist valerio tricoli and percussionist toni arrabito) has created a work which is at the same time new and refreshing and yet completely consistent with their vision: a deep interaction between human, environment, traditional instruments and live electronics that creates a floating atmosphere filled with a natural energetic flow which borders on the psychedelic. thanks to the versatile use of the voice, capable of experimenting new solutions and suggestive ways of emission, and to the instrumental and electronic surround, they are able to create a three dimensional space, also thanks to the continuous switch between a concrete, rough world and a dream-like one.

"oblivion" is their fourth full length album, and a further confirmation of the outstanding talent of these italian musicians.

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first in stock on
may 1st, 2009


threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
minimalism-drones
guitar-themed

die schachtel (italy) #ds z10 cd

attila faravelliunderneath the surface” compact disc

  • untitled (1) (3:31)
  • untitled (2) (4:32)
  • untitled (3) (7:13)
  • untitled (4) (3:00)
  • untitled (5) (3:59)
  • untitled (6) (8:52)
april 2009 release ; tenth release in die schachtel’s “zeit” series ...

very nice disc from “musician and composer for theatre, radio and cinema (documentary and silent movies)attila faravelli, consisting of the sort of winsome miniatures tucked away in the häpna catalogue ; digital collage-constructs of pulsing micro-sound, utilizing traditional instrumentation (melodica, guitar) and electronic treatment ...
die schachtel press release...

zeit10 cd (new italian electronica)
attila faravelliunderneath the surface
tri-fold digipak – embossed print

since the very first notes, this music appears to be about memory, decay and subversion. it is a deep investigation on the ability of sounds to freely attract or reject each other, in accordance with their own nature and disposition, and still maintain their meaning. combining dense, multilayered sheets of synthetic sounds, treated bass, electronic percussion, the six tracks reveal their non-architectural principle as the music develops through warm textural details, reverberations, underlying melodies, like microscopic events happening in a dim light underneath the surface.

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first in stock on
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threads:
modern-psych
modern-composition
minimalism-drones
guitar-themed
electro-acoustic-composition
field-recordings

 best of 2008 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds z09 cd

claudio rocchettianother piece of teenage wildlife” compact disc

  • wasted years (0:57)
  • we got in touch, talked on the phone (6:52)
  • auf gebautem bauen (9:41)
  • it was purely accidental, he said (5:50)
  • i miss you like hell (16:09)
  • i’m broken, i just wanna go home (3:25)
ninth title in the die schachtel “zeit” series ; a suite of pieces by composer / former 3/4hadbeeneliminated member claudio rocchetti ... one of my favorite entries in the “zeit” series thusfar ; rocchetti’s hazy guitar playing is framed among a veritable surplus of sonic materials ; orchestral brass fanfares, digitallly mangled rhodes / bell tones, whispered lo-fi vocal droning ... essentially everything that makes 3/4 so intruiging, yet w/all influence(s) hatched from the same brain-stem (which is to say - it’s generally more cohesive than 3/4 ...)
die schachtel press release...
claudio rocchetti another piece of teenage wildlife

taking plaintive tones of drone music and early electronic and tape experiments, 3/4hadbeeneliminated former member claudio rocchetti has absolutely defined a sound, building a subtle, majestic landscape. using a wide variety of instruments (synth, tone generators, organs, guitar, tape machines) he creates an absorbing sound that is mainly layers of loops fading in and over each other, ethereal vocals, repetition, melody, noise. an emotional resonance with a tinge of melancholia that permeates every moment and creates a sense of longing and nostalgia.

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first in stock on
january 16th, 2008


threads:
free-jazz
electro-acoustic-improvisation
modern-psych

die schachtel (italy) #ds z08 cd

7k oaks7000 oaks” compact disc

  • church of neutral (4:35)
  • foxp2 (17:10)
  • strategy of tension (20:39)
  • pi too (9:20)
  • the invisible tower (10:31)
january 2008 release ; an alternatingly spacious & noisy free-improv blowout from alfred 23 harth, luca venitucci, massimo pupillo, and fabrizio spera ...
die schachtel press release...
dsz8 7k oaks 7000 oaks

genre: free jazz, electro-acoustic, electronic
format: cd digipack
description: deluxe tri-fold digipack cd edition

a fierce and hypnotic music that wildly combines free jazz with elements of contemporary electroacoustic music and microtonal interplays. 7koaksmassimo pupillo (zu, original silence) luca venitucci (zeitkratzer, ossatura) alfred 23 harth (cassiber, otomo yoshihide new jazz quintet) fabrizio spera (ossatura, blast) manage to build up and maintain a feverish tension without ever loosening intensity.

the six compositions on this record come off as a very intense kind of blowing session, where the musicians are looking to discover things about each other and the music they were making, all seeming to be carefully considered even as they are improvising, proving that free improvisation can be as thoughtful, demanding, and precise as composed music - perhaps more so, judging from this astonishing record.

alfred 23 harth - saxophone, clarinet, electronics
luca venitucci - piano, accordion, objects
massimo pupillo - bass
fabrizio spera - drums

recorded by lorenzo brilli at diapason studio. rome italy, august 2007
mixed and mastered by reeks at hombrelobo, rome italy. october 2007

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threads:
beat-research
modern-psych

die schachtel (italy) #ds z06 cd

andrea belfiknots” compact disc

  • parte prima
  • parte seconda
  • parte terza
  • parte quarta
january 2008 release ; a solo album from christa pfangen member andrea belfi (a solo artist in his own right as well w/prior output on häpna ...) vacillating between drum-tone experiments and real-time loop-based dub (the “open” snare sounds & fuzzy lines are a dead ringer for jan werner’s solo lithops material) ...
die schachtel press release...
dsz6 andrea belfi knots

genre: percussion solo, electronic
format: cd digipack
description: deluxe tri-fold digipack cd edition

italian drummer andrea belfi truly drives his new solo release into a poly-rhythmic drum circle from another dimension. the whole work not only sounds wonderful but, more importantly, andrea belfi has developed a strong spatial sense characterized by a crystal clear cymbal tone, deep, warm bass drum, drone-like electronica and a never ending groove.

andrea belfi (1979) has been playing drums since the age of 14. he studied art in milan and has been working in the experimental music field since 2000. in his live set ab faces the audience with an essential drum set, surrounded by synthesizers, a loop station, some contact microphones, an harmonica and two small-size speakers. the acoustic elements and the electronic ones mingle, intertwine and sometimes switch places: the acoustic sounds are treated as they were electronic, and the actual electronic ones are played at the very moment. rhythmic patterns go beyond the mere beat as ab shapes them in cycles, ever-circling but ever-changing, both reassuring and surprising. a careful preparatory work, which consists in a previous and much reflected upon selection of emotional scenarios, allows the live set to be spontaneous and to “live the moment”, definitively avoiding any over-conceptualization. ab main achievement is the building of “proper” songs through a radical improvisation rather than through the use of fixed and codified elements.

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first in stock on
april 12th, 2007


threads:
sound-poetry
electro-acoustic-composition

die schachtel (italy) #ds z05 cd

alessandro bosettiexposé” compact disc

  • exposé #11 (18:51)
  • exposé #10 (22:28)
  • exposé #16 (28:12)
april 2007 release; an electro-acoustic suite by the increasingly prolific/excellent composer alessandro bosetti.

exposé” is based on recordings of audrey chen’s voice, perfectly mickey-moused with rhodes piano lines, then processed in an aggregate manner not too far removed from alvin lucier’s “i am sitting in a room...” maybe not bosetti’s most immediately engaging work (his recent discs for rossbin and crouton have been nothing short of amazing) but an interesting enough alpha-zone experiment...
die schachtel press release...
zeit 05 cd
alessandro bosetti
exposé
tri-fold deluxe digipak

based on a series of 33 musical ideas written, printed, framed and “exposed” in a recent installation in milan, exposé is the first of a new cycle of works as well as the result of alessandro bosetti’s fascination with speech loops. the mesmerizing voice of audrey chen, endlessy repeating the same sentence over the entire duration of each piece, is full of musical nuances, and it rewards close attention. the result is a weird and fascinating experience, that takes the listener through a surreal sonic space.

the misty, microtonal electronics and instrumental layers are arranged and recorded in an extremely precise fashion. the slowly shifting speech-derived rhythmical patterns provide a subtle, low-key backdrop to the vocal parts, perhaps suggesting the option of adopting an ambient-like listening strategy, while at the same time the use of headphones will enhance the work's strangely compelling blend of the surreal and hypnotic.

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first in stock on
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threads:
guitar-themed
modern-psych

die schachtel (italy) #ds z04 cd

bachi da pietranon io” compact disc

  • casa di legno (4:02)
  • altri guasti (4:04)
  • non io (3:40)
  • fisica elementare (5:51)
  • lunedi (3:17)
  • farfallazza (5:53)
  • check life (4:19)
  • bastiano (1:40)
  • giorno perso (5:05)
  • ofelia (3:44)
april 2007 release from die schachtel; the second album from the duo of bruno dorella (who also moonlights in ovo) & giovanni succi (who was in madrigali magri) as bachi da pietra (babelfish: “it gets worm-eaten from stone” ... although i think there’s more than a bit of subtlety lost there...)

this is a beautifully recorded set of minimal guitar-drum interplay, with whispered vocals (in italian, natch) peppering the mood-array throughout. it’s tricky to tag this one into a single genre-scale; there are hints of post-rock timbres & studio-trickery here & there, but it’s considerably more earthen, grounded in “the blues” (or so the press releases below would claim...)
die schachtel press release...
zeit 04 cd
bachi da pietra
non io
tri-fold deluxe digipak. 12-page booklet in italian and english

bachi da pietra (“the stone worms) is a two-men band whose dark and resonating music wraps around tunes of desolate candour and lyrics (in italian) as dark and imaginative as broken love can be. a relentless drumming hovers over a huge wash of ride cymbal and a deep, plaintive voice, which is able to capture sadness, anger and yearning.

the entire album is a visceral emotional journey: the dissonant blues-based songs develop around the steady drone of the singer’s voice, a trance-inducing vocal presence singing of grim meditations on life that are crafted and performed with disarming sincerity.

just like the mysterious and enigmatic characters that orbited their doom-laden, disturbing world, bachi da pietra is an unpredictable band that leaves the listeners feeling vulnerable, moved, and sometimes totally spaced out....

bachi da pietra is a project that was conceived in 2004 out of a collaboration between the two musicians bruno dorella (ronin, ovo, ex wolfango) and giovanni succi (ex madrigali magri ). both experienced musicians with more than a decade of experience each.

their much anticipated debut album was recorded in january 2005 in the cellar of the san ippolito church in nizza monferrato, italy. recording techniques inspired by the early days of technology was used to give the album the vivid, rusty and deep sound they were looking for - a reflection of nature in a setting that echoes sand, stone and bronze.

the songs are rooted in the spirit of the original blues. harsh at times reflected either in the lyrics or in the musical solutions and arrangements. the ten tracks reveals a musical picture made up by words, spring, life and pulsating blood painted on a background of a tiny yet limitless universe. a fertile ground swarming with bugs and stars made up of dull everyday life and flashes of unexpected light.

...

bachi da pietra [ pron.: backy da pee-etra ] is a 2 piece band. the name means about rock bugs. someone call it nude cruel blues, someone else talked about medieval blues (!?). the first album title is "tornare nella terra" (to come back in the ground or to torn into ground); it was recoded on a cellar under a church in jenuary 2005. lyrics are about blood, spirng, fucking, fighting, to die and to born again, insects, women, warms, stars, sound, words, work, every day prostitution, life, flowing, something lost, writing, dreaming, and so on. now is too late.

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back in stock as of
august 9th, 2011

first in stock on
january 31st, 2007


threads:
modern-psych
minimalism-drones
electro-acoustic-composition
electro-acoustic-improvisation

die schachtel (italy) #ds z03 cd

christa pfangenwatch me getting back the end” compact disc

  • see me (4:12)
  • today (3:07)
  • i’m leaving (4:06)
  • playing apart (3:06)
  • showing you how a softer beat would work as well (3:43)
  • tiding up, getting out (5:08)
  • simply, just an object (3:33)
  • the nail, the eye (4:55)
  • getting back the end (3:45)
the quarterly arrival of the die schachtel box is inarguably the highlight of my existence as a shopkeep... i hate to play favorites but in truth i’m feeling their cross-section of dusty academic tape music & contemporary electro-acoustic psych more than just about anything these days... said feeling easily traceable to the quality-control & general “wow” nature of their deluxe-but-simple editions...

so... here is a brand-new (january 2007) release on their “zeit” series (documenting contemporary italian music born of the same fertile breeding ground that has thusfar yielded 3/4hadbeeneliminated, giuseppe ielasi, å, and so many other mms-favorites...) - the debut album from the duo of andrea belfi (whose recent häpna-label “between neck and stomach” got more than a few plays around here...) and mattia coletti.

the two work a fruitful combination of extended-technique acoustic instrumentation and slight electro-acoustic treatment that, in my mind, bridges the wide gap between free improvisation and more rock-ish tendencies (i hear a deep gastr del sol influence here - especially in some of the “louder” material...)

the more work i hear from this axis - the more i want to become some sort of mad-raving completist (i haven’t a duff one yet...) - excellent stuff.
die schachtel press release...
played, recorded, edited and mixed by mattia coletti and andrea belfi
mattia coletti + andrea belfi: guitars, drums, voices, objects, electroacoustic devices
mastered by giuseppe ielasi

...

dszeit03 - cd
christa pfangen - watch me getting back the end

christa pfangen are andrea belfi and mattia coletti. the name is a hommage to nico, although the music has obviously no relation with the icon of the new york avant garde scene. they belong to the new electroacoustic/improv/avant-rock scene which is taking shape in italy and includes such names as 3/4 had been eliminated, valerio tricoli, å, stefano pilia and others.

working with percussion, treated guitar and an array of different objects and noises, they have given birth to a dynamic work of great beauty and reverberating rhythms, oscillating between avant folk and electroacoustic music.

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first in stock on
january 31st, 2007


threads:
musique-concrète
electro-acoustic-composition

 best of 2007 !!! 
die schachtel (italy) #ds z02 cd

angelo petronellasintesi da un diario” compact disc

  • voce e macchina (8:36)
insime sonoro in quattro tratti e tre innesti
  • tratto 1 (6:41)
  • habitat (5:54)
  • tratto 2 (6:30)
  • lamento (5:46)
  • tratto 3 (6:19)
  • un canto (5:33)
  • tratto 4 (8:21)
(awesome disc of contemporary musique concrète from composer angelo petronella; clearly enamored with the 70s ina-grm sound-world (taking cues from “the big three” :: françois bayle’s mutating upper-register textures, luc ferrari’s distant field-events, and bernard parmegiani’s metallic drones...) using both contemporary and classic techniques...

as french tape-music is something i hold extremely dear; hearing such a successful homage is music to my ears. petronella’s organizational sense is superb throughout, leaving much space between the sound-events for maximum dramatic impact. highly recommended.
die schachtel press release...
angelo petronella: acousmatics and field recordings

...

dszeit02 - cd
angelo petronella – “sintesi da un diario

angelo petronella has been working as a composer and sound artist for many years, and has developed a very personal vision on the narrative qualities of acousmatics, which he pursue with millimetric precison and obsessive passion. in “sintesi da un diario” (abstract from a diary), he has created a rich and complex soundscape made of distant and future memories, imaginary places and countless possibile stories.

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back in stock as of
august 9th, 2011

first in stock on
august 23rd, 2006


threads:
modern-psych
electro-acoustic-improvisation
minimalism-drones
guitar-themed

die schachtel (italy) #ds z01 cd

åå” compact disc

  • my memory is like a film. that is why
  • i am really good at remembering things - like the conversation i have written down in this book - and what people were wearing - and what they smelled like - because my memory has
  • a smell track which is like a doundtrack. and when people ask me to remember something i can simply
  • press rewind and fast forward and pause like on a video recorder - but mor like dvd because i don’t have to rewind
  • through everything in between to get to a memory of
  • something a long time ago. and there are no buttons - either - because
  • it is happening in my head.
first release from this contemporary italian ensemble (in fact this is the first contemporary release from any artist on die schachtel) - inaugurating the new “zeit” series.
die schachtel press release...
å is stefano roveda, andrea faccioli, paolo marocchio
arranged, edited and mixed by xabier iriondo
mastered by giuseppi ielasi

genre: avantgarde, kraut, improv, experimental, rock
format: cd digipack
description: deluxe tri-fold digipack cd edition

die schachtel is proud to present å, a group of young and very talented italian musicians who, picking up the best of the italian avantgarde heritage, are able to create a very personal music mixing elements of free form improvisation and experimental rock, with a hint of exotic percussion and electronic background. the result is certainly one of the most fresh and unexpected listening experiences coming from italy.

å (which is the first and the last letter of some scandinavian alphabet) is a young trio of musicians on violin, exotic percussions, theremin, guitar, synth and piano, who have created a remarkably original world of sound. although one can hear occasional influences from kraut rock style and the early minimalism, this sound is uniquely italian in its sense of sound, space and time. an imaginative, meditative, bizarre, courageous and nostalgic music consisting in spontaneous compositions and improvisations, lately arranged by xabier iriondo - the result of four or five long free-form improvisations, resonating of minimal drones à la conrad, largos for piano that sound like a raw cilio, strange electrified noises, and percussive inventions. and much more. since some time, we were playing with the idea of launching a series dedicated to the most creative italian music of to day, and this seemed to be the perfect start. it took some production & arrangement magic and a crystal clear cd mastering and boom: the first die schachtel "zeit" (time) title is now ready.

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$25.51

back in stock as of
august 9th, 2011

first in stock on
december 14th, 2009


threads:
film-video
modern-composition
minimalism-drones
free-jazz
free-improvisation
sound-art

die schachtel (italy) #ds v1 dvd

phill niblocksix films” digital versatile disc

  • morning (1966-69)
  • the magic sun (1966 - 68)
  • dog track (1969)
  • annie (1968)
  • max (1966-68)
  • raoul (1968-69)
october 2009 release ; catch-all collection of phill niblock’s 60s film work, including his sun ra film “the magic sun,” his portrait of pioneering sound artist max neuhausmax,” and films by/on/with raoul middleman, ann danoff, barbara porte, jean claude van itallie, lee worley, michael corner, and the open theater group ...

gorgeous, block-printedgatefolddvd edition set in raw, acid-free paper ::


... replete with a 4-panel booklet reprinting an article from “sight lines magazine” from winter, 1974 ... essential, seminal work !!!
die schachtel press release...

ds v1 phill niblock six films

genre: expanded cinema, experimental, sound art
format: dvd
description: deluxe tri-fold limited edition of 500 copies. ntscpal, all region dvd, stereo, run time: 86 minutes, 4:3 format.

die schachtel in collaboration with o' artspace is proud to present a deluxe dvd featuring six experimental films by phill niblock from the late sixties. anybody familiar with the name of phill niblock would probably characterise his work by the sound of long sonorous drones producing rich overtones, usually combined with a visual element, as niblock before moving into composition was an active photographer and filmmaker. while he usually is known for his films from the "movement of people working" series alongside performances of his music, niblock's early works stand apart as unique objects. the integrity and consistency of his style is fully on display in these seldomly seen screened 16mm sound films wonders, that are:

morning (1966-69)  from an idea by phill niblock and jean claude van itallie, filmed by pn, text by lee worley and michael corner, with members of the open theater group. black and white 16mm film.

the magic sun (1966 - 68) with members of the sun ra arkestra, music by sun ra and the arkestra. filmed with a high contrast black and white 16mm film.

dog track (1969)  a film by phill niblock, with a found text read by barbara porte. color 16mm film.

annie (1968) a  portrait of the dancer ann danoff, with a sound collage sound track. color 16mm film.

max (1966 - 68) an image collage film /portrait of max neuhaus, with a collage sound track by max neuhaus. black and white 16mm film.

raoul (1968 - 69) a portrait of the painter raoul middleman, with extensive use of time-lapse film technique. the sound track is improvised by raoul middleman and phill niblock. color 16mm film.


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$29.01

new to stock as of
august 9th, 2011


threads:
printed-matter
electro-acoustic-composition
analogue-synth
live-electronic
machine-music
minimalism-drones
modern-composition

die schachtel (italy) #ds 904873 book

daniela margoni tortoraalvin curran • live in roma” book

  • alvin curran • live in roma (300 pages)
october 2010 release ; ... somewhat surprisingly, this is the first book (in both english & italian, dove-tailing back & forth throughout the book) on mev founder & personal-hero alvin curran ...
die schachtel press release...

alvin curran live in roma

genre: avantgarde music essay, monograph
format: book
description: deluxe edition, silver and gloss varnish print, 300 pp in english and italian

although alvin curran is almost universally recognized as one of the leading figures of the late 20th century musical avant-garde, he has never received the recognition he deserves in the form of a proper publication. this is in fact the first book ever to present a complete and coherent picture of this gigantic figure of experimental music. a radical experimentalism and a kind of innate volatility have, in fact, long kept the person and the work of alvin curran, one of the historic founders of the group musica elettronica viva (mev), at the margins of contemporary musical historiography. his vast and all-inclusive experience refuses to fit into the common schemas and cubbyholes, excluding him from the conceptual straitjackets of current western musicology.

lavishly produced and conceived, the book is centered around extensive descriptions of the most important works and compositional techniques, providing a historical account of curran's musical concerns and changing style: in permanent flux between two distinct cultural geographies (italy and usa), sensitive to an infinity of pressures, encounters, transformations, and provocations, curran’s artistic voyage is presented here through a comprehensive historical and critical study that avoids buzz-word definitions and gives great respect to his otherness – an otherness clearly and happily a part of the variegated musical universe of our time.

gathered for the first time in a single monograph, the contributions of several of the foremost italian and international scholars – enriched by an astounding “travel log” by curran himself and by unpublished images from his private archive – confirm the role of this composer-performer-teacher-writer as a major contributor to the evolution of artistic languages in the late twentieth century and beyond.



previous record label:
 dexter’s cigar 
...and that's everything on die schachtel in stock.
(why not take a look at the previous and next labels?)
next record label:
 die taubnessel 
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... this page was last updated on saturday, february 11th, 2012 @ 5:09 pm