Thisco Thisk.22
For those of you who don't know them, the french Ultra Milkmaids has been active in the music scene since 1993 with a great diversity of projects and styles. And just as you think you know what they're about, they turn out to be into surfpunk too! To recommend a release to find out what they are about is almost impossible, therefore it's one of those really lovely projects which keep on surprising you. Great to investigate and absolutely worth it.
Vance Orchestra is from Holland and the duo has released over ten titles. The sound is quite recognisable (recycled sounds) and some of the characteristics are drones, ambient and a small amount of noise.
None of the bands rejects the experimental approach and so I had no idea what to expect. The twenty minute CD has four tracks, of which two quite short (2 minutes; 'Mystic Mood' and 'Parrot Machine') , one a bit longer (5 minutes; 'Free Gift 1') and a long twelve minute track entitled 'Stereo System (remix)'.
The short tracks obviously seem to have evolved from experimenting. In both tracks you can feel the tension, but they leave you unsatisfied. You want to know where it would have gone to if not for the 20 minute limit on the CD. The five minute track has a great build-up, it's got a repetitive structure and is filled with sublte layers.
The endpiece of the CD is a gorgeous drone which starts of with light white noise after which it evolves to a piece for which people like Biosphere or Troum would be proud.
And if you think "Gimme more", well ... Noise Museum released the Ultra Milkmaids CD 'Vorely Relay' in 1999 with a Vance Orchestra remix. And if you look around a little bit at the better mailorder, you might still find it.
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