VII. PRAGUE INDUSTRIAL FESTIVAL

Schloss Tegal

Schloss Tegal is Richard Schneider working with MWBurch, who were the first dark pioneers into intrinsic music for psychological purposes who have become a cult electronic music group over the last 2 decades. Their CDs are a mix of graphical information in the form of audio tapes and samples that resemble more of a anthropological film or study rather than music per se. The music is extreme and overpowering psychogenic (psychological/hallucination) noise barrage with subliminal cryptic audio not for the squeemish. Schloss Tegal use graphic content in their audio and visual performances. Their first CD "The Grand Guignol" was banned in Germany due to its shocking text and content resembling the forensic textbook of "Psychopathia Sexualis" Baron Von Kraft-Ebling with a strange twist. Their newest CD in 5 years, "The Myth of Meat" continues in this Grand Guignol realm of unpredictable shocking noise and cringing uneasiness on the body and psyche. This is only part of the many realms Schloss Tegal has explored not excluding UFOs, cattle mutilations, human resource exploitation by the global elite, the long war to come, torture and more in their previous work.

Job Karma

Job Karma - audiovisual, electronic project from Wrocław, was formed in 1998 by Maciej Frett, Aureliusz Pisarzewski and Jacek Groszek. Using electronic instruments (analog synthesizers, PC, high and low frequency generators etc.) J.K. creates rhythmical structures and dark landscapes in "neoindustrial" surroundings. The band released 3 CDs ("CYCLES PER SECOND" - reedition in USA by ARC_ov_LIGHT/Malignant rec. 2000, "NEWSON" - Obuh Records 2001, "EBOLA" - AMPLEXUS REC 2003), video tape "OSCILLATION RITUAL" by Ars Morta Universum from Prague and one MCD "98 Mhz TO EXTINCTION" by Nefryt Rec. 2002. Job Karma concerts present music in connection with video performance - big screen projections, video installations and slide shows. Job Karma is in a permanent cooperation with video artists and all J.K video tracks producers Arek Bagiński and Wojtek Majewski.

Moan

Rafal Sadej - the body behind the soul of MOAN - was born and broughtup in Siemianowice Slaskie in the midst of atmosphere and sounds ofindustrial enviroment of ironworks and coal-mines, producing whole lotof unnatural sounds inscribing themselves into ordinariness of surroundingdistricts. You only need to open a window in Rafal's apartament at nightin order to realize why there is a such natural intuition of machineharmony in his music. In every his music achievement you can find anocturnal silence filled with barely audible distant humming, gratingmetallic sounds, pulse of the machines and even noise or chaos.

He took his first steps in grind core band PSYCHONEUROSIS (92-93) asa vocalist and later he founded noise-core band IPEKAKUANA (93-96) inwhich he was a drummer and a vocalist. For his individual ideas, whichhe can't carry in group, he found a way to realize it as project DISAGREEMENT(93-95), where we can hear Rafal's industrial fascinations for firsttime. At last there came into existence two compositions: "Thoughtsgrower" and "Thoughts grower (hypnotic mix)" durningintesive session in July 1996. It is the recording of interaction betweenradio and TV broadcast disturbances with a looped tape accompaniment.At that time MOAN was born.

Next recordings came into being in August in the same year. Authormade use of household equipment, looped, versatile exploitation of aguitar, rhythm and radiotelescope in form of TV set which was turnedon empty channels and connected with radio and FX reverb. The resultof this experiments is ninety minutes tape: "Thoughts grower",MOAN's debiut, issued at Rafal's own expense in small amount of 69 copy.

After two years break, Rafal Sadej came back to musical experimentslate in year 1998. But this time he used possibilities that computergives. At that time next ideas were recorded, and we can notice emphaticsubsiding into silence and slow rhythm quiting. In February 1999 therewere brought four new compositions into being, which were completedwith two tracks from previous tape and published as "Drift"(C-45, 50 copies).

Next months he spent time on going deeply into secrets of making soundsby means of computer and collecting samples. Preparations for next materialrecording were finished in October 1999, then strenous process of feelingsand ideas transformation into CD material of standart value started.Single CD-R "Work report #356" became the auqury of comingrecordings. After four months CD-R "Isolate" (45 minutes,7 tracks) saw the light of day. This material is fondled, breathingwith stifling atmosphere, somewhere from the outskirts of consciousness,minimalistic and yet sonicly diversified. It caused wide response amonglocal and foregin enthusiasts of industrial music. It also met withapprobation of reviewers and creators, fans of industrial feedbacksand isolationist ambient.

Since MOAN issued "Isolate" he worked on remix "Workreport #356" for Japanese compilation, remix of project PALSECAM"There's no way" for English Underwood Audio compilation and"Hidden" of project NEMEZIS for CD containing remixes above-mentionedformation which were interpreted by artists from industrial / experimentalcircle. This favourable confusion about MOAN gave him a chance to presenthis project in public. MOAN's first live performance we could listenon 25 May 2000 in "Program" in Gliwice, where Rafal presentedmaterial from "Isolate".

Rafal says that MOAN is a search, an evolution. He claims he doesn'tlike stagnation, and doesn't cramp himself. It is unlikely that nextmaterial of this project will be similar to previous ones. It doesn'tmatter if it is ambient, industrial or noise, MOAN always will remainfilled with unique atmosphere of industrial enviroment, where he derivesfrom ...

- Leszek Żabiński -

Sardh

SARDH setzen neben elektronischen Instrumenten auch selbstgebaute oderzu Klangerzeugern umfunktionierte Fundstücke und Gebrauchsgegenständendes Alltags ein.
Jeder bedient im Verlauf des Programms mehrere verschiedene Klangmittel.Dadurch werden für die Platzierung des umfangreichen Equipments (mindestens)ca. 6x4 Meter Stellfläche benötigt.
Alle einzelnen Kanäle laufen im eigenen Stage-Mixer zusammen und werdenselbst gesteuert.
Für den Saal-Mix ist lediglich die gelieferte Stereo-Summe auf das Beschallungsfeldeinzupegeln.
Für kleine bis mittlere Veranstaltungsräume kann die eigene Beschallungsanlage(3kw) eingesetzt werden.

SARDH agieren als flexibles system.
Neben Konzerten des aktuellen Programms werden auch einmalige Performancesbezogen auf konkrete Orte, Anlässe und Themen konzipiert - in reduzierterBesetzung für kleinere Veranstaltungen, wie Ausstellungseröffnungen...oder kombiniert mit multimedialen Möglichkeiten für grössere Projekte.
SARDH sind offen für alle veranstalterischen Ambitionen und unkonventionelleSpielorte, soweit sie das konzeptionelle Spektrum tangieren.

Klangstabil

Founded abil in 1994; two years later we had the idea to establish our own label. In the meantime Megahertz has the same status like Klangstabil concerning our thoughts and actions. Megahertz nowaddays isn't only a label, but a multimedia-company and does distribution as well. Megahertz arose out of our work with Klangstabil. We're independent and able to give a clear point of view that way. Megahertz is a fortress for Klangstabil.

The concept-album "Kopfmusik" (= Headmusic) has been announced for more than a year now, but it is still in it's "genesis".Regular release-dates would restrict us extremely. It's like in a workshop, where pieces that have just been started or even finished are laying around. You put that what you started aside, maybe because you don't have the right tools for it and you continue to work on something different.The same has to be said about "Zuflucht" (= Shelter); theconcept had been developed already four years ago. Meanwhile other musicians and authors appeared to realize the whole project. One LP will offera radiophonic play, that we're going to add music to and on the second LP other artists are going to interpret this radiophonic play musically.The contributors will be announced on our web-sites then.

MHz: A part of our work is to give people the opportunity to presenttheir ideas to an audience. Therefore these tapes are made. To labelthese tapes we use the old greek alphabet. Meanwhile we've releasedthe third tape, titled "gamma". There are always six differentartists on each tape. The first track is always from us. What followsare tracks by artists we got in touch with. Via internet we got in touchwith artists from New York or Brasilia, they'll be on these tapes aswell. What's so wonderful is that people get in touch with others whonormally have nothing to do with each other. It hasn't always to bemusic; on "beta" we have a reading and a radiophonic play,both from two very different people. The special covers of these tapesare a good way to make each release something really unique. So here'sto all you musicians and artists out there - contact us, if you liketo contribute to one of our next tapes. Just yesterday we received atape from Japan...

Einleitungszeit

Einleitungszeit is with no doubt one of the most extreme formations on the territory of the former Czechoslovakia. The 15 years of existence brought Einleitungszeit ultimate death-industrial sound and status one of genre top-classics. Its albums were released by reputable labels Art Konkret, Freak Animal or Recalcitrant Noise, whose edition was censored in Slovakia for "aesthetically unacceptable" cover. Some live performances are captured on Ars Morta Universum / Industrial Gallery videos also. Through sound, spirit and fire, the duo R-01 (Richard Norg, music) / M-01 (Martin Jarolim, voice, arrangement) create an ecstatic storm, with feelings of transformation of human being's consciousness into the intelligence of cybernetic creature. Just few seconds of ambient soundscapes release a flow of unbounded noise that can exceed even the uttermost Japanese recordings. Last year concerts in Japan with the performance dancer Tereza Georgieva aka Sangredans were passionately welcomed. Their common festival appearance will bring a typical stage storm of absorbing sound and howling expressive dance.

Stupor

Stupor's black beast creates a separate universe which encapsules you into your own world of thought. A ritual that invites you to take a look inside yourself. The cd of this south german/polish project kicks off mixing in pregnant and tense atmospherical sounds with repititive clanging percussion. Through the following flood of distorted pulses, repetitive, abrasive, yet introvertive, higher pitched details appear on the path that leads to derech. More electronic sounding, spacier now, an echoing scream seeps through and serves as the introduction for a solemn passage whispering through the speakers, only to feed into the evolving ritual drumming spiral. The drums are pounded in an almost martial way. They only give in to the humming sequence of jamaragda, soon becoming a sonic travel which gives us the impression we're heading to the east - tribal sounds and chants - the flush of repetition in evolution. In the 30 minute track Bete Noire, the dark percussive parts transform to invocations on hymnic soundplains and then raise to the surface again. The introvert journey ends in the surprisingly titled Jack the Brainslasher.

Skrol

Mit großer Verzögerung erscheint nun endlich das Debüt von Skrol aus Prag, die bereits vor einiger Zeit mit einer 10" auf sich aufmerksammachen konnten. Das Trio läßt sich grob der Neo-Klassik zuordnen, gehtbei ihrer Ausführung jedoch wesentlich individuellere Wege als die meistenanderen Vertreter des Genres. Das Klangbild wird über weite Teile vonschweren Orgelklängen geprägt, die an Arbeiten von Dupré gemahnen undden idealen akustischen Untergrund für die Stimme von Sängerin MartinaSweeney aufbauen.

Einer der Höhepunkte des mit knapp 40 Minuten Spielzeit leider etwaskurzen Albums ist das auf Strawinsky-Samples aufbauende "Non Organic",das sich mit seinen geschickt arrangierten Orchesterloops in akustischerTradition zu den frühen Laibach stellt.

"Fire Scene" hingegen dürfte mit langsamem Schlagwerk undexpressivem Gesang speziell in Gothic-Kreisen mit ausgeprägtem TraditionsbewußtseinAnklang finden. Ob Skrol ihre Qualitäten auch live-haftig umzusetzenwissen, wird sich unter anderem am 27. November auf dem vom Sonic Seducerpräsentierten Noise Transmission Festival in Düsseldorf überprüfen lassen.