***Roel Meelkop's musical activities date back to the early 1980s when he started influential group THU20, with Jac van Bussel, Peter Duimelinks, Jos Smolders and Guido Doesborg. The working method of THU20 included many discussions about how to compose and why. This period was crucial in forming Meelkop's ideas and concepts about sound and how to organise it, but it was not until the mid-'90s that he was able to fully realise these ideas. The purchase of a sampler and later a computer radically changed his possibilities of working with sound, offering infinitely more control and freedom. Since then he released works on such labels as Trente Oiseaux (Germany), Staalplaat (Netherlands) and Intransitive (US). His other activities include working as a member of both Kapotte Muziek and GOEM with Peter Duimelinks and Frans De Waard and organising sound events in Rotterdam. Aside from releases, Meelkop also creates site-specific sound installations, often in collaboration with other artists and has performed live around the world Microsuoni.it). This is the first release for the fledgling Tariff Records of Los Angeles, California.
CD $12.75
02/25/2003
***The music of ZGA will mean nothing to you if you believe in simple musical categories, styles and generalizations. Comparisons with past and present musical styles will not be sufficient here. This is mythic music that comes from hardship, a need to challenge an oppressive state with internal and external liberation. It would be folly as one living in the so-called free world to totally identify with what ZGA represents. But one can try to understand. ZGA is a collection of musicians from the Russian town of St. Petersburg. After several albums with Chris Cutler's Recommended / Points East Label, the ensemble decided to move onto Tariff Records. They have been one of Russia's premier experimental bands for over a decade, and were guests at the 2001 Avanto Festival in Finland.
CD $12.75
02/25/2003