Vakio Reviews

I haven't got Kulma, but I just picked up the Vakio-Sampler last week, and it's pretty cool.. here's a review or something.. :d

I tried to find out which side is side a, well I found a B on one of the sides, so I just assumed the other is a, it's so hard to tell which such a transparent vinyl.

I know this is just the first 10" from the 4x10" limited transparent Vakioalbum (which also is available on a regular LP) but for those ppl who don't have it:

*Alku*: This track consists of one long beep whose filter cut off starts modulating in about the halfway point of the track and the modulation speeds up and speeds up until the end of the track. This track really must be ajoke. I thought personally it might be good as something to start out within some set or something, but I reckon I'll never listen to it to just listen to it :)

*Radiokemia*: this track is really nice, has a slow beat, so at first I thought it was supposed be played at 45, but the other tracks don't sound right at 45. there isn't much to say about the tracks themselves since they are superminimalistic, this one has a couple analogue sounds in it, very repetitive and minimalistic.

*Hetken*: another beep track, this is better than the first one though, at least it has some more variance that would allow you to take the track a bit more seriously, it has noise interludes and at least when the beep comes back it's at a different pitch.

*Vaihe*: This track is my favorite of all the tracks on here. it's a steady 4/4 beat with a strange anologue "rising" tone that repeats throughout the most of the track, and has some other sound like swinging clubs or something (I really can't describe it) repeating throughout.

Alex Quintana (IDM list, Sat, 7 Jun 1997)

To Which Chris Fahey Sez (IDM list, Sat, 7 Jun 1997 21:19: 18 -0400):

This track ['Alku'] is no joke. I think this track is brilliant. If you listen to it through really kick-ass headphones it'll make your brain bigger and more powerful. It will make your life longer and your orgasms blissful and your hair fuller andyour skin clearer.

Seriously, give it another whirl. It's conceptual art. It's a song made out of the complexities of a waveform, and it demonstrates how intricate and beautiful even the simplest sound can be. I like to think that it was made by setting up some simple parameters for the sound, or maybe several interacting simultaneous waveforms, and just letting it do what it'll do. I once saw Space Needle use a dozen effects processors to carefully and precisely fuck with their guitars and drums to the point that they could just leave the stage for ten minutes and let the vacuum tubes do their job.

It would be evil to play "Alku" over a PA at a party or to try to mix it in with other songs. You would hurt people. But for solo listening, I love it to death.

-CF

And Alex Quintana answered (IDM list, Sun, 08 Jun 1997 11:58:39 EST4EDT):

It ["Alku"] sounds like a couple of pure sine waves, in the middle actually the pitch modulates also, not just the filter cutoff, but I don't think it's anything that I can't do with my synth.

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