P053: Cabeza de Vaca – Violetshaped

“Because we are so free, everything must be prohibited”

- Cody Wilson

A return to noisy techno this week on Cabeza de Vaca and Scanner FM  as we turn our focus to the troika of monikers Violetshaped, Violet Poison and Shapednoise. As you might guess, the last two go together to make the first. Not many other biographical details to share as in keeping with techno tradition, everything is shrouded in mystery.

Perhaps the most educational piece you will find is an article over at Electronic Beats. Whereas there was an excellent mix over at Electronic Explorations earlier this year.

The debut album by the duo as Violetshaped has been getting consistently good reviews from the media which it thoroughly deserved. Just as intriguing though are the more recent run of remix single, none of which are on the show sadly, but which fills in the gaps between experimental electronica, purer noise and of course techno. Keith Fullerton Whitman’s remix is a great example of how at last all these genres seem to meet in some murky, clanking nexus. Their mix above also shows this important side of their influences as well.

Both artists have also had a lot of releases under their individual name this year as well.

Sometimes it pays to read the package more carefully. This week we feature a track Druss that when I first came across it I though was the group GNOD, but they are actually only “presenting” the release, whatever that means. In any case the groups crunchy kraut-techno sound fits in nicely with the industrial techno sound that has found a new home for a similar angry, feedback drenched soundscape full of rasping metal and dissatisfaction.

In preparing the show there was at one stage as many Orphx tracks as Violetshaped, but as the later where perhaps slightly more prolific at the right moment, they got the show, but I think it will be mandatory to do something on Orphx at some stage. A huge recording career and a lot of direct and convinving tracks. “Vanishing Point” which opens this weeks show couldn’t be more perfect, made for a big system and yet almost catchy enough to be a radio hit (sic). There is plenty more from them out there too. It is worth spending a bit of time with this live recording made for a Forms of Hands label special earlier this year. The sound quality is excellent, although I am sure the label can afford a tripod or a sober filmer next time.

But most startling was the inclusion of some of Orphx music in this documentary about 3D printing technology and a young American called Cody Wilson who wants to make a freely downloadable file for gun parts to overcome Obama’s recent ban on weapons after the Newport massacre. Wilson is a strikingly conflicting character, parading such a nationalism that is somehow at odds with a frighteningly sharp and critical intelligence.

“There is no evidence of a political program anymore in the world. In America there aren’t genuine politics, there’s the media telling you Barack Obama versus Mitt Romney. It’s like the epic clash of ideology, when we both know they are globalist neo-liberals. They both exist to preserve the interest of this relatively autonomous class of Goldman Sachs bankers”

- Cody Wilson

The inability to support or criticise him makes him seem like a character from a Werner Herzog film. Essential viewing.

And next week from Violetshaped to Redshape!

Number	Artist	Track	Label	Year
1	Orphx	Vanishing point	Sonic Groove	2013
2	Violetshaped	Spectral nightdrive	Violet Poison	2013
3	Shapednoise	As others see us	Hospital Productions	2013
4	Violet Poison	Babylon suicide	Bed of Nails	2013
5	Ancient Methods	Knights and Bishops	Ancient Methods	2013
6	Violetshaped	Black wisdom, white witch	Unknown Precept	2013
7	Forward strategy group	Code #3	Perc Trax	2013
8	Druss	Druss - 20 Sides A Minute	Trensmat	2013
9	Alexander Lewis	She demands attention	Blackest Ever Black	2013

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