| Goran Besov - Major Malfunction Review |
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partysan bawue [1998] megahertz ist das label von klangstabil. goran besov stammt aus dem umfeld von klangstabil und arbeitet in einem tübinger studio. der produzent releaste bereits vor vier jahren eine platte, die in der fachpresse beachtliche resonanz fand. dieses jahr ist noch eine weitere platte auf shokoy geplant (in zusammenarbeit mit savas pascalidis). musikalisch passt diese platte wunderbar zu klangstabil. es ist umgesetzter strom. strom der durch synthies gejagt wurde und so zu geballten eletronischen soundkollagen wurde. der strom hat etwas majestetisch schauriges an sich. ich weiss nicht, wie ich diese platte besser beschreiben kann. wer den richtigen zugang zu dieser platte findet, versteht sie und wird sie mit sicherheit in sein herz schliessen. (olsen) de:bug [1998] ganz schön dark der name und so gibt sich die platte dann auch musikalisch. 6 tracks zwischen alienseskem, fast zombieartigem wälzern, graben stalinistischen funktracks und starrsinnigem ultapathos. manchmal funktioniert das extrem gut, manchmal würde man sich aber eine klarere thematik für die platte wünschen, damit alles konzentrierter wirken kann, und nicht über die soundästhetik eines sehr engen halls definiert werden muss. (bleed) new empire [09/1998] i hold something round and black and flat in my hands. i turn it around and i draw it‘s smell into my nose…it wakens memories of times long past. it is vinyl, a lp, a 12". no silver-shining cd not a dat or a mini-disc, it is a real lp. a messenger of ancient times ? i put it upon my turntable and drive the volume-control nearly to maximum. the tension in the air is immense. i hear a few scratches indicating me that my stereo is still in function. and there it is..the first tune of "slack off", the overture of goran besov‘s major malfunction. and it doesn‘t sound like an ancient relict or like a malfunction…there are beats, a rhythm, electronic sounds, maybe the noise from a future space-craft ? the beat carries me on, is enforced by claps and sucks me into a vortex of dancable noise when the high-hat starts to complete it. the first impressions of this album are only split-seconds of the whole picture that "major malfunction" creates. it is modern, dark techno mixed with elements that could be called experimental. it is not an easy sound, you have to be patient to understand it, but if the beats have reached your bones, you will like it. no vocals destroy the atmosphere of technocracy. only few speech-samples...some distant voices. if a necromancer is someone who enchants the dead, then goran besov is a technomancer, someone who creates an magic atmosphere with his sounds. it is cold, it is not human, but somehow it has a spirit, a soul. every song a living thing, the whole album an organism maybe a collective lifeform. an artificial life-form for sure. the second song "keep pushing" goes straight forward, beat, scratching sounds, not one of the better songs of the lp. the real "hits" on the album for me are "days like this" and "battle youth". art and dancability are combined in perfect symbiosis. the finishing 2 track on this 6-track-lp are again typical and important for the whole impression of the album. after all i can say goran besov is not music for everyone. he makes some kind of techno you need a brain for to listen to it. and this is not suitable for the masses. but the ones of us who are capable of thinking will like the album. the story is created in your head and only there…goran besov just creates the soundtrack for your phantasies. tracks: 6 slack off, keep pushing, days like this, battle youth, iron bird horn muzak limited : 500 pieces (toxin) bad alchemy nr. 32 [1998] "nur" abbildung ener krise, "nur" techno ist auch major malfunction von goran besov, auf den ich durch das augenfaellige da-vinci-cover aufmerksam geworden bin. schnelle, polyrhythmische beats (achtung: intelligent, experimentell) tauchen - aehnlich wie bei beefcake - ein in eine duestere wolke aus synthesizerschwaden, und ein schwarzer prediger raunt dazu seine doomsday-warnung. parallel zu klangstabil faengt die musik trotz hoher beschleunigung zu stagnieren an, sie beginnt in selbstaehnlichem minimalismus sich auf der stelle zu drehen. ich frage mich, worin der unterschied wohl besteht, zwischen einer solchen akustischen selbstbespiegelung eines existenziellen defizits und unbehagens und der essayistischen abbildung des eigenen emanzipatorischen besusstseins. die anbindung des emanzipatorischen ansatzes an die musiken von brecht/weill oder zappa ist im grunde genommen idiosynkratisch, das heisst, die jeweils schon vorhandene "fortschrittlichkeit", die darin bestehen mag, eine post- oder anders-kapitalistische, "menschlichere" gesellschaftliche verfassung begrifflich einzufordern, diese "fortschrittlichkeit" sucht anschluss an und widerhall in der jeweiligen lieblingsmusik. musikalische parameter, quasi als aesthetisches programm, als fortschrittlich zu definieren, etwas das montageprinzip, zitate, paradoxien der ungleichzeitigkeit, ironische kontraste, fuerhren immer wieder in die frustration, dass das "fortschrittliche" daran a) keiner merkt, b) keinen interessiert, c) auch "rueckschrittliche" musiken wie techno oder art rock sich genau der gleichen aesthetik verschrieben haben. "politisierung der kunst?" die - um es mit einem bonmot des milchmaedchengewerkschaftsfuehrers brecht auszudruecken - "fuenf schwierigkeiten beim versuch, einen ochsen zu melken". rbd d.l.k. the hell key [1999] the latest release on megahertz records (klangstabil´s own label) is goran besov´s major malfunction vinyl lp (pressed in 500 copies) featuring six songs of harsh experimental techno riffs. cutting the airwaves like a sharp blade, slack off, keep pushing, days like this, battle youth, iron bird, horn muzak are a sonic assault of anti-humanity propagand loaded traks featuring hard, sometimes somewhat detroit-like, rhythmical structures and many industrail sounds and noises ... marc urselli-schaerer re:mote induction [01/2000] major malfunction is the first lp by goran besov from the german label mega hertz. though a second album is due out soon, if it has not already been released by now. the first side starts with battle youth, the first of 6 tracks, and goes straight into a techno beat structure. this forms a couple of layers of well paced, upbeat music - likely to go down well in a club situation. though the sound is such that it does not exclude itself from non-club listening, like some bands would. goran besov continues with the twitter of many birds and the introduction to iron bird. the first music is an electronic melody, a shrill little edge giving it a higher sound. considered beats and pulses are added to this, giving a slower pace. still with a techno derived elements, but i can't see it working in a club, more for home enjoyment - even with the catchy repetition which emerges later to give a boost to the pacing and make it feel even more upbeat. the third track on this first side is horn muzak, starting with a repeating loop, which gets louder each time till it is in the foreground of hearing. snappish percussion is added to those pulses and baser beats. there is some variation through horn muzak but it comes across as minimal. in some ways the steady sensation of repetition is hypnotic, but it also means that it does not grab you as much as the previous two tracks. the second side of major malfunction also has three tracks, the first of which is slack off. from the start the melody is bleeping, with strong, pulsed beats. electronic melodies move through that and a more traditional electronic beat joins in. by which point slack off is working on a number of layers, building up a more complex sound. side two continues with keep pushing, which is slightly off tune with some of its sounds, giving it a more piercing, perhaps harsher sound. though this is incorporated into the tune, which is constructed from that point, to give something of a raw edge. again layering into a dense sound, with a constant suggestion of possible chaos. potential for open minded club play exists, though it is a step away from those too comfortable with the lowest common denominator. the final track on goran besov's major malfunction is days like this, coming after the slow fade/deconstruction of keep pushing. from its start we are into rapid tinny, techno beats and more bassy pulses. though to throw you sighing melody emerges, to very nice effect. the tech-force and gentle drifts play off each other, exchanging dominance to suck the listener in. while most of the tracks on major malfunction are enjoyable it is days like this which really stands out as the best track, leaving me thinking that i really should find out the current status of goran besov's second lp! |