Stéphane Merenne

 

I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Stéphane Merenne. Stéphane alongside Sylvie Cartiaux were Nuit et Brouillard, an excellent label and promotions project based in Lille. (France). I knew he was unwell, but I never thought .... 

Stéphane was always encouraging, passionate and enthusiastic towards Dieter Müh. I consider him a good friend. 

.... I first met Stéphane in 1998. Nuit et Brouillard had a stall at an event called "The 11th Independent Music & Arts Festival" in Saint-Niklaas, Belgium. He was there to see Troum + LD50, and also sell records and tapes. We immediately formed a friendship that has lasted 26 years. When I heard the news yesterday I played the Nuit et Brouillard release Temple Garden's / Asche cassette 'Trance / The Older Stuff'. It was the first release I bought on their label, and it is still sounding superb. Stéphane had an ear for sound. Nuit et Brouillard is also a distribution outlet and would happily take Dieter Müh releases. The joy of getting a Nuit et Brouillard catalogue with a description (written by either Stéphane or Sylvie) of Müh was an honour. The catalogues were a joy in themselves. Stéphane would appear at Dieter Müh live shows whenever he could. He came to see us at the WGT Treffen Festival in Leipzig in 2006 where we played with Propergol (also released by Nuit et Brouillard), Novy Svet, Land:Fire and Apoptose. Both Stéphane and Sylvie came to London to see Dieter Müh play at The Conway Hall in 2009. Always supportive, always a pleasure. A pleasure to talk to and share information with. In 2014 Stéphane and Sylvie invited me to play in Lille. I stayed with Stéphane. The evening before the gig he and Sylvie entertained me with fine food and wine. We stayed up until almost daylight talking and drinking, drinking and talking, ever the enthusiast Stéphane was pulling out vinyl and putting on 'demo' cassette tapes asking for thoughts and opinion. And as a perfect and polite host my glass was never empty (it was always ... 'just one more'). It was this evening that Stéphane suggested he re-issued the Dieter Müh album 'The Bjorn Tapes' on vinyl. It was his favourite Dieter Müh release and a cassette and subsequent CDR release "did not do the sound any favours". How could I say no? The album came out in 2018 on Stéphane's 'side' label Force Majeure. 

In 2010 Stéphane invited myself and the family to stay at his apartment in Lille. This was pre Air B&B! He just gave his apartment over to myself, Tamsin and (at that point) my two young children. All free of charge and he stayed at a friends house whilst we were there. I shall never forget his kindness, his friendship and love. 

The last time I saw Stéphane was in November 2014. I was at the 'Harbinger Soundclash II' event at De Kreun in Kortrijk, Belgium. I was working at the event so didn't have much time but we did sit and chat and laugh and drink. To be with Stéphane was always a pleasure. Like I said, I knew Stéphane was unwell, he never told me and I don't think he told many people, but I never thought ... 

Gone too soon. 

From The Archives #5 Irgun Z'wai Leumi

 

 Whilst waiting for the restart of MuhMur Radio broadcasting and building playlists I have taken the time to sort out some old boxes of tapes and CDs and re-arrange some of the records and listen to some releases I have not heard in years ... 

In 2012 I played at The Fylkingen in Stockholm. It was an evening called 'Sweetness Overdue' also featuring White, Dusa, Kristian Olsson and Contrastate. It was a lovely evening and it was where I met the guy behind Proiect Hat. (Unfortunately I can't remember his name ... but I think he might thankful of this as he likes his anonymity) .. anyway, at some point in the evening we were drinking and chatting and he gave me a handful (hatful) of tapes on his Hatband label. They were mainly Proiect Hat and Wintheer  releases and 'Tracks That Go Nowhere' by Irgun Z'wai Leumi, a precursor to their / his 2008 LP "Kirrfaktor" on Verlautbarung. 

Nine tracks on side one and four on side two, subtitled '13 Tracks That Go Nowhere'. Released in 2002 the sounds are from the days before computer and laptop programmes, the sounds are from analogue synthesisers and sequencers. A sound which I prefer. Most of the tracks on side one are short and sound (sometimes) like a Whitehouse soundcheck from 1983 a couple of exceptions are 'Sanctions' and 'Everflowing Charges Of Nitro' which have a more Soviet France feel, drone, soundscape feeling. The stand alone track on side two is 'Razorback Override' with its scrambled messages from space through a broken FAX machine vibe building to a throbbing pulse, metronomic gristle with loose live wires. 'Shooting Stars' sounds like it is recorded in sensurround and 'Racket' is another drone piece constructed with low frequency rumble. It's a great cassette. 

I do remember asking is it Project or Proiect Hat? It was supposed to be Project but the person who printed the sleeves mis-read the name so they / he stuck with Proiect. I really enjoyed rediscovering this tape ... 

From The Archives #4 Modelbau

 Whilst waiting for the restart of MuhMur Radio broadcasting and building playlists I have taken the time to sort out some old boxes of tapes and CDs and re-arrange some of the records and listen to some releases I have not heard in years ... 

Ten, twelve or so years ago the 3" CDR was the zeitgeist with labels such as SoundHoles, Sheepscar Light Industrial and Small Doses leading the way. I always wanted Dieter Müh to be released on 3" CDR and was grateful when SoundHoles proposed a release on that format back in 2015. "Live At Gängeviertel" is part of their 'Sound Holes Live Editions' series. But, even more extreme than a 3" CDR was the CDR Business Card. The card contains somewhere between 5 and 7 minutes. A fetishtic item. One of my favourite Modelbau releases is the 2015 business card 'Keynotes'. Released on Record Store Day. 28 November 2015 in The Netherlands. 

From Frans de Waard's "X" book on the history of Modelbau : "I'm probably the last person who picked up on the notion that besides 'Record Store Day' and 'Cassette Store Day', there was something called 'CDR Store Day'. As an early adopter of CDRs (I started Bake Records in 1999 while working for Staalplaat), I thought I'd better not miss the opportunity. I think you had to sign up to participate 'officially', but I never did and made a small number of copies of a business card CDR that was only available on the 28th of November 2015". 'Keynotes was limited to 17 copies only. 

'Keynotes is six minutes and seven seconds long, it begins very (a)tonally. A single pitch before the voices start to enter the head (through the ears ... of course). Inuit chanting, Mongol-Tuvan throat singing, Yodelling, Moroccan singing and the Bulgarian women's choir all sonically blend into a hypnotic state fading to thirty seconds of insects riding across the tundra. Beautiful. I have no idea how I have come to own this masterpiece, this piece of audio-art, I was nowhere near The Netherlands on the 28th of November 2015 (and I have papers to prove it). I'm glad I have it though ... 

"X" can be got by contacting Frans via : https://fransdewaard.com

From The Archives #3 Francisco Meirino

 

Whilst waiting for the restart of MuhMur Radio broadcasting and building playlists I have taken the time to sort out some old boxes of tapes and CDs and re-arrange some of the records and listen to some releases I have not heard in years ... 

One of the boxes of tapes is of tapes released in boxes (if that makes any sense?). I have a couple of tape releases from the label Research Laboratories that came in little black boxes. Leif Elggren's 'Only Criminals In Crowns Find Sanctuary' and Francisco Meirino's 'Something Always Remains'. Both releases are from 2021. The Meirino release also comes with an A5 booklet of Francisco's collage art, postcard, sticker and badge. An impressive release.

'Something Always Remains' begins with the sound of the zither played percussively alongside a build of radio static and found percussion. Throughout the piece there is always the radio, creating space. The use of roaches and or other insects and running water turns the piece mesmeric, fixated and waiting for the next sound. A return to the zither, single string, acoustic and treated with delays. The toll of the bell. After the event something always remains either physical or in memory.

'There Is Nothing For Us Here' is a search for life. Not necessarily post-apocalyptic but very much in the here and now. A desolate sound of unconnected electricity, radio silence and a bed of insects, at times this sound out nurses the wound. The 15 minute piece ends in a drone,  harmonious harmonium drone and a cacophony of bicycle bells and worn cowbells. Beautiful. Both pieces have been 're-edited' and paper on the latest Francisco Meirino album "A Perpetual Host" on the American Misanthropic Agenda label. https://www.misanthropicagenda.com. After playing this tape I dug out the only Francisco Meirino 7" I have, 'Visible/Invisible' and the sound is very similar.

Francisco can be found at ... http://www.franciscomeirino.com. And if you are in Lausanne pop in to the Librarie Humus ... you might bump in to him there. 

From The Archives #2 Dave Phillips

 

Whilst waiting for the restart of MuhMur Radio broadcasting and building playlists I have taken the time to sort out some old boxes of tapes and CDs and re-arrange some of the records and listen to some releases I have not heard in years ... 

"Burn", a C20 cassette by Dave Phillips was released in 2014 on Aaltra Records. It comes packaged inside a black plastic bag (which over the past ten years has slowly lost its glue) with a booklet on the five levels of mobility by Swiss author Benedikt Loderer and a badge. Two ten minute pieces over two sides. 'Exorcise Your Demons' is a series of erratic (car) crash and burn electronics over a variety of vocals, some orgasmic, some playful and frantic. Choirs of heavenly angels make an attempt but are hidden by the duck calls and squeezed balloons. I don't know why but the word 'Hörspiele' came to mind whilst listening to this piece ... very loud. 'Walk Out' is partially built around field recordings made in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in 2006. Totally different in sound and construct to side A. Dogs bark, bells toll and voices lost in limbo float around an acoustic piano accompaniment. 

"Burn" is in memoriam of Zbigniew Karkowski. I am uncertain as to whether Aaltra Records are still active. I know I've said it before ... but I will say it again. Dave Phillips live is one of the most life affirming and sonically challenging experiences I have had. 

From The Archives #1 Shiver.

 

Whilst waiting for the restart of MuhMur Radio broadcasting and building playlists I have taken the time to sort out some old boxes of tapes and CDs and re-arrange some of the records and listen to some releases I have not heard in years ... 

Shiver is the solo project of Genova based sound artist Mauro Sciaccaluga. Mauro also operates the label Diazepam on which 'They Will Feed Us" was released. A C30 cassette in two parts running over side A and side B. "They Will Feed On Us" was the second release on Diazepam in 2011. The cassette is packaged in a hessian pouch with two inserts and two bones, my guess is chicken and/or turkey. 

Part one begins in a lo-fi manner with Dillowayesque looping, voice and speed manipulation. Stop. Start. Varispeed which slowly builds in to a wall of noise. Dense and powerful, power electronics in command. A sudden drop in power leaves with the sound of ritual / tribal percussion. Cymbals, bells hit and scraped. 

Part two begins on the ground level. Ground level lo-fi. Rising from the floorboards, the slow rumblings of bass and six-string guitar building to a canter, an easy 'groove' to travel with. Again, as with Part One, the sound builds to a wall of noise including manipulated undecipherable masked vocals and like Part One the sound drops, this time to scraped (violin) strings. It's a great sonic effect and leaves the listener in an isolated space. The floorboard frequency returns with a bass drone surrounded by escaped electricity which accelerates in to a separate wall of noise. 

"They Will Feed On Us" is a great tape, released in 2011 and a follow up to the Shiver CDR "Born To Lose". I do have the 2013 Shiver cassette "Shiver" but have yet to come across the box that one is in ... I look forward to (re)discovering it. I was uncertain to whether Mauro and Shiver were still active / releasing but a search on the internet I discovered there is a 2023 cassette on the Italian label Angst called "The Unquiet Grave". There's also a Regosphere & Shiver split tape on Diazepam I'll have to hunt down. Mauro is contactable via : http://shivernoise.blogspot.com or http://dzpm.blogspot.com. 

MuhMur Radio will be returning to the airwaves sometime in March 2024.