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Neocortical Sense


Zoviet France: Mohnomishe

Saturday, Jul 4, 2009 11:28 PM [Recorded: July 1983. Red Rhino Records.] We went into the corridors created by Zoviet France, a group of experimental musicians from the UK that happened to be touring North America; thus we had the opportunity to see and speak with them prior to their performance at the late Birmingham Loft in Pittsburgh, PA (1994). Playing music like this in front of a live audience is a challenge, however it is a comfortable rush movement in creating an atmosphere amidst a finite structure. The group I was with at the time was taken aback to see that Zoviet France used samplers and the sorts. This was disturbing for us to view given we are more drawn into performances that create sound fields spontaneously through unique instrumentation. This is not to say that we are not moved by the works of Zoviet France, and you will find a variety of their records in our collection.
Prior to getting to Mohnomishe, we recall the Pittsburgh concert that was spearheaded by underground music mogul Manny Theiner. Zoviet France featured a young woman dancing while their music sculpted visions of fly-ash. Interesting too is that the woman gracefully danced, moving her feet, on toes at times, and through puddles of oil left by Minozin-V's various engines, motors and compressors that they had used in their performance prior to the English band. (Minozin-V' also blew the circuits twice during their pre-show sound checks while using multiple elements but no sequencers, synths or samplers.) The historical pattern of Pittsburgh was appropriate for Zoviet France's performance. Sounds that create images of gray skies and factories emitting toxins into the air. You could venture into it, walk down a street and pass by people in muted black suits with white shirts and conservative colorless ties. You notice they have no faces and they have no identity. You realize they are the corporate puppets that engage their tasks fed to them by capitalistic minds that have milked the common man to perform tasks of hard labor for small rewards. You see the steel forged amidst halls of intubated bodies that maintain a sense of physiological imbalance via ventilator machines. Indeed the landscape painted by Zoviet France was dark if not bleak, but understanding Pittsburgh and its people that once lived within the great steel city offers a multidimensional mind canvas. Still, even those who did not experience the damage inflicted on this city during the industrial revolution will still find a dark place when experiencing this band.
Mohnomishe is no different. It is a collage of sounds that wander through black and gray. Muted sounds, and although the use of samplers they are not brash or digital sounding. Instead there is a creation of nice depth in a dark place.
It is very important to realize Zoviet France on tube equipment if you are unable to experience them live. For example, fire up a pair of Klimo Beltaine amps through a Supratek Cortese preamp into some Duevel Bella Luna Diamante speakers. The turntable, well that's another story. Bob Benn is out there somewhere. Maybe he'll sort it out. The cartridge, arm, interconnects, wires, etc... Onward we go into a monetary pit in the pursuance of beautiful sound. But, hmmm... there isn't an alternative really. Beautiful sound. Beautiful music. Audio crap will not do Zoviet France the justice they deserve.


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