THE JOHN SEE SOUNDTRACKS
1994Limited-edition picturedisc LP released on RRRecords
Soundtracks from The JOHN SEE SERIES adult video directed by Duncan
Produced and released in Japan by Kuki, Inc.; Tokyo.
BREATH CHOIR
AIDAYUKI PASSION
BREATHCHOIR MIX
INKA
POWER LOVE
It might be a known story: after moving from USA to Japan, John Duncan did some work in the Porn business. In a recent interview he states the pornography is a hidden side of society that is, at least in Japan, also quite schizophrenic.
This CD contains five soundtracks to various porn films and were originally released on a limited picture disc LP. The CD version also contains one extra piece - the soundtrack to the performance 'Move Forward'. As one can expect there are various sighs to be found here against backdrops of dark atmospheric music. In 'Breath Choir' the sighing towards the end gets more mechanical... There is also 'Breathchoir Mix' and here the vocals sound like pigs screaming. Quite haunting! 'Inka' is a collage of delayed sounds with clicks and pops - I wish to see what scene belongs to this... 'Power Love' is one of the few rhythmical Duncan tracks I know off with some weird ethnical chanting. It is the sounding of energy that comes from having sex.
Frans de Waard, VITAL
Stunning and legendary material from veteran art-experimentalist Duncan. Some of this stuff is so dark and spooky and inexplicably visceral that it's hard to listen to it without taking a break. These are the infamous John See Soundtracks, along with other performance pieces dating as far back as 1984. There is an excellent full-color booklet with it, explaining the works and their performance. Whats the most striking at first listen? That would be Duncan utlizing pronographic moans and heavy-breathing within ambient soundscapes. This is certainly sexy in a mysterious way, but then these sounds just become haunting, like voices of the dead, bodiless moans absently pretending satisfaction. Then they end up somewhere near the mechanical, not even human at all. Extended pieces take the sounds of sex further, with one using a very strange, almost beastial male-noise, effected and distorted and repeated until it becomes something else. As when you repeat a word over and over, it loses it's meaning. And all this is under thin sheets of tense ambient drones, so it really digs its way into you. But there are pieces that have no identification with the sexual as well... and these become the unbelievably heavy, powerful ascendencies of sound, increasing and building into frightening, violent walls. This is truly breakthrough material, purely for it's absolute power and ability to create that tectonic movement within the listeners psyche. Do not miss this one.
Vince Harrigan, Manifold Records
SEND
1994TO:20
Solo CD released on Touch
ENTRY
PROGRAM
363 TOKYO
SNAKE RIDE
PRIORITY
SLEEPERS
SHATTER
CRUCIBLE
TRESPASS
Recorded between 1985 and 1992 at Unomori, Tokyo, Studio Uithoornstraat 28-2 and STEIM, Amsterdam.
SNAKE RIDE is the soundtrack for the debut broadcast of pirate television station TVC-1, Tokyo, operated by John Duncan between 1986-88.
SLEEPERS composed with A.M. McKenzie.
SHATTER composed with Zbigniew Karkowski.
CRUCIBLE and TRESPASS composed with Bram Angstrom.
Booklet text The Stop Exercise written by John Duncan and A. M. McKenzie.
On both records [SEND and RIVER IN FLAMES], Duncan uses the shortwave from the radio receiver as the main instrument; on both, the further sound editing is analogue. Radio waves crash, they build highly abstract constructions out of layers of speech and rhythmic interferences. From a multilayered spectral spacial image sound mixtures grow, which show a wide dynamic bandwidth. From the subtle, metallic scratching, humming and squeaking, trivial samples from spy movies, mystic voice chatter, morsecode-like shattered calls, whistling feedbacks and white noise to the flapping snare of air vents and vibrators, from 'power industrial', radio noises and doubled voices, to mystically threatening, elongated wabbling, John Duncan knits a finely woven, diffusely flowing net of sounds. Luckily he does not make this usual, frequently noticed mistake of recklessly stetched uninspiredness. Instead, he creates a complex work, which during some phases is not unlike certain works by the Hafler Trio (which, in older recordings from the 80s, work with him as a guest). Tension is maintained through constant unpredictability in the course of events, through an enormous variety of sounds, surprising voids, tricks and breaks, the juxtaposition of the most extreme frequencies, the entire arsenal of harsh, dry electronic effects and the supreme skill of handling time. Also subtle rhythmic structures and samples of musique concréte (around the end of INCOMING, where you hear the swarmimg of insects, birds, barking) add to the freshness. Andrew McKenzie (Hafler Trio) sums up the work of his friend, probably to the point, with the words of the Armenian mystic Gurdieff: 'Pouring from the empty into the void'.
--DvED, ODRADEK
The theme of this work is broadcast, transmission, hence the title. Like in all of his work Duncan uses shortwave sounds to create some very intense music. The shortwave sounds are fed through effects, layered upon each other and then collated again. What sets Duncan apart...is his compositional skill. Presented is not just a mere set of shortwave sound, but nine excellent pieces of noise music.
-- Frans de Waard, VITAL
An array of aural passages from shortwave signals, electricity and mixing, this record has a massaging and effective subtle touch. The document seeps into the ears and triggers remote centers of seminal-consciousness, reverberating ghost tones and thin rings of sound with lifting and jarring points along the way. A subtle, yet embedded story here, giving it a presence and making this a striking release. Comes with a booklet that has an extensive dialogue with John Duncan and Andrew McKenzie in which to muse further. Recommended.
-- Michael Northam and Daniel Plunkett, ND
More reviews and audio tracks also in deutsch
RIVER IN FLAMES/KLAAR
1994Solo double-CD re-release on Staalplaat
RIVER IN FLAMES
CATALYST
CROSSTALK
ZONE
CODEX
5 IN GOLD
RIVER IN FLAMES
CATALYST composed with Orjan Hendriksson
Recorded at Studio 17, Gothenburg, Sweden.
ZONE and CODEX composed with Zbigniew Karkowski
Recorded at STEIM, Amsterdam
CROSSTALK composed with A.M. McKenzie during a live pirate FM radio broadcast over RADIO CODE Amsterdam.
Mixed by John Duncan.
5 IN GOLD composed by Zbigniew Karkowski.
RIVER IN FLAMES performed by John Duncan for TV Rabotnik, Amsterdam.
KLAAR
DELTA
KLAAR
THE IMMENSE ROOM
MASS
Recorded, written and mixed by John Duncan
Booklet text written by A.M. McKenzie
Mastered by A.M. McKenzie at Anterior (NL)
John Duncan is an experimental genius, whose vision is of a bleak, nihilistic sort which is frighteningly relevant.
-- Misty Dawn, INDUSTRIAL NATION
More reviews also in italiano and français
CHAPEL PERILOUS and KICK
1993Tracks included on limited-edition CD Anckarstrom Live
released on Staalplaat, NL
Recorded live at Saal 100, Amsterdam
CHAPEL PERILOUS composed with Zbigniew Karkowsky
DARK MARKET BROADCAST
1986Cassette released on Cause & Effect, USA
1990
Solo CD release on Staalplaat, NL
S.T.CD 008
DANCE
QUAN AM
PHASE
HEAD
(no title)
WALPURGISNACHT
PHANTOM
PURGE
(no title)
Recorded, written and mixed by John Duncan at Unomori, Tokyo.
WALPURGISNACHT composed with Joe Potts.
Booklet text and artwork by John Duncan.
Harsh, highly processed machine-like stuff which, like the better industrial music, maintains a fine balance between interesting sounds and ideas, and impact. The disc opens with rapidly looped sawing sounds which grate against what sounds like the crackling engine of a dragster. This provides a constant overlay for machine-like buzzes and hums, high frequencies like those heard on short wave radios, and background voice collage. Other sections have extended periods of deep rumblings under long, weaving, semi-pleasant metallic drones, periods of soldiers chanting behind recitation, lots of clicking and crackling, and droning feedback mixed with deep grumbling and high whistles. While some periods of relative sedateness occur, don't plan on relaxing. And don't plan on suffering at unbridled expressions of anger. Again, it's a fine balance.
-- Tom Grove, i/e
More reviews also in italiano
RIOT / BRUTAL BIRTHDAY SOUNDTRACK
1990Solo CD released on Dark Vinyl, Germany.
DV 06
RIOT
HUNGRY
LAST WORDS
YOIKA
BRUTAL BIRTHDAY SOUNDTRACK
CD issue of RIOT LP first released by AQM 1984
Soundtrack to BRUTAL BIRTHDAY recorded live by CV MASSAGE (1988)
RIOT
1984
Solo LP released on AQM, Japan
1987
Re-issued by RRRecords, USA
RIOT
HUNGRY
LAST WORDS
YOIKA
Shortwave. Voice. Steel door.
Recorded at Unomori, Tokyo
Card insert includes track information and credits printed in white on a black background over a photo printed in silver ink, and a drawing printed black on white from Duncan's dream notebooks
This is incredible, like nothing else you'll ever hear...this record must be heard!
Paul Lemos, OP Magazine
More reviews also in italiano
MIRROR PULSE
1990
Cassette released on Extreme, Australia.
Discussion with A.M. McKenzie recorded in Amsterdam
CONTACT
1990Composed with A.M. McKenzie
CD released on Touch UK
SET
SOURCE
DIRECTION
ACT
MELD
TRACK
TARGET
TRAJECTORY
CHANGE
TO:17
Recorded by John Duncan and A.M. McKenzie.
Design by Jon Wozencroft.
Booklet includes text by A.M. McKenzie
Photos by John Duncan
A masterpiece! Treated sounds, cues to music concrete. In a few brief fragments there are echoes of some Hafler Trio productions (Mr. McKenzie is involved in the work). The sound is clamorously evocative, every discourse of ambient or postindustrial music becomes forgotten in the evolution and fragmentation of long silences and acid reverbs. Splendid acceleration of sound in crescendoes of volume and intensity, for an enormous aural and cerebral entreaty. Intelligently utilized noise interrupts the fluidity every so often. At around 30+ minutes there's a magnificent electronic border that leaves you stunned... This CD is best heard in silence: a shame to disturb it with distracting noises or while walking home alone. Truly wonderful!
-- Massimo Ricci, DEEP LISTENINGS
More reviews in italiano
RADIO CODE
1988-1989Pirate FM radio broadcasts over Radio 100, Amsterdam
Cassette series released on AQM
FUSHITSUSHA
TOSHIJI MIKAWA
KATSU MIZUMACHI
YASUNORI TANIGUCHI
SENJI JEGOG
GAIN
1985Cassette released on AQM
Side A recorded, written and mixed by John Duncan and Paul Hurst at Unomori, Tokyo
Side B PURGE recorded, written and mixed by John Duncan at Unomori, Tokyo. Also released on Journey Into Pain 4-cassette compilation by Beast 666, Osaka
MORALITY
1985Prostitution tapes released on Morality
cassette compilation by Broken Flag, London
RIPOSTE
1985Solo track released on Riposte
cassette compilation by Broken Flag, London
PROBE
1985Track released on Assemblee Generale 4
cassette compilation by PPP, Paris
PLEASURE-ESCAPE
1984John Duncan and Hitomi Komukai, ed.
Audio cassette and book released by B-Sellers, Tokyo.
Cassette contains:
side A: Los Angeles radio broadcast of BLIND DATE
side B: soundtrack to MOVE FORWARD film event at Plan B, Tokyo.
Book contains collages by Duncan, interviews by Paul McCarthy and Hitomi Komukai.
Design and layout by Duncan.
ACTUAL ECHO, NATURAL ECHO
1983Improvised audio with found instruments played by a group of five people who meet that night for the first time.
Limited-edition cassette released by Takuya Sakaguchi.
MUSIC-YOU FINISH
1982Audio sources for the listener to use to make his or her own music.
Limited-edition cassette released by Pinacotheca
KOKKA
1983Composed with Cosey Fanni-Tutti and Chris Carter
Limited-edition EP released by AQM
Manufactured by Takafumi Sato at Pinakotheca
Produced by Takuya Sakaguchi
Many many years ago I bought a nice overpriced record by John Duncan and Chris & Cosey. I was struck by the simple yet genious concept: one artist was on the left channel and the other on the right channel. This meant that by playing the record stereo you would hear both at the same time, and they fitted well together.
I still cherish that record.
-- Frans de Waard, VITAL
CREED
1980Limited-edition solo EP released on AQM
Menstrual blood on the cover of 30 copies
WORKJOB
GOODBOY
BABYLON
TANGO DELTA
HAPPY HOMES
HAPPY HOMES is the recording of an event for live radio talkshow with therapist Dr. Toni Grant, broadcast in Los Angeles over KABC and nationwide in the US over the ABC Radio Network
ORGANIC
1979Limited-edition LP released on AQM
BROKEN PROMISE
GALA
BROKEN PROMISE composed and performed with Michael leDonne-Bhennet
GALA water-drum solo
Performed at Sound concert series
Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA)
STATION EVENT
1978
Performed by Duncan (voice), Tom Recchion (invented instruments) and Michael LeDonne-Bhennet (basson)
Live broadcast over CLOSE RADIO that included audience phone calls
KPFK Los Angeles
Limited-edition cassette released on AQM
NO
1978First public performance by Duncan of Reichian exercize
Live broadcast over CLOSE RADIO
KPFK Los Angeles
Limited-edition cassette released on AQM
NAKED ~ SEA CHANTY
1978CV MASSAGE
Performed with Michael LeDonne-Bhennet, Dennis Duck, Paul McCarthy, Fredrik Nilsen and Tom Recchion
Included in L.A.F.M.S. 11-CD box released on RRRecords
TWO SOLOS
1978First release of music recorded by Duncan
Limited-edition cassette released on AQM produced by Takuya Sakaguchi
Side A: Ambient recording inside a car driven on a mountain road at a safe speed
Side B: Unfamiliar instrument (saxophone) played for the first time
