Web Of Mimicry 
Ur : Personnae : Halloween /
The Electromagnetic Azoth : The Left Hand Of Nothingness (US,2007)****
Secret Chiefs 3 very much became a roaring transcending group that needed various names for the many faces of the beast, each head directing to different astral sonic projections. Under the name of The Electromagnetic Azoth, this group for this particular recording consisted of Eyvind Kang on viola, Ches Smith on drums, Mike Dillon on tabla, vibes and percussion, Shahzad Ismaily on bass, Jesse Quattro on fear vocals, Trey Spruance on synth, dulcimer, autoharp, bari guitar, Timb Harris on violin, Rich Doucette on esraj, Anonymous 13 on melodic voice (added afterwards), with guest Randall Dunn of the SunnO))). On the other side the group is listed under the name of Ur.
Side A, “Personae:Halloween” sounds like the opening theme tune of a horrifying soundtrack with minimal piano that has an Italian horror rock association like with any Goblin/Morricone related soundtrack, which becomes rhythmically faster and terrifying, with tiny psychedelic effects and surf guitar details added, and fitting vocals. It is in fact as they say a “Spring reverb twang and fuzz pedal rendition of the classic 1978 John Carpenter theme” related with the Halloween movie (Morricone). It was originally intended to be listed on Secret Chiefs upcoming album, “Book of Souls”.
Side B with “The Left Hand of Nothingness” sounds like a next step into a similar and easily to visualize movie, which goes deeper into some fear visions-provoking sound concentrations, tensions, within a certain staying calm tension it inhabits the expressions of a fear-evoking event. It is a collage of elements that follow, come and go and combine themselves with eachother : Cuckoo clock tickings, drum rhythms, schoolchildren in panic background sounds : coming and going, as with the remembrance of a trauma, terrifying echoing bass effects tensions, electric bass, keyboards, returning contemporary string chords exaggerating the effects and breaths of fear, lalala ghostly vocals, glockenspiel-playful nonsense that sound like musical boxes losing their grip on reality, disturbing metallic piano and guitar bass chords, parts with certain rhythms (guitar, bass, drums) that speed up the tension, a bit of tabla, and plugged violin strings. Many of these elements for some reason always were effective in horror movies, and with the right use always will be, with a certain beauty of sound which makes this even more effective. Limited to 1000 copies.
Web Of Mimicry Ishraqiyun : "Balance of the Nineteen"
/ The Electromagnetic Azoth : Ubik (US,2007)****'
Side A of this single presents Secret Chiefs 3 as Ishraqiyun as a live version session of the group (with 2 members missing). Here the group consists of Eyvind Kang on viola, Shahzad Ismaily on bass, Ches Smith on drums, Trey Spruance on piano, keyboards, saz, percussion and Rich Doucette on sarangi. Like the group name and cover suggest the music has some Arab /North African / Middle Eastern association. It is as if it presents a filmic but still rock associated well produced version of a traditional, with respect to it, an original mixture typical for the talent of the band.
Side B, “Ubik”, associated with The Electromagnetic Azoth is a brilliant rhythmically collage-like moving electro-acoustic mix based on an inspired solo performance by guitarist Bill Horist, a recording which on its own sounds like a terrific sound meditation. In this form we hear continuations with beer flowing in glass, and a few splashes of water, bizarre but beautiful harmonies with exploring notes on prepared guitar, which are built up in rhythmic pulses. The guitar sound like a range of instruments, from guitar to dulcimer to something more industrially metallic, in a way this evokes some tones I associate with what I have heard on Einsturzende Neubauten’s “½ Mensch”, but here it is like being presented in a remixed form and a different reshaping and ever changing remix. At different times the rhythmical evolutions get a more ethnic-like format, while elsewhere electronic bass rhythms appear. Also floating are some words or whispers, or harmonic sonic baritone vocals. The whole track is rhythmically enough to be called “modern music”, and not just free avant-garde, inhabiting the ear-driven composition sound meditation. 1000 copies only.
Web Of Mimicry. Ur : Circumbulation / Labyrinth Of Light (US,2007)****
The third single is presented with some kind of mystery. The cover makes this seem as if this is a Turkish recording from around 1972, from a guy called Ebi Yürt. Side A is mixed like a live recording, somewhat in a Turkish rock style (electric saz), with a bit of spacey synth effects coming and going, and other bits of some organ, electronica, and Arabesque strings. The other side is a different version, played by the same fictive progressive band, this time with some surf-and such associations. With a blink in the eye this is of course no other than another genius idea of the Secret Chiefs 3 community. (700 copies printed?).
Web Of Mimicry Ur : Kulturvulture / Drive (US,2007)***'
This is another single associated with the Ur group, and UR-religious cultural aspects of mankind. It is presented as a lost single from the German Münich scene in 1978. It is a relatively kept simple looped repetition on dulcimer, with a semi-eastern effect, a sequenced bass which is easily associated with German music, remembering the krautrock area with a rather primitive more minimalist pop fashion, a style from the era going into early german wave pop with it, with Kraftwerk and early The Cure associated echoed percussion and simplified electronic affects. Also greatly provoked is the German accent on the few occurring words, or is this really a German band and single ? The little bits of Middle Eastern guitar touches added on the background convince me this is not. This is no more and no less a kind of successful and intelligent joke (for those with musical ears) playing with musical origins and inspirations. Side b gives a more moody poprock version variation as if inspired and improvised by the same band, with a hardly noticeable hesitating rhythm, typical for a post-punk area that was evolving to the more depressed wavepop areas. In some way this UR area has in all its inspired simplicity its own form of a historical musical alienation.
