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Thread: Nurse with Wound

  1. #1
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    Nurse with Wound

    So I spent some time yesterday with a friend who happens to be a fairly serious NWW fan and we got into a discussion about them (him). I know I’ve heard something by him (them) probably years ago and remember not being to impressed but I also knew they (him) had an extremely deep catalog too so was willing to try again.

    iTunes had lots to choose from so I finally decided (with my friends help) to go with "Soliloquy for Lilith”. I started last night and continued with it today and still haven’t finished it since it’s a massive 2.5 hour set piece split up into 8 sections, each being about 17-20 minutes long.

    I’m sorry I didn’t hear this sooner since it’s all really excellent, albeit samey in a way. It’s all drone based with the foundation being what seems to be bowed metal on metal and possibly augmented with electronics but can’t really tell. It all sounds very organic and acoustic and I think it ranks (as a whole) right up there with some of the great acousmatic masters (Parmegiani, Ferrari, even Henry in a way) while not in style, but certainly in artistic merit.

    I’ll definitely be moving forward with him (them) but I’l probably be taking it slow and cherry picking as I got the impression that not all of their (his) work is of this quality.

    Has anyone else walked down the Nurse with Wound path?

    best
    Michael
    If it ain't acousmatique-It's crap

  2. #2
    Thanks for starting this. I am an ignorant mouse that will eventually walk the path. And this can be my chance.

    I expect/want/demand mr Spacefreak to step into the discussion.

  3. #3
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    I think I should clarify something. When I start dropping names like Parmegiani, Ferrari and Henry within a NWW discussion I totally get those gentlemen are coming from a completely different (academic) space.

    I don't believe Stapleton even remotely comes close to those guys in terms of approach and methods (although I could be wrong, like I said...I know nothing about NWW but I strongly suspect at least) My point was that the final output in terms of (my) enjoyment and (my) feelings about artistic merit, I can confidently come to the conclusion that since everyone is working within the "organized sound" space the quality level between NWW (based on what I've heard) and the "masters" (mentioned above) are approaching parity.

    Just felt I needed to say that

    best
    Michael
    If it ain't acousmatique-It's crap

  4. #4
    (not his real name) no.nine's Avatar
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    I find too much silliness scattered around NWW's albums, often along with various sounds which just annoy me for some reason. However there are three which I enjoy and would recommend:


    The Sylvie and Babs Hi-Fi Companion - this is a cut-up sound collage, using lots of '60s sound sources and additions by Stapleton and a huge cast of friends and fellow nut jobs. I'm probably contradicting myself here, because there are in fact many silly moments on this, but in this instance, I find them to be genuinely funny somehow. There are different mixes of this album, although I can't compare them because I've only heard the one I own, which is the original LAYLAH CD. BTW, the CD label on this one says "The Sylvie and Babs High-Thigh Companion".


    Gyllenskold / Brained - A CD reissue of two 12"EPs, also on the LAYLAH label, and also reissued on United Dairies with a different title (something like Large Ladies With Cakes In The Oven). More work in sound collage mode, there are some very effective atmospheres here. The track "Brained" itself is a pretty entertaining piece based on Brainticket's title track, with Jim Thirlwell (Foetus) on vocals.


    One more I think is good is A Handjob From The Laughing Policeman, which was included as an extra disc with early copies of the CD Soundpooling (which I did NOT like - utilizing too much unimaginative and predictable delay/repeats on individual sounds). I can't describe it easily but it's a nice, moody work. Individual copies seem to be available now.


    And finally, a note on Soliloquy for Lilith: the only sound source is feedback, which was generated and manipulated in real time. Apparently, Stapleton came across this effect while he was setting up equipment for another work, as I recall reading. Having hooked something up wrong, he found that by moving his hands in front of the equipment, he could control the sound. This was completely by accident, but having stumbled upon this, he did a bunch of recordings of the phenomenon and released them. And this is probably my favorite NWW work!
    "I tah dah nur!" - Ike

  5. #5
    Kind of a fan, not quite a rabid fan but kind of a fan.

    I really like Large Ladies with Cake in the Oven, Funeral Music for Perez Prado (mostly for the sublime title track), Salt Marie Celeste, Spiral Insana, Sylvie & Babs, et al. The Shipwreck Radio set isn't consistently amazing, but conceptually I dig the idea and the highs are really, really great.
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  6. #6
    Also, straight from the surrealist horse's mouth:

    https://nursewithwound1.bandcamp.com/
    If you're actually reading this then chances are you already have my last album but if NOT and you're curious:
    https://battema.bandcamp.com/

    Also, Ephemeral Sun: it's a thing and we like making things that might be your thing: https://ephemeralsun.bandcamp.com

  7. #7
    Member chalkpie's Avatar
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    Once upon a time, NWW and Cardiacs used to scare me. After some time had passed, Cardiacs didn't scare me anymore, but Nurse with Wound still did. And does. This band has many more albums. The end.
    If it isn't Krautrock, it's krap.

    "And it's only the giving
    That makes you what you are" - Ian Anderson

  8. #8
    All Things Must Pass spellbound's Avatar
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    Only NWW I have managed to get so far is Thunder Perfect Mind. Don't know how it compares with their other albums. When I find it, I'll play it again.
    We're trying to build a monument to show that we were here
    It won't be visible through the air
    And there won't be any shade to cool the monument to prove that we were here. - Gene Parsons, 1973

  9. #9
    I adore Salt Marie Celeste and have yet to find another NWW that clicked for me
    So need to check this

  10. #10
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    Just a dabbler, and a recent dabbler at that.I have Spiral Insana(2cd) and Acts Of Senseless Beauty/Santoor Lena Bicycle (2cd).Haven't played 'em in a while but i recall liking some tracks and being bored with other tracks.Must revisit both.
    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  11. #11
    I have been after NURSE WITH WOUND (+offshot recordings and collaborations) since the early 80s and exited continuous purchasing of their albums in 2005 with their Shipwreck Radio series of recordings. Since then, I've been following Steven Stapletons works, on and off and after recommendations, as I think that he has turned somewhat uninspired and repetitive, issuing most of his later stuff on an "automatic pilot" mode.

    From the years that the project had been an auto-buy for me, I can recommend:

    NWW stuff
    Chance Meeting On A Dissecting Table...
    To The Quiet Men From A Tiny Girl
    Merzbild Schwet
    Homotopy To Marie ---> still their best work to my ears
    Gyllensköld, Geijerstam and I At Rydberg's
    Ostranenie 1913
    Brained By Falling Masonry
    The Sylvie And Babs Hi-Fi Companion
    Spiral Insana ---> their second best
    Soliloquy For Lilith
    Lumb's Sister (part of 3xLP box with Current 93 and Sol Invictus)
    Live At Bar Maldoror
    Large Ladies with Cake in the Oven
    Thunder Perfect Mind
    Rock 'n Roll Station
    Who Can I Turn To Stereo
    An Awkward Pause
    Salt Marie Celeste (the 2nd "drone" album after Soliloquy and a bit more "busy")
    Space Music (the 3rd "drone" album)
    both Automating compilations (vol. 1 & 2)
    Silver Bromide
    Xerography

    collaborations
    with Organum - A Missing Sense / Rasa
    with Whitehouse - The 150 Murderous Passions
    with David Tibet - The Sadness Of Things (as Steven Stapleton)
    with Tony Wakeford - Revenge Of The Selfish Shellfish (as Steven Stapleton)
    with Aranos - Acts Of Senseless Beauty
    with Current 93 - Bright Yellow Moon
    with Stereolab - Crumb Duck
    with Stereolab - Simple Headphone Mind
    with Jim O'Rourke - Tape Monkey Mooch (Angry Eelectric Finger 1)
    with Cyclobe - Paraparaparallelogrammatica (Angry Eelectric Finger 2)
    with irr. app. (ext.) - Mute Bell Extinction Process (Angry Eelectric Finger 3)
    with Faust - Disconnected
    with Graham Bowers - Rupture

    At your disposal for more specific info if you wish...
    Last edited by spacefreak; 08-13-2018 at 06:57 AM.
    Macht das ohr auf!

    COSMIC EYE RECORDS

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by no.nine View Post


    And finally, a note on Soliloquy for Lilith: the only sound source is feedback, which was generated and manipulated in real time. Apparently, Stapleton came across this effect while he was setting up equipment for another work, as I recall reading. Having hooked something up wrong, he found that by moving his hands in front of the equipment, he could control the sound. This was completely by accident, but having stumbled upon this, he did a bunch of recordings of the phenomenon and released them. And this is probably my favorite NWW work!
    Really? Thats really interesting to me because I'm sort of a process driven guy. I like to know how things are made, how sounds are produced. (Although some times, well alot of times I just say fuck it and fall into the alien-ness of the sounds and just enjoy...listen to some of Dumitrescus electronic "falling glass" excursions for instance) I never would have thought it was pure feedback. Knowing this actually ratchets it up a few ticks in my "like" column. The whole idea of controlled feedback and seeing Sunn O))) doing it so masterfully at Big Ears a few years ago...fascinates me.

    Thanks for sharing!

    best
    Michael
    If it ain't acousmatique-It's crap

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by spacefreak View Post

    From the years that the project had been an auto-buy for me, I can recommend:

    NWW stuff
    Chance Meeting On A Dissecting Table...
    To The Quiet Men From A Tiny Girl
    Merzbild Schwet
    Homotopy To Marie ---> still their best work to my ears
    Gyllensköld, Geijerstam and I At Rydberg's
    Ostranenie 1913
    Brained By Falling Masonry
    The Sylvie And Babs Hi-Fi Companion
    Spiral Insana ---> their second best
    Soliloquy For Lilith
    Lumb's Sister (part of 3xLP box with Current 93 and Sol Invictus)
    Live At Bar Maldoror
    Large Ladies with Cake in the Oven
    Thunder Perfect Mind
    Rock 'n Roll Station
    Who Can I Turn To Stereo
    An Awkward Pause
    Salt Marie Celeste (the 2nd "drone" album after Soliloquy and a bit more "busy")
    Space Music (the 3rd "drone" album)
    both Automating compilations (vol. 1 & 2)
    Silver Bromide
    Xerography

    collaborations
    with Organum - A Missing Sense / Rasa
    with Whitehouse - The 150 Murderous Passions
    with David Tibet - The Sadness Of Things (as Steven Stapleton)
    with Tony Wakeford - Revenge Of The Selfish Shellfish (as Steven Stapleton)
    with Aranos - Acts Of Senseless Beauty
    with Current 93 - Bright Yellow Moon
    with Stereolab - Crumb Duck
    with Stereolab - Simple Headphone Mind
    with Jim O'Rourke - Tape Monkey Mooch (Angry Eelectric Finger 1)
    with Cyclobe - Paraparaparallelogrammatica (Angry Eelectric Finger 2)
    with irr. app. (ext.) - Mute Bell Extinction Process (Angry Eelectric Finger 3)
    with Faust - Disconnected
    with Graham Bowers - Rupture

    At your disposal for more specific info if you wish...
    Wow! Thanks for posting this list! (and everyone else who has posted their thoughts/experiences.) As I said upthread I'm going to be dipping my toe in...but I think I want to move slowly so I don't get burned out to soon. (This has happened to me too many times that I care to mention unfortunately)

    I finished "Soliloquy for Lilith" last nite and loved it. Some really lovely layered sound things happening...very detailed if you listen close enough. And now that I know that it's purely electronic I like it even more, because, to me, it still sounds organic...not synthetic at all. I gotta believe Stapleton took some time to perfect this method, and it shows.

    best
    Michael
    If it ain't acousmatique-It's crap

  14. #14
    Boo! walt's Avatar
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    I played disc 1 of Spiral Insana this morning and loved it bigly.I lack the skill/talent at forming words to describe music i like so i'll say there are YT clips of most of what's on cd 1.The music will speak for itself far better than any words i could conjure.

    I highly recommend it and i'm glad i have it.I'm sure, as with most good music, it'll reveal more of itself with each listen.
    "please do not understand me too quickly"-andre gide

  15. #15
    (not his real name) no.nine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by neuroticdog View Post
    Really? Thats really interesting to me because I'm sort of a process driven guy. I like to know how things are made, how sounds are produced. (Although some times, well alot of times I just say fuck it and fall into the alien-ness of the sounds and just enjoy...listen to some of Dumitrescus electronic "falling glass" excursions for instance) I never would have thought it was pure feedback. Knowing this actually ratchets it up a few ticks in my "like" column. The whole idea of controlled feedback and seeing Sunn O))) doing it so masterfully at Big Ears a few years ago...fascinates me.

    Thanks for sharing!

    best
    Michael
    You're welcome! I don't remember where I originally read this, but I just found this recent article/tribute to the album. I didn't read the whole thing yet (it's long), but I skimmed it enough to know that there's verification within.

    http://thequietus.com/articles/24467...feature-review


    And - (off topic, sorry) - from a quick skim, I saw that the writer mentioned Eliane Radigue's Trilogie de la Mort. I have the CD of the first of the three discs, Kyema: Intermediate States, which was released separately, and it's just out of this world. Created with synths, you'd never mistake it for Soliloquy, but the feeling it produces is in the same ball park. I've deliberately only listened to it a handful of times over the decades because I don't want its power to diminish! Awesome work, I highly recommend it (and the other two of the trilogy are probably equally excellent, I'd bet).
    "I tah dah nur!" - Ike

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by neuroticdog View Post
    I finished "Soliloquy for Lilith" last nite and loved it. Some really lovely layered sound things happening...
    Coil's Time Machines is a similar album in structure.
    Macht das ohr auf!

    COSMIC EYE RECORDS

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by no.nine View Post

    And - (off topic, sorry) - from a quick skim, I saw that the writer mentioned Eliane Radigue's Trilogie de la Mort. I have the CD of the first of the three discs, Kyema: Intermediate States, which was released separately, and it's just out of this world. Created with synths, you'd never mistake it for Soliloquy, but the feeling it produces is in the same ball park. I've deliberately only listened to it a handful of times over the decades because I don't want its power to diminish! Awesome work, I highly recommend it (and the other two of the trilogy are probably equally excellent, I'd bet).
    This is about as stripped down as stripped down can be. I listened to all 3 recently and it's, well, lets just say it's a commitment. I have no doubt that if you are in the right head space, these 3 pieces can transport you on an inward journey you soon won't forget...but you really need to be awake fully, committed, and prepared to do some really "active" listening. At best, this can literally be a transcendent aural experience, but if you come into it ill prepared, it's probably a waste of 3 hours. If I had to describe it...infinitely long synth tones, some throbbing, some not, sometimes modulating/mutating into different tones or keys, deep (as in VERY) bass drones lasting forever and the ever so subtle changes happening on top.

    Try and listen to the other two, the first is the most "bare bones" but if you continue with it, variety sets in (and I use that term very sparingly, but it is there). The penultimate 5 or 10 minutes actually reaches "a maelstrom of wasps" level. I concur with your inclusion of this work in this thread though...it's cut from the same bolt (or wisp, in this case) of cloth.

    best
    Michael
    If it ain't acousmatique-It's crap

  18. #18

  19. #19
    (not his real name) no.nine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by neuroticdog View Post
    This is about as stripped down as stripped down can be. I listened to all 3 recently and it's, well, lets just say it's a commitment. I have no doubt that if you are in the right head space, these 3 pieces can transport you on an inward journey you soon won't forget...but you really need to be awake fully, committed, and prepared to do some really "active" listening. At best, this can literally be a transcendent aural experience, but if you come into it ill prepared, it's probably a waste of 3 hours. If I had to describe it...infinitely long synth tones, some throbbing, some not, sometimes modulating/mutating into different tones or keys, deep (as in VERY) bass drones lasting forever and the ever so subtle changes happening on top.

    Try and listen to the other two, the first is the most "bare bones" but if you continue with it, variety sets in (and I use that term very sparingly, but it is there). The penultimate 5 or 10 minutes actually reaches "a maelstrom of wasps" level. I concur with your inclusion of this work in this thread though...it's cut from the same bolt (or wisp, in this case) of cloth.

    best
    Michael
    Thanks for this post.

    I'll be passing on the trilogy, though. I've heard samples of the other two discs, and I have to say they struck me as more of the same. I mean, for me, Kyema is absolutely transcendent, but I don't need two more CDs of it. The other two would really have to have more to offer me, especially because I'm not one for really extended listening. I can do a single CD, even one of 75 minutes duration, depending, but I can't go much further than that. Most 2 CD sets get two separate listenings; it's a very rare double release which can sustain my attention in one sitting. And trilogy or not, Kyema works perfectly on its own. So I feel no need for an extension.

    But I enjoyed reading your thoughts on it.
    "I tah dah nur!" - Ike

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