KAFFE MATTHEWS CD Cecile (Annette Works, Box 14077, London N16 5WF, UK) The imprint’s motto is set out boldly in the packaging for “CD Cecile”: “Annette Works is a label set up to produce works which use a realtime exploitation of electronics in a particular place at a particular time.” Thus here we have Kaffe Matthews with 3 lengthy real-ambience pieces (for a total of 70 plus minutes) recorded live in London England in February of this year, in Chicago in December of last, and in Oslo Norway in January 1999. Most interesting is that each track truly seems to reflect the location. Recorded in the UK, “Contact C” sounds like a living, breathing city of industry; you can almost feel the grime as you listen to the vehicular hum and manipulated static. Similarly, “My Love Gave Me A Blue Plastic Watch”, the American soiled piece, is a bustling, busy, no-time-for-anyone affair with sighs, honks, screeches, and a great feeling of distance, as if you just can’t get close to it no matter how hard you try. “Skagerrak” is equally effective with its ability to bring forth images of ice, vastness, and those trying to get things done. A remarkable release likely to gain approval for those lovers of Pole, Oval, and Pan Sonic who would like a bit more with their snap, crackle, and pop. --Andrew Duke Back to album/book reviews index