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Ampersand Etcetera – 2003_d
Ambient & microwave & electronica & experimental lowercase & postclassical
& minimal & techno & etcetera
As promised, a set of single reviews – not necessarily reviews of single!
And indeed some multiple reviews may sneak in, but they are of one artist. Anyway,
what does it matter, it is all just a conceit. And the order is as they were finished
– nothing special. (Although I did consider some juxtapositions and relationships
along the way!) (And not the order received – some have waited too long –
apologies). But then I had another thought, and reconstructed the thing –
if I expect a 'narrative' flow from an album, why not from some reviews. If anyone
can see the pattern, their mind is as warped as mine!
Coming soon: three from Zenapolae, more Aesova (I hope), lots of Early Morning
Records, two compilations from mrw44 (a new label introduced in this edition)
and hopefully more
Jeremy
ampersand@pretentious.net
&
http://ampersandetc.virtualave.net/ampersand.html
&&&&&&&&&&&&
The Musique Concrete Ensemble
Disonancias y Repeticiones Ambiguas
Eco Discos ECO0301
http://www.ecodiscos.com
Raphael Irisarri initiated this project, which started out as late night studio
sessions with fellow collaborators Jorge Castro, Raymond Rivera and Daniel Wictorson
and has emerged as an enticing orchestration of sound. I approached with a little
trepidation – the combination of musique concrete, dissonance, repetition
and ambiguity led me to expect an album of jumpy noises, looping and confronting.
When the music started to come out of the speakers I was pleasantly surprised
and as it continued my appreciation of this attractive album has grown.
'Segmento A' opens with loops of sound – possibly chimes or guitar –
as an atmospheric susurrus that is joined by a big organ drone, and then a solo
guitar, with a very twangy 'western' sound – or like the guitar albums of
the 60s. Then a loop of a voice Ahhh and some synth washes: these three elements
take turns over the ground loops. About half way in a beat drops in – fast
rims and a slow thud – this drives the track away from its drifting, focussing
on some of the other sounds, before the guitar returns for the end. Again a sample
opening to 'Segmento B' with running water and long (voice) tones, a soft clatter
and hiss. Then a close miked solo acoustic guitar – you can hear the strings
and fingers move. Echoed tone spirals and the continued samples provide atmosphere,
and voice tones from the first part return. An echoing electric guitar and a complex
rhythm enter, some long tonal guitar into the fade down.
The 'Interludio' is, simply, a wordless song. Chittering tones play scales, a
drum, strummed guitar and electric echoes together build with a buzz into a melody
which seems to be waiting for a singer to join. They appear only as some voice
tones, though a guitar solo in the sublayers also plays the role. As with all
the tracks on the album this is complex and multilayered.
Long fading metal guitar tones emerge in 'Segmento C' joined by another close
guitar solo, shakey echoes and drums, opening out with a fuzzy guitar solo. It
then drops back to atmospherics, a fast drum/percussion that fades while the guitar
returns with a chopped rhythm loop and the track rebuilds with some swooping guitar
lines reminiscent of Castro's solo albums. Frogs, dripping – more concrete
for 'Segmento D', slow acoustic picking with a big chord tone through (electric
guitar) and crackling radio voices that build. The lovely long guitar notes return,
a voice sample, as the track relaxedly ambles along (as someone walks through)
before bubble click end. Before a hidden track of chopped rhythms, tones and guitar
tones.
Sometimes an album impresses you more because it was not what you expect –
which was the case here – but listening to it a few times I think it is the
exciting combination of samples and atmospheric ambiences, dramatic guitar lines
and a production value that keeps these elements crisp clear and invigorating.
Not difficult but entertaining and exciting – highly recommended.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
Ernesto Diaz-Infante
Pax Recordings PR90259
http://www.paxrecordings.com
Again, a name that has crossed this path many times on Pax, Public Eyesore and
many more usually as part of a duo, group or collection, now emerges with a solo
album. And I must admit it is one of those strange hard-to-review beasts.
There are 30 tracks on the album, of which 20 are around three minutes and the
rest about 1. There are only 8 with titles, and they fall into the longer category.
On listening you realise what is distinct about them is that they have vocals
– softly mumble-sung poems. The list of instruments is extensive, though
guitar, piano and field recordings tend to be the most used.
If we consider the first sequence there is a whooshing scrabbly recording which
could be in a tunnel, the first song over scribbling scrape bangs and rattles
that sound like the inside of a piano, a rumbling cycle, more string improv (either
guitar or piano) and then another song over strummed guitar.
The album continues in this way. There are short experiments with sound sources,
some of which are identifiable and some not – a crackling futz, scraping
high tone violin, various field recordings, voice going ahhaahhhaaa, strumming,
drilling buzz with radio sounds, blown and tapped didgeridoo. Indeed there are
notes at the Pax site indicating the source of each – I had got most, though
the rattling in 12 was 'goatnails', the crackle futz in 7 was a jackplug, the
strange metallic noises were a zither rod and so on. The solo accordion was lost
in the 'microscopic recording' which turned it into a crackling pebble drop! While
it is not a 'mystery sound' album, reading the sources does make sense of some
things – though I can see why you would leave the information off the cover.
Then there are the longer tracks – two are extended site recordings with
the goatnails. The songs (again lyrics are on site for some) are accompanied by
varied ensembles – and the album is balanced here. The first two and last
two have solo instruments – piano or guitar); third and sixth are over site
recordings which move in and out of focus, include cars and birds, singing and
talking. And the central two are multitracked – they have relatively complex
combinations of crackling and sampled turntables, bells cymbals and drums, bowed
deep toned from the bass – standing out quite distinctly.
What that leaves you with is a collection of mainly 'unformed' pieces – moments
that Diaz-Infante has captured while bowing the body of his guitar, riding an
SF MUNI bus, preparing a piano or fiddling with a jack. The selection and contraction
of them then becomes a window onto a larger piece – we can imagine the minutes
or hours on either side. Some have then been extended as the basis for the poem-songs
but, other than the multitracked ones, the longer pieces are not preferenced.
The listening experience is comparable to looking through an artists sketch book,
where images are complete yet in various stages of completion, and we have the
immediate enjoyment in addition to the imagination of possibilities. And if an
extended improv track/album asks us to consider the moment of its creation, here
we have an extended series of moments – and while the length suggests they
are ripe for random-play, they feel and look like they have been carefully placed.
In many ways this structure makes the album more approachable, as does the relaxed
and restrained tone, without losing the immediacy and thought-provocation of the
genre. One which I am sure will continue to reveal aspects over time.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Rhodri Davies
Trem
Confront 11
http://www.confront.info
I should have guessed by the label name, but. This arrived unannounced, a series
of live tracks by Davies on the harp. The fact that all the details are also in
Celtic (and from my limited linguistic skills while I initially guessed Gaelic,
I now feel it is Welsh [Cymraeg to its speakers]: Davies name for a start and
then the high 'y' count) I expected a relaxing album of harp music.
But there are few moments on the album where music resembling the traditional
harp (and then distantly) occur. This is an improv album where, as with guitar
players, the instrument is being used to create sounds in unexpected ways. In
'Cresis' we hear strange pipping notes (bowed short strings?) singly and then
in groups, spaced and back and forth, struck strings, scraping pulsing and buzz
building to a quite noisey climax with miscellaneous high notes and resonant depths.
Through the rest of the album there is similar exploration of the instrument -–very
short picking and harp-ish runs in 'Undur' moves to a freer sound, edgy with some
loose strings, playing with harp conventions, looping and sliding. The title piece
for percussion and tape sees strange scratchings taps rubbing as futzy white noise
pulse form a dense aura from the tape.
With high tones tapping shimmer ping (strings being scrapped and hit) 'Beres'
opens, increasing and alternating scrape/pluck and bowing (a cough) slightly teeth-edging,
forceful plink/slide, ending in a string swirl. The active scrabbling and string-humms
in 'Plosif' remind me of some of Rowe's guitar work with fans and things. 'Berant'
has clear bowing on many strings, then an attack on the strings – like a
battering – swapping with crackling and scrapes, resonance in the background.
And finally 'Atam' has dripping sounds, unwrapping, fast scrabbling and a creaking
that sounds like the tuning pegs.
While the sounds are percussive and attacking, the production is quiet and the
overall mood is restrained. In exploring his instrument Davies has brought the
harp into the free improv world, and this album will appeal to aficionados of
the genre.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Hat Melter
Unknown Album
Crouton crou017
http://www.croutonmusic.com
Another oft-seen label, gravitating around Jon Mueller, but not exclusively, working
on fine productions. This is a vinyl album, reviewed from a promo-cd. It is based
on a live recording by Matt Turner and Jeff Klatt (cello) while Mueller and Steve
Hass harmonise of cymbals and 'grind Styrofoam through box fans'. Then to the
studio of C Rosenau (the labels other centre of gravity) for segmenting reconstructing
mixing and revelation into two pieces (one per side).
I realised while listening to this that a major hurdle I (or the piece, I'm not
sure which) have to overcome with improv-style pieces is the beauty of the original
instrumental sound. This is particularly so for the cello which has a haunting
aching melancholy intrinsic to its standard playing, to my ears. With something
like this I have to flip my expectations, and it took me a little while to get
into sync with Hat Melter.
Side 1 opens with an overture that tests your metal –bursts of cello and
percussion – whispering, blurting, worried – gradually coalesce as burbling
cello over a more stable percussion suddenly ends. The notes are completely extracted,
and often cut, largely disassociating them from their origins. This, and parts
of the remainder, reminded me of John Wall's sampling. The central section of
the side is largely restrained as strings scrape, percussion plays giving more
continuous fragments, meditative at times. It becomes chopp/y/ed/ with the cello
sounding more like some electronica, moving into a climax of looped echoed percussion
and strings which is driving and dramatic, little bits and pieces scattered over,
to a sustained cello loop that whooshes and fades.
A second overture – distant percussion with cello over building, punctuended
by a big tone as the percussion maddens. The next part is dancing tones, jumpy
sampled parts, rapid bowing bird-like with drums – a full kit but mainly
cymbals. It then swirls with high tones and clackers before relaxing to a more
settled, musical final part with held tones layered with building percussion that
climaxes and leaves the cellos playing repeated motifs in a moody fade.
While this is an interesting and sustained work, it seems to me to have missed
out on some opportunities. There is a moment on side 2 where the sound suddenly
opens out and becomes massive as the instruments are multi-tracked, and four or
five cellos swirl around your head in a dense atmosphere.
But this is not what it isn't – and what it reveals itself as after repeated
listenings is a clever and powerful musical construction.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Various Artists
Frontier Life: Banda Sonora
Accretions AL032
http://www.accretions.com
Hans Fjellestad has made a film about life in Tijuana – particularly apparently
cars, music and wastewater – and members of the San Diego's Trummerflora
(see many Accretions and related reviews, 4 in the last issue) together with Tijuanian
Nortec collective are on the soundtrack.
Discar open proceedings with 'Iofobia' where a skittery electronica leads to deep
tones, bass, piano and synth loops and a relaxed rhythm with occasional other
noises. An enigmatic beat drops in, the track builds, adding sax, but remaining
loose. A long rhythm loop with little tones over gradually builds in 'Aquasnegras
en dub' (Panoptica), some passing burrs and shakers added but very much dominated
by the rhythm and a slow melody, echoey bloops at the end being the 'dub'.
The difference between the two collectives is suggested as Titicacaman's 'Palacio'
starts: a slow beat loop with a weird off key melody, a tikka beat then tones
that become complex and warbly (like processed pan-pipe samples) with little break,
like a deviant South American folklorica. San Diego trends more towards the experimental,
Tijuana the beaty techno. Though 'El animal' shows a bit of the overlap as Clorofila
process some vocals with a choral plug-in then the eponymous beast enters on tuba
with a very rhythmic loop and some computer tweaks, but a very carnivalesque mood.
Long siney tones, with some twittering and crackles over becomes deeper with tappy
blurts and miscellaneous pulsing, eventually staticy voices emerging in Fjellestad's
'Phone damage'. In 'Com Com' "as Cajas del Ritmo lay down a rapid techno
with scratching over that mutates into a slower piece with keyborad pulses half
way. Then, as Latinsizer the same two artists create an edgy electronica with
bass and synth waves with a slow beat, culminating in a cow-bell solo.
A short piece from Panoptica ('Camposanto') has sliding blurts and a rhythm that
breaks into a choppy cd-jumping random computer mid-section. 'Rubiconga' sees
Latinsizer return with a more spacious piece based around echoing keys, hollow
tapping and a sexy beat. Marcos Fernandes goes a different direction in 'Bullets
for ballots' that opens quietly with atmospheric shakers, piano and flute and
then moves into a verse/chorus structure – though the verse is comprised
of various talking samples and nature sounds over the atmospherics and the chorus
is provided by some slightly screechy sax and modernist piano. The drums have
shifted to a slow jazz beat, and there was a dreamy Twin-Peaks feel.
Then along comes Point Loma with 'Ensemble circuits' to undermine my simplistic
dichotomy, as it builds some soft atmospheric drones into a swirling drone with
high blips (some quite piercing) and slow key pulse. Abstracted voice loops pass
by, a thunder which builds to a series of tribal drumming loops and the whole
rocks along as the voices return, some guitar and deep pulses – ending right
on the border. Finally 'Unico amor' has a vent-like whoosh, adds distorted music
(violin, possibly singing), a rumble and machines/drums – all sounding like
they have been recorded through the distorting vent. Radulovitch balances the
music/machine, the rumble winning initially but then the samples taking the fore
– an orchestral band and then finally and most clearly some kitschy singing.
The two elements – the rhythm/techno of Tijuana (which is not excessive but
more obvious in contrast) and the San Diego experimenta (which is not confronting)
– come together, meshing either within tracks or between them to create a
top album. The overlay is such that it should appeal to quite diverse markets
– and if Accretions aren't careful they may have a hit on their hands. Very
nice.
And I wonder if we'll ever see the film down here?
&&&&&&&&&&&
Formatt
Extended
Robo Records 004
Roborecords@pandora.be
Formatt appeared twice in 2002 – in 05 with a self-produced ep and in 12
as part of a compilation. Here is his first 'official' release, a 3" cd.
Through the 6 tracks across 18 minutes Formatt expands on his melodic-glitch techno
by adding extracts from a (generally) poorly functioning drum machine which tosses
in gestures to rhythm to varying degrees of beat.
The light ringing taps, echoed, and crackling in 'Orke'o' are mysterious as drum-taps
drift uncertainly. More hints at rhythm in 'Guri' but mainly the slight singing
tones and hollow scrapes, accompanied by tzings and shimmers. A more settled beat
through 'L'herme' with scratches and shimmering waves around.
Slower and closer to 'music' 'Voir' has a beat with intersting synth tones and
crackles that build with little tings appearing. 'Thyone' is more fractured, bloops
shimmering, pops, while 'Seltzer' has echoed crackles soft thuds and a strange
buzzing crackle with rhythms drifting in and out, extending the air of mystery
and becoming that permeates the disk.
This is too short – Formatt has demonstrated here and before that he can
weave together intriguing and melodic pieces. While I enjoyed this I can't wait
for something longer. Perhaps I am being too greedy – add this to the mid-length
first disk and the material on-line and there's enough to keep you going till
the next release – because it will be worth waiting for. This makes a very
repeatable 3"er.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Love 666
This Is The New American national Anthem
(no label/no number)
http://www.freerockandroll.com
this arrived in the box, in a padded envelope but no explanation other than a
sticker with the information above. Going to the site explains that it is by Dave
Unger (keyboards) and Joe Johnson (guitar) and was recorded direct to boombox.
There are other pieces available from them either as downloads or burns.
The site makes reference to Jimi Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner, and I would also
add The Nice's America (which Bernstein stopped them playing). This is simply
46 minutes of guitar and keyboard distortion and noise – with some brief
passages that suggest melody, some rhythm – but mainly aural assault. Cloth-ears
here can't identify if there is a particular song being deconstructed but it’s
a hell of a fun time in hell.
Recommended for those seeking catharsis or the ambience that noise can bring.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Soundician
Tranquilicity
[Self-published]
http://www.soundician.com
Soundician first appeared in 2001_16, and now the Johnson duo return with a new
album of melodic ambience which refines and focuses their sound.
'Freefall' and a sequence of rising scales, string bass, shimmers and shakes,
balancing downwards spirals – dense aquatic propulsive layers. Another slowish
rhythm in 'Cherryblossom', synthetic animals call, voice washes and long strings
while tingy percussion takes the melody in eastern directions. 'Adrift' starts
with sounds that could be sites – bells, a rumble – then slow echoed
tones, spirals beep, similar piano, layered and restrained, there is a nostalgic
mood as it drifts along. Organ pulses form strata for 'Slow motion snow' created
by Japanese strings, tones and a haunting note reminiscent of a bowed saw.
Directed drift again in 'Leviathan' whose hollow tone and slow piano swims through
a deeper undertone, encircled by ringing skittering and rumbles. A swirl of bubbling
keyboards surrounds 'Glides' melody. Within the context 'Kradle' is minimal and
experimental as a deep tone slowly steps with a higher (sax) over it, lightly
touched by voice tones, and yet achieves a classical feeling. Again, synthetic
animals call through 'Canopy' as a threatening deep, shakers, echoing burbles
and melody build, the tune dancing and flittering while the threat remains below.
A tching rhythm loop and bubbling synth underline the melody of 'Starfish' while
a thoughtful piano steps through the zinging. And finally 'Waltz No.3' builds
through harpsichord, washes, harps sweeps and finally piano in a swirling dance.
This is not a threatening or difficult album, but it is up there with other albums
of music to be enjoyed for their beauty and pleasure – with some hints at
darker undercurrents and a complexity which allows new elements to be discovered.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Hex
The Credit Of Not Caring
Mrw44 mrw44#3
http://www.mrw44,freeserve.co.uk
A pack of three disks arrived from mrw44, a new label from Scotland. Two, the
start of a compilation series, will pop up in the next issue, but this album from
Hex seemed to fit with this issue's mood. Hex play guitar bass and drums (plus
big muff) to create a lofi-noise-grunge sound with a surprising denouement.
Starting with a piece with a typical confronting title 'Honeyfuckjesuspsychcandy'
and is a combination of feedback sqwalls and shrieks, with driving bass and drums
providing a steady rhythm and melody, plus some hints of piano and straighter
guitar, breaking to some more restrained periods before fading to bass and pulsing,
then some strange voices. Rhythmic thrashy and melodic, 'Dr strangelove' is catchy
with some solo breaks that verge at times on the acoustic, then shifting into
a noise version. Bass, drums and shimmering guitar with a broken middle section
slides into a wall of sound in 'Buckley' which we are extracted from by the thud-drum
working its way back to a rhythm: the fade is nicely tricked before a brief coda.
Bass and guitar pulse together in 'Ciccone/haunting delay number' almost picking
a tune when the guitar breaks out for brief solos, then suddenly switches into
pounding drums and a crushing wall, and possibly with some vocals, quite a stomper
before a third section which has a restrained atmospheric guitar solo before a
fizzing and fade. 'Murano st.' is another more gentle melodic piece, with some
dense parts and a twangy solo, but quite approachable.
Finally, a surprising monster – 'Unnamed (as yet)' is a 40+ minute extravaganza.
The first quarter is a strong groups piece – pusling drones, bass and guitars
pushing forward, feedback and fuzz, coming and going – and then it just keeps
going. There is swirling whooshing feedback pulsing fluttering peeping deep-voices
phasing panning shifting walls of sound and noise that has its origins in the
basic sound but drags it in a direction which is noise-ambience. The line notes
refer to 'Weir's [the recordists] Spector-esque demands' and the involvement of
him in both the recording and mixing (done by the band, Weir and O'Hare) is evident
and important in taking the album into some dense and exciting territory.
Very nicely varied – with beats to keep you moving, melodies (at times) to
hum to, and walls of sound to fall under the spell of. Another engaging noisewerk.
(Hex also appear on one of the mrw44 compilations which will be reviewed next
issue)
&&&&&&&&
Reef Project
[Deep End]
Biohazard Music
http://biohazardproductions.com
DJ Thee-O (Jacob Ofilas) has produced this electro/ambient album, and while Biohazard
say 'we still hope to find a label to release' it, they will release it themselves:
it looks like they are mainly an events organiser.
A swirling tonal ambience with a spacey drift with voice-identification sample
makes 'Angel (bitwise edit)' a supple entry point. 'Crazy sword' follows a beated
techno pattern – lots of little rhythms (drums, doobles, tings) and a thudthud,
with a slow wash melody, thunkys, throws in a break rebuilds and then winds down
nicely. And is followed by 'Electric eel' with longer tones, eventually a slow
pulse beat and overall a drifting spacey feel. Suggesting that the album is going
to balance faster and more ambient pieces.
Which occurs through 'Dwarf lion' where buzzy keys, breath-sounds and a fast beat
where different rhythms and speeds provide a melody; then 'Sponge' which is spacey
with squiggles and a sample; and then 'Snapper' which has a Russian-feel somehow,
very bright and driving and extends into a lovely dubby section.
There is a sublime moment in 'Cuttle' – the ground loops are a selection
of viola/violin samples looped. Given my fondness for the rich tones this caught
my ear. It is joined by fast beats, a scrabbling scrape over the top and harpsichord-like
keyboard. Back to slow tonal drift in 'Aquatic pulse' with a restrained beat,
scratching drifts, melodic and rumbling along. In the title track there is a slow
voice singing which reminded me of Yello, the music is a nice slow beated techno,
with a pleasant key solo.
Soft bellowing tones, echoed with delicate bells take us into 'Blind cave', sea
washes and animal calls followed by some mellow keys. Bouncing rumble scrape with
fast choppy rhythms, slow burbles, some voices (there is a judicious use of samples)
and some shooting piano in 'True clown'. While 'Dying star' ends the album with
a strong darker ambience, spiralling down, slow melody and voice loop textures
around a sample of an evangelist talking about God's future. A pause and then
a hidden-track coda blooping to a slow beat.
OK – nothing world shatteringly new here, but this is a well constructed
and very enjoyable beat/ambient/techno album which goes in enough different directions
to keep you surprised and interested.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Shortwave
First Broadcast
(self released)
http://www.shortwavebroadcast.net
Like so many – too many? – bands/music units today, Shortwave are creating
sounds which they would like to get to a wider audience through an official release,
but until that happens are self-releasing their material. This 3" release
contains a surprising range of material in its short passing – suggesting
a wealth of material and talent.
Divided into five tracks, which slide seamlessly into each other, the opening
one is the longest – a low rumble, power-cut dips in, modulating with a wind
through. A slow simple melody loop enters and a distorted radio with bumbling
talk (the broadcast theme runs through). The radio drops out, a squiggle is added
and the voice returns, while the melody increase in prominence and becomes echoed.
Phone-tones segue into the second part with a radio sample (possibly the ubiquitous
numbers) with an echoed metallic ringing, some tapping and noisey rumbles. A blowing
vent adds to the third part with panning futzing and whistley purring, an active
track that becomes quite rhythmic in the fourth part. Here there are percussive
taps, spiral blurts and some world-music (sounding) singing. Quite boppy, then
strings are added, and they take it to its fade.
The final track is somewhat separate – and reminded me of some of Eno's more
unstructured ambiences which are on the edge between becoming and becalming. There
are rhythmic machine clatters, backward voices and possibly other things too,
a fluttering and uncertainty as Theremin-like tones, tapping and brief appearances
of a bass while night bird calls.
And like many (too many?) three inch releases this has whetted my appetite for
more. As it stands, though, it is a well balanced and developed piece that works
the 3" medium perfectly. Drop into the site, where some can be sampled, and
drop them a line.
&&&&&&&&&&&
Bokor
The Field
Dreamland Recordings DR001
Zkeiller@yahoo.com.au
A three inch ep from the Z Keiller of the email address, a new Australian artist
– the disk was mastered by Darrin Verhagen who says he actually didn't do
much.
There are three parts listed as comprising the single 19 minute track. It opens
with dark rumbling and whooshing, which you could imagine as being in the field,
before a buzzing siren builds. A change suggests that that was 'the signal' and
we now move to 'Battle'. This has dropped back to some dense thuds that become
closer, louder with more shape, a shimmering develops around them and a hissing
wind which blows it all away.
Silence and then 'Survivors' where a twittering of birds and long guitar tones
with a big low drone with pulses in form the basis of an atmospheric tectonic
drift. It is slow and ominous as knocking and small highlights play into the slow
development, whistling and rumbling building. Late in long tones slide in, with
other more 'musical' elements, synths and almost voices, as a lightening sense
builds to the conclusion.
As I write this we are about to be drawn into a war in Iraq, and this dark piece
seems to meet the mood perfectly, Like that conflict, the part for 'Survivors'
is the longest – whatever happens the aftermath will be an extended period
of recovery – and hopefully the optimism which seems to enter in the last
moments will also be there to. Of course, the beauty of music is our ability to
project ourselves into it (if this had had different titles I would have been
moved differently) and this was composed before our current events and will exist
long after them.
Suffice to say that as a piece of music this is an impressive and haunting work
which is well worth seeking out – I picked mine up at Peril Underground which
most of you can't pop into, so probably emailing Zac is the next best option.
&&&&&&&&&&&&
Janek Schaefer
Black Immure (music from the casa de serralves in twelve phases)
SIRR.ecords sir2010
http://www.sirr-ecords.com
Schaeffer's complex and intriguing works have crossed here twice before (2001_17,
2002_08) as have the Portuguese Sirr label a couple of times. This release presents
a concert from the Casa de Serralves in the Museu de Arte Contemporanea Serralves
combining sounds recorded in the building and grounds, a piano and locally purchased
disk, captured live. The concert has been sectioned into 12 parts.
In his notes, Schaefer tells us he closed the blinds around the room, immersing
(immure = enclose) the audience in darkness. I think you can here this, a trundling
clatter, but it also suggests the best way to listen to the piece – closely
and yet allowing yourself to flow with it.
There are many changes and moods to the work – shifting into percussive banging
crescendo; tones and noises drifting across, brief passages of music from the
disks or longer times as they loop and become the focus, generally a light orchestral
or folkloric tone; vinyl crackles and sounds probably from inside the piano; a
movement where the piano is played; tones whistling shimmers pulse; a bouncing
ball sample; rain machines breathing birds; meditative exciting excited edgy;
it rises and falls, ebbs and flows.
And typical of the more intricate and closely worked pieces, very hard to describe
– a moment by moment run down would not capture the delicacy and entrancement.
The fourth, for example: light shaker rhythms increasing with a piano loop, perhaps
rain, rising and falling, buzzing machines develop over and a jolly sample; seventh
– fuller piano and swelling buzz, meditative, buzzing builds at times then
to a light shimmer, a high squeak. Ten, maybe: long tones and whistling, moody,
stage music ringing buzz; fluttering clutter, rings rumbles, tones, light orchestral
develops into throbbing tone, lots of movement (opening blinds?)
All that I can do is highly recommend this lovely album, which would close an
evening as beautifully as it has this issue.
&&&&&&&&&&&&
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