31 авг. 2012 г.

En


Already Gone

A universal definition of what is “beautiful” will probably remain eternally elusive. Different tastes, different cultures, backgrounds and a myriad of other factors play into how one person’s perception of beauty differs from the next. That said, it would be difficult to imagine anyone listening to the opening minutes of En’s sophomore effort, bask in the swelling layers of sound and not feel totally surrounded by the sublime, the utterly beautiful.

Processed fields of digital ambience wash down upon the listener, guided thoughtfully by the clear bass notes of The Drift’s Trevor Montgomery, notes appear and sounds reveal themselves from underneath the veils of opener “Lodi”, which at two minutes long is a fraction of what most ambient/experimental artists put out, yet equally effective. The presence of bass guitar remains in the following track, and the fact that its inclusion works so well makes one wonder, why aren’t more artists who dwell in the limitless fields of ambience using bass in their mix? Its effect is enamoring, like a constant link between the heavens and earth, making the pristine worlds created by the reverb laden soundscapes appear more tangible. They turn from places that exist solely in dreams and fantasies to ones where you can actually reside and immerse yourself within. The bass notes, however scarce they might be, add that effect perfectly. It is extremely simple yet absolutely brilliant. I want more bass in my ambient from now on!

The rest of the album doesn’t stray far from the opening tracks in terms of quality or mood. “Already Gone” keeps going strong and the duo of Maxwell August Croy and James Devane continuously show that there is more to drone or ambient music than tons of reverb. They are able to mix things up, but do so ever so subtly, the koto plucks which bring to mind Nest’s best work, the jagged drones laid down to utmost effect amidst other layers in a manner that would make Richard Skelton proud. It’s all so thoughtfully done and keeps the listener completely locked in throughout the album’s length.

Thoughtful instrumentation and an eye for all that’s pretty won’t cut it though, I mean sure it’s gorgeous, but there’s more than the fair share of ambient musicians out there treading along these same lines. What cuts it, what seals the deal, hits a home run, touches down and does a triple backward somersault, is an ear for melody. What has always differentiated the everyday sound artist from those who excel at it, in my humble opinion at least, is melody. This might sound old fashioned, but nothing warms my heart more, especially one that has all these beautifying elements in the background, and that is exactly what makes album closer, “Elysia”, work so wonderfully.

At a little over nineteen minutes, longer than the four previous tracks combined, “Elysia” is naturally the one track which ultimately makes or breaks the album. It is the moment where the listener is faced with a more concrete, longer lasting thought rather than snippets of emotion and it shows En’s abilities at their highest; Here we have an emotional mass that provides an alluring gravitational pull, the introduction of piano, followed by psychedelic arps and synths make way for a vast field of quietude ending with sparse toy piano notes that fall away quietly into nothingness. We’ve reached the end and get a bigger picture of the effort the artists have put into constructing the compositions, it’s a trip through the details rather than a postcard of the overall result. En take us through the express route in the first half of the album and then back via the scenic route and both work marvelously.

Whether or not “Already Gone” would remain in my personal rotation for many months to come is something that I can’t tell for sure at the moment, but what I am sure of is that for the time I spent with it, I loved it deeply and if I am to take a souvenir with me it would have to be second track “The Sea Saw Swell”. That Bass!!!






The Absent Coast

En is the duo of San Francisco based multi-instrumentalists Maxwell August Croy and James Devane, and “The Absent Coast” is their debut collection of recordings... The instrumentation used on the outing is diverse – koto, guitar, vocals, Rhodes, melodica, piano. Clearly the instruments are processed, but without stripping the original analogue or organic texture from the tones. Listening to the drones on the record, it’s hard to dismiss them into the background or forget them as part of the furniture – you can visualise hands tracing chord shapes or fingers on keys; a tactility engages. The format is well established, but there are occasional flourishes that surprise and distinguish – the feedback in the first track ‘A Dying Sun/Return to Holyoke’ is an eyebrow raiser in a good way. The tropes here are not groundbreaking, but it is reassuring to see them deployed in such a confident manner early on. In that regard, a great opening number. Some of the background texture in the second track ‘Mother Of Thousands’ is a touch more demanding, but the blare of the organ counterbalances it nicely.

Title track ‘The Absent Coast’ is a good third track breather, and brings to mind a picture I got a lot of the way through the record – it’s “glassy”. Easy to imagine a lot of bright light refracted through, or reflected off, stained or clear glass. A very visible spectrum of colour. I was not at all surprised to see Boomkat had also dropped the “glass” reference in their review for the record too, which highlighted ‘Honeysuckle Heart’ as an album strong point. That it is, but also brief at a shade over two minutes. ‘Miramar’ is a more respectable length, and is a perfect example of what’s right with this record. Really interesting tones juxtaposed with conventional layering and a strong melodic and emotional base.
‘Polaris (The Celestial Arc)’ is considerably more subdued, with a focus on bottom end hum that becomes an off kilter melody. ‘Ghosts’ is a low-key bridging piece that ties the two tracks that border it well. ‘Biezumd’ stirs curiosity – how DID they get that sound, and how is it looping in such a way? An intelligent soundscape that becomes a distant pulsing melody. ‘Maboroshi’ has a very coastal tinge, with distant key parts invoking the nostalgia that the press release harkens to. ‘Pratyaya’ is the most notable use of vocals on the record, and is a shimmering, pitched up Gregorian chant – floating on mercury. A fitting close.

Very high quality stuff, as you’d expect from a Root Strata release, and fits solidly into the catalogue that they are renowned for. The release appears to be available now, in a run of 300 LP’s.






The Third Chapter


'The 3rd Chapter EP' is the first release from eN, a budding laptop musician from London, currently studying Music Informatics in Brighton. Pairing the alluring qualities of atmospheric breaks and harsh edited Jungle rhythms with washed out synthetic soundscapes and deep bass, it walks the line between the tranquil and intense.

A founding partner of the No-Test collective and the infamous Erisian Discharge night’s, eN has been an up and coming force to watch out for, for some time now. Creating his tunes in code using the venerable SuperCollider and already commending a sizeable back catalogue of jungle anthems and mashup breaks he's revered for his dance floor killas and live experimental laptop mashup’s, playing alongside acts such as Remarc, Doormouse, Drop The Lime, Mathhead, Tester, Debaser, Murderbot, Shitmat and Tim Exile.



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29 авг. 2012 г.

High Wolf



French psych-drone artist involved in various projects. Also runs the Winged Sun Records label. High Wolf uses loops, percussive sounds, fuzzy keyboards and obscure sunken melodies to create a ritual space that combines aspects of exotica, ethno-flux, drone and minimalism while skirting the kinda haunted forests of tone previously the domain of Spencer Clark and James Ferraro.




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27 авг. 2012 г.

Black Swan



I suppose there’s no use in asking you to reveal your identity, so I’ll just inquire about your decision in remaining anonymous.
It’s much appreciated, and I thank you for that. That sounds are being passed onto the listener for themselves to decode and understand. I fear that revealing myself may corrupt the very aesthetic that exists within the music- personally, for the listener, along with myself.

How would you say your work on The Quiet Divide has evolved since In 8 Movements?
The Quiet Divide is a bit more musical in its own sense, but to be honest, I’m really not sure how, or even if it has evolved at all. I’ve explored other routes of sound, while still hoping it overall wouldn’t become stagnant. Each have their own appearance and identity, while sharing the same. I was nervous to release this record in fear that it may destroy the expectations of the music’s fan base. I was afraid people wouldn’t connect to it as much as 8 Movements. But as it turned out, they did. Thankfully, though I will probably always live in fear, regardless.

What is the journey and where are you taking us?
Sadly, we live in a society where all senses are force fed and everything that’s presented is spelled out. Be it spiritual, emotional, intuitive, meditative, semiconscious, subconsciousness, or even null, the journey, if any at all, is definitely personal. I see it to be myself who invites the curious into something untouched, from the beginning. I may initiate, but the listener is in full charge of their own journey, which could end in light, or complete darkness. I’m just lingering behind, but their vision of me is obscured. They eventually forget that I’m even present throughout it all, and my existence fades away.

Tell us about your label, Ethereal Symphony. And how did you get signed to Experimedia?
Ethereal Symphony was the name of a DIY operation behind Black Swan, and its recordings. I had originally released the first album (8 Movements) independently, where Jeremy discovered it and inquired the possible release of a physical record. Seeing how Jeremy works, and working with him directly, I have no doubt that he is one of the hardest working souls within the independent music community and am extremely grateful for what he does for my music, my label mates, and independent music as a whole.

How would you describe your music to your friends? And do they even know you as Black Swan?
I don’t, and stand alone with it all. I enjoy solitude greatly, as dark as it can become. The very few around me hardly know about Black Swan. I like to keep it locked away.

Who or what are your inspirations when composing the Symphony of Misery and Sorrow?
Something very distant, yet extremely familiar and near. It’s almost magnetic. It could be bright, dark, forgotten, or found, but exists within us all. It’s almost a sort of hope, in which we try to hold on to and keep alive, even if it is beginning to slip through our hands.

If there’s one thing you’d want the world to know about you, what would it be?
The devil will always live within the details. ©

Read Headphone Commute’s Review of The Quiet Divide







26 авг. 2012 г.

TSS (Tortue Super Sonic)



TSS (Tortue Super Sonic) is Luc Marcotte, an artist based in Montréal, Quebec, Canada.




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Enter the Void + We Fuck Alone

Bootleg soundtracks for films by Gaspar Noé, an Argentine filmmaker based in France.


Enter the Void is a French film written and directed by Gaspar Noé, starring Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, and Cyril Roy. Set in the neon-lit nightclub environments of Tokyo, the story follows Oscar, a young American drug dealer who gets shot by the police, but continues to watch succeeding events during an out-of-body experience. The film is shot from a first-person viewpoint, which often floats above the city streets, and occasionally features Oscar staring over his own shoulder as he recalls moments from his past. Noé labels the film as a "psychedelic melodrama". Noé's dream project for many years, the production was made possible after the commercial success of Irréversible, the director's previous feature film. Enter the Void was primarily financed by Wild Bunch, while Fidélité Films led the actual production. The cast is a mix of professionals and first-timers. The film makes heavy use of imagery inspired by experimental cinema and psychedelic drug experiences. Principal photography took place on location in Tokyo, and involved many complicated crane shots. Co-producers included the visual effects studio BUF Compagnie, which also provided the computer-generated imagery. The film's soundtrack is a collage of electronic pop and experimental music. Reed more.


We Fuck Alone is a short film, part of "Destricted" almanac.

  • 2006 - We Fuck Alone - 192 Kbps
  • 2010 - Enter the Void - 102-320 Kbps

"We Fuck Alone" is a single 23-minutes track; "Enter the Void" consists of:

01 "SALVE REGINA" (2:27) - Jez Poole & Martin Warren
02 "ICE THEORY" (5:07) - Alexander "Ace" Baker & Clair Marlo
03 "PIPE DREAMS" (3:17) - David Lumsdaine
04 "BECOMING" (2:15) - Jay Condiotti & Nadia Fay
05 "WIRED UP" (2:40) - Count de Money
06 "MUTHAFUNKER" (3:46) - Clement Souchier, Loic Desplanques, Habib Zrir & Vincent Martinez
07 "INCENT" (0:45) - Christopher Franke
08 "IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU" (2:26) - Jamie Dunlap, Scott Nickoley & Stephen Lang
09 "SECOND SEQUENCE" (excerpt) (1:00) - Ryan Gold & Sid Sonic
10 "FINAL SOLUTION" (2:17) - Brian New
11 "PSYCHEDELIC GURU" (2:23) - Pete Surdoval
12 "CAMP CRAZY" (2:18) - David Loi & Thierry Los
13 "GOD'S OWN DIBBER" (excerpt) (4:32) - Michael Prime
14 "FILMY FEEDBACK (AFTERNOON)" (4:14) - Toshiya Tsunoda
15 "LIFE & DEATH OF PBOC" (excerpt) (7:26) - Carl Michael Von Hausswolff
16 "MERGENCE" (excerpt) (7:29) - Zbigniew Karkowski
17 "PENTES - SOURCES / SCENES (1974)" (12:52) - Dennis Smalley
18 "MUSIC FOR GAMELAN INSTRUMENTS, MICROPHONES, AMPLIFIERS & LUDSPEAKERS - THEME" (excerpt) (3:01) - Alvin Lucier
19 "THE END" (1:11) - Thomas Bangalter
20 "WAKE UP WAKE UP" (6:23) - Lullatone
21 "AIR ON THE G STRING" (1:31) - Eskilstunarevyn
22 "WINE GLASS: THE GLASS WORLD" (1:46) - Annea Lockwood
23 "EL GUSANITO EN PERSONA" (3:32) - Jorge de la Vega
24 Music of Glass Harmonica (3:38) - Thomas BLoch
25 "AIR" (BBC version) (1:48) - Delia Derbyshire
26 "DET AR BAST ATT JAG BORJAR, ANNARS KOMMER JAG ALDRIG HEM_NU ER KOMINN TIMI TIL AD BYRJA, ANNARS KEMST EG EKKERT HEIM AFTUR" (excerpt) (9:03) - BJ Nilsen & Stilluppsteypa
27 "HEILIR, THORN EIRS HLYDDU_LYCKLIGE DE SOM LYSSNAT" (excerpt) (6:28) - BJ Nilsen & Stilluppsteypa
28 "GAKU-NO-MICHI" (excerpt) (14:00) - Jean-Claude Eloy
29 "SHANTI" (excerpt) (5:13) - Jean-Claude Eloy
30 "CANCION SINTETICA" (9:34) - Cristian Vogel
31 "HAMBURGER LADY" (4:16) - Throbbing Gristle
32 "HAMBURGER LADY - CARTER TUTTI REMIX" (4:45) - Throbbing Gristle
33 "ANS - ONE" (excerpt) (5:38) - Coil
34 "FREAK" (5:08) - LFO


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Stephan Mathieu



Stephan Mathieu (born October 1967) is a self taught composer and performer of his own music, working in the fields of electroacoustics and abstract digitala. His sound is largely based on early instruments, environmental sound and obsolete media, which are recorded and transformed by means of experimental microphony, re-editing techniques and software processes involving spectral analysis and convolution; it has been compared to the landscape paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, the work of Colorfield artists Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and Ellsworth Kelly.

During the last decade Stephan’s music has been released on 30 CDs and vinyl records. Apart from refining his solo work he currently collaborates with Sylvain Chauveau, Robert Hampson / Main, Taylor Deupree, Caro Mikalef, Jozef van Wissem and David Sylvian in live and studio projects.

Since 1992 he performed his music live in solo shows and on festivals all over Europe, Scandinavia, North and South America and created various audio installations for galleries and museums, a glass-blowing factory, a 17th century garden, Berlin Mitte, a 19th century steel plant, parks, an arrangement of 30 Peugeots, a late antique throne hall and many other unique sites.

“I’m a collector of 78rpm records from the 1910s and 20s, the era of acoustic and early electronic audio recording. I love the way they transport sound.”

***

Stephan Mathieu (born October 11, 1967) works in the field of digital and electroacoustic music. His composition is largely based on period instruments, environmental sound and obsolete media which are recorded and transformed by means of experimental microphony, re-editing techniques and software processes involving spectral analysis and convolution.

Mathieu has created sound installations for the 4th century Aula Palatina at Trier and the 19th century ironworks Völklinger Hütte UNESCO world heritages and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin.

Stephan is an avid collector of 78 RPM records from 1900-1928, and currently lives and works in Saarbrücken, Germany.






17 авг. 2012 г.

Andrea Ferraris & Matteo Uggeri - Autumn Is Coming, We're All In Slow Motion



From the ever so vibrant music scene of Italy (or  so it seems from the outside) two musicians with a background in experimental (and) ambient music, Andrea Ferraris and Matteo Uggeri, who receive help from Mujika Easel and Andrea Serrapiglio. The cover lists extensively the various sound sources. Lots of field recordings and electronics (Uggeri), but what can be noticed here is that the acoustic instruments, mainly the guitar (played by Ferraris) but also cello (Serrapiglio) and piano (Easel) play an important, if not crucial role. Like the title suggests, the music seems to be in slow motion. To me the whole thing sounds played like a few nice afternoons of improvisation. ‘Let’s sit together and play a few sounds from the computer and add some instruments’. In the subsequent mix this intimacy is saved, which is a great thing, I’d say. A not too difficult album with elegant ambient pieces, lots of acoustic instruments and an overall laidback atmosphere. Excellent dream music with a nice edge.





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Garth Steel Klippert



The construction job site is a meditative space. The creative process of building can be stimulated by "music" that is still "under construction."
"In 1917, Erik Satie coined the term Musique D'ameublement, or "Furniture Music." The term describes music as a component in a physical environment rather than as an object of attention. John Cage championed this view, and faithfully performed many of Satie's compositions. In the 1970s, the departure from thinking of music as strictly "art for its own sake" (or for the sake of the artist's ego) begat Brian Eno's Ambient music. It also, with the help of technology, begat Muzak--the safe, beige backdrop for shopping environments and elevators. Muzak, incidentally, employs its own force of skilled contractors to install their equipment--it is literally "installed music". With the advent of subsequent technological advances, human beings have been able to experience a perpetual soundtrack to their own lives (if they so desire). Over the last four or five decades, sound installation has emerged as a viable and important form of public sculpture--viz. The Audium, San Francisco (1967), Brian Eno's Music For Airports, LaGuardia Marine terminal, New York City (1980), and La Monte Young's Dreamhouse, New York City (1992), to name just a few.

It is my intention to take this concept of "music as environment" one degree further into the abstract, and to make music that is not only a component in an environment, but is in fact a raw material to be used in the construction of an environment. "Korgoleum" is intended to function for the listener as literally as a building material (plywood, steel, or tile) functions for the builder. The name suggests a product akin to flooring, made of Korg. It is not organic, it is not analog, it is not natural. It is the bespoke product of a musical artisan whose personal choices determine its one-of-a-kind sonic texture. It can be fabricated by any qualified artisan with the proper equipment. It is intended to be used by the listener as-is, for whatever purpose the listener decides. It can be cut into pieces, manipulated into other forms, bought, sold, distributed, and re-sold, just like any other building material. It can also be looked at and listened to, all by itself. With Korgoleum, you do whatever you want with it. To me, it's music for drywall."





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Juv ‎- S/T



“Juv is Norwegian and similar to the English word abyss, it means a sort of bottomless hole, that deep space between two mountain walls or inside a deep underground cave. It also brings to mind the echoing and reverberation of sound”
- Juv, 2010.

From its icy opening tones, something at once familiar and unsettling rises from this sound; the stark, doom-laden ambience of Juv’s desolate sonic landscapes transport the listener to an altogether darker world. Hailing from Norway, the duo of Are Mokkelbost & Marius Von Der Fehr recorded these tracks in Norway between 1996 and 1998. Soon after however, their friendship abruptly ended and the planned Juv album was never finished. Only recently did the duo return to complete the work, dissecting and selecting pieces and excerpts from the recordings, finally bringing closure to the project, and in the process rekindling their friendship. Now this lost gem is finally given its first official release, finding a home on Erik Skodvin’s entirely appropriate Miasmah imprint.

“The music that was influential for us in the late 90s was the sampler-derived minimalism of Deathprod, the microtonal music of Giacinto Scelsi and Tony Conrad and the minimal works of groups such as Swans, Neurosis, Sonic Youth, Codeine and the Melvins. It was only when I got into experimental black metal and doom many years later, and especially the minimal and atmospheric work of bands such as Paysage D´Hiver, Brenoritvrezorkre, Sunn O))), as well as Burzum, that I started seeing the musical connection to Juv.”
Are Mokkelbost.

Juv create a stunning sound of desolation - not so much melancholy, but more a sinister, oppressive undertone. It seems to communicate some form of approaching menace, via transmissions (or warning signals perhaps), from another bleak dimension. A combination of instruments were used, treated and mutated from their former recognizable sounds, added to which were excerpts from hours of field recordings made throughout Europe, completing the body of the work. The pieces were recorded with a multi tracker and sampler, mixed down straight to tape, with little in the way of additional finessing.

“This music is one of expectancy and apathy, longing and mourning – made with the limited means of lost youth.”
Are Mokkelbost.

Sombre tones flow like lifeblood through Juv’s work; underlying squeals of pain, abrasive bursts of metallic guitar drones, atonal lo-fi meanderings, the occasional cosmic-chant, all blurred by a rumbling dirge of noise. The coldness of the recordings do indeed recall the approaches of Norway’s most controversial musical export, black metal. Other reference points brought to mind (which Juv’s work either predates, ignores, or at least without acknowledgement, runs in parallel with), might be the New York no-wave noise of Carlos Giffoni’s solo outbursts, the guitar mangling of GOWN (Sunburned / Bark Haze), the experimentation of Sunn O))), and as always, the suitably understated musical narrative, which flows throughout the Miasmah releases to date.

The stark front cover image of a mountain on the Lofoten islands in the far north of Norway, in the process of being eclipsed by another mountain, conveys the weight and perhaps the intent of Juv in creating these tracks. Given part of the album was recorded on location here, the music certainly seems reflective of this environment – monolithic and enshrouded in black.




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It's time for Tristram Cary: Works for film, television, exhibition and sculpture



Trunk records give overdue props to the completely overlooked oeuvre of electronic music pioneer Tristram Cary on this stunning retrospective. Despite all the attention afforded to Daphne Oram, Delia Derbyshire and Dick Mills of the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, Tristram's foundational work has undoubtedly recieved less attention than his peers. Born in 1925, he served as a radar operator in WWII, placing him on the cutting edge of contemporary audio technology. This experience inspired him to devleop his own conception of electronic and tape music, starting an advanced auditive curve that would see him produce the world's very first portable synthesizer, the EMS VCS 3 and set up the UK's very first electronic music studio, London's EMS. This research unit produced an invaluable array of synthesizers which would be used by everyone from the Radiophonic Workshop to Pink Floyd and Brian Eno, practically sculpting the shape of modern music to come. His compositions were in wide demand too, receiving commissions to produce all the incidental music for the pilot episode of Dr Who, the seven part Dalek series, and the equally legendary 'Quatermass and the Pit' (1967) and Blood From The Mummy's Tomb' for the Hammer film company. Some of these soundtracks have been reissued in the last few years, but in true Trunk style this album collects those morsels of Cary's abstract ephemera and jaunty oddness that others may neglect plus rare works for exhibitions, sculpture and television. One of the most charming of these is the performance of 'Divertimento', a commission for the opening of Olivetti's UK training centre using typewriters, tape, operatic vocals, and EMS synthesizers, or the exquisitely sonorous electro-acoustic compositions for an aluminium sculpture exhibited at London's Olympia in 1968. These recordings show Cary to be an exceptionally inquisitive mind, a manufacturer of wonderfully alien sound that wouldn't be possible without serious dedication and an innate belief in the the exploration of electronic music. He passed away in 2008 aged 82, but left a legacy that should be cherished by all lovers of interesting sounds




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Simon Fisher Turner ‎- The Great White Silence


"Soleilmoon Recordings is proud to release Simon Fisher Turner’s epic new soundtrack to Herbert Ponting’s silent film “The Great White Silence”. The film, shot in 1911, is a documentary on Captain Robert F. Scott and his team’s doomed attempt to be the first men to reach the South Pole. After nearly two decades of meticulous restoration work the British Film Institute released the film to rave reviews in the British press on May 20, 2011. The film is soon to be issued on DVD and Blu-ray disc in England, and the soundtrack is being released by Soleilmoon. The music consists of two CDs, presented in high-touch packaging, hand printed on premium quality papers. Like every Soleilmoon project, the care and devotion given to this release is second to none, and the quality and craftsman ship are reflected throughout. Simon Fisher Turner has been an actor, a teen idol, a member of the Portsmouth Sinfonia Orchestra, The The, Deux Filles and The King of Luxembourg. He recorded several soundtracks for Derek Jarman and David Lynch, and has recently worked with sculptor Alyson Shotz, music video director Jonathan Glazer and Warp recording artist Mira Calyx. From Simon Turners notes in the CD: All best stories start with a telephone call. This one did too. Out of the blue Jane Giles from the British Film Institute called me and asked if I’d be interested in scoring a restored version of a silent film I’d probably never heard of, about Captain Scott, who was the first Englishman to reach the South Pole. He was a hero of mine at boarding school 47 years ago, and I knew all about the ill fated expedition. What I didn’t know was that a lot of the journey was actually filmed by a gentleman going by the name of Herbert Ponting. The film was called “THE GREAT WHITE SILENCE”. I’d seen the still photographs for years of the ice, the ships and the men, and always assumed that this was the only recorded evidence of this strange ill fated expedition, which couldn’t quiet make up its mind what it was. But no. There was actual moving images, and this was nearing completion and restoration by the BFI. To say I leapt at the opportunity is probably correct. YES is my middle name. I was at last again in work on a film, albeit one completed in 1924 and one with no dialogue but with a story I thought I knew so well. For now, I have to say that this has been a wonderful and exciting adventure for me, discovering and exploring with much help from others, areas of music and sound I wouldn’t have normally explored. I had the job. But still hadn’t seen the film. I got on a train to Newcastle to make an installation for the AV2010 festival. Paul Smith got me the invitation and on my first evening I was to meet up with Chris Watson, my favourite sound recordist. Chitty chatter chitty chatter and off we go, and the first thing Chris asks is “What are you up too”, and I say, “I’m doing a fabulous film about Captain Scott.” “I’ve got just what you need then” he continues. “A recording I made inside his hut this January for David Attenborough, you can have it, I’ll send you a CDR of it. It’s the quietest thing you’ve ever heard.” And off we go. The beginning of the film is silent. Slowly a sound comes up. It is a freeze. A dozen frozen reverbs of a musical saw. Cheekily recorded at home in the kitchen. I feel I’ve been making the music for this film in rather the same way Herbert Ponting has put his film together. A bit of this here, a bit of that scattered about. It’s a large collage as far as I can see. An old Irish stew, or a paella from Bologna. It’s not been easy either. We had to remix the end of the film three times as the end was far too extreme and it fair shook the cinemas we were testing it in. It was impossible to tell what loud or quiet was because there was never any other reference. So we kept shooting back to the top to get a sense of how the piece was gathering pace and volume. I’m suprised there are so few gaps of actual silence. We found it difficult to come in again once the music faded out so in fact we keep the music running all the way pretty much. Toy guinea pigs became the sound of the penguins too. We also invented “FAKEFOLEYS” which don’t actually realistically try to mimic the picture with a sound, but try instead to just nudge your brain into thinking your hearing the real sound. It works believe it or not. I shall be working like this more I hope in the future. I’ve learnt so much about the madness of this epic journey. The sheer bravery of these men. I’ve discovered friends are drawn to the subject matter too. I’d no idea so many people knew of this journey that Scott made. Last week a woman from Cheltenham Girls College said that he was a hero of her father’s. My wife’s grandfather who is now in his 99th year remembers him as his first hero. I have a New Zealand connection with Scott. I have school connections. “Scott in the Antarctic” was one of the first films I ever saw at Frilsham House, my second boarding school. I loved the score without realising that it was a score. Herbert Ponting’s images are indelibly etched in my mind and psyche. It is so strange that Jane Giles called me that morning in March 2010 and asked if I was interested in scoring this film. I’m a lucky man to get a chance to collage something together for this film."




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16 авг. 2012 г.

Whispers from the Forests, Screams from the Mountains



Whispers from the forests, screams from the mountains ... is a showcase for three of the most radical and adventurous labels currently operating in Sweden's experimental music underworld: Häpna, iDEAL, and Kning Disk"--Inside back cover of accompanying serial.
Includes previously or subsequently released material.
"Promotional item only. Not for sale."
Promotional recording issued with issue 286 (Dec. 2007) of The wire.


I know it probably seems odd to review a free comp with limited availability (it was primarily distributed to subscribers of UK mag The Wire with copies of the December issue), but when you consider how well this collection captures the most exciting aspects of Sweden's current music scene, it should hopefully make sense. Simply put, Häpna, Ideal Recordings and Kning Disk are the top three Swedish labels currently releasing a consistent stream of interesting, forward-thinking music. Even with the few artists I'm not so fond of such as Nicolai Dunger's A Taste of Ra, I would never fault their craftsmanship or imagination. It might not appeal directly to my own personal tastes, but it has my utmost respect and that is of crucial importance. There's always something to admire, even when you are not inclined to investigate further. As for the styles of music explored in this collection, it's incredibly rich and diverse. There's everything from pop melodicism (Anna Järvinen, Eric Malmberg, Balroynigress) to dark, terrifying drones (Sewer Election, Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words, The Skull Defekts), fractured experimentalism (Hans Appelqvist, Tape, Folke Rabe) and classical composition (Erik Enocksson, Jerry Johansson and Library Tapes). All in all, a perfect portrait of where to look for the future of Swedish music. Ignore it and get left behind. ©

Mastered at Repeatle Stockholm.
Tracks 1-6: Häpna;
Tracks 7-12: iDeal;
Tracks 13-18: Kning Disk





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12 авг. 2012 г.

Festive Greetings from Hibernate & Home Normal


Festive Greetings accurately captures the melancholy associated with the Holidays. I hear a lot of cheery, happy, hyper-active Christmas music during this time of year. Generally I can’t relate to any of it at all. While people appear to be happy during this time of year, I feel down. There is no accurate rhyme or reason for it, it just is. That is probably why I enjoy this collection Hibernate and HomeNormal has put together. It is so invitingly slow.
The artists on this collection usually deal with a classical ambient style. Browsing through the titles, one may notice normal Christmas standards like ‘O Holy Night’ and ‘O Christmas Tree’. Offthesky’s treatment is a bit different than one might expect, and Good Weather for an Airstrike someone makes the standard sound lonelier.
I like how much space there is in these songs. They seem to spread out for forever. Some of the songs have a sleepy method to them, such as ‘Silent Night’ one of the few to offer any singing. The voice is barely decipherable, and melts with the soundscape. This one along with Clem Leek’s piece is my two favorite pieces on the entire disc. To me, there’s warmth, like sitting on top of a rusty radiator, feeling the heat rise up, that is probably the feeling I most consistently feel with Christmas: one of quiet and warmth.
Hibernate and Home Normal’s collection gives me this warm sense. I am glad am I not alone in wanting a slow, quiet Christmas. This is ambient Christmas music. It is a reassuring kind of Christmas music. Christmas needs to slow down. I am glad at least ‘Festive Greetings’ understands that. ©


The exclusive CD has been compiled by Jonathan Lees of Hibernate/Rural Colours and has tracks from Antonymes, The Boats, Offthesky, Machinefabriek, Strom Noir, Good Weather for an Airstrike, Ithaca Trio, Isnaj Dui, Wil Bolton, The Frozen Vaults, Konntintent with Leyli, Upward Arrows, Listening Mirror with Alicia Merz, Clem Leek, Anna Rose Carter with Christopher Bailey and Daniel Thomas Freeman. The album has been mastered by Wil Bolton and features artwork from Lucia Mancilla Prieto.



www.archwayfoundation.org.uk
www.thedalstonvic.co.uk

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offthesky


(Michael) Jason Corder began devising sonic schemes in the womb by performing on the uterus wall to cope with the intense darkness. He finally forged an escape plan in 1977 and upgraded his musical medium to a sterling kitchen floor kit. Many years later during the dark ages of the 386/amiga, Jason retired the cutlery to began forging into the vast void of 8bit tracking.

Later he began his travels to countless electronic music events which catalysted him into a fertile pit of sonic clay. Using adverse software such as buzz, Jason began an evolution. Though after realizing the creative short comings of purely digital creation, acoustics, space resonation, and concept became common place. Instruments such as guitar, piano, sine waves, field-recordings and weather pattern data are mainstays for off the sky.

Today Jason resides in the City of Denver, Colorado and composes experimental electronic music in collaboration with other working musicians. occasionally, he still writes music for fetuses..

About the moniker, or why offthesky?

off the sky was the original version but much later Jason decided to simplify and evolve the phrase by truncating the spaces to forming an even more unique morpheme. Originally the idea of the truncation was in order that solo projects could exist and be released under the offthesky iteraton and group based projects could use the off the sky version - however this quickly became confusing for labels, the fans, and the scene in general so Jason has since decided to simplify and go minimal with the latest evolution of 'offthesky.

As the story holds, years ago Jason - being a movie freak - was watching the film 'Trainspotting' and translated a thickly spoken phrase from a particular scene where Renton is declaring his will to get 'off the scag'. Jason swore for the longest time that the main charachter of the film was saying 'off the sky' - mis-interpreting 'sky' to having been a british street slang reference to heroine and the act of getting high on heroin. Not until years later, until the internet matured to a point was Jason able to consult the actual script for trainspotting realizing that the phrase 'off the sky' was actually not in the movie:

Renton: Never again, Swanney. Im off the scag.
Swanney: Are you serious?
Renton: Yeah, no more. Im finished with that shite.
Swanney: Well, its up to you, man.
Renton: Gonna get it right this time. Gonna get it sorted out. Gonna get off it for good.

Also Jason has produced several misc. records using his own name: Jason Corder - typically these 'non-descript' projects that don't quite fit into any band or other moniker get put into the 'production' category that go under his own name - much like a film director would put their movie under there own name. Other groups/monikers Jason is or was involved in besides offthesky are: Color Cassette, Juxta Phona, Aeris Ash, Muridae, Shelters End, and Lights Like Windows.

For more information please visit: offthesky via myspace.



See also compilations with Jason's participation:





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