Musique Concrete / Electro-Acoustic & other...

Started by FreakAnimalFinland, February 21, 2010, 11:31:57 AM

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FreakAnimalFinland

Been listening quite a lot for Eric Cordier "Breizhiselad" CD now. Liner notes of the CD (in french & english) explain the project of recording where he throws all the usual words of "acousmatic", "electroacoustic" etc, and explains little history and intent of the pieces. But in nutshell what this is: 73 minutes disc composed out of very very few moments of field recordings over the music composed from 60's LP re-issue of old 78rmp of nationalistic hymns of French Brittany. It focuses not only on the fragments of music, but all the surface noises, crackles, and pops what nearly erased vinyl surface produces. It starts slightly annoying. Just playing short fragments of the piece, but when time goes on, you will start to hear exceptional skills of re-creating nostalgic hymn in context of experimental sound. It has amazing dynamics from quiet to nearly storming noises. It managed to calm down into eerie female vocal drones drifting from speakers. In liner notes he talks about finding the original recording horrible, but also work of genious. Horrible because of catechsim-like vocal arrangements, but genious in trms of the beauty of melody and the conviction of the singers. And most certainly the nationalism and romantic visions of lost lands and lost cultures/languages is no new to "industrial music", but it's also most certainly nice to see area touched by electro-acoustic works. Most people outside France probably don't know shit what exactly is "Brittany" and how it differs from france, but I guess internet it full of possibilities to learn about history if one wants to.
To me this album shows greatly about the material being functional in terms of pure audio enjoyment, but also awake some inspiration/interest in subject matter, further than the booklet.

I'm interested in any recommendations on these areas of sound works.
E-mail: fanimal +a+ cfprod,com
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Zeno Marx

Be sure to check out Cordier's Houlque 1996.  Some of the sounds hurt my teeth - first track is a powerhouse - final track is a 25-minute organ/casio piece that wouldn't be out of place on a NY minimalist collection - electro-acoustic/music concrete of the finest order.
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

ImpulsyStetoskopu

I like CORDIER's works very much. "Houlque" is great! I recommend his one of the first group U.N.A.C.D, especialy their mini cd published by French Sordide Sentimental in the begining of 1990's.

FreakAnimalFinland

#3
LUIGI ARCHETTI  "null" CD
Listened this thing 2 times today. It's 60 minute CD. And was thinking of writing review since I found the album so great. But it seems too difficult to even say anything about it. So I rather not post on vague talk of electro-acoustics than actual review... hah http://www.dieschachtel.com/ label probably makes the total noise heads puke on its clean contemporary music approach...  This sound, as though grains of finest sand trickle onto a membrane–the last thing that the narrator in Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris" hears when he starts out on his journey to a world that is falling apart–is the most fitting way to describe the characteristics of Luigi Archetti's music NULL. Stylistically, the compositions can be placed within the field of planar tonal design, and with this, also an experimental treatment of static sounds and microtonality, out of which finally something like monolithic sound sculptures have emerged.
Well, that's what it is. At the best, album is quite blends in the sounds which could be as well metal pipes or other resonating industrial elements, but most likely are piano strings. Slow, bounding but "tonal" qualities. There are some painfully disturbing moments of almost pure sound waves, where for a while it feels like bands such as Dominator should take some lessons of actually disturbing composition. The best thing is the perfection of many sounds. The dynamics of composition, purity and utmost craftmanship of reproducing the sound on the disc works so well, that even if many times the actual layering is almost nonexistent, those are the moments what work amazingly well. Just the quality and tension of the one thing what is happening, is already so strong.  And opposed to many recordings, I find this to be something that requires your attention all the time. Many things happen, and they happen pretty short amount of time.
This could be one of the best purchases that I have done recently without knowing ANYTHING about the artist, or the label. Nor how artwork is. Just bought it when brain registered few phrases and words in description of release. For finns visiting Sarvilevyt, there might be copy at artfag section. Otherwise you probably have to go further than typical noise distro to find it.

...and to add, I guess it's about the time I can hear one computer glitch cd what I won't complain about..
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kettu

Quote from: FreakAnimalFinland on February 26, 2010, 09:15:56 PM
For finns visiting Sarvilevyt, there might be copy at artfag section. Otherwise you probably have to go further than typical noise distro to find it.

Ive developed some kind of intrest towards this artsy shit, so im definetly into reading more about it.
how big is the artfag section at sarvilevyt, ive not been to lahti since fa fest.


lately: Krzysztof Penderecki and some johnny cage

does costes belong here or somewhere else, any particular releases to avoid or must haves?

Zeno Marx

#5
What's the availability of Magison/INA-GRM in Europe and Scandinavia?  As I said on the other board, I can't recommend ANY electro-acoustic higher than Francois Bayle.  The collaboration with Parmegiani - Divine Comedie 2CD and the Son Vitesse-Lumiere (Vol.9 &10) 2CD are the best I've heard in this field.  The production is out of this world, resulting in imaging, fidelity, and tones that you can't hear anywhere else.  I realize this is of little importance to a lot of people...until they hear something like these two albums on a quality stereo, and they can't believe how vivid and spacial this music can be.

A more recent Bayle disc I recommend is Toupie Dans Le Ciel 2002 - great little 21-minute EP - the most "lunar" I think I've heard Bayle take it; he touches upon such sounds often, but the looped quasi-drone behind the trickle of dynamic electros is a nicely stripped down Bayle that is quite "sci-fi" and relaxing.

I concentrated more attention towards ING-GRM and GMVL because Anomalous distro was heavily weighted towards these labels.  I'm sorry I'm not better acquainted with Empreintes DIGITALes artists.  The Francis Dhomont I've heard has mostly been impressive.  I know Michel Chion is highly respected, but I haven't heard any of his work.  The list goes on and on.

All three Arsenije Jovanovic CDs are great.  Galiola: Works for Radio, 1967-2000 on Alluvial is easily found for a low price, and it is top quality work.  It has one of the best booklets I've seen in a long while; a great read.  He isn't strictly electro-acoustic.  He dabbles in several disciplines, but all at a high level of skill.

Eric La Casa/Syllyk is another name that I'd like to mention.  I'm still absorbing his catalogue, so I don't want to make any recommendations just yet.  Clouding that line between field recording and electro-acoustic.

three more threads to read and digest...

1

2

3
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

heretogo

Yea, Die Schachtel is a very good label! Nice balance between unearthing old gems of electronic music and eclectic new stuff. I don't have nearly enough of their releases...

Last couple of days I've been listening to the Ilhan Mimaroglu's Agitation cd on Locust. Collects four pieces by Mimaroglu, Tract: A Composition Of Agitprop Music For Electromagnetic Tape parts I & II, To Kill A Sunrise: A Requiem For Those Shot In The Back and La Ruche: An Elegy For Electromagnetic Tape. First two tracks are busy collages of electronics, orchestral music, ethnic stuff, jazz, choral singing, propaganda and tapes. Texts by Bakunin, Marx, Mao, Kropotkin etc. are read (in English and French), like a slogan after another. Some parts work better than others but all in all it's a very charming piece of "program music" (Mimaroglu's words). Not very aggressive like might be suspected, not a call to arms but more like a journey into the mind of a revolutionary. There's aggression and then there's tranquility. Yes it's old-fashioned and "dated" but who cares... A Requiem For Those Shot in the Back is what it says, a solemn "song of mourning". Che Guevara's autopsy report is read, along with names of other fallen comrade's. The music itself is mostly understated electronics, developing into a mass of wailing towards the end. The last piece is less obviously political, although in the liner notes Mimarglu calls it "proto-political". Tape composition from movements written for violoncello, harpsichord and piano with some electronic effects thrown in the mix. Reflective and slightly gloomy stuff, waves of calmness develop nicely into small turbulences. Superb ending to the disc.

Jaakko V.

#7
A really magnificent group and a great personal inspirator is Morphogenesis from the UK. Infinite amount of different source materials - various objects, tapes, acoustic instruments prepared and non-prepared, plants (bio-energy turned into sound)... And doesn't have a hint of the dry and formal 'academic' approach. Personal favourites include Charivari Music, In Streams 1 and In Streams 2 but really everything I've heard from them has been really good.

Check out the website: http://www.stalk.net/paradigm/morphogenesis.htm

edit:

And if you don't, here's a quote:

QuoteThe groups aim is to unify and integrate many diverse sound elements, (electronic, vocal, instrumental and environmental) within a context of continual evolution and group dialogue. We construct our own instruments in addition to using adapted or prepared conventional instruments - usually violin, piano and acoustic guitar. The range of sounds are further extended by means of filtering and other forms of signal processing. Contact microphones are used to amplify the sounds of bubbling water and other small sounds. All these accoustic sounds are enhanced by electronic filtering etc. One electronic instrument we use is a bioactivity translator which is used to measure the voltage potential of living organisms - including plants, fungi, and the human nervous system - and translate the biological rhythms into electronic sound. Other electronic instruments include a 4 speed portable reel to reel tape recorder and a multi speed CD player, both of which are used to work with short sound samples. We do not use laptops or lengthy pre-recorded material.


Jaakko

FreakAnimalFinland

I had a feeling that Jean-Luc Guionnet was something very special. Was it because of good Groundfault CD? Perhaps. But after few attempts to appreciate for example "tirets" cd (hibari-05), well... If I can't really fully appreciate Herman Nitch organ music, this perhaps goes further into brain disturbance.
Whatever is being played, is random improv. It's not the crystallic minimalist tones of Nitch, but perhaps related to elegance of some drunk in corner of bar giving a try to bar piano. Tones and doodles hit here and there. Some random sounding patterns and a bit of Eric La Casa doing something. Most of these cuts are actually concerts. It sounds more of like test of how long you can show middlefinger on the stage, and get away calling it art? Perhaps the main problem I find is that the organ itself isn't that interesting. The quality it could have for deep tones and nearly brass-instrument like "prööött!!!" sounds.. well, it would have to be done very very differently than this. I know that "anyone could do this" is some argument what can be applied to anything, and is pretty much BS argument anyways. But well... anyone could do this. It has no interesting tonality, hardly interesting sounds. When things start to happen, it's just lame. Don't remember what was the name of the double CD of pretty much equal tortment.

So question remains, if one is to give mr. Guionnet another chance, what could it be?
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Zeno Marx

Can't help with Guionnet.  I've heard maybe three albums from him, and they've all been on the disappointing side of things.  There's something wonky about his composition that doesn't hold my attention.
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

heretogo

I haven't heard Guionnet's solo discs but the trio (Afflux) he forms with Eric La Casa and Eric Cordier is quite good. Very much based on field recordings and playing with intricate feedback from the surroundings + subtle processing. The kind of stuff which is superb in the right state of mind and just unbelievably boring in the wrong one.

Zeno Marx

I haven't had a chance to listen to the 2nd disc, which is the more contemporary of the two.  Doesn't matter.  The 2CD is $16, and that is well worth the Alireza Mashayekhi disc alone.  You might recognize his name from the highly collectible, infamous V/A Electronic Panorama 4LP from the Philips' Prospective 21e Siecle  series.  His 4LP track is the first track on the CD.  Great electro-acoustics, tape manipulations, etc.  Nice touch of subtle ethnic flair as well, which gives those pieces and especially nice touch.  Another high quality piece of the puzzle in the history of electro-acoustics and early electronic work from around the world.  I'm impressed.

V/A - Persian Electronic Music: Yesterday and Today 1966-2006 2CD
Alireza Mashayekhi and Ata Ebtekar/Sote
SUB ROSA (BELGIUM)

"The Sub Rosa label presents the work of Alireza Mashayekhi and Ata Ebtekar/Sote, two essential, key luminaries in the so far very unknown electronic music scene as composed in Iran from the '60s until today. These Iranian music masters work on ancestral structures to create something radically new, travelling around the world as vivid creators, working through the hazards of history. Alireza Mashayekhi (b. 1940) is a pioneer Iranian avant-garde composer whose ideas and works have been performed in his home country and abroad for more than 35 years. Ata Ebtekar aka Sote (b.1972) is an electronic composer, sound artist and recording engineer who is interested in recasting the tuning of Persian classical scales (radif) and melodies from old Persian folk songs within a new electronic framework. Since he has a firm conviction that rules and formulas have to be deconstructed and rethought, he alters some of these modal systems from their original tonality and rhythm. He has released several CDs and vinyls on Dielectric/RLR, Spundae and Warp. Sub Rosa offers you a Persian history lesson that finally exposes this region's rich and significant contribution to the realm of electronic music. "This feels like the historical electronic music reissue of the year." -- Mimaroglu Music Sales.
"the overindulgent machines were their children"
I only buy vinyl, d00ds.

bitewerksMTB


ARKHE

since it's describing brass sounds, I think it can be related to fart sounds.

FreakAnimalFinland

I guess once could mention source, which demand no financial sacrifices to check out, nor any knowledge of what formats to listen on what player.

pierre schaeffer - "etude aux chemins de fer" 1948:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9pOq8u6-bA
extremely primitive and nasty.

Pierre Schaeffer - Etude Noire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oBcM1xxmeQ&feature=related
Gloomy and sinister sounding works, with a lot of intense loops

Pierre Henry "Spatiodynamisme" 1954
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXrkt8zkeic&feature=related
talked in other topic. Good LP re-issue with more parts done 2010.

more.. well, its youtube isn't it? "related" on the left...

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