“Praxis” reviewed by Neural

Praxis
In foggia di repentini assemblamenti auditivi, elettroacustica ed influenze microsound, il multi-strumentista turco Cem Güney (che vanta anche esperienze in qualità di dj e trombettista) dà vita per la label sperimentale portoghese Cronica ad un’affascinante sequenza di suoni sintetici e field recording . Composizioni che gravitano su un attenzione autorale tutta focalizzata alla percezione di frammenti, nelle forme di riverberi, crackle e dilatate iterazioni, che confluiscono ad arte in partiture anche ambient e acusmatiche. Gentile ma ancora in qualche modo ispida, elaborazione di trame sofisticate concettualmente e vivide, sperimentale nell’articolare sequenze algoritmiche in bilico tra spiritualità e scienza. Meditazione sull’universo udibile che fonda la propria esplorazione sulle stesse suggestioni che specifici automatismi corporei ci suggeriscono: il sangue che pulsa, l’energia elettrica dei nervi, i crepitii delle orecchie. ‘Nada Yoga’ senza melodie e parole, ritmi e armonie: giusto il suono d’un vibrante respiro. Aurelio Cianciotta

via Neural

New Crónicaster: Natal dos Experimentais 2008

Natal dos Experimentais 2008
Gustavo Costa, Jonathan Uliel, Miguel Cardoso, Miguel Carvalhais, Neil Davidson, Pedro Almeida, Pedro Tudela, The Beautiful Schizophonic, Vitor Joaquim & Autodigest perform at the fourth edition of Crónica’s Natal dos Experimentais, in Passos Manuel, Porto, December 19 2008.

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“Täuschung” reviewed by Adverse Effect

Täuschung cover
Four years in the making, the 28 miniatures (as, indeed, they generally are; only one piece goes over the four minutes mark, only a few hover around the two-to-three-minutes length, and the remainder range from eleven seconds to being barely much longer than a minute) here by Mikan, a Vienna-based artist given to combining algorithmic music with handmade sounds, resemble the type of scrunched-up electro-acoustic compositions RLW has perfected over the years. Balls of light and dark bounce against jagged and often jarring micro-patterns teased into something then invitingly teased elsewhere. As with other such works, this is not a place to turn to for comfort or to get dragged along by. Instead, Mikan creates a completely absorbing space where sounds are explored and pushed into new realms perfectly reflecting the whole gamut of emotions without the crutches served by convention. It is music designed to climb inside, and it works fantastically.(RJ)

via Adverse Effect

“Leise” reviewed by Adverse Effect

Leise cover
Ten compositions based on recordings his then three-year-old daughter made, using musical and non-musical instruments/sound sources, represent Frans de Waard’s Freiband’s third album. As with other Freiband material, the emphasis is as much on computer processing as the original material used for it, but while the realms explored are of a chiefly electro-acoustic nature they are never rendered sterile as a result of the environment. Rather, all manner of interesting thuds, pops, crackles, scrapes and suchlike weave around each other to form atmospheric textures, mostly gentle patterns, occasional rhythmic snatches and the general digital palette that could only too easily be staid if left in the wrong hands. Once again, Frans proves that he has a firm grasp on his inventiveness, possesses an ability to shade it in many ways, and refrains from allowing it to plummet into the very depths of boredom so much music of this nature is guilty of. (RJ)

via Adverse Effect