{"id":10394,"date":"2019-05-25T15:58:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-25T14:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.cronicaelectronica.org\/?p=10394"},"modified":"2019-05-25T15:58:26","modified_gmt":"2019-05-25T14:58:26","slug":"francisco-lopez-miguel-a-garcias-ekkert-nafn-reviewed-by-badd-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.cronicaelectronica.org\/?p=10394","title":{"rendered":"Francisco L\u00c3\u00b3pez & Miguel A. Garc\u00c3\u00ada\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ekkert Nafn\u00e2\u20ac\u009d reviewed by Badd Press"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Artists who produce instrumental music \u00e2\u20ac\u201c or to put it more precisely, music that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feature vocals \u00e2\u20ac\u201c are often asked how they decide on titles. At the risk of sounding elitist, that always struck me as one of the dumber questions in music journalism. Sure, not all music lends itself naturally to a pithy title. But obviously the absence of lyrics doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t render the artist incapable of describing what he or she set out to communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new split disc by Francisco L\u00c3\u00b3pez and Miguel A. Garc\u00c3\u00ada appears to have struck a compromise. The album\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s title Ekkert Nafn<\/em> translates as \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No Name.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s to pragmatism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first piece, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Untitled #351,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is composed by L\u00c3\u00b3pez. The artist has built an impressive body of sound art and experimental music over four decades. L\u00c3\u00b3pez\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work has been enthusiastically received in more than 70 countries. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s received four honourable mentions at the Ars Electronica Festival competition, and a Qwartz Award for best sound anthology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This new work has an industrial feel. His source material is largely metallic and abrasive. Those sounds are processed, and then offset with stretches of quiet, or even silence. These breaks temper the overall harshness of the piece. But they also add tension, as we wait apprehensively for what comes next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second half of the disc features Garc\u00c3\u00ada\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Applainessads.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Also known as Xedh, the Bilbao, Spain-based sound artist is best known for his work in electroacoustic composition and improvisation. Garc\u00c3\u00ada has performed his work in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also appeared on more than 100 recordings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Applainessads\u00e2\u20ac\u009d hums like hydro wires stretched over an open field. After a kind of white-noise opening, the piece turns increasingly minimalist as its 28 \u00c2\u00bd minutes plays out. The effect is serene, but not quite comforting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two works complement one another nicely. Both feature sounds associated with the 20th<\/sup> century, processed with the intention of producing 21st<\/sup> century art. At the same time, there are sufficient differences between the two to make the shared album work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evolving ease of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Applainessads\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is a welcome response to the tension built up by \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Untitled #351.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Garc\u00c3\u00ada\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fluidity is an absorbing contrast to L\u00c3\u00b3pez\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s banging stops and starts. Kevin Press<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

via Badd Press<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n