The culmination of seven years of recordings derived from locations throughout the world, Objects, Masks, Props is a touching and exotic primer for the sonic creations of Brisbane based sound artist and curator Joel Stern. Given its protracted and diverse creative genesis, Objects, Masks, Props is necessarily a body of work that whilst largely remaining in an experimental canon, stretches pre-existing genre boundaries. Objects, Masks, Props covers points ranging from the gently processed and dense field recordings of Stradbroke Verse, to Concertina for Henri Mouhot’s digitally enhanced lo-fi sci-fi off-kilter pop to the unnervingly delicate electro-acoustic via minimalist sketch rumblings of Fortitudes End and the ecological rainforest imaginations of Dead Lakes.
The distinctly Australian source materials and textures on Objects, Masks, Props stand out, with these elements combining with broader ephemeral sounds and miscellaneous instrumentation to provide a suitable context for the material. This sense of identity benefits Stern, as the specific focus that results rewards repeated and concentrated listening. Stern’s emphasis on melodies, however fractured and disjointed, on Objects, Masks, Props is additionally fascinating, with one able to imagine snatches of an otherworldly radio transmission of Saharan bazaars, Daintree rainforests and inner suburban jam sessions alike at various junctures.
With a strong grounding in the beauty of naturally occurring sounds and simple acoustic instrumentation, Objects, Masks, Props could well be the future of pop music in a post-apocalyptic, electricity starved world.
Andrew Tuttle
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