You’d think that being isolated and alone is something that many sound artists might know a little about, both in terms of how marginalized their music is and also due to the time and patience it takes to construct it. This is a concept album of sorts, a call out to some incredible experimental musicians to “interpret senses of disconnection, isolation and solitude.’ It’s not exactly cheery stuff, yet nor is it necessarily despondent or gloomy, as each artist has interpreted the instructions in their own unique way. That said drones are pretty popular in this circle as warm subtle bottom end drones underpin a large number of the pieces, often with minimal additional instrumentation. Artists such as Stephen Vitiello, Steinbruchel, David Toop, and Janek Schaefer all seem to view drones as a means of articulating this sense of isolation. More interesting however are the pieces that move beyond this such as Jeph Jerman’ odd scratchy Albuquerque Hotel Room field recordings which are both so mundane and alienating at the same time, or Frenchman Sebastien Roux’ highly treated almost texturally invasive electro acoustic work. Scanner’ Mountain Cabin takes isolation into more positive and perhaps cinematic realms melding field recordings and a highly resonant piano and electronics, between the steady rain and footsteps somehow providing the most uplifting piece on the disc, whilst Zane Trow offers another gorgeously woozy piece of nostalgic computer music that comes on in waves. Handed out to participants attending a conference in Tasmania established as an antidote to some of the more dominant discourses on Globalization, this disc is an interesting collection of some of the more renowned sound artists from around the world and whilst many of the pieces are complex and highly crafted how, much they have contributed to this discourse definitely depends on your interpretation.
Bob Baker Fish
