Confront performance series
01
It’s a bit late and, given the very limited nature of the pressing (100), almost futile, but I wanted to make mention of this fine recording. Whether Mark Wastell chooses to make additional copies available or not, listeners should at least be aware of the musicians involved in order to experience future endeavors.
This is a live, 30-minute performance from April 2006 with David Lacey (percussion, e-bowed monochord), Paul Vogel (computer, clarinet) and Wastell (ride cymbal, CD player, mixer). To simply call it a drone piece would do it a disservice but, roughly speaking, the music does maintain a steady line, evolving from an initial high tone through all manner of additives, slowly increasing in textural complexity. Why this particular event works far, far more effectively than any dozen other “similar” recordings you’re likely to hear is, as always, an impossible thing to pin down but, for this listener, it reduces to the specific choices made, the “touch” with which they’re applied and the reticence involved, the willingness to hold back and only introduce elements when they enhance what’s previously been established. The sheer deliciousness of some of the sonic combinations doesn’t hurt either. The clarinet alongside the high pitches produced, I’m guessing, by softly struck cymbal and/or e-bowed monochord, is pure eai ear candy. The set peaks, begins to fade, achieves a secondary re-intensification, then goes its thoughtful way. It’s too good to get lost in the shuffle, one of the finer releases I’ve heard this year. Hopefully any interested listeners can either still locate a copy or impose upon its producer to make more available.
[Much the same, incidentally, could be said for the Rowe/Wastell collaboration, the second issue on Confront’s performance series. Both arrive in silver, metal, circular cases, pics of which I can’t locate, hence the lack of visuals above.]
[edit: Thanks to Richard P. for supplying an image]
Posted by Brian Olewnick on November 19, 2006 2:32 PMhttp://www.paristransatlantic.com/magazine/interviews/wastell.html
In case you hadn't already noticed. From what Mark says in there I seriously doubt the performance series limited editions runs will be repressed.
Anyhow, there are things one can do for repression.
Posted by: walto at November 20, 2006 6:51 AMPaging the Hyphen Police...[on Walto's behalf]
[by the by, I'm digging this new streamlined spam protection protocol. A single keystroke is always more efficacious than expending the energy to type out an "imaginary expletive", good work folks!]
Posted by: narew ramsh at November 20, 2006 7:07 AMThis one is awesome. I just got it last week together with the Rowe/Wastell, but this one is much stronger. The packaging is pretty cool too.
Posted by: SOZ at November 20, 2006 9:05 AMSergio, I knew you'd ordered one after I thought they were sold out, so I was wondering if Mark made you a burn. But if you got them in the metal cannister, I guess not.
Posted by: Brian Olewnick at November 20, 2006 9:35 AMBrian, all of the copies are just Mark making a burn! He has a stack of empty metal cans, a stack of business cards printed cheap and then knocks up the discs as he runs low.
He did tell me recently that he had finished with these two now and wouldn't burn any more, but I guess if you ask on the right day, when its quiet, when he's in a good mood, when the baby hasn't kept him up all night.... :)
Nearly forgot to add that this is a really great piece of music, one of my favourites of the year.
We were lucky enough to have David and Paul record a really good session for audition recently that can be found buried amongst this show here: http://www.auditionradio.info/audition%20audio%20files/01%20audition%20Show27.mp3
Ditto on this one as one of this years best - its gotten a lot of plays in my household. Definitely check out that mp3 Richard links to, it's great. Another fairly recent release from the Irish axis very much worth hearing is Fergus Kelly/David Lacey - 'Bevel'. I for one am keeping an eye on Eire as yet another fertile ground for new music.
Posted by: hatta (Robert) at November 20, 2006 12:16 PMRobert, funny that you give Brian O a hard time on his blog for being too friendly with musicians in this scene, yet you don't mention that you played with these guys when you were over in Ireland and hung out with them for pretty much the entire Quake this year.
back on topic, I agree that this disc is great, didn't like the audition piece or Bevel nearly as much, but am definitely looking forward to future releases from this camp.
Posted by: jon abbey at November 20, 2006 1:08 PMWell I explained myself pretty poorly on Brian's blog, but I was really just trying to say that if a reviewer wants to avoid complaints of talking up their friends they can. Personally I think that that is in the interest of a professional reviewer but for people who do so out of love of the music I think it comes down to the individual. In the case of comments in a blog entry I wouldn't think that too much by way of disclosure is required (though not unwelcome).
This is an interesting issue though and one that I can't pretend to have the answers for. Thinking on how I read reviews it really come down to building a model of the reviewer and then mapping that to ones own taste. I know that if Brian likes something the odds are better that I will as well (though about that Mattin Songbook love...) I do appreciate as much description as possible when its something I'm whole unfamiliar with.
On this specific front I certainly am on friendly terms with David and Paul. However I for one tend to rate albums almost solely on how much I'm compelled to listen to them. I have yet to have had any reason to not be completely honest on that metric. So for those building a model of me there is a couple more data points :)
Posted by: hatta (Robert) at November 20, 2006 2:03 PMok, that's cool. as we all know, the line in this music between "a professional reviewer" and "people who do so out of love of the music" is close to nonexistent in most cases, since the places that pay pay virtually nothing.
also, the complaints that Brian got (mostly on JC, maybe some here) weren't especially based in reality, they were based on the relationship that people assumed he and I had and largely attributable to our geographic proximity, when in reality I've spent far more time talking to you (for instance) over the past couple of years.
"Thinking on how I read reviews it really come down to building a model of the reviewer and then mapping that to ones own taste."
yep, that's the way to do it, combined with your own knowledge of the musician/s and label. as a consumer, I've always put quite a bit of stock in the label a release is on, if it's a label I've connected with quite a bit in the past, I'll keep checking everything they do out until I'm disappointed enough to stop.
Posted by: jon abbey at November 20, 2006 2:14 PM"(though about that Mattin Songbook love...)"
Years from now, they'll be marveling at my prescience and my fortitude in the face of withering scorn. Or something.
Posted by: Brian Olewnick at November 20, 2006 3:53 PMBrian, I did get them in a metal cannister. I'm not sure what motivated Mark to burn them, but they are still on the sound323 catalogue fwiw.
Posted by: SOZ at November 20, 2006 6:42 PMSpeaking as the anonymous mass of consumers, I've been lurking here long enough (when the place was still alive) to know your seperate behaviors, but I can't build a single model of a reviewer (cept the metalhead, but he's more entertaining than useful). Maybe it's because i don't (can't?) know the music well enough, but maybe you're all much too conscentious? "There are no words to describe" is a favorite trope here (and it's been a cliche for 250 years now), and you all listen to every record 20 times before reviewing (I can get into practically everything listening to it 20 times (else I wouldn't survive the process) but I sure couldn't tell you if it's good or no afterwards). In the end the item reviewed will be well worth tracking down.
I know who hates an anonymous post here so I'm signing this
Posted by: The Undersigned at November 20, 2006 10:35 PMI think Brian O.'s esthetic is clear. I think you could draw a comparison with jazzbo's who can't handle anything that does not "swing" (don't mean a thing if it ain't got that sizzle?), but I don't think being "friends with the musicians" thing is a problem.
I seriously doubt he was buddied up to Rowe or Abbey before appreciating their work.
It only makes sense for people who share the same esthetic to bond over it.
I think it is a huge problem when it is a musician/writer writing up his playmates or if the writer is buddies (or rommates) with an obviously terrible musician and heaps undue praise on them.
"I think Brian O.'s esthetic is clear. I think you could draw a comparison with jazzbo's who can't handle anything that does not "swing"
Excellent comparison!
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