Annette Krebs/David Lacey/Keith Rowe/Paul Vogel - s/t

Homefront Recordings
No. 1

The initial offering from this label is a fine, understated live performance from April 1, 2006 in Dublin. Annette Krebs (guitar. Electronics), David Lacey (percussion, electronics), Keith Rowe (guitar/electronics) and Paul Vogel (computer) fashion a 32-minute set on relatively low but active flame. It’s not exactly quiet, but there’s a calm, almost processional feel about it, a steady pace from event field to event field. Though you can pick out an individual contribution once in a while—an identifiably Rowe-ian moment here, something with percussive origins there—it’s an admirably egoless set. It’s one of those concerts, rare enough, that might not be life-changing but with restraint, creativity and some sinew satisfies entirely.

Lacey and Vogel, along with Mark Wastell, were responsible for one of my favorite recordings from 2006 (on Confront) which was, in fact, recorded on the same day, obviously a good one. Here, the initial low simmer gives way to medium heat a few minutes in, disembodied voices floating to the surface at one point, clatter shifting places freely with hums, a clang ending one episode and beginning another. The quartet glides through the terrain until it’s finished, not lingering unnecessarily. Descriptions more specific than that seem beside the point.

A good recording, one that fans of any of the participants will enjoy.

Available from sound 323