"O"
Numero 0
THE TELESCOPES
# 4
[Antenna Records, www.antennarecords.com]
I'm not sure what the French duo known as "O" is trying to accomplish on
their new release "Numero 0"? Could it be a showcase of their minimal
approach to improvisation? Could it be that they love restrained noise and
glitches that are slow and thought out? Could it be that this was just an
experiment in sound? What they do have to offer are sparse and minimal,
often glitchy guitar drones. Not all of the brief tracks evolve around a
drone. In fact, most of them are just stop-and-go, on-off bursts of what
seems like random noise [though this is something that must have been talked
over previously in the studio]. They call themselves "orchestra non
orchestra", which I suppose means that two people are able to do what an
entire orchestra usually accomplishes. The overall effect is quite good.
In fact, I think "O" is actually going for the final atmospheric effect,
rather than individual momentary aural satisfaction. Gentle guitar
strumming accompanied by bursts of noise can work in fact, if it's done
well. Here, I'm afraid; "O" is getting started at their craft.
Unfortunately, too much of the recording feels like doodling without real
aim.
I remember The Telescopes as a band in the late 80's that were signed to
Creation Records, who somehow to me felt like a part of that shoe-gazing
scene [how many of those bands are still in existence now?]. I remember
them for their excellent "I'll Follow You Down" single and that was about
it. Lights have dimmed. Time flew by but surprisingly The Telescopes are
still around. This time though, they're in pursuit not of the tops of their
sneakers but of the perfect drone. Recorded at various performances between
2002 and 2004, their latest release "# 4" features lots of fuzzy sounds and
plenty of drone-inducing, head-spinning effects make it on to this record.
In places, a trombone is heard [barely audible] buried underneath the rubble
of guitar sound. What this band is great at doing is spreading out an even
sheet of a drone. It's consistent. It's warm and most of all, it's somehow
inviting. Whatever primal vocals are present are buried deep in the mix.
Their fury is constant which doesn't detract from the overall feel of the
record. My only regret is the record lasts a mere 50 minutes. I could bury
my head in this sort of caressing fuzzy mix for much, much longer.
- Tom Sekowski
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RECENZJE
+ Anthony Rother - This Is Electro. Works 1997-2005
+ randomNumber - Golden Acre Sleeps
+ Radiq - Tomorrow`s Quest
+ Prima Materia - The Tail of the Tiger
+ Mouloud - Mr King And The Sonic Destructor
+ Mirror System - Mirror System
+ Mikkel Metal - Victimizer
+ Gary Martin - Another Place
+ Kiki - Boogybytes Vol.01
+ Bokaj Retsiem - Psychedelic Underground
+ Amps for Christ - The People at Large
+ Brötzmann/Bennink, Schwarzwaldfahrt
+ Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice - Buck Dharma
+ Les Rallizes Dénudés, Le 12 mars 1977 á Tachikawa
+ Alessandra Rombolá - Uruena
+ Wade Matthews - Absent Friends
+ 3/4HadBeenEliminated - A year of the aural gauge operation
+ Tape - Rideau
+ Best Of Exun - Vol. 1: 1999 - 2005
+ Crisis - Holocaust Hymns
+ Camping 2
+ Bauchklang - Many People
+ Sampler 6 - Quality Electronic Music
+ Aaron-Carl - Detrevolution
+ Territory Band-4 - Company Switch
+ Dub Tractor - Hideout
+ Ragis - Baltijos Karas
+ Dragana Mirkovic - Trag u Vremenu
- - - - - - - - -
+ OREN AMBARCHI & ROBBIE AVENAIM - Clockwork - Live Recording 21.4.99
+ GERMLIN - Youth Pixxel
+ DAVENPORT - Free Country
+ FRED FRITH / STEVIE WISHART / CARLA KIHLSTEDT - The Compass, Log, and Lead
+ 31 KNOTS - Talk Like Blood / HEADLIGHTS - The Enemies
+ AVAILABLE JELLY - Bilbao Song
+ TOD DOCKSTADER - Aerial #2
+ XIU XIU - Life and Live
+ HALF-HANDED CLOUD - Halos & Lassos / LIZ JANES - Liz Janes & Create(!)
+ HISATO HIGUCHI - 2004 11 2005 4 / She
+ DINOSAUR - Dinosaur Jr. / DINOSAUR JR. - You're Living All Over Me / Bug
+ SASCHA NEUDECK - Schattenwind / NACHTSTROM - Flush
+ MARGO - Furtives Furies
+ IBRAHIM FERRER - Ay, Candela / RUBEN GONZALEZ - Momentos
+ KEVIN AYERS - The BBC Sessions 1970 - 1976
+ VARIOUS ARTISTS - Le World.Reggae II
+ STEVE LANTNER TRIO - Blue Yonder / NATURAL HISTORY - Fur
+ ZION TRAIN - Natural Wonders of the World in Dub
>> O - Numero 0 / THE TELESCOPES - #4
+ sunnO))) - Black One / OREN AMBARCHI - Triste
+ ZE EDUARDO / JACK WALRATH QUARTET - Bad Guys / MICHAEL ATTIAS - Credo / JOE FIEDLER TRIO - Plays the Music of Albert Mangelsdorff / BERNARDO SASSETTI TRIO 2 - Ascent
- - - - - - - - -
WYWIADY / RELACJE
+ TOP 7 - 2005
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