▄▄ [ INFORMATION ] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
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█ ARTIST: Marcus Fischer █
█ TITLE: Collected Dust █
█ LABEL: Tench █
█ GENRE: Ambient █
█ BITRATE: 215kbps avg █
█ PLAYTIME: 0h 46min total █
█ RELEASE DATE: 2012-00-00 █
█ RIP DATE: 2012-02-07 █
█ URL: █
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▄▄ [ TRACKLIST ] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
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█ 01. Constant 4:53 █
█ 02. Nearly There 6:14 █
█ 03. Cold Days 4:54 █
█ 04. Halfway To Six 13:36 █
█ 05. Span 4:56 █
█ 06. Wires On Carpet 5:34 █
█ 07. Sixteen Shapes 6:43 █
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▄▄ [ NOTES ] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
█ █
█ Review from Fluid Radio: █
█ █
█ I enjoy listening to a wide range of music, but itÆs rare that I come █
█ across something that completely changes my understanding of how music █
█ can be made and listened to. One such occasion was the first time I █
█ heard Marcus FischerÆs album ôMonocoastalö, back in 2010, so to say that █
█ I was looking forward to his new release for Tench would be somewhat of █
█ an understatement. ôCollected Dustö brings together several pieces made █
█ by Fischer for his blog project, ôDust Breedingö, where every day for a █
█ year he posted something he had created that day. The album is far from █
█ a collection of quick sketches, however: after being selected by label █
█ owner M. Ostermeier, each piece was extensively worked on, and the █
█ results show all the careful attention to detail that characterises █
█ FischerÆs music. █
█ █
█ Fischer makes use of a wide range of acoustic and electronic █
█ instruments, some of which he crafted himself, along with a variety of █
█ field recordings. What struck me most strongly when I first heard █
█ ôMonocoastalö, however, was the way in which systems of chance are █
█ allowed to partly determine the distribution of sounds within a given █
█ piece. (æSystem of chanceÆ sounds suspiciously like an oxymoron, but I █
█ intend it to mean chance occurring within a field constrained by certain █
█ rules or choices. For example, the roll of dice is constrained by the █
█ number of sides on each die, the mechanics governing how far they can █
█ roll, etc.) The result is that everything that is heard happens as a █
█ surprise û there is no listening on autopilot here. The listener becomes █
█ more aware than usual of his or her own act of listening, of how the █
█ listening mind still works to recognise patterns, establish series, and █
█ gauge depth and height and width. This is listening as a kind of making █
█ sense û not passive consumption, but an active, creative enjoyment, a █
█ form of play. █
█ █
█ If this sounds a little too dry and intellectual, then it must be noted █
█ that intellectual activity can in no way be segregated from emotional █
█ response û to experience a feeling and to work through a problem are two █
█ aspects of the same movement. My own emotional response to FischerÆs █
█ music is perhaps related to the way in which the use of chance gives it █
█ a sense of precariousness and liminality, of balancing on the edge of █
█ existing û as if it could have easily happened otherwise, or not █
█ happened at all. This brings it into the same domain as the flash of █
█ remembered image and the snatch of dream. FischerÆs music is a sky for █
█ sudden, quiet fireworks: after the choice is made to light the █
█ touchpaper, there is the straining to see, the uncertain watching and █
█ waiting for chemicals to react. This combination of deliberate design █
█ and unpredictability, of attention to detail and openness to █
█ contingency, is beautiful because it is mimesis û it is like the █
█ experience of being alive. █
█ █
█ To my ears the guitar and synth ambiences used in ôCollected Dustö are █
█ thicker and warmer than those of ôMonocoastalö, bringing it closer to █
█ the lush sounds of previous release ôArctic/Antarcticö. Though all is █
█ serene and restrained on the surface, all manner of clicks, chimes and █
█ scratches flicker and glimmer underneath. Rhythmic loops and fragments █
█ of melody rise to the top of the mix before slowly sinking down again, █
█ while the tight surges of ôWires on Carpetö û a field of midnight █
█ orchids blooming one after the other in rapid succession û may well be █
█ one of the most sublime sounds youÆll hear all year. This album easily █
█ matches the standards set by its predecessors, and confirms FischerÆs █
█ reputation as one of the most innovative and thought-provoking artists █
█ on the experimental ambient scene. Another excellent release from Tench! █
█ █
█ █
█ - Nathan Thomas for Fluid Radio █
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