▄▄ [ INFORMATION ] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
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█ ARTIST: Plinth █
█ TITLE: Collected Machine Music █
█ LABEL: Time Released Sound █
█ GENRE: Ambient █
█ BITRATE: 203kbps avg █
█ PLAYTIME: 0h 40min total █
█ RELEASE DATE: 2012-00-00 █
█ RIP DATE: 2012-02-13 █
█ URL: █
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▄▄ [ TRACKLIST ] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
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█ 01. Madam Pockney's Vacation 1:48 █
█ 02. The Woman And Piece Of Furniture 2:11 █
█ 03. Bathwick Hill 6:56 █
█ 04. Lulworth Calliope 0:42 █
█ 05. Kay Harker 5:38 █
█ 06. The London Necropolis Company 2:08 █
█ 07. Regina-Rattle 1:28 █
█ 08. Eight Tooth Movement 1:50 █
█ 09. Winter Box 3:47 █
█ 10. Episode Nine 1:03 █
█ 11. The Musgrave Ritual 1:02 █
█ 12. Pinned Butterflies 2:24 █
█ 13. Cross Helical Gear 2:21 █
█ 14. Memory Box 1:39 █
█ 15. The Sunken Carillon 5:22 █
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▄▄ [ NOTES ] ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
█ █
█ Review from Fluid Radio: █
█ █
█ The philosopher, social critic and journalist Walter Benjamin once █
█ suggested that the assorted detritus of the 19th Century bourgeoisie û █
█ the knick-knacks, toys, trinkets, mechanical amusements, photographs - █
█ could, when ôblastedö out of their original historical context as kitsch █
█ distractions by means of critical analysis, reveal something significant █
█ about both their own age and also that of the present. This notion █
█ developed into The Arcades Project, an extensive, wide-ranging █
█ exploration of bourgeois social history centred around the Parisian █
█ arcades. █
█ █
█ Social history and its political implications may not have been foremost █
█ in the mind of Michael Tanner, here releasing under the name Plinth, █
█ when he decided to make a collection of pieces using old Victorian music █
█ boxes, calliopes, wheezing mechanisms, and other antiquated █
█ contraptions. However, there nonetheless remains a sense in which the █
█ twinkling, huffing and whirring of these mechanical instruments is █
█ ôblastedö out of historical dust and takes on new meaning. It is clear █
█ from the outset that the album is no mere stroll through the sepia █
█ streets of misty-eyed nostalgia, but instead sets out to investigate █
█ what can be created with these instruments now, using the techniques █
█ that modern composition and recording technology has made available. █
█ █
█ For Tanner, this means looping the sounds, combining them across █
█ different musical keys, varying the speed at which the music box handles █
█ are rotated, and applying subtle effects such as reverb and volume █
█ mixing. The results sound both old and new at the same time - familiar █
█ without being clichΘd, inventive without breaking the spell cast by the █
█ instrumentsÆ historicity. To coax something fresh and imaginative from █
█ these instruments without turning them into dead museum exhibits is no █
█ mean feat, but Tanner manages to surprise and delight across the albumÆs █
█ fifteen tracks. █
█ █
█ However, the albumÆs crowning glory (and perhaps what lifts it into the █
█ realm of the truly uncanny) is the packaging. The limited edition █
█ ôdeluxe versionö comes tied to a heavy duty, hinge-lidded chocolate box, █
█ hand-worked inside and out with ô150 year old English engravings, █
█ original Victorian calling cards, clock hands, brass nuts and bolts, █
█ hand printed insert and other ephemeraö. Each box comes with a miniature █
█ music box and a unique song strip composed on a harp and then hand █
█ punched by Tanner. While the digipak CD comes in a run of 200, the █
█ deluxe version is limited to just 70. Time Released Sound are well-known █
█ for their extensive and beautifully handcrafted packaging, but they have █
█ really outdone themselves this time! Thankfully, TannerÆs music is █
█ certainly worthy of the fuss - a must-listen for any fan of beautiful █
█ experimental music, regardless of their feelings towards the quaint and █
█ bizarre world of Victorian mechanical memorabilia. █
█ █
█ - Nathan Thomas for Fluid Radio █
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