ARTiST : Burning Star Core
ALBUM : The Very Heart of the World
LABEL : Thin Wrist Records
GENRE : Avantgarde
ENCODER : Lame 3.90 / APS
QUALiTY : VBRkbps / 44.1kHz / Joint-Stereo
RELEASE : Oct-06-2005
STREET : Oct-00-2005
SOURCE : CDDA
TYPE : Album
PLAYTIME : 31:58 min
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+ TRACK LiSTiNG +
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[#] [Track Name] [Time]
01. Benjamin 07:14
02. Nyarlathotep 04:49
03. Catapults 05:38
04. Come Back Through Me 14:17
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+ RELEASE iNFORMATiON +
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http://www.thinwrist.com/bxc.htm
At first glance, inclusion of C. Spencer YehÆs Burning Star
Core might seem to make for an odd inclusion in a feature such
as this. After all, BxC isnÆt exactly a new project, but
rather the culmination of ten-plus years of work in and around
rock, improv, and electronic fringes with a small personal
library of cassette and CD-R releases to trace a path back to
his own origins in sound exploration. But then again, maybe
not. Recent years have shown bands from these same outskirts
(like NNCK and Jackie-O Motherfucker) gaining increased
critical and popular support, inasmuch as possible, and after
mining the territory with a series of self-releases (courtesy
of his Drone Disco imprint) and praise for his first vinyl
long-player on Thin Wrist, now might be just the right time
for more widespread notice. To wit, heÆs an artist equally
comfortable issuing bellowing violin drones, granular
electronics, or just remixing the likes of new-school
industrial types Cock E.S.P. And live, heÆs a strong force to
be reckoned with, either by his lonesome or in conjunction
with any number of compatriots to add percussive or electronic
support to his vision.
Those looking for any sort of statement of intent would be
best suited to seek out a copy of the exquisite A Brighter
Summer Day vinyl full-length released care of the Los
Angeles-based Thin Wrist label in 2002. Comprised of two
side-long pieces, the record finds Yeh splitting the
difference and heading sharply for the poles of his unique
sound. Side A makes up the title track, a walloping
16-minute-and-change scorcher for violin and electronics,
recorded with assistance from friend Chris Rosing. Over loose,
sampled percussion and swaths of feedback, Yeh hits Tony
ConradÆs mainline sideways, splitting the difference nicely
between the former and Henry FlyntÆs cracked meandering with
the same instrument, coaxing waves of glorious, cacophonous
drones out of his violin to great effect. It builds a
repetitive hum without ever sounding derivative; sometimes
conjuring images of a more visceral, harder-hitting version of
the Taj Mahal Travelers. The key differences from any elder
statesmen here come from the shimmering warmth YehÆs tones
achieve, imbued with a sense of humanity that could often be
lacking in ConradÆs violin pieces, drenched in the sort of
metal sonics that make the screened skull design on the sleeve
more than apt.
Lest Burning Star Core give the listener too many clues, the
flip side of the record hints at an entirely different
direction. ôBaybe It WasnÆt Meant to Meö ditches the violin
drones and pares things down to just Yeh and his computer,
working through a series of ôsleep deprivation experimentsö
spanning the course of couple of seasons. What this means in
terms of composition cannot be accurately divined, but the
overall effect is stunning û one that amps up the tension to
compensate for a lower volume, perhaps indicating that ôsleep
deprivationö in this case may not necessarily be a choice.
This one calls to mind sounds conjured by the likes of William
BasinskiÆs recently surfaced work from the 1980s, in addition
to those from composer Eliane Radigue. Although created
digitally, the swells of sound that amble carefully over the
course of the second side manage to avoid any semblance of the
pristine, instead mining grainier textures and sounds for a
haunting piece of minimal, tape-loop sounding electronics that
would seem out of place today amongst the likes of Stephan
Mathieu, Philip Jeck, or Janek Schaefer. Those who count
themselves as fans of any of the artists mentioned would be
well served in seeking out their own hand-numbered copy of
this wonderful slab of wax before itÆs out of print.
So why pick Burning Star Core now after all these years? Aside
from the obvious, thereÆs an amazing confluence among Spencer
YehÆs own sound that heÆs been striving at for years and
between various facets of an underground noise and improv
scene thatÆs virtually bursting at the seams. To wit, heÆs an
artist as comfortable sharing stages with vaunted members of
the noise rock pantheon like New Zealand dirt-rockers the Dead
C as he is going to town with new turks from the Load camp
like Kites and Hair Police. His music fits a number of certain
tastes, be it catering to those raised on the tried and true
avant garde-ians of yesteryear to the recent emergence of the
post-hardcore set ripe for fresh sounds and new, more abstract
and virulent noises. In the future, look out for a new LP on
the Thin Wrist label to drop in early 2004, a year that
figures to be busy for Yeh. Aside form the new material and a
slate of live performances, collaborations are also in the
work s with the aforementioned Hair Police as well as a
possible meeting with the electrifying Scorces. And if that
werenÆt enough, Yeh also does time in groups such as Death
Beam and the Gordy Brothers, exploring both rock and free
improv. With all the attention being paid to left-field
musicians at the left and right of America, now might be the
time to head towards the heartland, and some of the seeds
planted in Cincinnati courtesy of Burning Star Core.