Airsculpture - Quark Soup (c) 2001 Neu Harmony
Artist....: Airsculpture
Album.....: Quark Soup
Type......: Album
Source....: CDDA
Tracks....: cd1: 4 cd2: 2
Genre.....: Electronic
Label.....: Neu Harmony
Catalogue#: NH019
Encoder...: LAME 3.97
Quality...: VBR kbps / 44.1KHz / Joint-Stereo
URL.......: http://www.discogs.com/release/409639
Tracklist:
----------
Cd1
01 Bock 14:38
02 Dubbel 16:20
03 Tripel 27:30
04 Shoarma 05:20
Cd2
01 Moments In Lowell 58:55
02 Settee 06:07
Total:170,8 MB/ 128:5
Release Notes:
--------------
Disc 1 recorded live at the E-Live festival, Nijmegen, Netherlands,
October 1999.
Disc 2 recorded live at the Jodrell Bank Planetarium, England, May
2000.
The first CD of this double was taken from their E-Live festival
performance in October 1999. As usual the music is improvised and is
therefore unique. All AirSculpture's music is effectively live. Some is
live in the studio where as in this case it is in front of an audience.
We begin with cosmic drones, twitters and effects blended perfectly to
create one of their best atmospheric passages ever. A faintly melodic
lead line is then introduced. A few minutes later a rapid high register
sequence starts up- and what a corker it is too! It develops and
becomes increasingly complex but also more powerful all the time and
yet they keep it tightly under control making it mutate to fit their
every whim. Its all so tight that its incredible that it is improvised.
The second track begins with soft swirling pads. A lonesome melancholy
lead strikes up floating in the middle of the mix. This is AirSculpture
showing a rare tender, even serious, side to their nature. Metallic
crashes punctuate some 'tron sounds and things get moodier and moodier.
Its music for post apocalyptic landscapes. The mood then lightens as a
delicate sequence starts up, its as if a gentle rain has started to
fall. Another beefier sequence is added but initially stays in the
background. Its only when the lead lines start to flash over the top
that it really cranks up and we start to motor.
Next we have a mammoth twenty seven minuter. From a tranquil beginning
a slow melodic sequence starts. Initially it enhances the relaxed mood
set up by the initial section but it gains pace and additional
sequencer lines are added. At the eleven minute mark the sequences
depart and we are immersed in ghostly cosmic effects. This is another
superb atmospheric section. Its the sort of thing that early 70's TD or
any of the pioneers might have come up with if they had had the
technology available. Its full of twitters, vast metallic drones and
vaguely vocal sounding noises (both human and animal) very low in the
mix so that you can't make up your mind if you are imagining them or
not but adding an effective sinister element. With eight minutes to go
we enter another structured section and a no nonsense sequence enters.
A lead line playfully bounces over the top. More sequences are added
and the band work themselves up to a blistering finale. The audience
demand more and AirSculpture get straight into a dynamic five minute
sequencer romp. Subtlety is thrown out of the window and they just let
rip- superb!
Apart from the encore the entire second disc is taken up with one track
which has four distinct sections. The first is AirSculpture at their
most cosmic, it's then bright sequencing time, we then get an ominous
brooding section and finally (lasting half an hour!) we have the best
sequencer bash I have ever heard them do - the audience went crazy! But
I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. Soft pads and note droplets are
left to hang in the air as the mind wanders through vast uncharted
areas of space. The occasional lonesome lead line provides some focus
and from time to time we get other cosmic effects but for the most part
this is pure float. At twelve minutes we enter the second section where
the first sequence makes an entrance, a rather fast bright one that
could probably have done with being slightly lower in the mix but that
is only a small quibble. As this sequence dies away the pads become
darker sounding. Then we get a very slow, very deep bass rumble /
sequence and the darkness of the piece intensifies considerably sending
chills down the spine. The accompanying crashing effects and slabs of
chaotic sound fit the mood created by 'the throb' perfectly.
It is the final section of this track that most people will remember
however. This sequencing just has to be heard to be believed. The
sounds used are some of the thickest and most thunderous I have ever
heard spewing from a sequencer. It is as if we are in the middle of a
thunderstorm with one rumble being replaced by another with hardly any
gap in between. The scorching lead lines are like flashes of lightning
whilst others sound as if the clouds themselves form some demonic
figure which is crying out above the thunder. The physical battering
taken by the first three rows of the audience as tidal waves of sound
relentlessly broke onto them must have been amazing. What's more
everything is in a constant state of shift. I am not exaggerating when
I say that for fans of heavy sequencing this will probably be the best
half hour of music you will have ever heard. So its encore time and
really its pretty much more of the same with a sequence blasting from
the speakers. What you can't tell by listening to this however is that
after about half way through Pete and John leave the stage leaving
Adrian to play everything - remember AirSculpture don't use tape. Its
just unbelievably well done and he is very clearly enjoying himself
immensely!
-SMD (Synth Music Direct)
http://www.synthmusicdirect.com/quarks.cfm