Zeitkratzer / Nicolai / Thaemlitz / Haino

Electronics 3CD BOX

Label: Zeitkratzer Country: Germany

All three Zeitkratzer (Frank Gratkowski, Franz Hautzinger, &c) "Electronic" CDs, one each with Keiji Haino, Terre Thaemlitz, and Carsten Nicolai, in one box with a book with essays by Elliot Sharp, Michael Iber and Diedrich Diederichsen.

"This CD documents the cooperation between Zeitkratzer and Carsten Nicolai (aka Alva Noto), started nearly a decade ago; a cooperation between an avant garde ensemble and a non-academic electronic musician. The electronic music of Carsten Nicolai -- sometimes being of even crystal clearness and quality -- suddenly becomes sensual and physical through Zeitkratzer's amplified instrumental sounds. Inversely, Zeitkratzer sounds different, too: in "5 Min" the musicians play only electric sound generators: the humming of plugs, the peeping of the synchronized Zeitkratzer-clocks, white noise, the TV cheeping at 10 kHz. "Synchron Bitwave," the latest piece, is the most sensual and most warm; there are no other sounds larger than a small third and its electric derivates, finally leading to high, dabbed string spiccati. "C1" transfers electronically-conceived asymmetrical loops into a 19/16th rhythm. A strange undertow results, partly because of the pieces' grounding with merging, split sounds. Here, Carsten Nicolai virtually becomes metaphysical, perhaps even romantic. "-Zeitkratzer

"Presenting a second volume of collaborative works between European avant garde ensemble Zeitkratzer and modern electronic composers. Terre Thaemlitz developed the present pieces for and with Zeitkratzer. The starting points were Thaemlitz' releases Means From An End and Couture Cosmetique, which show him as an electroacoustic composer with an amazing sensibility for sound and harsh cutting techniques. This is especially evident on "Sloppy 42nds," and moreover, Thaemlitz' filtering techniques are transformed into a complex, nearly surrealistic instrumental sound on "Superbonus." Thaemlitz' provenance as a New York underground DJ is recalled, as well as his political engagement on tracks such as "Down Home Kami-Sakunobe" and "Hobo Train." On this CD, you will find the most pop-oriented music -- including references to dance and house -- Zeitkratzer has ever released! But don't forget to listen to the longest and main work on this release, hidden as "Superbonus."-Zeitkratzer

"On this release, Zeitkratzer cooperates with legendary Japanese noise artist, Keiji Haino. The Berliner Zeitung had the following to say about this mind-melting collaboration: "They had only rehearsed for three days, but the result was mind-blowing. Haino made music on the guitar and on the drums, on electronic devices, on two Theremins and with his wonderfully changeable tenor; Zeitkratzer infolded him, pushed him away, embedded him in noise and carried him through the sound space like on atomizing waves. Only one thing did not exist: the reconciliation between the soloist and his ensemble, which would have denied the differences in traditions and styles; the greatness of the sound, the richness of his textures was a result purely of the contrast and its dynamic."-Zeitkratzer