Illusion Of Safety

Sedation & Quell 10" [VINYL]

Label: C.I.P. Country: USA

"The first 10" by Illusion Of Safety (IOS), one of a handful of American icons of experimental music. Dan Burke is entering his 25th year of developing challenging, engaging audio, having performed nearly 200 times in the United States, Canada, and Europe and releasing material on labels worldwide. Side one is a pleasantly dense, yet not cluttered by any means, assemblage of diverse elements including an old typewriter, turntable pops/crackles, and what ~appears~ to be shortwave radio interference topped by subtle frequency and oscillation tweaks.

Side two offers a beautiful counterbalance: after an initial punch announcing the track, we waver through numerous delicate swimming tones that are eventually subdued by a listing rhythmic faction suffused with other surprises...

Those familiar with Dan's work will not be disappointed, and for folks who may not be familiar with it, if you enjoy artists such as Joe Colley or the Hafler Trio, or enjoy musique concrete this will be of interest to you."-C.I.P.

"Illusion Of Safety has been the ongoing project of Dan Burke since 1983, working with numerous individuals in various combinations of one to 12 members. Their work has been continually evolving, never settling into an easy niche. Each collaborator has brought their own unique perspective to the project. Since 1991 IOS have released 15 CDs on labels such as Silent, Odd Size, Staalplaat, Soleilmoon, Manifold, Tesco, and Complacency. As of June 2000 IOS has completed over 170 live performances in the U.S., Europe, and Canada. At times their work has been called ambient, post-industrial, electro-acoustic, electronica, sound collage, improvisation, and power electronics.

Unable to categorize their work into one style, each release, live performance, and sometimes individual piece often shifts abruptly from one atmosphere to another. Leading some to describe their output as schizophrenic. Their work is Decomposition: using obscure sources, exhibiting a strong sense of balance in structure and sound color, juxtaposing the beautiful and the disturbing.

Current emphasis is working with electronic synthesis, computer composition & manipulation, musical reference, and close microphone searching hands. Referencing external & enhancing internal locations, manipulating semi-recognizable elements in structures of a re-arranged language of error. Destroyed music, broken sound, disturbed ambience, and the quest for the sublime."-IOS Website