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"Those with a certain taste will be familiar with Ben Owen's subtle yet stunning design work with his Brooklyn-based Winds Measure Recordings imprint, which also releases his own carefully crafted music in both collaborative and solo form. These are two masterfully textured sidelong pieces exemplifying his attention to craft, process, and detail at the most painstaking levels, while still embracing the sonic imprecision of the cassette tape medium."-Notice Recordings

"These recordings were made on residency with The Experimental Television Center in Owego, NY during May 2010. This was my third and-unknown to me at the time-last residency, as the Center has now closed. While two of three residencies were in partial an audio/video collaboration with Justin Lincoln, the Birds and Water series is my main body of work created at ETC. The recordings are both sound and sound and image based pieces using David Jones' image processing system. ETC expanded operations in 1974 with the first Jones Colorizer, and in 1975 with a set of keyers, a multi-input syncable sequencer and a bank of oscillators, all designed and constructed by David Jones. The analog system modules coupled with several external op amp generators are heard in these sessions. Numerous patches and variations of each were recorded in extended durations. Side A was recorded direct to cassette tape. Both recordings are presented in their unedited duration." - Ben Owen

"I wish I could figure out exactly what it is that I routinely enjoy about Ben Owen's work that differentiates it from others plowing roughly the same territory. As before, the best I can do is posit that it revolves around choices made and that those choices, in one sense or another, coincide with my taste, with what I would do or, more likely, what I wouldn't do but would look back and think I should have done. This cassette release (which I heard on disc) contains two substantial sides, over 47 minutes each, both realized at the Experimental Television Center in Owega, NY in 2010, using A system developed by David Jones (presumably not our David Jones) in 1974 that includes sequencers, oscillators and image processors. Side A shifts from area to area, some intense and full, some all but silent, the latter often redolent, on closer examination, with hums and wooly static, here smooth, there very, very rough. What to say except that both the selection of sounds as well as their duration/sequencing sit perfectly, keeping one rapt and delighted.

Side B is a bit of a tougher go only because it's essentially a single drone, kind of a thicker variant of a Sachiko M piece. There are striations, though, and they're apparent on reasonably close listen even before the ocarina-like, wavering tones appear. The long hum. I haven't had the opportunity to really lay this out loud, though I imagine it would sound great. I enjoy it as is even if I somehow find it missing that extraordinary level of attention that Sachiko manifest. Still and all, very fine.

A strong, absorbing recording, well worth seeking out."-Brian Olewnick, Just Outside

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At The Squid's Ear!

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