The Squid's Ear Magazine


Machinefabriek: Assemblage (Zoharum)

A great collection of short film soundtracks and pieces that appeared on compilation albums and out-of-print CDRs, including the "Nerf" EP, the tracks for the book "Things That A Mutant Needs To Know" by Reinaldo Laddaga, and 3 soundtracks of which two are for a short movie and one for a video installation, alongside tracks from other compilations.
 

Price: $12.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 2.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Rutger Zuydervelt-music

Colin Webster-saxophone


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




Label: Zoharum
Catalog ID: ZOHAR 134-2
Squidco Product Code: 24195

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2017
Country: Poland
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels
Recorded by Rutger Zuydervelt.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.
"Assemblage is released as Machinefabriek rather than under Zuydervelt's own name, and collects various 'eccentrics' previously available on compilations or out-of-print CDRs. 'Eccentrics' turns out to be a name for the eclectic electroacoustic Machinefabriek experiments we all know and love, with a few boundary-pushing surprises thrown in for good measure. 'Nerf' sets the tone with its deliciously crunchy, creaky, and brittle sounds, tentatively poised on the edge of becoming. Explorations of acoustic instruments are well represented: 'The Harmed Harp' extracts all manner of tones, rattles, buzzes, creaks, and gongs from the titular instrument, producing endless tiny variations in pitch and timbre; 'Ivory Ghosts' features echoing pings that would seem to bear no relation to the piano, reverberation tails sweeping in circuits around a circular space, accompanied by metallic thumps and plucked strings.My two favourite 'eccentrics' both took me by surprise. 'Sluimer' is mostly just acoustic guitar, played 'straight' with great restraint and precision; with its calm plucked chords, arpeggios, and harmonics, I could well imagine it in the repertoire of a certain Señor Cristián Alvear. But Zuydervelt once again saves his best for last: a recitation, in a hilariously antiquated British accent, of various short words intended to demonstrate the pronunciation of vowels and dipthongs, the voice doubled and split between left and right channels, bouncing from one to the other and sometimes speaking over the top of each other. All backed by the most gorgeous electric piano noodlings. The format of Assemblage suggests a 'b-sides and rareties'-type package, but don't be fooled: this is Machinefabriek at his creative, inventive, and, yes, eccentric best."-Fluid Radio

"For the review of 'Assemblage', Machinefabriek's fifth album on Zoharum, I went back to the fourth one for the same label, 'Dubbeltjes', reviewed in Vital Weekly 925, which said: "here at Vital Weekly a lot of music released by Machinefabriek is discussed, but there is a lot more than doesn't make it here, as Machinefabriek is also very active in the field of highly limited vinyl, lathe cut records and cassette only releases. Luckily he is well known enough to have every now and then a compilation of these rarities, such as 'Dubbeltjes' ('dimes'). Here we have two pieces from compilations plus two 7"s, a lathe cut 5", a cassette and a 3"CDR, twelve pieces in total." From there on the review discussed various pieces on the release. 'Assemblage' is a similar collection of oddities, recorded between 2010 and 2016 and unlike the previous, which was forty-eight minutes, this new one is much longer, clocking in at seventy minutes. If I would be lazy, which I usually am, I could copy some more lines of that previous review and change some of the titles around, as many of the pieces on this release see Rutger Zuydervelt exploring the boundaries of ambient guitar sound meeting with musique concrete; sometimes quite separate from each other, but more and more inside the space of a single piece, which is where his work is now heading to more and more (say for instance his recent 'Crumble' release). Die hard fans probably have most of these in their original released form, completists want this anyway; all the others who are interested could see this a peek into the current development of Machinefabriek. So it is a must for all."-Vital Weekly

"Rather than the proper new release from Machinefabriek, this is the second part of "Dubbeltjes" and it's another collection of tracks dispersed during the the period of 2010-2016. The core of this release is the "Nerf" EP, the tracks for the book "Things That A Mutant Needs To Know" by Reinaldo Laddaga which collected short text and short tunes from various authors, and three soundtracks of whom two for a short movie and one for a video installation; the other tracks are from other compilations.

The guitar of "Nerf" opens this release introducing the listener into a quiet environment where all sounds are placed with precision. "Love Conquers Everything" is a crescendo based on drones. While it starting with a drone and the the saxophone of Colin Webser, "WinterWende" evolves using noises with a sense of cinematic description. "Solo for Voice 51" is an interpretation of a score by John Cage where the voice is used as an instrument rather than as a way to convey words. "The Harmed Harp" seems constructed upon this instruments's sound exploring his metallic timbres. Upon a soundscape, a voice spell colors in the first part of "Kleurenrivier" and is shut by the rising of a noisy drone only to return after his end. "Ivory Ghosts" is based on notes played using pizzicato underlying their resonances. Similar techniques are used also in "Sluimer" where the guitar notes are drowned in an almost complete silence, so all notes are in a dialectic relation with their release while in "News Variations" it's noise that is used in a relationship with silence. "Selfish Soundtrack" is a short miniature for noises while "A Mythical Story" uses the sustain of a bell as a landscape for small noises to evolve. "The Desolate Delay" is a minimalist track for quiet drones while "Since the Dawn of Time" seems developed upon extended techniques applied to wind instruments and field recordings. "Meltdown" is an abrasive track for noises and "Vowls" closes this release with the return of words spoken as in "Kleurenrivier".

While it's a compilation, the playlist creates a sense of coherence which makes this release less dispersive than expected. For fans of Rutger Zuydervelt's project this a release not to miss and probably it's enjoyable even for all fans of experimental music."-Chain DLK


Artist Biographies

"Machinefabriek is the alias of Rutger Zuydervelt. Rutger's music combines elements of ambient, noise, minimalism, drone, field recordings and electro-acoustic experiments. His pieces can be heard as an attempt to create sonic environments for the listener to dwell in. Finding tension in texture, tone and timing, the result can be very minimalistic at first glance, but reveals itself upon closer listening. The devil is in the details.

Rutger was born in 1978 in Apeldoorn (The Netherlands) and now resides in Rotterdam. He started recording as Machinefabriek in 2004. After a series of self released cd-rs, his official debut Marijn was issued in 2006, with great critical acclaim. Since than, a solid stream of music was released on labels such as Type, Important, Home Normal, 12K, Entr'acte, Dekorder, Miasmah, Consouling Sounds, Experimedia and Staalplaat. He performed all over the globe, from Canada to Israel and from Russia to Japan.

Rutger collaborated (on record and/or live) with numerous artists, such as Steinbrüchel, Jaap Blonk, Aaron Martin, Peter Broderick, Frans de Waard, Mats Gustafsson, Steve Roden, Gareth Davis, Stephen Vitiello, Michel Banabila, Dirk Serries and Dead Neanderthals, amongst many others.

He frequently works with film makers, like Makino Takashi, Mike Hoolboom, John Price, Paul Clipson and Chris Teerink, for whom he composed a soundtrack for his documentary about Sol LeWitt. Rutger also recorded the music for the Canadian drama The Cold and the Quiet from 2014. Furthermore, his music was used in Edward Burtynsky's Watermark, the drama Stone (with Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton) and Josh Fox' influential Gasland and Gasland Part II documentaries. Besides films, Rutger also composes music for dance pieces, like Alix Eynaudi and Kris Verdonck's EXIT (premiéred at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin), Alexander Whitley's The Measures Taken (for the Royal Opera in London) and Beheld (for Candoco Dance Company), and multiple pieces by Spanish/Dutch choreographer Iván Pérez. Then there's Rutgers installation work, in which the dialogue with the environment plays an important role. He did projects for Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, NAi (Dutch Architecture Institute), the new Armando Museum MOA, Sounds Like Audio Art in Saskatoon (Canada), the Into the Great Wide Open Festival, Netwerk in Aalst (Belgium) and children's museum Villa Zebra in Rotterdam."

-Machinefabriek Website (http://www.machinefabriek.nu/about/biography)
3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Colin Webster is an improvising saxophonist based in London. He is a frequent collaborator with Mark Holub, Graham Dunning, Andrew Lisle, John Dikeman, &c.

-Squidco 3/13/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Nerf 4:46

2. Love Conquers Everything 2:29

3. WinterWende 4:37

4. Solo For Voice 51 2:07

5. The Harmed Harp 7:45

6. Kleurenrivier 3:10

7. Ivory Ghosts 4:56

8. Sluimer 12:38

9. News Variations 6:39

10. Selfish Soundtrack 1:30

11. A Mythical Story 2:31

12. The Desolate Delay 7:08

13. Since The Dawn of Time 2:03

14. Meltdown 4:33

15. Vowls 3:07

Related Categories of Interest:


Electro-Acoustic
Soundtracks, Movie Scores, &c.
Spoken Word
Sound, Noise, &c.
Solo Artist Recordings
New in Experimental & Electronic Music


Search for other titles on the label:
Zoharum.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Hydra Ensemble (w/ Rutger Zuydervelt)
Aguas
(Cylinder Recordings )
The third collaboration of the Dutch Hyrdra Ensemble of Lucija Gregov on cello, Nina Hitz on cello, Goncalo Almeida on double bass and Rutger Zuydervelt (aka Machinefabriek) on electronics, performing live at De Pletterij in Haarlem (NL), released on bassist Gonçalo's DIY label Cylinder Recordings, focused on free improvised and experimental music.
Zuydervelt, Rutger
Kadans [3'' CD]
(Machinefabriek)
Rutger Zuydervelt, aka Machinefabriek, returns to rhythmic electronic solo work with his fourth mini-CD release after Hinkelstap (2022), Tuimelval (2022) and Haast (2023), in this seven-part work Kadans (translating to "Cadence"), each track using a unique rhythmic foundation under warm electronics, plus a violin sample from collaborator Anne Bakker.
Machinefabriek w/ Monika Bugajny
Recytle
(Machinefabriek)
After working with clarinetist Monika Bugajny on his + album, composer & electronic artist Rutger Zuydervelt, aka Machinefabriek, joined again with Bugajny for a set of eight reconstructions of classical works from Debussy, Messiaen, Brahms, Stravinsky, &c., each reinterpreted work cleverly composed from Bugajny's recording of the original composition.
Machinefabriek
+
(Machinefabriek)
Trying to strike a balance between composition and the challenges of being a young parent, Rutger Zuydervelt, aka Machinefabriek, created a series of short tracks that could be developed quickly with invited collaborators, a concept that worked so well that in little time he found 52 enthusiastic and diverse musicians to develop the expanse of this impressive collection.
Machinefabriek w/ Anne Bakker
Wisps
(Not On Label (Machinefabriek Self-released))
The followup to their album Oehoe, electroacoustic composer Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) developed this set of 10 tracks from improvised recordings on violin, viola and voice by Anne Bakker, creating a fascinating and succinct set of compositions through the deconstruction of her virtuosic playing and Zuydervelt's electronic additions.
Hydra Ensemble (Almeida / Hitz / Gregov / Zuydervelt)
Vistas
(A New Wave of Jazz)
The second album from the Hydra Ensemble (Goncalo Almeida on double bass, Lucija Gregov on cello, Nina Hitz on cello, Rutger Zuydervelt on electronics) is a live recording with no audience from the Worm club in Rotterdam during the pandemic, reaching deeper into their masterful world of darkly intense chamber improv and electronics, slowly yielding to a spaciously brighter ending.
Zuydervelt, Rutger / Hugo Dijkstal / Peter Hollo
BERG (Music for a film by Joke Olthaar)
(Machinefabriek)
Two versions of the soundtrack to the Dutch movie BERG composed by Rutger Zuydervelt, the first rearranging the tracks to the piece to create a long-form work that maintains the meditative qualities of the movie; then an early score proposal and more active concept than the final work, developed with recordings of improvisations from cellist Peter Hollo.
Hydra Ensemble (Almeida / Hitz / Gregov / Zuydervelt)
Voltas
(Inexhaustible Editions)
Featuring cellists Nina Hitz and Lucija Gregov, double bassist Goncalo Almeida and Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) on electronics, recording in Old Church, in Rotterdam Charlois for six pensive improvisations, a collective conversation of concurrently layered, minimalist melodic and textural lines expanded with drones, evoking the mythical Greek multi-headed monster.
Bakker, Anne / Rene Aquarius / Rutger Zuydervelt
Hallucine
(Consouling Sounds)
Composed from a combination of violin, percussion, vocals, field recordings & electronics by Rutger Zuydervelt, who initially merged unrelated recordings from violinist Anne Bakker (also on harmonica, kazoo & saw) and percussionist & sound artist Rene Aquarius, all three then overdubbing and editing the work to create this fascinating tapestry of hallucinogenic sound.
Nobuka (Michel van Collenburg)
Reiko [VINYL w/ DOWNLOAD & BOOKLET]
(esc.rec.)
The pre-apocalyptic intertwining story of a woman named Reiko, living in a city scarred by climate change and burdened with the imminent threat of viruses, wandering the streets haunted by demons, abstractly envisioned in sound through stunningly effective electronics, field recordings, and developed in parts with Michel Banabila and Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek).
Selva, The + Machinefabriek (Jacinto / Almeida / Morao + Zuydervelt)
Barbatrama
(Shhpuma)
The Selva trio of Ricardo Jacinto on cello, Goncalo Almeida on double bass and Nuno Morao on drums join with Rutger Zuydervelt of Machinefabriek who adds unique electroacoustic transformations to their fusion of free improvisation and hydrid world elements, resulting in this wonderfully dark venture inside a virtual jungle of contrasting darkness and refined acoustic beauty.
D.L., Jean / Rutger Zuydervelt
Scramblings
(Inexhaustible Editions)
Using electric & acoustic guitars and autoharp over spacious electronics and field recordings, Belgium musician & video artist Jean De Lacoste and Rotterdamn sound artist Rutger Zuydervelt, aka Machinefabriek, create broad pallets of ringing sounds over which acoustic instruments intone, with cellist Fransesco Guerri joining on one of 8 gently unfolding "Scramblings".
Machinefabriek
With Drums
(Machinefabriek)
Rutger Zuydervelt (aka Machinefabriek) invited 41 drummer/percussionists including Tony Buck, Vasco Trilla, Tim Barnes, Greg Stuart, Cyril Bondi, &c. to take part in a project by recording a few short fills or phrases, which Zuydervelt used as "Lego Bricks" to build a series of short rhythmical collages, the results being 24 diverse and fascinating compositions.
Machinefabriek / Anne Bakker
Short Scenes
(Zoharum)
While developing a soundtrack with violinist and violist Anne Bakker, Rutger Zuydervelt aka Machinefabriek, began editing a series of Bakker's improvisations, creating new works from those recordings by layering them into succinct short works or "scenes"--twenty of them in the end--that he sequenced into this album of confidently dramatic and delicately beautiful episodes.
Machinefabriek
Amalgaam
(Zoharum)
Based on a series of improvisations on a very hands-on hardware setup, with an old tone generator, effects pedals, dictaphones, contact mics, &c., Machinefabriek (Rutger Zuydervelt) took these recordings into the studio to compose these four works, 2 brief pieces and the 2-part, intricate "Amalgaam", in an absorbing album of dramatic texture & sound.
Machinefabriek / Anne Bakker
Oehoe
(Where To Now?)
The fourth collaboration between electronic composer Rutger Zuydervelt, aka Machinefabriek, and violinist, violist and vocalist Anne Bakker, in a work that merges and contrasts Bakker's string work and wordless vocals with soundscape, obscured field recordings and concrete sounds, using consonance and dissonance to create emotional pressure and release.
Zuydervelt, Rutger
Sileen II
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
An adaptation from "Sileen", a composition commissioned by Musica For The Festival Oortreders at Neerpelt, Belgium, 2016 performed with 50 members of a local music school; "Sileen II" was realized with only Gareth Davis on bass clarinet plus sounds from Machinefabriek, recorded in the same pitch and tempo as "Sileen', then slowed to half its speed and one octave lower.
DNMF (Machinefabriek + Dead Neanderthals)
Smelter [VINYL]
(Moving Furniture)
The DNMF collaboration of Netherland's sonic experimenter Machinefabriek (Rutger Zuydervelt) and the Dead Neanderthals duo of saxophonist Otto Kokke and drummer Rene Aquarius, in their second album of heavy, droning style, reveling in a resonant, high-volume, long-form work of hypnotic sound merging metal, drone and dark ambience.
Piiptsjilling (Zuydervelt / Kleefstra / Baars / Kleefstra)
Fiif
(Peter Foolen Editions)
Piiptsjilling is the duo of guitarist Romke Kleefstra and vocalists Mariska Baars & Jan Kleefstra, joined here by Rutger Zuydervelt, aka Machinefabriek, combining poetry with vocals, guitars and electronics in improvisational settings, creating rich sonic environments over which the voice guides the listener, speaking in one of the Germanic Frisian languages.
Machinefabriek
Becoming [CD + DOWNLOAD]
(Not On Label)
The fourth dance piece by Dutch/Spanish choreographer Ivan Perez to feature an original soundtrack by Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek), performed live on stage in Korzo in The Hague, and at Vondelpark in Amsterdam, the composer and coreographer developing a movement and sound 'vocabulary' to create a performance that mixes structured and improvised music.
Roji (Almeida / Schneider / Santos Silva)
The Hundred Headed Woman
(Shhpuma)
A dark set of heavy improvisations from bassist Goncalo Almeida's project with drummer Jorg A. Schneider, with guests Susana Santos Silva on trumpet and Colin Webster on baritone sax; references to Bill Laswell, Zu, and Napalm Death are a good indication.
Banabila, Michel
Tapu Sampler 2016
(Tapu Records)
Michel Banabila's excellent melodically experimental electroacoustic label Tapu in their 2016 double CD sampler, with tracks from Banabila, Asid & Banabila, Banabila & Van Geel, Banabila & Machinefabriek, Banabila & Erker, and Banabila/Erker/Samson.
Other Recommended Releases:
Impetus Group (Serries / Webster / Verbruggen / Verhoeven / Jackson))
Density Dots
(Klanggalerie)
Their impetus motivated by the 60's & 70's London improv scene, epitomized by Derek Bailey's Company group, guitarist Dirk Serries leads this assemblage of quick-witted improviser as they challenge each other through pointillistic and sublime passages; from Tom Jackson (clarinet), Colin Webster (sax), Martina Verhoeven (piano), Dirk Serries (guitar) & Teun Verbruggen (drums).
Zuydervelt, Rutger
Kaleiding (music for a performance by Lily&Janick)
(Machinefabriek)
Music by Dutch sound artist Rutger Zuydervelt, aka Machinefabriek, for a performance by Lily Schlinker and Janick Kremer, known as the contemporary circus company Lily & Janick, this performance using light, reflections and new perspectives onto partner acrobatics performed over a long mirror to create hypnotic, kaleidoscopic images, aptly complemented in Zuydervelt's music.
Machinefabriek
Our Arms Grew Together (Music for a performance by Marta & Kim)
(Machinefabriek)
Following his collaborations with choreographers & dancers Marta Alstadsaeter and Kim-Jomi Fischer resulting in the performances & albums As Much As It Is Worth and Engel, Rutger Zuydervelt composed this work for their dance/circus performance Our Arms Grew Together about romantic relationships, developed around recordings from the daily lives of Alstadsaeter and Fischer.
Machinefabriek
CM_30 (Music for a performance by Kolja Huneck)
(Not On Label (Machinefabriek Self-released) )
Music written to accompany a light & juggling performance by German contemporary circus artist Kolja Huneck, Rutger Zuydervelt developing the compositions of these works using only short looping structures that weave and develop into a tapestry of sound, inspired by the repetitive motions of Kolja's performance and the 30 centimeter round discs with which he performs.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC