The Squid's Ear Magazine


Charles, Xavier / Bertrand Gauguet: Spectre (Akousis Records)

Using the interference points of closely pitched sound, long-time collaborators Xavier Charles and Bertrand Gauguet use acoustic and amplified clarinets and saxophones to create frequency landscapes that change slowly, ringing with harmonics while finding unison and conflict in their tones, creating meditative aural environments of great beauty and reflection.
 

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Personnel:



Xavier Charles-acoustic clarinet, amplified clarinet

Bertrand Gauguet-acoustic saxophone, amplified alto saxophone


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Label: Akousis Records
Catalog ID: Ak 001
Squidco Product Code: 29324

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2020
Country: France
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels
Tracks 1, 3, 4 and 6 recorded at Cesare, in Reims, France, on December 7th and 8th, 2017, by Emmanuel Lalande. Tracks 2 and 5 recorded at PiedNu, in Le Havre, France, on March 6th, 7th and 8th, 2015, by Alexis Derouet.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Improvisers, Xavier Charles and Bertrand Gauguet have been playing duets since 2013. They produce frequency landscapes that change slowly and thus move the listener towards a contemplative listening. With the multiple sounds of the clarinet and the saxophone, other inflated spaces based on breaths arise...

SPECTRE, which was released on CD in early May 2020 at Akousis Records, contains six pieces exploring multi-phonic spaces on the clarinet and alto saxophone (Phonomnèse 1, Phonomnèse 2 and Phonomnèse 3), spaces linked to breath (Point fantôme) and the sonic landscapes developed by the amplification (Étendue 1 and Étendue 2).

The two recording stages made it possible to experiment with particular sound recordings as with Alexis Derouet in December 2017 in Césaré for recordings with a single mono microphone or even more complex devices with microphones differently positioned in the studio. The two musicians could thus choose to keep a static position or to be mobile in space. At PiedNu in March 2015, research focused with Emmanuel Lalande on signal amplification and distortion with the intention of producing expanses. SPECTRE's music is constructed like a mirror that would reflect multi- phonetic acoustic pieces on one side and reflect amplified pieces on the other. The Phantom Point remains a vanishing point between these two sonic spaces."-Akousis


Artist Biographies

"The work of clarinetist Xavier Charles ranges from noise to electro-acoustic via sound poetry. He has played in numerous new music festivals in France and abroad. In his work with groups and collectives, he has also collaborated with Martin Tetrault, The Ex, Ingar Zach, Pierre Berthet, Axel Dörner, Ivar Grideland, John Butcher, Jacques Di Donato, Frédéric Le Junter, Otomo Yoshihide, Getachew Mekuria, Christian Wallumrod, Emmanuelle Pellegrini, Lionel Marchetti, Jean-Philippe Gross, Michel Doneda and Frédéric Blondy. Different collectifs (Dans Les Arbres, Ouie-Dire, ONCEIM, No Spaguettitti Edition, Chris Burn Ensemble, Atmosphérique). Currently his musical research ranges from performance on the clarinet to the installation of vibrating speakers, at the edge of improvised music, noisy rock and electro-acoustic sound. He's deeply involved in the music world as an organizer of the festival "Densités". "

-Xavier Charles Website (http://www.xaviercharles.com/index.php/presentation/)
3/13/2024

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

"Bertrand Gauguet is a musician trudging through a practice without hierarchy involving sound and music: as an improvising saxophonist, electronic music composer and as a sounds collector.

He plays since the early 2000s the alto saxophone in contexts of solo and group improvisation. His approach takes part in research on the technical areas of the instrument by which precise exploration of a sound language consists of materials produced by the breath, multiphonics and microphony.

Collaborations with John Tilbury, Robin Hayward, Franz Hautzinger, Xavier Charles, Sophie Agnel, Pascal Battus, Eric La Casa, Michel Doneda, Insub Meta Orchestra, Seijiro Murayama Tetuzi Akiyama, Toshimaru Nakamura, John Butcher, Axel Dörner, Isabelle Duthoit... Many festivals about new and experimental music (Europe, USA, Japan ...).

As an electronic music composer, he composes original music and original soundtracks with dance, movies and radio broadcast. He produced the LP The Torn Map in 2013.

In 2011, he was a resident of the villa Kujoyama in Kyoto. He studied the shakuhachi while learning to Honkyoku directory with Mr Yoshio Kurahashi.

Since 2004, he taught at the Haute Ecole des Arts du Rhin in the Sonic research program he co-founded in 2007. He leads the generative improvisation workshop at CFMI in Sélestat since 2012 and conducted educational workshops at the Cité de la Musique in Paris from 2002 to 2012."

-Bertrand Gauguet Website (http://www.bertrandgauguet.com/)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. Phonomnese 1 7:59

2. Etendue 1 3:27

3. Point Fantome 5:15

4. Phonomnese 2 7:25

5. Etendue 2 12:26

6. Phonomnese 3 3:34

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Duo Recordings
Recordings by or featuring Reed & Wind Players
New in Experimental & Electronic Music
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Akousis Records.


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