The Squid's Ear
Writing about improvised, contemporary, experimental and unusual music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!



The Squid's Ear




Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  eRikm 
  Austral: Le Son, la Memoire et la Chair
  (D'Autres Cordes) 

   review by Jeph Jerman
  2014-12-22
eRikm: Austral: Le Son, la Memoire et la Chair (D'Autres Cordes)

A DVD of an audio/video work whose subtitle translates to "Sound, Memory and Flesh". Composed by erstwhile media manipulator eRikm, here are 22 minutes of bewilderingly beautiful degenerated images accompanied by what at first listen could be a chamber orchestra reflected in sonic fun house mirrors.

The images were sourced from video of "landscapes and cityscapes collected during a trip through the Argentine and Chilean borders in 2000." These images have been processed quite heavily so that they are often a series of abstract shapes, which appear in muted colors and then fade into the background white as new shapes become superimposed on top. Some sequences are a bit more recognizable, as definite vehicle shapes move by and human outlines fade in and out, or the shadows of a forest fade in and then shift about as they fade. These tableau are sometimes accompanied by myriad symbols alongside tiny legends, an asemic chart with no key. Some may find it difficult to watch, but attention will be rewarded.

The music is played by a quintet composed of harp, clarinets, flutes, cello, percussion and CD players/electronics. It shifts from clearly recognizable acoustic instrumental sounds, to heavily manipulated versions of itself, oft times with both aspects layered together. It's a fun piece, serving up constantly shifting moods, textures and timbres. It points toward the possibilities extant to musicians and composers in the 21st century, while conjuring up memories of music past.







Comments and Feedback:



More Recent Reviews, Articles, and Interviews @ The Squid's Ear...


The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Impro-Viziok 2.2.:
Anna (
The Music Of
Szilard Mezei)
(FMR)



John Butcher/
Ute Wassermann/
Martin Blume:
Leaflight:
Close Calls
(FMR)



Oakland Reductionist
Orchestra:
West And East
Baying
(Queen Bee Records)



Bucher/
Tan/
Countryman:
Nonlinear Expressions
(FMR)



Le UN (
Agnel/
Battus/
Chiesa/
Doneda/
Gauget/
Marchetti/
Petit):
Le Havre
[VINYL + CD]
(UnRec)



Patricia Brennan:
Of The Near And Far
(Pyroclastic Records)



Maria Valencia/
Matt Moran/
Brandon Lopez:
Tarabita Espiral
(Relative Pitch)



Zeena Parkins/
Cecilia Lopez:
Redshifts
(Relative Pitch)



Berlinde Deman:
Plank 9
(Relative Pitch)



Taborn/
Cline/
Gilmore:
Trio of Bloom
(Pyroclastic Records)



Eri Yamamoto/
Matthew Shipp:
Horizon
(Mahakala Music)



Pierre Favre/
Sergio Armaroli/
Andrea Centazzo/
Francesca Gemmo:
The Art Of Sound(s) (
first visit)
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Francesca Gemmo/
Magda Mayas:
Tides In The Mirror (
first visit)
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



John Edwards/
Luis Vicente/
Vasco Trilla:
Choreography of Fractures
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Joe Morris/
Peter Evans/
Tyshawn Sorey:
Comprehensive
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Ray Anderson/
Joe Hertenstein Quartet feat. Michael Moore/
Michael Formanek:
7th Dinner Live
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Marc Sabat:
Bach Tunings
(Another Timbre)



Magnus Granberg /
Skogen:
The Willow Bends
And So Do I
(Another Timbre)



The Necks:
Disquiet
[3 CDs]
(Northern Spy)



Jason Hwang Kao:
Myths of Origin
(True Sound Recordings)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (8193)