Travelogue is the latest soundscape recording by Herbert Distel, not your typical album, even in the context of the avant-garde. In fact, the liner notes suggest that it should be called "sound art" rather than music. Distel is an accomplished sculptor, film maker, and photographer in addition to his exploits with sound, and it is clear that Traveloguehas strong roots in the visual arts. It is extremely effective at conjuring up mental images and suggesting physical landscapes.

Virtually all of the sounds on Travelogueare field recordings from urban areas: muffled speech, trains, doors closing, and machinery. Along with these elements of normal life are subtle musical statements that help contextualize the sounds as music; these include drones, synthesizer tones, and soft flute. All of this is mixed together in a thick bed of echoes which serve to blend the separate elements into a single sonic force.

To be honest, I'm not always a fan of found art; I often find it pretentious and pointless. But Distel mixes the samples carefully and surrounds them with enough musical content to lend a subtle musical quality. Rather than coming off as unrelated sounds, the various samples merge into a sophisticated composition. And by creating this sonic tapestry, Distel seem to be telling us to pay more attention to our surroundings and enjoy the music around us all the time.