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.


  Michael Renkel 
  Errorkoerper III
  (Absinth Records) 

   review by Phil Zampino
  2006-06-04
Michael Renkel: Errorkoerper III (Absinth Records)

Michael Renkel, who plays electric guitar, FX processors and laptop on this release, creates spatial and varied sound worlds, summoned in ways that you would never suspect started from a guitar. As Renkel explains about the processes he uses:

In this piece the guitar is not treated as a traditional instrument but as a kind of 'nondirectional loop antenna' transmitting the spatial sound to an effects processor which alienates, boosts and distorts the filtered parameters. On a second layer the musical signal is sent to two notebooks, also the guitar is now being played in a percussive way and with an e-bow, by microphone additional music material comes into play: wood blocks, stones, harmonica, metal objects, ruptured paper, etc. The musical signals are held in a constant state of flux, constant motion and alienation as all elements (guitar, FX, mike, notebook 1+2, mixing desk) can be connected / correlated simultaneously or alternatively.

The results are a large and dynamic sound journey, presenting a sound palette of great colors and textures. The quality of sound and the varying presentation are rich and detailed, beautifully recorded and often startling and distracting. The piece is organized as a series of dovetailed movements between rhythmic or tonal sections, each drawing attention in a leading sound or environmental quality. It's coherent and interesting, sometimes lush and sometimes creepy, but always interesting and unusual, an amazing display of the guitar's (and the guitarist's) unexpected qualities.

Special note on the packaging is worth mentioning - unlike the other 7" packaging that Absinthe has used, this release is presented in a large folded thick paper with a CD nipple to hold the CD, all held in a vinyl sleeve. The paper has a sort of vinyl silkscreen that gives it a rubbery feeling. Label owner Marcus Liebig says that this is the first release that he's had no hand in the construction of, and it's definitely a unique item in the label's catalog.







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:


Bobby Bradford/
Mark Dresser/
Hafez Modirzadeh:
Sonic House Reunion
(NoBusiness)



Marion Brown (
Brown/
Hampel/
Phillips/
McCall):
Live in Europe
1968 & 1972
(NoBusiness)



John Zorn (
w/ Julian Lage/
Gavin Riley):
Seven Sonnets
(Tzadik)



[ahmed] (
Thomas/
Grip/
Gerbal/
Wright):
Play Monk
[2 CDs]
(Otoroku)



Michael Formanek (
w/ Hawkins/
Halvorson/
Fujiwara/
O'Gallagher/
Doxas/
Almeida):
New Digs
(Intakt)



Sylvia Lim:
Flare
(Another Timbre)



Ava Mendoza:
Alive Alone,
Alive Together
(Burning Ambulance Music)



John Cage (
Wegmann/
Debacker):
Two2 (
1989) for 2 Pianos
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Myra Melford/
Satoko Fujii:
Katarahi
(RogueArt)



Matthias Muche Bonecrusher:
Densities -
for 12 trombones
& percussion
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Columbia Icefield (
Wooley/
Alcorn/
Mendoza/
Sawyer):
A Silence Opens
(Out Of Your Head Records)



Marta Warelis (
w/ LaMar Gay/
Baars/
Ng/
Haker Flaten/
Rosaly):
Still Life
with Lemons
(Relative Pitch)



Klaus Lang/
Apartment House:
Geschrieben In Wasser
(Another Timbre)



Machinefabriek:
Samen
(Machinefabriek)



Ivo Perelman/
Damon Smith:
Duologue:
Core of Existence
(Squid Note Records)



Marty Ehrlich:
Cartographies of Flight:
Lines Set Afloat
Towards Hope
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)



Mike Westbrook Orchestra:
The Cortege
Live At The BBC
1980
[2CDs]
(Cadillac Records)



JOSILEMI (
featuring Joe Fonda/
Silke Eberhard/
Emil Gross):
Hear This
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Centrifugal Quartet (
feat Mia Dyberg/
Antonio Borgini/
Michael Griener/
Antonio Borghini):
Industry
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Lazro/
Leandre/
Lovens:
For Baritone Sax, Double Bass and Drumset
(Relative Pitch)







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. (12085)