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Reviews

Allen Ravenstine — Electron Music
(Bandcamp Waveshaper Media WSM-05, 2020, CD / DL)

Allen Ravenstine — Shore Leave
(Bandcamp Waveshaper Media WSM-06, 2020, CD / DL)

Allen Ravenstine — Nautilus
(Bandcamp Waveshaper Media WSM-07, 2021, CD / DL)

Allen Ravenstine — Rue de Poisson Noir
(Bandcamp Waveshaper Media WSM-08, 2021, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-04-10

Electron Music Cover artShore Leave Cover artNautilus Cover artRue de Poisson Noir Cover art

The four releases at hand comprise a set with the overall title The Tyranny of Fiction. They are described as EPs, though one is over 40 minutes in length, and were released over the course of several months in 2020 and 2021. Each presents Allen Ravenstine in a different setting, all of which include William Blakeney (whom we encountered recently with Intersystems). The series starts with Electron Music, a nearly-ambient set of electronic soundscapes built from synthesizers, samples, and theremin with occasional Mellotron, Ondes Martenot, and prepared guitar. This is highly abstract territory reminiscent of early electronic music from the pre-sequencer era, though of course it was created using a mix of old and new technology. With Shore Leave, a piano enters the mix, along with some percussion, and it’s no surprise that the pieces have more form, though they’re still more atmospheric than dynamic. “In Order of Memory” features marimba and glockenspiel with meditative tones, and “Pink Dusk at the Point” presents washes of chords backing some very strange synth lines which are probably mangled by software. “Ninety Miles to the Spanish Harbor” is a lovely piano piece in the mode of Debussy. The EP closes with a piece bringing together the sounds of trains, French voices, and synthesizers into an evocative audio collage, trailing off with a simple piano part which is modulated and processed as it fades. Nautilus is the third volume, and it picks up with more French voices, this time mixed with the sound of waves, an accordion, a double bass, and percussion, for a mood like a calm evening on the French Riviera. Trumpet, flute, bass, and guitar make appearances on various tracks, while continuity is maintained by the electronics. There’s also a violin-like sound that I think comes from Ravenstine’s wind controller. The balance between abstract soundscapes and deliberate arrangement has tipped farther towards the arrangement side, though abstract intrusions are still present. It’s a kind of experimental chamber music that has elements of friendly chaos, never harsh or abrasive. Rue de Poisson Noir is the final volume, continuing the journey from floating abstraction. Here we find some tracks with consistent rhythms, even incorporating a drum kit at times. Many different combinations appear through the 11 tracks, including some lovely flute, percolating percussion grooves, and a sometimes jazzy feeling, as on the title track. “Wireless” is a funky tune, with a fun bass line and a horn section, though the flow gets interrupted by unexpected samples and found sounds. To finish it all off, there’s “Bossa Nova,” which is fairly distant from being recognizable as a traditional bossa nova. With these four releases, which are also available as two separate 2-on-1 LPs, Allen Ravenstine proves himself to be an innovative electronic composer staking out a unique corner of the musical landscape. Before his time with Pere Ubu, Ravenstine was recording experimental electronic music using the mid-70s technology available, and it’s heartening to hear that his creative spirit has not dimmed with the passage of decades.

Filed under: New releases, 2020 releases, 2021 releases

Related artist(s): Allen Ravenstine

More info
http://allen-ravenstine.bandcamp.com

 

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