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Various — Electroacoustic Music Vol.1, Disc 1 - Russia 1997
(Electroshock Records ELCD 004, 1998, CD)

Various Artists — Electroacoustic Music Vol.1, Disc 2
(Electroshock Records ELCD 005, 1998, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 1999-01-01

Electroacoustic Music Vol.1, Disc 1 - Russia 1997 Cover artElectroacoustic Music Vol.1, Disc 2 Cover art

Interestingly enough, this excellent – what should be a 2CD set – is packaged as two separate discs with almost identical covers. Only the careful eye will note the small red "Disc One" or "Disc Two" on the back cover and the different track listing. That said, this is for the most part some pretty wild stuff, like something O.O.Discs might release: two discs (of roughly 75 minutes each) of experimental electro-acoustic music by a number of different Russian composers. The proceedings kick off with three tracks by Taras Bujevsky who, using strings, woodwinds and found/taped-sounds achieves an almost Art Zoyd like atmosphere. Vladamir Komarov explores the next two, with a heavier reliance on tapes, samples, voices and electronics. Next is "Life in the Outside," a 21 minute four-part piece by Artem Vasiliev whose title pretty much says it all: twisted sampled percussion, tape manipulation, filtered acoustic sound effects and electronics. Way out there. Andrew Rodinov closes disc one (and disc two as well) with a shorter piece for programmed percussive samples and ambient electronics.

Disc two starts with two pieces by Vladamir Nikolayev – one pretty much for solo violin that eventually gets consumed by electronics and sampled sounds, the other a collage constructed of hundreds of samples of voices laughing, yet put together in such a way that it's completely rhythmic and musical. On disc two one will find compositions by both Edward Artemiev (father) and Artemiy Artemiev (son). One may recall we covered Artemiy's first three releases in issue #14; his offerings here follow in a similar vein: cinematic ambient visions that ebb and flow in a dreamlike state of flux, combining electronics, acoustics and judiciously applied samples. Edward's offerings are more based in acoustic instrumentation, punctuated with sampled effects, extremely dark and sinister like a soundtrack to your worst nightmare. Stanislav Kreitchi offers his avant-percussive "Music for Wood and Metal," and the ten minute, three part "Tryptich – Ocean," delving deeper into the realm of samples and aggressive electronics. There's a lot here to be sure, and some of it is not all that easy to listen to, but intrepid sonic explorers should find plenty herewithin to spark the imagination.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 16, 1998 releases

Related artist(s): Edward Artemiev, Artemiy Artemiev, Various Artists

 

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