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 ULTRAPHONIST
Discover the antistress with...
2000
Foton 002
Ultraphonist, as their name suggests, have gone beyond sound.
Their subtle amplification of body language - as in beating of the heart,
creaking of bones, whistling of lungs - creates vibrations that go right
through the listener, indeed which make the concept of listening, as in
something which you do with your ears, virtually redundant. Taking
the view that "everything has been done in music", Ultraphonist
have here produced a bleak grey soundscape, smooth and shiny as a stone
flattened by water. It's best listened to on a decent system, where
the bass will enter your head, while minute tonal intricacies lap barely
perceptibly round the margins. Musically, this is Frans de Waard
territory, a muffled foggy world, pierced by cold bursts of light, resembling
Kapotte Muziek's first two Boxes in particular. Conceptually,
it is closer to the physical recording work done by Aube, particularly
on tracks such as 'Method' and 'Discipline', with their violent volume
shifts and swirling, complex textures. This is the second release
on the fledgling Belgian label Foton, which specialises in experimental
electronic music - minimal soundscapes, abstract ambient and twisted frequencies.
Discs are available through the Foton website - http://www.fotonrecords.com/.
On the evidence of this recording - and the extensive publicity material
provided to accompany it - this label could be one to watch. Discover
the antistress with... certainly has something to offer: its shifting
textures weave a complex document that, in the right conditions and at
the right volume, rewards careful attention.
STEWART GOTT - 26 April 2000
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