SHUTTLE358
"CHESSA" (12K1030)
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ARREN/EESTI EKSPRESS (EE)
Shuttle358.
Võibolla kuulsaim segisti kahe voolu, ambient’i
ja microsound’i liitumiskohal. 1999. aastast on Dan Abrams
selle nime, oma pärisnime ja 12k ja Mille Plateaux’
plaadifirmade nimede all olulisi plaate avaldanud. Heliline
juhuslikkus on kõige alus. Mingite tingimus?te ja piirangute
tõttu hakkab see avalduma kindlas vormis nagu nt üks
“tüüpiline Shuttle 358 lugu” – u
4 minuti pikkune ähmase ja harmoonilise kõlaga repetiivne
sidin-sadin ja meloo?diline kamarajura. Keskeltläbi, nii
kummaline kui see ka pole, on seda rohkem, kui keegi sellistel
puhkudel tavaliselt kahtlustab või paluda oskab. Toores,
näkkuvajutatud meeldivus, pealtnäha täielik teadmatus
iga??sugustest eksitavatest teguritest muudab Shuttle358 ligitõmbavaks.
Kõrvalistest asjadest on huvitav tema “fototeooria”
(“pildid inimelust asjade vaatevinklist”, ümbriselt
leiab vastavaid näiteid), mis ah?vatleb muidugi ka lugusid
sa?ma mustri järgi kontseptuaalselt tõlgendama.
BAD
ALCHEMY (DE)
Shuttle358 ist mit seiner ambienten Microsoundmusik
für Gelegenheit schon mit Optimal.lp (1999) und
Frame (2000) auf 12k präsent gewesen, bevor er
unter seinem bürgetlichen Namen Dan Abrams mit Stream (2001)
und mit Understanding Wildlife (2002) auf Mille Plateaux
auftauchte. Chessa (12k1030) präsentiert erneut
ein gern als, warm und organisch charakterisiertes harmonisches
Pulsieren, wobei der langsame, regelmüßige Pulsminimalismus
umspielt wird ven weichen, mollig abefederten Drones, hellen
Pings, bitzeligern Co2-Geknister. Abrams unterstreicht das Atmosphärische
seiner Klangwelt, die wohnliche Selbstverständlichkeit,
ihr alltagliches Cocooning durch Fotos mit beiläufigen
Schnappschussmotiven, Details seines Computerarbeitsplatzes,
Blicke aus dem Zimmerader Autofenster. Sein Klangdesign zur
Verbesserrung der Lebensqualität kommt wie aus dem Armel
geschüttelt, als immer wider angenehme, weil regelmäßige
und beruhigend dahin fließende Muster von federnden Dingdongrhythmen.
11 Tracks, die einem sanften Trost ahne Worte zusummen. Elevator-und
Bahnhofs-Muzak, aber von der engenehmen Sorte.
BLACK
(DE)
Eine knappe Stunde Microsound-Ambient kann
ganz schön anstrengend sein. Nicht so bei Shuttle358. Bei
ihm schqingt warme Melodiosität durch die körnigen
Echoes und Klangschweben kleinteiliger Sounds knapp oberhalb
der Wahrnehmungsschwelle. Zerbrechlich, schimmernd, luftig.
Es gibt viele, die diesen warmen Klang zelebrieren, aber bei
Dan Abrams klingt es am organischsten. Als würden Lebensmomente
bis fast zum Stillstand verlangsamt und mit höchstmöglicher
Sorgfalt elektronisch verstärkt wieder in den Kreislauf
eingespeist. Es liegt immer der sphärische Hall wattierten
Flugzeugmotorengebrummes über all den knisternden und klingenden
Ambientschlieren. Und trotzdem wird es beim dritten Album nicht
langweilig, nie drängt es sich auf; es wird aber auch nie
beliebig und überflüssig. Besonders angenehm ist das
Ein- und Ausfliessen rhythmischer Pulse, mal klavierähnlich,
mal beat-affin, so dass die Musik nie nur schwebt, sondern auch
fließt, lebt und mit kräfter Stimme auf ihre Zartheit
aufmerksam macht. Brian Eno hätte seine Freude dran.
BOOMKAT
(UK)
Shuttle 358's undisputed masterpiece -
Frame, was released a good four years ago and has been
one of the most admired and sought after minimal electronic
albums we've ever had the pleasure of listing across these pages.
At a time when the whole "clicks and cuts" movement
became homogenised and labelled as part of Mille Plateaux's
mission to imprint new generic forms into an already over-labelled
scene, Frame stood as an irresistably human collection
of tracks, glowing with an irrepresible warmth at a time when
the machines really had it their own way. Chessa is
quite easily Dan Abrams' finest work since, developing its own
sense of introspection through sounds that (despite the "microscopic"
tag) suggest vast expanses of sound, pitched through layer after
layer of radiating warmth. Abram's keen eye for photography
seems to accompany these pieces as both inspiration and concept,
creating small vignettes of reverberating space, like a series
of photographs capturing snapshots of everyday life. Again,
there's much here to compare to the other-worldly layering of
Brian Eno and Harold Budd, Markus Popp's effervescent work as
Oval or even the unrivalled crackling hum of Wolfgang Voigt's
"Gas". Chessa is a deeply intimate album,
a
late night companion that you should engulf yourself within
without delay. **Limited to 1000 copies only - packaged in an
expanded digipack featuring small snapshots of Abram's photographic
work.
CRACKED
(AT)
Of course he uses those crackling sounds
that I usually associate with the noise of playing an old, used
record on a regular record player. Fitting to the nostalgic
addition of vinyl memories, it is Brian Eno who obviously holds
a healing hand over the music on Chessa. May I call
this retro-ambient now? Seriously now, Dan Abrams has released
classic records on Mille Plateaux about two or three years ago,
this is his third full album under the moniker of Shuttle358,
and Chessa shows that he hasn’t lost an inch
of ability. This is very special and fine music, refined with
love and ingenuity.
Is it music accompanying a photo-book or is the photo-book compagnion
to an ambient CD? If you ask Dan Abrams, the artist behind both,
he would most probably answer along the lines of both being
important and unique works of art, which are able to stand on
their own, but of course find an interconnecting influence in
the interests and focus of the artist. Well, that was obvious.
Since I only have the CD in front of me, which has only a few
examples of Abrams abilities as a photographer plus eleven musical
tracks, I cannot fully judge. But according to what I see in
the nice digipak of Chessa (the book will go by the
same name) I can see some traits that seem to span through the
photographic work of Abrams: His focus on details of everyday
big city life, for instance. Or the fact that human beings appear
only partly within the pictures, but most often just outside.
And that he prefers a washy, blurred Quick-cam-type of shoot.
And all of this is directly transferable to describe his music.
Except for the blurry atmospheres of the visuals. His production
is clean and crisp, with the various layers and sounds of his
textural pieces – the according trend-name would be “microsound”
– worked out really well and in high resolution. But as
a soundtrack to live, these tracks only cover minute details
of sounds, although in great depth. After all, Abrams is first
and foremost a musician.
Chessa taken as a CD of music, is a fine example of
the current trend of reviving warmth and organity within electronic
music. Which takes it a definite step away from what I have
learned to know as ambient music (which in turn might justify
the coining of a new term, i.e. microsound). The first track
slowly fades from nothing into the audible area, with a drone
bass-rumble and memories of crying oriental horns in the background.
Which might be electronic glitches after all, but who is able
to say. Comparisons to deep sea diving in an ocean of sound
press themselves to the foreground and it would be the easy
way out to describe this CD as beautiful, rich and lush ambient
drones, and leave it at that. Though completely justified so,
I have to add. But that would be at the same level as mentioning
that there are no drums on this record – which is true
– but leaving out the fact that there are no traditional
instruments on this record (except for the very last track,
the wonderful, almost eight minute long “scrapbook”
which has
also an ordinary drumset and some beautiful lonesome guitar
lines. The boundaries are growing closer and closer), or even
that no songs in a more narrow or hereditary sense of the word
are being played. The meaning of sound is something more profound
and important than that (I hope).
In this case the most striking aspect is the divergence between
the superficial simplicity and the underlying complexity. Like
an hitherto undiscovered netherworld filled with live and bristling
energy but hidden underneath a small surface that helps to keep
up the idea, that we are walking on solid ground. Thereby Chessa
might reference the instability and fragility of the modern
societ it comes from. Big cities, for instance, are a complex
and very vulnerable structures, that are strongly dependent
on the exploitation of their surrounding areas for living space,
recreation, fresh air, etc. A few minor incidents might come
together and tip the fragile balance of such a complex societal
system over the edge and all hell breaks lose. Just remember
the LA riots in the Nineties or the
soccer riots in Italy just last week to get my drift. As shuttle358
Dan Abrams manages to keep the surface intact, his music are
solid if a little wobbly geographic structures, but with very
very weak surfaces. And you can see all the different creatures
and structures, movments and eruptions within the structure
easily. But also as if blurred by the surface. Like watching
an aquarium on acid.
The life underneath is squiggly, blushing and evolving in rapid
tempo without seeming fastforwarded. Even the noise and the
smoke blisters make up for a harmonious and enjoyable whole.
Some colours or strange animals seem to dive up, get close,
look around and drown again. Just like life in a wildlife reservation.
Even a track called “logical” makes me see dar,
green woods ablaze with the call of birds, buzzing of insects
and the wild energy of predators. And there I sit listening
through muted ears painting this picture in my head. Seeing
and hearing are usually regarded as the two most important senses
of humans. Being a musician and a photographer (or painter or
any other kind of graphic artist) means combining those two.
So, hats of to Dan Abrams.
CUT
UP (NL)
Via microsound terug naar ambient. Dan
Abrams heeft er zijn handelskenmerk van gemaakt en dit nieuwe
album op het New Yorkse 12k-label is dan ook een voortzetting
van Frame uit 2000 waar hij het spanningsveld tussen
beide genres al eerder op indrukwekkende wijze wist uit te werken.
Het leverde hem de roep op van een musicus die warmte en ‘menselijkheid’
terugbracht in de steriele elektronische muziek – een interessante
interpretatie, gezien het feit dat ambient vroeger toch vooral
als omgevingsmuziek en recentelijk door Diederich Diederichsen
nog als “unheimlich” werd gekarakteriseerd.
In relatie tot microsound is deze interpretatie echter begrijpelijk,
aangezien deze aanpak inderdaad vaak gekenmerkt wordt door een
fetisjistische concentratie op het pure digitale. Abrams’
uiteenzetting met de ons omringende geluiden weet hier als het
ware een humanistische twist aan te geven. Dit gebeurt zowel
op associatief niveau als ook door het gebruik van samples.
Zo worden in de laatste twee minuten van het openingsstuk ‘Ash’,
regelmatige clicks toegevoegd aan de langzaam verschuivende
lagen van ambientgeruis en wordt zo een herinnering aan het
dansverleden en –heden van elektronische muziek opgeroepen.
Andere stukken maken echter eerder gebruik van samples, die
als minuscule soundelementen worden ingezet en door middel van
digitale processering een zwevende positie in de compositie
innemen. In ‘Dead Leaves’, bijvoorbeeld, vormen
de vibrafoonelementen een simpele maar zich continu transformerende
melodie die zo de kwaliteiten van een drone benadert en wonderbaarlijk
binnen het gelaagde geheel past. Het resultaat is een prachtig
album dat de komende hypes zal overleven.
D-SIDE
(FR)
Dan Abrams consacre son projet Shuttle358
à la célébration des moments du quotidien,
des objets et des instants qui nous entourent, à travers
une electronica souple et cotonneuse, confortable et nostalguique,
où il fait bon oberserver les grains de poussière
pris dans la lumière, le leuilles mortes sur le sol ou
le passage du temps. La clé est ici, ne reste plus qu'à
oser passer le seuil...
DE:BUG
(DE)
Dan Abrams ist zurück mit seinem nunmehr
dritten Album auf 12K und beweist aufs neue sein Können,
auch wenn er das eigentlich überhaupt nicht mehr nötig
hat. Ambiente Klänge und Frickel-Elektronik, vereint mit
rhythmische Loopelementen - es scheint sich nichts verändert
zu haben in den letzten Jahren. Und doch, die neue Shuttle-CD
klingt so ausgeglichen und wunderschön, dass sie wieder
einen Schritt weiter ist als alle anderen und man meinen könnte,
Dan Abrams hätte die Glückseligkeit gepachtet. Und
wie er es wieder schafft, anspruchsvolle Kopfmusik zu kreieren,
die für jedermann zugänglich ist, sucht nach wie vor
seinesgleichen. Großartig!
DZIENNIK
POLSKI (PL)
Juz debiutancki album amerykanskiego muzyka
Dana Abramsa, urkywajacego sie pod nazwa Shuttle358 - Optimal
- wydany w 1999 r. przez wytwornie 12k, zwrocil na niego uwage
krytyki i sluchaczy. Wysoki poziom produkcji artysty potwierdzily
kolejne plyty - zarowno dla tej samej firmy (Frame),
jak i Mille Plateaux (Stream, Understanding Wildlife).
Podobnie jest z najnowsza - Chessa przynosi zestaw
11 utworow, w ktorych dominuja cieple i organiczne brzmienia
syntezatorow. Abrams laczy w nich tradycyjny ambient spod znaku
Briana Eno z nowoczesnym minimalizmem epoki post-techno. Calosc
ma jednak gleboko emocjonalny charakter - mimo ze stworzono
ja za pomoca maszyn.s
E/I
(US)
12k's third release by Shuttle358, Chessa
underscores Dan Abrams' position as an artist cutting his own
path amongst his .microsound contemporaries. As the whole 'clicks
and cuts' movement implodes - thanks in no small part to the
feeling that it's been endlessly exploited as a revenue-stream
by Mille Plateaux - Chessa sets sail for warmer territory,
adrift on a hovering sea of sparkling melody.
Over eleven restless tracks Abrams sculpts slowly evolving sonic
structures of extreme elegance. Static shrouded melodies pulse
and cascade, elongated harmonies with once brittle edges shimmer,
the results spiralling outwards like the sun-lit ripples on
a glimmering lake of mercury.
Like the bleached photographic fragments suggestive of fading
reminiscences on the elegantly minimal DigiPack, Chessa
is suffused with the memory of melodies - sounds once lost and
forgotten, echoing far-off in the rounded corners of the mind.
Like gently sand-papered vinyl whose dulled grooves release
distant airs, 'Blast' quivers around a paper-thin structure,
three minutes of haiku-like musical aphorism. 'Marche' picks
up with the gentle, filtered echo of a forgotten heirloom -
grandfather clock melody underpinned by a pale ghostly aura
- before layering into the semi-transparent cicada-rhythm of
'Nerf', half-erased clicks cut short, smothered in the crackles
of a smouldering fire.
Abrams' talent is unquestioned, and the persistence of his melodies
- in particular their ability to instantly inscribe themselves
in memory - underline his position as an artist well worth following.
One looks forward to his forthcoming book, also titled Chessa,
for further meanderings down the less wandered paths of memory.
ETHEREAL.COM
(FR)
Fourth album for Shuttle358, the
third on 12k (another being appeared on Thousand Plates) and,
once again, the musician is perfectly in his place on the new
Yorkean label, developing one electronica-ambient minimalist,
made tablecloths and microphone-glitchs. Setting up accessible
and cordial textures, daN Abrams rather skilfully manages to
position just at the border between sound space a little too
filled and musical examination, so that each element seems to
position ideally (its traditional micro-electronics with that
being connected with a etouffé copper), without the impression
of a overflow being had, nor of having to tighten the ear to
perceive a specific sonority. Same manner, the music of Shuttle358
is at the point of inflection between introspection and dumbness,
sufficiently interior without being closed again on itself,
and between movement indiscontinu of the tablecloths and stability
of those, making last each its Juste time that it is necessary,
while making it possible to the listener to stick to it. Not
very easy, this work of equilibrist, when it is well carried
out (and it is the case, here), gives place to very good discs.
This one formed part of these (which more is, it lasts cinquante-quatre
minutes, that is to say one impeccable duration, neither too
short, nor too long), even if its listening comes to upset our
certainty on the matter (the label 12k seeming definitely to
have been made the cantor of this electronica minimalist). Often
melancholic person (Walk), but also knowing to be done more
optimistic (the rhythmic one and the general environment of
Duh, the luminosity of the vibraphone of Dead Leaves, for example),
the music of Shuttle358 testifies especially to a strong evocative
dimension, underlined by a luxurious digipack, proposer of many
photographs carried out per daN Abrams itself which announces
besides that it will proceed in this way, envisaging to expose
its photographic work in a gallery. Consequently, it does not
remain any more with the listener but to connect his helmet
on its turntable, to be given up with these textures and to
let its spirit rove until arriving at the end of Chessa
and to realize that daN Abrams is also perfectly at ease in
a title incorporating guitar, cords and battery in a kind of
faint électronisé post-rock'n'roll of the most
beautiful effect. François Bousquet
FATBANKROLL
(SE)
Jag skulle kanske inte vilja gå
så långt som att säga att jag blir rörd
av den här skivan, men det är banne mig inte långt
ifrån. Emellanåt dyker det upp musik som får
tillvaron att stanna upp. För en stund blir en skiva eller
en låt det centrala, och det är precis där som
Shuttle358:s album hamnar. Det är en fullständigt
genial skiva. Allt som oftast fastnar jag för enstaka spår
på allehanda skivor och repeterar dessa till uttjatningens
gräns. Detta händer på ett flertal ställen
på Chessa, som albumet heter, och betyget kan
inte bli annat än högt.
Shuttle358 heter egentligen Dan Abrams och har tidigare släppt
skivorna Optimal.lp och Frame på 12k,
samt några skivor på Mille Plateaux. Som på
flera andra 12k-släpp går det ganska lugnt till på
Chessa. Det handlar om stora ljudkonstruktioner med
sin grund i något sorts samplingsgranuleringsprogram.
Ibland rena toner, ibland antydan till takter och hela tiden
magiskt bra. I botten är det repetitiv musik med små
detalj-förändringar, dvs egentligen inget nytt, men
här finns även en mer melodiös sida. Det är
där någonstans som skivan når oanade höjder.
Abrams har en oerhörd förmåga att få det
oorgraniserade och slumpmässiga att låta planerat,
att träffa exakt rätt stämningar i en musikform
vars grundidé ligger så långt borta från
matematisk precision man kan komma.
Det är speciellt två spår som fastnar på
trumhinnan. "Logical" är en långsamt framåtskridande
bakgrund tillsammans med fina harmonier och ett och annat digitalt
knaster. Jag tänker närmast på Cliff Martinez
suveräna filmmusik till Traffic när jag hör det
här. Det andra spåret är "Scrapbook",
som avviker en del från hur den övriga musiken låter.
Det som börjar med raka ljud, rena violin/blåssamplingar
övergår till en förvånansvärt påtaglig
takt och en fin gitarrslinga. Oerhört behagligt och finstämt.
I den medföljande pressinfon berättar Dan Abrams bl.a.
att han är influerad av fotografi, något som hörs
tydligt i hans musik då den absolut skulle kunna vara
hämtad ur t.ex. filmens värld, helt enkelt musik skapad
med någon form av bilder i åtanke. Abrams håller
just nu på att sammanställa en bok med samma namn
som albumet, och i det snitsiga omslaget kan man se några
smakprov på hans foton.
GONZO
CIRCUS (BE)
Soms is de term ambient een uitstekende
referentie. Het woord lijkt zijn tijd gehad te hebben, het klinkt
wat klef en geurt naar passé. Wie anno nu dweept met
platen van The Orb kweekt eigenhandig paddestoelen en boekt
morgen een reis naar Uranus. Eén enkele reis, je komt
nooit meer terug. Toch is ambient een rake term, een goede omschrijving.
We hebben het verzamelende werk van Brain Eno en Biosphere op
de kast staan en we koesteren het met de nodige eerbied. Ik
keur Chessa van Shuttle358. Hij heet Dan Abrams woont
in New-York en naast muzikant is hij ook fotograaf. In zijn
fotografie focust hij op details, zoomt in op dagelijkse taferelen
en vergroot de details uit. Mensen zijn afwezig, hij weet waarom,
het past niet in zijn ideeëngoed. Muzikaal legt hij hetzelfde
parcours af. Hij gebruikt weinig middelen, maar mikt op het
grootst mogelijke effect. Microgeluiden vullen de ether, minimale
klanken kleuren de dag. Chessa is zijn vierde plaat
en afgaande op de recensies is ook zijn debuut uit 2000 Frame
een absoloute aanrader. 12K, het label van Taylor Deupree bouwt
met deze prachtplaat gestaag verder aan zijn oeuvre. Uitzonderlijk.
JADE
(FR)
La musique de Dan Abrams n'est pas
précieuse ou abusivement intellectuelle; elle élude
une large frange des expérimentations les plus finies
en matière atmosphériques, voire minimaliste,
pour revenir à des interrogations et des réflexions
simples sur la nature apaisante, tranquillisante ou sédative
(selon le talent de l'artiste) d'une musique ambiante et microtonale.
Car il s'agit bien ici de micro-rythmie, de logique d'économie
de sons qui est mis en branle. Cepandant là ou Shuttle
358 se démarque, c'est qu'il ose réinvestir ses
travaux dans une démarche mélodique, héritage
des recherches sensibles d' Eno ou de … les prémices
des musiques de l'Ether si chère à David Toop.
Seconde gageures, est pas des moindres, il refuse de tomber
dans les écueils du genre ambiante en produisant des
morceaux d'une longueur extrême pour s'en tenir à
des formats courts (3-7 min) et par voie de conséquence
plus dense et allant à l'essentielle. Un monde aquatique
où le prisme aqueux altère silhouette et forme
dans un jeu de mouvance onirique d'une rare beauté. Après
2 albums édités chez 12K (Optimal, Frame) et 2
albums sur Mille Plateaux (Understanding Wildlife, Stream),
Dan Ambrams vient irradier nos pupilles de ces océans
fluctuant de sources ,de climats horizontaux, de lignes courbes
oscillatoires.
JAZZTHETIK
(DE)
Im aufeinanderschichten geübt
klingt auch das, was Dan Abrams als Shuttle358 auf Chessa
veranstaltet. Aber hier geht es eher in die Ambient-Gefilde
eines Brian Eno, auch wenn's nicht ganz so kuschelig klingt.
Dafür ist Abrams dann doch wieder zu sehr geübt in
Clicks & Cuts. Wie auch die Fotos aus dem gleichnamigen
Buch, das Abrams zu veröffentlichen plant, bleiben die
Sounds immer in der Schwebe, leicht unscharf, ein wenig aus
dem Fokus gerückt und mit scheinbaren Nebensächlichkeiten
beschäftigt. Wie ein flüchtiger Eindruck, ein Blick,
der etwas gesehen hat, was nicht für ihn bestimmt war,
flirren die Sounds ohne Beats an einem vorbei. War da was? Und
wenn ja, was genau? Abrams' Musik ist nicht zu verorten, nicht
dingfest zu machen, noch nicht einmal schön, sondern einfach
da.
MCD
(FR)
arde la microscopicmusic axee sur
des boucles mélodieuses et aeriennes confortées
par quelques patterns presque effacées.
MUSIKLANDET
(SE)
Shuttle358
har sedan startat med några demo-cd:s blivit ett av den
moderna elektroniska musikens mest uppskattade låtskrivare.
Dan Abrams, som han egentligen heter, gör elektronika av
den varmare sorten, inspirerad av Brian Enos varma och mest
minimalistiska skapelser.
Den där värmen är ständigt närvarande
och det är små nyanser som får musiken att
låta värmande och tröstande istället för
iskalla och sterila som många andra i genren. Det sorgligaste
med Chessa är att det helt enkelt inte händer
särskilt mycket. Det händer i princip ingenting på
albumets 11 spår. Det är mest en massa varma ljud,
väldigt ambient och det känns som man återigen
befinner sig tillsammans med mellanstadieklassen på Malmös
Tekniska Museums vulkanutställning. Ur en konstgjord vulkan
rinner trögflytande låtsaslava och det bubblar och
pyser på samma sätt som i "Logical".
Jag har alltid gillat museum, men jag har sällan velat
ta med museumet hem bara för att sätta mig i soffan
och lyssna på alla ljud som de spelar upp där. Visst
är Abrams en intressant ljudarkitekt men det räcker,
än en gång, helt enkelt inte.
MUSIQUE
MACHINE (FR)
A
few months ago, when i reviewed Motion's album, I complained
that sometimes 12k favoured "sound-signature" to quality
when choosing to release some works. The new Shuttle358 album
is here to remind us what a great label 12k really is.
For all the bitter taste that, for some reason, Motion left
in my mouth, the recent releases of Fourcolor and Shuttle358,
as well as the upcoming Minamo album have underlined the quasi-constant
excellence of the label's output.
Behind Shuttle358 is Dan Abrams, who released is first full-length
on the label in 1999 after having sent Taylor Deupree a copy
of his demo. His 2000 Frame album is now considered as
a masterpiece in the genre popularized by the label, and it's
really sought after, since not many of the Cd's have been made
(12k's usual initial pressings: 1000 copies).
So this is of course pretty minimal -or rather seemingly minimal
music-, and microsound based. Usually people tend to consider
that those albums are better listened at low volumes, but I
beg to differ, for this one at least: the full depth of the
music is perceived at loud volumes. Then, you are enveloped
by the microsounds that are revealing their astounding quality.
What makes Abrams stand miles above some of the others mircosound
musicians is that he doesn't hesitate to insist on, to underline
particulars elements of his music that are usually hidden behind
the granular aspect of the sounds taken as such -i.e. not as
music-. Melodies are very present, and quite fascinatingly constructed.
He also incorporates the sounds of real instruments such as
strings, percussions or guitars, in a very discreet way that
reminds me of the better releases of Intr.Version.
With Chessa, Abrams and 12K are behind what is already
one of the best electronic releases of this year. May the future
releases of the label be as good! 5/5 François Monti
OCTOPUS
(FR)
Par
sa capacité à récupérer des sons
embryonnaires de notre environnement quotidien, à les
recycler ou à les déformer, l'exploration musicale
des sources microtonales se rapproche fréquemment de
formes exploratoires visuelles ou graphiques, à l'image
du travail de certains labels comme Fällt ou Line/12k.
C'est sur 12k justement que Dan Abrams aka Shuttle358 a pris
l'habitude de poser les jalons de son travail reliant approche
photographique et interprétation ambient électronique.
Après les parenthèses Stream et Wildlife
(parus chez Mille Plateaux), le musicien américain publie
avec ce Chessa son troisième album sur le label
new-yorkais. Saisissant les sons comme des pulsions fugitives,
émotionnelles, Dan Abrams crée un parallèle
entre objet visuel et objet sonore, en basant son travail musical
sur ses propres travaux photographiques. De la même manière
que ses photos - instantanés de la vie courante, photos
de détail, d'un corps, d'un lieu ou d'un objet - cherchent
à retrouver les liens d'humanité qui les conditionnent,
l'idée sous-jacente ici est de relier des particules
sonores irrégulières, granuleuses dans des combinaisons
musicales volontairement mélodiques car foncièrement
humaines. A la différence de nombreux compositeurs du
genre, et à l'image de morceaux comme Marche ou Melt,
la démarche de Shuttle358 n'est donc pas de garder la
ligne musicale la plus minimale possible mais bien de l'ouvrir
aux variations les plus sensitives et sensuelles qui soient.
RUIS
(BE)
A
fe
Samen
met Mille Plateaux, Touch en Mego trok 12k aan de kar om aandacht
de krijgen voor elektronica. Het Amerikaanse label werd vooral
bekend voor hun minimale "microsound." Ook Shuttle358
ofwel Dan Abrams komt uit dit subgenre en evolueert nu mee met
het label. Abrams is een muzikant en fotograaf die graag beide
werelden vermengt. Chessa is een warme, ambientachtige
plaat die doet denken aan Hazard, Thomas Koner of Oval.
STYLUS
(US)
I
like press releases. They're just so optimistic, so filled with
the hope and promise of an expectant record company certain
they are releasing a musical gem for all to hear. If we take
press releases at their word, each one of the thousands of releases
every year is destined to become a classic work by one of the
truly great artists working today, certain to engage your senses
and change your outlook on life. You have to admit: there's
something engaging about such manipulative optimism. Of course,
all this falls away once you actually listen to most albums
and realize that only a handful can even come close to living
up to those marketing expectations.
The 12k press release for Shuttle358's Chessa includes
its share of hyperboles and horn-tooting, but within those accolades
lurks an unusually lucid and honest voice. This voice speaks
loudest when describing this work directly: Chessa
is the third release from [Dan] Abrams' Shuttle358 moniker on
12k and he continues to do what he does best: attempt to move
microsound away from the world of theory and towards absolute
real life."
Two phrases stand out for me here. The first is "do what
he does best." While it trumps up Abrams' talent, it also
admits that Chessa isn't groundbreaking; that is, you
won't find anything here that you haven't heard before. The
second phrase that stands out to me is the reference to moving
"towards absolute real life." This is a bit abstract,
and it makes more sense in the context of the full release,
but it can be neatly summed up by saying that Abrams electronic
experiments are grounded in human emotions. Again, however,
the subtext here is that his previous works were also grounded
in conveying particular emotional states. In short, the press
release is telling us that Chessa is basically the
same as the first two Shuttle358 albums released on 12k (OptimalLP
and Frame), only better.
And you know what? That's absolutely right. I've long admired
Abrams' ability to transform the various clicks and snips that
comprise the "microsound" palate of sounds into sweeping,
delicate audio portraits. His earlier works were, indeed, very
emotional efforts in the sense that the sputtering, elliptical
drones and gurgling waves of, say, "Lyndon Tree" work
less as ideas and more as living, breathing entities capable
of being interpreted in different ways depending upon how and
why one listens.
Chessa continues these emotion-laden atmospherics.
The eleven songs here are replete with the same spinning sine
waves, sputtering bleeps and clicks, and (especially) lilting
synthesizer melodies that effectively comprise the "Shuttle358"
sound. However, each of these elements have been refined, fleshed-out,
and improved upon here, so that the transitions from the delicate
melodies to the sputtering noise and sweet guitar fragments
on the title track seem even more effortless here than on (say)
Frame's "Sequence." There's a maturity here
that is lacking on Abrams' earlier efforts, as though he's taken
all that he finds most favorable about his own sounds and cut
away all the rest. What's left is the same emotional heart that
ran through his earlier works, only richer, sharper, and more
distinct.
Take the fourth track, "Duh." It begins with echoing
thumps and some aberrant sprinkler sounds bouncing around. At
first, the thumps are rhythmic while the sprinkler sounds are
all over the place; at some point, however, these two sounds
change places, so the sprinklers are rhythmic and the thumps
are all over the place. This repeats several times, as other
sounds (long synth lines and other stuttering fragments) float
above and around the core dance. And that's what it is: a dance,
each sound taking turns leading. It's incredibly simple in structure
and execution, but understanding how the song is put together
is far less interesting than experiencing and feeling this dance.
It brings to my mind images of sleepy summer afternoons, naps
under a cool tree, and distant children playing with water (a
sprinkler?). It's a song that suggests playfulness, joy, optimism,
and even a little hope. When was the last time you heard those
words associated with 12k Records?
"Duh" is just one example of the many ways that Chessa
takes Abrams' core musical ideas and refines them and improves
upon them to create works that are beautiful, fascinating, and
greater than the micro-sum of their parts. This is the work
of an artist entirely comfortable in his medium, eager to apply
the lessons of past efforts but aware enough of his own strengths
and weaknesses not to reach too far or aim too high.
SUTEMOS.NET
(LT)
Sometimes
there are days and sounds that just can't describe. These are
the moments when you lack words; you lack thoughts and rationality,
maybe so that you can put everything into letters and sentences.
Shuttle 358 is leading me astray for the third time already.
Probably it is the best compliment that I can say to him today.
This is the fifth album of Dan Abrams (Shuttle 358). Earlier
there were Optimal (1999), Stream (2001), Frame
(2001), Understanding Wildlife (2002). His newest work
is the most calm and melodic because the rhythm is gone. Nothing
else (in the meaning of content) has changed. Or maybe just
that Shuttle 358 is getting closer again to Optimal album
and leaves Understanding Wildlife with a pure rhythm
and glitch concepts of Mille Plateaux behind. In Chessa
a beautiful and very sentimental ambient music with various
sweeteners awaits you. This is music of heart. Or maybe it is
just a background that every fan of calmness will definitely
love.
Chessa (and all his previous albums) is perfect album
for lying around in bed with your truelove during long and dark
evenings. You just to love one another.
I love.
Rating: 9
TERZ
(DE)
Und
dann wieder back to minimal?ism: Dan Abrams macht vor, wie’s
gut klingen kann. Seine Microsounds existieren auch nur in einer
dezenten Ambivalenz, generieren dabei aber einen sehr klaren
und eigenen Ambientbegriff, der dem von Eno, als Klang, der
einen Raum gibt und/oder definiert, nahe kommt, dies aber ungleich
konzentrierter einfängt. Es passt zu Abrams’ Fotos,
die“echtes Leben” einrahmen und ihm so ein Eigenleben
geben.
TRAX
(ES)
Buenas
noticias: el microsound, ese género más bien aburridillo que
acuñó Kim Cascone unos años atrás, cada vez es menos
'micro'. De la misma manera que el llamado lowecase (un eufemismo
de "aburrimiento inaudible para gente pretenciosa") es cada
vez menos 'low'. Lo interesante en este proceso darwinista,
por supuesto, es observar de cerca cómo sus artifices tratan
de escabullirse de los tópicos que ellos mismos cosecharon en
un tiempo récord dando neuva vida a sus ideas. Dan Abrams, claro,
es uno de ellos. En su tercer álbum como Shuttle358, de nuevo
en 12k, el americano enfatiza el componente melódico-ambiental,
con once postales borrosas de sonidos lánguidos y atmósferas
en calma, surcadas por sutiles clics y otras nubes de polución
acústica, a medio camino entre lo casual y lo requeteestudiado.
Como sus fotografías (que pronto plasmará en un libro homónimo),
Chessa juega a ser una colección de momentos urbanos
congelados, música de fondo desenfocada, tan plana como llena
de matices, según se mire o se escuche.
ULTRASONICA
(IT)
Nel
flusso continuo di pubblicazioni genere 'Elettronica-ambient',
c'è ormai da perdersi. Sono infatti molte le etichette
che sfornano a ritmo continuo luccicanti cd dalle copertine
sempre più curate con immagini tra il mistico (ovvero
quando non si capisce il soggetto!) ed il minimale che fa sempre
fine e non impegna. Diventa perciò difficile orientarsi
ed evitare il 'compro tutto e ascolto tutto', fortunatamente
possiamo contare su alcune etichette che si distinguono per
la qualità dei 'prodotti' (pessima definizione per un
album...), l'americana 12K è tra queste e Shuttle358
è uno degli artisti che si stanno facendo strada proprio
grazie a questa mistura di Elettronica ed Ambient, seguendo
le orme sul sentiero spianato da Eno una trentina di anni orsono...
o giù di lì. Il Packaging, nel formato sempre
più utilizzato del Digipack, è curato dallo stesso
Shuttle358 (che oltre ad essere un musicista è anche
fotografo e designer), all'interno trovano posto le anteprime
fotografiche del libro 'Chessa' (stesso titolo dell'album) che
chiude il cerchio sull'esperienza visiva e sonora che Dan Abrams,
vero nome di Shuttle358, cerca di comunicare.
VITAL
WEEKLY (NL)
This
is the third release by Shuttle 358 for 12K, and continues where
he left off with Frame. Shuttle 358's Dan Abrams is
also a photographer and for the eleven tracks he is inspired
by his own photography of 'real life': stills of cars, stairs
or parts of humans. Zooming in on a few aspects which is what
he does for his photo's but also in his music. Each of the eleven
tracks is carefully built around a few sound elements, say a
strumming of a guitar, which are then carefully moved around
via computer processing. A tiny bit of clicks and cuts start
to appear, but for 95% Shuttle 358 stays on a very safe ambient
side of things. The result is a very unified sound, within each
seperate track aswell as tracks relating to eachother. This
makes this into a very nice and elegant CD with a particular
gentle flow. Maybe in it's genre not something that can be regarded
as something very new, but nevertheless one of great beauty.
