Review of Coda (For WK) [12k2024]

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One of the most recent release caught in the meshes of the 12k limited series includes a dedication by talented sound artist Stephan Matieu to Wilhelm Kempff, one of the greatest pianist, organist and musical “popularizer” (his quiet “transcriptions” on vinyl of classics by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, J.S.Bach, Robert Schumann and many other classic composers took him up for more than 60 years) of last century, whose Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.26 known as “Le Adieux” from a double 78 rpm vinyl edition, which has been played through two mechanical-acoustic gramophones – a vintage element which goes steady with computer in Matieu’s constant sonic equipment -, was used as an input for an autogenerative process. Even if both sources and equipment could look like aged, the sound of “Coda (for WK)”, which could be considered a conclusive sequel of “A Static Place” – this 20-minutes long lasting track was previously issued on the ultra-limited vinyl edition of the mentioned album by Minority Records -, his previous release on Taylor Deupree’s label, doesn’t show any clues of ageing: it sounds like an halftone drone, focusing on the so-called “Schwebung effect” (a German word Stephan used to name his label in order to describes the process consisting of “the beats produced by the simultaneous vibration of two sounds, especially in unisons and octaves when nearly, but not quite in tune.”) and the catching intersections and beating sonic effect of hypnotic extended tones and flickering over-stretched frequencies flowing nearby the same tone, which sound crepuscolar, dazzling, plushy and auroral at the same time. Pure bliss for audiophiles!

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