Review of Between Two Points [12k1012]

Free Williamsburg (US)

The second cd, highlighting the L-NE label, borders on the inaudible and unlistenable – some of the tones and sounds divined by artists like Roel Meelkop, Immedia, Nosei Sakata, and label-owner Richard Chartier, are so ear-piercing and high-pitched, it just seems unfathomable that anyone could sit through them long enough to get the general idea of each piece. Chartier’s “010101” is one of the more effective pieces, with a resonating frequency so high, that when you do hear it, it buzzes somewhere in the center of your skull. But as painful as it is to listen to, it successfully pushes the boundaries of silence and sound within the digital context. His label-mate Miki Yui wields a nice sound that slowly creeps in and out of audibility and Bernhard Gunter has an orchestral sounding number that is as enjoyable as it is mysterious. Perhaps the L-NE cd is more focused in its minimal, mono-tone approach, but in conjunction with the 12k cd, it lacks flavor and seems pigeonholed stylistically. As a whole however, this 2cd set is a successfull exploration into a new form of communication through digital sound design, that only accepts sound in relation to no-sound. Its transparent foundation and minimal approach suggests that perhaps this is the clean slate in which the future of music is founded on. – SK

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