Anxious Music Magazine (PL)

Zimoun is a multidisciplinary Swiss artist who is best known for his immersive and site-specific installations of cardboard, DC motors and other industrial objects to create large systems of orchestrated noise and movement. His mechanized environments have been shown in prestigious museums and galleries around the world. His latest musical release, ModularGuitarFields I–VI, is based entirely on the sounds of a tenor baritone guitar, combined with selected elements of a 1960s modular synthesizer and Magnatone amplifier.

ModularGuitarFields I-VI covers expansive and atmospheric realms, showcasing Zimoun’s passion for raw, warm sounds as well as minimalist concepts and approaches. These are minimalist yet sonically dense soundscapes, with a touch of psychedelia and grainy microsounds. These compositions can be understood as sound sculptures, vibrant with movement, much like his installation works, creating a hypnotic atmospheric effect and creating immersive environments.

Even in his purely acoustic works, he maintains a deep interest in sound generation and the creation of sound space. His compositions evoke a sense of place rather than following a narrative, somehow reminiscent of architectural spaces. Although individual compositions often undergo minimal changes over time, they exhibit continuous development and variation in their microstructures. They are more like an organism that is constantly transforming and living, rather than evolving into something else. This reflects Zimoun’s fundamental interest in creating systems that support complexity and a multitude of variations in simple structures and elements, constantly fed and nurtured by the sounds of the guitar.

ModularGuitarFields I-VI moves away from the silence and sensitivity of their 12k peers and delivers a more intense, drone-driven album. Although it initially appears to be an unforgiving, isolated landscape, the layers hidden within reveal details teeming with life and movement, like exploring the interior of a huge glacier.