Review – SPELLEWAUERYNSHERDE, INTERPRETATIONS VARIOUS & SUNDRY (CDR by Trans>parent Radiation) Bresmsstrahlung – by Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly

SPELLEWAUERYNSHERDE, INTERPRETATIONS VARIOUS & SUNDRY (CDR by Trans>parent Radiation)
Bresmsstrahlung is a small label which have brought us some nice releases in the past – a small but good catalogue. They also have a sub division called Trans>parent Radiation which consists of MP3s. After a while they are removed from the website and then the material is released as a CDR. The first one is a compilation of re-composed source material taken from found reel to reel recordings of Icelandic a cappella lament songs made in the late 1960s or early 1970’s. Ten composers using this material and they all seem to be from the field of microsound, but they are by no means the least in the field. Fennesz, Roden, Kit Clayton, Taylor Deupree, Takemura, Alejandra & Aeron and Stephan Mathieu – one could wonder why not release this as a real CD. The lament song part is pushed to the back in the most part. The emphasis lies more on the ancient tape hiss and crackle, although some use the faint traces of voices. Most of the time it turns out to be shimmering, humming, crackling and hissing pieces of music. The noise collage played by Nobekazu Takemura is a bit out of place here, or it’s certainly a break with the rest. Some people add their own instruments such as guitars (Fennesz and Josh Russell) but they keep in spirit with the overall sombre and melancholic tone of this release. The Takemura piece is the longest and perhaps also the one that is a bit out of place here. It perhaps breaks the mood but in this case it’s not so great. Otherwise this is a more than excellent compilation with all equally great sorrowful pieces of music, which could have as easily been on a real CD. (FdW)
Address: http://www.bresmsstrahlung-recordings.org