Browse by Label: ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)

Artist:	ENGLISH, LAWRENCE
Title:	Ghost Towns
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EDRM 403CD

"Recorded in the later half of 2003, this composition that falls just shy of 20 minutes is composed largely of field recordings, the only processing being via eq and pitch shifting. The work is an abstracted impressionist sound portrait, sketching out the isolated soundscapes that exist, for the most part unheard, in these forgotten realms. It highlights the rich and at times unexpectedly synthetic sound world existing in these spaces. Cicadas are matched against 44 gallon drums popping in the morning sun and wire fences resonating to the backdrop of sites such as the haunted imperial hotel in Ravenswood, far northern Australia."

Artist:	AMBARCHI & ROBBIE AVENAIM, OREN
Title:	Clockwork
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EDRM 404CD

"Its initial release -- an edition of 100 3" CD-Rs on Ambarchi's Jerker Productions label back in 1999 -- let it slide by just enough aesthetic radars to register among cognoscenti. Coupled with Ambarchi's solo work from the era, the recording marked a shift from the gonzo-rock of the duo's previous band, Phlegm. Things happen throughout Clockwork that had never really happened before. Recorded in front of a live audience for that 'what we did on our holidays' feel, Avenaim and Ambarchi unravel their detourned instrumental panoply into a series of parallel universe propositions -- (ie. If Ambarchi's concurrent vinyl-only Stacte series was Alvin Lucier and Cluster collaborating for Mego, then Clockwork is Mickey Hart's Gamelan Orchestra performing Ionisation). This reissue of Clockwork -- its reinstatement in the 'marketplace' for immediate edification and dissemination -- and that one of the most important pieces of the Ambarchi/Avenaim puzzle will finally achieve its deserved position within a trajectory of non-idiomatic improvisation."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Incidental Amplifications
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EDRM 405CD

"For most of us, our every waking moment (and even those where we are unconscious) is surrounded by sound. From the obnoxiously pitched alarm tone that raises us from slumber to the muted sounds of night-time traffic that merge with natural nocturnal transmissions; there is always sound. As a society we have increasingly sought to augment and indeed control the environments around us. All manner of tools have been utilised in this ongoing war against the unfamiliar, the unexpected and the 'undesirable'. As well as a variety of visuals cues, sound is progressively used to colour our surroundings with a variety of aural hues. The twentieth century brought with it an unparalleled use of artificial sound in the form of George Squier's Muzak -- a creation designed to enhance (and perhaps determine) amongst other things our 'urban/social/shopping' experience. For decades, no mall or place of substantial commerce was complete without the dulcet tones of Muzak. To many it would seem that there is a world of difference between the bleating high frequency sounds of an Indian marketplace and multiple channels of mid-tempo instrumental music filling our shopping malls; however the ability for sound to draw and focus our attention is universal and well documented. But what of the remaining sounds? The incidental sounds that Muzak tries (and often fails) to mask. It's within these sound fields that curators Lawrence English + Lloyd Barrett sought to collect artists who were working with and celebrating these incidental aspects of our sound world." Artists: Chris Watson, Domenico Sciajno, Le Grand Jeu, Camilla Hannan, Terre Thaemlitz, Joe Musgrove, Brandon Labelle, Aaron Ximm, DZO, M. Rösner, Daniel Blinkhorn, Mathieu Ruhlmann, Blake Stickland, Thembi Soddell.

Artist:	SAMARTZIS/INADA
Title:	h ( )
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EDRM 406CD

"Australian electro-acoustic composer Philip Samartzis is an increasingly vital presence in the Australian sound community. His work over the past decade and a half has offered a prophetic vision for each of his chosen formats and aesthetic approaches. On h ( ) Samartzis is joined by minimal Japanese composer Kozo Inada, who brings with him an equally refined and austere sound sensibility. Between them, these two composers collaborate to produce a highly detailed work that juxtaposes, obscures and ultimately unites pure electronics with environmental recordings. These elements are set to work against and within one another, the results causing the listener to reconsider which sounds are emanating from the interwoven tapestry of source materials. Celebrating the rich tradition of acousmatic sound and musique concréte, this composition provides a potent reminder of the potentials of sound as a transformative and (imagined) narrative medium."

Artist:	SAMARTZIS/ENGLISH
Title:	One Plus One
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EDRM 407CD

"The turntable has enjoyed a varied history in the realm of performance and experimental music. From the early phonographic works of John Cage to the spliced cut-ups of Christian Marclay in the 1980s, the device has proven to be a versatile tool for the creation and transformation of sound. Following a joint billing at Brisbane's Metro Arts Space in 2002, Melbourne-based composer Philip Samartzis and sound artist Lawrence English shared a 30-minute performance that was to become the beginning of their on-going turntable duo. Both Samartzis (a member of the legendary Australian turntable group Gum) and English (a regular player with DJ Olive, Janek Schaefer and others) have long histories of live actions utilising turntables and together each of them brings a wealth of gestures and unique sonic qualities to the instrument. Recorded in early 2006, this edition captures the initial studio works from these two artists and seeks to reflect on the potential of the cyclical nature of vinyl and the surface noise that envelopes the very medium itself."

Artist:	WHITMAN, KEITH FULLERTON
Title:	Track4 (2waysuperimposed)
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EDRM 408CD

"Over the past few years, Keith Fullerton Whitman has been responsible for producing some of the most engaging electronic music to emerge from the United States. Informed by traditional musique concrete as much as contemporary DSP, his work remains provocative without relying on overt actions or grandiose sonic statements. A bass heavy journey through processed guitar and electronics -- a refined statement of intent from one of the USA's finest. From Keith Whitman: 'Here's a 10:32 piece from 2002, re-worked, turned into a 21:04 piece in late 2005, released in spring of 2006 to correspond with my second Australian tour. Much like 'track3a (2waynice),' (the first piece on the Playthroughs album), this piece is entirely bi-directional, meaning that it plays the same forwards as backwards (just try to get your head around that...) by far the most woofer-rattling piece of music I've ever made.'"

Artist:	CHARTIER, RICHARD
Title:	Current
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EDRM 409CD

"Richard Chartier's sound installation and recorded pieces evoke a state of aural awareness. Working with a variety of minimal structures and refined sound sources, Chartier has been responsible for some of the most austere audio works of recent years. Aesthetically refined and creatively provocative, much of his work has focused on the edges of perception, both in frequency range and amplitude. On Current, his latest work to be released in conjunction with his upcoming performances in Australia and Japan later this year, Chartier offers a multilayered sound field. Shimmering high tones filter amid a clouded layer of dense audio mist -- across the 20 minutes, he creates a potent journey through crisp yet warm sound textures, metered pulses and spacious stereo field. The piece is thematically linked to the idea of travel by airplane -- the disassociation of time and location -- air currents above and the oceanic currents below."

Artist:	TEXT OF LIGHT
Title:	Rotterdam 1
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	EDRM 410CD

"Recorded at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in January 2005, this explosive piece from Text Of Light typifies their abilities as a vivid freeform improvisational unit. Ranaldo and Licht's measured guitar work sets a basis on which Kreiger's blaring saxtronics, Barnes' percussive explorations and DJ Olive's swirling turntable incursions can intertwine and augment one another. This piece ebbs and flows, each of the players listening intently and guiding the proceedings with disarmingly sublime yet focused intensity. Like all their recorded works to date, this piece was delivered in tandem with a live film projection -- this interaction between 20th Century abstract and
experimental film and live improvised performance at the very core of the unit." Text Of Light on Rotterdam 1 are: Alan Licht (guitar); Lee Ranaldo (guitar, electronics); Ulrich Krieger (sax, saxtronics); DJ Olive (turntables, Powerbook); Tim Barnes (drums, percussion).

Artist:	TROW, ZANE
Title:	For Those Who Hear Actual Voices
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RM 405CD

"For the better part of three decades, Zane Trow has been creating an impressive array of sound related works. Initially becoming interested in sound during the 1970's whilst studying at art college in the UK, Trow undertook a range of activities from installation works to compositions for theatre productions. Currently the Head of Performance Innovation at the Queensland University Of Technology, Zane Trow's For Those Who Hear Actual Voices is a celebration of his long term interest in ambient soundscapes and the possibilities of intricate delay systems. Creating dense, yet spacious compositions, much of Trow's work is based around the exploration of a single sound, which is then permutated through a complicated system of delays."

Artist:	COOPER, ROD
Title:	Friction
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RM 406CD

"Friction is the culmination of over a decade of instrument building practice and design. My predominant choice of material is metal. I am attracted to its qualities like a shiny lure that reflects light and filters sound. Each instrument can take up to three years to design and several weeks to construct. Initially I focused on percussion and bowing, however recent instruments have employed continuous bowing mechanisms. In my life I have spent much time in nature and I feel this comes out through my music as much as the industrial qualities of metal are apparent. The more intentional aspects of my sound are the open space, or the big sound as other people have put it to me. Most of the tracks are pieces of music composed specifically for each instrument and are just recorded as one take. The instrument is the composition. Comfort through dissonance." -- Rod Cooper.

Artist:	GRISWOLD, ERIK
Title:	Altona Sketches
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RM 407CD

"Bolts, screws, paper, rubber strips, and bits of cardboard are wedged, laced, and screwed between the piano strings to create layers of interlocking microtonal scales. These form a matrix of possibilities that are explored, sounded and discovered in a series of improvised musical moments. Cross rhythms. Imperfect memories. Currently based in Brisbane, Australia, American-born composer and pianist Erik Griswold has been a leading force in Australian contemporary composition for prepared piano for many years."

Artist:	ROSNER, M.
Title:	Alluvial
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RM 408CD

"Crafted throughout 2004 and early 2005, Rösner's original source material stems largely from instruments (guitar, percussion, analog electronics), and through his detailed processing and production methods he's been able to counterpoint a desire for raw digital overtones against earthy acoustic qualities. The results are simply a pleasure for the ears -- coarse passages of hiss and electronic splutter give way to lilting moments of sheer melodic beauty. With strong humming bass-heavy textures, broken rhythms and a post-lofi production aesthetic, Rösner has crafted an exquisite piece of contemporary electronic music. M. Rösner is a sound artist based in the south-west of Australia. Working with minimal organic fragments gathered from acoustic instruments and microphone recordings that are digitally processed, M. Rösner aims to create abstract compositions that are at the same point in time acoustic and electronic, organic but also digital, freeform and yet standing still."

Artist:	FOX, ROBIN & THOMAS, CLAYTON
Title:	Substation
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RM 412CD

"Apart from being recognised as two of Australia's leading improvising musical forces, Clayton Thomas and Robin Fox are also acknowledged for their unrelenting experiments and divergent acoustic approaches in relation to their instrument of choice. Over the past 3 years, Robin Fox has developed some of the most powerful live processing tools in Australia through his research with MAXMSP. Clayton Thomas on the other hand has expanded his performance styles, moving between blistering free jazz explosions to introverted and delicate expanded preparations on his 100 year old double bass. The results of this pairing, as you'd expect, are as diverse as they are spectacular. Unrelenting double bass movements are reprocessed into microtonal washes of sound -- vibrated objects are transformed into uncharacteristic acoustic phenomena. This record expands on the techniques of electroacoustic traditions and aligns both acoustic and electronic sounds in an integrated sonic environment where the lines between player and machine, instrument and processing are blurred and redefined."

Artist:	FRIEDL/VORFELD
Title:	Pech
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RM 414CD

"Pech is the latest duo recording from inside pianist Reinhold Friedl and avant percussionist Michael Vorfeld. Over the past five years, this pair of German musicians have created some of the most engaging and imaginative electroacoustic music, exploring the potentials of subtle performance techniques and refined compositional approaches. On Pech, the duo seek to uncover the hidden and masked character of their instruments -- the piano is altered via various preparations and unconventional ways of bringing the strings to vibration, whilst the percussion transgresses beyond the rhythmic into a humming textural mass. The result of these two musical work stations meeting is simply breathtaking and reveals a range of provocative and commanding qualities from these traditional instrumental set-ups."

Artist:	DAVIS & JEPH JERMAN, GREG
Title:	KU
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RM 416CD

"The act of conjuring remarkable sound from found objects is at the very heart of this recording from American musicians Greg Davis and Jeph Jerman. Having met in Arizona some years back, Davis and Jerman commenced working together on a series of recording projects. Improvising with a range of implements and devices ranging from sticks, stones and low-fi electronics to prepared instruments, gongs and broken percussion, the pair sought to develop a personal language that reflected their individual approaches but also created a shared sensibility and aesthetic quality. Placing their work in a range of environments, most of which orbit around Jerman's ranch in Cottonwood, Davis and Jerman create a richly textured array of sounds from the most modest of sonic tools. Each of the works featured here collects together multiple improvised sessions, which have been edited to create a flowing sense of movement and space. These tempered post-concréte works resolve a joint interest from these two musicians in the act of freeform foundsound improvisation and experimentation."

Artist:	BARRETT, LLOYD
Title:	Mise En Scene
Label:	ROOM40 (AUSTRALIA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.00
Catalog #:	RM 418CD

"For well over a decade, Australia's Lloyd Barrett has been issuing all manner of intricate sound works -- from diligent examinations of postconcréte sound and abstracted rhythmic projects to spacious ambient works. In 2005, he committed himself to create Mise En Scene, a work drawing on the concepts of filmic sound and exploring the possibilities of philosophies suggested by authors and theorists such as Michel Chion. The resulting album heralds a bold statement of intent from Barrett. Deeply evocative, maintaining moments of extreme intimacy and vast remoteness, this record is characterised by highly realised imagined sonic language. It speaks to the notions of acousmatic composition and delivers a document rich with decomposed found sound, unfamiliar texture and instrumental passages reflective of electroacoustic methodology."

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