Browse by Artist: BYETONE

Artist:	BYETONE
Title:	Death of a Typographer
Label:	RASTER-NOTON (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	R-N 092CD

Olaf Bender (Byetone) is co-founder of the Raster-Noton label, and this is his third release for the label. Death of a Typographer is meant to be a snapshot, recorded in a wintery week in Berlin. Only the pre-released single Plastic Star was created in sunny Athens, which is included in its original session version here. The music on Death of a Typographer carries the special sound of Raster-Noton, but with an important difference: the tracks act as focal points, as elegies to a latently-flowing stream, a stream that still moves on, even when the music has long faded away. The tracks do not necessarily move forward, they rather open up a dark abyss which seems deepest in "Capture This" parts I and II. Byetone manages to achieve a remarkable metamorphosis of the organic, with tracks that don't reveal any of the elements of conventional composition techniques, but which somehow seem to emerge from a static sound body. Weirdly danceable yet remote, and a big step for Raster. Death of a Typographer poses riddles. In fact, for the vigilant spectator, the ambiguous artwork will reveal the Death of a Typographer.

Artist:	BYETONE
Title:	Symeta
Label:	RASTER-NOTON (GERMANY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	R-N 130CD

Byetone's new record Symeta opens with a combined track -- a transit -- since "Topas" and "T-E-L-E-G-R-A-M-M" could be seen as one single piece. Both tracks convey the atmosphere of a live session rather than the character of a studio production. The tracks are quite long and deal with repetition, layers of sounds, density and energy, more than melodic and engineering finesse. The whole album follows this approach, as it was fashioned within the context of live performances during the last two years. "Neuschnee" -- the third track -- has an obviously reduced tempo, creating a wide landscape of sound with an intimate aura, which works as a counter draft to the other tracks on the record. With "Opal," the tempo speeds up again, a polyrhythmic phrase whirls around a straight beat, filters are turned, all that evokes the impression of early-'90s minimal techno. Byetone is basically interested in remembering, in a way to preserve, in citing rock/pop styles, without getting stuck in the past, whereas none of the tracks really fit into a specific genre. Seen from this perspective, "Helix" opens the final, more rocky block of the album. Here, the tracks are offensive and rude and sound like a band in a rehearsal room. This part peaks with "Black Peace" in a high-speed heavy metal session. Finally, "Golden Elegy" closes Symeta and a band-like situation occurs. The track ends with a wired lament, presented by Jan Kummer in the tenor of Chemnitz, hometown of both artists. In former GDR-times, they started their musical activity with the brilliant, dilettantish AG.Geige, together with Frank Bretschneider (Komet). Symeta, the title of the album, appears mysterious. This synthetic word arouses associations with symmetry, synthesis or (meta-)structures. It doesn't stand for a definite object, there isn't any solution, and that is the reason why the title has been chosen. Byetone's music tries to create such associations without really fulfilling these expectations. In this sense, Symeta consequently follows Death Of A Typographer (R-N 092CD), this album's well-received predecessor.

Artist:	BYETONE
Title:	Symeta
Label:	RASTER-NOTON (GERMANY)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	R-N 130LP

LP version. Byetone's record Symeta opens with a combined track -- a transit -- since "Topas" and "T-E-L-E-G-R-A-M-M" could be seen as one single piece. Both tracks convey the atmosphere of a live session rather than the character of a studio production. The tracks are quite long and deal with repetition, layers of sounds, density and energy, more than melodic and engineering finesse. The whole album follows this approach, as it was fashioned within the context of live performances during the last two years. "Neuschnee" -- the third track -- has an obviously reduced tempo, creating a wide landscape of sound with an intimate aura, which works as a counter draft to the other tracks on the record. With "Opal," the tempo speeds up again, a polyrhythmic phrase whirls around a straight beat, filters are turned, all that evokes the impression of early-'90s minimal techno. Byetone is basically interested in remembering, in a way to preserve, in citing rock/pop styles, without getting stuck in the past, whereas none of the tracks really fit into a specific genre. Seen from this perspective, "Helix" opens the final, more rocky block of the album. Here, the tracks are offensive and rude and sound like a band in a rehearsal room. This part peaks with "Black Peace" in a high-speed heavy metal session. Symeta, the title of the album, appears mysterious. This synthetic word arouses associations with symmetry, synthesis or (meta-) structures. It doesn't stand for a definite object, there isn't any solution, and that is the reason why the title has been chosen. Byetone's music tries to create such associations without really fulfilling these expectations. In this sense, Symeta consequently follows Death Of A Typographer (R-N 092CD), this album's well-received predecessor.

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