It's only natural that a gallery filled with the visual art of David Tibet and Steven Stapleton be filled with their audio art as well. This limited edition (1000) set served as the soundtrack for their April 8 - May 4, 2002 exhibition at London's Horse Hospital gallery. Initially it was only available there and through Durtro's online store but it has since filtered down to the usual outlets (though the price point of roughly $45 will undoubtedly dissuade casual fans). The packaging is, unsurprisingly, interesting: a four panel fold-up with dark, white crested ocean waves on the outside and illegible chalk on blackboard writings inside. A six panel insert hides the discs and a Tibet painting underneath. Keeping in mind the background intent of this music helps to appreciate it, but of the two, Current 93 is the most rewarding for attentive listening. Here c93 includes past collaborators Joolie Wood and Maja Elliot as well as Julia Kent of Antony and the Johnsons. Between a spoken "alpha" and "omega", Tibet lays the foundation with a short ebb and flow loop of (presumably harmonium) drone while the three women crest his wave with piano and strings. Despite its nearly 41 minutes, it remains hypnotically tranquil and enthralling. Nurse With Wound, here just Stapleton and Colin Potter (as on the recent 'The Man With the Woman Face'), craft a longer but more minimal piece. It takes several minutes for their dulled roar to fully surface and massage like c93's piece. Change is perceptible - a slowing down, a temporal lengthening of the waves - but it's so gradual and so minute, it might go undetected while perusing the paintings (or anything else).

Mark Weddle
Sunday, 08 September 2002