What began apparently as an unplanned collaboration between Leslie Winer's text and spoken word with CM von Hausswolff's electronics in 2011 eventually evolved into this full fledged LP release, also Winer's first all original release in 25 years. The result, (1), is a release that heavily strikes a balance between the two predominant elements, without one ever overshadowing the other. Winer’s idiosyncratic voice and artistically obtuse writing and von Hausswolff's understated use of electronics blend together wonderfully for this record.
Leslie Winer's career has been well documented, often focusing on her stint as a fashion model and her association with art iconoclasts such as Burroughs and Basquiat.Only in recent years has there been greater acknowledgement of the obscurity and anonymity of her musical output in the 1980s and 1990s.Reissues and compilations such as the Tapeworm label offshoot Wormhole’s excellent Leslie Winer &c have given her more significant exposure and recognition of her pioneering role in electronic music in the 1990s.That is why (1) is significant for being the first all new album-length material in two and a half decades, and her distinct style has developed fittingly in the passing time.
While Winer and von Hausswolff both get equal representation, the first side of this record and its two lengthy pieces, "I'll Be Mother" and "This Discreet Organ" has more of an emphasis on Winer's text and reading.Von Hausswolff's electronics are rich, but minimal in their structure."I'll Be Mother" especially has von Hauswolff's electronics hovering further in the background, creating a subtle underscoring while the focus is on Winer's stream of consciousness texts.Her intentionally detached, deadpan voice appears again the focus of "This Discreet Organ", but here the electronics come across with a bit more force and variation.
The duo trades off duties of primary focus on "Can I Take Your Order," from Winer's filtered delivery to von Hauswolff's swelling electronics throughout its duration, and the whole piece having a more varied and diverse feel."Weatherman" also presents the voice as more treated with effects, as the electronics pulsate in an otherworldly space to make it a standout on the album."Talked to Some of Them," also credited to artist and filmmaker Thomas Nordanstad, reworks recordings from "I'll Be Mother" into a different, more effected performance that was originally part of the film Electra, Texas 2008.The rising and falling electronic sound and an emphasis on the hazy, narcotic atmosphere come together excellently.
Spoken word performances are usually hit and miss with me, largely because I feel too often the text overshadows the musical portion of it, and it is usually the musical elements of a recording I come back to most often.Leslie Winer and CM von Hausswolff have done an excellent job at balancing these two worlds, and so it made it easy to listen to more than once, sometimes focusing on the musical components, other times letting my mind lock into the complex textual elements.
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