Available to order now: www.underthespire.co.uk
Artist:Steven Hess + Christopher McFall
Title: The Inescapable Fox
Cat#: Spire 043
Edition of 200 vinyl LP's.
“I think I speak for Steven and I both when I make mention of the fact that a great deal of the
materials used to create this release stemmed from a mutual interest in working with taped (analog)
recordings. So, when we began working together we started by sending analog recordings back and
forth by mail. Most of my recordings are done on treated tape, whereby the binder material is
subjected to hydrolysis prior to the recording phase. Steven recorded some of the more
sound/precussive elements for the inescapable fox on some of my tapes and his as well. He sent
them to me and I began editing the material from there. I’ve been working with piano, voice and
field recordings for some time now, so I tailored these source recordings specific to the tracks on the
release.
As far as ideologies are concerned, we approached the collaboration process thematically in order to
attempt to focus our work for this release. The initial concept for release centered around the
thoughts of the interface between light and dark (the specific mention relating to the collision of
these two absolutes). This notion of absolutes brought to a stage of possible compromise made me
think a bit about Greek mythology, specifically about Laelaps (the hound never failed to catch
whatever it was that he was hunting) and his rival the Teumessian fox that could never be caught.
‘The Inescapable Fox’ seemed to allow for a resolution of the two.
Steven Hess is a drummer and sound modifier presently located in Chicago, USA. He’s an active
member of Locrian, Ural Umbo, Cleared, Haptic, and On (w/Sylvain Chauveau), and has
collaborated with the likes of Christian Fennesz, Pan American, Stefan Németh (Radian), David
Daniell, and Robert Hampson to name a few.
Christopher McFall is an experimental composer/sound artist based in Kansas City, USA. His
primary interest involves the concept of arranging analog source audio to serve as a gateway for
experiencing visual environments, whereby the resulting recordings translate into soundtrack of
spaces specific to each listener. The methodology behind Christopher’s workings involves the use
of piano, phonograph, saxophone and field recordings captured on chemically treated/decaying
audio tape recordings that are then layered and further manipulated in a digital format.
- Chris McFall
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