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Pinkcourtesyphone, "Foley Folly Folio"
Pinkcourtesyphone is the not so secret alter ego of renowned sound artist Richard Chartier, and while it seems to be geared more towards a looser, more relaxed sensibility than the serious artist guise that is usually thrust upon him, it lacks none of his careful attention to structure and detail. Quite a bit of the material on this compilation (recorded erratically between 1997 and 2011) could pass for his normal work, but throws enough curve balls to give it a distinct identity all its own.
While the imagery and mood conveyed seems to lean a bit into the world of camp, it never goes too far. It isn't afraid to defy expectations either, however.For example, the overt sampled voices on "Wistful Wishful Wanton" and "Afternoon Theme/Germs Through Wires/Evening Theme" would never pop up on a traditional Chartier composition, but here they work, even if they’re treated and layered into near indecipherability.
The textural, analog noises of "A Dark Room Filled With Plastic Plants," however, isn't that far removed from the style he's known for, though the shift into almost uplifting, dreamy electronics at the end seems a bit more maximalist than I would have expected.The same goes for the echoing, reverberated clicks and clacks of "Here is Something…That is Nothing," which are occasionally disrupted by the almost techno-ish synth swells and jarring outbursts of sound.
The aforementioned "Afternoon Theme…" especially mixes things up, right from its opening of distant, jazzy horn like sounds and twittering, colorful electronics.With the exception of some passages of dissonant, machinery hums, it is far more in line with musicality than the clinical studies of sound he usually does.In general, the three long (20+ minute) pieces that make up the bulk of this album are surprisingly varied and dynamic, even if they often delve into quiet minimalism.
At first I was expecting Foley Folly Folio to be a bit more of a drastic departure from Richard Chartier's normal work…for some reason I was bracing myself for disco beats and house music orchestral hits, but the result was not quite extreme as I thought.In truth, it is probably all the better for that, and it does have a more relaxed, inviting feel overall.While I like the usual detached, clinical approach to sound art that Chartier usually engages in just fine, the unpredictability of this one made it stand out as rather unique, compelling, and even a little fun at times.
samples:
- Wistful Wishful Wanton
- Here is Something...That is Nothing
- Afternoon Theme/Germs Through Wires/Evening Theme
 
