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"SR:AMPLE - A SOURCE RESEARCH RECORDINGS SAMPLER"

 It's a little odd that UK based 'experimental sound based project'label Source Research Recordings felt it necessary to produce a labelsampler at this time considering that they've only released 3 CDs todate: Leif Elggren/souRce research/Matmos "RGB", v/a "Emre [darkmatter]" and Andrew Poppy "Time At Rest Devouring Its Secret" (all ofwhich are recommended - see past issues of The Brain for reviews andmp3s of the former two). But for the uninitiated, this is a perfectplace to begin. Limited to a 1000 copies in a purple vinyl slipcase,"sR:ample" collects excerpts from those discs - including Coil, LeifElggren, Cyclobe - and about 18 minutes worth of previouslyunreleased/forthcoming tracks by Source Research, CoH, Cattivo,AphasRia and Ovum. This music is best absorbed through very attentivedeep listening as much of it is quite mysterious and minimal, thoughnever static or dull. I will concentrate on the new material. SourceResearch's 6 tracks drastically range from quiet contemplation, "DarkStart" being especially so, to violent sonic chaos. CoH's "menuet max."(possibly an homage to Erik Satie) rumbles and dances through computerforged squiggles not unlike those on his own full lengths. Cattivo cutand paste gentle female vocal bits with static on 3 eerie tracks,"neither-neither" being the most accomplished with additional malesobbing and a ghostly guitar (?) melody. AphasRia's "Fckd:mx"gracefully blends a beautiful ambient drift with stereo panned electricdischarge. And Ovum's "Lavin" is barely present with 6 and 1/2 minutesof murky drone. Altogether the new and old material mesh well toshowcase the recent past and recent future of the label's veryrespectable output. Future releases are planned for SteinbrùÙchel,Cattivo, CoH and Andrew Poppy ...

 

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