Customer Reviews

Gas

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

While the first two GAS releases "modern" (Profan 008) and "Gas" (Mille Plateaux 32) are more abstract and turn into mind-alteringly static physical entities when concentrated on, what with the non-harmonic tuning scales and absolutely synthetic sound (albeit rooted in samples of strings/guitars et al), the later works, then more perceptably only slowing down and looping short string samples on end, at times tend to sound like German Volksmusik/ Schlager (which is intended - hence some of WV's other projects). All have in common that there may be melodies, but no tunes; there may be bass and/or rhythm, yet not in common pop terms but static and droning.

This album did change my mind and perception as no music ever did; I don't say "this is my favourite music" or even listen often, but the mere experience of the first listen, without applying opinions (a friend showed it me; volume was low and we didn't even concentrate on it), "flipped some switches"...

Before this album there was the EP "modern": four very individual pieces of sublime musical and sonical form, yet almost amorph :) of which one atonal piece seems to have been chosen as the direction to pursue further; it's the predecessor of track 1 of this album.

This is absolutely unique music and not comparable to anything else, and it is _utmostly VACANT, empty, free of obvious associations/ suggestiveness_ - a quality many serious composers name as their goal: picture-less, abstract hearing. (More than your usual "space muzak") As a lame compromise I'd refer to TangerineDream's "Zeit" as sortofa draft of what has been realized here.

- There are ways to add to the usual listening here: if you don't have a reel-to-reel tape machine for playback at various speeds and either direction, I recommend getting the triple vinyl (German labels/ stores like Hardwax Berlin will happily ship) instead of the CD. Why? If you haven't heard it yet, the following will be somewhat spoiling: When I listened to the first piece at 75 rpm and backwards I realized there are guitars played backwards at incredible slow speed... and it resembled the soundtrack to a certain SF-movie, only more.. musical :)

etc

I can provide contact information if you are interested in getting the vinyl version telecom@buchla.de

thick,harmonic,floating,temporal ambience! an absolute must have for anyone who likes electronica or ambient! a classic for sure.

This is the wierdest ambient album I have listened to. Pulsing, drifting, absorbing, it carries you away on all sorts of levels. Using loops which wave in and out of the soundscape it is impossible to know just where you are in the track, or the album. Just love it.