Electroshock Presents Electroacoustic Music, Volume VII (review)

Electroshock Records has gained worldwide attention for its commitment to Russian and foreign composers of electronic, electroacoustic, experimental, avant-garde, or modern chamber music. It is currently the only organization that is a full member of the Russian Association of Electroacoustic Music in UNESCO. Electroshock Records began the CD series named Electroshock Presents Electroacoustic Music in 1997, and has since released seven compilation discs. The 2002 release, Electroshock Presents Electroacoustic Music, Volume VII, is an international collection of works from 12 countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Estonia, France, Israel, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia, and USA. This two CD collection of electroacoustic music features a total of 15 compositions. The composers represented on this compilation include: Jorge Antunes, Michal Bukowski, Roderik De Man, Robin Julian Heifetz, Claire Laronde, Jose Mataloni, Vidna Obmana, OOPHOI, Arie Shapira, Rodrigo Sigal, Lukazs Szalankiewicz, Mirjam Tally, Geert Verbeke, and Eternal Wanderers.

The first disc opens with a beautiful work, Les Particules de la Perception (2001), by Claire Laronde (b.

1962) of France. In this 12-min 52-sec composition, Ms. Laronde explores the perception of various particles of sound, focusing on the particular tones that give each individual sound its unique characteristics and color. Les Particules de la Perception features a wide variety of acoustic sounds of familiar, everyday life. Each sound is presented as a portion of itself and no one sample is ever presented in its entirety for an extended period of time. This creates a soundscape of masked wonders, presented just long enough for the listener to gain recognition of the familiar. Ms. Laronde develops her sounds within interior spaces, super-imposed and encompassing one another, so as to transport the listener into new dimensions.

A predominant feature of this 2002 set is its compositions for acoustic sounds and electronics. These works range in length, with the longest compositions contributed by Jorge Antunes from Brazil. Mr. Antunes is the founder of the Chromo-Music Research Studio and has long been recognized as a pioneer of electronic music. His works Vitraux MCMXCV (1995) and Historia De Un Pueblo Por Nacer o Carta Abierta A Vassili Vassilikos Y Todos Los Pesimistas (1969–1970) feature electronically created and processed acoustic sounds such as dripping water and tap shoes. Mr. Autunes explores the relationship between sound and color in both of these compositions. This is a process called "Cromoplastofonias," which was created by the composer in the 1960s.

A similar work featuring the acoustic and the electronic is Mythos Part I (2000) by Mirjam Tally for kannel ensemble and electronics. It is the second and only other composition on this collection by a woman composer. Ms. Tally's compositions commonly feature the combination of acoustic and electronic sounds mixed with uncommon instruments such as the kannel, accordion, didgeridoo, tanbur, and many more. Mythos Part 1 is a refreshing work with various processed voices echoing back and forth over the rich sounds of the kannel ensemble. In this piece of music, Ms. Tally creates a delicately woven tapestry of sound, full of color and wonder. I look forward to hearing more of her work.

In Memory of Morton Feldman (2001) was commissioned especially for this Electroshock release. In this work, Vidna Obmana of Belgium expresses his fascination with Morton Feldman's music. This composition was created around a strict combination of pitches and ordered in a canonic fashion, similar to Feldman's own procedures. Throughout, acoustic sounds such as piano and electric guitar are used and processed, creating a washing cascade of sounds moving in and out of the sound-scape. Mr. Obmana uses the technique of juxtaposing, overlapping, and repetition of sound loops causing a continuous shift and change of rhythm in the music. In Memory of Morton Feldman is a true musical tribute and a finely crafted work of art.

Geert Verbeke, also of Belgium, has one of the most...