micro-phonetics #1 >

the recording of vinyl treatments has been embraced by a large number of both artists and amateurs from various generations, building an incredibly diverse history that can be traced back just as much to highbrow academic concepts as to the rise of dj culture and the overall questioning of the purely static and preserving role of audio media itself.

therefore it's only natural that the collaborative effort at the heart of "micro-phonetics #1" is not about bouncing ideas off each other in order to find a collective voice shared by every single musician or non-musician involved. rather than that, it's about channelling a vision centred round approaches that could hardly be any more individualist in nature. this is what keeps it all together, bending the original source material of basic vinyl treatments in directions both powerful and strikingly unique even within the context of the ever-eclectic catalogue of wonders.

that said, there is one thing that is characteristic of all the individual contributions and that is an overall emphasis on pure playfulness and experimentation that has become a rare treat among the fields of electronic and electro-acoustic music.

the set leads off with a powerful blast of unadulterated noise by german sound artist phirnis. there's something oddly rhythmic about the subsequent contribution by northern ireland's c.cu, who has been one of the most considerate voices of underground noise for quite a while. "meta-phonics (4)" is another composition of his and this one is all about the sound of hiss and drone at its most seductive.

inicolabug's post-idm twiddling add another facet to the collection, sculpting the original source material by the catalogue's very own eerohz into an utterly twisted form of fidgety dance music, whereas the ever-tasteful production skills of james mccall don't need much of an introduction and the sole contribution by the cincinnati ambient musician may well be one of the set's catchiest moments.

drenched in a delightful overdose of reverb, "quantum pithagoras 2" by london's kalliban x is the perfect way to end a set as versatile and enigmatic as this, the hard-hitting rhythmic elements grabbing the listener by the throat for one last time before, inevitably, silence sets in.

> text by kai ginkel >

TRACKLIST:

01. phirnis: micro-phonetics #1

02. c.cu: micro-phonetics #1

03. inicolabug: micro-phonetics #1

04. eerohz: micro-phonetics #1

05. c.cu micro-phonetics #4 meta-phonics

06. james mccall: micro-phonetics #5 (AO)

07. eerohz: micro-phonetics #5 (AO-news)

08. phirnis: micro-phonetics #1 (two)

09. inicolabug: micro-phonetics #6 co-meta

10. eerohz: micro-phonetics #4

11. kalliban x feat. adrienn gavlin & bense bognar: quantum pythagoras 2

(c)+(p) 2011 catalogue of wonders (arts) llp, london >

the copyright on these sound recordings is owned by the artists phirnis, c.cu,

inicolabug, james mccall, kalliban x & eerohz

under exclusive licence to catalogue of wonders (arts) llp >

artwork: c.cu & eerohz > design: wassily blossfeldt for w.b. industries >

project curator: benjamim silva-pereira