Aoki Takamasa is one half
of audiovisual art unit Silicom. The duo has already
gained recognition not only in Kyoto, where they both
live, but also across Japan, with their pioneering work
mixing the sonic constructions of Takamasa and the visual
displays of Masakazu Tagaki. This album is the first
release of music created and performed during some of
these installations.
When released in Japan, this album received praise from
the press for its cutting edge approach to sound structures
and forms. Takamasa’s compositions are minimalist in
shape. Using only a few sound sources at a time, each
track is a complex formation of noises arranged around
central beat configurations, sometimes running in parallel,
as to generate density from extremely basic components,
on which microscopic melodies are furtively anchored.
Set somewhere between Mille Plateaux-style arid clicks
and the more hypnotic ambiences of releases from Chain
Reaction or Basic Channel, Silicom offers a
series of twelve assertive soundscapes, as enigmatic
as their titles suggest, and challenges the mind by
its constant technological abstractions. From the deconstructed
beats of Jung 25 or Exp.2 to the linear
patterns of Ham or Kes and the atmospheric
calm of Exp, Takamasa explores the frontier
between classic electronica and electro-acoustic as
he creates intense organic moments. Using mostly percussive,
often metallic, noises, as main architectural feature,
he builds thick sine wave clouds in the background,
introducing other elements at irregular intervals, even
playing with human voices on Vos and Rec.
It is easy to imagine the correlation that this work
has with visual installations, and the technological
impact that they cast over each other.
Silicom is an incredibly interesting record.
Takamas takes some unusual paths to create the soundtrack
for Masakazu Tagaki’s work, using intricate sounds and
beat patterns to produce dense atmospheres, and abstraction
to create substance.
4/5 |
