After
six albums and nearly ten years, Simon Pike remains largely
unknown, and these two records are unlikely to very much
alter this trend. With sonic configurations approaching
surgical precision, Freeform has however become something
of a legend on the electronic scene, alongside Autechre
and Coil. Pike’s releases, flirting in turn with ambient,
electronica, techno, dub and industrial have proven to
be enduring records. His vision of abstraction has attracted
a good few labels, from Worm Interface, who released his
two first LPs, to Warp, Skam, Leaf and, more recently,
Sub Rosa and their sub-label Quatermass. This apparent
dispersion, although likely to have something to do with
Freeform not managing to establish himself more firmly,
has most definitely allowed him to experiment more freely
with sound.
Resulting of two months spent recording street noises,
instruments (dan bau, tam thap luc, co’ng or po) and environmental
sounds in the Yunnan province, in the South West of China
and in Vietnam, Audio-Tourism is not a documentary
on traditional oriental music by any stretch of the imagination.
Built around these sources, sampled, processed and re-conceptualised,
this album is above all the work of an accomplished musician.
All beat structures are based on actual percussions, mixed
with drum machines to form complex combinations on which
Pike applies textured sound combinations, expanding on
the sonorities collected. As the man assembles without
distinction samples from different areas, each track feeds
on combined atmospheres, creating intricate impressionist
patchworks of intense beauty.
For the second segment of this project, Simon Pike asked
a handful of artists, including Jan Jelinek, Tal, Bill
Laswell, Atom™ and Autechre, to work from his material
and same sound sources, giving them total freedom of interpretation.
More than a remix album, Audio-Tourism Reinterpretations
takes the original concept to new heights as each artist
give their own vision of the work and reading of the resources
available. If the versions by Tal or Bill Laswell do simply
with juxtaposing found sounds and electronic treatments,
pretty much conserving the elements in their original
form, Jan Jelinek’s, Shudo’s or Mash’ta’s processing is
more acute, perfectly integrating them into their own
soundscapes by fervently deconstructing them. Rather unsurprisingly,
the most challenging and detached input comes from Autechre.
With a sound design equalling their most intricate and
abstract work, the Manchester duo submit a minimalist
piece of structural glitch and distorted drones.
This release comes with an additional CD featuring almost
thirty minutes of original sound sources. More than a
sonic photo album, this gives an interesting insight on
the found sounds used on both albums.
The Audio-Tourism collection amazes by its sonic
qualities, as Simon Pike avoids the pit falls of a techno-world
album by not over-loading his compositions with sound
sources, creating intense soundscapes cleverly put together
and processed. Audio-Tourism Reinterpretations
presents a different angle on the project, with all the
artists involved expanding on Pike’s mini-disc recordings
and original work, bringing new elements and personalities
to the music. If both album work perfectly on their own,
the combined listening experience is even more fascinating.
Audio-Tourism: Vietnam & China: 4.5/5 / Reinterpretations:
4/5 |
