Magnétophone:
French for tape recorder. It is also the name of a new
act signed by 4AD only a few months ago, and made-up
of Matt Saunders and John Hanson.
According to their record label, the decidedly active
4AD, the two boys have started their musical search
by playing stylophone under water. A somewhat strange
idea that sums up the odd nature of their first album,
I Guess Sometimes I Need To Be Reminded Of How Much
You Love Me. And what to say about this record,
apart that it definitely is a disconcerting piece. Obviously
inspired by the work of the likes of Pierre Henry or
John Cage, Saunders & Hanson use sounds as row material
to create fragile and chaotic collaged structures, just
to crash them and start again. Nothing is wasted; everything
goes through a tedious recycling process, just for the
sake of it. All this could be disastrous. However, it
turns out to be a significantly more interesting statement
than it seems at first. Magnétophone are good
at what they do. Sometimes flirting with Autechre
or Scanner, their
noise pollution factory also looks at quieter genres,
even if for rapid moments. It is difficult to isolate
one particular track, as each one interacts on the next
with cheek and innocence at the same time. The fuzzy
guitar in Air Methods, incidentally one of
their first release, on Earworm, is reflected on So
Much As Hold My Hand, the fat greasy bass line
of How I Learned To Love The Future, gently
undermined by a voice repeating a certain "F" word over
and over, is found wandering earlier, in Californium,
the calmer Love Needs You is mirrored in the
Aphex Twin sound-alike
Why Stop When It Feels So Good?
Magnétophone, with their Lego constructions,
are desperately contemporary in their work, and enchanting
with their creativity. I Guess… is a generous
sonic experience, and Saunders & Hanson have arranged
to pave their way with hidden treasures all along. It
is for the listener to reveal them one by one, and enjoy.
5/5 |
