I just got a copy of Ryoji Ikeda's new album yesterday. It's a 2CD set
called "Matrix'.... my first impression was: boring. yawn. gimme a break. I
love 0?C that i already have, and the other Ikeda releases I've heard here
and there (or maybe just the odd mp3 or two) I've enjoyed as well.
My problem with Matrix is this: the first disc, Matrix [for rooms], is
really best suited as a sound installation (which appears to be the artist's
intent anyway). It's basically a solitary tone with some overtones/etc.
gradually changing over nearly an hour. I can appreciate the minimalism,
severity, etc.... but it's nothing I particularly find engaging. I've heard
other releases take on minimalism almost as extremely and handle it
significantly better. So while it's mildly interesting as a concept, it's
nothing I will feel inclined to put in my player.
On the other hand, the second disc titled ".matrix" (i like the dot-matrix
play on words, intentional or not) is a little more up to my expectations.
it is not as scattered as 0?C, i.e. no crazy dynamics, less cut and paste,
and it evolves very gradually, but it has that much going for it over the
first disc: it evolves. In many ways this disc reminds me a lot of the new
Komet release "Rausch," in which each track builds on the last one but it
takes you on a journey, start to finish. Obviously there are stylistic
differences between Komet and Ikeda, so don't expect it to be too similar
otherwise.
On a side note the Ken Ikeda release (any relation? I don't think so, but
haven't been able to verify) "Tzuki [Moon]", also on Touch, is a fairly good
ambient album. It's a little warmer than Ryoji (it would be hard to be
colder) but on a first impression I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Keep in mind that I have yet to listen to the Ikeda first disc all the way
through even, and I haven't tackled any of it on headphones yet which I
think is a fairly important thing to do with these releases. I'm just giving
my first impression.
matt
quoted 8 lines From: "Jason J. Tar" <tarjason@pilot.msu.edu>
>From: "Jason J. Tar" <tarjason@pilot.msu.edu>
>To: idm@hyperreal.org
>Subject: [idm] New Ikeda?
>Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 06:16:13 -0500
>
>I'm finding it a bit badly that no one has reviewed this disc yet.... Any
>comments? The price tag is keeping me away, but I am curious. Thanks.
>
+------------------------------------+
m.mercer :: systm
audio-visual communicator
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/98/systm.html
mmercer@kent.edu :: vletrmx@hotmail.com
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