IDM Mailing Archive

OVAL: 94diskont. mille plateaux, 1995 mpcd13 do while 24:04 store check 3:58 line extension 3:02 cross selling 6:06 do while [command-X] 4:50 this is oval's second album, and imho it is far better than the first. oval gets most (all?) of their sounds by fast-forwarding through cd's and playing really scratched up cd's. all of the tracks are "ambient" in a fairly traditional sense of the term - "do while" is almost like a slightly abrasive "discreet music." i think "do while" totally overpowers the other tracks on this cd, both because of the specific sounds used, as well as its length. the two main elements to the track are a bell-sounding melodic loop and a sharp and quick metalic clicking. within the repetition of these elements there are many layers of sound going on, and the rhythms are continually disrupted by off-sync retriggering. the sounds in the other tracks are a little noisier, and i think more like the tracks on oval's first album. still good, but not the same type of experience as "do while" in sound or scale. overall, a great sex album! :) Terre Thaemlitz terremt@med.cornell.edu http://www2.med.cornell.edu/~terremt/Thaemlitz.html Upcoming release 7/25/95: "SOIL" (Instinct)

terre thaemlitz reviewed:

quoted 8 lines OVAL: 94diskont.

>OVAL: 94diskont. >mille plateaux, 1995 mpcd13 > >do while 24:04 >store check 3:58 >line extension 3:02 >cross selling 6:06 >do while [command-X] 4:50

i have a question about the formats of this release. it seems everyone except me (? probably because i have the vinyl?) has got either the first part or the second. the first is the above, the second are four remixes (?), of an american guitarist whose name eludes me at the moment, cristian vogel, scanner, and mouse on mars. it is unclear who remixed who (oval them, or them oval). anyone, my vinyl version of mp13 has both. can anyone clear this up? about the review:

quoted 13 lines this is oval's second album, and imho it is far better than the first. oval

>this is oval's second album, and imho it is far better than the first. oval >gets most (all?) of their sounds by fast-forwarding through cd's and >playing really scratched up cd's. all of the tracks are "ambient" in a >fairly traditional sense of the term - "do while" is almost like a slightly >abrasive "discreet music." i think "do while" totally overpowers the other >tracks on this cd, both because of the specific sounds used, as well as its >length. the two main elements to the track are a bell-sounding melodic loop >and a sharp and quick metalic clicking. within the repetition of these >elements there are many layers of sound going on, and the rhythms are >continually disrupted by off-sync retriggering. the sounds in the other >tracks are a little noisier, and i think more like the tracks on oval's >first album. still good, but not the same type of experience as "do while" >in sound or scale. overall, a great sex album! :)

in interviews and/or other reviews one major difference between the first album and especially the "do while"-track was stressed: "do while" explores the stereo-space. honestly, i also didn't notice this at first listen, but it's probably worth while to give the track another listen keeping this in mind. thanks for the review! why do i like systemisch better...? (just for the trainspotters... systemisch is not oval's first album, as this one is not their second. it's just their first and second on an electronic-music-oriented label.) greets! p.