IDM Mailing Archive

i would debunk this for being excessively laudatory if i did not complete agree pthalo= 1337 bow down -sko ----- Original Message ----- From: "david turgeon" <david.t@steam.ca> To: <idm@hyperreal.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 11:51 AM Subject: [idm] phthalocyanine: the beauty in aimlessness

quoted 1 line I only have Phthalocyanine's Navy Warship which I thought was good but

> > I only have Phthalocyanine's Navy Warship which I thought was good but

not

quoted 1 line great (though I haven't listened to it a lot/it's been a long time since

> > great (though I haven't listened to it a lot/it's been a long time since

I

quoted 38 lines did... I should maybe update my impressions...) Seemed a bit amateur and

> > did... I should maybe update my impressions...) Seemed a bit amateur and > > aimless... But it did have a couple of interesting ideas. > > sorry, just had to jump on this one. > > phthalocyanine is "amateur & aimless" like pollock or riopelle make > "amateur & aimless" paintings. his music does sound unlikely & bizarre > at first but you have to listen to it with a different ear than the one > you listen to autechre or plone with. i.e. don't look for the classic > hooks & punches, for this music is about devoid of it. phthalocyanine's > music is total ART, in the most glorious, cathartic fashion you can > think of. > > unlike harsh noise (merzbow & al) or power electronics, which usually > end up all to linear & predictable, phthalo's musical constructions are > completely offbase, they start & stop unexpectedly, giving you almost no > time to do the "armchair appreciation" thing unless you listen to it > again & again, which is when the real magic of it unfolds. i would even > say that there's about no way you could "like" phthalo on a first listen > unless you're in the right mindset. the reason is simple: there is so > much to understand & appreciate on a micro level, & so little on the > macro level (which is what i'd call the "organic" quality of it, found > very rarely in post-electroacoustic music except perhaps in hecker's > _[ot] xackpy breakpoint_ or shirt trax's _good news about space_ (both > on or)). > > though then again... another interesting aspect of phthalo is _also_ > that he manages to somehow blend "popular" & "arcane" aspects of music. > the loud, chaotic beats have much in common with, say, early rephlex. > the melodies aren't even that bizarre; indeed sometimes they're dramatic > to the point of being unbearable (_vints.73_ off _25 tracks_ is one of > the very rare electronic tracks to have _ever_ made me cry out of sheer > beauty). yet it is how they are pieced together, seemingly carelessly, > but always with an amount of exuberance & confidence which only a > handful of electronic music producers are able to muster (hrvatski, cex > & crank/lowres come closest in my mind). this exuberance is also > present in much of the releases from phthalo records, although they > sometimes seem to lack the aforementioned organic quality i like about

phthalocyanine.

quoted 22 lines in the end, phthalocyanine's records are nothing but purely

> > in the end, phthalocyanine's records are nothing but purely > LIFE-AFFIRMING, mighty beautiful & vital. i recommend that you go back > to _navy warship_ & that you immediately acquire _25 tracks fer 1 track_ > (on planet mu). don't even mind if it takes you a while to get it... > i'm not even done with _25 tracks_ yet as it is so overwhelming. i let > it age, like a good wine. > > (as a hint though: i must say crank's _wanton phenomena_ (mille > plateaux) did much to make me appreciate certain aspects of > phthalocyanine's music i hadn't yet understood. crank's music is easier > on the ears & the brain, but is still relentless & organic, & may be a > better starting point to this rare form of music.) > > okay, back to lurking... > > ~ david > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org >

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