This, in my opinion, reflects a bit of history, synchronicity, and damn
good writing skills. Something to inspire us all. Teep
From marmoset@garnet.mich.com
Date: Mon, 3 Apr 1995 11:35:28 -0400 (EDT)
From: Dave Walker <marmoset@garnet.mich.com>
To: Ommmmmmmm <ambient@hyperreal.org>
Cc: Detroit Techno Mailing List <313@taz.hyperreal.org>
Subject: (313) retro-review BC05: Quadrant Dub EP
Quadrant Dub (EP) [BC06] - Basic Channel (Basic Channel)
Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon (cue crooning rock guys) and rifling through
a stack of 12" singles, I came across an EP I bought over a year ago and
never, I must admit, listened to much. I'd gotten to thinking about it
after taking the continually wonderful Elements of and Experiments With
Sound comp from Planet E for another spin. Towards the end of that CD is a
most elegant and sophisticated house track, credited to Quadrant. Having
turned my blue and white striped trainspotter's cap around (bill first,
you understand), I knew that Quadrant was another nom-de-bass for the
finest Teutonic/Motor City-rific proponents of subtle murk-driven four
track traxx, Basic Channel. The original "Quadrant" EP made its initial
appearance on R&S Ghent, along with (I'm told) a limited edition Planet E
pressing. Anyway, it struck me that I had a pretty a-typical remix of this
track floating around somewhere.
Having picked up the BC "Quadrant Dub" EP before I'd ever heard the
original mix, I was singularly unimpressed by it originally. All I
remembered was some barely-there thumping, and watery wobbly off-center
pressing. Keep in mind that my other exposure to BC consisted of the
anthem "Lyot" and the now classic "Phylyps Trak/Base/Axis" EP -- I was
expecting another clattering, booming monster. So I filed it away and
never really thought about it again.
...until yesterday, when I got an urge to listen to it again. Surprise,
surprise, this wine had certainly improved with age. Listening to it
again, I figured out what was going on. I'll have to paint a little
picture here. You're standing on the shore of a bay. The fog is so thick
you can only see a foot or so in front of your face. There's so much
moisture in the air you can hear it hissing as it coats your face, your
glasses... You know that there's a small island located about two or three
miles out into the bay. You hear a faint pounding, metronomic, from the
direction of the island. Or at least you think it's the island -- the
acoustics in this inlet are kind of screwy, the wet wind distorts the
sound, the phasing is off, it's like the Doppler effect but you're not
moving. There must be some sort of ritual going on out there, but you can
barely make out the sound. Is that a human voice? I'd swear that's gospel
singing! The pounding continues, and some sort of subsonic bass swelling
accompanies it, but it's still slightly out of sync.
That's what "Quadrant Dub I" sounds like.
OK, you're in a dingy, having just been rescued from the sinking Titanic.
Gavin Bryars is in the next boat, gazing wistfully at the huge steamer
tilting in the distance. He starts mumbling to you about the band on the
boat deck playing hymns while the ship sinks. You don't hear the band
though. You hear the house music DJ who has got his 1200's set up near the
stern. It sounds like he's playing that Quadrant EP that came out on R&S.
Strangely enough, though, even after the ship gives a final lurch and
slides beneath the icy cold waves, you can still hear the EV-MT's pulsing.
Gavin still swears that he can hear the string quartet, but you hear the
808.
That's what "Quadrant Dub II" sounds like.
Thankyouverymuch and a good knight.
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dave walker, detroit art services
marmoset@mich.com phat phorest phires