modulus of resilience

THOUGHTS WORDS ACTION

Modulus Of Resilience is an experimental collaboration album between Cao Thanh Lan, Beat Keller and Gregor Siedl. Their eerie compositions travel beyond standard experimental schematics, these skillful avant-garde artists are bending all the known rules of the genre, so their numbers are reaching towards some new form of contemporary sonic art. The sound comes close to the calmy eerie experimental movie soundtracks that have been mainly used in horror, thriller and film noir movies from the late 30s till mid-50s. However, the resemblance with movie soundtracks perishes as the compositions are passing by, but the trio maintains the minimal ambient, drone and musique concrete sound. The wide specter of various noises, scratches, and all the other experimentations have been achieved by the strong presence of various standard and non-standard instruments. Cao Thanh Lan performs with prepared zither and various electronics, Beat Keller mainly performs with feedbacker electric guitar, while Gregor Siedl incorporates clarinet and electronics. All these instruments are well combined into an organized chaos, uniformed cacophony full of multiple pleasant surprises mainly notable along the way. The trio also sails in some harsh noise and experimental noise waters, but they catalyze the aggressiveness of these particular genres through the filters of minimalistic ambient sound. Modulus Of Resilience seeks your full attention throughout the entire album because of the very detailed segments, sequences and all the other elements which have been cleverly hidden by this trio throughout the album. Cao Thanh Lan, Beat Keller and Gregor Siedl undoubtfully gave their best while recording this album and their effort and involved energy are highly notable on each composition. Modulus Of Resilience has been published by Attenuation Circuit, an experimental record label from Augsburg, Germany. The label carries an impressive amount of magnificent experimental records that have been recorded by the brilliant artists, so I highly advise you to check out their website or Bandcamp page for more detailed info.

https://thoughtswordsaction.com/2020/01/21/1875/

BAD ALCHEMY

Modulus of Resilience (ACU 1010), das verspricht etwas Elastisches, eine unverwüstlich federnde Spannkraft, meint konkret aber, wie weit ein Material unter Belastung Energie absorbieren kann, bevor es biegt oder bricht. Die damit spielen, sind: Die auf Neue Musik spezialisierte Pianistin und Komponistin CAO THANH LAN, 1987 in Hanoi geboren, an präpariertem Marxophon & Electronics. Aus Wien GREGOR SIEDL, ihr Partner in Zicla und Parallel Asteroid und (w/ B. Beins & Nicola Hein) in Junk Orbit, an Klarinette & Electronics. Zusammen ein elektroakustisches Duo mmit bestem Draht in den fernen Osten, wobei Siedl aber auch in Benjamin Sauzereaus Les Chroniques de l'Inutile Tenorsax bläst. Dritter Mann ist BEAT KELLER in Winterthur an Feedbacker Electric Guitar, der ansonsten mit Oliver Roth als Rough Cave Soundtracks für dystopische Comic Strips improvisiert, oder auch mit Joke Lanz, mit Jason Kahn, und der Sound für Micha Stuhlmanns Tanz-Ton-Text-Performance "Ich esse deinen Schatten" stammt ebenfalls von ihm. Er streichelt die Gitarre mit Slide oder traktiert sie wie der manische Manlio Maresca und gibt mit den Effektpedalen noch Stoff. Siedl bebrütet die bloße Luft und köchelt Spucke, auch bei ihm sind Effekte groß geschrieben, die seinen unklaren und selten netten Lauten ein zombieskes Weiterleben ermöglichen. Cao legt ihrer Zither die Hände auf wie eine Heilerin, touchiert sie mit Metall, sie lässt die Saiten mit Ebow schwingen, bepinselt sie mit kleinem Ventilator, umfädelt sie mit nem Band. Ohne Bild bleibt unklar, ob sie oder Keller da pickt, ob er oder Siedl da jault, ob da eine Luftsäule oder Saite schwingt. Die schillernden, scharfen, stechenden Sounds sind im zweifelsfrei schweizerisch, die spröderen und akribischeren von Cao, das tremolierende Wahwah wienerisch. Beschwören möchte ich das freilich nicht, denn kakophil sind sie allesamt, und die Klarinette kirrt nicht weniger spitz über den impulsiv spotzenden Krach oder eine glissandierende Bruchlandung hinweg. Doch Rauschen udn Feedbacknoise verwandeln sich im Handumdrehen in fingerspitzes Mikado, wenn auch mit Dornen. Aus allen Richtungen schwirren, trillern, rumoren Klangpartikel, alles was schief klingen kann, klingt auch schief. Prasselnd, jaulig, drahtharfig, zuckend, schleifend, wie eine von Dämonen besessene Shamisen, ein schief laufendes Feuerwerk, eine Rockgitarre jenseits ihrer Resilienztoleranz. Gitarre kaputt, Klarinette kaputt, Musik kaputt, aber was für ein Spaß für Liebhaber krasser Frequenzen und für alle, die zweifeln, dass das Himmlische und Quadratische das einzig Wahre sind.

http://www.badalchemy.de/

NIEUWE NOTEN

Volgens Wikipedia, geciteerd op de website van Attenuation Circuit is “The modulus of resilience defined as the maximum energy that can be absorbed per unit volume without creating a permanent distortion”. U bent dus gewaarschuwd. Cao Than Lan op geprepareerde zither en elektronica, Beat Keller op elektrisch gitaar en Gregor Siedl op klarinet en elektronica tasten in deze live opnames, gemaakt tussen januari en juni 2018 dan ook de grenzen af van het betamelijke. Om te beginnen door die drie instrumenten op wel heel onorthodoxe wijze in te zetten. Als u op zoek bent naar mooie klanken, kunt u nu dan ook beter afhaken, die zijn op dit album niet te vinden. Pure noise en distortie worden ons deel, de tandarts is er niets bij. Voor wie zich wil laten verrassen, wachten echter acht meer dan bijzondere en opwindende stukken.

Ben Taffijn
https://www.nieuwenoten.nl/?p=7235

VITAL WEEKLY

Although it may sound like one name, this is, in fact, a trio. It features Beat Keller (A great pseudonym I should think, but it is his real name!) on 'customized feedback guitar', Gregor Siedl on clarinet and electronics and Cao Thanh Lan on electronics and prepared zither. The title of the CD is programmatic here, as they roll out Wiki to tell us "the modulus of resilience is defined as the maximum energy that can be absorbed per unit volume without creating a permanent distortion", which actually for me still doesn't mean much, but maximum energy being controlled without leaping into a full blast noise is something I do understand from the music here. The eight pieces were recorded in concert and in the studio in Austria and Switzerland and it's all a direct to tape recording. While I was listening to the music, a few thoughts crossed my mind. The first was that I was wondering how loud this music is supposed to be. At home there is the possibility to control the volume and turn it up or down as you see fit, but how do they do this in concert? I am not sure but I can imagine it is with quite some vigour. Then I was thinking about what this is music is, say if you want to give it a label. And yes, I know giving it a label is surely not something one should do, but alas so these things go. I would think this is not necessarily improvised music in the most traditional sense, or even the more progressive sense, with all the feedback and noise related sounds that fly about, mainly from the guitar, so we could believe, but in fact, all three instruments do not sound very regular. Very occasionally one can recognize the guitar or the clarinet or the zither, but just most of the times one can't and it's all static, crackles, hiss, feedback and noise. It is never too much 'real' noise, in the also traditional sense, as it keeps cutting back and chopping up, never allowing for something to go on for a bit longer. And just as well it also cuts off the volume and leaps into a quieter field of interest, exploring sounds on a more microscopic level. It is all quite the sonic overload but no permanent damage is done and it's a wealth for the ears.

(FdW)
http://www.vitalweekly.net/1172.html