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CD/DVD Releases: Asmus Tietchens Recycles Fear Falls Burning; Dirk Serries Recycles Black Tape

Posted on Saturday, December 17 @ 18:00:00 UTC by nightowl

Ausbus Tietcyhens and Dirk Serries are kind to the environment... the sonic environment, that is (though perhaps also Earth's environment...). In addition to the previously announced Akhet release (see our October 22 news item), which was released on November 10, there is this release by Asmus Tietshens and Kouhei Matsunaga via Important Records, a split LP from Important Records. Around the time of Fear Falls Burning's larger-scaled collaborative projects Once We All Walk Through Solid Objects on Tonefloat, sources were exchanged with his longtime friend and collaborator Asmus Tietchens. Asmus used the sources now for his split LP on Important Records.

Limited Edition Split 12, curated by Kouhei Matsunaga. Side A features two new tracks from the legendary German sound artist Asmus Tietchens. Side B features two new pieces from Kouhei Matsunaga.

Last summer Important released some highly praised records with Kouhei Matsunaga including a collaborative CD with Sean Booth (Autechre) and Mika Vainio (Pan Sonic), a split LP with Mika Vainio and a full length CD of his own solo work. The breath and quality of Kouhei's work was apparent across these three releases and his compositions for this split LP serve to create connections between his beat based work and his more abstract soundscapes. Kouhei's most recent solo work was just released by Skam.

Asmus Tietchen's contributions to contemporary electronic music is immense. The two pieces making up his side of the record have been sculpted from stochastic sequences of pure sine waves as well as guitar samples given to him by Dirk Serries (Fear Falls Burning) not for the purpose of collaboration but for processing purposes. Sonic events orchestrated by a sonic master.

Dirk Serries recycles Black Tape's 1986 debut (2CD, Projekt Records 2011). Affiliated with the Projekt label for almost 20 years, Dirk Serries pays respect to Sam Rosenthal's own musical creations with recyclings of two songs from Black Tape For A Blue Girl's significant debut album. For a band, Black Tape For A Blue Girl stood out for their unique ability to work more around atmosphere when writing the songs and this is exactly what appealed to Dirk Serries. The debut The Rope alongside A Chaos Of Desire remain his favorites.

"In 1986, Black Tape For A Blue Girl's darkly mesmerizing debut The Rope appeared on the underground rock scene. It kicked off a rich and diverse musical career for Projekt founder / Blacktape songwriter Sam Rosenthal. Now 25 years later, Projekt celebrates this momentous anniversary with The Rope 25, a 2-CD set including The Rope re-mastered and a bonus disc of current Projekt artists' reinterpretations of the material. Eight-page lyrics booklet included while supplies last, so order now!

Rosenthal's electronics coupled with his angst-filled, introspective lyrics established Black Tape For A Blue Girl's position beyond the traditional "gothic" sound. His lyrics overflow with the emptiness of a shattered soul and broken heart revealing a dark, tortured man scanning the wreckage in search of love, understanding, and connection. The timeless blend of Oscar Herrera's passionate vocals intertwining with warm electronic soundscapes and soothing ambient passages creates an album similiar to 80s-era releases on 4AD and Factory Records.

Opening the album is the rhythmic, hard-hitting "Memory Uncaring Friend," along the lines of Peter Murphy or Gang of Four. Following this striking opener, the music takes a more subtle turn: gently disorienting, autumnal, mesmerizing, mournful, full of wonder and elusive grandeur. Upon The Rope's release, comparisons were made to Cocteau Twins, Brian Eno, Phillip Glass and Chris & Cosey.

In 1986, Star Hits magazine wrote, "Black Tape For A Blue Girl's The Rope is like the musical equivalent of a nervous breakdown. Complete with dark, scary lyrics that make The Smiths sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks, this might give you an idea of what mental anguish sounds like. It is an experiment worth hearing." Option Magazine speculated, "The lyrics are of a masochistic nature, which reflects a probable suicide in the writer's future. Sung by and for those in love with self-misery." Many of the lyrics (and accompanying stories with the instrumentals) on The Rope dwell upon suicide as a response to a lack of love; an attempt to derive affirmation after the writer had left. "I cared for you more than you ever knew, I do this to show you now." Oscar sings on the title track. "I see my answer on the end of a rope, the world turned cold for me." While the final song - "We Return" - looks to others in a similar situation as a solace for the pain and emptiness. "From the black house, we return. Clutching secrets, we must learn. A glimmer of hope." Available from Projekt Records.

[Source: Dirk Serries newsletter]

Posted in Album Release News