At the moment, I can’t think of a familiar sound that I both hate and love with equal measure besides the hum of an rattling snare drum. As soon as I notice it in pretty much any context it’s all I can hear, especially if the performance or recording is a sparser one, and sometimes it’s more grating than a squeaky kick pedal or an out-of-tune tom. But then I hear something like Music for Snare Drums and Portable Speakers and remember to appreciate this strain of resonance, which, when it’s the center of attention, has a lot to offer sonically. “Resonance” means multiple things in the case of this pair of live sets from the ongoing trio project; the tense, tactile interactions between the speaker playback (and feedback) and the snared surfaces as they’re both held and struck is in focus, but so is a distinct emotional essence that reaches far beyond just experimentation. The constrained eddies of “Hackney Marshes” especially get downright gorgeous at times, helped along by the respiring ecosystem beneath them, and the hiss and rush of the agitated wires sounds too organic not to be breath too as it sinks into the swamp. It’s a very exciting tape, even aside from the fact that the credits are a miniature who’s who of fellow radical minimalists, and it’s proof that austerity is not inherent to such a stripped-back, formal approach. So no more excuses from anyone else.
Noise Not Music 