Pieces of “music” that were recorded in a kitchen, sound like they were recorded in a kitchen, make use of the sounds or emissions of kitchen-like implements, have “kitchen” in their titles, etc.
00:00. Hair Clinic – “In the Kitchen” from Mirror in a Bag(self-released, 2020)
01:17. Graham Lambkin & Jason Lescalleet – “There and Back” from The Breadwinner(Erstwhile, 2008)
Stew is a good meal to make on a freezing cold evening when you just need some warmth in your body. Stew is also a good meal to make when all you have are some broth and a pile of disparate ingredients you don’t really know what to do with. Apply the two preceding sentences to dense, playful collage music—what I like to refer to as “sonic stew”—and the claims still hold true. Go ahead and help yourself to a sizable spoonful.
00:00. Faust – beginning of “Why Don’t You Eat Carrots?” from Faust(Polydor, 1971)
00:56. Gus Coma – “Meet Our Employees” from Color Him Coma (It’s War Boys, 1983)
03:58. Sugar Pills Bone – “Lumb Airline Crash on Blue Waffle Island” from Lumb(Orb Tapes, 2019)
07:29. Martin Tétreault – “Induction” from La Nuit Où J’Ai Dit Non (Audioview, 1997)
This one is about how the most earnest emotional expression can be found amongst the furthest edges of “music.” A collection of works, improvisations, and excerpts from artists whose creations are removed and subversive yet profoundly personal.
Shots
00:00. Daniel Löwenbrück – “Gebet in den Wind” from 1800m (Recordings for the Summer, 2014)
05:25. John Collins McCormick – “5” from One Bone in the Arm(Pan y Rosas Discos, 2018)
07:21. Shots – excerpt from A side of Up Front (Bánh Mì Verlag, 2016)
10:20. Jean Tinguely – excerpt from B side of Bascule VII (Manhood, 1994)
12:14. Yeast Culture – “Feral Fleeces Falling in Flannel Flurries and Fit for Felting” from Shit on a Shingle (Petri Supply, 2013)
14:56. Hardworking Families – “Illy Alley” from BA / LS / BN(Beartown, 2016)
20:51. Hangjun Lee & Martin Tétreault – excerpt from A side of Film Walk(Crustacés, 2017)
23:18. 010001111000 – “okasi yarou” from lmof (Vitrine, 2015)
28:47. Alyssa Festa – “websdr_recording_2017-07-06T22-05-51Z_3924.8kHz” from Alyssa Festa(A R C H I V E, 2018)
If you’re at all familiar with experimental music or adventurous sounds in general, it’s not an uncommon sight to see a musician credited with playing “objects” in the liner notes of a release. “Object” is clearly not a very specific classification, but here we take it to refer to something whose primary purpose is not music-making yielding sound, whether melodic or textural. The field of sound art is often concerned with exploring the acoustic properties and potentials of such objects, and they are also used in abstract improvisational contexts or as unconventional percussion devices. The tracks selected for this mix range from the primitive junk-painting of early Japanese pioneers Group Ongaku to manipulations of electric circuits and robotics to layered compositions formed from recordings of household appliances. I love this kind of stuff for many reasons: the use of objects requires no formal musical training or knowledge, their unique timbres can be harnessed for such a wide variety of purposes, and, most importantly, unexpected beauty is the best kind of beauty. Enjoy.
Rie Nakajima (photo by Q-02 Gallery)
00:00. Group Ongaku – “Object” from Music of Group Ongaku(Hear Sound Art Library, 1996)
04:57. Akio Suzuki – “Aeolian Harp” from Odds and Ends(Hören, 2002)
08:49. Jean-Luc Guionnet & Thomas Tilly – “Window, contact recording #1” from Stones, Air, Axioms / Delme(Fragment Factory, 2018)
10:56. John Collins McCormick – “7” from One Bone in the Arm(Pan y Rosas, 2018)
14:32. Joe Colley – “Untitled Unstable Stereo Circuit” from Disasters of Self (C.I.P., 2010)
Noise Not Music 