Tag: Christophe Charles

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Review – unter den linden – und transit (NVO) 2010 – by thorsten soltau, aeamg

CHRISTOPHE CHARLES / Unter den Linden
I8U / Und Transit
Nonvisualobjects

»Unter Den Linden/Und Transit« beginnt mit einer dreißigminütigen Komposition von Christophe Charles, basierend auf einem Konzert welches er im Studio von Mark Fell (SND) gab. Der Anfang ist mikrotonal einfach gehalten, kurzgeschorene Klangpartikel wirbeln aus dem Mix, ehe Bordun und Paukenschlagähnliche Sounds einsetzen und dem Mikrokosmos mehr Breite und Tiefe geben. Im späteren Verlauf kommen manipulierte Flugzeuggeräusche hinzu, aufgenommen aus der Ferne, die den dünnen Klangstrom überlagern. Das Stück tritt nie auf der Stelle, die teilweise noisigen Sequenzen (clever integriert durch den Einsatz von stetig veränderten Equalizerparametern) interagieren als Brücke für einen gänzlich anderen Fortgang des Stückes. Nach einer Viertelstunde verlässt Charles jedoch die Opulenz der ersten Minuten und verwischt granuliertes Flirren mit maschinenhaften Summen zu einem minimalen Soundtrack, der am Ende in ein älteres Stück von 1987 übergeht, basierend auf dem Klang einer Telefonklingel, einem Silo und einem Abfallwagen, der in seiner klanglichen Naivität durchaus in die Livekomponenten von David Jackman gepasst hätte.
Umseitig bieten i8u 5 Kompositionen, die die deutsche Wocheneinteilung abbilden und mit »Montag« eine frequenzangereicherte Droneexkursion bieten, die sich durch röhrende Schachmuster windet und gleichzeitig exorbitant hohe Sinuswellen verarbeitet, die den Hörgenuß zumindest via Kopfhörer etwas erschweren. Dabei finden sich in den Kompositionen durchaus mikrotonale Zusammenhänge verarbeitet, die sich via Lautsprecher schwer fassen lassen dürften. Während »Dienstag« reduziertes Dröhnen mit Sinusschnipseln bietet, fällt die Zurückgenommenheit am »Donnerstag« ganz: eine tödlich schöne Wolke aus
zerfaserten Klassikpartikeln (GAS lässt grüßen) schwebt über dem sinusoiden
Klanguntergrund, in dessen Verlauf sich weitere minimale Schwebebestandteile einbinden. Während der Tag vorm »Wochenende« sich eher an Mika Vainio’s Installationsklangdichte versucht, ist das tatsächliche »Wochenende« ein sich langsam steigender Mix aus Klavierklängen, Feldaufnahmen und Sinustönen, dessen Opulenz sich jedoch bisweilen bis an den Rand des erträglichen bewegt. Eine nicht ganz unanstrengende Arbeit.

(thorsten soltau, aeamg)

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Review – unter den linden – und transit (NVO) 2010 – by massimo ricci, brain dead eternity

CHRISTOPHE CHARLES / Unter den Linden
I8U / Und Transit
Nonvisualobjects

Admittedly, your reviewer is still far from enlightenment in regard to the generation of Unter Den Linden. Christophe Charles refers to a concert by Mark Fell in 2009 as a “Grundton” for the composition, then specifies that sources recorded in the same year and in 1987 (!) were also used. Then again, there’s a mention of a prior piece called “HCDC”, made after the death of Daniel Charles in 2008, and a hint to Massenet for good measure. These scattered pills of knowledge should not detour the potential audience from the fact that these 30 minutes surely belong in the high ranks of acousmatic music. A masterful sequence of quiet environments and breath-holding atmospheres, ruptured by extraordinary moans of flying airplanes (as loyal readers know very well, I could listen to those sorrow-eliciting sliding drones for the whole extent of my residual life and die happy). Even the most insignificant constituents become essential, including the chugging of various vehicles or the weak signal of a radio. The composer’s insightfulness does the rest, highlighting the existential breathing that perennially underlies silence in the “right” way, creating a world of vacant presences that place the addressee inside their sheer enormity, ultimately reminding us about what “sensible listening” really means.

I8U presents the sonic result of her observation of “a particular passageway in Minoritenplatz” as she was attending an artistic residency in the Austrian city of Krems. For a second time I am left guessing by the liners, which didn’t manage to let me comprehend if that area was subsequently utilized for a quadraphonic installation, or just inspired it. Und Transit – mainly derived from field recordings – stands on its own legs without the environmental component, though. It is largely based on stationary gaseous matters and distinct tones, motionless chords and slightly anguishing impressions depicted by an otherworldly frozen ensemble (except the first movement, which – at the risk of derision – might vaguely recall the “legendary” intro to Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”). One remains enthralled by these stunning suspensions, enhanced by sharp ultrasonic frequencies that successfully divert our attention from the outside world’s remote manifestations while mixing seamlessly with the evening’s crickets. The struggle of this excellent work to prevail over the depression drawn out by the misshapen mazurka echoes coming from the neighbouring hill emphasizes the seriousness of the gap between actively researching human beings and pork-swallowing retards quite effectively. And yet, both sides share this cosmic macrocosm we were thrown in (which, to be honest, is rather degrading). Therefore, play this in utter quietness to appreciate its true worth: the fourth track – “Freitag” – is the decoding key for shaving the hairiest hearts.
massimo ricci, brain dead eternity)

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Review – unter den linden – und transit (NVO) 2010 – by Felix, freistil

CHRISTOPHE CHARLES / Unter den Linden
I8U / Und Transit

Nonvisualobjects

An der Untergrenze der Wahrnehmungsschwelle beginnt dafür die Aufnahme von Christophe Charles, unter den linden (nv°22). Das Stück, das ursprünglich den schönen Titel „Why is there something rather than nothing?“ trug, bezieht seine Umbenennung nicht auf Berlin, sondern auf einen spanischen Lastwagen gleichen Namens sowie auf den Filmtitel „Sous les tilleuls“ von Jules Massenet, der – wie auch dieses Stück gegen das Ende zu – Glockentöne und ihre Veränderung durch Windgeräusche hörbar macht. Komponiert nach dem Tod seines Vaters Daniel Charles, schafft Christophe Charles aus vielen field recordings eine Computermusik in stiller, friedlicher Atmosphäre. Teil zwei dieser 22. nv°-CD entstand während dreier Monate, als i8u, bürgerlich: France Jobin, in Krems/NÖ artist in residence war. Der leere Raum des Minoritenplatzes inspirierte sie zur Quadrophonie-Komposition und transit. Von der Struktur und dem Gestus her ideal zur Arbeit von Christophe Charles passend, öffnet auch die Klanginstallation von i8u ruhige akustische Räume. In Summe zwei wundervolle soundscapes: skulpturale Elektronik an der endlich abgeschafften Grenze zwischen Musik, Architektur und Bildender Kunst.
(felix, freistil)

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Review – unter den linden – und transit (NVO) 2010 – by TJ Norris, Toneshift

CHRISTOPHE CHARLES / Unter den Linden
I8U / Und Transit
Nonvisualobjects

This is one of nonvisualobjects’ three new releases, all of which are collaborations, or split eps, by two artists. Here we have the latest by both Marseille’s Christophe Charles and Canadian sound sculptor i8u respectively. Starting with Charles’ Unter den Linden, a wonderfully atmospheric 30-minute composition which was performed in concert at SND Studios (UK) in early 2009. By using the sounds of wind — and of flying things like planes and birds — the skies are heralded. The above and beyond sounds pay homage to his recently deceased father, Daniel Charles. There’s something of a spirited rumble, though this is quite low-flying and vibratory. A transitional piece that lulls and suspends throughout, like a haunting reminder, or a flickering light at the end of a dark cavernous space that you gravitate towards curiously. Once through you are out on a bustling street, walking through the din of the city. Worlds slowly collide, politely shifting as an ascending craft swallows the scene, leaving behind a semblance of trickling water and whisper.

On Und Transit i8u (France Jobin) paints a restrained world with sine waves by bending elegant sounds, paired with the echoey hollows of a passageway in Lower Austria. During an art residency she found a certain inspiration in the Minoritenplatz, a long corridor towards her studio. Within these sounds of emptiness Jobin recorded a certain reverberation here, a path that shuttles you in secret. The five pieces that comprise the recording are a collection of manipulated field recordings in and around the city of Krems known for its eye-popping riverscapes and historical architecture. Unlike most North American cities contemporary art is integral to the social structure of daily life here. i8u helps draw from daily walks through the city in what may be better described as a micro-encoded mapping of her meanderings. It is on Donnerstag that this becomes most evident on this very elusive work. It lifts gently, opens with an airy drone, rises and glides away.

TJ Norris
toneshift

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Review – unter den linden – und transit (NVO) 2010 – by Frans de Waard, Vital Weekly

unter den linden – Christophe Charles | und transit – i8u on NVO

The second new release is also a split one, this time between I8U and Christophe Charles. He opens up with a piece called ‘Unter Den Linden’ and it uses various sounds of airplanes, telephone bells, a silo and a Spanish garbage truck. It lasts thirty minutes and it takes a while before it unfolds. The processing seems to be minimal here, but you’re never sure then about these sort of things. Its an alright piece of music based on field recordings, but also the best I ever heard in this field. Canada’s I8U has five pieces, which she recorded while doing a 3 months artist residency in Krems, Austria. While walking to the studio, she noticed some particular passageway at the Minoritenplatz, which seemed ‘lonely’, ignored by those who used it. She collected field recordings around the small city of Krems and did a four channel installation based on the emptiness of the passageway. These five pieces are typical of the current interests of I8U: high pitched sine waves, but not high involume, and down on the ground there are bits of low end sound. Field recordings are hard to recognize here, if at all. Here too I have the idea that I am listening to something that is actually quite good, but also not very surprising. It might be due to the fact that I8U uses a too similar approach to treating her sounds. The outcome, in both cases is however nice enough.

(FdW) Vital Weekly

nonvisualobjects