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Evil Rabbit Records 012 |
AUDREY CHEN/ROBERT VAN HEUMEN - Abattoir (Evil Rabbit 12; Netherlands) [limited time sale price] Featuring Audrey Chen on cello & vocals and Robert Van Heumen on laptop & controllers. I am not familiar with Mr. Van Heumen who I believe is from the Netherlands where this disc was recorded, but I am a big fan of Baltimore-based improviser & sonic sorceress Audrey Chen. I've caught Ms. Chen on a number of occasions and heard her play an astonishing duo set with Tatsuya Nakatani last Sunday (1/31/10) at The Stone. I can't think of a more magical and transportative improv set that I've attended in ages. Audrey's approach to the cello and strange vocalizing are completely unique and utterly distinctive. For this disc Audrey is working with another sonic wizard and like-minded improviser named Robert Van Heumen. Right away on "Bloodknot" we know we are in for something special with layers of odd vocal sounds being manipulated and her cello droning suspensefully underneath. Van Heumen sounds like he is sampling the wind and/or altering static or quiet feedback. Ms. Chen uses her voice like instrument, bending and twisting it into all kinds of bizarre shapes. Each sound is carefully selected and occasionally manipulated so that nothing is as it seems. Sometimes that static erupts while different layers of vocal sounds enter from different places. There times when it if difficult to tell the vocals, cello and electronics apart since they are in a similar range and are equally brittle and consistently surprising. Considering that this disc is an hour long, I found myself tranfixed and often at the edge of my seat wondering how they were making all of these remarkable sounds and what would come next. Something incredible I assure you. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery |
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Audrey Chen - voice & cello 1. Bloodknot 13:12 Total playing time: 60:03 All music by audrey chen & robert van heumen Tracks 1 & 2 recorded live at Steim's local stop concert on may 22 2008 Design: Lysander le Coultre (Strangelove creatives)
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