Description:	CD on Home Normal (Machinefabriek/ Wouter van Weldhoven/ Mariska Baars/ Leo Fabriek)
	Format:	CD
	Genre(s):	Ambient
	Label:	Home Normal
	Price:	£5.99  (sale price!)
	Availability:	In stock. Dispatched in 1 working day.

5
...according to our Ant on 14 January 2010.

Home Normal are kicking off the year with a whole slew of exciting releases. The first of which is by L/ M/ R/ W (Leo Fabriek, Mariska Baars, Rutger "Machinefabriek" Zuydervelt and Wouter van Veldhoven) and is entitled 'Drifts'. This is comprised of three tracks. The first of which, 'Birthday' is an edit from a live performance which first appeared as a super limited cassette on Digitalis. The track is constructed from Harmonium, guitar, vocal, sampler, effects, taperecorders and melodica. Together they construct a well restrained piece with many subtle layers of micro detail. Zuydervelt's unnerving sense of tension becomes prevalent which really builds the anticipation of a climax you know will probably never happen. Each musicians contribution to the mix works perfectly and what appears to be minimal on the surface is bordering on maximal in terms of its stirring and emotional impact. The second track 'Clay' has Baars on voice and good old Machinefabriek taking care of processing and editing duties where he stretches and layers the vocals into angelic drones. This one is haunting and really very beautiful indeed. This originally appeard as a mega limited 3" CDr. The final number 'Tegendraads' is the artists minus Baars and has some gentle piano, static crackle and some curious and unrecognizable sounds. This is the most organic and less heavily processed track of the three. Recommended.

Love this record? Hate it? Tell us.

Sound clips for Drifts by L/M/R/W: on CD at Norman Records UK. CD, Home Normal, home n009, £5.99.

What their label says...

Four amazing musicians spread over three collaborations on one release. ‘Drifts’ is an engaging and beautiful work. Three compositions / pieces of music / soundscapes / acoustic structures / audio landscapes are collected on the disc. Are they improvised? Are they composed? Are they structured? A combination of any possibility? Does it matter?

L stands for Leo Fabriek adding harmonium to Birthday and subtle piano touches to Tegendraads.

M stands for Mariska Baars who also composes solo as Soccer Committee but never is shy to engage in a collaboration. The only ’she’ of the gang adds guitar and voice on Birthday and voice on Clay.

R stands for Rutger Zuydervelt (aka Machinefabriek) and is the only one featured on all three tracks adding guitar, sampler, effects and editing to Birthday and Tegendraads. On Clay he seems to control the controls.

W stands for Wouter van Weldhoven who also releases solo compositions. On Birthday and Tegendraads he contributes taperecorders and melodica.

The collaborators, the recordings and the title of the release fit perfectly together. Each track has a distinct and individual approach and voice of it’s own. Track 1 Birthday has an almost static feel. Each sound seems to be frozen and locked in itself and layered over and over each other until new overtones shine through the thick fog of sound creating an almost orchestral density. Track 2 Clay has a more quiet beginning. The sense of a voice fades in and takes over the piece. While the voice changes in pitch the track opens up like wings spreading further in the stereo field. After a peak the sounds slowly seem to be crawling back and hiding in the speakers leaving the voice on it’s own again. Track 3 Tegendraads has a calming effect which lets the listener lean back and breathe while the piano notes drop randomly through the track like raindrops falling from the sky at the end of a storm. A voice speaks to the listener which has a soothing effect. The sounds and tones seem to stay more in place not wanting to move forward or backward while circling around and holding each other by the hand

A perfect ending to a superb release! Drifts drifts (1) and drifts (2) and drifts (3) and…

Steinbrüchel

Track 1 and 3 initially released as Live Edits on cassette by Digitalis,
Track 2 initially released as Clay on 3-inch cd-r by Machinefabriek

Drifts has been remastered by Ian Hawgood, with photography by Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek).

Tracklist:
01. Birthday
02. Clay
03. Tegendraads