Brendan Murray / Perispirit

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Brett on Fri 19 Mar, 2010.

More windy drones here, this time from Brendan Murray who's apparently carved these immense isolationist monoliths solely from the voice of a fella by the name of Noell Dorsey. The sinister thing is that you can just about make out some tiny sliver of that human source, processed to the point where I can't help but imagine terrifying corpselike mutations dragging their way across a post-nuclear wasteland. That's me not sleeping tonight (again). Perispirit sounds like a brand of deodorant but it's actually the duo of Ricardo Donoso and Luke Moldorf. Their piece goes a little harsher, with noise clusters crashing against each other before dissipating into cold, melodic synth tones then re-turning on a sixpence back to the chaos. I like!

Razors and Medicine and Semata Productions are pleased to announce the first long playing record release of both Brendan Murray and Perispirit. Murray has been making waves around Boston, the USA, and the world since 1999. Perispirit, the collaborative project of Ricardo Donoso and Luke Moldof formed in late 2007, is known by their dynamic live performances and two cassette releases.

Brendan Murray’s “Birches and Marksman’s Graves (Voice and Computer #1)” is a clear summation of his interest in controlled drones and gestural improvisation with a step into the unknown. Murray is always keen to transform and manipulate an instrument sound color to the point of non-recognition, utilizing a single source for this piece: the voice of Noell Dorsey.

The piece opens with dissonant clusters, moving up and down generating momentum, keeping the music physical while still highly controlled. Vague hints of melody lie underneath the cracks trying to seep through but are swallowed up by the turbulence. It gradually gives way to extended technique vocalisms that call to mind sound poetry and at times even the Sprechstimme of Schoenberg. Later the swirling tones return with a combination of both the higher and lower pitch clusters. It sounds like falling infinitely downward. Perispirit’s side offers a statement that is equally focused but bares little if any resemblance to Murray’s piece. It can be described as more active than their previous material, utilizing quick sectional transitions, relying on three key components: harsh noise, delicate melodic work, and degraded lo-fi manipulations.

The piece begins with dynamic harsh cutups that pay attention to sound specialization and stereo field manipulations inspired by the likes of Sickness and Pain Jerk. The momentum grows and is quickly brought down to almost nothing creating a feeling of aural blue balls. The process is resumed and then the piece breaks into looping guitar passages with a subtle electronic underpinning. The layers build than disappear. The noise returns building to a heightened peak of frustration until it drops off and we are left with the sound of life’s monotony. Gradually a wall of drone begins to creep in and eventually overtakes all else.

Edition of 250 pressed on 160 gram off white vinyl featuring full color LP jackets & labels; mastered by Kris Lapke.

4...according to HumanKitten.

Brendan Murray's piece is the standout here, and as the previous reviewer stated, a little disturbing. Snippets of human pain processed almost past the point of recognition, it had me in tears after a minute and a half. But amazing, and I'll definitely be looking into more of Murray's stuff. The Perispirit track is delicate, surrounded by lo-fi static (can you get high fidelity static?!) but nothing I haven't heard before, and better. Sorry, Perispirit. :(

Rating: 4 out of 5

So, what do you think? Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!