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Recommended by us on 8th October 2010
...according to our Phil on Wed 06 Oct, 2010.
First of all, this looks mint. You get a CD in a hessian sleeve wrapped in typed paper sleeve all stringed up. Inside there's bits of paper and all sorts and there's even a few cloves chucked in so it smells nice. So it's not just about the ears. It's a joint release between Handstitched and Fluid Audio and if you missed the lst Hessien CD then it's a collaborative electro acoustic jobbie between Tim Martin (Maps & Diagrams) and an Aussie sound artist called Charles Sage. It's kinda like 2 EP's on one CD. You get Obelisk which is 4 tracks of electro acoustic textured ambience which is the usual high quality goodness you'd expect. Closely followed by Stelea which is 4 tracks remixes by Solo Andata, Jasper TX, Zeleinople and Konntinent. It's mint as well! Fans of (interesting) ambient music and textured drone music will lap this up. There's some gorgeous moments on it as the Jasper TX mix proves. It's meltingly lovely. Limited to 200 copies for the world and we've got a handful and then it's gone!
Limited to 200 copies for the world. Fluid Audio and Handstitched* have joined forces to release an EP by Hessien entitled “Obelisk|Stelea” including exclusive reworking of the original source material by Solo Andata, Jasper TX, Zelienople and Konntinent…
Surprising astrologists everywhere, Hessien continue to generate spontaneously out of the ether near the equator, somewhere between Australia and the UK. The most recent occurrence being “Obelisk|Stelea”, constructed in between the north-south divide.
“Obelisk” – as Hessien’s landscape evolves, the sound continues to push into an environment littered with obstacles. Although not obvious at first, there is a relationship between these objects; a focus on submerged, hazy rhythms and textures that mirror the unconventional landscapes and surrounds. Prominent on this release is the human voice, represented in snatches of field recordings and overheard conversations, including vocals contributed by Jane Williams. Acoustic tones continue to underpin the tactile electronic arrangements – loops, delays, e-bow, cello, pedals, creaking furniture and low-fi hiss rearing up then dropping away as quickly as they came.
“Stelea” – these four pieces have been intercepted in various states of formation by – Solo Andata – combining distant parts of the original composition with their faultless signature sequences, unmistakable and balanced.
The ever-prolific Jasper TX – weaving his acoustical, drone-style magic into the mix, floating into a territory with a never-ending haze as the backdrop.
Zelienople – an open-handed reinterpretation shines and guides the way forward with acoustic/prog interestingness, flowing with a staccato pulse.
And finally, Konntinent – transporting the listener into an irregular, avant-garde-like version, fuzzed-up, resampled and re-routed via a tape deck.
All four reworks have been broken down, inspected, and then put back together. Four pieces becoming eight tales of dislocation, separation and musical connectivity. Hessien and the four remixers conspire a bizarre plot and an equally bizarre, larger-than-life conclusion.
Packaged in letter pressed covers that slip nicely into organic silk screened cotton pouches, this Handstitched* /Fluid Audio split release is limited to 200 copies. An 8-page full colour booklet containing exclusive images and 4 specially commissioned poems by Estela Lamat, themed around the 4 original songs by Hessien, also accompanies the release.
Songs 1-4 produced by Hessien (Charles Sage & Tim Diagram) 2010. Recorded on location in Queanbeyan, Australia and Cambridgshire, UK. Songs 5-8 remixed by Jasper TX, Solo Andata, Zelienople and Konntinent.
1. A Letter from Engels
2. Gazed and Pale Reflections
3. Five Sisters
4. Breaking Webs
5. Gazed and Pale Reflections – Solo Andata Remix
6. A Letter from Engels – Jasper TX Remix
7. Five Sisters – Zelienople Remix
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Norman Records,
Unit 20, Croydon House,
Croydon Street,
Leeds,
LS11 9RT, UK.
Tel/fax: (+44) 0113 245 4399
Email: phil@normanrecords.com
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