Peter Broderick & Machinefabriek - Mort Aux Vaches

How have here in my sweaty, deranged paw, a "collab" betwixt that sound-tinkering Dutchman & the classically-inclined Swede. It's in three parts, involves a great deal of restrained guitar feedback, reverb, static, crackle, vast acoustic space, moody violin & one of the guests, Nils Frahm, hitting his piano. With his lady fingers. On the second track. There's also lots of violin & piano action from the Brod-meister, amongst all the other wondrous textures here & i'm seriously finding myself wishing i'd been in the VPRO studio to hear this grand, oft minimalist sound swelling & fluctuating into all the nooks & crannys. So the first track is a spellbinding epic that is both gracefully structured but somehow comes across as cleverly improvised. The second movement involves a lengthy hum of ambient drone & has some a spot of silky choral action half way through. Too short it lasts, alas. This track is very minimal & atmospheric with an implicit hint of tragedy about it. The final track is also quite chamber-like & seemingly of minimal style (initially) although there's always something immersive & ear-caressing happening - be it the gentle tinkle or thunk of piano or the fluctuating, willowy tease of strings. Then it breaks out into a wonderful aural dreamland with delicate circling piano, maudlin, grieving strings & some quietly industrial laptop scrunch. Guitars here have their strings teased and plucked right at the neck and then looped which creates this utterly vital chime-like sound that I cannot shift from my mind. 'Mort Aux Vaches' provides a really thought provoking & exhilarating meeting of minds & as a modern improvisational style work, i'm quite blown away in parts!!