Alexander Rishaug - Shadow Of Events

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

4...according to our Brian on Thu 05 May, 2011.

Brand new CD from Osloite Alexander Rishaug which is his third waxing. I like that word. Waxing. I wouldn't like to be waxed though, oh no. I saw a friend go through it last year for charity & it were excruciating to watch I can tell thee!! This bugger is released on the astute & forward thinking Dekorder so there's a hallmark of quality already stamped up & glaring right at you, the buyer, in your fat, uncertain & wary face. This is more of that ponderous cerebral ambient drone/processed sound-art stuff derived from the sampling of "a dusty rhodes, a lovely guitar, a nervous radio and a lonely piano". I'm trying to locate the sound herein of a nervous radio but all I can hear for ages is a grand piano yawning after a mogadon & valium session. Don't get me wrong, it sounds quite wonderful & at times reasonably powerful. I'm waiting though, for the arrogant trumpet and maybe even the enigmatic cello? I think that would be a real treat. There is actually a segment where Business lady was convinced someone was dragging a dead body away from a murder scene in a deserted office block, on Ketamine. There's also some intriguing twinkly/glitchy bits. To be serious, and fair to the quite often engaging music on this CD, there's plenty going on and a couple o' parts of it even mildly recall the recent Tim Hecker 'Ravedeath' thing which, as you may be aware, is ace. All said, a mixed bag full of countless surprises.

Shadow Of Events is the third album by Oslo, Norway sound artist, producer and musician Alexander Rishaug, following his Asphodel CD Possible Landscape (2004) and 2001's Panorama on the Smalltown Supersound label. The album was recorded over a five year period and mixed in Berlin last year. Not unlike his previous albums but apparently more refined Shadow Of Events combines a warm and organic haunting quality blended with both abstract and concrete tones and subtle digital noises. "Most of the tracks are developed from field recordings, instrument improvisation or live sampling. Then processed and edited with the computer as the main tool. I've used sounds hailing from a dusty rhodes, a lovely guitar, a nervous radio and a lonely piano." Rishaug's music is informed by classic minimal composers such as Steve Reich and Terry Riley as well as 90's electronica acts such as the Oval/Microstoria axis and like-minded but more obscure artists associated with the Mille Plateaux label (remember Neina?) but surely wouldn't be out of place on a contemporary label like Kranky or Type. Repetitive and seemingly simple melodic patterns are combined with (and sometimes obscured by) decaying monlithic drone layers creating a hazy melancholic landscape slowly unfolding its beauty. Granular shoegazy tones are building up in slow-motion recalling the patient yet precise and complex drone works of Stephan Mathieu, William Basinski and Machinefabriek's Dauw album. Alexander Rishaug was part of the improv collective ARM (1996-2006) with Arne Borgan and Are Mokkelbost (Killl) as well as collaborating with Lasse Marhaug on a Lucky Kitchen release. He has remixed metal bands Ulver and She Said Destroy as well as noise duo Jazkamer and Bjorn Hatterud and Conrad Schnitzler's recent collaboration.

Be the first to review this record. Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!