Kane Ikin + David Wenngren

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Soundclips

5...according to our Phil on Wed 15 Feb, 2012.

Here's a new thing on Simon Scott's Kesh label by Kane Ikin (Norm single of the week the other week on 12K from solo 'Solo Andata' dude) and David Wenngren (Library Tapes dude and he's had album of the week as well!). High hopes for this baby! They recorded this without even meeting or talking about what the plan was. That either takes balls or they're incredibly stupid. I'm going to assume it's the ball thing for now. The concept was simple...communicate through sound only hence the album being called Strangers. This all makes sense now! This is more of an ambient album with it's heart in drones. It's quite reminiscent of some of Brian Eno's ambient works. I'm guessing Ikin does a lot of the electro acoustic crackles and fizzles whilst Wenngren does the soundscapey melody business. Whoever does what doesn't make much difference, it works really well as they've combined to make something that is an intense deep listen. It's very textured and it there's a lot going on in the soundscapes but it's not cluttered and messy sounding. It's been expertly created by 2 musicians who know their onions and you should feel pleased they've done this for you. If you're into the recent excellent output on the Home Normal and 12K labels then you should really check this deep and rich sounding beaut out!

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Kane Ikin (b.1982) is an Australian musician based in Melbourne who is a
solo artist on 12k. Ikin is also known as one half of Solo Andata alongside
Paul Fiocco who’ve released critically acclaimed albums on Hefty, Deisre
Path, and 12k. He records everything through and onto old technology —
aged analog consoles, reel-to-reel tape and all heard through a hazy science
fiction filter.

David Wenngren (b. 1981) is a musician based in Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Projects include Library Tapes (Sonic Pieces and Kning Disk), Below Juneau,
Murralin Lane (12k) and Le Lendemain (with Danny Norbury). He has also
collaborated with Peter Broderick on "A Summer Beneath The Trees" (Make
Mine Music) and in 2011 with Christopher Bissonnette (Kranky) for the album
The Meridians of Longitude and Parallels of Latitude released on Home
Normal.

Ikin explains and reveals how both these musicians approached
making an album together without preconceptions or formulated
musical ideas. “This record was made without ever meeting,
without real discussion or a even plan. The concept is simply just
communication though sound and that is what informed the title
Strangers”. One can hear exciting fresh sound explorations, free
from any predetermined conceptual frameworks, in Strangers.
These two experimental musicians freely connect throughout these
six pieces to enable a perfectly balanced blend of each musician’s
talents that effortlessly merge and inspire each other to create this
stunning debut album.

Strangers has been expertly mastered by Taylor Deupree at 12k

and is presented in a personalized hand stamped recycled sleeve,
each numbered up to a limited edition of 350.