Released
1998
Label
Drone Records
Reviewed by
Michael C. Lund
Contact
Stefan Knappe
Drone Records
Gneisenaustrasse 56
28201 Bremen
Germany
Last Edit/Update
02 september, 1998
Aube
RE-CHANT/DE-CODA 7"EP
(second edition: 300 copies)
Track Listing
Side A
Re-Chant
Side B
De-Coda
The iconoclastic and ever-expanding sound universe of Japanese conceptual musician Aube
(Akifumi Nakajima) never fails to fascinate. Working always exclusively from a
single source, Aube in this instance has taken the female voice (of Mutsumi
Oku), extracted from it a sonic spectrum that ranges from high-pitched, harmonious
waveforms, over deep, reverberating pulses, to soaring, distorted weeping sounds, as well
as unmanipulated voice recordings. These aural elements, which only rarely reveal their
origin -- resembling instead anything from treated electric guitar chords to screaming
sirens -- have then been arranged by Aube into two densely layered and
kaleidoscopic compositions. Both tracks are of an abstract, meandering nature, and belong
to the gentler, more atmospheric, end of Aube's voluminous body of work.
Originally this single was released
in 1995, but it has now been re-issued in a second edition of 300 copies, pressed on
psychedelic red and orange vinyl. The cover is printed this time, and features Akifumi
Nakajima's own colorful artwork that so nicely evokes the emotional and musical
qualities of his music.
