Released
1997
Label
Flux Records
Reviewed by
Kim
Alexander
Visit
Frank Rothkamm
at
Flux Records
Last Edit/Update
13 April, 1998
Frank Rothkamm
Mystery Of The Leaping Fish
Limited & numbered letter press edition.
Track Listing
1. ELA (9:16)
('94 New York)
2. Living Under Water (8:05)
('89 Vancouver)
3. Dux Vitae (1:27)
('85 Cologne)
"It is a historical fact that in 1967 Australian Prime Minister Holt
dived into the ocean off a beach near Melbourne and vanished without a trace. It has been
speculated that he did not drown but was initiated into the Grand Lodge Of The
Deep while under water. It is said that this legendary Lodge
still presides in an underwater dome, occaisionally mistaken for Atlantis."
Rothkamm's music on The Mystery Of
The Leaping Fish is based on recordings made directly from the rituals in the Lodge,
where Frank makes comment that: "...I can only testify to the authentic ritual nature
of these recordings, drawn from personal experience about secrets revealed..."
--Rothkamm, 1997.
This work by Frank Rothkamm begins
with eerie expansive drones coupled with an exotic female voice, winding around a back
ground of harmonics and slow manipulated reverberation -- quite fantasy-like. Continuing
on with what reminds me of a very large wasp flying uncomfortably close to my ears and
integrating the airborne aspect of nature, a woman's voice again breaks in with
gothic-classical for a few moments -- enveloped in the same type of long drawn out ambient
drones that began the piece, bringing the listener to an aural waterscape with a
foreground of what sounds like tubular bells being tapped gently in slow motion.
Surprisingly, the next segment is that of
a whale song I believe, coupled with whispy electronics which fade out leaving behind only
the haunting singing of the water creature, but yet continues with interjections of
electronic wizardry as the cries remain throughout. This is definately a unique piece of
experimental electronica integrating natural sound and those manipulated by man and
machines -- a beautiful and interesting contrast.
The final selection on this work
has male and female vocals of classical choral -- gothic again in nature. It sounds as if
these voices could have been recorded in a dark cathedral in Europe in conjunction with
some type of myterious ritual or prayer for water, wind, earth and fire. This is a
superb work of aural art.
