WINFRIED RITSCH: Woodscratcher LP Godrec

WINFRIED RITSCH: Woodscratcher  LP Godrec

A Woodscratcher is a machine that cuts a 2.5cm thick disk of a tree-trunk in a circular fashion along the growth rings of the wood; Ritsch has placed 4 pick up microphones on 4 sides of the trunk and decided this is his going to be his main instrument of choice for this release.

I am aghast at this album; nearly 40 minutes are taken up with the constant sound of wood being cut in a circular motion.

This is artistic lunacy at its greatest and a complete waste of vinyl.  Ritsch, should be quite frankly ashamed of himself for thinking this provides any worth in a world where actual talented musicians struggle to have their works released by any record label.

I am also disgusted that any label would actually spend their budget on this piece of tripe and point my finger in the direction of the nearest mental institution, at anyone who parts with their hard earned cash on this appalling excuse for an album.

1/10

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BORIS HEGENBART AND 19 ARTISTS: Instrumentarium 2xLP Godrec

BORIS HEGENBART AND 19 ARTISTS: Instrumentarium 2xLP Godrec

Godrec market themselves as a contemporary label. This conjures up as much fear in me as it does interest, as either I am going to be treated to experimentation that excites me, or will be ultimately dumped on the scrap heap of artistic nonsense.

Hegenbart and his 19 colleagues (of which I have zero knowledge of) provide 18 tracks split over 2 LP’s. Obscurity ensues the moment the opening notes filter through the speakers as analogue sounds and instrumentation hit in freeform fashion and it takes a while to bed in. Luckily with such a collaboration, the variation on this release provides an interesting jaunt on more than one occasion; the interaction of Martin Siewert being a standout moment, as sub jazz leanings provide an altogether darker perspective and atmosphere.

There literally is so much to consume with a release of this nature that a healthy balance of genres seep through the recordings. Styles flirt with ambient textures and on the odd occasion delve into electronic circles, especially in structure and form.

There is the odd meandering into art noise territory and hand on heart, these are elements that don’t fit my tastes when it comes to music; in the past I would just pass these off as a general waste of my time. However, the key difference with Hegenbert’s work on this album is that everything seems to have purpose and is paramount to the full story of what he is trying to achieve, which is an altogether lengthy and varied album, bridging the gap between the obscure and the more commercial aspects of some genres.

7.5/10

RDEČA RAKETA: Wir Werden CD Godrec

RDEČA RAKETA: Wir Werden  CD Godrec

Viennese based artists Maja Osojnik and Matija Schellander are both active musicians who work primarily with improvised contemporary compositions that span many a genre.  It was of no surprise then when this album opened up with spoken word that filtered into obscure electronics.

Collectively Raketa combine an odd mash up of sounds that are cemented together with ambience that has an altogether field recordings sound to its foundations.  Occasionally this is petered out with backwards programming of piano and glitch interruptions and vocal intersections; the untitled track four being a prime example of this at it’s most effective with a slight Aphex Twin tinge to the formulation.

On the whole, there is a lot on this release that does appeal to me, but on the flip side of the coin I feel this piece of work would be better accompanied in an art installation or as a live action with visuals.  On general CD release I found it all too easy to drift off and start paying attention to other things rather than what was coming out of my speakers.

7/10