Record Review: Jacob Kirkegaard

Jacob Kirkegaard
Labyrinthitis
[2008, Touch]
4/5

Full review HERE. A particularly engrossing release from the rarely-disappointing Touch label, Jacob Kirkegaard here subverts the conventions of sound generation and music itself. In brief: the artist placed tiny microphones (those used to measure otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in infant hearing-screening tests) into his ears, as well as little amplifiers. The process is explained in full in the review. This is easily the most "trying", "difficult", and "experimental" work I've ever analyzed, but also one of the most fascinating and rewarding. A 38 (!) minute drone-piece fills out the lavishly packaged album, replete with a booklet of insightful and very-explanatory essays on the nature of sound, the two-way communication of the ears, and sundry topics.

On a personal note, the circumstances behind this review seem very prescient -- I like to think that I was meant to write this review, to contemplate this specific piece of music. A year ago, I began considering audiology as a career. The only other personal blog posts on here reflect the anxiety I was facing as I awaited acceptance to FSU's College of Communication and the department of communication disorders. Well, I got accepted, and eagerly await my first audiology classes next spring (Fall, unfortunately, is all about comm. disorders in general). While I'm not sure if this is where I'm meant to be, I'm excited to explore this new, very alien-to-me venture (...no more writing courses, no more literature classes... I'm going go miss them).

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Fennesz: Black Sea

After giving the new Fennesz album a full listen, I have to say that I'm very impressed. The music is as beautiful as always, with Christian Fennesz processing acoustic and electric guitar signals through MAX/msp patches until their original sound is indiscernible. This is definitely more drone-oriented than his earlier work, and has very little distinguishable rhythmic elements heard so clearly in songs like "Rivers of Sand" from 2004's Venice.

Check out the first track, "Saffron Revolution" to get a taste of the album. The final minutes are just overwhelming, and so positive (with a tinge of melancholy); like a lot of his work, it just feels... well, right. I'm going to stop rambling now and go to sleep, but I had to share this gorgeous track. 

Black Sea is out in December on venerable experimental label Touch.  Not only is this one of the best releases of 2008, but that artwork is stunning as well.