Raster-Noton has
released a Source Book 1 – dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the label. It
has 400 pages, each one can be removed, replaced or added. The book is printed
in 1000 copies only, it has the full catalog of the releases and a compilation
of tracks from various artists called Archiv 4.
The first track on
Archiv 4 record by Kangding Ray – Silver (Pruitt Igoe Prototype) is a steady
and melodic introduction painted in warm colors. This is immediately followed
by a music surge from Emptyset, called Augur. In a way it is an enigma-track,
which sounds differently every time you play it.
Grischa Lichtenberger,
who has managed to impress his listeners with his unique understanding of
glitch, takes over with his track 0514_01 Re 0809_20 1 Barrg B. Spiky rhythms
with cyclical, modifying melody resemble his other records from Raster-Noton.
Next one is the track
Milan from Alva Noto. This extremely eclectic glitch lets us dive into the
environment of a technogenic city. The track is meticulously composed, all
sounds that you hear in this track, is absolutely necessary and you wouldn’t
want to remove a single click.
Speed is rising in Frank Bretschneider’s Thermik. This track stands out from the rest of the album and
wakes up anybody with its openness. A bit later you have a chance to visit a
heavy machinery open air factory in the track Flimmern by Atom™.
Robert Lippok, is
represented in Archiv 4 by his track Textured. Robert is well-known to get to
the point in all of his works. This is well exemplified by Textured, where
powerful surrounding sounds, combined with ambient elements let your
imagination disperse in the space and meet endless streams of fresh air.
Next comes Side To Side
track from Kyoka. The Japanese artist chisels out a special sound sculpture:
his work includes all sorts of crackles, crunches and even clicks of an unknown
electronic machine.
The record ends with a
2-minute-long coda from another Japanese artist Ueno Masaaki – Building Rain.
In this track you get immersed in an immense techno city, with different layers
stacked on one another, powerful and intimidating menace.
Archiv 4 is the fourth
compilation in the series of Archive compilations from Raster-Noton. This
record has a good range of musicians with very individual and original sound
comprehension. This compilation is a trip from the modern world to the world of
digital glitch presented you by Raster-Noton.
Author: Ilya Kudrin