Mai 12 – Wir
Sind Die Terroristen, Gegen Die Touristen. 2018. 4 x 3”CDR Box set. Inner
Demons Records. IND051B.
Tracklist.
1.
19:59
2.
19:59
3.
19:59
4.
20:43
Wir Sind Die
Terroristen, Gegen Die Touristen
, translated - We are the terrorists, against the tourists.
I’ve been
listening to Mai 12 since I did a Facebook Group Assault last year. This is
where I go into a Facebook Noise group and review a few chosen artists who are
advertising their sounds in there. During the assault I found Mai 12 with their
gorgeously presented split with La Nuit Qui Tombe, I liked both artists and
particularly Mai 12’s walls of subtle crackle. When I saw this 2018 box, I had
to have it, the presentation was amazing, and it was 4 mini CDRs of Mai 12. Mai 12 are based in Thessaloniki, Greece and are currently living on the volcanic island of Nisyros, Greece. Members are Karl
Grümpe and Rene p.g. They release their own uniquely designed tapes and cdrs,
as well as on other labels and have been active since 2017.
Inner Demons is
all about the art of the 3” CDR. To look at this little box is a treat, the bold
black and white artwork, the delicate inserts, and small CDRs in plastic
sleeves, it’s a perfect and amazing aesthetic object. I have wanted this for
months, now it’s mine ever since finding out about the label in one of
Facebook’s HNW groups - I bought 2 Inner Demons boxes in this haul. Each disc
is titled by its running time. However, Wall reviewing is tough, you need to go
right in there, so off I go.
The first disc
has the Mai 12 ever present warm crackle; I can’t help relating it to Volcanos
now I have spoken about them. The distortion seems untraceable, there is a
depth of bass and movement resonating within. The sound seems to roll over
itself, as if it is a shifting void in continual movement. The movement of back
sound happens within the work, small shifts, accelerations, scrapes and tweaks
between this and the front crackle happen. Humming pulsations are faintly
recognisable in the background at the later stages of the piece too.
The second 19:59
is a more intense crackle that is deeper in sound. The background hum has a higher
bass frequency and seems to communicate by bobbing. Frontal crackle is wavier, choppier
and more defined in its texture. This is more of a straight wall piece that
doesn’t roll like the earlier track.
The third 19:59
seems more immediate in being at the full depth of the work, the crackle again is
rich. The background sounds are slightly more vortex like in depth as if slightly
empty. But the crackle again dances at the forefront of the work and contrasts
against this greatly, the odd falter has a dramatic impact, it jolts the
attention. The backing sound shifts and
morphs throughout the track to a resonating hum that moves around the crackle
to vary the interplay of sounds. AS the session progresses the distortion splatters
more, causing interesting jolts to affect the levels of the work.
Finally, 20:43,
the faltered levels of the previous disc are continued here as humming pulsates
repetitively in the background. It’s difficult to fully identify the backgrounds
in most walls, which is good as it adds mystery to the work. The
crackle/distortion in this work is by far the most unsettled, it dances around
massively goaded on by the pulsating back noise. The forefront sounds
eventually begin to drag, the background gets increasingly creaky and both
become livelier as the work nears its end.
For me, it’s
brilliant having so much Mai12 in one box. Whether these are from the same
session or a collection of different sessions I don’t know. This is rich work,
if you like it and it’s great to have such a collection of sessions together. For
any lover of Mai12s work or HNW listener this is an essential addition to any
collection. I thoroughly recommend it.
Choppy Noodles 2019.
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