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REVIEWS
VITAL WEEKLY
Andrew Liles has had a busy year; only recently his collaborations with
Daren Tate (Without Season Parts I-IV) and Tony Wakeford (Cups In Cupboards)
were released. Add to this his recent brilliant solo CD Mother Goose's
Melodies Or Sonnets From The Cradle featuring narration by England's most
favorite eccentric Lord Bath, plus several projects (including one with
Steve Stapleton) lined up and you have a very busy man. In fact so busy,
that his latest CD is a remix project. On this poetically entitled disc
(Liles loves his titles) we find a host of well-known Liles-friends such
as Paul Bradley, Colin Potter, Jonathan Coleclough, Bass Communion, Aranos,
Darren Tate, Irr. App., Hafler Trio, Nurse With Wound, Vidna Obmana and
Freiband paying aural tribute to the man. Each of these artists re-work
one of Liles tunes with often-impressive results.
At times the mixes remain close to the original gentle collages (like
the mixes by Bradley or the very recognizable piano theme Potter uses)
or more like soundscapes such as the tracks by Coleclough, Tate, Nurse
With Wound (a Soliloquy no less) and Bass Communion. Ruse and The Hafler
Trio deliver trademark, more abstract versions and Freiband submits, compared
to the other tracks, the noisiest piece of them all. It is interesting
to note that as much as these tracks are made by individual artists with
individual styles, this CD still sounds as a coherent project, which makes
for enjoyable listening and is probably why this is released under the
name Andrew Liles. Another intriguing and highly enjoyable addition to
the already impressive Liles-catalogue. (FK)
TOUCHING EXTREMES
By now affirmed as a uniquely talented soundscaper, for this occasion
Andrew Liles called fifteen artists to the task of remixing his own music.
The few lines of a review are not enough to decode the complex messages
disclosed by these disfigured contemplations, as Liles' work is truly
mythical in its impossibility of being pigeonholed. His overtones are
bathed in engulfing frequencies, sapiently interspersed with ironic convolutions
and aural descriptions of transfigured wonderlands where rabbits eat Alices
spitting their pieces in kaleidoscopic whirlwinds. That said, at least
four remodelers of shadowy tales stand out in excellence; Irr. App. (Ext.)
emphasizes the nostalgic and the sublime, Hafler Trio transmutes everything
he puts his hands on into grey ice, Nurse With Wound seem to include Liles
in their lineup while Colin Potter's remix somehow reminds of Salvador
Dali's surrealist pictures. But all of this music brims with extravagant
views on forms of life we aren't likely to meet often.
WRECK THIS MESS
Andrew Lilies propose des pièces musicales qui sont paradoxalement
à la fois très dépouillées et imagées,
bruitistes et méditatives. En un mot: iconoclaste. L'intitulé
de certains de ses enregistrements témoignent de cette démarche
: The Gazogene Machines, Seidlitz Powders, Bruising Roots & Rhizomes
EP ou bien Four Compositions Created For An Imaginary Performance By The
Legendary John Fare; sans oublier Mother Goose's Melody Or Sonnets For
The Cradle. Il met en scène la trace sonore de différents
matériaux et objets, des bribes de conversations téléphoniques,
de délicates textures parsemées de craquements, des notes
fracassantes qui résonnent dans un silence spectral, des bruits
passés sous les arcanes de nombreux traitements, etc. Ce mélange
de collages, d'improvisation et de composition pure qui puise ses éléments
à des sources analogiques et numériques "entre en résonance"
avec les travaux de Steven Stapleton (Nurse With Wound), qui a croisé
sa route , Colin Potter ainsi que The Halfer Trio, Vidna Obmana, Band
Of Pain, Bass Communion, Aranos et Freiband (Frans de Waard) qui se sont
réapproprié l'univers d'Andrew Lilies. Les amateurs apprécieront.
LD
CHAIN D.L.K
Anyone into drones should be familiar with Liles' increasingly recognized
production by now, as both his solo works and the collaborations with
the likes of Tony Wakeford (Sol Invictus), Nurse With Wound, Darren Tate,
The Hafler Trio, Wander, etc. are remarkable. While rightly issued under
his own name (also given the coherence of the whole set), this cd features
"Andrew Liles as played by" an all star cast, probably gathering
the best of the current drone/ambient circuit: Paul Bradley, Colin Potter,
Aaron Moore (of VolcanoThe Bear), Jonathan Coleclough, Ruse, Band of Pain,
Bass Communion, Aranos, Darren Tate, Irr. App. (Ext.), The Hafler Trio,
Unsong, vidna Obmana, Nurse With Wound and Freiband. Given the quality
of the starting material, and the visionaries and loonies involved, how
could this disappoint? As expected, no track is less than well done, and
everyone can easily pick his favourites (mine were Bradley, Bass Communion,
Irr. App. (Ext.) and Nurse With Wound). Most of all, it's a collection
which faithfully portrays Liles' sound art, both in its expanded drones
and in its surrealistic collages. And by the way, the inner layout, with
everything from Willy Wonka to S/M drawings passing through AC/DC, surely
speaks more than a hundred reviews. Eugenio Maggi
OCTOPUS
Véritable sculpteur de la matière sonore, Andrew Liles livre
avec In My Father's House are Many Mansions un magnifique album, qui parvient,
par quelque tour de sorcellerie, à marier l'espace de soixante-dix-huit
minutes des contraires réputés irréconciliables :
figuration et abstraction, bruit et silence, calme et inconfort.
Andrew Liles est un artiste occupé. Ses états de service
présentent, à côté de nombreux projets solos,
une pléthore de collaborations avec les principaux animateurs de
la scène drone/ambient actuelle (Nurse With Wound, Darren Tate,
David Tibet, The Hafler TrioŠ). Avec un emploi du temps aussi chargé,
on comprend pourquoi l'artiste sonore de Brighton s'est ici contenté
de donner ses travaux en pâture à certains de ses fidèles
compagnons. Et bien lui en a pris d'ailleurs, car ces derniers, loin de
livrer de simples remixes, retravaillent de fond en comble le matériau
proposé par le musicien anglais. Résultat de l'opération
: non pas un
empilement chaotique, mais un album homogène au parfum étrangement
singulier. Jouant sur le principe des correspondances chères à
Baudelaire, la musique d'Andrew Liles transcende la simple abstraction
pour évoquer ici des espaces désertiques, là des
formes de vie au symbolisme énigmatique, provoquant ainsi l'égarement
le plus complet chez l'auditeur. Ce somptueux travail sonore chemine habilement
sur une fine crête, et parvient à concilier des options pourtant
contradictoires : le bruit et le silence, l'apaisement et l'inquiétude.
Entre dépouillement presque total ("Song of the Ergophile"
par The Hafler Trio) et esquisses rythmiques ("Auto Manipulator",
sorte de gamelan spectral) ou mélodiques (le piano de
"All Doors Open"), ce qui s'exprime ici est un véritable
art du passage, de la transition continue, faisant subtilement varier
les climats sonores de l'oppression à l'obsession. Éloge
de l'irrésolution et de l'ambiguïté, In My Father's
House are Many Mansions offre une ambiant à la majesté glaciale,
et procure à l'auditeur le doux frisson d'une dérive contrôlée.
Benoît Bouquin
'AREEN' (supplement of
Estonian weekly newspaper 'Eesti Ekspress')
Tumeda eksperimentaalmuusika remiksid.
Nimekate tumedama ambient/experimental-suuna
esindajate remiksid Andrew Liles' i lugudest. Colin Potter, Jonathan Coleclough,
Aranos, The Hafler Trio, Nurse with Wound, Freiband, Vidna Obmana, Irr.App
(Ext) jt. Suunale tüüpiliselt on siin palju veidrate häälte
sissesulatamist välilindistustele. Üksteisega võrreldes
on kõik lood äraarvamatud, mõned (Aaron Moore, Darren
Tate) koosnevad hõredatest tükkidest (pasun, kulinad, keeletõmbed),
teised tihedamast raginast (Freiband, Band of Pain, Ruse, Irr.App (Ext)).
Samas paistavad kõik selle stiili esindajad silma suure, märksa
avaramates piirides avalduva süstemaatilisusega, kui tavaliselt eksperimentaalse
muusika puhul harjunud oleme. Kõige põnevamad ekskursioonid
ongi kõige süstemaatilisemad, nt puhta tumeda ambient'i soonel
kaevandavad Bass Communion ja Coleclough, kelle lugudel on mitte ainult
kõlalist, vaid ka sisulist katet. Stilistiliselt huvitavaima, rütmilise
ja saagiva, minimalistliku, samas meloodilise, õige raskesti määratletava
töö teeb Aranos. 9
Erkki Luuk
SKUG
Die Fourth Dimension ist nichts weniger als ein Label, auf dem u.a. ANDREW
LILES mythische Soundscapes veröffentlicht. »In My Father’s
House Are Many Mansons« trägt zwar seinen Namen, jedoch wagen
15 Remixer aus dem britischen Experimental-Underground Neuinterpretationen.
Darunter so illustre Acts wie Nurse With Wound oder The Hafler Trio, die
in galaktische Sphären vordringen. Obwohl etwa Band of Pain auch
heftiger zugange ist, ergibt das doch ein recht überirdisch schillerndes
Spektrum, das ganz dem Naturell des Schöpfers Liles entspricht.
SANDS ZINE
Il remix delle cose che inquietano
Le cifre intonacate dei drones fanno guarire anche i pensieri schiavi
di esistere. Impossibili discernimenti che sono tutte trilogie della morte
alla Radigue, scampoli di riduzioni esoteriche, finestrelle provvisorie
che hanno la duplice funzione di mostrare dentro chi c'è. I drones
sono anche refusi di clessidra, titaniche mutezze che si dicono libere,
un tenue polimonio d'impronte digitali quasi feretrie che somigliano all'estate
deserte dei tramonti nottambuli. Andrew Liles, coiliano, current93iano,
ha certamente guardato la trasposizione dei coralli sotto alle lande deserte
dell'abisso perché "In my father's house are many mansions"
è un disco fottutamente abbondante di souvenirs, ed è impastato
netto di misterismo e sentieri affamati che si sognano e si segnano dell'abbondanza.
L’abbondanza deriva dal fatto che questo sia un disco di remix,
non solo dall’abbondanza, e pure dal fatto che l’elettronica,
anche quando non si cimenta coi remix talvolta sfiora il plagio, e se
pure qui non conosciamo i limiti tra creazione, ripetizione e ripescaggio,
il lavoro rimane abbondante e pregno di metafore. Opera misteriosamente
radunata in mimiche passeggere, forse prospettica, perché dietro
gli strumenti, a contatto, a corda, a ricordo, si celano altri raduni
che si spalleggiano come se vacillassero e fossero sparsi dietro una stringa
eternamente annottata. Questa musica è una ricaduta che ti spezza
il respiro nella musica del Badalamenti più pastorale: è
un anello circolare che sprigiona fuoco nei giardini del tempo e si svena
oscuramente dietro un flusso rigonfio che trasale la luce per acconsentirla.
Tutte le processioni di rito alla Girard andrebbero accompagnate dalle
litanie terminali radunate tutte nel nero dell'immagine della gioia come
se questa si ritrovasse dietro un mondo redento e rinascere come un mondo
dietro un mondo. È un museo verderame i cui trenta e passa lavori
di Liles non certo si dissolvono o prendono pieghe affrante, piuttosto
si riverberano di significato perché esattamente questa musica
non segue alcun canone preciso, e quindi non deve concedere spiegazioni
o formule accresciute e nemmeno linfe ritrovate dietro i veli, quanto
piuttosto una solitudine gloriosa fatta di distese insidiose e materiali
interiori. Non si comprende bene cosa voglia dirci Liles dietro la tepidezza
errante di questi scenari feriti che si guardano come se evaporassero
giungle in esalazioni straziate. Non si sa, non è noto sapere,
quanta frantumazione sintetica si annidi ovattata dietro questi ruscelli
un po' buddhisti, un po' solitari e mortuari della musica di Liles, se
questa sia frutto di un trip oppiaceo, oppure di una tensione suicidale.
È probabile che dietro i suoni si ritorcano sempre le parole graziose
del distacco ed è come se ci dicessero che vogliono andar via,
andar via da noi. Questa è musica che si sopporta sulle grandi
vallate prima e dopo una gara di sciabole o una caccia di farfalle. È
una musica mitologica, a tratti arcaica, fatta di avvallamenti e pianeggiamenti
ma restia al mezzogiorno. È così mitologica perché
si riscrive come remix sulla musica d’altri e tenta (forse) di interpretarli
per ciò che non sono; è mitologica perché cede compulsivamente
il tassello sfrenato di un riadattamento e si muove tra concretismo, musica
alla Fennesz primo-cerebrale, e ritorni astrattamente parasinfonici. Il
corollario che dentro vi si traccia somiglia ad un territorio cosparso
di nostalgiche parentesi ed è quindi una musica d'inviluppo che
si presenta fusa in tre parti identiche: nascita, mantenimento, arretramento.
Convoglia dentro la sua salma teoretica delle variazioni che noi mortali
non attendiamo: è stratosfera allargata, contigua e sprigiona rettangoli
e quadrati d'angoscia volando via quasi come una disperata resistenza
dell'integrità. Un disco profondo e sincero. Salvatore Borrelli
FOXY DIGITALIS
In My Father’s House...” is a compilation of artists having
a go at the many and varied works of composer Liles. As expected, the
results are mixed, but even the “failures” shed some light
on where and how the work of Liles has seeped into the work of other composers.
From the creepy industrial hum of Colin Potter’s take on “all
Doors Open” to the noir-ish amaibility of Aaron Moore’s version
of “Auto Manipulator”, it is clear that Liles’ soundscapes
provide a multitude of ideas. For me the highlights are Band of Pain’s
pulsing, brutal goth mix of “Apathy in the UK” and the haunting
and truly skin-crawling version of “Something to do with Hans Bellmer
in a Pub at Last Orders using 15th Century Rural Magic” by Bass
Communion.
Here, as on Ruse’s “The Ether Reel Rendered”, Liles
open and challenging lines allow the artist to incorporate them into their
own sound, providing enrichment and also a new way of expressing their
own work. In that context, the most disappointing readings here are by
the most famous. The Hafler Trio and Nurse With Wound sound as if they
mailed in their contributions, and offering little more than rehashed
ideas from old work. Which misses the point of this great set, where the
freedom of Liles’ music is evident in the freedom it affords these
artists to play both with it and with their own sound.- Mike Wood
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