(09.10.07) Type’s own press release rather pompously describes this EP as “A blistering collaboration between two experimental music behemoths.” You’d be forgiven for thinking that sounds to you like the worst kind of hyperbole. Machinefabriek may have been frighteningly prolific in the past few years, releasing an amazing number of EP’s and albums across a number of record labels, but to describe either him or (the relative unknown) Aaron Martin as behemoths comes across as somewhat overblown. This may be an attempt to offset the fact that this release is EXPENSIVE, featuring as it does just the two tracks listed in the rather clunky title of the EP: Cello Recycling | Cello Drowning.
Criticisms of the marketing aside, however, this release is certainly interesting. Though “Cello Recycling” adopts a formula that will be very familiar to those who have been following Machinefabriek’s work for some time, it is nevertheless a compelling assemblage of ambient whorls, and heavily (mis-)treated cello. These treatments are particularly brutal to the point where the instrument is barely recognisable much of the time. Beginning with almost inaudible swells of sound, a mechanical drone slowly fades up and is joined by quiet cello strokes. This all increases in volume, along with deep, reverb-drowned clicks and a new cello drone, before falling into a more becalmed space where the instrument can be heard much more clearly. In typical Machinefabriek style, the cello drone is soon twisted and tortured out of all recognition until it sears the senses, and then falls away in the closing minute. It’s a fascinating piece of work.
“Cello Drowning,” however, is altogether less substantial, the cello not so much drowning as taking a shower. This piece consists simple of hollow whining sounds, the trickling and bubbling of water and the aforementioned cello parts and drones repeated, moving from deep in the background to the foreground and back again over the course of ten minutes.
This is an odd release from the Type stable that doesn’t feel particularly cohesive. If you can get past the price tag, or are a fan of Machinefabriek, this release is recommended, but you can find more consistent, substantial and ultimately more successful examples of Machinefabriek’s style on an album like Marijn or a more diverse and interesting collection of his work on the 2CD Weleer, both available on Type’s sister label, Lampse.
Cello Recycling | Cello Drowning is out now on Type. [Purchase]
