(06.13.05) Originally slated to be released on the Type imprint, Septs Vents is now
brought to you as the inaugural release of the brand new UK based label, Lampse
(pronounced “Lamp-seh”) Audio Visual Recordings.
It’s very hard not to come across material by a composer as prolific as Lee Norris and many people will already be familiar with his work under one or more of his various guises. Be it the early, drum and bass tinged electro or more recent delicate, dry electronica of Metamatics, the housier, techno-tinged output of Norken or, more unusually, the richly textured ambience of the more elusive Nacht Plank output, all pseudonyms have produced both critically acclaimed and influential work.
From what it’s possible to gather by previous releases, much of the material collected on Septs Vents has been waiting in the wings for some time now. Lost And Damaged by Nacht Plank was the third in a series of remix compilations of Lee Norris’ work under his three individual pseudonyms. Released in 2003 on the Hydrogen Dukebox label, almost every track on that compilation was a remix of one that appears on Septs Vents, so it would seem that these pieces are long overdue for exposure in their original form. Happily, Septs Vents emerges as one of Norris’ most accomplished releases in his entire canon.
Septs Vents is an unearthed catalogue of digital life forms, recorded transmissions and ethereal, alien artifacts that have variously fallen victim to mutation, corruption, distortion, corrosion and decay. Eschewing traditional musical forms in favor of densely layered, looped ambient sounscaping, these weathered exhibits are displayed in their own static and discrete spaces, their relationship to one another and existence as a collection seemingly more important than any internal, dynamic evolution or physical interconnection. Septs Vents is also deeply affecting thanks to its delicate balance of the familiar with the abstract, be it the melding of the organic with the alien in “Vire,” “Film’ or “Bonnbosq,” the vaguely recognizable masked and distorted by electronic interference (on “Mehk,” “Plousecat” and “Brasparts”), or the counter-balancing of the natural with the industrial in the various sub-aquatic journeys taken by pieces such as “Troarn” or “Brasparts.”
“Croan,” for example, transmits a deep, resonant, wowing thrum through fields of low quality digital encoding noise; but what exactly is it? The sound of antiquated, low-flying aircraft heard from the ground or close to the engines? The labored turning of machinery in a dilapidated factory, the engine room of a ship, or a power station somewhere? Almost subconsciously familiar sounds float upon the memory, yet remain intriguingly out of reach. “Troarn” is a high water mark in Norris’ musical career and easily one of the finest pieces on Septs Vents. At just under eight minutes, it’s also the longest, proving once again that Norris has an impeccable sense for pacing and timing. An extended underwater voyage to the murky depths of the ocean, strains of rusted and corroded Vangelis-esque strings sway, tendril-like through a bubbling array of faint crackling and radio noise, the muffled clonking of boats knocking together in moving waters, and an omni-present low murmur which becomes most conspicuous by its sudden, unexpected absence about five and a half minutes in. Sublime.
“Film” juxtaposes a symphony of insect chatter and amphibious animal calls with the subtle and oddly ethereal resonation of a recently struck gong, “Vire” is a study of mico-organisms smothered in a looped purring motif and swathes of sighing pads, crackle and hiss and “Bonnbosq” blends a filtered and warped exotic bird song with delicate and distant eastern fluted motifs. The malfunctioning “Brasparts” appears as a distillation of all the techniques used on Septs Vents, as radio chatter, clipping and distortion spark and splutter, mired in bizarre, underwater burbling and
heavily modulated, burping vocal samples. Of the more musical pieces on Septs Vents, “Glisten” is the track that most recalls Norris’ work as Metamatics, powdery, freeze-dried washes and sighs combined with reedy synth keys and pads.
Worth mentioning is the unusual packaging that Lampse has employed for its releases. Septs Vents and other forthcoming albums in the Lamp series consist of a CD slipped inside the pages of an exceptionally attractive 8 page booklet designed by Kabegami that has been printed to exacting standards on unusual stock and to a very high quality. The artwork for Septs Vents is particularly notable both because of its low-key simplicity and how effectively it evokes and represents the music contained within. Housed inside a clear plastic wallet, the package also includes a small, printed foldout insert with information about the Lampse label and its forthcoming releases. Very attractive indeed.
Septs Vents is a formidable debut for the Lampse label and, with the release of another Nacht Plank album imminent on the Neo Ouija label, the start of a new musical phase for Lee Norris. Essential.
Septs Vents is out now on Lampse.
