Two handmade, personalized packs housing the “Mini Kwanyin Series,” the 2010 outgrowth of “guerrilla” Chinese experimental art association Sub Jam, probably the most interesting, loosely-organized network currently transmitting out of Asia.
Olaf Hochherz :: Watching (Kwanyin)
Olaf Hochherz’ Watching begins with listening to what sounds like a serious conversation between R2D2 and a common grey sparrow and indeed, his ambition is to talk like the animals, learn their languages, by creating singing, computer-generated “half-animals.” As it progresses, this pristine, semi-amphibian faux field recording grows warmer, gentler and more delightful than you might expect given its genesis in cold, cold data. Audubonian automata you should let play softly for your houseplants or at the head of baby’s crib.
Tim Blechmann & Manuel Knapp :: Untitled 89 (Kwanyin)
At the other end of the spectrum we have Untitled 89 by Tim Blechmann and Manuel Knapp. The duo already have ”Untitled” nos. 21 and 22 in their discography, so this would be the state of affairs sixty-seven untitles later. An industrial strength recording, the great blast furnace lungs of a mill causing its steel beams to flex and strain and rain down rust from its sky-high ceiling. As it grows increasingly intense, surely something´s gotta give, but remarkably, the structure retains its integrity. A drone with a real sense of the stuffness of materials.
Both releases are available on Kwanyin.
