BLACK TO COMM IS THE SOLO MONIKER OF DEKORDER HEAD HONCHO MARC RICHTER. THE GERMAN DEKORDER LABEL IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR A HAFLER TRIO RELEASE FROM A FEW YEARS BACK BUT IF THERE’S ANY JUSTICE IN THE WORLD THE LABEL WILL ALSO SOON BE KNOWN AS THE ONE THAT HAS RELEASED THE MUSIC OF BLACK TO COMM.

RÜCKWÄRTS BACKWARDS IS AN ORGANIC FLOATER THAT’S CREATED FROM SCRATCHY SHELLAC AND VINYL LOOPS INTERSPERSED WITH ALL SORTS OF GENTLE FOUND SOUNDS AND BLURRY AMBIENCE. THE DISTANT COLLAGE-LIKE SONG FRAGMENTS (PSYCHEDELIA, FREE JAZZ, FOLK AND MORE) THAT OFTEN REMAIN IN A SOMEWHAT REMOTE CORNER OF THE SOUNDSCAPES PRESENTED ARE PROBABLY WHAT MAKE THE OUTCOME WARM AND ORGANIC, RATHER THAN HAUNTING AND CLAUSTROPHOBIC. THAT DOESN’T PREVENT THINGS FROM BEING QUIETLY DISTURBING BUT IT MANAGES TO BE SO WITHOUT EVER ABANDONING THAT MELODIC TOUCH AND THE ABSTRACT DRONE ALLEY CHOSEN FOR THE SPECIFIC TRACK. THE WHOLE ALBUM IS VERY DREAM-LIKE, MYSTICAL AND FASCINATING, LIKE BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOG BANK AND LOOSING YOUR SENSE OF DIRECTION BUT ALWAYS KNOWING THAT YOU’LL FIND YOUR WAY OUT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

MATS GUSTAFSSON | THE BROKEN FACE

MATTHEW HERBERT'S RECENT PLAT DU JOUR CD INCLUDED AN ATTACK ON BOTTLED WATER COMPANIES, IMPLYING THEY ARE MAKING A FORTUNE OUT OF WHAT SHOULD BE A FREE, EARTH-GIVEN HUMAN NECESSITY. MUSICIANS WHO USE NATURE RECORDINGS ARE ENGAGED IN A SIMILAR PROCESS: WHY BUY A DISC THAT OPENS WITH THE SOUND OF BUZZING BEES ON A SUMMER DAY WHEN YOU CAN STROLL OUT AND HEAR THE SAME THING FOR NOWT? THAT'S HOW RÜCKWÄRTS BACKWARDS BEGINS AND ENDS, WITH "VIRTUOSITY IS A MEANS TO AN END", NOCTURNAL SUMMER SOUNDS INTERRUPTED BY KITCHEN GAMELAN.

BLACK TO COMM IS HAMBURG'S MARC RICHTER. HE ALSO RUNS DEKORDER, WHICH HAS PUT OUT QUALITY EDITIONS OF RECORDS BY THE LIKES OF HAFLER TRIO AND TU M'. HIS PULVEROUS, GRAVELLY ELECTRONIC LAMINATES ARE LIBERALLY DOSED WITH DIGITALLY ALTERED FIELD RECORDINGS, INCORPORATED IN A WAY THAT ADDS TO THE MUSICALITY OF THE WHOLE. THE TITLE TRACK IS CHALKY AND CRACKLY AS SPACE DUST, RECALLING FENNESZ OR TIM HECKER'S CRUMBLY, FLOURY VAPOURNOISE. "LEVITATION" IS LIKE THE INTRO TO A GAS TRACK, A SAMPLED UNIDENTIFIABLE MUSICAL SOURCE FLAYED TO REVEAL THE HEART; "MARCH OF THE VIVIAN GIRLS" A MILITARISTIC STEP OVER A CONTORTED WEIMAR MOVIE SAMPLE. YOU CAN CLEARLY HEAR HIM MIXING, AS THOUGH WATCHING A PAINTER CRUSHING PIGMENTS FROM SILICA AND LAPIS BLOCKS. AS WITH SO MUCH CURRRENT LAPTOP SOUND, THE LINES BETWEEN ORGANIC AND DIGITAL ARE INVISIBLE, A REMINDER THAT NO ONE THOUGHT OF MUSIC AS 'ORGANIC' ANYWAY UNTIL THE COMPUTER ARRIVED ON THE SCENE.

ROB YOUNG | THE WIRE

FIRST OF ALL THIS CD IS BEATIFULLY PACKAGED WITH A TRI-FOLD DISC HOLDER. EACH PICTURE BEARS ITS OWN CHARACTER (BLURRY FOREST WITH HANDSCRAWLED TEXT, A SLEEPING CAT, AND WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN OLD WALLPAPER PATTERN) BUT ON TO THE MUSIC. BLACK TO COMM (AKA MARC RICHTER WHO ALSO RUNS DEKORDER) KNOWS HOW TO KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET WITH 8 SONGS CLOCKING IN AT UNDER 37 MINUTES. RUCKWARTS BACKWARDS OPENS WITH THE APTLY TITLED 'BEES' SOME GENTLE BUZZING OF SAID INSECT IS LATER ACCOMPANIED BY SOME CHILD-LIKE HUMS, THIS GIVES WAY TO THE SECOND SONG 'LEVITATION' WHICH IS A GENTLE SOUNDSCAPE OF RISING AND FALLING ORGAN TONES BACKED BY A FIELD RECORDING. 'LUCIFER LACCA' USHERS IN AN OPERATIC VOCAL LOOP THAT REACHES CRESCENDO AND ENDS WITH ANOTHER BIT OF CHILDRENS SINGING. THE FEEL IS STILL SUBDUED AND CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE RECORD, I'M REMINDED AT TIMES OF TAPE, NOT SO MUCH IN SOUND BUT IN HOW I FEEL WHILE LISTENING TO THEM. THE TITLE TRACK IS A SERIES OF INTERLOCKING VIBRAPHONE MELODIES THAT ARE AUGMENTED BY COMPUTER PROCESSING. THE COMPUTER TREATMENTS ARE MORE OF AN ENHANCEMENT RATHER THAN SOMETHING THAT WOULD RADICALLY ALTER THE SOURCE SOUNDS. TRACK 5 IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE WITH A MINIMALIST AND SLIGHTLY BUZZING DRONE THAT CROSSFADES WITH A QUIETER DRONE. THE REMAINDER OF THE ALBUM HITS JUST THE RIGHT DRONE SPOT! MINIMAL LOOPS WITH A SOMBER FEEL, THAT GUIDES YOU RIGHT TO THE END. THE CREDITS LIST MICROPHONES, VOICE, AND KITCHEN GAMELAN, AND MARC IS GOOD AT ASSEMBLING SEEMINGLY UNRELATED SEGMENTS INTO GENTLY BLURRED LANDSCAPES THAT ROLL BY WITH AN EASE AND COMFORT. IN A FEW WORDS..... SIMPLE, AND ELEGANT. RUCKWARTS BACKWARDS FOLLOWS A SELF TITLED 10" ALSO ON DEKORDER. VERY CURIOUS TO HEAR TO MORE FROM THIS PROJECT.
CHRIS JEELY | VITAL WEEKLY

AT TIMES IT IS HARD TO DEFINE IN ELECTRONIC / AMBIENT / EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC BETWEEN COMPOSITION AND CONSTRUCTION. MOST OF THE TIMES EVEN THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE TWO GET BLURRED. UNLESS THERE IS A CERTAIN THEORETICAL ELEMENT OUTSPOKEN BEFORE THE RECORDING OR PRODUCTION STARTS, THE MASHING OF THESE TERMS IS ONE OF THE MAIN FEATURES OF A LOT OF MUSIC FROM THE FRINGE. ALMOST EVERY ARTIST OR RELEASE ON DEKORDER HAD THIS OPPOSITION AND ITS DESTRUCTION AT LEAST AS A SUBTEXT HIDDEN SOMEWHERE INSIDE. MOST OF WHAT YOU CAN FIND ON THE LABEL DEFIES ANY KIND OF STRUCTURAL PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT ALONG GUIDELINES AKIN TO THE “RULES” OF CLASSIC COMPOSITION OR SONGWRITING BUT PREFERS TO TAG ALONG VERY SUBCONSCIOUS AND EMOTIONAL LINES, WHICH ARE PERFUNCTORILY ESTABLISHED, MUTATED AND JUST AS EASILY DESTROYED BY THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF THE ARTIST, THE BASIC ATMOSPHERE AND OF WHATEVER HAPPENS DURING THE PROCESS OF RECORDING ITSELF. THINKING ABOUT IT, THIS VERY INTIMATE TOUCH AND LOOK INTO THE ARTISTS MIND GIVES A LOT IF NOT MOST RELEASES ON DEKORDER ITS SPECIAL WARMTH, DEPTH AND HUMANITY. AND THAT IS EVEN TRUE FOR HEGRE.

ON “RÜCKWÄRTS BACKWARDS” THE WARMTH AND EMOTIONAL LUSHNESS OF THE TRACKS / SOUNDS ALSO COMES FROM THEIR ORIGIN AS OLD VINYL LOOPS FROM OPERAS, SPRINGTIME FIELD RECORDINGS – THERE IS BIRDSONG ALL OVER THE FIRST THIRD OF THE RECORDS – AND THE SOUNDS OF OLD-FASHIONED INSTRUMENTS. THE HISSING AND SCRATCHING STILL IMBUED FROM THE VINYL LOOPS AND THE RECORDING OF THOSE INSTRUMENTS ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF ANTIQUITY. THE TITLE REFERS TO THIS USING VINTAGE SOUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS, THOUGH IT HIDES THAT THESE SOUNDS ARE BEING USED IN A DEEPLY MODERN MANNER FOR AMBIENT SOUNDSCAPES AND DRONES. SO THERE IS NOTHING CONSERVATIVE OR REACTIONARY ABOUT THIS RECORD, RATHER THE REVIVING OF OLD FOUND (?) SOUNDS AND THE RE-CONNOTATION WITHIN A (FOR MOST PEOPLE ANYWAY) STILL FUTURISTIC AND AVANTGARDE CONCEPT OF MUSIC IS BREWING UP A RECIPE FOR SAFEGUARDING THE WAY INTO THE FUTURE FOR AT LEAST SOME OF THE CONCEPTS DEVELOPED IN THE LAST YEARS.

THE EFFECT IS AN AWESOME LISTENING EXPERIENCE, AS YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL THE STREAMS OF EMOTION AND INNOVATION RUNNING FROM THE PAST INTO THE FUTURE RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE. IN PARTS THE SOUNDS ARE REDUCED TO THE CRACKLE AND HISS OF OLD RECORDS UNDER A WORN NEEDLE AND THOSE SOUNDS BLOWN UP TO SUPERSONIC PROPORTIONS, TO DETECT THEIR MINUTEST DETAILS. AT OTHER TIMES FIELD RECORDINGS LIKE BIRDS OR THE WIND RUSTLING BRING UP PICTURES IN THE MIND OF LONG LOST PEACEFUL AUTUMN DAYS IN YOUR CHILDHOOD. IN BETWEEN THE MOOD CHANGES BETWEEN DRONING LAYERS OF MINIMALIST SOUNDS MIXED WITH NOISE BRISTLING WITH LIFE AND ENERGY AND SAMPLE-BASED TRACKS CONTRASTING QUITE CLEARLY DISCERNIBLE BITPARTS OF SOUND SOURCES.

I AM HARD PRESSED TO FIND THE “SLIGHTLY DISTURBING ATMOSPHERE HIDDEN BENEATH THE SURFACE” THE INFO-SHEET WRITES ABOUT, EXCEPT IN SOME INSTANCED WHERE MONOTONOUS SIGNALS GROW FROM NOTHING INTO BIG WAVERING SIRENS AND THEN INTO SINGLE-NOTE WALL OF SOUND DRONES, AS FOR INSTANCE IN “EL HUIS PT.1”. MOST OF THE TRACKS, FOR ME AT LEAST, SHINE WITH WARMTH AND LIGHT, EMBRACING THE LISTENER IN A SQUIVERING AND HOVERING FEELING OF HOME AND ALL THE GOOD OF A PERSONAL HISTORY. THE VARIETY OF EMOTIONS ENCODED IN THE EIGHT TRACKS ON “RÜCKWARTS BACKWARDS” IS QUITE BIG, BUT OVERALL AND WITHIN MY POINF OF VIEW THEY ARE ALL MORE ON THE POSITIVE AND LIVELY SIDE. SOME OF THEM EVEN HAPPY. MAYBE IT IS JUST THE PICTURE OF A CAT PEACEFULLY SLEEPING THAT CAN NEVER EVOKE ANY KIND OF NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS BUT RADIATES A FEELING OF PURE COMFINESS.

APART FROM THE OVERALL EFFECT IT IS ALSO WORTHWHILE AND NICELY FULLFILLING TO OPEN AN EAR TOWARDS ALL KINDS OF SMALL THINGS AND PARTS THAT WERE MIXED INTO THE TRACKS. “MARCH OF THE VIVIAN GIRLS” IS A MOVING, WAVERING AND FINALLY ACCELERATING DRONE THAT TAKES ITS TITLE FROM A SHORT SPAN OF MARCHING DRUMS MIXED INTO THE BACK. AT TIMES THE NOISES AND CRACKLES IN THE BACK ARE TAKEN FROM OLD RECORDS, AT OTHER TIMES THEY SEEM TO COME FROM DISTORTING DIGITAL SOUNDS UNTIL THEY SOUND LIKE THE ANALOGOUS RECORDING OF WOOD BURNING IN A STOVE. WHERE DO THE BIRDS COME FROM? WHERE DO THE VOCALS COME FROM? WHERE DO THE VARIOUS KINDS OF NOISE COME FROM? LET’S CHECK THE GLOCKENSPIEL IN ALL ITS TRADITIONAL, FOLKLORISTIC GLORY OR IS IT JUST AN INCIDENT OF RANDOMNESS? LET’S TRACK BACK THE BACKWARDS RECORDED SOUNDS OF SOME TRACKS, E.G. THE VERY LAST ONE, BACK TO THE TITLE AND ENJOY THE FINE WORDPLAY THAT SEEMS TO SPRING FROM THE THOUGHT. SOMETIMES IN DEALING WITH THESE MORE SUBTLE AND REFINED ELECTRONICA-RECORDS THEY CAN ONLY GIVE YOU AS MUCH AS YOU GIVE BACK TO THEM BEFOREHAND. IN OTHER WORDS, IT DEPENDS ON YOU, THE LISTENER, HOW MUCH YOU’LL GET BACK FROM THEM.

MARC RICHTER AKA BLACK TO COMM IS THE MIND BEHIND THE DEKORDER LABEL, SO THE EXPECTATIONS TOWARDS THIS ALBUM WERE QUITE HIGH. THEY WERE EVEN RAISED HIGHER BY RE-LISTENING TO HIS FIRST 10” ON DEKORDER, WHERE HE PRODUCED SOUNDS BY USING A FILTER THAT TRANSFORMED PICTURES INTO SOUNDS, WHICH PRODUCED INTENSE MULTILAYERED YET PEACEFULLY HOVERING WALLS OF SOUNDS AND DRONES. WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR WAS SOMETHING SATISFYING BOTH INTELLECTUALLY AND AS A PURE LISTENING EXPERIENCE. BY WHICH I MEAN, THAT WHEN LISTENING TO IT, I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY IT AS AN EXPERIENCE ON A PURELY PHYSICAL LEVEL BUT ALSO GET THE UNDENIABLE FEELING THAT I AM LISTENING TO SOMETHING NEW, EXCITING AND WORTHWHILE. THE WHOLE MASS OF PEOPLE PRODUCING AND RELEASING IN ELECTRONIC MUSIC HAVE MADE BOTH POINTS HARDER TO REACH AND MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT FOR ME AS A LISTENER. “RÜCKWÄRTS BACKWARDS” LIVES UP TO ALL OF THESE EXPECTATIONS AND BEYOND.

GEORG GARTLGRUBER | CRACKED

INTERESSANTE USCITA DI MARC RICHTER SOTTO IL MONIKER DI BLACK TO COMM, FORTE DELLA SUA STESSA LABEL, LA TEUTONICA DEKODER (QUELLA DELL' HAFLER TRIO), IN UN TRIPUDIO GENTILE E SPERIMENTALE DI MANIPOLAZIONI SONORE E FIELD RECORDING. ELABORAZIONI AMBIENTALI ED ANCHE MELODICHE FRA ORGANI VINTAGE, PIANO, CHITARRE ACUSTICHE ED ELETTRICHE, REGISTRATE IN ANALOGICO, SOSPESE, QUASI IRREALI NELLA FINTA NOSTALGIA DEI TEMPI ANDATI, MESCOLANDO FRAMMENTI DI FREE JAZZ, PSICHEDELIA, CANZONI DA VAUDEVILLE E MOTIVI ANCOR PIÙ TRADIZIONALI, VOLENDO AL TEMPO STESSO QUASI CELARNE LE FONTI, MANTENENDO LEGGERE QUESTE INFLUENZE SULL'ISPIRAZIONE COMPLESSIVA. SOLO OTTO LE TRACCE, APPRONTATE FRA AMBURGO E LA FORESTA NERA, UN LAVORO DI DUE ANNI, PERSONALISSIMA MEDITAZIONE CHE PUNTUALMENTE C'INDUCE A RIFLETTERE SU QUANTO LA COMPUTER MUSIC AL SUO MEGLIO NON SIA AFFATTO MEDIUM IMPERSONALE MA AL CONTRARIO INTIMA ED ECLETTICA RICOGNIZIONE SU QUELLO CHE SEMPRE ATTORNO A NOI È PRESENTE E FLUIDO.
AURELIO CIANCIOTTA | NEURAL.IT