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BIOTA / MNEMONISTS - Musique Actuelle 1990

Format: CD Label & Cat.Number: Anomalous Records NOM 25 Release Year: 2004 Note: back in stock this album with live-recordings from 1990 (Montreal); 9 musicians on stage - 3 band-members doing live-processing at the same time ! Unique stuff ! Price (incl. 19% VAT): €14.00 Warning: Currently we do not have this album in stock! More Info Altes Material einer der unserer Ansicht nach besten und spannendsten Experimental & Geräuschmusik-Acts aller Zeiten ! Stets wurde live mit einem Riesenarsenal an Leuten & Instrumenten improvisiert, um das ganze dann später studiotechnisch auf unnachahmliche Weise zu verfremden... Hier sind 4 bisher unveröffentlichte Stücke, die für ein Festival 1990 eingespielt wurden. Unnachahmlich fremdartig harmonisch, bizarr und doch von einer eigenartigen Schönheit sind ihre Stücke....ebenso die im Booklet abgedruckten psychedelisch-amorphen Bilder.. "Biota was founded in 1979 in Fort Collins, Colorado, as the Mnemonist Orchestra. Over the years, the Mnemonist Orchestra developed into Biota (the musical contingent) and Mnemonists (the visual contingent). Both Biota and Mnemonists work as one on productions of musical and visual components. The group has released nine LPs, one EP, and four CDs in addition to several cassettes and compilation ventures, on both their own Dys label and Recommended Records UK. Heard on this CD is the first adaption of their studio-based recording techniques since 1981, as presented at Montreal Musiques Actuelles - New Music America 1990. For their live performance they composed a set of material specifically for the concert and virtually relocated their studio to the stage to properly recreate it. Nine musicians playing only acoustic instruments (aside from electric guitar) were heard natural and unamplified from the stage while extensive electronic processing, heard through the speakers, rendered radical tonal, timbral and temporal modification creating an incredibly unique and strange sound world. For the first release of this music, Biota have combined the best recordings from both the rehearsals and the concert itself. Added to this, the two-dimensional graphic work that Mnemonists have become so renowned for was transformed into stunning video projections - beautiful examples of which are now included in the full color booklet accompanying this CD." [label press release] “ With the emerge of home computers and the easyness of using them for music production it is hard to imagine that there was a point when the studio was a seperate instrument, a place where you could shape your music and expand beyond the limitations of any instrument or sound. Now it seems so common and you can do it at home. Biota is a group that has been around for at least twenty years as part of the Mnemonists (who were a music group too, but now only concern with visuals) and on the small output (at least when seen from a larger time frame), Biota uses the studio as their instrument. Their members play guitar, saxophone, piano, clarinet, accordion but also crumhorn, curtal, rackett and shawm but it's when it all comes together in the studio where the real work is done. Needless to say it's a band that hardly performs live. But Anomalous unearthed this recording from 1990 when Biota (along with Mnemonists for the visual side) where invited to Canada to bring the sound live in a specially commissioned work in four movements. The CD is made out of the live performance and the run through prior to the concert. Biota doesn't use any such thing as samples, tapes, synths etc and upon hearing this hearing this recording, that is hard to believe - but I believe it's true. Especially in the lenghty opening and closing piece, things sound distinctely electronic with highly processed instruments. In the second and third piece, Biota plays much more free improvised music, quite chaotic but a slight touch of folk music in the second piece. The entire concert is a fascinating thing with many surprises all over the place and an excellent display of their unique working methods. And what struck me most: for a band that hardly plays live it's a great concert! A much underrated band, sadly." [FdW / Vital Weekly]