Mutation

One of the reasons for which I like the vinyls is undoubtedly their size that lets a vast choice for the artistic work on the sleeve. And I have to say that this album of Aube, although in a CD format, possess one of the most beautiful and also of the most temperate packings that I know. Two cardboards, recessed  from top to bottom one in the other, locking the disk in, this is very simple but the effect is great. The result of this collaboration between these two artists living in Japan is as excellent as their graphic work, all in restraint, austere, and yet of a mad complexity, allying perfection to thoroughness.
 
Recognized for a long time for their ambient experimental noise works , Aube and Karkowski are crossing here a more serene land, privileging the ambiance to the resonant terrors. Yet the tone remained very uptight. It is in fact a long track of about 50 minutes, rhythmed by a repetitive and strident frequency, very ambient in the atmosphere and very well orchestrated, swarming of many small very rich resonant details. The resonant bank of this collaboration comes from the sound of the stones of a Japanese temple, and as usual with Aube, the result is so much rework that it becomes very difficult to recognize the source of the recording. The two artists didn't record their album at home, but in Holland, in the Steim studio of Amsterdam, where the result of their industrial investigatings was presented in concert, with a broadcast on Radio 100 during the Earbitten Show. Very quiet, and yet filled of a fury and an impressive tension, this album is a marvel of experimentations that should not pass unobserved to aware ears.

Stéphane Fivaz
July 2000

Label : E.R.S. (ERSCD001, limited edition to 400 copies in a special package)

Distributors :

Pour le monde : Target (info@target-export.com)
Allemagne : Triton (F:+49-211-934 75 90)
                      Hausmusik (hausmusik@t-online.de)
Hollande : Staalplaat (staal@euronet.nl)
                    De Konkurrent (konk@xs4all.nl)
Belgique : Lowlands (lowlands@innet.be)
U.K. : These (F:+44 171 5825 278)
France : Fnac Import (fnacimp@club-internet.fr)
Espagne : Rotor (rotor@ran.es)
Portugal : Ananana (fsananana@mail.telepac.pt)
Italie : Demos (demosrec@demosrecords.it)
Russie : Cold Lands (F:+70 95 33 61 813)
USA : Soleilmoon (soleilmoon@aol.com)
Japon : Satoshi Morita (kikuchi@pos.co.jp)