Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know Howard and Frans, and we all know that I love their stuff. At least I got into Modelbau when I started writing for Vital Weekly. As a music admirer, you can only get so much music as you have a budget to spend, and as a reviewer, you get your hands on simply much more music than you would buy as a ‘normal’ person. So before ‘My Vital Years’ I heard a bit of Modelbau but I’ve gotten my hands and ears on much more material after I started my job here. And I must admit, I like it a lot as you can read in the archives. However, I only heard a few releases from Howard before I got into contact with him through the obvious route of mutual friends. I’m still not entirely sure what his sounds do to me or how I have to interpret them. But having said that, that is also a good thing. Because it leaves space and time to let it all grow a bit.
Here is a collaboration between Howard and Frans. And without too much surprise, I can only say it’s two wonderful pieces. The basic style on both tracks is obvious. Nice drones / lofi ambient with an edgey approach where it’s needed. Side A is already very puzzling to me. The sounds can be anything; I wonder if it’s a synth or a field recording of seagulls chasing a school of fish. The composition is dynamic and goes from intrusive towards fully ambient, From descriptive to emotional, and maybe even from Howard to Frans.
The second side opens with a somewhat grainy sound; it ever so slowly fades into a really unique ambient structure—lots and lots of minimal movements and unsettling frequencies in the higher and lower regions. With your eyes closed you even can see yourself standing on the rocks of the New England coast, looking over the ocean … A beautiful journey … I Wouldn’t mind hearing more of the duo. And yes, they agree, but do we agree too?
Comments
Post a Comment