Barreuh Records is a small DIY label from Eindhoven that doesn’t release anything they don’t like. It is as simple as that. So, if you get a bit into what Barreuh likes and your minds are synced, you get to know an interesting small label, to say the least. Furthermore, they like specials and aren’t too afraid to dive into things. But let’s concentrate on Modelbau about Barreuh. This is Modelbau’s fourth release on this label; Three of them solo, the last one a split cassette between him and Antoine Panaché (the alter ego of Lilia Scheerder, whose photos grace the silkscreened cover). “Often” was also a cassette packed inside a T-shirt, and “Unrequited” might be the most illustrious. This download code was printed on a T-shirt in a limited edition of 25. So yes, 25 single shirts were made, and the music was on the shirt. I only ever saw one person wearing this. Talk about limited editions. But: Barreuh likes Modelbau. That’s the message here.
“Ripples” is a C50 cassette. Ripples A and Ripples B are two long tracks, each covering one side of the cassette. Nothing weird or interesting is there, but you must listen to the music. The basics of these tracks are formed by a session Frans had at EMS in Stockholm. During that session, he dedicated his time to the Buchla machines there. So, every sound on “Ripples” originates from the EMS Buchla system. But as the saying goes: ‘It’s not what you have, it’s what you do with it’. Some people these days make techno out of their Buchla systems, while others stick as close as possible to the sounds generated by the machines. But thankfully, we have Modelbau, who fucked the original sounds up severely with granular synthesis and a whole complexity of tape loops. And the result is two mesmerizing soundscapes/drones where a lot is happening.
Side A is more complex in its simplicity. I thought that the first part might as well have been released as a tribute to Eliane Radigue. It is beautiful in its minimalism, and I can’t wait to get the tape (reviewing from a digital source) to hear if the medium tape will add something extra, like that extra bit of tape compression. The reverse side is a bit more complex, and much more is happening there. It’s more of a story being told, but I have yet to find out the story. Some of the synthetic sounds of the Buchla are so heavily treated that they start to sound organic. And the pulsating sounds have some great interpolation patterns which I can’t wait to listen to on the living room tubes. Those crunchy sounds with the careful melody in the end leave you mesmerized.
Modelbau came up with a beautiful release here. If you know and appreciate Modelbau, this is another one for your collection. If you don’t remember Modelbau, this might be one step too far for you to start your journey, but if you want to find out what Modelbau is capable of, this is a release that shows the many faces of the artist, yet a product is solid/uniform in its quality.
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