Leverkusen is where Johannes Garbe organises, creates and releases things about experimental music. He very probably does way, WAY more than just those three things, but as for now, that is enough. Because he released them in a super minimal edition (16 copies), these final recordings of Pick-Up. Pick-Up is a collaborative work from Martin Luiten and Frans de Waard. They’ve released two albums, one cassette, and one mini CD-R in 2008-2010, and now this final 12″ lathe cut with never-released material is available.
The compositional setting is Martin on guitar and Frans on computer, manipulating the sounds Martin creates. The exact configuration of both parts is unknown, though. Did Martin use FX? Did Frans use pre-recorded sounds in addition to the live manipulation? But you know, it actually doesn’t matter too much. This is a really nice recording of two people making music, and the exact method is irrelevant. I wonder, however, if these are ‘leftovers’ or if they were planned to be released but didn’t find their way out somehow. Take, for example, the first two tracks of the A-side. “Denkbeeldige Lijn/Verte” (imaginary line/distance), a 19-minute piece which is just beautiful; Guitar ambience with minimal melodic behaviour. “Curve”, which is closing the first side, has a more staccato sound and uses the guitar slightly less as a string instrument. I mean, the guitar is played, just not the strings.
The reverse side has three 5-minute tracks titled “Kim”, “Geografisch Noorden” (geographical north) and “Einder” (horizon). The first one is maybe the most ‘Frans’ and least ‘Martin’ of everything on the record. Heavily manipulated sounds create a beautiful drone. The second is more in balance again, but like “Curve”, it’s the guitar being used as a sound source more than it being played like it’s supposed to. But as Vital Weekly is a platform for experimental music, well, maybe it’s the other way around and a guitar being a sound source is more evident than… Euhm, chords? The title track that closes this release is based on a minimal melody with luscious harmonic drones and ambience placed carefully under them. The result has a minimalistic ambient / post-rock feeling, and it’s just a beautiful thing.
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