| $15.61
new to stock as of
may 19th, 2008
threads:
modern-psych
minimalism-drones
modern-composition
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| | | plastic (usa) #pr 007 lp burning star core “challenger” long playing record - challenger (4:53)
- beauty hunter (5:25)
- through the bars of a rhyme (2:11)
- mezzo forte (3:58)
- no memories, no plans (3:00)
- hopelessly devoted (3:25)
- mysteries of the organ (6:00)
- un coeur en hiver (4:11)
| | click the play button to hear an excerpt of "beauty hunter" |
| may 2008 release ; the lp version of the cd on hospital productions (even though, technically, ‘twas the other way ‘round) ... identical tracklisting / layout ...
this is spencer at his best, offering up eight slices of confounding non-denominational audio, ranging from pulsing organ drones w/mystery layers of murmered voices & electronics, pure field recordings, amp-blown keyboard epics, some digitally-transmogrified sound-poetry warble ... and even bits that wouldn’t sound out-of-place on an “artificial intelligence” era autechre record (listen to the sound-sample) ...
the man’s up to no good, some good, and a whole hell of a lot of good ; as always an absolutely joy to hear him stretch out ... highly recommended !!! |
| | burning star core is c. spencer yeh
challenger
burning star core began in 1993 in cincinnati-ohio where it currently resides with primary member c. spencer yeh. it is considered a project and not a pseudonym.. while the burning star core project has included much wider ensembles, challenger is a direct solo composition of c. spencer yeh. this recording is perhaps yeh’s most revealing, unguarded work.
challenger is a composed work, not an improvisation, with each piece revolving around a central melodic theme, featuring field recordings, which serve as an audio diary.
the sounds range from pure tonal mood to huge electronic crescendos. but what’s most remarkable is the use of space, where parts come in then drop out to build up the emotion. when the piano sound crashes in “mysteries of the organ,” it reflects a frustration with paradise, a rejection of perfection, a jolt of inexplicable throes of life. in contrast is the quiet, haunting “hopelessly devoted,” which sounds like a love letter written to outer space. these make for an album that is both dynamic yet consistent as a full statement.
“i felt i was working while very much in the rapture of these feelings. though i was committing these emotions to sound i was pretty engrossed in this project in a discreet manner, and i can’t say i didn’t end up allowing the project itself to influence my ‘real life’ decisions instead of what should be the healthier reverse,” said yeh on the making of challenger. it’s an appropriate concern seeing as this work can have subliminal influences in the listeners’ own behavior. rare does a record leave an impact that stays even when it’s not playing. with this recording, burning star core has given us something that lingers in the bloodstream, like the smell of an old lover’s scent.
challenger is a plastic records release; under exclusive license, the cd is available through hospital productions. |
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