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to celebrate the release of the new failing lights "s/t" disc on intransitive, we are running a "4 for the price of 3" incentive on all in-stock intransitive cd releases *!!!* simply place an order for any 3 intransitive discs, making sure to mention in the comments field which title you want as your 4th and voila, we'll include it free of charge !!! act fast, as the incentive is limited to the inventory on hand ...

previous record label: roir		there are 29 titles on room40 in stock. they are listed below.		next record label: roomtone

$16.49

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
modern-psych
free-jazz
art-punk

room40 (australia) #rm434 cd

d.n.e. “47 songs humans shouldn’t sing” compact disc

around
gold
absolute
chemistry
phenomena
transmutation
secret
eternity
sun
medicine
stone
circle
here
exegesis
materia prima
fire
black
cycle
our chaos
heat
elements
volatile
body
it is
another
water
magnesia
reduction
seed
accident
virus
microscopes
vapor
law
invisibility
index
fact
middle
mirror
forget
waited
bone
level
relative
momentum
line
cage

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "absolute"

room40 press release...

d.n.e.
47 songs humans shouldn't sing

eugene carchesio’s renown as a visual artist has unjustly eclipsed his extraordinary output as a soundmaker. since the mid 80s, the brisbane artist has steadfastly proliferated a sack full of barely released cassettes and cdrs under the d.n.e. moniker.

twenty years ago, he emptied his wallet to press 250 copies of the appropriately titled lp "47 songs humans shouldn't sing”. then compact discs arrived. the local pressing plant closed and the master tape went with it. copies were circulated to friends. a handful made it to england. a copy did the rounds in dunedin. and then suddenly, the clutch of remaining copies disappeared.

to a small legion, 47 songs became a coveted item, its whacked miniaturism a visionary jolt of intuitive post punk energy. a suggestion of ayler, a chadbournesque styling, a no wave propulsion. this was not a jazz album! these were 47 small constructions. sound diamonds. songs. not for human tongue, yet instantly hum-able. acoustic, yet coursing with electricity. currents of energy running through its veins. d.n.e. spiritual genetics. recorded in a frenzied three days on four tracks of cassette. the sum of parts. twenty three plus twenty four small explosions.

this 20th anniversary reissue has been faithfully remastered from the vinyl, finally restoring this lost australian classic. out of the vault, onto disc, the sparks still flying!

leighton craig, brisbane, november 2008

$16.49

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
musique-concrète
electro-acoustic-improvisation
electro-acoustic-composition
playback-music

room40 (australia) #rm426 cd

erik m “steme” compact disc

411
ressac
fraq 424
puff
game
leak
white out
organic

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "fraq 424"

room40 press release...

erikm
stéme

between his reputation as swift shifting improviser, concréte composer and turntable deconstructionist, marseilles based artist erikm has earned himself an enviable position in the european music community. with stéme, his most ambitious and fully realised compositional work to date, he devolves and recontextualises the boundaries between sound source and sound media.

in essence, stème originates from a selection of ten one minute long sound pieces burned on a cd which was deliberately damaged. these media (music on modified media or field recording) formed the basis of multiple improvised session including multiple stages of construction and destruction of these acoustic matters using my different electronic real time live music systems (3k-pad system & md or cd-dj and electronics).

the resulting sounds are truly distinctive – filigree like sonic details are brought into sharp focus, tuning the ears with their paced spatial movements. occasional grabs of the source sound material appear and are erased equally as quickly. a genuinely powerful statement of compositional intent.

artist biography
erikm has instinctively followed a relatively unusual, even risky, career path. stemming from his interest in visual arts and his first musical experience as a rock guitarist, he has for some years now become steadily more and more renowned for his virtuoso turntabling and his use of electronic instruments and tools in an integrated scenic set-up erikm has followed up musical collaborations with voice crack, christian marclay, luc ferrari, among others.

$26.94

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
october 27th, 2007

threads:
modern-psych

room40 (uk) #rm423 lp

for barry ray “new days” long playing record

through holes, glass & stone (4:46)
david (3:12)
a dark blue heat (6:02)
aurora, dancing… (4:41)
hummingway (4:23)
the porcelain horse (1:27)
if mingus was your mother (1:50)
morgonstund (2:42)
blending light (8:48)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "a dark blue heat"

deluxe vinyl edition of the debut album by the duo of john chantler and carina thorén; the records housed in machine-sewn “lino-print” sleeves that, frankly, are quite lovely.

room40 press release...

available on cd and heavyweight vinyl. the vinyl edition is limited to 300 copies cut by the legendary rachad at dubplates & mastering. each cover is an original lino-cut print by carina thorén that extends over the front & back covers... cd is the 'standard' room40 triple gatefold style with totally different artwork to the lp.

for barry ray is the husband and wife duo of carina thorén (sweden) and john chantler (australia). after a number of compilation appearances, long gone cdrs and lathe cut records under various guises, the pair bunked down over the winter of 06/07 to lay the foundations for ‘new days’, kicking off things christmas morning with the gift of a london turned silent and a sky free of planes.

on ‘new days’, the sound moves from the wash of organs and lofi analog detail that opens the record to ecstatic blasts of freeform percussion and electronics, some hypnotic distorted keyboards and looped flute tones. dom garwood (alexander tucker / ladywoodsman et al) dropped by for a meal and laid down some clarinet parts. the records second half increases the sense of space. an old swedish folk melody is buried beneath waves of fuzz while loren connors-esque guitar notes step gently in the wake. two short interludes follow, the thrum and pause of ‘the porcelain horse’s analog tape manipulations and the heavily processed guitar loop of ‘if mingus was your mother’ - its intimately suggested backbeat gently peeled back by computer interventions… the record closes with a piece of extended quietitude – acoustic guitar and piano notes ring out against great chunks of silence.

$16.49

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 23rd, 2007

threads:
modern-psych

room40 (australia) #rm423 cd

for barry ray “new days” compact disc

through holes, glass & stone (4:46)
david (3:12)
a dark blue heat (6:02)
aurora, dancing… (4:41)
hummingway (4:23)
the porcelain horse (1:27)
if mingus was your mother (1:50)
morgonstund (2:42)
blending light (8:48)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "a dark blue heat"

room40 press release...

$16.49

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
electro-acoustic-improvisation

room40 (australia) #rm420 cd

chris abrahams / mike cooper “oceanic feeling - like” compact disc

oceanic feeling-like part one (3:44)
memory of water (14:36)
hechizo (3:04)
surfside n° 2 (16:07)
board / wax (4:58)
waiting for otis (10:04)
oceanic feeling-like part two (3:20)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "oceanic feeling-like part two"

room40 press release...

chris abrahams / mike cooper
oceanic feeling - like

"the sea pronounces something, over and over, in a hoarse whisper; i cannot quite make it out." annie dillard

it’s this musical whisper that is amplified on oceanic feeling-like, as italian based musician mike cooper and australia’s chris abrahams unite for the first time to create what could be described as a picturesque horizon of melodic ocean swell.

stretching out wide, oceanic feeling-like is generously coloured by cooper’s unique approaches to the guitar and abrahams' distinctive piano motions. both bring a wealth of technique and improvised flare, creating a series of island-like compositions that eventually form an unusually divergent sound archipelago.

recorded in sydney at abrahams’ home studio, each of the pieces explores a unique sound space – that’s both reflective and reflexive.

truly a release that ebbs and flows in the best way imaginable. an ocean of sound awaits - sometimes calm and flowing, occasionally chopping and unexpected, but always experiential.

$12.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
august 23rd, 2006

threads:
digital-musics
electro-acoustic-composition

room40 (australia) #rm418 cd

lloyd barrett “mise en scene” compact disc

exhale
sentinel
swarm
a silhouette for balance
scenery
the machine belly
canopy
post war vaseline

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "a silhouette for balance"

room40 press release...

for well over a decade, australia's lloyd barrett has been issuing all manner of intricate sound works – from diligent examinations of postconcréte sound and abstracted rhythmic projects to spacious ambient works.

in 2005, he committed himself to create mise en scene, a work drawing on the concepts of filmic sound and exploring the possibilities of philosophies suggested by authors and theorists such as michel chion.

the resulting album heralds a bold statement of intent from barrett. deeply evocative, maintaining moments of extreme intimacy and vast remoteness, this record is characterised by highly realised imagined sonic language. it speaks to the notions of acousmatic composition and delivers a document rich with decomposed found sound, unfamiliar texture and instrumental passages reflective of electroacoustic methodology.

"there is no auditory container for sounds... music communicates with all times and all spaces of a film, even as it leaves them to their separate and distinct existences"(michel chion: 1990).

$12.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
august 23rd, 2006

threads:
electro-acoustic-improvisation
electro-acoustic-composition

best of 2006 !!!

room40 (australia) #rm416 cd

greg davis / jeph jerman “ku” compact disc

first strata (9:32)
second strata (20:41)
third strata (18:07)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "second strata"

first mass-market release (after two/three cdr releases via greg’s autumn “leaves” series) from the duo of greg davis and jeph jerman; a perfect co-realization of each’ aesthetic... jeph’s “acoustic power electronics” via assorted natural detritus; greg’s pristine digital embellishments & assembly.

room40 press release...

the act of conjuring remarkable sound from found objects is at the very heart of this recording from american musicians greg davis and jeph jerman. having met in arizona some years back, davis and jerman commenced working together on a series of recording projects.

improvising with a range of implements and devices ranging from sticks, stones and lo-fi electronics to prepared instruments, gongs and broken percussion, the pair sought to develop a personal language that reflected their individual approaches but also created a shared sensibility and aesthetic quality. placing their work in a range of environments, most of which orbit around jerman’s ranch in cottonwood, davis and jerman create a richly textured array of sounds from the most modest of sonic tools.

each of the works featured here collects together multiple improvised sessions, which have been edited to create a flowing sense of movement and space. these tempered post-concréte works resolve a joint interest from these two musicians in the act of freeform found sound improvisation and experimentation.

sleeve design by john chantler.

$16.49

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
minimalism-drones
folk

room40 (australia) #rm415 cd

tenniscoats “totemo aimasho” compact disc

hakka
aurora curtains
cacoy
kimininaritai
broome
donna donna
jitsurei
before noon
herei
rasen
midori
to do first

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "broome"

room40 press release...

tenniscoats
totemo aimasho

in essence tokyo’s tenniscoats celebrate all that makes song vital in our collective conscious. matching emotive live performance against delicately psychedelic folk songs, the duo of saya and takashi ueno (assisted by a plethora of floating members), create some of the most compelling music currently emanating from japan.

on totemo aimasho – loosely translated as lets meet very much – tenniscoats find themselves traveling across countries, scribing audio journal entries from australia, japan and the uk. recorded in all three countries over 18 months, this edition bares witness to the divergent sonic nature of the group.

from the sweetly psychedelic ‘cacoy’ through to the ambience of ‘aurora curtains’ and the synthesized folk of ‘to do first’ this record paints an audio portrait of tenniscoats vast and evocative musical prowess.

produced by room40 honcho lawrence english and co-produced by john chantler and saya, the title totemo aimasho sums up so much about the process of it’s creation – a record of anticipated meetings, disparate spaces and excited exchanges.

$16.49

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
august 23rd, 2006

threads:
electro-acoustic-improvisation

room40 (australia) #rm414 cd

reinhold friedl / michael vorfeld “pech” compact disc

pech (20:58)
keks (13:20)
torf (16:40)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "keks"

room40 press release...

pech is the latest duo recording from inside pianist reinhold friedl and avant- percussionist michael vorfeld. over the past five years, this pair of german musicians have created some of the most engaging and imaginative electro-acoustic music, exploring the potentials of subtle performance techniques and refined compositional approaches.

on pech, the duo seek to uncover the hidden and masked character of their instruments - the piano is altered via various preparations and unconventional ways of bringing the strings to vibration, whilst the percussion and other various stringed instruments transgress beyond the rhythmic into a humming textural mass. the result of these two musical workstations meeting is simply breathtaking and reveals a range of provocative and commanding qualities from these traditional instrumental set-ups.

$12.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
august 23rd, 2006

room40 (australia) #rm413 cd

dj olive “sleep” compact disc

sleep (48:00)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "sleep"

room40 press release...

dj olive's seminal sleep session was originally recorded and compiled in late 2001 and circulated amongst friends and on an australian tour as a cdr. the disc shares the same sentiments as buoy and exposes dj olive's talents at crafting gently shifting spatial ambience. rich textures and deep tone are carefully intermixed and combined with olive's unique turntable style. the results are quite simply spellbinding - epic, with a markedly personal sensibility.

sleep is part two of a trilogy of ambient records for room40.

$12.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
august 23rd, 2006

threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
electro-acoustic-improvisation

best of 2006 !!!

room40 (australia) #rm412 cd

robin fox / clayton thomas “substation” compact disc

direct couriers (4:11)
shuffle (8:04)
dust on the diodes (27:37)
bird song (4:45)
between downpours (19:05)
substation (reprise) (1:37)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "direct couriers"

room40 press release...

apart from being recognised as two of australia's leading improvising musical forces, clayton thomas and robin fox are also acknowledged for their unrelenting experiments and divergent acoustic approaches in relation to their instrument of choice.

over the past 3 years, robin fox has developed some of the most powerful live processing tools in australia through his research with maxmsp. clayton thomas on the other hand has expanded his performance styles, moving between blistering free jazz explosions to introverted and delicate expanded preparations on his 100 year old double bass.

the results of this pairing, as you'd expect, are as diverse as they are spectacular. unrelenting double bass movements are reprocessed into microtonal washes of sound - vibrated objects are transformed into uncharacteristic acoustic phenomena. this record expands on the techniques of electro-acoustic traditions and aligns both acoustic and electronic sounds in an integrated sonic environment where the lines between player and machine, instrument and processing are blurred and redefined.

$12.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 27th, 2006

threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
field-recordings
digital-musics
minimalism-drones

best of 2006 !!!

room40 (australia) #rm411 cd

steinbrüchel “opaque (+re)” compact disc

steinbrüchel | opaque | 9.46
chris abrahams | falling into places | 6.43
ben frost | verdurathugan | 10:00
taylor deupree | forest/opaque | 5.48
oren ambarchi | lost time not found again | 2.29
toshiya tsunoda | untitled | 8.52

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "opaque"

gorgeous collection of contemporary concrète/acoustmatic music in its tonal incarnation; starting with the immaculate original piece by the swiss sound-artist ralph steinbrüchel, then following suit(e) with versions by the necks’ chris abrahams, ben frost, 12k’s taylor deupree, oren ambarchi, and finally toshiya tsunoda (whom, it appears, recorded the piece as played back in a room using a microphone inside of a glass bottle!)

room40 press release...

in spring 2003 steinbrüchel received an invitation from the swiss music festival 'taktlos' in berne to contribute a track for their listening room equipped with a surround 5.1 sound system. during the two-day festival in november 2003 steinbrüchel's track 'opaque' was played back in cycle mode (among tracks from various other artists).

the listening room focused on the experience of being able to listen to music in a very quiet and large environment - unlikely to most home listening situations. additionally the possibility of working in surround gave the musicians a chance to create very special audio sculptures in the space.

this disc collects 'opaque' and reinterpretations by oren ambarchi (aus), taylor deupree (us), frost (aus), toshiya tsunoda (jp) and chris abrahams (nz).

each of the contributing artists was chosen for his unique working method (oren for his work with guitar, taylor for processed sounds, frost guitar feedback, toshiya for fieldrecordings and chris for piano). to make the remixes more varied and special, each artist received only three samples/soundfiles from the original track, but none of the artists have received the same samples or even have heard the original track by steinbrüchel before the release of the cd.

$12.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 23rd, 2007

threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
field-recordings

room40 (australia) #rm408 cd

m. rösner “alluvial” compact disc

lost in the shift (5:14)
drift (5:40)
decay (3:24)
blurred hues (4:31)
ton (4:46)
subliminate (4:33)
field (3:18)
process (3:52)
untilted (10:41)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "decay"

room40 press release...

m. rösner is a sound artist based in the south-west of australia. surrounded by open spaces yet within close reach of the city, an infusion of place and time is evident in all m. rösner's works.

working with minimal organic fragments gathered from acoustic instruments and microphone recordings that are digitally processed, m. rösner aims to create abstract compositions that are at the same point in time acoustic and electronic, organic but also digital, freeform and yet standing still.

in 2004 m. rösner released his album post on uk label 12x50. he has recently remixed the matinkarri bridge in finland for sonic artstar's singing bridges compilation. his sounds works have received airplay and appeared in art installations across the globe. alluvial is rösner's most focused work to date.

m. rösner also records and plays live under the pablo dali moniker. pablo dali retains the acoustic elements but has a more structured rhythmical sound. pablo dali has released the single california grey on meupe, and appeared on numerous compilations most notably ai records 2004 station release. in 2004 he supported us artist greg davis at perth's artrage festival.

$16.49

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 23rd, 2007

threads:
experimental-instruments
sound-art

room40 (australia) #rm407 cd

erik griswold “altona sketches” compact disc

imperfect memories (0:46)
wednesday (17:23)
stops & starts (0:42)
thursday (14:44)
pink memories (1:03)
friday (11:24)
clicks & pops (0:48)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "wednesday"

room40 press release...

bolts, screws, paper, rubber strips, and bits of cardboard are wedged, laced, and screwed between the piano strings to create layers of interlocking microtonal scales. these form a matrix of possibilities that are explored, sounded and discovered in a series of improvised musical moments. cross rhythms. imperfect memories.

currently based in brisbane, australia, american born composer and pianist erik griswold has been a leading force in australian contemporary composition for prepared piano for many years. splitting his time between solo pursuits and his work with percussionist partner vanessa tomlinson, his compositions have been presented across the globe in the us, uk, china and other locations in asia and europe.

altona sketches was conceived following a lengthy session of prepared piano improvisations delivered in support of a one-man juggling show with australia's highly regarded contemporary circus troupe circa. the album splits its sound palette between short and sweet excursions into music boxes and prepared toy piano and lengthier explorations of griswolds unique prepared piano approaches.

$16.49

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 23rd, 2007

threads:
experimental-instruments
sound-art

room40 (australia) #rm406 cd

rod cooper “friction” compact disc

estuary nocturne
stratum
mandrel
pearlite

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "estuary nocturne"

room40 press release...

friction is the culmination of over a decade of instrument building practice and design. my predominant choice of material is metal. i am attracted to its qualities like a shiny lure that reflects light and filters sound.

each instrument can take up to three years to design and several weeks to construct. initially i focussed on percussion and bowing, however recent instruments have employed continuos bowing mechanisms.

coming from a background of sculpture and later working as a furniture designer, gives me the freedom to imagine wild objects and the discipline to actually produce them. i was never satisfied playing a traditional instrument, yet i had a burning desire to make music. my instruments are like a riddle, which i have solved through my own means.

in my life i have spent much time in nature and i feel this comes out through my music as much as the industrial qualities of metal are apparent. the more intentional aspects of my sound are the open space, or the big sound as other people have put it to me. most of the tracks are pieces of music composed specifically for each instrument and are just recorded as one take. the instrument is the composition.

comfort through dissonance.

$16.49

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 23rd, 2007

threads:
electro-acoustic-composition
minimalism-drones

room40 (australia) #rm405 cd

zane trow “for those who hear actual voices” compact disc

bigrivered (2:56)
arcade (2:48)
lomgpuls (5:11)
longair (2:35)
louder sleep (1:50)
maral (3:05)
clearaa (6:37)
maralo (0:38)
synmooning (5:04)
thnth (3:50)
ais (4:03)
thirtithri (8:48)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "thirtithri"

... sounds like a cold blue music 10” from 1983 ; quite nice ...

room40 press release...

for over three decades, zane trow has been fascinated with the potentials of delay systems, echoed reverberations and transformational sound. on 'for those who hear actual voices', he sifts through a series of singular sound moments, dropping them into oceans of delay, washing them out in a raw, yet focused way that suggests an understanding of spatial environments.

someone a long way off, or in the next street on a still day, or in the office across the hall in the rain, might be playing something that sounds a bit like music.

$10.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 8th, 2006

threads:
sound-art
site-specific
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics

room40 (australia) #rm cmr ep
cmr (new zealand) #cmr rm ep

lawrence english / richard francis “lerfausnznwsd12006 b/w lerfausnznwsd22006” seven inch single record

lerfausnznwsd12006
lerfausnznwsd22006

collaborative, lim-ed (100 copies!), art-gallery fuh from “terminal collaborator” / room40 honch lawrence english and auckland all-about / cmr-boss richard francis (aka eso steel) ...

room40 press release...

lawrence english has three new installation works showing currently. isentropic process 1-100hz shows at queensland performing arts complex's the window space until mid-march and then in brisbane's queen st mall silence listening (supported by the brisbane city council) is showing for those who have a hearing impairment or access to hearing aids. it's on an induction loop amplifier so is only audible via electro-magnetic pick-ups.

for those in melbourne, richard francis and lawrence english are jointly presenting an installation exploring decaying media formats titled lerfausnznwsd12006/lerfausnznwsd22006 at shed 14, the harbour esplanade docklands. a 7" from the sound used in the work will be available via room40 in april - it's strictly limited to 100 copies and is hand stamped. please email us to reserve a copy.

$10.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 8th, 2006

threads:
digital-musics
field-recordings
musique-concrète

room40 (australia) #ltdrm400 cd

lawrence english “map51f9” three inch compact disc

map51f9 (17:30)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "map51f9"

late 2002 musique concrete piece from room40 boss lawrence english; the first release in the “limited” series...

room40 press release...

"map51f9 references inala, a small but ethnically diverse suburb in the outer reaches of brisbane. the sound installation (and the 3" cd release that followed) captured inconspicious elements of the area and reworked them into a flowing audio scape that hints at the everday narrative and interactions that make the area so vibrant and unique. sound by lawrence english. dvd jacket design by rinzen."

$16.49

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
digital-musics
modern-composition
electro-acoustic-composition
concert-recordings

room40 (australia) #edrm418 cd

taylor deupree / kenneth kirschner “may” compact disc

may 9, 2008 (36:18)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "may 9, 2008"

room40 press release...

taylor deupree & kenneth kirschner
may

may is the latest collaboration between new york composers taylor deupree and kenneth kirschner. recorded on may 9, 2008 at the offf festival in lisbon, portugal, the album represents the first available live recording of deupree and kirschner's concert performances. continuing in the direction of their acclaimed post_piano series, deupree and kirschner's live work explores the intersection between piano and digital music technology.

for this performance, deupree and kirschner took an even more experimental approach than they have in past concerts: sitting side by side at a single grand piano, they both played piano and both played laptop, with kirschner playing the keys of the piano and deupree directly manipulating the strings inside, even as they both shared the duties of electronic processing and sample manipulation.

the result is a rich and complex mixture of digital and acoustic timbres that breaks new ground in their ongoing exploration of the role of the piano in contemporary electronic music.

$16.49

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
minimalism-drones

room40 (australia) #edrm413 cd

christopher willits “plants and hearts” compact disc

plants and hearts (21:30)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "plants and hearts"

2007 release ; psycho-acoustic phase-interlock from christopher willits ...

room40 press release...

christopher willits
plants and hearts

christopher willits is a ceaseless creative force focused on teasing out the most from his instrument of choice – the guitar. with 'plants and hearts', he sets out on a divergent exploration of the tonal qualities of guitar, rendering out a composition that references in equal doses the minimal harmonic shifts of terry riley and the phasing works of steve reich.

incorporating 4hz isochronic pulses and panning at the same frequency, this work encourages the formation of 4hz brainwave patterns associated with states of meditation, deep relaxation, enhanced creativity, light sleep and lucid dreaming.

using a ms (mid side) recording of guitar made by ryan kleeman at umkc, the unique mixing technique of panning the cardioid m of the m-s array left and right four times at one second intervals alters spatial cues, and phase relationships.

warning: this recording may cause dizziness and a sense of vertigo. you are advised not to drive while listening to this music.

from willits:

“i've always wanted to release a pure droning guitar piece and equally wanted to incorporate 4hz pulses and panning into something long form. these long drones, were recorded ms giving me some great stuff to experiment with, and allowed me blend these concepts in an unusual way.”

$16.49

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
guitar-themed
experimental-instruments
free-improvisation

room40 (australia) #edrm412 cd

candlesnuffer “wakool” compact disc

everything is cheaper than it looks
sad dog (gunbalanya)
old verve (croajingalong)
this happened when dogs could talk
rechabites' hammers (wakool)
hymns in spitting (the nobbies)
your fantastic chemist
words dissolved in eyes (gettysburg)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "rechabites' hammers (wakool)"

room40 press release...

candlesnuffer
wakool

extant instrumental solos, play loudly.

"recorded over a series of four sunday afternoons, wakool is an interrogation into an expanded range of techniques and gestures applied to instruments including banjo, electroacoustic guitar, bandura, and eukolin. in part an antidote to laborious studio process, this project privileges live stereo recordings without additional overdubs, processing or equalization. the varied and spontaneous nature of david’s effortless playing across an eclectic range of instruments was recorded transparently to direct the aural focus on the dynamics and nuances comprising each performance. in some ways wakool is pure documentation of process, simply demonstrating david’s formidable range of concepts and techniques developed over an extraordinary period of experimentation and research commencing in the late 70s. on the other hand david’s meticulous preparation of each instrument combined with his prodigious knowledge of improvisational practice provides a complexity that negates the need for sophisticated studio process. wakool stands as a testament to david’s sustained and unwavering commitment to improvisation, which he executes with enthusiasm, vigour and inventiveness that easily posits him as the most vital figure in the australian musical avant-garde." - philip samartzis

david brown (b. 1956, melbourne, aust.) has been involved in the melbourne experimental, art rock/punk rock scene since the mid-seventies. his current projects include punk jazz band bucketrider, lazy an improvising duo with percussionist sean baxter, improv/sound art group western grey with baxter and philip samartzis, psychedelic electronic duo terminal hz with kk null from japan and prepared improvisational group pateras/baxter/brown.

$16.49

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
concert-recordings
film-video
modern-psych
electro-acoustic-improvisation
free-improvisation
guitar-themed
playback-music
plunder-phonic

room40 (australia) #edrm410 cd

text of light “rotterdam.1” compact disc

rotterdam.1 (19:24)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "rotterdam.1"

2006 release ; raucous blast of electric free improv from alan licht, lee ranaldo, ulrich krieger, tim barnes, and dj olive ...

room40 press release...

text of light
rotterdam.1

recorded at the rotterdam international film festival in january 2005, this explosive piece from text of light typifies their abilities as a vivid freeform improvisational unit. ranaldo and licht’s measured guitar work sets a basis on which kreiger’s blaring saxtronics, barnes’ percussive explorations and dj olive’s swirling turntable incursions can intertwine and augment one another. this piece ebbs and flows, each of the players listening intently and guiding the proceedings with disarmingly sublime yet focused intensity.

like all their recorded works to date, this piece was delivered in tandem with a live film projection – this interaction between 20th century abstract and experimental film and live improvised performance at the very core of the unit.

text of light on rotterdam 1 are:

alan licht: guitar
lee ranaldo: guitar, electronics
ulrich krieger: sax, sax-tronics
dj olive: turntables, powerbook
tim barnes: drums, percussion

recorded by martin van rappard and edited by lee ranaldo and alan licht.

$14.99

new to stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

threads:
digital-musics
minimalism-drones
sound-art

room40 (australia) #edrm409 cd

richard chartier “current” compact disc

current (19:48)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "current"

october 2006 release ; a quiet miniature on themes of airtravel from richard chartier ...

room40 press release...

richard chartier
current

richard chartier’s sound installation and recorded pieces evoke a state of aural awareness. working with a variety of minimal structures and refined sound sources, chartier has been responsible for some of the most austere audio works of recent years. aesthetically refined and creatively provocative much of his work has focused on the edges of perception, both in frequency range and amplitude.

on current, his latest work to be released in conjunction with his performances in australia and japan in late 2006, chartier offers a multilayered sound field. shimmering high tones filter amid a clouded layer of dense audio mist – across the 20 minutes, he creates a potent journey through crisp yet warm sound textures, metered pulses and spacious stereo field.

the piece is thematically linked to the idea of travel by airplane - the disassociation of time and location – air currents above and the oceanic currents below.

$10.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 8th, 2006

threads:
digital-musics
electro-acoustic-composition
minimalism-drones
guitar-themed

best of 2006 !!!

room40 (australia) #edrm408 cd

keith fullerton whitman “track4 (twowaysuperimposed)” three inch fan compact disc

track4 (twowaysuperimposed) (21:04)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "track4 (twowaysuperimposed)"

... stockpiled a few copies of this, the tour-ep from my recent travels down under over in oz & nz so that i could offer it via mms upon my return ... i’ve got a few left ...

room40 press release...

keith fullerton whitmantrack4 (twowaysuperimposed)

over the past few years, keith fullerton whitman has been responsible for producing some of the most engaging electronic music to emerge from the united states. informed by traditional musique concréte as much as contemporary dsp, his work remains provocative without relying on overt actions or grandiose sonic statements. for his upcoming tour of australia, whitman issues this bass heavy journey through processed guitar and electronics – a refined statement of intent from one of the usa's finest. (lawrence english)

"here’s a 10:32 piece from 2002, re-worked, turned into a 21:04 piece in late 2005, released in spring of 2006 to correspond with my second australian tour. much like "track3a (2waynice)" (the first piece on the "playthroughs" album), this piece is entirely bi-directional, meaning that it plays the same forwards as backwards (just try to get your head around that...) by far the most woofer-rattling piece of music i've ever made..." (kfw)

$12.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
august 23rd, 2006

threads:
electro-acoustic-improvisation
playback-music
plunder-phonic

room40 (australia) #edrm407 cd

philip samartzis / lawrence english “one plus one” three inch fan compact disc

faster than cold (5:37)
gut bucket blues (6:22)
goin’ back home (5:51)
phosphorescent clouds (3:08)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "faster than cold"

room40 press release...

philip samartzis & lawrence english
one plus one

the turntable has enjoyed a varied history in the realm of performance and experimental music. from the early phonographic works of john cage to the spliced cut-ups of christian marclay in the 1980s, the device has proven to be a versatile tool for the creation and transformation of sound.

following a joint billing at brisbane’s metro arts space in 2002, melbourne based composer philip samartzis and sound artist lawrence english shared a 30-minute performance that was to become the beginning of their on-going turntable duo. both samartzis (a member of the legendary australian turntable group gum) and english (a regular player with dj olive, janek schaefer and others) have long histories of live actions utilising turntables and together each of them brings a wealth of gestures and unique sonic qualities to the instrument.

recorded in early 2006, this edition captures the initial studio works from these two artists and seeks to reflect on the potential of the cyclical nature of vinyl and the surface noise that envelopes the very medium itself.

$12.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
august 23rd, 2006

threads:
musique-concrète
electro-acoustic-composition
digital-musics
field-recordings

best of 2006 !!!

room40 (australia) #edrm406 cd

philip samartzis / kozo inada “h [ ]” three inch fan compact disc

h [ ] (20:33)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "h [ ]"

room40 press release...

australian electro-acoustic composer philip samartzis is an increasingly vital presence in the australian sound community. his work over the past decade and a half has offered a prophetic vision for each of his chosen formats and aesthetic approaches.

on h [ ] samartzis is joined by minimal japanese composer kozo inada, who brings with him an equally refined and austere sound sensibility. between them, these two composers collaborate to produce a highly detailed work that juxtaposes, obscures and ultimately unites pure electronics with environmental recordings. these elements are set to work against and within one another, the results causing the listener to reconsider which sounds are emanating from the interwoven tapestry of source materials.

celebrating the rich tradition of acousmatic sound and musique concréte, this composition provides a potent reminder of the potentials of sound as a transformative and (imagined) narrative medium.

$10.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 27th, 2006

threads:
field-recordings
electro-acoustic-composition
site-specific

room40 (australia) #edrm405 cd

“incidental amplifications” compact disc

chris watson - runway o2e
domenico sciajno - twc
le grand jeu - middle class guilt
camilla hannan - part 3 (edit)
terre thaemlitz - millennial muzak
joe musgrove - broken in search
brandon labelle - off site
aaron ximm - sales_pitch_phase
dzo - untitled
m.rösner - may0105
daniel blinkhorn - resource14
mathieu ruhlmann - rest
blake stickland - brecker (for curd duca)
thembi soddell - watching

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "thembi soddell - watching"

compilation of variations on themes of preserving/capturing/processing “subliminal” environmental sound... we’re not talking about yr average acoustic ecology exercise here but more the hidden nature sounds in city-locations otherwise rife with the sounds of commerce, transportation, etc... the clarion call of watson’s opening piece (a bird squawks away in defiance as a boeing fades from the background to the fore in the right channel, takes off, then disappears in the left, seemingly having no affect on our fine feathered friend whatsoever...)

includes contributions from heavies chris watson and brandon labelle alongside excellent work from m.rösner, domenico sciajno, aaron ximm and others. a veritable phonographer’s delight...

room40 press release...

for most of us, our every waking moment (and even those where we are unconscious) is surrounded by sound. from the obnoxiously pitched alarm tone that raises us from slumber to the muted sounds of night-time traffic that merge with natural nocturnal transmissions; there is always sound.

as a society we have increasingly sought to augment and indeed control the environments around us. all manner of tools have been utilised in this ongoing war against the unfamiliar, the unexpected and the "undesirable". as well as a variety of visuals cues, sound is progressively used to colour our surroundings with a variety of aural hues.

the twentieth century brought with it an unparalleled use of artificial sound in the form of george squier's muzak - a creation designed to enhance (and perhaps determine) amongst other things our "urban/social/shopping" experience. for decades, no mall or place of substantial commerce was complete without the dulcet tones of muzak. to many it would seem that there is a world of difference between the bleating high frequency sounds of an indian marketplace and multiple channels of mid-tempo instrumental music filling our shopping malls; however the ability for sound to draw and focus our attention is universal and well documented.

but what of the remaining sounds? the incidental sounds that muzak tries (and often fails) to mask. it's within these sound fields that curators lawrence english + lloyd barrett sought to collect artists who were working with and celebrating these incidental aspects of our sound world.

$10.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 27th, 2006

threads:
concert-recordings
out-guitar
australia

best of 2006 !!!

room40 (australia) #edrm404 cd

oren ambarchi / robbie avenaim “clockwork” three inch fan compact disc

clockwork (18:28)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "clockwork"

entirely emergizing live duo set (recorded on april 21st, 1999) of contemporary electronic guitar-gamelan and “kontakte”-lineage percussion from oren ambarchi and robbie avenaim; some of you may remember buying this in its original cdr form right around the time that mms was still in its embryonic stage(s); kudos to lawrence for making this recording available once again for the growing public...

room40 press release...

"raised on a diet of several decades' worth of renegade creatives and neglected masterpieces, we're all wise to the disappearing-act that an artist's back catalogue can perform - doubly so if their financial and/or artistic imperatives lead them to micro-release and micro-format their prodigious output. whether this is the ultimate in commodity fetishism or an over-aestheticisation of the potlatch syndrome, this process lends the private press/limited-up-the-wazoo document the kind of once-debased aura or mystique reserved for the gallery edition. uncover the mystery, they say, and you uncover the glory. and then - with the over-prescribed nature of undiscovered- gem glorification rendering the actual music somewhat underwhelming - it disappears into the air, helium balloons dropping back down from the heavens...

this is, however, no great concern vis-à-vis oren ambarchi and robbie avenaim's sucker-punch to the solar plexus, clockwork. its initial release - an edition of 100 3" cd-rs on ambarchi's jerker productions label back in 1999 - let it slide by just enough aesthetic radars to register among cognoscenti. coupled with ambarchi's solo work from the era, the recording marked a shift from the gonzo-rock of the duo's previous band, phlegm. things happen throughout clockwork that had never really happened before. recorded in front of a live audience for that "what we did on our holidays" feel, avenaim and ambarchi unravel their detourned instrumental panoply into a series of parallel universe propositions - (ie. if ambarchi's concurrent vinyl-only stacte series was alvin lucier and cluster collaborating for mego, then clockwork is mickey hart's gamelan orchestra performing ionisation.)

the scarcity of both clockwork and stacte within the sphere of known sound lent a subtle distortion to received wisdom of both ambarchi's and avenaim's development. the jump from their 1999 duo disc on tzadik, the alter rebbe's nigun, to their recent collaborative recordings with keith rowe, sachiko m, and otomo yoshihide, is indeed a wide and almost inexplicable chasm. those in contact with ambarchi's solo recordings for the touch label, or with avenaim's live performances in australia, would be partially clued in to the shifts in approach that occurred in the intervening period. this reissue of clockwork - its reinstatement in the "marketplace" for immediate edification and dissemination - is not just timely; it is also one of 2005's headiest pleasures. and that one of the most important pieces of the ambarchi/avenaim puzzle will finally achieve its deserved position within a trajectory of non-idiomatic improvisation (i'll say transitional, lest lawrence english side-swipe me,) well, one doesn't need to sound that final gong to induce the respectful applause of the concert patron.

this is, you might say, a photograph of the clockwork of time between..." - jon dale

$10.01

back in stock as of
december 3rd, 2008

first in stock on
may 27th, 2006

threads:
field-recordings
digital-musics
australia

room40 (australia) #edrm403 cd

lawrence english “ghost towns” three inch fan compact disc

ghost towns (18:20)

click the play button to hear an excerpt of "ghost towns"

room40 press release...

recorded in the later half of 2003, this composition, falling just shy of 20 minutes is composed largely of field recordings. the only processing is via eq and pitch shifting. the work is an abstracted impressionist sound portrait, sketching out the isolated soundscapes that exist, for the most part unheard, in these forgotten realms.

previous record label:
roir

...and that's everything on room40 in stock.
(why not take a look at the previous and next labels?)

next record label:
roomtone

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... this page was last updated on wednesday, september 1st, 2010 @ 12:06 pm