'Location Stories' EP 2 x 7"
Janek Schaefer
Stichting Mixer 2 x 7" series, Holland [catalogue M7.08/9]
Edition of 250
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Track Listing:
A: Minneapolis Office Max Messages > 1.45min
A collage of the messages I found left on the display model of a mini digital dictaphone bought at a Branch of Office Max in Minneapolis. In a condensed period of time we get to hear many different cultures and stereotypes interacting with the technology uninterupted by the presence of sales staff. The piece concludes with a voice from my car radio as I tested it in the carpark outside talking about innovation and technology.
see: http://www.audiOh.com/releases/minneapolismessages.html
B: Field Recording > 6.00min
This is the unedited recording of a huge field of silent goats in the village of Villanueva de la Concepcion, south Spain. They all were wearing goat bells and they didn't speak once so the result is a random cacophony chorus of bells. Very pure field recording composition.
C: Amazon Word Game [beginning] side 1 > 7.41min
D: Amazon Word Game [ending] side 2 > 7.40min
A recording made in the heart of The Amazon Rain Forest where, a Brazilian, a German and 2 English travellers are lying in hammocks at dusk in a camp made from palm leaves playing a word association game. The language differences make an entertaining and intimate play of language in the middle of the ambient sounds of the virgin rainforest.
Special thanks to Martijn, Catherine, Donna, Nate, Bernard, Office Max, and our jungle guide. Copyright of audiOh! Recordings 2005.
Reviews:
Vital List [Holland]
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Many things happened since Janek Schaefer first entered the music scene with his turntable with three arms. He collaborates with others, such as Robert Hampson of Main, does installation pieces and incorporates field recordings in his work. This new double 7" (and if understood well, the final new Stichting Mixer release in some time to come) deals with field recordings, but of three different natures. On side A we hear messages left on a mini digital dictaphone that Schaeffer bought. It was the display model so it went through many hands, and many people tried the machine, leaving their messages on. Quite a hilarious piece of found sound. The b-side is a pure field recording of goats wearing bells. The funny thing is that these goats are all silent, so the only thing we hear is the sound of the bells, which sound like a thick mass of chinese bell chimes plus some more obscured sounds, part of the recording.
On the other 7" we have two recordings made in the Amazon Rain Forest, where a Brazilian guide, two English tourists and a German tourist are playing a 'word association' game. Of course the Rain Forest makes a lot of noise, bird and insect calls. Of course with three different native languages on board it's not easy to do this, so there is some amount of confusion among the players. It's a very nice idea and with the Rain Forest sounds its also a beautiful ambient recordings, but perhaps the fifteen minutes spread over 2 sides of a 7" is a bit too much. However, Schaeffer tells three great, three different stories. (FdW)