[´ramp] and markus reuter: ceasing to exist (dark ambient)

[ppg360]

Hallo allerseits,

ich bin sehr gerührt, euch allen mitteilen zu dürfen, daß unser gemeinsames Album mit Markus Reuter endlich veröffentlicht ist. Wir werden es offiziell bei unserem Konzert im Bochumer Planetarium am kommenden Samstag enthüllen.

Bei dieser Scheibe handelt es sich um eine Dark Ambient-Produktion mit Beiträgen von Markus an der Warr Touch Guitar. Markus hat sich als Experimentalgitarrist international einen guten Namen gemacht und sein Können in Formationen wie Centrozoon (mit Bernhard Woestheinrich, siehe die aktuelle Freaks at Home-Story in der Keyboards / Sound&Recording), Europa String Choir, Tuner und natürlich in Zusammenarbeit mit Ian Boddy unter Beweis gestellt. Von daher haben wir uns natürlich sehr gefreut, ihn für eine Zusammenarbeit gewinnen zu können.

Ich war zu faul, mir noch ein deutsches Info zu dem Album einfallen zu lassen, von daher habe ich mir die Freiheit genommen, unten den englischen Webtext einzufügen. Noch ist kein Audio zum Anhören online, sobald das der Fall ist, werde ich Laut geben.

Ach ja: Ich verbitte mir von vorneherein irgendwelche klugscheißerisch-pseudowitzig-ignoranten Pauschalurteile von wegen "Katzendarm" oder so . Erst hören, dann das Maul aufreißen . Es gibt hier ja angeblich solche Spezialisten...

Für die Neugierigen unter euch: Die größtenteils sehr "Oberheim"igen Texturen wurden mit der Touch Guitar erzeugt; ein Großteil der übrigen, offensichtlich elektronischen Klangfarben stammt aus meinem alten, lange verkauften (schnüff!) RMI KC-2 Keyboard Computer. Wer also mal hören will, was das Ding *wirklich* kann, sollte hier mal ein Ohr reinhalten .

Danke für´s Lesen und eure Zeit,

Stephen.


Hier kommt die Info:


"ceasing to exist" is the latest album by [´ramp]. this time it´s not a recording of the duo parsick/makowski but a collaborative effort which was recorded together with experimental guitar player markus reuter. markus gained a lot of reputation by not only collaborating with ian boddy on several joint albums on ian´s own din label but also by being a member of centrozoon, europa string choir, tuner, and of various other groups which venture deep into the realm of progressive music. markus helped [´ramp] greatly to push the envelope and create the most progressive and least traditional album of the band´s career thus far.

"ceasing to exist" is an entirely ambient affair which was based around touch guitar improvisations markus submitted to [´ramp] for further treatments. the material recorded during one long session was then processed and produced further separately by stephen parsick, markus reuter, and frank makowski resulting in a final batch of dronescapes that was grouped and arranged by markus reuter. unfortunately, the first-generation master was technically flawed and had to be redone completely. hence it took so long until the group came up with the final result.

most listeners may feel a little cautious about buying an ambient album from [´ramp] because, alas, a lot of ambient music is very one-dimensional and – put frankly – reduced to boring "fridge drones" only. [´ramp] and markus reuter tried to come up with enough interesting timbres, textures, structures, and elements to keep the listener riveted over the full length of the album. markus´ beautiful contribution of divine frequencies from his touch guitar add a lot of spice to [´ramp]´s deeply ambient sound currents. the beautiful cover painting deserves to be mentioned in particular as it was created by bernhard woestheinrich, markus´ creative partner in centrozoon."

 

[ppg360]

Eine der ersten Rezis, und wie´s scheint, ist der Mann nicht unzufrieden:

http://www.gutsofdarkness.com/god/objet.php?objet=9546

Soweit mich meine bescheidenen Französisch-Kenntnisse nicht täuschen, meint er´s gut mit uns ...

Danke für´s Lesen,

Stephen.

 

[ppg360]

Kann hier jemand Italienisch?


Anno: 2007
Label: Doombient Music
Genere: Experimental

Track Listing:
01. Ceasing To Exist 7:45
02. Seelenmord 8:00
03. Jeanne D'Arc 4:30
04. Yet Another Ambient Track 12:10
05. Number Nine 9:45
06. My Guitar Gently Weeps 15:48
07. Holier 5:16


Il nuovo lavoro del duo costituito da Stephen Parsick e Frank Makowski con la partecipazione speciale di Markus Reuter presenta un titolo emblematico e significativo allo stesso tempo: Ceasing To Exist, cessare di esistere. Una sorta di breve manifesto programmatico dell'intera opera.
Per certi versi appare anche un titolo singolare per un settimo lavoro; un lavoro meno greve che rispecchia un tantino di più la personalità musicale dei tre musicisti. Pubblicato dopo lunga gestazione, Ceasing To Exist ha conosciuto la maledizione del progetto ['ramp] prima di vedere finalmente la luce.
Essendo un lavoro completamente ambient, il trio si è interrogato a lungo sulla opportunità di immetterlo sul mercato sino a quando gli esiti del mixaggio finale, messo a punto da Markus Reuter, non hanno spazzato via ogni residua perplessità.
La title-track si apre su un'atmosfera opprimente e lenta assieme al dispiegamento di dense vibrazioni che generano una marea di impulsi sonori il cui rombo avvolge il cardine principale.
Si tratta di un brano asfissiante ma con una certa singolare spazialità, accompagnato da sottili modulazioni che liberano veri e propri strattoni sonori e brusii sottotraccia.
L'intensità cresce di una spanna con Seelenmord. Se l'incipit è imbevuto di una spiazzante pesantezza, la tonalità, per converso, si schiarisce su un perdurante ronzio lineare dalle fluttuazioni tetre e dense.
I primi intrecci del sintetizzatore annunciano invece una dimensione sonora più eterea che Jeanne D'Arc conferma con lo schiudersi di cori dalle vocalità incerte. Si tratta di un bel momento tenero, sospeso all'interno di un corridoio scuro e senza tempo, fino a confluire nelle intense fluttuazioni di Yet Another Ambient Track; un brano d'atmosfera capace di mescolare sapientemente i sapori di Schulze con i ritmi cadenzati di Roach, all'interno di sublimi modulazioni armoniose.
L'efficacia di questo passaggio non è circoscrivibile, anche se l'evocatività delle ambientazioni vi predominano. Lunghe linee sonore si intersecano con corti strati armoniosi all'interno di stridori controllati. Una ambientazione sonora di fantastica intensità che pian piano si irradia ed illumina, preservando nel contempo la sua atonia sin dai primi refoli del suono informa Number Nine; un breve pezzo costruito su modulazioni, in grado di alternare scatti leggeri ed altri tenebrosi.
My Guitar Gently Weeps, invece, non ha nulla a che vedere con ipotetici tributi a George Harrison. E' piuttosto un intricato dedalo di viuzze con passaggi di enorme limpidezza sonora in grado di rischiarare attraverso la loro lucentezza un'epoca quasi astrale. Holier conclude l'album all'interno di un clima di distensione che libera un nuovo soffio di ['ramp] nel quadro di una opacità abissale.
Ceasing to Exist è un lungo percorso di atmosfere dove ['ramp] e Markus Reuter intrecciano i loro stili e le rispettive variazioni sonore. Un fantastico amalgama di suoni minacciosi e di chiarori armoniosi in grado di costruire una festività musicale tra le più inconsuete e sorprendenti.




Canzoni consigliate: Tutte

 

[Jörg]

Ich kann kein Italienisch, aber das hier verstehe ich auch so

fantastico

 

[ppg360]

Sehr schöne Rezi auf www.synthmusicdirect.com (da gibt´s auch Audio zum Hören):


Ramp with Marcus Reuter
Ceasing to Exist
CD / 7 tracks / 63.16 mins
Play Sample: 56K Dialup Broadband
Download Sample: 500K 1.5Mb
(Excerpt from track(s) 'Seelenmord')


If you've come to Ramp via Outibridge (as I did), or even Looking Back In Anger, you need to be aware that this sounds absolutely like neither, although both do have their "doombient" moments. Indeed listening to this for the first time, made me think of those Bob Dylan fans who turned up to see him at Manchester's Free Trade Hall back in 1967, expecting laid back folkie anthems and ended up being confronted by electric guitars. Whilst I was not immediately moved to shout "Judas", it struck me quite forcefully, that this is going to be a CD that will surely test the patience of all but the most dedicated of Ramp fans. That said this is a fantastic and beautifully polished gem of a release that for the brave amongst you will be a rewarding and occasionally hypnotic way to spend an hour or so.
Essentially the music on this release is based on electronic treatments to sounds produced by the touch guitar improvisations of Markus Reuter. Contrary to what you might expect, for the most part those "sounds" produced are warm and whilst it might be the music of horror films to some, at least the film wouldn't be set in the frozen wastes of the Antarctic!

There are seven tracks altogether, and like so many releases these days they morph into each other, however a few words on each are I think necessary to tempt you further. The title track gets us underway, and is the only one that does not apparently feature Reuter. Barely perceptible as it starts off, the electronics kick in and a great wall of sound like massive engines moving, or an aeroplane taking off at the 3 minute mark almost takes you by surprise, before it fades away. Regular repeated patterns of washes of electronics take us straight into the next track. This is great stuff, but not perhaps for the faint of heart amongst you. The next track initially sounds like more of the same, but the guitar is much more prominent, at least early on, but again the atmospherics are fantastic.

Jeanne d'arc is next (and not to be confused with the TD track or CD of the same name), and I was instantly reminded of Meddle era Pink Floyd with the treatments to what I imagine might even be some old analogue keyboard sounds! The electronics on this are way down in the mix, and unlike its predecessors this sounds like the most normal of the three tracks so far. The wittily titled - yet another ambient track - immediately follows, and boy what a masterpiece it is. Don't let the title put you off, or make you think you are listening to some filler, for this is beautiful drone music, which is way beyond my ability to write about here. Excellent stuff.

This segues into the fifth track, labelled number nine, just to keep you on your toes! More top class atmospherics. Track 6, otherwise called my guitar gently weeps, could not possibly be confused by anything by George Harrison and nor should it. I thought it rather hymnal, and as this leads straight into the last piece, called holier, I suspect this might well be intentional.

If ambient drones are your cup of tea, then this is, well, the bee's knees, a honey pot of aural delights that is also best sampled on headphones. The rather silly track titles are to be ignored, and if they make you think that this is a less than serious release, that would be a shame, because whilst as I said at the outset, this sounds nothing like anything they've done before, then nor did Bob Dylan (who I am not a fan of), ever sound much like a folkie afterwards. To put it another way, (and to excuse the analogy about castles) sometimes you have to stick your head over the parapet to get noticed, and with this, well Ramp certainly got my attention, and I suggest they ought to be worthy of yours too. An essential purchase in my book. (SJS)

 

[ppg360]

Auf www.ei-mag.com gibt´s diese Rezension:

On Ceasing to Exist, Parsick/Makowski wisely hook up more extensively with experimental guitarist Markus Reuter, probably familiar to most E-music adepts from his collabs with Ian Boddy. Reuter’s presence seems to galvanize the duo to push the envelope and get outside previous compositional and timbral comfort zones. The album is based on “touch guitar” improvisations subjected to further electronic treatments by ['ramp]. The material was then processed and produced further separately by all three resulting in a final batch of dronescapes then arranged by Reuter. The title track, for example, initially barely perceptible, kicks into life with a great wall of sound like a massive combustion engine in a tunnel (a subwoofer would be a sine qua non to feel the benefit here), engulfing you then relenting as you’re feeling totally overawed. The trio maintain an intense level of interest in timbres and sound stage over 70+ minutes that juxtapose swathes of gossamer ethereal with occasional eviscerating chthonic undercurrents, Reuter’s contribution from his touch guitar proving invaluable in adding a fresh coloring to ['ramp]’s undisputed technical expertise with sound currents.

Sehr schön zu lesen, das. Der Rezensent hat zugehört.

Stephen