LAWRENCE ENGLISH, Observation of Breath, LP

Release date - Sept 10th 2021
Catalogue nr. - HG2103
Format - Vinyl / digital
Hallow Ground

hallowground.bandcamp.com

Tracklist:
1) A Torso (10:01)
2) A Binding (06:05)
3) And A Twist (02:42)
4) Observation Of Breath (20:44)

Credits:
All organ recorded at The Old Museum, Brisbane July-November 2020,
except A Torso’s centre section which was recorded in 2016 on the same organ.
Performed and Produced by Lawrence English
Picture by Juan Valverde de Amusco, 1560
Design by Ruth Stofer and Greenpointless

///
Do you remember the last time you were breathing consciously? Either way, you are likely doing it now. On his new album »Observation of Breath« for the Swiss-based Hallow Ground label, Lawrence English worked exclusively with an organ for four compositions that are exercises in »maximal minimalism,« as their creator himself notes in a nod to Charlemagne Palestine, who coined this term. While it seems somewhat fitting that those four pieces based on a steady flow of air were conceived and recorded in a situation of accelerated standstill caused by a respiratory disease, the Room40 founder is not so much concerned with capturing the zeitgeist than rather incorporating the spirit of time itself. »It is a record about presence and patience,« he explains. Exploring the unique sonic affordances of a singular instrument, »Observation of Breath« is not only devoted to the durability of sound but also to its density. That it marks his debut on Hallow Ground after having shaped its sound by mastering most of the label’s releases in recent years is just as fitting then as its release following albums by Kali Malone and FUJI|||||||||||TA, whose innovative work with organ instruments have facilitated a rediscovery of their possibilities. 

English’s compositions however are neither directly indebted nor responding to these musicians. His exploration of the organ’s many facets started a decade ago when the composer was given access to an instrument built in 1889 that is presently housed at The Old Museum in Brisbane. After it had already played a crucial role on his seminal albums »Wilderness Of Mirrors« and »Cruel Optimism,« last year’s self-released »Lassitude« was the first record that English entirely composed and recorded with that instrument. »During the soft lockdowns, I spent many days playing to an empty concert hall, recording the pieces that became ›Lassitude‹ and then, this album,« says English in regards to an unfortunate situation that fortunately provided him with time and space—two major themes but also key qualities of the four new compositions. In this sense, he goes on, »Observation of Breath« resolves a number of the questions originally raised by »Lassitude.«

»The organ is an exercise in the observation of breath,« English explains the album’s title. »It is a physical breath, one that manifests both audible and inaudible waves of vibrations. The sheer scale of the instrument, its weight and the physical length of the pipes involved in producing the sounds we experience is nothing short of mind-boggling.« More importantly, the sound artist is fascinated by the organ’s ability to produce frequencies that exist at the sensory limits of human awareness—it’s at the edges of these limits that fascination can be found, he argues. »The particular organ that I work with comprises four manuals and 45 speaking stops and it has a tubular-pneumatic action,« he explains. »It’s the stops that are the focus of my interest. They are very specific and when manipulated in certain ways and in certain combinations, create a unique set of unsteady timbres that make it a remarkably intoxicating instrument to collaborate with.«

LAWRENCE ENGLISH - A Binding (HG2103)

We proudly present the metamorphosis 23, this time with Herr Dobler. He is a music connoisseur based in Mannheim, where he runs the event series "der Automat" with his friend Philipp. He is also part of the cosmic gathering crew, who host without any doubt always one of the best parties of the whole year.

For his set Herr Dobler was strongly influenced by "Bohren & Der Club Of Gore", a doom jazz band straight out of the Pott. His uncle took him to a concert when he was 16. He was totally blown away until 5-6 years ago when he forgot about their music until this September. Apart from that, this trip down memory lane is accompanied by a wild selection of musical rarities: From jazzy blues to exotic voodoo eithopian sounds, from dirty fuzzy guitars to weirdo electronic dance music. Mr. Dobler knows how to weave all these patches into a psychedelic blanket that we highly recommend you to cover yourself in.

Bohren und der Club of Gore - Midnight Radio Track 4
Essaie Pas - 514 376-9230
The Lamp Lighters - Moscow Central
Tol-Puddle Martys - Time Will Come
CV Vision - Ritual (No.4)
Bohren und der Club of Gore - Midnight Radio Track 2
Compro Oro - Mogadishu
Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors - Stefanias’s Song
Twoonky - Palle
Bells of Kyoto - Unterschwelliger Durchblick
The Pine Hill Haints - Satchel Paige Blues
Bohren und der Club of Gore - Midnight Radio Track 10
Aura - African Fever
Bohren und der Club of Gore - Midnight Radio Track 11
Ashinoa - Hollandia
Il Quadro di Troisi - No Ricordi
Eiskalte Engel - Mach mich nicht an, Mann (Albion Mix)
Raja - Drum Sequence
黃清元 - 穿着鞋子走路 (These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ Cover)
Pyatshesttri - Ночь
Anne Haigis - Feuilleton Ballade
Bohren und der Club of Gore - Sabbat Schwarzer Highway
Karamika - TON 08
VOX LOW - Rides Alones (Abschaum Reprise)
Bohren und der Club of Gore - Gore Motel
Μίμης Πλέσσας - Καραγκούνα

@herrdobler
@dermusikautomat
@campcosmic

Metamorphosen 23 | herr dobler

"Please welcome: the third episode of Jacaranda!
I am honored to announce that this mix was hand-picked and recorded by a friend of mine — n9n9. Being a huge fan of his for a long period of time I am delighted that his mix is now streaming on TESTFM.
It is Vasya Kondrashov who stays behind this stage name. He is a talented electronic musician (his latest project Lust Customer, for example, is absolutely top notch) and a valuable board member of Yerevan-based club BAN which was closed due to police outrage.
We have almost 61 minute of perfect selection of mid-tempo bass and broken music on our hands. It is most likely that you will be blown away to another universe. Should I remind you to come back? I am not so sure." ~ Andrey Lipa, the host of Jacaranda show. 

n9n9: @well-positioned
Lust Customer: @lustcustomer
Andrey Lipa: @andrew-lipa

TESTFM > Bandcamp

Jacaranda w/ n9n9 — 06/09/2023

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