Shelter Press is happy to announce the release of Perceptual Geography, Thomas Ankersmit’s latest record. The music was created as a loosely structured piece for live performance in 2018-2019, commissioned by CTM in Berlin and Sonic Acts in Amsterdam, and premiered there on the GRM Acousmonium. The music is inspired by - and dedicated to - the pioneering research of American composer and installation artist Maryanne Amacher (1938-2009), and created entirely on the Serge Modular analog synthesizer.

Ankersmit and Amacher first met in New York in 2000, and kept in touch over the following years. Her concerts and installations left a deep impression on him. Amacher, being close to the Tcherepnin family, also first introduced Ankersmit to the Serge synthesizer, developed by Serge Tcherepnin in the 1970s.

In the piece, Ankersmit explores different “modes” of listening: not just which sounds are heard and when, but also how and where sounds are experienced (in the room, in the body, inside the head, far away, nearby). So-called otoacoustic emissions (sounds emanating from inside the head, generated by the ears themselves) play a prominent role. When turned up loud, the material moves beyond the loudspeakers and starts to trigger additional tones inside the listener’s head; tones that are not present in the recorded music. Cupping the ears with the hands and slight movements of the head also help to bring these tones to life. Maryanne Amacher was the first artist to systematically explore the musical use of these phenomena, often referring to them as “ear tones”.

The title is a reference to Amacher’s essay “Psychoacoustic Phenomena in Musical Composition: Some Features of a Perceptual Geography”, and despite the all-electronic instrumentation, a dramatic sense of landscape and environment often emerges. There are sparks of fire, howling wind, distant thunder, a swarm of bats disappearing into the distance. Ghostly, floating tones are contrasted with highly dynamic sounds darting around the listener, and large, heavy waves rolling in slowly. “Ear tone” stimuli weave in and out of these textures, emerging from them. Once or twice, the music seems to completely freeze in time, but a slight movement of the listener’s head reveals changes.

For each live performance, Ankersmit tunes his instrument to the resonant characteristics of the performance space, so that the sounds activate the structure, traveling through the architecture and setting it in motion.

The record is accompanied by an extensive conversation between Ankersmit and Serge Tcherepnin, creator of the Serge Modular and friend and collaborator of Amacher.

This is a digital-only release (CD and download) because the “ear tone” material can’t be adequately transferred to vinyl.

Please play loud and use speakers, not headphones. 
credits
releases March 19, 2021

Music: Thomas Ankersmit
Mastering: Kassian Troyer
Design: Bartolomé Sanson
Interview editing: Michelle Arrouas

THOMAS ANKERSMIT 'Perceptual Geography' (EXCERPT) (SP130)

TR160 - Joachim Nordwall - 'FORMS OF ECSTASY'

Featuring Milo Linnovaara on flute.
From the upcoming Tomutonttu album Hoshi (Joteskii Groteskii / Vauva)

Tomutonttu – Malta Lausua "AH"

Remixes

Heimat - Quando - LE CRABE Remix

Pm (150BPM)

Kara-Lis Coverdale is a Montreal composer/artist with a whole lot goin on. 
Press the button ~ hit play ~ flutter away
K-LC's "Aftertouches" will be out on March 24th, 2015 via Sacred Phrases.
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https://soundcloud.com/klissay
https://twitter.com/kliscoverdale
http://www.sacredphrases.com/

Kara-Lis Coverdale - Summer Cool Mix 009

Metamorphoses

2018 repress of the debut full length LP from Spencer Doran and Ryan Carlile's Visible Cloaks project. Initially recorded in 2013 and issued on cassette by Sun Ark in 2014 (as Cloaks), this first offering uses conceptual processes to weave many of the same threads as their later work; synthetic FM tones, tuned mallet percussion, and electronically modulated voice, all arranged in a gossamer web, spun with neon electronics. On this release the duo set off on the sonic journey they are still on today, refracting their influences through East<>West feedback loops, augmenting traditions with technology. Remastered 45rpm DMM version with additional surprises!

BUY HERE: www.seance-centre.com/shop/visible-cloaks-st-lp

For EU distribution contact: info@rushhour.nl
For NA distribution contact: info@seance-centre.com

Repress by Musique Plastique.
Produced & Distributed by Séance Centre

Visible Cloaks - Escape Music From City To Paradise (excerpt)(MP001)

Vu du Dôme released by Editions Gravats the 6Th april 2018

Èlg - Hourra - from "Vu du Dôme" LP - Editions Gravats - 2018

Taken from the album 'Simian Angel' released as LP, CD and Download

Oren Ambarchi 'Simian Angel' (excerpt) (EMEGO 264)

While being best known for creating deeply immersive live psychoacoustic experiences, the London based Pataphysical have allowed us to use 'Periphera', the fruits of their debut studio work, as the label's eighth musical oblation. It would have been an excercise in futility to try and replicate the immediacy of their live performances on this record, but we feel that across these 8 disparate tracks inner worlds have been rendered real. Through the careful positioning of field recordings and the creation of soundscapes somewhat reminiscent of heyday Mille Plateau the group have held fast to a desire to craft involved and captivating synthesis.

Tomutonttu – Malta Lausua "AH"

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