Muff's Modules & More

zanadar · Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:23 pm Post subject: Thomas Lehn: Live Double Seance

Just got this record.
thomas lehn on synthi and Marcus Schmickler on Computers.

Sounded great on paper because I love the both of them, but there is something a liiittle laurel resting about the whole thing.
Sure, there are moments of spine-tingle...but I sort of wonder if the synthi really does it for me any more?

I grew up on tangerine dream and then got into hiroshi hasegawa (synthi noise) and merzbow and people of that ilk...And I love that stuff.

Something in the thomas lehn seems like it borrows too much from non-synthetic instruments. Dunno...what are people's thoughts on a 'too instrumental' type of synth record...

clarke68 · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:45 pm Post subject:

Huge Lehn fan here, and I love Live Double Seance.

Lehn was a classical pianist first, so non-synthetic instruments are part of his DNA. That's actually what I love about his music...he comes to the synth from a perspective of free improv, rather than electronic music, which gives him a unique sound (to my ears, anyway).

Interestingly, your reactions to Live Double Seance are similar to my reactions to Navigation im Hypertext, Lehn/Schmicker's previous outing. It has some great moments, but I don't find myself coming back to it again & again because it feels too cold & clinical to me. If I'm hearing what you're saying, you might prefer it.

soundsculptor · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:14 am Post subject:

thomas lehn is great!

soundsculptor · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:16 am Post subject:

actually I think an "instrumental" approach to the synth is a very nice idea.. not everybody has to do the same thing as everybody else, I like diversity.

Hi5 · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:37 am Post subject:

unintentional states · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:21 am Post subject:

I haven't gotten around to Live Double Séance yet, but you always have to approach his work with Schmickler differently since it's one of the only configurations he works in that's solely electronics. There's maybe not as much strong juxtaposition between sounds. Personally, I tend to get more out of Lehn/Schmickler/Rowe recordings over Lehn/Schmickler.

Tom & Gerry is still my favorite Lehn. Initially I wasn't really crazy about the explosive drumming style on some parts, but after a couple listens it really sunk in.

Looks like he'll be giving a solo performance of a new Eliane Radigue work later in the year-- can only hope that makes it to a record.

amnesia · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 8:43 am Post subject:

Love most of the Esrtwhiles :-)

Lehn and Schmikler is a dream team!

zanadar · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:09 pm Post subject:

Alright alright...after my smackdown I've been listening more, and the album has certainly grown on me..but in sort of the way clarke68 suggested.

It is sort of cold and clinical in terms of organization or arc, and even the sounds start to ice over after a bit, and then I started to like it.
I guess I"m sort of weird on the "instruments" vs "synthetic" sounding synths... what I tend to love about this sort of music is how otherworldly it can sound when these machines talk. And sort of letting the medium speak through the player or in a sort of conspriratorial mode, rather than exporting stylistics from other sorts of music really does it for me. I suppose I'm a bit "formal or aesthetic" in my tastes, to bring in some ArtSpeak; the human element interests me, but only as a sort of chooser or selector of sounds. I guess it seems sort of arbitrary to make this distinction in the end.

Like I said, I'm weird...I listen to the sound of radio static in my car.

boramx · Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:57 pm Post subject:

I've got it.

Its good. I've only spun it three times or so.

I'd rather go watch thom play.

I've also had the Pleasure of playing with him a few times, we're Friends.

Coming from jazz and improv myself, he was a great inspiration to me about 12 years ago to try improvising with synth rather than guitar. I had previously thought that electronics would limit what is possible temporally and dynamically, although obviously opening up lots of timbres.

Thom is a player's player, so that was all the convincing i needed that electronics could be treated like an 'instrument' not a workstation.

The comments about the synthi are well taken. I was in a festival in switzerland last year and i saw thom with christine abdelnour, the sax player. She seemed very flexible in comparision to thom, and he stuck out a bit with some unfortunate filter-y stereotypical sounds.

It was the first time i'd ever seen him where i thought he was behind the curve a bit.

magneticweb · Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:35 pm Post subject:

i really, really dig this lp

clarke68 · Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:23 pm Post subject:

johnchantler · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 4:49 pm Post subject:

Looks like Thomas is going to the States at the beginning of June:

John Butcher / Gino Robair / Thomas Lehn trio USA tour.

:: 31 MAY - HOUSTON, TX.

:: 01 JUNE - AUSTIN, TX.

:: 02 JUNE - SHREVEPORT, LA.
minicine?, 846 Texas Avenue, Shreveport, LA.

:: 03 JUNE - TUSCALOOSA, AL.
Green Bar, 2209 4th Street, Tuscaloosa, AL.

:: 04 JUNE - COLUMBIA, SC.
Conundrum Music Hall, 626 Meeting St., West Columbia, SC.

:: 05 JUNE - CHATTANOOGA, TN.
+ Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner.
Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave, Chattanooga, TN.

:: 06 JUNE - ASHEVILLE, NC.
Bo Bo Gallery, 22 Lexington Avenue, Asheville, NC.

Thomas Lehn/John Butcher duo.

:: 07 JUNE - NASHVILLE, TN.
:: 08 JUNE - ST. LOUIS, MO.

He'll also be in residence for two nights at Cafe OTO in London on the 26 & 27 June... Different collaborations. and doing a solo quad set at Brunel University on 23rd...

John.

clarke68 · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 5:06 pm Post subject:

richard · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 5:09 pm Post subject:

that'll be great

John Butcher is a fantastic saxophone player - a scientist of tone and breath!

zanadar · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:21 am Post subject:

This is not the US...this is like barely 4 states....and cafe OTO..I swear...everybody is at cafe OTO zombie

[/i]

johnchantler · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 4:26 am Post subject:

johnchantler · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 4:29 am Post subject:

clarke68 · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:06 pm Post subject: