When it’s all too hectic I can usually find some solace in field recordings. My favourite forms of these manipulations sit somewhere between a podcast and musique concrete, able to hit on the startling familiarity that you might find in hearing another’s voice in discussion with you versus audio treats made from unexpected sources.
I recently picked up MTS, a two sided cassette release from Elisha Morningstar on Canti Magneti and am happy to report it’s damn delightful. Each side is it’s own distinct composition, two stunning variations of material recorded in the summer of 2016 by the composer.
Side A – ‘Untitled I’ – is devoid of musical samples, focusing on weighted organic sounds that might be the wind bumping up against a microphone like a deteriorated tape, water runs layered with heavy footsteps on leaves or rocks falling from heights. If you think this sounds like hippy shit it’s a reflection on my inability to communicate what’s going on, as this is a heady listen that takes you away from your commute or reality TV for seven minutes and leaves you better for it.
‘Untitled II’ on the flip bumps up closer to the eight-minute mark introducing stringed sounds intermittently and building on a natural buzz that turns in to a noisy drone. The same organic elements are here but heavier and more paranoid, working with the a-side it’s like the second-morning coffee to the weed we just smoked. And then it stops, changing direction one time for a somewhat spiritual ending.
Timings’ everything on these releases, I’ll be the first to recognize that I’ve blasted past masterpieces because I was on a mission for beats. Additionally, the desired effect of these recordings is somewhat less straightforward to a floor-filler or head-nodder, aiming to evoke a response from within the listener of their own experiences, whether that’s inside or outside their comfort zone. MTS is working for me now, and definitely worth checking out for something different.
Edition of 70, pick it up direct from the bandcamp below.