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| ManaMana Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Kiritchenko önálló albuma már a borító tekintetében is nagyon megtetszett. Gyönyörű, ötletes, spirálosan csavarodó betűk, számcímek és grafikai elemek kompozíciója. Bárcsak több ilyennel lehetne találkozni, ahol a borító is igazi művészi kivitelű. Az LP címe akár preparált állatokra is utalhatna, de nem, ez esetben az összes szám valamely állatkában rejlő, meglévő attribútum történetét meséli el zenei eszközökkel. „Egy kígyó időutazása”, Egy nyúl valóra váltja álmait”, Egy egér tele érzésekkel”, „A behemótnak aki fél a sötéttől”, szóval igencsak érdekesen fog meg elektroakusztikusan, vagy épp konkrét-zenében egy témakört. Sokat kell figyelni és agyalni – de leginkább csak hangulatokra hagyatkozni – ha a számcímeket össze is akarjuk hozni a hallott motívumokkal és effektekkel. Kiritchenko gitárjátéka nagyon megfogja az emberben rejlő érzelmeket, mégha azokat tán mélyről is kell felhozni. Nem viccel, ahogy megtalál egy bizonyos szférába vezető kooperációt a gitár és az elektronikus kütyük között. Bár elsőre egy icipicit megrémültem, hogy itt teljesen olyan hangulat és gitárjáték jelenik meg, mint amikor grafikájának rettentően megörülve elővettük a Diablo nevű játék első részét, még úgy ’96 tájékán. De ez szerencsére az első meghallgatás közbeni első – néha félrevezető – gondolatok kavalkádja volt csak. Azóta az album egyes számait rendszeresen játszom hol a rádióban, hol egy buli elején vagy végén. És egy zene sikere ott mérhető, hogy rendre jönnek az érdeklődők amikor felteszem, hogy mi ez, és ki gitározik. Hát ő egy és ugyanaz: Andrey Kiritchenko, Kharkivból, Ukrajnából. Kork |
| Testcard Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Ruhe ist auch bei dem ukrainischen Musiker Andrey Kiritchenko angesagt, dessen lange, dunkle, von der Akustikgitarre bestimmten Instrumental Tracks eine ähnliche Atmosphäre wie die Musik der Charalambides ausstrahlen, also auf derangiertem, alles andere als traditionell gespieltem Folk basieren. Auch hier bilden Gitarre und Field Recordings die Basis, allerdings weniger tür psychedelisch ausufernde Stücke als für einen eigenartigen, suggestiven Btues, wenn man diese verhalten gezupfte Gitarre überhaupt noch mit Blues in Verbindung bringen möchte. Die Stücke gehen nahtlos ineinander über und ergeben eine angenehm wabernde Einheit, mit der uns Kiritchenko an seiner eigenen Versunkenheit in die Musik teilhaben lässt. Eine ungemein zurückhaltende und damit schöne Veröffentlichung. |
| e/i Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out The Westernization of contemporary sound design has managed to inexorably creep into all four corners of the planet, even into the depths of the Ukraine, which as fact would have it is home to Andrey Kiritchenko and his genre-defying Nexsound imprint. A musical nomad of sorts, Kiritchenko’s storied acts of sonic coitus include hook-ups with full-on noise, microsound’s macrobiotics, concrйte collage caches, and windblown ambience—in short, he’s something of an agent provocateur, casting the rank fundamental materiйl of Western electronica into awry moulds that often yield surprising results. Which is why this particular outing resounds with something of an overly familiar thud. The central sound source purring through Stuffed With/Out (packed in one of Nexsound’s usually distinctive square/round die-cut cardboard digipaks) is unabashedly the guitar in fact, plaintive squalls simplistically plucked out of the crushed velvet sunsets of autumn days spent in the Eastern bloc. Tucked discretely between the “chords” is the barest hint of processing, but for the most part Kiritchenko seems to want to regale us with his own particular strain of “folk music” (though decidedly not music “native” to his mother land), crisscrossing his nylon strings with subtle inflections from his trusty laptop. The effect is that of a becalming lazy confluence of Fahey drift and Eno-esque drone—these aren’t sounds that look to set the world afire but rather to accompany its burning embers. Despite the grandiloquence at play here, much of what Kiritchenko’s realized in this guise is rather like a dappling of honey on the tongue: syrupy, calorie-sweet and once absorbed, tacitly forgettable. Perhaps this is future “folk music” for the global village; me, I’m more of an urbanite. |
| Signal To Noise Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Kitichenko's latest is a highly approachable exercise in electroacoustic manipulation. His main sound source is his acoustic guitar, and his strumming occasionally reveals his roots as a singer-songwriter; "A Rabbit Makes Her Dreams Come True," for example, opens with a progression that wouldn't be out of place in a Jim Croce song. But in short order he mixes the sound of strings with exaggerated bumps that may have started life as silverware on a serving tray, then morphs everything into a watery blur straight out of the Fennesz sound library. If you're looking for a less fluorescently lit version of the Austrian's approach to signal processing, this record points the way, and like Fennesz's recent work it's loath to place too many demands on the listener. Bill Meyer |
| WIRE Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Kiritchenko's solo disc Stuffed With/Out is rather more intimate, a series of seven electroacoustic sketches centered around “a little story around stuffed animals”. How it informs the music is anyone’s guess, but there is a playful quality to these tracks absent from the darker rumblings of the collaborative album. He surrounds his repetitive acoustic guitar melodies with digital textures suggestive of wool or kapok, the result vaguely recalling the electronically distressed pop of Fennesz or Kpt. Michigan. Kiritchenko is not as technically adept, but the bossa-like warmth of his solo meanderings is highly attractive. Joseph Stannard |
| Stuff Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out La verdad es que cuando me dispuse a escuchar este disco, no sabia muy bien con lo que me iba a encontrar. Después de oírlo varias veces sigo sin saberlo. Mezclando lo analógico con lo digital y el ruido con las melodías, hace de estos cuarenta minutos de música concreta un disco sin altos ni bajos. Y es que este ucraniano a través de su sello Nexsound se dedica a editar discos de música experimental, y como tal es como hay que entenderla. Koroview |
| Ruis Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Kiritchenko is een veelzijdig persoon. Niet alleen is hij op zijn eentje verantwoordelijk voor een van de meest interessante labels uit Oost-Europa (Nexsound is afkomstig uit Oekraïne) hij gaat ook breed als muzikant. We hoorden voordien al verscheidene clicks & beeps passeren van zijn hand, maar op dit album komt de gitaar centraal te staan. Stuffed With/Out zou perfect passen in de labelcatalogus van bijvoorbeeld een Spekk of Kranky. Een heldere gitaar op de voorgrond, effecten en veldopnames verpakt in een soort glitchyfolky ambientsfeer zijn de basiselementen. De gitaar is zelden melig, de effecten worden toepasselijk aangewend en de songs behouden een ruw “one-take” gevoel. Mooi werk. *** –DD |
| Indie Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out "2005-2006 принято считать расцветом психо-фолка, Америку - его колыбельной (даже несмотря на то, что масса психофолковых коллективов вроде Volcano the Bear существовала до того и в Европе, только никому не приходило в голову считать назвать это психофолком). В 2000-ных массовость проявилась в наивном искусстве - в творческой сложности художникам не доставало свободы, бессознательного - или, лучше сказать, полусознательного - руководствуясь только условными стилистическими ориентирами и желанием делать максимально откровенную музыку, отпустить себя на волю психо-стимуляторов и бесконечно импровизировать. На запись "Stuffed With/Out" Андрея Кириченко вдохновил психо-фолк, он хотел создать альбом уютный, домашний, говорящий со слушателем с глазу на глаз и прямо в душу. Судя по тому, как он звучит, это действительно нечто напоминающее фолк: гитара уныло бренчит пару аккордов, пасторальные картинки сменяют друг друга, словно кадры из запылившегося слайдоскопа. Но если сравнить его с наиболее раскрученными именами в психофолке вроде Animal Collective, No Neck Blues Band, Sunburned Hand of the Man или Vibracathedral Orchestra, то что-то не сходится, чего-то в в альбоме Кириченко не хватает, или, напротив, чего-то слишком много. Чего там определенно нет, так это наивности и желания свалить все на бессознательное, "импульсы". Ведь подразумевается, что фолк делается под влиянием тонкой душевной организации и отключения сознания для достижения максимальной откровенности. Но музыка Кириченко многомерна, в ней явно есть конструктивная мысль, картинке не хватает размытости. То, что с первого взгляда может показаться пасторальными зарисовками, кроет в себе перспективу, минорные аккорды выводят на передний план не только меланхолию, но и композиционный центр. С этой точки зрения альбом Кириченко больше похож на музыку шведского коллектива Tape, нежели на бессознательное аудио нового фолка. Круг замкнулся: психофолк - продукт искусства бессознательного, пытающегося уйти от композиционной обусловленности и авторского диктата - разросся и достиг той степени развития, когда он может вдохновить на создание музыки сознательной и развивающейся за счет конкретных методов для решения вполне конкретных задач. |
| Etherreal Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Le True Delusion d'Andrey Kiritchenko était l'un de nos albums préférés parus en 2005. Avec Stuffed With|Out, l'Ukrainien qui dirige de main de maître le label Nexsound s'assure encore une fois une place de choix dans notre virtuel top 2006, tant d'un point de vue musical que part l'originalité de son packaging signé Olga Indovina, déjà responsable du design de True Delusion. On retrouve une attention particulière aux matérieux avec ici trois volets d'un carton brut couvrt de fines impressions, deux volets étant évider de cercles concentriques, dévoilant une jaquette, puis le tracklisting, et en dessous le disque, laissant apparaître le nom de l'artiste et le titre de l'album. Si True Delusion se divisait en deux parties distinctes dédiées respectivement à la guitare et au piano, ce nouvel album est centré sur la six cordes, habillée d'effets numériques et field recordings. Le premier titre vaut à lui seul l'achat de l'album. Avec sa guitare hésitante et son mystérieux accompagnement d'harmonica, Kiritchenko semble jouer les Ennio Morricone, composant la BO d'un "eastern spaghetti". Une couche de guitare limpide, une autre triturée par les machines, quelques bruitages étranges, nous voici parti pour un étrange voyage où nos oreilles sont ébahies devant tel paysage sonore.
On se laisse alors guider. On n'aura malheureusement plus, par la suite, la même révélation, mais aurait-ce été réaliste ? Par contre le niveau ne baisse pas non plus, on reste en extase devant la pureté de ces mélodies, du son métallique de ces cordes, ces petites vibrations qui se révèlent fragiles, l'imprévisibilité de cette musique qui donne l'impression que les machines sont habitées et se mettent à hésiter. Par moment cela nous apparaît d'une simplicité déconcertante : lentes mélodies comtemplatives (amateurs du label ECM, bienvenue !!), une roue de vélo qui tourne dans le vide, le temps semble s'être arrêté, plan vide, rues vides, ciel bas. Et puis plus tard on se dira qu'en fait tout ceci est le fruit d'un travail minutieux, fruit d'un savant dosage de tous les éléments, d'une recherche de perfection. Sur That Puppy Likes His Solitude, les machines emportent les guitares sur leur passage, les cordes s'emmèlent dans les rayons, la mélodie se fait alors concassée et alors que l'album est généralement limpide, They Only Live Twice termine celui-ci par une nappe faite à la fois de guitare et de machines, la fusion est alors parfaite.
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| Sodapop Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Immagino che molti di voi non conoscano Andrey Kiritchenko e chi di voi invece ne avesse già sentito parlare forse ne è al corrente per i lavori con Francisco Lopez o per i progetti più sperimentali, ma questo è un lavoro di tutt’altra fattura. Il boss della Nexound (http://www.nexound.org, grande etichetta russa con una scuderia più che altro elettronica ed elettronica-sperimentale) pur non lasciando a casa rumori di fondo, fruscii e aggeggi elettronici di varia natura si è armato di chitarra acustica e si lascia andare ad una serie di tracce melodiche intrise di malinconia. Certo non si può assolutamente parlare di “delicatessen” alla Postal Service o di elettronica stile Fennesz ma di tutto un po’, sorprende, ma la chitarra acustica la fa veramente da padrona fra arpeggi e suoni sospesi sul fondo, decorazioni elettroniche o qualche colore per mezzo di armonica a bocca o di melodica. La confezione è favolosa come buona parte dei materiali stampati dalla Nexound, che ormai inizia ad essersi fatta un nome mica da ridere. Kiritchenko in salsa rosa? Beh senza dubbio godibile, pensare che sia lo stesso autore di dischi/progetti come Nihil Est Excellence sembra strano eppure è lui e anche in questo costume sembra perfettamente a suo agio. Folk? Non proprio anche se alcuni hanno citato il grande vecchio (Fahey), ma neppure elettronica spolverata di brevi incursioni melodiche, direi che più che altro si tratta di piccole tracce “guitar-driver” in cui dei semplicissimi (ma molto efficaci) arpeggi compongono l’ossatura del pezzo, da un lato molto semplici per ciò che concerne la struttura ma dall’altro sviluppati ed elaborati a dei livelli di eccellenza notevoli. “Non stupiatevi…”, giusto per citare il migliore Daniele Interrante era “Isola dei Famosi” sub Pappalardus, in fin dei conti stiamo parlando di un nome che è conosciuto in tutta Europa e non solo in territorio ucraino. Un disco invernale, un po’ depresso che seppur morbido offre la sensazione che tutto stia lentamente sprofondando nella neve (e vista la provenienza di Kiritchenko direi che è il minimo). Written by Andrea Ferraris |
| Geiger Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Den ukrainske lydmager Andrey Kiritchenko nærer efter alt at dømme en stor fascination for nattestemninger, og det kriblende, hemmelighedsfulde liv, der udfolder sig, der hvor dagslyset ikke trænger ind. På sit foregående album True Delusion syntes han at kredse om drømmenes underfundige logik med en musik rig på fintmaskede gåder og skræklignende stemninger, der vækkede associationer til Francisco de Goyas berømte billede The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (1803), hvor natlige skabninger som ugler og flagermus sværmer om hovedet på en mand krummet sammen i søvn. Der er ingen ugler i mosen på Kiritchenkos nye album, Stuffed With/Out, der til gengæld nærmest kan kaldes en hyldestplade til det kriblende og krablende liv i efterårets skovbund, og som sådan en plade, der passer glimrende til årstiden. Skræmmende kan man ikke kalde musikken, men på sin vis forekommer den endnu mere utilnærmelig end musikken på True Delusion, idet den forholder sig forholdsvist indifferent til menneskenes gøren og laden, for i stedet for at krybe helt ned mellem de rådnende blade og følge skovsnegles og regnormes langsommelige færd samt mus, muldvarpes og egerns puslen omkring. Således kan musikken forekomme træg og monoton, men samtidig rummer den et væld af små forskydninger, ryk, bevægelser, som dog forekommer ganske uden dramatiske vingeslag. Med skrøbelige anslag på akustisk guitar og enkelte mundharpe-klange, der manipuleres elektronisk til knitrende droner, loops og glitchet mikrostøj trækker Kiritchenko på tidens folktronica og weird folk. Naturfascinationen har han i høj grad til fælles med mange repræsentanter for weird folk-bølgen, men han adskiller sig dog betragteligt fra den mere spraglede og psykedeliske fløj af denne med en diskret efterårslød og en duft af våd muld og mos snarere end af hallucinationsfremkaldende svampe. Pladen er også langt mere afdæmpet end True Delusion, idet de mere dramatiske anslag fra dette album helt skrælles væk til fordel for et lydbillede, der helt giver sig hen til sagte guitarspil og diskret kriblende, elektroniske lyde. En melankolsk stemning indfinder sig på visse numre, især i den næsten selvudslettende outro til ”That Puppy Likes His Solitude”. Men en vis humor finder man også – ikke mindst i titler som ”Time Travel of a Snail” og ”November Comes and Squirrel Falls in Love”. Man fornemmer også en spydig ironiseren over menneskets til tider noget skizofrene forhold til dyreverdenen i en titel som ”A Mouse Stuffed With Emotions”, hvor man kommer til at tænke på de dyr, der slås ihjel for efterfølgende at blive udstoppet, så de kan stå og se nuttede ud i et eller andet opstillet arrangement til menneskets fornøjelse og adspredelse (i den landsby, hvor jeg kommer fra, var der f.eks. en person, som hver jul fornøjede sig med at give de udstoppede dyr i hans vindue nissehuer på!). En sådan kritik falder ikke umiddelbart tilbage på Kiritchenko selv, for selvom det er oplagt, at han også projicerer et menneskeligt følelsesliv over på dyrene, så rummer hans musik samtidig en loyalitet over for de små skabningers liv uden omklamrende antropomorfismer og Disneyficering.
I sidste ende er denne loyalitet dog også pladens problem, for selvom man kan beundre Kiritchenkos utvivlsomt flotte stemninger og fintvævede detaljerigdom, så er det – i hvert fald for denne lytter – svært for alvor at engagere sig i musikken. Den er netop som en snegl, der øjeblikkeligt trækker følerne til sig, hvis man nærmer sig for meget, og man mister hurtigt koncentrationen. Det er heller ikke sikkert, at det er meningen, at man skal fokusere for meget. Måske skal man bare lade musikken pusle for sig selv i baggrunden og roligt lade sig udfolde uden at afkræve den store emotionelle interaktion fra den. Hørt sådan bliver den til en slags skovens dunkle modsvar til ambientmusikkens ofte køligt modernistiske blankhed og civiliserede ro, og som sådan en flot musikalsk præstation, der blot er svær ligefrem at elske.
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| Metica Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Andrey Kiritchenko är en okrönt kung och pionjär på den i närmast obefintliga ukrainska scenen för elektronisk musik. Med sina trettio årsringar har han hunnit med en rad arbeten inom det musikaliska området och dessutom funnit tid till att skriva musik för projekten Nihil Est eXellence, Sidharta och Critikal, det sistnämnda tillsammans med svensken Jonas Lindgren. Sammanlagt rör det sig om cirka trettio plattor i Kiritchenkos diskografi, alltifrån stickig electronica och smart techno till elektroakustisk musik, pulserande drones och analog synthmusik. Kiritchenko är också den som står bakom skivbolaget Nexsound som nu ger ut plattan med det underliga namnet 'Stuffed with/out', denna gång under namnet Andrey Kiritchenko. "... ingalunda någon dussinplatta men väl en skiva om djur..." Andreys tidigare plattor under eget namn, som '00:00' vilken kom till under nattliga experiment framför datorn samt 'True Delusion', var rytmiskt betonade men i övrigt ganska snarlika nya 'Stuffed with/out'. Denna gång handlar det dock mer om gitarrer som tillsammans med fältinspelningar och munspel kombineras med elektroniska ljud som är trogna flera av Kiritchenkos andra projekt. Att just gitarren har en så framträdande roll i ljudbilden är emellertid föga uppseendeväckande då ukrainaren började sin musikaliska bana som singer/song-writer för drygt tio år sedan, en karriär som avslutades i och med att det elektroniska alltmer tog över. 'Stuffed with/out' är ingalunda någon dussinplatta men väl en skiva om djur, vissa troligtvis uppstoppade. Den är svår men ändå lättlyssnad, intressant men samtidigt något träig. Rispandet mot gitarrsträngarna inleder plattan och snart inser man vilken ringa betydelse elektroniken, som dock alltid finns med, har på 'Stuffed with/out'. 'Time Travel of a Snail' sätter ribban och visar sig vara typisk för resterande låtar med enkla men välspelade gitarrer i centrum. Det är dock svårt att skilja låtarna åt. Det finns få variationer vilket i min värld egentligen är väldigt positivt. Men då låtarna är så pass fulla av liv blir helhetsintrycket något utmattande samtidigt som jag utan motstånd gärna kör skivan igen så snart den slutat snurra. Mer svårlyssnat, men i princip enligt samma recept, blir det på 'That Puppy Likes his Solitude' och verkligt stillsamt avslutas plattan med 'They Only Live Twice'. Låttips: 'November Comes and Squirrel Falls in Love' och 'A Mouse Stuffed with Emotions'. Författare: Martin Engström |
| Cracked Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out This release by Andrey Kiritchenko came as somewhat of a surprise, but then again it shouldn’t have. “stuffed with/out” is a consequent progression from “true delusions”, leaving the collaborations with Anla Courtis as a step aside and moving back into the territory of mixing beauty and harmony with dark undertones and sombre meanings. Processed from guitar, computer and field recordings Kiritchenko opens up (yet another) world of mysterious darkness and shining lights, of tranquil daze and ephemeral reality. This record can be listened to with the lights out late at night as well as with the sun shinging through the window panes on a slow afternoon – albeit with very different effect of course. It is like a “Through the looking glass”-world with all the dark themes added to make it appeal to grown ups. In other words, between the fluffy bunnies with the big eyes there will be some ancient monsters, like the giant behemoth or the growling minotaur, though it might be the funny mice and squirrels that show the pyschotic traits of personality after a while, whereas the monsters are but mildly disturbed by everyday phobias or neuroses. The balance between the three major musical parts – guitar, field recordings and processing – is held with just the right amount of pendling into every directions. Sometimes swinging full to one side, leaving you with gently stroked chords and appreggios or plain background noises from some real place or a ambient drone of subtle noise. But mostly the three parts interfere, fuse and mix in a variety of wonderful ways. With fingers wiping over the strings of an acoustic guitar as a beginning, the setout is quite clear: acoustic sounds are a major part. But after only a while the statement is made, that processed and noise sounds are also in focus. The setting of place and pace therefore is done effectively and well. Mostly Kiritchenko invokes sombre tones, the playfulness of some deftly dampened by the at times close to morbid atmosphere floating through the tracks like the thick fog through a horror movie set in London. But there aren’t any dark atmospheres of the kind that is playing with evil images as does a lot of the ambient doom music floating around the genre borders to the metal world: such superficiality is not apt here. The darker moods are more subtle, more refined and more hidden in the details. Overall the music is a tranquil and soothing affair, despite the crackling noise of what is crawling beneath the floorboards. Andrey Kiritchenko shows a lot of will during the execution of “stuffed with/out” in as much as he never strays an inch from his outlined path that leads him into the dark, mysterious woods of his childhood imagination and finding out that it has grown up with him. The wondrousness has matured as the fears have grown, but due to all the things a grown up has in advantage over a kid (rationality, experience, strength) it is easier to face the wood and by describing the fears de-mystify them. Maybe this is what the record is about, facing the leftover fears of your childhood days, the pang you still feel when waking up at night and hearing a strange noise or having to walk through a dark forest at nigh (which by the way is something grown ups usually just never do, maybe overcoming their fears by going out of their way). This album is another proof of the deserved premier status of Andrey Kiritchenko amongst the world’s avantgarde or fringe musicians. From concept to execution it is convincing and fascinating. |
| Gaz-eta Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out Ukrainian guitarist / sound innovator has always struck me as someone whose main goal was to work through textural aspect of the sound, rather than simply the pure analogy of the sound. His previous solo effort "True Delusion" was a wonderful walk into a world of field recordings and guitars. This time around, he's concentrating more on his first chosen instrument - guitar - while shying a little away from field recordings. Call it contemplative improv or guitar solos with a touch of processed effects, Andrey's music is clearly aimed to make one think and stop. Stop and think about the guitar effects he's using and ponder the sources of his field recordings. "For Behemoth Who Was Afraid of Darkness" features a bare guitar track that is augmented with squeaky off-kilter noise. As the piece progresses, the guitar is thrown into the background, while processed sounds make it into the forefront. Exchanging the old for the new and back again. These are the sounds of spectacular concentration. Obviously, this is someone who takes his craft seriously and chooses not to dilute his sounds with anything that may be superfluous. On "Timetravel of a Snail", Andrey is sampling himself, while at times he even ventures into what could pass for flamenco music [!]. Yes, it's true, in today's world, nothing is sacred anymore and cross-genre pollination is clearly the way of the future. Structurally sound and stylistically miles out from the nearest guitarist mining the same field, "Stuffed With/Out" is a haunt picture of beauty of the within. - Tom Sekowski |
| Aquarius Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out The Ukraine has an incredibly vibrant underground music scene. From the black metal side of the spectrum, Drudkh, Hate Forest, Nokturnal Mortum, Dub Buk, Astrofaes, Lucifugum all the way over to the abstract minimalist free noise side of things, most notably The Moglass, but also Andrey Kiritchenko, who runs the amazing Nexsound label, and also creates some beautiful music himself. Using guitars, field recordings and a bit of processing, Kiritchenko conjures up a fuzzy world of haunting reverberations, dense swarms of metallic buzzings, mysterious harmonica like wheezes, and a a swirling spacey ambience. You can't help but hear Fennesz, Ambarchi, and other avant guitarscapers, as well as folks like Tim Hecker and Phillip Jeck, with all the fuzz soft focus murk and dreamlike abstraction. But there's something very particular about Kiritchenko's sound, it is always obviously a guitar. The steel strings are the centerpiece of each track, sometimes the buzzing strings get pulled apart into weird wisps of sound, other times it's the background that skitters and loops, stretches out and gradually darkens, while the guitar continues to strum above the swirling morass. A gorgeous and modern, dark foresty folk, an otherworldly take on classic Appalachia. Fahey left to wander through some ancient Ukrainian forest, the results fed into a computer and allowed to spill out, a glitchy expanse of steel strings and skittery buzz, swirls of rich deep ambient flutter, while within little ripples of steel string shimmer slowly spread out, way in the distance bursts of malfunctioning digital melody race across the horizon like clouds in those time lapse nature films, while just underneath lies a soft and serene bed of lilting acoustic guitar and a world of glistening iridescence. Absolutely amazing packaging. The disc is visible through die cut circles, each one slightly bigger than the one before it, each panel of the brown card stock digipak adorned with dense tangles of abstract text and fuzzy indistinct animal shapes. So cool. |
| Vital Andrey Kiritchenko-Stuffed With/Out By now the name Andrey Kiritchenko should be a household name. Playing concerts all over the world and releasing very fine discs. Here he presents another one, on his own Nexsound label, in a very nice cover. The cover credits read 'guitar, processing and field recordings' and moving further into the world of glitchy ambient music. However the guitar remains a clear feature. In most of the tracks the guitar is clearly recognizable as such. Whatever computer processing Kiritchenko employs it remains an ornament to his playing. It's been pushed towards the back of the recording, while the guitar stays clearly in the front. Field recordings might be in there too, but then they too are not easy to detect. Turning his music in favor of the guitar he plays the ambient card more than the microsound one, and the music surely benefits from that. Kiritchenko comes closer to the music of the likes of Japanese musicians on labels such as Spekk and Noble, or the German Flim. The microsound aspect is reduced, but not entirely gone, and as such it means that the music made an interesting step forward, while still staying (or perhaps more than before) inside the traditional offerings of ambient music. (FdW) |
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