This work is based on fascinating generative sounds, sensually moving between hyper-vivid structures. These are developed through patterns organized in multilevel textures that are rich in sudden changes of register, dysfunctions and digital jumps. Continuously expanding rhythmic concatenations evolve in very sharp iterations, sometimes quiet and sometimes more dynamic. This audio and video project by V4W.enko and Sanmi started in 2007 and is made from live electronic sound processing enriched with real time video streaming, all of which has been organized in carefully designed algorithmic flows, according to fairly simple and intuitive rules. With this release for Nexsound, the artists’ collaboration has become even closer: the buzzes, hisses and low frequencies seem to be more rigorously organized and maintain a sort of performative aplomb instead of being inspired by a strong conceptualism. The generative sound collage created by the Ukrainian and Japanese authors doesn’t offer any reference, evolving instead in a very sensual and synesthetically involving way, drawing cohesive synthetic abstractions, melodies barely hinted at, harmonic iterations and poetic piano fragments. The endless mutations give rise to many different syntonies, new levels of synergy that follow constant rules, outlining, in all seven tracks, an interesting mix of glitchy, abstract sounds and mild noise, and always unpredictable experiments with new sound forms.
Aurelio Cianciotta
Review
v4w.enko and sanmi – Y:E:T
Another release from the interesting Ukrainian label Nexsound, this time a Japanese-Ukrainian collaboration. Highly experimental stuff, presenting a project where sound meets vision and interweaves. This is all about textures, structures, multilayers.
Ukraina based V4w.enko (a.k.a. Evgen Vaschenko) meets Japan based Sanmi (a.k.a. Kyo Yanagi). Most of Y:E:T‘s seven cryptically entitled (from 1-7: “K4-j6 toT7”, “Ummd_line6”, “R-d4”, “Bvc2c”, “Nod5”, “T_mx2”, and 7. “Lcgf”) tracks are slow streams of electronic twists and turns. Sometimes with a slow beat, except for “Bvc2c”, which has got a more upbeat drive. Most tracks are also quite abstract and freely floating compositions. Like they describe their project: “Y:E:T is the next point of researches in generative sounds with a sensual approach to compose generated lines in the complete collages…” Right. Included are ever-expanding soundscapes from the electronic art palette. “T_mx2” is like a digital soundtrack to some vibrant, yet silent (think ‘a bit eerie’) nightlife, with crickets chirping. The closing track, “Lcgf”, is the one being the key track, at least to my pair of ears. It’s also a more tonal piece of composition, with a tender and quiet piano holding the thread. Vaschenko part of the project is about sound and vision, where “..live electronics, sound and video stream are being realised in real-time by manipulating of self-programmed algorithms..”. Kyo Yanagi has been adding some ‘sensual touch’ with “..high tuned layers to the generated lines of sound structures..”. All this resulting in, according to V4w.enko and Sanmi a “”..multilayered form which is allowed to bring spontaneous events into a new level of the synergy of the live forms and some constant rules.”
Y:E:T is a good soundtrack to a lazy Sunday morning if you’re in the mood for some loose-fit, abstract art shaped as sound.
Copyright © 2012 Håvard Oppøyen
v4w.enko and sanmi – Y:E:T
A collaboration, through e-mail I guess, between Kyo Yanagi, also known as Sanmi and Evgeniy Vaschenko from the Ukraine. A highly digital work this is, but one that has also quite a ‘live’ feeling to it. Clicks ‘n cuts – if anyone cares to remember that – is certainly something that applies here. Things buzz, hiss, crack and loop around, with a highly dynamic sound. Deep bass sounds, shrieking high end sine wave like sounds on top, cut ‘n pasted together in the best Pan Sonic tradition. yet, all with a slight difference: this music deals less with a straight forward beat, but rather with cutting up all the sounds, all the time. Only in the closing piece ‘Lcgf’ the cut-up is absent, and everything is placed in a straight forward fashion, with some desolate piano sounds. A fine closing to a somewhat tiring but also quite rewarding release. Excellent stuff. (FdW)