maze
by EMERGE
The two 18-minute parts of “maze” were composed in 2014 for release on tape. With this CD re-issue, they finally find their way onto composer EMERGE's own attenuation circuit label. This is quite fitting, as the compositions are also a document of the label's local network of collaborators at the time. EMERGE asked friends and colleagues for short sonic contributions which were then worked into one or both of the compositions. In alphabetical order, the contributors are deep, elektrojudas, Gerald Fiebig, Niku Senpuki, Prinzip Nemesis, and Danijel Zambo.
The ten-year time-warp back to 2014 takes us into an earlier phase of EMERGE's career when his music was more strongly characterised by drones than it is today. “Maze” comes as a particularly fine example of that “dark drone” period. Two intense currents of sounds, pushing and pulling forward without stopping, yet sometimes accelerating, intensifying, bubbling, boiling, sizzling, yet also crushing things that try to get in their way with crunching, crackling noises. The labyrinthine task that the title “maze” suggests may be trying to identify the individual contributions to EMERGE's sound – but most of it is so intricately worked into the overall sonic flow that it makes more sense to simply ride the sound wave with open ears or dive into the rising tide. This “maze” is not one to get lost in – instead it offers its listeners refreshing clarity.
File under: drone, electroacoustic
ACU 1068
factory-produced CDr in cardboard sleeve
Released in 2024
limited to 50 copies
price: 7.00 EUR (excl. postage)
maze 1
contributions by: Gerald Fiebig, elektrojudas, Niku Senpuki, Danijel Zambo, Prinzip Nemesis
maze 2
contributions by: deep, Prinzip Nemesis, Niku Senpuki
composed in 2014
originally released on tape by Required Rate of Return Records in 2018
mastering, photography and design by EMERGE
emergeac.wordpress.com
immerge.bandcamp.com
Also available here: http://www.discogs.com/seller/dependenz?sort=price&sort_order=asc&q=attenuation+circuit&st
VITAL WEEKLY
Sascha Stadlmeier is behind the project Emerge and the Attenuation Circuit label, and “Maze” is a re-release from a 2018 cassette on the now defunct Required Rate of Return label. The release has two tracks from around 18 minutes with the title “Maze”, and even with over 200 releases and contributions, this is the very first full release I have heard from Emerge, except for a few tracks on samplers. There, I’ve said it. I hope I’m forgiven because the experimental scene is just too much to keep track of everything.
Sascha started recording his experiments around Y2K under Dependenz, after which he switched to his Emerge moniker. How he does things and how he works is unknown to me. And that’s part puzzling but also the fun thing at the same time. Take this release. As it says on the cover: Maze 1, Contributions by: elektrojudas, Niku Senpuki, Danijel Zambo, Prinzip Nemesis and Maze 2, contributions by: Deep, Prinzip Nemesis, Niku Senpuki. Sascha was given source material by the other artists to work from, and he created the Maze with these sounds. More artists are working this way, for example, +DOG+, who is always mentioning several artists, even though it’s a one-person project basically.
So where does “Maze” stand musically? It’s a minimal-noise drone with a maximum impact. It’s definitely very dark and ‘unheimlich’ like in the true meaning of that beautiful German word. It’s too massive to be used as the soundtrack for a Horror Movie, but – especially the first half of part 2 – would fit as a layer under a 30’s or 40’s disaster clip found footage from archive.org. Even though there are a lot of contributors of sounds, Sasha manages to make a proper coherent story of everything, making the walk through the Maze not impossible but instead a well spend time of reflection and a bit of soul-searching. Because of the dynamics and open atmosphere, the first part is my favourite, but the second part emphasises the Maze theme.
https://www.vitalweekly.net/number-1442/
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