Es ist genug
by Aalfang Mit Pferdekopf
“Es ist genug” means “It is enough”, and the first two tracks of this new album by drone ambient dude Mirko Uhlig aka Aalfang mit Pferdekopf usefully spell the title out in both languages. Is this a threat? Are we supposed to think that this album may be the last by Aalfang mit Pferdekopf? Or should we read the title as a calming announcement that there is enough good music on this album to keep us going for a while longer? Which is quite literally the case, as the CD comes with 79:15 minutes’ worth of music on a medium that could contain a maximum of 80 minutes.
Once again, Aalfang mit Pferdekopf prove their adeptness at combining electronic dronescapes with acoustic sounds (not only acoustic instruments, such as harmonica and guitar, but also strange field recordings) and disembodied, manipulated voices to form an album which feels all of one piece, but also like a collage of odd and slightly disturbing jokes (as if they had a dark punchline that eludes the listener), but a collage one glued onto a dreamily colourful background (like the inside of the album sleeve, for example) that is so beautiful and harmonic that one is tempted to hope that perhaps the dark side may not prevail just now but that the comforting, beautiful side may keep the upper hand for at least 80 more minutes – or at least 79:15. Is it enough? Well, it quite certainly is a lot more than one could hope for in dark times like these.
File under: drone, ambient
ACU 1089
factory-produced CDr in Digisleeve
Released in 2025
limited to 50 copies
price: 10.00 EUR (excl. postage)
Photo by Jozefien van der Aelst
Music by M. Uhlig
jozefienvanderaelst.com
aalfang.de
aalfangmitpferdekopf.bandcamp.com
Also available here: http://www.discogs.com/seller/dependenz?sort=price&sort_order=asc&q=attenuation+circuit&st
ISIDOR
Aachen scheint ein Hotspot für Klangkünstler und experimentierfreudige Frequenzbastler zu sein. Die Klangkollagen von Mirko Uhlig aka AALFANG MIT PFERDEKOPF können Bilder oder Szenen im Kopf erzeugen und diese damit von anderen Gedanken befreien. Sie sind der Regen, der nach dem Gewitter dafür sorgt, dass sich die Welt wieder frisch anfühlt. Diese Bilder sind mehrdimensional, versetzen dich während eines Spaziergangs auf dem Land auch mal hinter das Mikrophon, das diesen akustisch festhält. Oder sie gehen noch eine Stufe weiter und man wird zum Hörer einer Schallplatte, auf die diese Aufnahme dann gepresst wurde. Das ist Musik, in die man
sehr viel hinein interpretieren kann, aber nicht muss. Jedenfalls ist „Es Ist Genug“ wieder ein ausgesprochen interessantes Album mit langen und kurzen Geschichten/ Tracks, hat eine beeindruckende Spiellänge (knapp 80 Minuten) und bietet eigentlich nur einen einzigen Anlass zur Beschwerde: Der Albumtitel darf bitte nicht der Wahrheit entsprechen.
https://isidor-fanzine.de/
VITAL WEEKLY
More ironic titles, so I thought when I realised that the latest Aalfag Mit Pferdekopf release is close to 80 minutes, and the title translates as ‘it is enough’. Well, yes, as you couldn’t put much more music on this CDR! It’s great to see Aalfang Mit Pferdekopf active again, following a period of hibernation. Their (his?) surrealist approach to ambient music is always close to my heart. I don’t know the modus operandi from Mirko Uhlig (he who is behind the name), but he knows how to create a massive drone scape, lingering about and on top there’s some sparse instrumentation; some piano notes, an accordion (a word I use a lot this week!), the rustling of tea cups or leaves. The cherry on the cake can be voices, radio transmissions, the crackle of vinyl, that kind of thing that enhances the scene further. Much like Falter Bramnk, this is the sort of thing that sees radio drama meeting musique concrète, but the outcome is much more homogenous and not scattered all over the place. That is, obviously, the kind of thing I find attractive, next to the fact that Aalfang Mit Pferdekopf is a powerful player in the world of ambient music, especially in this variation, which I like a lot. Think zoviet*france or Fossil Aerosol Mining Project, which have the same ‘ambient plus’ approach, and which sound quite delicate. This is not grainy lo-fi ambient! This is an extended release and a true beauty – for once, no complaint about the length. Is it enough? Hardly.
www.vitalweekly.net/number-1495/
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