We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Drowning Electret

by simon whetham

supported by
Michael Araujo
Michael Araujo thumbnail
Adam Aronson
Adam Aronson thumbnail
frank vercruyssen
frank vercruyssen thumbnail
Esther Seidel
Esther Seidel thumbnail
Tristan Louth-Robins
Tristan Louth-Robins thumbnail
OR
OR thumbnail
wyskeu
wyskeu thumbnail
mikehoolboom
mikehoolboom thumbnail
argarratt
argarratt thumbnail
/
1.
Drowning Electret [excerpt] 05:25
info
buy track

about

www.everycontactleavesatrace.net/2016/11/26/drowning-electret-simon-whetham/

“Whetham at his most bloody-minded, the long, slow death of hydrophone recording” runs the blurb and leaves it at that. I’m not entirely sure what that means or what that might sound like, but what this CD has is a background of white noise and some pops and clicks foregrounded. Difficult to say how much it’s prepared or happenstance, but it’s certainly conceivable that this is the hydrophone’s workings coming to some sort of demise.

It’s in the main something approximating ambient noise, like rubbing thick rubs on contact mics interspersed with scratches and pops. Strangely enough, given that this is something like field recording, it reminds me a smidge of the sort of turntablism that was doing the rounds in the early 2000s — a more sedate Otomo Yoshihide or something.

I’m going to work on the basis that most of this record documents the decay of a hydrophone, presumably due to faulty casing or similar. So you get this odd effect where whatever’s not right in it seems to create these rhythmic or quasi-rhythmic sections — repetitious phrase-ishes that mutate in opaque cycles. Like every good sound-art record, this isn’t mastered for full volume effect (as is right and just) so there’s quite a dynamic range in this mostly-fairly-quiet number. I’m not a headphones kind of guy, but it’s definitely worth a listen on cans for full effect. Particularly as it’s one of those records that the fridge engine seems to sing along to. Which becomes doubly problematic as there’s a long period of very gradual decline in the recording, disappearing into a nothing-y vortex with only brief restitutions sporadically.

it’s one of those records that the fridge engine seems to sing along toIt’s a subtle and a quiet record and one that, despite the “bloody-minded” quip of the blurb, matches Whetham’s usual taste and nuance for sound. Assuming it’s process-based (most ECLAT seem to be that), it’s one of those where it’s a great recording of something. It never quite rises above a burble, but there’s enough detail there to make it a somewhat agonising listen, insofar as it’s worth concentrating on entirely (rather than it being rubbish, you understand). Applause, Herr Whetham."

-Kev Nickells-
freq.org.uk/reviews/simon-whetham-bang-the-bore-drowning-electret-twelve-tapes/

credits

released November 26, 2016

Executed at Villa Waldberta, Feldafing, Germany by Simon Whetham
Photography by Julia Weinmann
Packaging by Seth Cooke

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

simon whetham image

simon whetham UK

Repurposing environmental sound, space, found objects and salvaged devices, Simon Whetham presents sonic collages that are both meditative and thought provoking...

contact / help

Contact simon whetham

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like simon whetham, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now