HIROKI SASAJIMA - MONOGENIC (CDR by Sentient Recognition Archive)
ENTIA NON - DISINTER (CDR by Sentient Recognition Archive)
Two new names for me, on the excellent Sentient Recognition Archive label. While Entia Non has a little bit of information, there is no such thing on 'Monogenic' by Hiroki Sasajima. That's a pity, since we have to guess a bit. My best shot is that Sasajima uses field recordings, which are heavily processed into monolithic blocks of sound. His results, three in total, a deeply, what: bass shaking, rumbles of sound. Like the Holloway disc reviewed elsewhere, there is a strong influence of the work of Paul Bradley or Jonathan Coleclough. Deep, dark and mysterious and somehow all generated in the world of digital processing. Rain seems to be the main player in the second piece and motorized sounds in the third, whereas in the first I am completely in the dark. Very fine release for the music, not so much in terms of new things happening.
To spoil the end of the review: it can also be said about Entia Non, also known as James McDougall. Not much information here either, but it says that the field recordings were made at the East Coast of Australia. Here too the field recordings are heavily processed to filter out the deepest, lowest sound, and emphasize those through heavy filtering. The difference with Sasajima however is that its possible to recognize the or;.iginal sounds somewhat. Lots of sea sounds, walking along the beach, the sand in hand approach, motors and boats. Maybe a track too long this one. The best pieces, with the most variety in them - the raw sound versus the treatments - are at the beginning of the disc. 'Nearly Home', the fifth piece, seems a mere repetition of moves that were already made. Again leaning heavily on the UK drone scene - Mirror, Monos, Ora, Coleclough - but executed with the same great care, so perhaps that's fine enough. Two fine discs. (FdW)
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