Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Go to the Laurence English website  Laurence English - Transit [Cajid Media - 2004]

Laurence English is as far as I can determine and Australian sound artist who constructs wild imaginary landscapes of drone, electronics and a large array of field recordings.

This particular recording is edited from recordings made in Thailand, Vietnam, Tasmania, Tokyo and England. The music has a panoramic quality that grabs you on the first listen. A case in point being the opener Oceanic drift in which elements from recordings in Thailand are mixed with subtle drones and little electronic loops to create a thick atmosphere of dread and intrigue.  The album opener mixes directly into That was a lucky one where disembodied voice and birdsong combine with mechanical and incidental sounds. The synthesised electronics are never over the top and augment rather than lead the environmental recordings.

More ambient and moody than Luc Ferrari but too freeform to be lumped in with Eno, Budd and the like Laurence English clearly takes the field recordings as his start point, the editing of them is minimal and they form the backbone on which he places other sonic debris.
Closing frame is more aggressive than the other tracks, processed cicadas build to a caustic cacophony that images the listener as a tiny bug, overwhelmed by the power and noise of the vast forest. The second half of the track turns the scene on it’s head with airy drone, hinted melody and distant female voice.

Shinagawa (moment on Tokaido) features urban sounds with light synth melody and what sounds like a child toy rattle. More birdsong and drones make this piece a mix of uplifting escapism and city whiteout.  Unlike Dual process which is the most overtly electronic of the tracks. Pinging panned sounds that sound like they are on the inside of a bamboo tube mix with warped human sounds and unrecognisable sounds of nature. The tension and dark mood of much of these pieces recall David Toops last album Black Chamber. Fans of him and the likes of Irr.App(ext), Keith Berry and Luc Ferrari will undoubtedly find interest in this well executed and focused music.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Duncan Simpson
Latest Reviews

Laurence English - Transit
Laurence English is as far as I can determine and Australian sound artist who constructs wild imaginary landscapes of drone, electronics and a large array of...
190424   Zachary James Watkins - Affir...
180424   Ulvtharm - 7 Uthras
180424   The Bad Shepherd - The Bad Sh...
180424   Impulse - Impulse( Blu Ray)
170424   Jan Jelinek - Social Engine...
170424   Carlos “Zíngaro”, Guilherme R...
160424   The Borderlands - The Borderl...
160424   Rien - The New Source Recording
160424   Worship - Thoughts
150424   Lion-Girl - Lion-Girl(Blu Ray)
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom