Various

Tape 10

BY I. KhiderPublished Jan 1, 2006

The concept behind this compilation is interesting. Ten different music producers are each given a photograph, then asked to compose a musical response to that image. Reproductions of the image are included in the liner notes so the listener can gauge for her/himself the fascinating responses these ten different musicians come up with. Somewhere between techno and ambient reside each of the tracks with the common thread being an abstract atmospheric vibe. The photographic images tend to be stark and simple, ranging from an image of a building parking lot, to a sign on a beach to a snow covered field to a jar filled with large pickles on a table. How the artists came up with the wherewithal to respond to the images is the interesting part. On the roster is Markus Guntner who goes on a deep atmospheric dive with microbic click-rhythms culminating in a track grace and beauty. Decomposed Subsonic's "Aqua" is a balancing act between field recording and produced material. Jeremy P. Caulfield's "O.K." is an uplifting techno assent whereas Losoul's "Acker 1" is also techno but infused with jazzy loops. Geoff White's "Moths and Stripes" is a David Lynch-like piece that is easily the spookiest and eeriest of the collection. There are more great musical responses not described and the above words do not give the tracks justice, but Tape 10 is quite good and strongly recommended.
(Ware)

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