Fennesz - Venice - 2004

Universally acclaimed as one of the major releases of 2004, Venice was recorded on location in the summer of 2003 and subsequently assembled and mixed at Amann Studios, Vienna in January/February 2004. Venice, the fourth studio album by Christian Fennesz, finds electronic music at a crossroads between its early status as digital subculture, and the feeling that there has to be something more, an emotional quality that rises above noise and moves towards melody and rapture. Includes the continuation of his collaboration with David Sylvian on the track 'Transit', following the success of their duo on Sylvian's 2003 solo album, Blemish.'' on the UK Touch label. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Tracklist

"Rivers of Sand" – 4:42

"Château Rouge" – 6:40

"City of Light" – 6:34

"onsra" – 0:20

"Circassian" – 5:49

"onsay" – 1:08

"The Other Face" – 3:25

"Transit" – 4:59

"The Point of It All" – 5:01

"Laguna" – 2:56

"asusu" – 0:55

"The Stone of Impermanence" – 6:37

Fennesz - Plus Forty Seven Degrees 56' 37" Minus Sixteen Degrees 51' 08 - 1999

Fennesz's first album for Touch, and the only album recorded using only a laptop computer, previously released as a jewel case in 1999. [There was prior to that a deluxe edition of 1000 copies in landscape art format, which sold out immediately.] It has been out of print for a couple of years. The audio remains the same, the imagery uses the location shots from the deluxe edition.

 Fennesz is concerned with creating extremely dense and enveloping sound textures, essentially forgoing rhythmic or melodic development exploring electronic sound at an almost a molecular level, and the result is a complex, organic, and at times very beautiful noise. "Track 5" (there are no song titles) is the most challenging music here, consisting of deep, almost cello-like drones intertwined with extremely harsh static. There is a palpable tension between the two elements on this track that might remind some of a more avant-garde and (it must be said) abrasive version of My Bloody Valentine. "Track 4" displays Fennesz' virtuosity with microtonal manipulation, as tiny fragments of sound, possibly sampled guitar harmonics, seem to vibrate in place and undergo subtle variations with time. "Track 7" may incorporate some sort of field recordings into the mix, as atmospheric, industrial noises are blended with jarring guitar distortion. An interest in noise music is necessary, but those so inclined will find Plus Forty Seven Degrees 56' 37" Minus Sixteen Degrees 51' 08" to be a challenging and rewarding album of abstract beauty.