Bay Area drone architect Gregg Kowalsky is one of Kranky’s newest offerings. Of course, Kranky is one of maybe four labels wherein if the skewed rectangle logo is present on any given album’s spine, said record will probably be blazin’. Kowalsky’s Tape Chants is no different.
While I enjoy ambient music, there are very few ambient artists I can truly cheer for outside Christian Fennesz and William Basinski. However, Kowalsky, who holds a masters in electronic music performance and recording, is one of them. The potent alien oscillator tone that opens “Vi-Vii” makes your eyes dart about the room, provoking you to think someone else is present. Sound interesting to you? It should, I love that feeling. And like Basinski, Kowalsky has an affinity for tape loops. For live performances, Kowalsky uses between six and ten cassette recorders and commercial stereo units scattered about the perimeter of the performance space. The amplitudes of the individual tape players are adjusted, and Gregg walks around the space listening to the overall mix, acting as a true sound alchemist. As he describes himself “the live set fits somewhere between sound installation and performance.” Many of the tapes from these live installations make up his sophomore release.
Sure, to an extent, Kowalski makes academic music. But you don’t have to be a music academic to find the timbre, tonality, and serendipitous deameanor of tape loop performance completely engaging. Kowalski craftily cultivates a sort of breathing organism in his fascinating thick analog stew – creating ambient music to get excited about.
Tape Chants is available now courtesy of the good bros and broettes at Kranky. Greg is also hitting the road this week, so peep his MySpace page for the latest date confirmations.
For fans of: Fennesz, Brian Eno, Seefeel
MP3 :::
Greg Kowalski – Vi-Vii [Excerpt]
