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Net Feature/ Sawako & V.A.: "Summer Tour Remix Volume 1"

  Tobias

What do you do once you have picked up your holiday pictures from the photo lab? That's right, you invite over some friends and let them share in the experience. For „Summer Tour Remix Volume 1“, Japanese artist Sawako has, however, spiced up the party just a little more.

In effect, she has asked some of her musical colleagues and companions to provide her with some feedback on their emotional reaction to her field recordings. It is not a new concept, but one which remains interesting, because it takes into account that the same input can have extremely different reactions even within one's closest circle of friends.

Consequently, the results of the internalisation process are highly diverse. Ezekiel Honig, Hosomi, Nicola Ratti and Sawako herself leave the source material audibly intact, carefully processing it and using it as a backdrop for additional layers of sound. In Kenneth Kirschner's „November 25, 2“ and Steinbrüchel's „Snowfall“, the voices, rehearsal noises and street scene rumblings have stretched out into glistening dronescapes – both of them are among the most immediately emotive and pure work both artists have released of lately. In the drastic vision of Zimoun, head of Swiss label Leerraum (which shares some of the performer lineup involved in this production), all that remains is a microtonal crackle, as if he were trying to capture the ambiance of his lonely room while revelling in distant memories.

To all remixers, „Summer Tour Remix Vol 1“ was not just a plunderphonic crusade. Instead, one has the distinct notion that they carefully selected their tracks and then went on to either deepen the mood which it awakened inside of them – or to emphasise the contrast between what can be heard by the ear and the effect on the heart. With many of the participating musicians sharing the same background when it comes to previous releases, a certain coherency in approach and production could be expected. But the time, care, dedication and love that has gone into a release available freely and on a Creative Commons licence are impressive.

Of course, „Summer Tour Remix Vol 1“ is entirely up to date with its melange of field recordings and floating soundscapes. But with tracks responding to each other as though they were part of an outspoken co-operational project, it has the potential of remaining valid for some time to come. This party could go on forever.

By Tobias Fischer

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