[apl030] tlon - from elsewhere to nowhere
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- Publication date
- 2004-06-03 00:00:00
A couple months after releasing the "Metapop Complex LP" under his moniker deluge [THN069], Jean-Sébastien Roux publishes on Autoplate again. His new EP "from elsewhere to nowhere" is a conceptual work in best Roux tradition, derived from philosophic thoughts about mankind.
As always, the songs stick together to follow a particular concept, evolving it to define new questions. Questions, that remain unanswered, waiting for the listener to be felt and experienced. Musically, while tlons first autoplatian work "acoustic lazy dolls" was more of a minimalistic touch, his recent sound became more synthetic, stylistically developing a style with part reminiscences to early works of Plastikman.
Being asked about the origin of the tracks, Jean-Sébastien states: "From the beginning we ask ourselves how our being on this planet will end. Religous people conjure up the Apocalypse or predict the return of the Messiah. Scientific oriented people consider external activity to finish us up. But if you take a look upon worlds society, will the end be us? We destroy the planet, exploit its resources, exterminate the rainforests, it's animals and continue
killing each other. Within the so-called 'developed' industrial societies, egoism plays a major role, where compassion is replaced with rational profit thinking."
"For sure, there is some defiant of this reality and what we do know about is our unconciousness. We care about the end of our own life and don't seem to realize that the world is actually ending because of us. It's our own fault that we seem to be lost, but do we know it yet? Is there a chance for us to wake up and realize that we are now at a certain turn of this planet. Are we able to make this place a home for everyone or is the Abyss closer than we can expect today?"
Let's change the perspectives and switch from the meta level to the musical point of view. Here, Roux predominantly combines carefully reduced beats with distant pads and echolot TB-303's. Clicky sounds and a warm carpet of sinebass introduce the preamble "may we be us?". Slowly a TB-303 rises, sustained by wispy strings in the background. The second piece "escaping the land" feels like a distant breeding environment, dark like our deepest fears, minatory and intensivly, like escaping from reality, that surrounds us every day and when it overruns us - silence remains. The epic "in the shadow of unexpactation" is set like the arduous march of the human race through time.
So what can we do? Who are we, arriving and departing "from elswhere to nowhere". What is the essence of human nature? Is it to create or to destroy - is this all "about us"? Are we aware of that? Once again we have to focus on ourselves. Like a central theme the TB-303 connects this track to "may we be us?".
Changing scenes with "do we belong here?" - distorted signals crossing the ocean, hampering communcation between whales and misguiding them so they end up stranding at the beach, awaiting a creeping death. Is it time to say "farewell" to this planet? Would earth cry for us and then slowly regenerate to awake again, covering the planet with endless green?
We don't know and so does the last track, fittingly entitled 'untitled' - soft and smooth string brawls like an ocean - just as if earth and mankind happen to come together ...
As always, the songs stick together to follow a particular concept, evolving it to define new questions. Questions, that remain unanswered, waiting for the listener to be felt and experienced. Musically, while tlons first autoplatian work "acoustic lazy dolls" was more of a minimalistic touch, his recent sound became more synthetic, stylistically developing a style with part reminiscences to early works of Plastikman.
Being asked about the origin of the tracks, Jean-Sébastien states: "From the beginning we ask ourselves how our being on this planet will end. Religous people conjure up the Apocalypse or predict the return of the Messiah. Scientific oriented people consider external activity to finish us up. But if you take a look upon worlds society, will the end be us? We destroy the planet, exploit its resources, exterminate the rainforests, it's animals and continue
killing each other. Within the so-called 'developed' industrial societies, egoism plays a major role, where compassion is replaced with rational profit thinking."
"For sure, there is some defiant of this reality and what we do know about is our unconciousness. We care about the end of our own life and don't seem to realize that the world is actually ending because of us. It's our own fault that we seem to be lost, but do we know it yet? Is there a chance for us to wake up and realize that we are now at a certain turn of this planet. Are we able to make this place a home for everyone or is the Abyss closer than we can expect today?"
Let's change the perspectives and switch from the meta level to the musical point of view. Here, Roux predominantly combines carefully reduced beats with distant pads and echolot TB-303's. Clicky sounds and a warm carpet of sinebass introduce the preamble "may we be us?". Slowly a TB-303 rises, sustained by wispy strings in the background. The second piece "escaping the land" feels like a distant breeding environment, dark like our deepest fears, minatory and intensivly, like escaping from reality, that surrounds us every day and when it overruns us - silence remains. The epic "in the shadow of unexpactation" is set like the arduous march of the human race through time.
So what can we do? Who are we, arriving and departing "from elswhere to nowhere". What is the essence of human nature? Is it to create or to destroy - is this all "about us"? Are we aware of that? Once again we have to focus on ourselves. Like a central theme the TB-303 connects this track to "may we be us?".
Changing scenes with "do we belong here?" - distorted signals crossing the ocean, hampering communcation between whales and misguiding them so they end up stranding at the beach, awaiting a creeping death. Is it time to say "farewell" to this planet? Would earth cry for us and then slowly regenerate to awake again, covering the planet with endless green?
We don't know and so does the last track, fittingly entitled 'untitled' - soft and smooth string brawls like an ocean - just as if earth and mankind happen to come together ...
Related Music question-dark
Versions - Different performances of the song by the same artist
Compilations - Other albums which feature this performance of the song
Covers - Performances of a song with the same name by different artists
Song Title | Versions | Compilations | Covers |
---|---|---|---|
untitled |
- Addeddate
- 2005-06-02 07:55:39
- Boxid
- OL100020219
- Identifier
- apl030
- Run time
- 40:37
- Source
- http://www.autoplate.org
- Taped by
- Autoplate
- Type
- sound
comment
Reviews
Reviewer:
LAJ
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
April 10, 2006
Subject: Poignant and Contemplative
Subject: Poignant and Contemplative
This is without a doubt one of the most poignant and contemplative of the Autoplate releases to date brimming with heartfelt passion and touching the listeners most primal emotions. In may we be us I feel joy and hope as rapid clicky beats and gentle tones rise above a background of warm droning strings and sparsely played bass notes. In escaping the land I sense anger and tension as a wall of roaring, wavering noise suffocates the delicate backdrop electronics. The rage of escaping the land gives way to a forlorn rhythmic, ambient drone, sad melodies, and disjointed electronics as the orchestral in the shadow of unexpectation arrives. The hopeless tone of the previous track continues, but in a less cinematic way, as about us begins with beautiful electronics and a pondering beat. A cyclic bass riff gradually leads this track into a structured melodious piece. Bursts of distorted tones and fragmented electronics beg the question do be belong here which eventually takes on a dramatic orchestral atmosphere. farewell continues the dramatic mood of do we belong here but in a more forceful way as deep bass lines, strong beats, echoing electronics, and dynamic synths complement each other. The chaotic untitled ends this philosophic album in mad rush of synths and electronics that come crashing in like unstoppable ocean waves. -LAJ-
Reviewer:
knisterwerk
-
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
September 6, 2005
Subject: .
Subject: .
In ruhigen und teilweise verrauschten Tönen präsentiert sich diese Autoplate-Veröffentlichung. Als Hintergrundmusik, zum Hören, zum Zuhören oder zum Entspannen gleichermaÃen geeignet.
Wie bei tlons letzter EP auf Autoplate gab es vier Sterne, an dieser Stelle kann ich aber ohne schlechtes Gewissen fünf vergeben.
Wie bei tlons letzter EP auf Autoplate gab es vier Sterne, an dieser Stelle kann ich aber ohne schlechtes Gewissen fünf vergeben.
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