Monday 26 September 2016

James O’Callaghan - Espaces tautologiques

Espaces tautologiques

You don't need a degree in audio science to appreciate the works presented here by empreintes DIGITALes and I doubt that it would help - just a set of ears (open ones) - now saying that, I remind myself of when I'd say a similar thing about Jazz in the 90s whilst trying to convince those who's taste was pretty indie that ornette Coleman was worth a listen - well, that battle's been won (he says, sarcastically), so how about this electroacoustic thing?

There comes a time to hang up your dancing shoes (what do you mean you never had a pair?) and stick with home listening, which for most will mean either listening to what they danced to before they got fat/tired/old or Country & Western, or Classical or, god forbid, Ambient and so on. I still love a good beat but also music like this by James O'Callaghan - if it can be called 'music' - it is, after all, in defiance of recognised characteristics which constitute that thing. It is sound, yes. Sounds...but what those sounds are remains a mystery and it is this unknowable element that makes it all so intriguing.

We might sense objects being moved, the sound manipulated...a stretching, not only of sound waves, but time, somehow, even the tautening of a rope to breaking point on Empties-Impetus, then the release and the rolling groan of an electroacoustic ship, perhaps. You see, this is not easy to describe. I'm a fool for attempting to do so...but there are detonations, a bowed instrument, scraping strings, the patter of objects and tension akin to Bernard Herrmann's psycho-tic orchestration.

Espaces tautologiques can be bought at electrocd 

And now I find this 'live' performance and see how some of these sounds are being made...a chair is being 'played'...a balloon popped on the strings of a piano...this really is a magnificent performance...

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