Moritz von Oswald Trio - Vertical Ascent

from http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=10581

  Quote

Moritz von Oswald Trio are set to unveil their debut full-length next month.

 

The group is comprised of Max Loderbauer (NSI, Sun Electric) and Sasu Ripatti (Luomo, Vladislav Delay) as well as the aforementioned Basic Channel and Rhythm & Sound member, and even though they've been playing live together for the last couple of years, this will be their first recorded output. Entitled Vertical Ascent, the album will be split into four tracks (titled "Pattern 1" through to "Pattern 4"), and will explore organic live polyrhythms and delicately placed affected synth tones.

 

If you were wondering who exactly does what on the record, Ripatti takes up percussion duties on his home-made steel drums, Loderbauer contributes some subtle synth work, whilst von Oswald plays his Fender Rhodes as well as additional percussion. What with von Oswald and his Basic Channel partner Mark Ernestus' ongoing relationship with the Honest Jon's label and shop (Ernestus' Hard Wax shop share distribution channels, whilst Moritz lends his mastering expertise to some of their reissues), it's not much of a surprise that Vertical Ascent will be released through Honest Jon's Records. Eager listeners can check out samples of the album's four tracks via the Honest Jon's website.

i am stoked. sounds awesome.

wow this looks very nice.

REVIEW http://www.gridface.com/reviews/vertical_ascent.html

  Quote

Moritz von Oswald needs an introduction because he guided the sound of techno from its shadows, through mysterious, anonymous releases as Maurizio, Basic Channel, and Rhythm & Sound. For fifteen years he shunned interviews, photographs, and the trappings of fame. The records spoke for themselves. At the same time, he and Mark Ernestus gathered a tight-knit community through their Berlin record store, Hard Wax, and their studio, Dubplates & Mastering.

 

The past couple of years have seen von Oswald opening a window into his world, with interviews, tours, and new collaborations. His recent productions stray from the techno and dub reggae styles he firmly established into a new aesthetic not as easily described. Vertical Ascent seems influenced by African rhythms, with Vladislav Delay playing a steady clatter of home-made percussion. There may be a hint of Karlheinz Stockhausen as well, thanks to the spacey yet somehow formal synthesizer performance of Sun Electric’s Max Loderbauer. Under it all are bass depths a good octave lower than what you normally hear. This mini-album, clocking in at under forty-five minutes, deserves to be heard on a large system.

 

“Pattern 1” orbits around a slow (60 BPM) pulse which gets picked up by kick drum and synchopated claps. It’s tricky even after a couple of listens to keep the synth parts straight, as they hand off and echo. There are sweeps and whistles. It’s all a bit alien. “Pattern 2” begins with cymbals. A steady bass pulse reverberates downward, then tightens, producing a subtle tension. Treble electronics are more overt at creating unease. They wink in the distance, like lights glimpsed across a frozen lake. Door knocks join in, seeming almost cliché. At over twelve minutes, it’s an oppressive experience.

 

“Pattern 3” brings back the funk, with panning steel drums and absolutely lovely slow chords. The ever-present bass buoys it all. Von Oswald’s reggae explorations are most in evidence on “Pattern 4.” The bassline could belong to a Rhythm & Sound production, and drowned in waves of atonal organ and cascading reverberation. It is actually hard to think once this track is blasting full-force.

 

The best thing about this album is its pace. Despite being dense, cerebral music, the arrangements are slow and relaxed. It’s as if these three classically trained musicians have been playing together a long time. I’ve never heard a combination of sounds quite like this. Once again von Oswald is inventing something new and riveting.

will check this one out. thanks for the up

I'm buying this asap

I really really want it

I thought this was allright, those steel drums do tend to sound a bit cheesy after a while.

this is good. the drums didn't bother me at all. well nice and groovy.

  On 6/24/2009 at 10:08 AM, beatfanatic said:

I thought this was allright, those steel drums do tend to sound a bit cheesy after a while.

In what way? Not being a prick, just curious how you would consider them "cheesy"?

One of the best 2009 releases so far!