Intransitive founder Howard Stelzer has been careful to point out thathis label in no way attempts to group its artists under anygenre-defining ethos; nor does it give face to any marginalized societyof artists, or a voice to any supposed "scene." As curator, he does notassume anything, but merely presents,offering beautiful examples of only what he finds compelling orinspiring at a given time. Stelzer's approach is more personal thanmost, while at the same time less selfish, resulting in musicalselections that neatly expand past 'high art' definitions ofexperimentalism and into the approachability and directness of homelistening. Twenty-Three, Intransitive's second compilation following 2001's similarly double-length Variious,is a perfect reminder of the label's unhurried, quietly-progressivehistory. The collection develops much like the high-school mixtapesStelzer uses as touchstones for the compilation process, visiting aseries of diverse artists with a distinct range of compositionalmethods, the only binding quality being their uniquely homespun way ofapproaching electroacoustic sound, a trait that is significantlyaccented by the curator's insistence that no digital devices be usedfor any of the recordings. Whatever the source, each of these tracks isa miniature lifeforce, a squirming, tactile mass of tension, energy,and changing dialogue, rooted firmly in the present tense. These soundsplay the speakers differently each time, their frequent silences alwaysin a new embrace of the room's ambience and their louds ever-poised touncover or create new memories and fresh associations. Though most ofthe twenty-two contributions feature relatively thin, unclutteredproduction, nothing here sounds insubstantial; on the contrary, thedelicate, near-vacant construction of many of the tracks becomes apoint of paradoxical continuity for the collection, where theexploitation of one faulty connection or lapsing field capture mightjust eclipse the entry of another artist into the discs' driftingdigest. The intimate, chamber-room experiments of Ronnie Sundin andOlivia Block are rendered new, and at some points indistinguishablefrom the brimming, rural psychedelia achieved by fringe artists likethe Animist Orchestra and Birchville Cat Motel. Elsewhere, GuiseppeIelasi's warm and hazy drone piece, "Two Chords," touches on thespherical minimalism of Francisco Lopez, whose contribution, "untitled#134," answers back with a hint of the lyricism that has definedIelasi's output. The positioning of old and new works by a host ofoutsiders and obscurities, alongside pieces from the medium's moredependable busy-hands, also adds to Twenty-Three's vitality,rejecting canonical treatments in favor of a more mysterious andaccidental unfolding. Unsurprisingly, this pace feels very natural,with continuity between the different pieces evolving at imperfect,very human measurements. Every contribution contains the seductions ofimpulsive, event-oriented listening, with its primacy of the improviseddetail, while at the same time becoming part of a rapturous, intensely'constructed' sound-environment that fills Twenty-Three, makingit more of an expandable mood-piece than a label sampler. It's true,many of the artists included here have never seen releases onIntransitive, and if this labor of love is any indication, Stelzer'slabel is poised for bright future.- Birchville Cat Motel Endless Cassette
- Artificial Memory Trace Blue Reverie/Fragment (1980, Prague- Czechoslovakia)
- Nmperign Mhere'd
Read More
