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Jim O'Rourke & Christoph Heemann, "Plastic Palace People: Vol. 1"
This is the first of two collaborative albums between Jim O’Rourke and Christoph Heemann and represents some stunning spaced-out collage work by both artists. While it lacks the variance of Vol. 2, this particular work is a master class in using a very limited palette of sounds to create a massive emotional impact. The duo are almost painterly in their craft, shading and blending the different tones into each other rather than allowing any discrete patterns to emerge.
 
Divided into three sections, O’Rourke and Heemann cover a lot of ground as the duo test each other’s limits. The first piece starts from almost nothing, slowly developing into a thick, beautiful drone inlaid with bubbling textures and what sounds like an accordion being beaten to death. Listening to it on headphones, the level of detail in the various layers of sound is astounding. The piece eventually dissipates into something that veers between a murky electronic thrum and human voices being fed through a star; it certainly feels like Heemann is more in control at this point.
The second piece opens with what appears to be an Ebow drone, giving the impression that things are now in O’Rourke’s court. Feral animal sounds begin to eminate from the darkness as an oppressive throbbing noise becomes more and more perceptible. This mix between machine-like and predatory sounds is like a waking nightmare, turning the enveloping and comforting emotions of the first piece on its head.
The final piece returns to the gentle approach of the album’s beginning. Drifting tones sleepily cross the room, lulling me gently towards a state of relaxation. Granted, my relaxed state is somewhat perturbed by the return of the accordion; this time not being beaten to death but still rather discordant. It is a mood-killer for sure but it suits the piece perfectly.
What is most surprising about Plastic Palace People is that these recordings go back 20 years and represent an overview of the work O’Rourke and Heemann have been doing together over all that time (from the information given, this work appears to pre-date O’Rourke’s stint with Mimir). It sounds utterly modern and exactly like what I would expect from a brand new recording from the two of them. Although, given that Heemann often returns to sound sources and completely reassembles and reprocesses them into new forms, it is probably not that much of a surprise.
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