Reviews Search

MASCHINENSCHLOSSER, "ORANGE NOISE"

Maschinenschlosser (Machine Fitters) is the latest project of ChristianStefaner, aka Neat and a member of multimedia design team c2s2, and"Orange Noise" is his 4th audio release, first for Austria's Dbelltimelabel. Twenty tracks, eight of which are exactly 3 minutes and 2seconds apiece for whatever reason, add up to about 74 minutes ofunassuming electronica. The flow and variation of the disc is verypeculiar. An 11 minute opener of softly pitter pattered beats and mild,looped tones is followed by numerous, more experimental pieces based ondifferent, somewhat simple sound waves. I guess this is how Stefanerdefines 'orange' noise, with digital hums, buzzes, drones and such lefton repeat. "Vas 1" and "Reset (Plane)" offer the most turbulent, barelylistenable selection of sounds, sort of like a laptop devised ThrobbingGristle. Out of the blue, er, orange, comes "Funky Shark" at track 13with pseudo funky beats, followed by the incredibly grating and funkless bursts of "Funky Ericsson". Yes, I get the joke, but guess what,cell phones make really shitty (non)music. Then finally, mercifully,something truly interesting as "Rec6+jw2" and "Stompa" nicely blendtones and beats. "La Internacional" is an odd but welcome closer astender music box bells gradually wind down. What a strange album. Butall in all, there's very little of anything memorable and far too muchtedium and annoyance along the way.

 

samples: