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RANDY GREIF, "WAR OF THE WORLD"
Having recently taken in the delightful "Alice in Wonderland" box setre-issue, my first (massive) taste of Greif's quarter century plus backcatalog, I became eager for more. And just in time comes a new projectusing another classic as inspiration.
Subtitled "An EmergencyBroadcast", Greif specifically borrows from Orson Welles panic inducingradio broadcast version of H.G. Wells "The War of The Worlds". But theidea is expanded, metamorphosed into a metaphor for humanity's warswith ourselves (note the change to singular in Greif's title) andtechnology: disinformation, technological "advancements" and organicversus digital life. And ultimately, someone or something out therewill receive the signals we project into deep space and come todispatch of us with ease. The 55 minutes is conceptually divided intothree 3 track parts - 'exhale', 'meeting' and 'aftermath' - but itflows as one continuous piece. Greif's approach here is similar to"Alice", only far less narrative and far more obscured as his soundcollages characterize the data glut. Often fractured bits of reports,speech and Conet Project style number station transmissions are foldedinto found sounds, static interference and electronic textures. Attimes it's disorienting, frustrating and confusing for you, thelistener, as if you were desperately trying to tune in a frequency tofind out what the hell is going on. Other times it's soothingly ambientand carefree such as the culminating liquid gurgle fade, as though nomatter what, even if they wipe us out or we wipe ourselves out, itwon't much matter. Another great idea skillfully brought to fruition byMr. Greif.
Subtitled "An EmergencyBroadcast", Greif specifically borrows from Orson Welles panic inducingradio broadcast version of H.G. Wells "The War of The Worlds". But theidea is expanded, metamorphosed into a metaphor for humanity's warswith ourselves (note the change to singular in Greif's title) andtechnology: disinformation, technological "advancements" and organicversus digital life. And ultimately, someone or something out therewill receive the signals we project into deep space and come todispatch of us with ease. The 55 minutes is conceptually divided intothree 3 track parts - 'exhale', 'meeting' and 'aftermath' - but itflows as one continuous piece. Greif's approach here is similar to"Alice", only far less narrative and far more obscured as his soundcollages characterize the data glut. Often fractured bits of reports,speech and Conet Project style number station transmissions are foldedinto found sounds, static interference and electronic textures. Attimes it's disorienting, frustrating and confusing for you, thelistener, as if you were desperately trying to tune in a frequency tofind out what the hell is going on. Other times it's soothingly ambientand carefree such as the culminating liquid gurgle fade, as though nomatter what, even if they wipe us out or we wipe ourselves out, itwon't much matter. Another great idea skillfully brought to fruition byMr. Greif.
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