Seth Nehil "Uva" 20 City 20-9 2001 (20:25)
Seth Nehil is a late twenty something artist, now based in Portland, who has worked in sound since 1990 by himself and with electroacoustic trio Alial Straa. "Uva" (a small fruit such as a grape) is a single 20 minute found sound oriented track on a 3" CD from Japan's 20 City label. The piece begins with a rolling mass of hollow objects and shimmering glass interjected with electronic currents. But by the 6th minute, the noisy tide recedes leaving just the gentle twinkles to carry on. These very, very gradually fade away, but not completely, over an extremely calming stretch of 10 minutes. It reminds me of wind chimes that, no matter how calm the day, refuse to stop singing. In the final minutes bits and pieces of ceramic clutter re-emerge amidst very, very subtle strains of wind and water. Did Nehil record or imitate what I think I'm hearing? Does it matter? Though the connection between title and work is lost on me, the piece (which is perfectly suited for the 3" format and bedtime) is a stunning example of what can be done with found sound. Another winner from 20 City ...
Where did I get this cd? - promo