TU M’

Just one night

CD, Dekorder

If there was a possibility to stretch this music from CD-length to eight hours I’d spend a night awake drifting through the various moods soundtracking the change of image and vision the night offers. I won’t follow the argument that condensing the stretch of nighttime into less is an advantage for less time needed, because I am not generally convinced that higher speed and efficiency are wholeheartedly good things. If these tracks were recorded in just one night – which they were not – the record probably would have been good only for one night. And even though I can see the attraction of one night stands quite clearly – also knowing that the essential part of a one night stand won’t last a lot longer than this CD – I am also a person leaning towards the idea of a longlasting and substantial relationship. Do you see how this seemingly rather superficial issue of “one night” turns into a generous and relieving discussion of matters of love and time. Could there be more philosophical issues available? Of course, existence – but we might get to that later.

The theme of “just one night” is carried through with originality and distinction. Little things make up bigger things, like the lonely saxophone in “Blue Blur” – a great take on the wee hours and the “Coltrane plays the Blues”-atmosphere of late night getting ready for rest – or the waves of low noise washing in on “the moon and the sea”. And these bitparts and layers are being condensed into atmospherically exciting and at the same time soothing aural textures. Of course, it starts off a little more dynamic, settles down to the middle into a looped mood that doesn’t care about time, and then gets off a little stronger again when the sun comes up. This way there will be finely crafted ambient noise drones as well as drifting and jingling electronica tracks.

The song titles give it away: From “an afternoon in the country” through “Rain in the streets” and “rain turning to sleet” up to “Wake up Wake up” and finally of course “The first rays of the sun” the music accompanies the listener through this special night. It is therefore only logical that “Strange Sleep” should consist of an adversely plucked acoustic guitar that is mixed to some organ and harmonica sounds from the middle onwards and displays a subdued form of nervous twitches. Or that the last track “First rays of the sun” is a dreamy accumulation of strummer guitar chords with lots of echo and flanger on the turned down amp.

It isn’t at all hard to make up a story to go with the music, but I am afraid it will be rather tedious to read if you ain’t really really good at drawing the reader into your descriptions of inner thoughts and moods. Music has an easier grip on people that way.

“Just one night” might be the most easily accessible album to be released on Dekorder yet, but no less fulfilling the promise of experimental electronica that the servings by Black To Comm, Matt Wand or Voks have made me expect. This promise consist of executing an distinctive idea, maybe music made with gameboys or from decoding colour filters via software, and thereby presenting a pleasurable and enjoyable listening experience. For even if it is art, what would it be worth if it doesn’t please your ganglias as well as tickle them into movement.

Some more label-talk: TU M’ are Emiliano Romanelli and Rossano Polidoro, who also run the mp3-label TU M’P3, which provides artists with pictures made by a webcam to produce some music to. Submitters include Dälek, Sinistri, Joshua Treble, TV Pow, Voks, Mitchell Akiyama, Oren Ambarchi, FS Blumm, Greg Davis, Frans De Waard, Donna Summer, Farmers Manual, Erik Friedlander, David Grubbs, Andrey Kiritchenko, Cordell Klier, Alan Licht, My Jazzy Child, KK Null, Ghislain Poirier, Radian, Ned Rothenberg, Scanner, si-cut.db, Tonne, Un caddie renverse dans le herbe, to name just those that strike a match in the Cracked oven of warm welcome and are all well worth checking out. After all, if you spend a night downloading these soundtracks, you’ll all ready have the best aural ambience provider.