Blog : "stern Proofs He's Got More On His Plate Than Just Careful, Delicate Crackles" - Reviews From Vital Weekly

"Stern proofs he's got more on his plate than just careful, delicate crackles" - reviews from Vital Weekly

STERN/GUERRA - OUTDOOR BOWERS (CDR by Pseudo Arcana)
FRANCIS/GUERRA/MATTIN/STERN (7" by CMR)
AKAI/IGARASHI/SINCLAIR/STERN - GYANISM (3"CDR by Half Theory)
From the ever so delicate world of Joel Stern three new releases, all of which deal with his love for playing with other people. First of all there is Anthony Guerra. No instruments are listed on the cover, but I safely assume they play guitars and electronics here, perhaps acoustic guitars. The four pieces are an excellent display of their many talents. Each track sounds different than the other ones, but each has its distinct quality. From the bowing sounds of the title piece to the field recordings of 'Avierys' - with bird calls and the sound of a camera. Electronics play a fairly modest role here, more serving than acting out. The 'Avierys' track aswell as the title suggest that they sat outside while recording this. A highly controlled atmosphere.
Something similar can be said of the 7". Recorded two years ago in Auckland, it has Richard Francis on computer, electronics, field recordings, Anthony Guerra on electric guitar, electronics, Mattin on computer feedback and Joel Stern on electronics and field recordings. Don't let Mattin scare you off in this lot: one side sounds like a thunder storm recorded from a big distance which fades gradually into a drone and the other side is at the higher end of the spectrum, but with lots of subtle crackles. It's good to see Mattin not doing so many noise things these days and become the more all-round computer musician. These four like to play things soft and controlled and its great.
On the 3"CDR, Joel Stern teams up with three people I never heard of: Yusuke Akai, Daiji Igarashi and Scott Sinclair. I have no idea what they play, the cover doesn't tell us, but upon hearing I'd say electronics, saxophone (?) and voice. The recording was made in december last year and is clearly the odd ball from the trio. Nothing soft or delicate, this is noise with the big N. With vocals screaming and electronics out of control, this is more Whitehouse than onkyo. 'That's right mate', we hear somewhere in there, and that is the final clue as to what this. But it's much more freely improvised than the usual Whitehouse and that makes it all the more nicer. And Stern proofs he's got more on his plate than just careful, delicate crackles. (FdW)
Address: http://www.pseudoarcana.com
Address: http://www.cmr.co.nz
Address: http://www.halftheory.com

Added by joel on 13 April 2006