N(109)/LICHT-UNG

Guitarist N, here with his 109th release, and violinist licht-ung are two major forces that make the Northwest of Germany an epicentre of drone music. This lavish double LP is not their first collaborative release, but a very extensive one. The grey-marbled vinyl records are packaged in a sturdy cardboard sleeve, each one handcrafted and individually painted. The cover photo postcard also comes as an insert inside the record. The visual beauty of the record stands in contrast to the modest album title, which translates as “an invisible point.”

An immensely active force in the experimental music underground, licht-ung appears for the first time on attenuation circuit with this release. For N, it is the second (vinyl) release on the label after the “abraxas” LP he released in collaboration with Deep based on their performance at the label's re:flexions sound-art festival.

A 20-minute record side is an ideal length for the development of N and licht-ung's collaborative performances. The title of each of the five pieces is a short poetic fragment in German, typical for the work of licht-ung, which, like a Zen koan, might invite the listener to meditate about it whilst immersing oneself in the music. Likewise, the black and white cover photo, suggesting a long-gone childhood scene, seems to set a mood of melancholy that perfectly fits the tone of the music.

N and licht-ung use the full potential of their strings and of their respective effects set-ups to create harmonic dronescapes that are full of tension, yet are not driven by the nervous pulsing of audible beating the way microtonal drones are. Instead their compositions move along in measured movements, ebbing and flowing, breathing. This clear, disciplined music is a great example of the specific beauty of drone music, both for fans and for listeners yet unfamiliar with the genre.

File under: drone, guitar, violin.

(label info)