snd is a project of visual artists Mark Fell and Mark Steel, both better known from their more recent Raster-Noton release as Blir.
This was one of the first projects to fully embrace this approach to sampling and editing called Clicks & Cuts. Abstract technoid minimally constructed rhythms and dubby 'IDM' atmos are its prime ingredients, fitting perfectly in the mentality of Mille Plateaux at the time it was released. Its short untitled excerpts sound like (and 99% are) variations of the same track with subtle modifications on settings, levels and effects during the mixing. A totally academic art project you'd say, therefore irrelevant and boring (at least to me, if you know me a little by now). Yet they somehow manage to achieve an organic feeling, reminding me the deep dub releases of Chain Reaction (without the all-immersing reverbs) or the early ~scape releases, so after a while the whole album flows easily as one big track and you're surprised it's over. Ambient played by the Brian Eno rules and expertly performed.
One of the more minimal and abstract, still sentimentally interesting records I have. At the same time, a short peek at a timeless project of some guys currently on tour with Autechre.
snd - 1999, makesnd cassette
Part 1 - Part 2
Info here.
makesnd cassette
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2 comments:
hello,
thank you for this! This is an album I heard, but did not really appreciate at the time of its release. But hearing it now, it all clicks (err, no pun intended). Great stuff. Do they have any new material since they are on tour with autechre?
http://effortsofatlantis.blogspot.com/
It says so here:
(http://www.markfell.com/wiki/index.php/Mf/News).
Yet I think mostly he's doing visuals and he seems to be in the art market for a living.
I liked the Ielasi & Ratti track. Somewhere around there's a Rotor record you'd like (see the Slovenian post), I'll try to spot it again.
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