Somewhere around the eleven-minute mark of the sixth track on Ivory I realise that I must absolutely tell you about this album. Appropriately titled ‘Sombre‘, the strings loop in the ether of distant pads, chirping birds, and ambient drones. Creating an atmosphere of multi-layered textures, the music swirls like the vapour of glum memories and settles in tiny droplets on the window of reality, distorting the present through prism of the past. If only we could all see things as they truly are. If only we can wipe away the tears of yesterday. Kutin‘s music makes me think of things… things I often spend a great deal of time burying somewhere within the subconscious. And although I can’t blame the music for digging it up, I can certainly thank it for trying…
Vienna based ‘soundworker’ Peter Kutin has been releasing solo works since 2006. The debut, Panora, appeared on U-Cover CDr Limited, followed by a sophomore album, Menora, on Karate Joe in 2007. Ivory is the first solo release for Kutin on Valeot Records – he previously appeared on the label with his dirac project. The music on Ivory is a combination of digital noise, micro sparkling glitches, and guitar driven ambiance. Processed in real time via his laptop, the guitar is not alone – a viola, a double bass, and a Korg make an appearance. These are murky textures, melancholy tones, and solemn soundscapes, pensive in rhythm and execution.
Ivory developed while Kutin was writing music for old silent movies for the Austrian film archive. Somehow one can still hear the filmscore, the cinematographic idea within the music. The album offers sounds that will thrill our ears, allows journeys through different sonic spaces, creates pictures inside the listeners head…
Valeot, by the way, is an Austrian record label operated by Alexandr Vatagin, aka Tupolev. Curating ambient, experimental, and post-rock genres, this Vienna based label puts out quality releases, previously responsible for Port-Royal‘s Afraid To Dance (2008) and Milhaven‘s self-titled release (2010) – both among our favourites. Ivory will appeal to fans of droney, minimal, and organic electronica, as well as followers of 12k, Experimedia and hibernate labels. My favourite track on the album is still “Sombre” reminding me a lot of works by William Basinski and The Caretaker. Lovely…
