Tsuku Boshi delivers another helping of left field electronics with a revisit of M+A‘s first release–their self-titled offering originally put out as part of the French label’s Origami series. The duo includes label co-owner Mag, as well as the experimental musician Aymeric de Tapol, and on M+A they explore soundscapes that blur the boundaries between composition and noise.
This playlist presents three of the six tracks on the release and it’s a good way to dip your toes in the weirdness these two have going on! “Greffe De Porc ( Test 1 )“, roughly translating as “Transplant Pork ( Test 1)”, hums in looping oscillation while modulated scree percolates through the sheet of sound. Ringing tones and bursts of simmering white noise distinguish “…( Test 1)”‘s less uniform second half, as strange buzzing and ant noise echo, before this track runs on into “Greffe De Poule ( Test 4 )“. Continuing the album’s surreal transplant theme–this time an experiment involving a hen–“…( Test 4 )” is as daunting as its title would suggest. Here, a high powered hum scours the countryside disturbing birds into piercing cries, until all electronic lines of communication systematically fail. This is followed by “Error de greffe“, which starts quietly as a “Registry Error”, before squelches and blasts of noise obliterate ears on this wicked wrong turn.
Not included on the playlist, is M+A‘s 10-minute standout, “MEXICO ( Test 3)“, and it rolls out a piercing whistle before settling into a low, menacing drone. At about the 3-minute mark a wheezing whistle begins to slowly drill through the humming low end, until drops of liquid mercury form into vibrating pools of expanding sound as various warnings ring out in alarm. Truly a fascinating listen for those with adventurous ears!
