For the recordings of Chemin de fer, Montréal based sound explorer Magali Babin found inspiration in metallic objects of all shapes and sizes. Through improvisation, she brings out their sonorous qualities and created a series of dynamic sound sculptures; “sculpture” is a good term for this music (or, at least it’s a convenient term) because of its concrete qualities and strong textures. From deep gongs to light rustling, strange scrapings and various clamourous sounds, Babin keeps things dynamic and interesting, pursuing new ideas and sounds from different objects in each track. Very little, if any, digital processing was used in the making of these recordings. An intriguing buzzing drone pulses through the piece Monsieur et madame Watt. A beautifully rich scraping texture can be found on L’entonnoir, a relatively short piece with such an intense character. This is followed by short “chirps” dominating the following track. The diversity of sounds and intriguing arrangements notwithstanding, the listener is able to understand from the first couple of tracks the general tone and approach to the work as a whole. This is not to say that the music is predictable; but one picks up its “language” quickly. As a result, I found myself more interested in the first twenty or so minutes of listening, finding my curiosity and attention gradually waning after a while. Still, it’s an intriguing release, full of unusual tones, resonances and strikes; in short, a compelling introduction to Babin’s unique world of sound.

La Montréalaise Magali Babin a presque le don d’ubiquité et est une véritable artiste bruitiste. Chemin de fer est sa première galette. On imagine bien sa collection de cossins sonores: batteur à mains, écumoire, immenses chaudrons, gros ressorts. On entre dans ce disque par une plongée en abysse, mêlant adroitement les sons de basse continue et les petits cliquetis. Le léger et le lourd sont opposés. La pièce suivante nous propose un travail autour de l’archet, frotté et manipulé dans tous les sens. Changement d’instrument, ensuite, pour nous amener sur un parcours aiguille de table-tournante. Variété de propos, intentions claires, loin du fouillis sonore ou de la surdose, les sons proposés par Magali Babin ont tous une définition de texture précise, claire, nette et sans bavure.

On se souvient de Magali Babin à la guitare ultra-fuzzée avec le groupe Nitroglycérine. Il s’agit ici de tout autre chose. S’il y a de la guitare, on l’écoute à travers l’équivalent d’un télescope: on est à l’intérieur de la guitare et on entend davantage les craquements du manche ou les crépitements des pick-up que le grattement des cordes. Magali va «au son des choses», au cœur des bruits, des micro-bruits en fait, lesquels, amplifiés à l’extrême, deviennent les objets d’une expérimentation méditative et «bruissent, chuintent, brillent, crissent, tintent, tremblent, grondent…», comme l’écrit le réalisateur Mario Gauthier. Des méditations qui sont courtes et sans véritable développement cependant.

Après quatre ans de production en MP3, l’étiquette de disques québécoise No Type (http://www.notype.com/) fait son entrée dans le format plus traditionnel du disque compact. Sa première carte de visite, The Freest of Radicals, laisse donc entendre sur deux disques la panoplie d’artistes électroniques expérimentaux du label. Cet éclectisme ne possède aucune ligne directrice et reflète ainsi parfaitement l’esprit de No Type, qui tente d’exploiter le côté démocratique du Web. Les pièces répétitives d’inspiration techno (Tomas Jirku) ou plus proches de la musique concrète (morceaux_de_machines) amènent plus souvent qu’autrement l’utilisation de la plus rationnelle des machines (l’ordinateur) vers la sensibilité du chaos. Des pièces créées sans facilité qui tentent de pousser les limites de la musique.

Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2002 02:58:28 -0400
To: microsound <microsound@hyperreal.org>
From: Andrei <andrei@w…>
Subject: Gilles Gobeil

I picked up the two Gilles Gobeil CDs on empreintes DIGITALes last week and I have to say they are excellent. Some of the most satisfying electronic music I’ve heard in a while. Really seamless blend of subtle processing and all sorts of field recordings (lots of klangy sounds and factory/machinery type sounds). Very tastefully done, never falls into that contemporary electroacoustic trap where it’s like “great, here’s lots of granular synthesis.” His music seems to be guided a lot more by his vision rather than by technology. There are actually lots of moments in his music which remind me more of things like David Jackman’s Organum rather than “academic” electronic music. There’s a very “isolationist” vibe to his music.

His more recent pieces, which are featured on … dans le silence de la nuit…, seem to revolve a lot more around a quiet stillness which is upset by bursts of activity. I was kind of surprised by Traces a piece from ’85 on the older CD is a great sort of old school concrete type piece with lots of jarring juxtapositions.

I’m very happy to find that empreintes DIGITALes is proving wrong my long held, but kind of uninformed opinion that there hasn’t really been any good academic electronic music since the 70’s. And the electrocd.com site is really great. So many audio samples to check out. I probably wouldn’t have picked up the Gobeil discs if I hadn’t been able to check out the samples on their site.

From the strange new plugged-in world where musicians don’t have to pay their dues in the club scene or deal with deceptive business types comes the debut CD compilation by the Canadian on-line “label” No Type. Since 1998 No Type has offered free MP3 downloads of work by new producers of electronic, post-rock and experimental sounds. Currently hosting 60 plus on-line “albums” and “EPs” with more scheduled to be posted, No Type is now venturing into the perilous world of distribution and the physical commerce of music products with this survey of 40 of their artists and a companion release by Montréal sound artist Magali Babin (who improvises with metallic objects on Chemin de fer, recorded by Radio-Canada). Rising stars amongst the No Type alumni are Torontonians Tomas Jirku and Dick Richards, who have had their minimal techno tracks signed to significant European labels, and here are among the more accessible contributors to this generous collection containing many difficult listening moments. Also among the artists featured are several from Montréal’s happening improvising and electronic scenes, and small label owners from the States including Books On Tape aka Todd Drootin, who makes production music for MTV spots.