Vor kurzem nahm sich Tremblay, sonst an der Universität Huddersfield zu Hause, ein Jahr Auszeit, um an vier Studios – GRM/Paris, MMP/Lissabon, TU/Berlin sowie in Ohain für M&R, Brüssel – je ein kommissioniertes Werk zu realisieren. Die resultierende Audio-DVD wurde in Kanada gerade mit dem Opus-Preis als elektroakustisches Album des Jahres ausgezeichnet. Bei jemandem wie Tremblay, der ja in diesem Feld genauso wie in Jazz-Ensembles oder der Popmusik-Produktion zuhause ist, geraten die inspirativen Ausgangsthemen (Glück als Nullsummenspiel und das eigene Gewissen, meditative Momente im Alltag, Verlust des Selbst in der Wüste, die Stärke des “schwachen Geschlechts”) vor den unberechenbaren Klangabenteuern, die er aus ihnen schöpft, ganz in den Hintergrund. Keine Art Musik führt so leicht durch ein intensives Jetzt, weckt die Ohren für Klangereignisse jeder Art und ein Da-Sein in der Welt, um hinterher wie ein Spuk wieder im akustischen Dunkel zu verschwinden. Dazu gibt es noch eine Bonus-Videomusikarbeit von 2006, die vor allem deutlich macht, wie sehr er sein Material mittlerweile verfeinert hat.

Automacité features three compositions (2006-10) in 5.1 format (DVD-A and DVD-V) [and stereo]. Bouchard is an agile sound artist, and he knows to step back from his sound sources and the concepts underpinning his compositions. In Objet menacé, the parking meter at the core of the work is quickly forgotten in favour of the intrinsic qualities of the sounds it makes. The magnum opus here is the three-part Impasto, 45 minutes of criss-crossing aural fluxes in homage to expressionistic/abstract painters. It’s lively, saturated, free of any markers — you can lost in it, and it’s perfectly fine to get lost in it.

Roxanne Turcotte is an electronic composer/artist based in Montréal. She began her career as a member of rock and jazz groups, but slowly gravitated towards electroacoustic music. The term is a wide-ranging umbrella for a number of styles, including tape music, electronic music, musique concrete, and computer music. As she began to explore this direction deeper, Roxanne became involved in creating music for multimedia projects.

She has been involved with the preeminent Canadian electroacoustic label Empreintes DIGITALes since 1994, when they released her first CD in the genre, titled Amore. Her style has been called “cinema for the ear,” and the description certainly is applicable to the music contained on the new Désordres [album]. The forward-thinking Empreintes DIGITALes label have been releasing music on the DVD-Audio format for some time now, and that is how Désordres is available. It is a great choice for an artist such as Roxanne, as the disc holds over 114 minutes of music, and also contains some great visuals and downloads.

Désordres opens with the 17:38, six-part Attractions. This works as a fine introduction to the artist. The piece is a series of miniatures, composed as part of a sound and light installation which appeared in 2005.

The centerpiece of the set follows, the 11-part, 40:47 tour-de-force titled Musée sonore. I think Roxanne’s own words work best in describing this adventurous piece: “11 sonic scripts, where ambient sounds, gadget sounds, and nature sounds have a story to tell. Clinks, creaks, knocks, shakes, whistles, squeals, mechanisms, electrifying material, cogs, tinkles — they all have a life of their own.”

A series of four- to five-minute songs follow these lengthy pieces, but Roxanne has not yet finished with the extended compositions. Espace vital is possibly the most intriguing recording on the disc. For one thing, it is a very collaborative effort. The composition was written by Roxanne, with words written and sung by Élise Turcotte, plus the additional vocals of Laure Fugère. There is also a marvelous acoustic piano portion, which is played by Christian Parent.

The electroacoustic music of Roxanne Turcotte is an amazing thing to hear. Her utilization of synthesized music and sound collage is incredibly creative, and brings a cinematic quality to the compositions. It is little wonder that she also creates and performs music for television, cinema, radio, the stage, the Internet, and circus arts, in addition to her sound, music, and visual installations. Désordres is a great way to get to know this ground-breaking musician, and one place to find it is at the Empreintes DIGITALes site.

This album — the third electroacoustic music DVD-A by Pierre Alexandre Tremblay of [iks], Splice, and De type inconnu — just won a 2011 Opus award, and it’s well deserved. The works are sophisticated, strong, bass-heavy, and gorgeously spatialized in 5.1 sound. Ces énigmes lumineuses is a gem of aural mystery, and the videomusic piece Walk That Way. Tuesday, Turn is a simple yet effective superimposition of electornic feedback and mechanical pulse. Out of seven works, only For Ever Now Soon an End seems to long and uneventful.

I have known electroacoustician Pete Stollery for a long time — almost since I started hosting Délire actuel. Fifteen years ago, he was one of the very first composers to send me material for my show. The works that ended up on his first empreintes DIGITALes releases, I had first heard and broadcasted them from DAT tapes he had mailed me. What a pleasure, then, to listen to this new album (a CD, not a DVD-A). Six works made between 2004 and 2007. Stollery has become a master in the art of lively acousmatic music. He has gained the aesthetic perfection of a Jonty Harrison, the elegance of a Francis Dhomont, and the soul… of Pete Stollery. The short Serendipities and Sychronicities represents the best of what can be found in this genre, including in terms of narrative/inspiration (it derives from Delia Derbyshire’s life and work). And Scènes, rendez-vous is a rereading/reimagining of Claude Lelouch’s famous short film C’était un rendez-vous. Strongly recommended.

With Entre espaces (“between spaces”), Empreintes DIGITALes adds a new composer to its roster. This one is a CD, not a DVD-A. Seven works realized between 1998 and 2007. Rather classical-sounding electroacoustic music — water sounds, footsteps in the snow, human activity — but elegantly assembled, and immersive enough to stand the test of deep listening. […]