[reviews] afe051lcd
dronæment: allein... unter menschen

Marcus Obst/Dronaement's second release of Afe, after the brilliant "Yr" (2002), is a remastered edition of a tape self-released on his own Nauze [Muzick] back in 1999 - and a very worthwhile one, since this is a little gem.

The 24-minute long "Allein...", using only sounds from an electric organ, is a powerful static drone played on the G tone, reminding of some early works of La Monte Young's or Charlemagne Palestine's.

The original flipside, "...Unter Menschen", is a lengthy composition of field recordings taken in a Leipzig railstation, with the use, I suppose, of some editing and effects like delay or reverb, but in a minimal and unobtrusive way.

The sounds (people talking, train noises, and a final tune) are very well assembled, and the piece maintains a kind of mysteryous atmosphere throughout.

The bonus track is a very short (less than 4 minutes) drone, which is more in the vein of later works of Obst's - a shame it's so short, as I'd gladly have listened to it for much longer.

[Eugenio Maggi]