Artbreakhotel/Graham Moore "Split" CD
[Blossoming Noise]
Artbreakhotel, a project from Japanese experimentalist Nobuo Yamada, opens up this split with one massive 21+ minute piece called "Frozen".  After a soft build, things quickly launch into a chaotic array of layers with lots clanking and banging amidst resonant drones and sweeping abstract textures.  There's definitely a warmth to the recording quality that gives it a live, natural sound, but the repetitious and frantic arrangement certainly strays away from anything that resembles a field recording.  10 minutes in when things are basically still following the same unwavering path, it becomes a bit tiresome and I find myself wondering if there are going to be any significant shifts, but sadly... there aren't.  Yes, that's right.  Despite minor, minor (as in "so subtle that it's inconsequential") alterations to the layers included, this composition is basically the exact same thing for an almost unending 21 minutes and 38 seconds.  The beginning and the end offer a bit of a softer delivery with added breathing room, but other than that it's one of the most consistent and immobile experimental compositions I've encountered as of late - and this time I don't find that to be complimentary.  It's not a bad selection, but shit, man... change it up, you know!?  This one's honestly incredibly boring when all is said and done.  Graham Moore then follows with three tracks in around 17 minutes.  The material is much sparser and more restrained overall, with quick cutups between blips, whirrs, distorted crunches, lightly flitting midrange, manipulated samples, and all sorts of other textures.  "Chimp Sandwich 1" is a little more robust and active, using faster paced movements and electronic glitches, but I have to say... the belching?  Come on.  No.  I'm not into that at all.  That's just... I mean, what can you say to that?  Randomly throwing in annoying burping sounds?  I'll pass, I can't take seven minutes of that.  "Chimp Sandwich 2" is more subdued and consistent, using much quieter sounds for a restrained delivery that brings a welcome reprieve, resulting in my favorite of these three pieces.  Perhaps these tracks are a bit too quiet compared to the full and resonant volume achieved in Artbreakhotel's piece, though admittedly that track used way more layering to flesh things out, and Moore's work is going for a much different aesthetic it seems.  The disc comes in a slim cardboard slipcase with color artwork that's pretty abstract and makes things out to look almost like a solo release from Artbreakhotel until you read the tiny text on the disc face.  Very odd, but it looks pretty nice in its minimalism.  Unfortunately, despite an attractive appearance, the music simply doesn't possess enough activity or movement to interest me.  I like the character of Artbreakhotel's sounds a lot, but its redundancy kills it; while Graham Moore makes a better go of keeping things moving, but doesn't win me over with his manner of attack on this one.  Sorry! (5/10)
Running time - 38:26, Tracks: 4
[Notable tracks: Frozen, Chimp Sandwich 2]
Blossoming Noise - http://www.blossomingnoise.com

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