HR138 - Tinnitus - Ch'ien - C60 — 1989
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side a:
B.H.D. one HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FIRMAMENTAL ODE SUNDAY SONG |
side b:
BEFORE AFTER AND NOW STRINGD THE RAIN ALLEY B.H.D. dos WIND MEAL |
REVIEW by Jerry Kranitz
Tinnitus is the duo of Scott Ewen and Michael Jackson and Ch’ien is a collection of composed and improvised tracks recorded between June 1988 and August 1989.
By way of introduction, ‘B.H.D. one’ is a wacked out guitar and bass blend of acid rock and free-improv noise improv. This is followed by the completely different 13+ minute synth and keyboard ‘House Across The Street’, which traverses through atmospheric space plus gobs of effects fun to create a cosmic trip that is whimsically alien, drone sludgy, Frankenstein’s laboratory setting, and more. Next up is ‘Firmamental Ode’, another extended and even spacier excursion. I like the coldly meditative sensation as droning, throb pulsations are accompanied by miscellaneous falling stars, spectral groans, menacing howls, bleeps, buzzing, and more. A thematically compelling space journey. ‘Sunday Song’ follows a similar theme, like a short coda to Side A of the tape.
Kicking off Side B is ‘Before After And Now’, a free-wheeling glom of spaced out drone, grind, buzz, and percussion clatter. I like the balance between chaos and flow on this track. The credits say that ‘Stringd’ is a bass and guitar improv run backwards at 1 1/2 times speed. The result is an electronic sounding, hauntingly surreal soundscape piece. ‘The Rain Alley’ is a short clatter percussion, drone, atmospherics, and effects workout. ‘B.H.D. dos’ is a rumbling reprise of the opening track. Finally, ‘Wind Meal’ is similar to ‘The Rain Alley’ in its use of clatter, which jams along as repetitive bouncy gurgle and throb patterns set the pace. After a few minutes, an odd array of what sounds like a blend of birds and flutes sing a chaotically pleasant whistling song. Then about halfway through an increasingly aggressive windswept swirl comes to the forefront, eventually fighting with the percussion and scrapes for dominance. Lots of interesting contrasts that flow nicely together!
INTERVIEW with Michael Jackson by Jerry Kranitz
Jerry Kranitz (JK): Tell me about how Tinnitus came about and who is Scott Ewen?
Michael Jackson (MJ): Scott was another southern transplant to the city of Boston who grew up in Texas and Louisiana. He is an immensely talented visual artist and a musician as well, doing some recording at the time under the name FUGE. We were both members of a larger art/music collective operating out of the Kenmore Square area known as SUNNY CUBA. We first got together as a duo on Bunker Hill Day (the referenced ‘BHD’) in 1988 which is a recognized holiday in Boston. We recognized it by taking LSD and recording some music inspired by a particular train ride that day.
JK: You note each track as being composed vs. improvised. What would composed have consisted of? Just one of you having an idea as opposed to just taking off and playing?
MJ: ‘Composed’ in these instances would indeed indicate that we pre-planned some aspect(s) of what the piece would be and realized them via multi-track recording. The improvisations were recorded directly to 2 channel tape. In addition to electric guitars and synthesizers, we would use open air recording for percussives, voice and wooden flutes. In the winter I had no control over the thermostat in my apartment (where these recordings took place), and it would actually get so hot that we had to open the windows (yes, in New England!) so outside sounds would occasionally filter in (including the actual house across the street).
JK: Are there other Tinnitus releases or is this compilation the sum of you and Scott’s collaborations?
MJ: We released a tape on Xkurzhen Sound and a couple of compilation tracks. We also appeared in a collaboration by mail with Stefan Schwab (aka CONTEXT) on his Tonspur Tapes label.
Tinnitus is the duo of Scott Ewen and Michael Jackson and Ch’ien is a collection of composed and improvised tracks recorded between June 1988 and August 1989.
By way of introduction, ‘B.H.D. one’ is a wacked out guitar and bass blend of acid rock and free-improv noise improv. This is followed by the completely different 13+ minute synth and keyboard ‘House Across The Street’, which traverses through atmospheric space plus gobs of effects fun to create a cosmic trip that is whimsically alien, drone sludgy, Frankenstein’s laboratory setting, and more. Next up is ‘Firmamental Ode’, another extended and even spacier excursion. I like the coldly meditative sensation as droning, throb pulsations are accompanied by miscellaneous falling stars, spectral groans, menacing howls, bleeps, buzzing, and more. A thematically compelling space journey. ‘Sunday Song’ follows a similar theme, like a short coda to Side A of the tape.
Kicking off Side B is ‘Before After And Now’, a free-wheeling glom of spaced out drone, grind, buzz, and percussion clatter. I like the balance between chaos and flow on this track. The credits say that ‘Stringd’ is a bass and guitar improv run backwards at 1 1/2 times speed. The result is an electronic sounding, hauntingly surreal soundscape piece. ‘The Rain Alley’ is a short clatter percussion, drone, atmospherics, and effects workout. ‘B.H.D. dos’ is a rumbling reprise of the opening track. Finally, ‘Wind Meal’ is similar to ‘The Rain Alley’ in its use of clatter, which jams along as repetitive bouncy gurgle and throb patterns set the pace. After a few minutes, an odd array of what sounds like a blend of birds and flutes sing a chaotically pleasant whistling song. Then about halfway through an increasingly aggressive windswept swirl comes to the forefront, eventually fighting with the percussion and scrapes for dominance. Lots of interesting contrasts that flow nicely together!
INTERVIEW with Michael Jackson by Jerry Kranitz
Jerry Kranitz (JK): Tell me about how Tinnitus came about and who is Scott Ewen?
Michael Jackson (MJ): Scott was another southern transplant to the city of Boston who grew up in Texas and Louisiana. He is an immensely talented visual artist and a musician as well, doing some recording at the time under the name FUGE. We were both members of a larger art/music collective operating out of the Kenmore Square area known as SUNNY CUBA. We first got together as a duo on Bunker Hill Day (the referenced ‘BHD’) in 1988 which is a recognized holiday in Boston. We recognized it by taking LSD and recording some music inspired by a particular train ride that day.
JK: You note each track as being composed vs. improvised. What would composed have consisted of? Just one of you having an idea as opposed to just taking off and playing?
MJ: ‘Composed’ in these instances would indeed indicate that we pre-planned some aspect(s) of what the piece would be and realized them via multi-track recording. The improvisations were recorded directly to 2 channel tape. In addition to electric guitars and synthesizers, we would use open air recording for percussives, voice and wooden flutes. In the winter I had no control over the thermostat in my apartment (where these recordings took place), and it would actually get so hot that we had to open the windows (yes, in New England!) so outside sounds would occasionally filter in (including the actual house across the street).
JK: Are there other Tinnitus releases or is this compilation the sum of you and Scott’s collaborations?
MJ: We released a tape on Xkurzhen Sound and a couple of compilation tracks. We also appeared in a collaboration by mail with Stefan Schwab (aka CONTEXT) on his Tonspur Tapes label.