artist: MARC BEHRENS
title: Unit
catalog number: and/41 (and/41b)
release year: 2012
special edition format: CD + 40 page book
status: sold out
title: Unit
catalog number: and/41 (and/41b)
release year: 2012
special edition format: CD + 40 page book
status: sold out
A journey to the Chinese Qinghai province (Tibetan culture region of Amdo) was
commissioned by the Goethe-Institut China. Its purpose was to experience the province and to
produce art works to be presented at The Third Guangzhou Triennial, subtitled «Farewell to
Post-Colonialism» in the same year. The sound installation Unit and a series of photographs
called Cutting Qinghai resulted from this journey, during which I took photographs and made
audio recordings. The installation was presented from September 6, 2008 to November 18,
2008.
Unit consists of five pairs of floor-mounted frame drums and hanging loud speakers. The frame
drums resonate, depending on the sound pressure level from the speakers, which hover a few
centimeters above them. There are four sound elements (stones, crickets, cymbals and drums
used in the 5-channel audio composition for this set-up, which were auto-selected and
projected onto the frame drums according to an aleatoric script on a multi-channel DVD.)
50 copies of this release come with a (6.75" x 6.75") 40 page book entitled Cutting Qinghai.
The regular edition of the CD is limited to 250 copies.
CD packaging design by Ana Carvalho.
Book design by Marc Behrens in collaboration with Ana Carvalho.
commissioned by the Goethe-Institut China. Its purpose was to experience the province and to
produce art works to be presented at The Third Guangzhou Triennial, subtitled «Farewell to
Post-Colonialism» in the same year. The sound installation Unit and a series of photographs
called Cutting Qinghai resulted from this journey, during which I took photographs and made
audio recordings. The installation was presented from September 6, 2008 to November 18,
2008.
Unit consists of five pairs of floor-mounted frame drums and hanging loud speakers. The frame
drums resonate, depending on the sound pressure level from the speakers, which hover a few
centimeters above them. There are four sound elements (stones, crickets, cymbals and drums
used in the 5-channel audio composition for this set-up, which were auto-selected and
projected onto the frame drums according to an aleatoric script on a multi-channel DVD.)
50 copies of this release come with a (6.75" x 6.75") 40 page book entitled Cutting Qinghai.
The regular edition of the CD is limited to 250 copies.
CD packaging design by Ana Carvalho.
Book design by Marc Behrens in collaboration with Ana Carvalho.
artist: MARC BEHRENS
title: Unit
catalog number: and/41 (and/41a)
release year: 2012
regular format: CD
status: available
title: Unit
catalog number: and/41 (and/41a)
release year: 2012
regular format: CD
status: available
| Photo: Pedro Tudela |
JUST OUTSIDE (JANUARY 2013)
A 42-minute recording of a sound installation wherein speakers hung over fiver
pair of frame drums emitted pre-recorded sounds from several sources (including
rocks, crickets and cymbals), causing them to resonate. Man, would I love to have
experienced this in situ. The sounds themselves are wonderful, having a rounded,
liquid aspect, the fullness of the drums' tone reverberating thickly in the room. The
sequencing is large-scale irregular though with small nuggets of iteration, if not
"rhythms" per se. There's abundant space between segments, imparting a Noh kind
of feeling (though the inspiration derived from a trip through the Qinghai province
of China). The listener feels (gently) propelled between the speakers; given their
appearance, it's not hard to think in pinball terms, a slow, soft pinball machine.
Again, the desire to more directly experience the installation is quite strong, but
the disc performs quite ably and fills one's room with fascinating and intricate
sounds. (Brian Olewnick)
A 42-minute recording of a sound installation wherein speakers hung over fiver
pair of frame drums emitted pre-recorded sounds from several sources (including
rocks, crickets and cymbals), causing them to resonate. Man, would I love to have
experienced this in situ. The sounds themselves are wonderful, having a rounded,
liquid aspect, the fullness of the drums' tone reverberating thickly in the room. The
sequencing is large-scale irregular though with small nuggets of iteration, if not
"rhythms" per se. There's abundant space between segments, imparting a Noh kind
of feeling (though the inspiration derived from a trip through the Qinghai province
of China). The listener feels (gently) propelled between the speakers; given their
appearance, it's not hard to think in pinball terms, a slow, soft pinball machine.
Again, the desire to more directly experience the installation is quite strong, but
the disc performs quite ably and fills one's room with fascinating and intricate
sounds. (Brian Olewnick)
VITAL WEEKLY (NOVEMBER 2012)
People like Marc Behrens may seem to move out of our sight, but that's because
they are more and more active in the world of art, building installations all over
the world. Like for instance in China, were Behrens created 'Unit' in 2008. "Five
pairs of floor-mounted frame drums and hanging loudspeakers. The frame drum
resonates, depending on the sound pressure level from the speaker, which hovers a
few centimeters above it, suspending from the ceiling". In the sound part of this
installation, Behrens uses sounds from stones, crickets, cymbals and drums. It's a
five channel installation and the audio composition consists of 57 figures of
varying duration, which would be automatically selected by an aleatoric script on
a multichannel DVD that feeds the audio into the installation. On this CD we hear
a stereo mix which was recorded in 2009 in a silent warehouse, and edited to
make this piece. This is indeed 'installation music' I was thinking. It works along a
small number of sounds, mainly the frame drum I think. It's an austere work of
minimal sounds, but, mind you, it's not quiet throughout. Only in the middle it is a
bit more quiet than in the beginning and the end of the CD, but that last no more
than a few minutes. This is music to be played at a low volume, I would think, and
have it on repeat for a while (not that the latter is available for a reviewer!). All of
these few sounds occur in various configurations and after a while it gets
something that is perhaps even zen like. This is perhaps not the most thoroughly
composed work by Behrens, but maybe more something of 'free flow', but it's a very
fine work indeed. Even cut loose from seeing the installation, and it works quite
well as a piece of music. (Frans de Waard)
People like Marc Behrens may seem to move out of our sight, but that's because
they are more and more active in the world of art, building installations all over
the world. Like for instance in China, were Behrens created 'Unit' in 2008. "Five
pairs of floor-mounted frame drums and hanging loudspeakers. The frame drum
resonates, depending on the sound pressure level from the speaker, which hovers a
few centimeters above it, suspending from the ceiling". In the sound part of this
installation, Behrens uses sounds from stones, crickets, cymbals and drums. It's a
five channel installation and the audio composition consists of 57 figures of
varying duration, which would be automatically selected by an aleatoric script on
a multichannel DVD that feeds the audio into the installation. On this CD we hear
a stereo mix which was recorded in 2009 in a silent warehouse, and edited to
make this piece. This is indeed 'installation music' I was thinking. It works along a
small number of sounds, mainly the frame drum I think. It's an austere work of
minimal sounds, but, mind you, it's not quiet throughout. Only in the middle it is a
bit more quiet than in the beginning and the end of the CD, but that last no more
than a few minutes. This is music to be played at a low volume, I would think, and
have it on repeat for a while (not that the latter is available for a reviewer!). All of
these few sounds occur in various configurations and after a while it gets
something that is perhaps even zen like. This is perhaps not the most thoroughly
composed work by Behrens, but maybe more something of 'free flow', but it's a very
fine work indeed. Even cut loose from seeing the installation, and it works quite
well as a piece of music. (Frans de Waard)