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Spirit Elevating Brains 'Ideact' & 'Predictable' EP - SEB | ||||||||||
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 Spirit Elevating Brains - 'Ideact' & 'Predictable' EP is a two CDR by Peruvian sound artist & musician Sebastian Alvarez AKA SEB. Released through the German label Chmafu Nocords this DVD pack contains the 16 track album 'Ideact' and it's companion EP 'Predictable' which is also part of a lager body of work, the first (another 2 CDR pack) 'Do Not Expect' & 'Evidence and Process' was released a year ago. To say that Seb is prolific is about as understated as much of his music, which is an eclectic collection of catchy glitch inspired tracks that exude humour and mundanity in equal measures. 'Do not expect, do not judge. Travel with your attention to find your conditionings and laugh off your ego' goes the press release and I don't know about the later but I couldn't help smiling whilst listening to these two CDs. It is something in the simplicity of the arrangements that makes you think 'this is just a bit silly' but underlying his sonic tongue in cheek is a quite a complex collaging of sounds. From plunderphonic mash ups, field recordings to pseudo jazz disco beats coupled with a healthy dose analog glitch foolery Seb manages to create deranged soundscapes that would be as at home in an amusement arcade as on a dancefloor. A deft use of repetition and short fire editing also adds to the general other worldliness of much of the material and at least two tracks are just sped up versions of a previous track with slightly different layers. 'Fanfares Create Expectation' has a rather recognisable Kraftwerk sample which is probably not long enough to license but it's brave none the less and characterises the abandon in which he uses and manipulates small snippets of his record collection. Me thinks long afternoons spent rifling charity shop record bins might be one of Sebs other hobbies, not that he would have that much time on his hands going on his current output. As a whole the 16 track album Ideact (1st disc) has an entertaining light hearted feel which occasionally borders on the downright comic. Track 11, 'From The Sea To The Stomach From The Stomach to the Sea' is a good example of this where manipulated field recordings and a plonky piano motif combine in a conceptial audio piece that is great musique concrete and very funny. The Predictable EP (2nd disc) is slightly darker in tone providing a balance to the comic sonics of the album. Here more languid beats and audio backdrops are pencilled by subtle editing and a generally slower and more contemplative outlook. With no sample genre out of bounds dreamy pads and snippets of sitar and piano set a mood of ethereal glitch fusion on 'After Listening To My Brother'. If there is any thing in a title Predictable is not what this EP is although, if it was the fist disc of the pack then you would definitely get a different impression of the over all work as a whole. Review by
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