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Ververbuntede

Barthel Michael

Ververbuntede

Label: Coherent States

Genre: Electronica / Ambient / Experimental

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  • TAPE €7.99
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Something between a poem, a music piece, a sound installation, a recording and a performance. Better yet, all of these combined at the same moment, in the same space. That’s our own way to describe the art of German conceptual artist Michael Barthel. Throughout two decades of DIY logic and with his works being self-released micro-editions on tape/CDR, usually on his own Recording For The Summer label, Barthel constantly develops his sound and beginning with the experimental noise collages and the early musique concrète experiments of the past, arrives at the completely unique and personal phonetic sound poetry, in which, by the use of innovative techniques, he builds concepts unwasted on recycling minimal and technical vocal improvisations, but rather carrying deep social concerns with vivid political hints. Exceptional recorded qualifications include the two full-length albums “Stapel. Efeu-Fährten” (2013) and “Halber Pogo” (2018) on Tochnit Aleph as well as the amazing double cassette tape “HEME” (2017) on Geräuschmanufaktur.

„Ververbüntede“ is the title of Michael Barthel’s new release on Coherent States. Its magic derives from its evolution through space and time. Knowing Michael’s work, by listening the first few seconds of the first of a total of eighteen tracks, one realizes that this is probably going to be a work based on voice. Moving on, however, this stops being a given, sounds become irritating, dictaphones and collages riot with the voice drowning in them, only to reemerge at a later moment, while the masterly placement of noises and the increase of hissing gradually make you unable to recognize the source of each sound, which results in momentarily losing contact -only to be made again later on- with the work itself, in a completely weird aural experience. Wholly concentrated with the coating of the Abstract. This is genuine musique concrète.

„Ververbüntede“ is a smorgasbord of poems and sound poetry pieces questioning the functionality of alliances, here primarily in extreme situations. What desires and future perspectives are formed by the circumstances of an alliance? Is the way the title is written confusing or analogous? What does the beggar’s “Have a nice day, now” really mean?