Koen Holtkamp contemplates Gravity and Bees

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    Tue, Sep 28, 2010, 10:50
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  • The Mountains member has a solo LP set for release this fall.
  • Koen Holtkamp contemplates Gravity and Bees image
  • Koen Holtkamp, best known as half of the duo Mountains, is set to release a solo LP called Gravity/Bees this November on Thrill Jockey. Most of Holtkamp's projects to date have churned out drone-based compositions that pair synthesizers with organic sounds and field recordings, and Gravity/Bees is no exception. Comprising two sprawling experimental pieces, the album blends field recordings with excerpts from Holtkamp's recent live performances, plus new bits of studio material. The A-side track, ambitiously titled "In the Absence of Gravity Please Note the Position of the Sun," draws from a 2008 concert in Brighton where Holtkamp used a delay system to constantly record over himself, a technique inspired by Terry Riley's "time lag accumulator" pieces. For the second track, "Loosely Based on Bees," Holtkamp placed binaural microphones inside a beehive and overdubbed the results with melodic drones and bits from a recent New Years Eve performance. To get an idea of how this sort of thing sounds, check out the excerpt and accompanying video below: Tracklist 01. In the Absence of Gravity Please Note the Position of the Sun 02. Loosely Based on Bees Thrill Jockey will release Gravity/Bees on November 2nd, 2010.
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