Yoshihiro Kikuchi / Michael Muennich / Fragment Factory

 

YOSHIHIRO KIKUCHI - One Intensely Eats Up Another Economic Principle
Frag21. Cassette. 66 Copies.

MICHAEL MUENNICH - Zum Geleit
Frag22. 3” CDR. 50 copies.





Michael Muennich’s Fragment Factory label grows in interest with each passing release. With a back catalogue that includes Kevin Drumm, GX Juppiter-Larson, John Duncan, Z’EV and the humble Filthy Turd it has evolved through noise into more conceptual areas. The last release that came through these hands worked with EVP or ‘hearing dead folks in the trees’ as I like to call it. Most releases run to a handful of copies and most of them disappear fairly quick, so if either of these tickle your tastebuds I’d get a move on.

Yoshihiro’s compositions evolve from the inability of one operating system to play another operating systems sound files. There’s lots of technical included [written in a font that makes flyspeck seem large] which in not so many words translates as ‘Apple no like Windows and vice versa’. The results are four tracks and 25 minutes worth of digital chatter, warble and hiss. There are differences between the four but for the most part this is a series of rapid glitches which may or may not be of interest depending on how you view computers. Not that these are uninteresting sounds, its just that they seem unerringly ‘cold’. That's computers for you I suppose.

Muennich’s work is far more edifying. Originally released in a micro edition of 12 ‘Zum Geleit’ is 17 minutes of electroacoustic pops, tinkles and synaptic flickers that carried this listener along its length numerous times. I was hearing amplified insect munching, tiny bells, the clatter of finger cymbals, dregs of liquid being sucked up a straw, incessant bubbling. Its all a delight and I’m guessing its made with turntables, tapes and various ephemera of a kitchen nature wired up to contact mics that are left free to swing in the wind. Whatever its construct the results are a wonderful slice of incessant fevered chatter that give comfort to those whose ears are finely attuned to the more intriguing sounds emanating from this end of the spectrum. 


http://fragmentfactory.com/