Herbert Distel - La Stazione (1990)

This is truly an amazing and beautiful CD, released on the Hat Hut "Now series" label, that reminds me of Brian Eno's On land or of some urban soundscapes of Blade Runner. 

The basic materials of these two long tracks (26:31 and 19:24) are field recordings in the Central Station in Milan (Italy): noises, voices, announcements, etc. These materials are processed electronically (delays, reverbs, harmonizers...), organized in loops, mixed and superimposed in such a way that the result is an ambient and hypnotic symphony, where concrete sounds and announcement voices are metamorphosed into strange tonal and rythmical patterns.

These two compositions were premiered at the Kunstmuseum in Berne on March 2, 1990, and were played on a broadcast of Radio DRS2, on May 16, 1990.

I quote some words of Heinz Reber in the booklet: "The work is an enigma. As well as the only empty space, the short rest, the quiet, the silence before the powerful, dignified beat, before the low sound. One (still) throws a nostalgic glance at the sensuous nature from an immovable observation point, referring to the analogous noise in that station hall. The individual sequences dissociate: sound becomes a tonal material - scarcely a hint, fine. In fact, meanings get lost in this aimless place".

Deep and strange atmospheric music, painting unexpected soundscapes and blending sounds and noises, La Stazione will change the way you will walk through a railway station hall...

link: mp3 / 320

HDLaSta.zip

password: olduvai