1:20:40
2 x CD-R
Edition of 200 / 100
2009
Tracks
Part 1
1. Lawrence English - Imaging Ageinst Impulse
2. Shinkei - Painting White Lines [for Rauschenberg]
3. Miguel A Garcia - Variations in White
4. Andy Graydon - On Reflection
Part 2
1. Asher - Untitled
2. Yann Novak - Stable
3. Richard Garet - White Marks on White
4. Heribert Friedl - 1. String (White) 2. String (Line)
5. FOURM - Gestures in White
Description
WHITE_LINE is pleased to announce the release of it's first official full length CD of commissioned soundworks by internationally renowned artists. The release is staged into two parts in special packaging with unique artworks by New York based minimalist artist, Emilee Lord. The second edition, released in October, will include an individually hand-made art work by Emilee, adding to the uniqueness and collectability of this series.
The theme for this series is based on the colour of white. White and whiteness are almost always associated with purity, clarity, serenity, blankness, emptiness. The colour of white reflects and absorbs light and colour, itself being comprised of many other colours. Anyone who has experienced a painting by the classic artist, Whistler, will know that his depictions of snow contain many hues and variations in colour, not simply white. A wall painted white will always reflect the colours of the day, sunlight, clouds, lighting etc, and is rarely, if ever experienced as a pure white surface.
In 2006, the name, WHITE_LINE was inspired by an accumulation of ideas, and it was agreed that WHITE, and LINE, were perhaps two of the most fundamental visual statements of minimalism - simplicity and purity. Across the span of these recordings, the artists were invited to interpret the colour white in audible form, and in any combination of sound pieces totalling 8-10 minutes.
Published by WHITE_LINE EDITIONS (WLED 001.014)
Reviews
The second part of Variations In White is an utterly superb continuation of the themes explored in the first part. For this edition we find some extremely talented artists rubbing shoulders, namely Asher, Yann Novak, Richard Garet, Heribert Friedl and BG Nichols himself as Fourm. The one thing all these pieces have in common is minimalism but apart from that they really do cover a wide spectrum within that sonic genre. Asher’s ultra-low key offering would seem to be constructed mainly from a recording of silence – that is to say the sound that silence makes. He adds in gentle, undulating tones from time to time and this serves to break it up and give it a uniquely hypnotic quality. Yann Novak, on the other hand, serves up one of his incredibly deep sound pieces which grows and mutates from humble beginnings into a real feast of layered sound and static. Richard Garet’s a-tonal piece utilises a stark white noise to begin with before introducing an atmospheric machine / bell style tone that modulates and morphs as it moves through the track. Seeming slowed down at times and then pitched up at others the sound is something one can quite conceivably consider as a pure minimalist noise. Superb. Heribert Friedl opts for a tone that is, by turns, there, then not there. I’m always fascinated by this type of structure (notably Tomas Phillips’ release on Line used a similar theme) as it works against the natural flow of what people come to expect from traditional music. I love the dynamic of quiet then sound and it never fails to intrigue me – particularly when the tones that are used are so nice. Finally, Fourm brings us arguably one of his most engaging pieces. Firmly set in the territory of high frequency it really is an absolutely fascinating work of huge substance – the type of thing that becomes more visible, as it were, with each listen. The delicate, fragmented textures that reside in the background are enhanced no end by a semi-constant modulating ring tone as well as more naturalistic bell sounds and other micro fragments. When structured in this kind of way you instantly feel yourself being drawn in and it’s easy to create an internal narrative to work of this nature. All in all, then, another substantial offering from White_Line. Limited to 100 copies and featuring an insert of original textile artwork by Emilee Lord. Need I tell you to grab this as quickly as you can?
– Smallfish