Search - Gas :: Nah Und Fern

Visionary Ambient Dub Techno

Curmudgeon | West Australia | 06/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wolfgang Voigt is one of the cofounders of the German techno imprint Kompakt, and if you're familiar with its glistening electronica (a dominant and defining force this decade) you will grab this remastered boxset. Voigt's GAS project of the mid-late 90s was essentially one of the most important antecedents of ambient dubstep, and is visionary, beautiful music. Nah Und Fern is one of the boxsets of the year, and one of the greatest electronic releases of this decade."

Nah und Fern

Mike Newmark | Tarzana, CA United States | 12/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Mille Plateaux kicked the bucket in 2004, the four Gas albums under its auspices--Gas (1996), Zauberberg (1998), Königsforst (1999) and Pop (2000)--went out of print and began to sell for unthinkable prices. I bought them anyhow, and repeatedly argued with myself over whether I'd made a stupid move. I was $300 poorer, but the music was so special that perhaps the price tags made some sort of weird sense. Luckily this will all be moot for anyone patient enough to hold out for Nah und Fern, a remastered four-disc set containing all of Gas's full-length output for about half of what one CD used to cost alone.



There's no better time for Kompakt (co-owned by Gas, née Wolfgang Voigt) to share this with the world. Ambient music is gaining momentum, and Voigt's thumbprint is all over the work of Olaf Dettinger, Markus Guentner, The Field's Axel Willner, Yagya's Aalsteinn Gumundsson, and nearly everyone on 12k. Regardless of its historical importance, Nah und Fern contains some of the most breathtaking music in the entire ambient electronic canon. Voigt took classical music from composers like Wagner and melted it down into a deep, rich liquid, distilling it to its sonic essence. Often he would add a muted 50 Hz kick drum--more dreamy than clubby--to push the tracks forward; ironically, this only reinforced their sense of endlessness. But the reason Gas's work stands tall among the fold is because it doesn't simply create an atmosphere; these rivers of sound possess such luxurious depth that they seem to penetrate the skin and move throughout the body, such that the music isn't just lovely or enjoyable--it's actually therapeutic. One decade and several thousand ambient albums later, it remains a singular experience."

Essential listening for fans of experimental electronic musi

Steward Willons | Illinois | 10/28/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Somehow, I have never even heard of Wolfgang Voigt and his work as "Gas", before I came across this set. As a major techno fan, I tend to buy most everything on the Kompakt label. I saw Nah und Ferm and decided it looked interesting. When I got home and put it on, I couldn't believe what I had been missing.



Although Voigt has won critical acclaim over the course of his career, he's still very much an "underground" artist - below many people's radar, even some hardcore electronic music aficionados, like myself. If you're in this group, "Nah und Fern" is an excellent way to introduce yourself to Gas (to be fair, buying the collected works of ANY artist is probably a good way to introduce yourself to them), as you get all four of his full length releases. You're on your own for his two 12"s, "Modern" and "Oktember."



Stylistically, Gas is a bit different than what one usually expects from a Kompakt CD, which should be no surprise seeing as these albums were originally released between 1996 and 2000. Beyond that, the music is not dance oriented in any manner. I suppose one could call it "drone" music, or something to that effect, but that seems too limiting. Aphex Twin's "Selected Ambient Works II" begins to give you an idea, but again, this comparison isn't that strong.



Gas creates sumptuous, undulating textures that seem to be at once stationary, and in constant flux. You can skip around the long tracks and things seem to never change, but when you're in the midst of the music, there is such a wealth of sonic information that it never becomes tiresome. One of the most interesting aspects of Voigt's music is the gentle rhythmic motion, which is incredibly similar to breathing. The music actually seems to inhale and exhale, which does two things: it lends the music a natural rhythmic structure that ties it closely to nature, and it aligns the attentive listener's breath rate with the music, thus lulling the listener into a state of deep relaxation and contemplation. It's really a remarkable effect, although it's difficult to imagine.



Occasionally, there are beats, but they're extremely minimal, repetitive, and they are far below the gaseous tonal clusters that define Gas's music. In this respect, it may not appeal to all fans of Kompakt-style techno. It's subtle music that demands your full attention. Anything less and it dissolves into the background. Some may find it difficult listening, but the majority will be enchanted by its serene beauty.



I highly recommend Gas to all fans of serious electronic music, and this collection is what you need. You get all the albums in a deluxe package, for essentially what you'd spend on two albums."