Search - Oval :: Diskont

94 Diskont

Mike Newmark | Tarzana, CA United States | 10/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"94 Diskont arguably did for music what Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon did for art: contributed to artist evolution using the established traditions of the medium and smashing it all to pieces. In an era when most musicians reach decades back to rummage through the classics vaults for inspiration, 94 Diskont comes off as a refreshingly forward-thinking album that doesn't quite abandon the electronic music of yesteryear, but rather turns it on its head in previously unimaginable ways. Oval's method of making music involves manually marring compact discs (with paint, magic marker, nails...) and piecing the damaged sounds together so that the resultant outcome is a dizzying sonic stew of clicks, scratches, and fragmented melodies. His previous album, Systemisch, was a fine work of electronic minimalism, but on 94 Diskont those shards have coalesced into actual songs with increased depth and complexity.



What's so remarkable about 94 Diskont is that pure technical and theoretical innovation is here used to create something that's both intriguing and beautiful (as opposed to the pop culture-driven skipping frenzies of John Oswald). "Do While" is the album's centerpiece track: a thick, meditative piece that doesn't grow weary over its ambitious 24 minutes. Shimmering bells crackle over a hazy, four-note organ drone-the musical equivalent of sleepless exhaustion or swimming through tranquil water. Other standout tracks include the bottom-heavy, menacing "Commerce Server" and "Shop in Store," whose manic, stuttering wails bring to mind a warped superhero theme.



Uncompromising though it may be, 94 Diskont reveals itself to be more accessible with subsequent listens; the warm, gooey textures of "Do While" and "Cross Selling" effortlessly pull the listener in, and even the colder songs are stunningly provocative. If the album is difficult in its scope and methodology, it's also one that reveals no influences and takes many risks, augmented by a keen sense of melody and songcraft. If ever a case had to be made that an odd musical approach can be aesthetically enjoyable, or that an album can transform into something far greater than the sum of its parts, 94 Diskont may be all the proof you need.

"

Mellow atmospherics

Justin Davis | Troutdale, OR United States | 10/19/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a good Oval album. For those that are new to Oval it is a good introduction and preview to his later works. The main track and A side on the record is a very long, very repetitive track with clicks and atmospheric synth sounds entitled "do while". Its enjoyable. This music calls to mind post modern nights in some international club. As the track suggests, you should do something while listening to this, as it is heavy on atmospherics, the perfect background for a mellow Saturday evening or music to listen to while surfing the web. Though I am not sure about the cd, the record version contains 4 remixes by excellent artists: Scanner, Christian Vogel, Jim O'Rourke, Mouse on Mars. Buy this record if you are looking to get into Oval, or, if you have already, buy it to round out your collection."

Blew me away!

Rinchen Choesang | Melbourne, Australia | 12/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How can something so fractured and disjointed be so darned mesmerising? This is music to really listen to and immerse yourself in. Sounds wonderful with headphones - real sound painting experience for the head!"Do While" just keeps on at you, for 24 minutes, seemingly monotonous, but sneakily interlacing irregular beats with insinuatingly jangly bits and pieces of distorted sound-world-spaces. Almost teasing, with its determination to suck you into its warped world view. Gimme more!A month on, this CD is still getting a lot of airtime. It never ceases to amaze me how "Do While" does not waste one second of its 24-odd minutes and the follow-up tracks are strong enough to hold interest through the other 27 minutes of this fabulous glitch-journey.The other stand-out track, and by far the edgiest is "Shop In Store" and it is a great lead-in to the 4m 50s of the "Do While" reprise that brings this amazing album to a close, which elicits a sense of diappointment the journey is over!If you like quirky electronica, this is a CD for your collection."