Album: Moers Works
Author: Frans de Waard
Publication: Vital Weekly (source)
Date: 03/07/2007

More from Russia on the Monochrome Vision label, who is specialized in bringing old masters from the 80s and 90s experimental music.

Sometimes new work by them, but also old work. Frank Rothkamm is these days known for his synth based popmusic, but he started working with a reel to reel tape machine, radio, a phaser an EQ and started with overdubbing, looping, tape delay and thus created his first compositions at the age of sixteen. These are now to be found on 'Moers Works', named after the German city where he was then living.

Known elements from classical and pop music leak through these collages of sound, giving it a highly plunderphonic feel. Despite his limit methods of sound production this sound remarkable good.

Short and witty pieces of music, which made the 'Rauschmittel' remix from 1997, the longest track but also the one with his later synthesizer sounds, a bit superfluous.

Very nice CD from somebody who I wouldn't have thought of thinking about the past.


[REPLY FROM ROTHKAMM]

Thank you, Frans.

'Rauschmittel' (German for 'Drug') is actually from 1984 with only a few samples added a year later in Cologne. It represents the culmination point of my early analog tape experiments, which might make it sound like a later work.

'Rauschmittel' utilizes a library of hand made samples from Easy Listening Music, John Cage, Richard Wagner, U2, Joy Devision, BBC Horror Sound FX, German TV commercials, Insects, Mauricio Kagel, György Ligeti, Japanese Shakuhachi Music and a Pierre Henry style door which hallucinate in and out of a Sample and Hold Korg MS-20 synthesizer patch.

The only remix on Moers Works is actually the last track, entitled 'hcI'. But the letters hcI are merely the letters Ich (German for 'I') spelled backwards and 'Ich' is the first track on Moers Works. Indeed, the music of 'hcI' is 'Ich' played backwards in 1997 in New York.

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