Locus Asper Locus

Enhancing the sounds from field recordings to reach a more abstract level, three French clarinetists recently trekked into the rural Périgord area of Dordogne in the July heat. Accompanied by three donkeys to carry their instruments, speakers, a synthesizer, cables and effect pedals, the trio situated their improvisations within backcountry noises using electronics to further mutate the sounds.

The effect is singular in itself. That’s because Benjamin Bondonneau, who moves between improvised and notated music; Lionel Marchetti, also a musique concrète composer; and Xavier Charles, who has worked with group as different as Dans les Arbres and The Ex, all of whom are more familiar with urban settings, adopted acoustic techniques to unexpected rustic outpourings.

Distinctively as broken octave reed timbres harmonize, ricochet or vibrate, their reactions or correspondence are framed by instances of the area’s wind blowing, animals peeping, barking and grunting, the sound of rain storms slowly descending, aviary chirps, cicada drones as well as unforeseen human footfalls and murmurs. Additionally the programmed and synthesized functions generated and fragmented add a supplementary layer of static, rustle and cross tones that evolve alongside and intertwine with the spatial geography and acoustic instrumental tones. Strained timbral cries, unison reed buzzing and altissimo squalls confirm the clarinetists’ human input. However even such motifs as clarion reed cross tones and shaking clarinet flutters are integrated with the voltage expressions and pastoral sound captures to create an indivisible whole.

Compelling in its creation, but a bit distant from its donkey-affiliated inspiration, 3 Ânes is authentic enough musically to be appreciated but probably not repeated.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Vallée du Céou 2. La charge et le bât 3. La route fermée 4. En forêt, sur le chemin des troubadours 5. Modestine, impasse des Pendoyes 6. Gévaudan 7. Ravary, ferme du Clédou

Personnel: Benjamin Bondonneau (clarinet, electronics, microphones); Lionel Marchetti (clarinet, objects, microphones) and Xavier Charles (clarinet, synthesizer, microphones)