4. Hmmm
Martin Tétreault, Otomo Yoshihide
Un monde d’amplitude et de fréquences en fusion dévorées par le temps. — Revue & Corrigée, France
… carefully cultivating a sound whose steady licking of flames… — Signal to Noise, USA
Following the success of 1. Grrr, 2. Tok, and 3. Ahhh, Martin Tétreault and Otomo Yoshihide are celebrating the release of 4. Hmmm. This fourth disc completes the long-awaited box set!
This album, like the previous three, contains excerpts from concerts recorded on a fast-paced European tour, in a 15-date, 16-day marathon organized by Les Instants chavirés, in co-production with SuperMusique. 4. Hmmm culls the pieces left over from the first three records. Aiming at something very nuanced, this album presents a little bit from all three facets: something noisy, something percussive, something calm. Noise still reigns over the music, with its distortions, feedbacking, dissident pulses and strident crackling. Hesitations over the album’s title yielded 4. Hmmm. This album is released in a limited edition.
This item is also included in the Grrr Tok Ahhh Hmmm box set (AM 902).
- Composer(s): Martin Tétreault, Otomo Yoshihide
- Performer(s): Martin Tétreault, Otomo Yoshihide
- Graphic design: Martin Tétreault, Lucie Ouellet
CD (AM 4HMMM)
- 1Brest no 4 / Le Vauban 22.04.03 (2003), 11:07
- 2Nijmegen no 3 / Extrapool 25.04.03 (2003), 10:31
- 3Lyon no 4 / Kafe Myzik 28.04.03 (2003), 7:45
- 4Lyon no 5 / Kafe Myzik 28.04.03 (2003), 4:38
- 5Grenoble no 4 / Le 102 29.04.03 (2003), 14:05
- 6Grenoble no 5 / Le 102 29.04.03 (2003), 3:40
- 7Genève no 2 / cave12 30.04.03 (2003), 8:05
- 8Genève no 5 / cave12 30.04.03 (2003), 14:09
- Label: Ambiances Magnétiques
- AM 4HMMM
- 2005
- UCC 771028199624
- Total duration: 74:00
- 124 mm × 124 mm × 3 mm
- 30 g
On the web
Download (AM 4HMMM_NUM)
- 1Brest no 4 / Le Vauban 22.04.03 (2003), 11:07
- 2Nijmegen no 3 / Extrapool 25.04.03 (2003), 10:31
- 3Lyon no 4 / Kafe Myzik 28.04.03 (2003), 7:45
- 4Lyon no 5 / Kafe Myzik 28.04.03 (2003), 4:38
- 5Grenoble no 4 / Le 102 29.04.03 (2003), 14:05
- 6Grenoble no 5 / Le 102 29.04.03 (2003), 3:40
- 7Genève no 2 / cave12 30.04.03 (2003), 8:05
- 8Genève no 5 / cave12 30.04.03 (2003), 14:09
- Label: Ambiances Magnétiques
- AM 4HMMM_NUM
- 2005
- UCC 771028199686
- Total duration: 74:00
Some recommended items
In the press
Disques
Inutile de présenter les protagonistes. Inutile aussi de rappeler l’ancienneté traditionnelle du médium disque passé du statut d’objet à celui d’instrument, entraînant à sa suite la machine de diffusion elle-même dont la pointe et le corps amplifié devaient se révéler un instrument riche en possibilités. Inutile encore de rappeler les linéaments nombreux qui, de Pierre Schaeffer et ses sillons fermés à Milan Knizak et aux facéties de John Cage période Fluxus, en passant par le rap et le scratch, fondent en légitimité la riche histoire tant populaire qu’avant-gardiste de la platine. Quoi qu’il en soit, Martin Tétreault, plasticien d’origine, aura marqué les esprits par la richesse de ses préparations, l’audace de ses attaques soniques excluant le recours trop marqué à la citation au bénéfice de la pure électricité: ce qu’Otomo, fidèle aux turntables depuis au moins Ground Zero, aura accompagné via l’onkyo d’un mouvement vers l’infime, les craquements, le souffle. Ce 4. Hmmm fait d’extraits d’une tournée sans fin, sillon géographique répondant aux vinyles par une errance d’atmosphères, de pays, de sensations, témoigne de leur inévitable rencontre. Les deux partenaires mêlent leurs lutheries, pulsant une houle d’attaque et de déferlante granulaire incandescente proche du crash auditif. Ils se posent aussi en héritiers cagiens d’une ouverture aux sons révélatrice d’un état heureux de la matière, cette acceptation non discriminante du monde lui-même. Musique zen donc, par sa disponibilité au matériau. On pense aux travaux de Yasunao Tone, maître en procédures qui vont à leur terme quel qu’en soit le prix esthétique. Martin Tétreault et Otomo Yoshihide nous convient à un moment de live authentique où le geste et la pensée ont cette beauté particulière de la musique concrète: brute et convulsive. Un monde d’amplitude et de fréquences en fusion dévorées par le temps.
De zéro à disque
Tétreault et Otomo sont deux artistes de la table tournante. Le Montréalais est probablement plus connu de ses concitoyens, ayant partagé la scène des Jean Derome, Diane Labrosse et Michel F Côté depuis des lunes. On l’a apprécié pour sa façon de manier les vinyles dans un enchaînement débridé. Tétreault a toutefois délaissé le côté «transmetteur» de l’engin pour se concentrer sur les bruits qu’émet un tourne-disque: frottements, grincements, rotations… Plus subtil. Moins mélodique. Otomo, quant à lui, a formé l’influent groupe Ground Zero et se passionne pour «l’électronique minimale de basse fréquence». On a donc affaire ici à la rencontre de deux bruitistes incongrus. L’album 4.Hmmm est le quatrième de la série publiée par le duo, enregistré lors d’une tournée de 15 concerts en 16 jours. Il contient des éléments rejetés de 1. Grrr, 2. Tok et 3. Ahhh. Pour public averti.
Dernières chroniques: sorties avant 2006
Au printemps 2003, Otomo Yoshihide et le Québécois Martin Tétreault, derrière tourne-disques, donnèrent en Europe 15 concerts en duo. Quatrième et dernier tome de la rétrospective parue sur le label Ambiances Magnétiques, 4. Hmmm revient sur des moments construits à Brest, Nijmegen, Lyon, Grenoble et Genève.
Le long des trajectoires mises en place, Yoshihide et Tétreault disposent des souffles et des inserts déraillant, des larsens et des saturations, des grésillements et quelques chocs sur microphones. Travaillés sur l’instant, les morceaux peuvent adopter les formes d’une construction rythmique bousculée de temps à autre (Nijmegen no 3 / Extrapool 25.04.03), d’une pièce minimale d’indus crachant (Brest no 4 / Le Vauban 22.04.03), ou faire soudain incursion dans le champ de la musique concrète (Genève no 2 / Cave 12 30.04.03).
Ailleurs, le duo amasse ou imbrique ses propositions diverses, martèle une trouvaille, cherche enfin à refuser l’anecdotique sans toujours y parvenir (Grenoble no 4 / Le 102 29.04.03). Selon les enregistrements, Otomo Yoshihide et Martin Tétreault parviennent plus ou moins à motiver l’écoute de qui n’est pas engagé avec eux dans leur processus de création. Essayer d’aller voir, alors, du côté des trois premiers disques de la rétrospective.
Review
The fourth release in these live series, offers recordings of five gigs performed in April 2003. Again this turntables duo presents an album full of noise. The opening track is a slow-building climax of white noise with on top of it nice vocal samples and ending in rhythmic noise eruptions. The second track heads off rather carefully with tiny noises (like a wild animal), continued with a rhythmic mechanical pattern. The third and fourth piece, both recorded in Lyon, are in the same vein, built upon crackles, concrete sounds and sharp noises. These noise manipulations are in a constant flow, been changed actively all the time. The music is calm, extreme and harsh at the same time.
Review

Review
Since the late 1980’s, Japan’s Otomo Yoshihide has been busy crafting his art, both as an instrumental guitarist, but also as a unique turntable exploiter and all-around noise experimentalist. His thirst for ear damaging improvisation is tailor made for the borderless directions his compositions often travel. (To those vaguely familiar with his work, he may be best known for his recent releases on John Zorn’s Tzadik label.) Personally, I like the fact Otomo named one of his past projects Les Sculpteurs de Vinyl (Memory & Money), because this so-called genius probably wasn’t referring to spinning the discs, but rather tragically transforming them (nope, this isn’t for the faint of heart).
This live duo project with Montréal’s Martin Tétreault was recorded over several dates in France, the Netherlands and Switzerland in 2003- and I’m fairly certain no vinyl was damaged or destroyed. That’s because Tétreault and Yoshihide’s turntable time on 4. Hmmm is spent inside the machines, or at least messing about with its speed motor and its physical components. This is about finding sonic textures and frequencies by tearing the turntable apart- something Martin Tétreault has been experimenting with for some time, ultimately making this a perfect artistic match. To be perfectly honest, this is left-over material from prior Actuelle CD releases featuring the duo, namely 1. Grrr, 2. Tok, and 3. Ahhh. (This release now completes the boxed set and is available only in limited numbers).
Several moments within 4. Hmmm bring to mind complete noise chaos, or damaged aeroplanes, like the metallic brutality which unravels in the 14-minute Grenoble no 4 / Le 102 29.04.03. Naturally, it goes without saying that this is hand wired with its share of feedback and distortion. But the results can be quite pleasant, or “relaxing” as a visiting friend pointed out, especially if you get cozy when hearing the light crackle of audio circuitry, or the occasional soothing rotations of a spinning wheel. These are turntable art masters that beautifully transform noise into percussive elements and where fresh ears are best served focusing on the subtle nuances.
Review
Another cd from this notorious duo. If I’m not mistaken, their first collaboration dates from 1999 — the cd 21 situations. In 2003 they toured together through Europe. At the end of this tour they recorded in Montréal Studio — Analogique — Numérique, released as three mini-cds. The tour itself is documented in a series of 4 cds (!) of which now the fourth cd is released. This collaboration must have been a very important experience for both gentlemen, as it is so extensively made available. If you know this duo from one of these earlier releases they do not need further introduction. Once again we find them behind their turntables from which they extract the most extreme noises. This ‘music’ is far beyond all categories and standards that normally define music: its noise concrète. Very physical. It fascinates because of the radical approach and offers the opportunity of experiencing the beauty of noises and sounds. Well, if you are in the right disposition of course.
Recensione
Il trittico formato da 1. Grrr, 2. Tok e 3. Ahhh si arricchisce di un nuovo capitolo, l’ultirno, pubblicato da solo in edizione limitata o in un box che raccoglie l’opera per intero. Per ricapitolare, si tratta di registrazioni che Tétreault e Yoshihide hannoeffettuato durante i loro set per soli giradischi e poi ricompattato nelle diverse uscite in modo da dare ai CD un senso unitario: il primo era quello dell’attacco brutalmente ‘rock’, il secondo quello dell’abbassamento del volume in favore di una maggior attenzione alla ‘geometria’, il terzo quello della riduzione al grado zero della polpa sonora. E questo? Essendo, in pratica, un bonus CD inizialmente non previsto, va a finire che è quello più vario perché pesca in ognuno dei diversi umori che animano gli altri. Innanzi tutto, come già osservato, faticherete non poco a imanaginare che tutto ciò che si ascolta nasca da semplici giradischi, e quindi da dischi ‘altri’: nessuno avrebbe dubbi nell’inserire questo catalogo di angeliche abrasività nella musica elettronica. Immaginatela quindi come tale, in fin dei conti non ha alcuna importanza: l’evoluzione a grappolo di Brest no 4 / Le Vauban 22.04.03, il malinconico rimuginare di Genève no 5 / Cave 12 30.04.03, i satanici grugniti di Nijmegen no 3 / Extrapool 25.04.03, le distorsioni hendrixiane a dir poco di Lyon no 4 / Kafe Mysik 28.04.03, le improvvisazioni di Genève no 2 / Cave 12 30.04.03 o i rimbombi minacciosi di Grenoble no 4 / Le 102 29.04.03 non assomigliano neanche lontanamente ai virtuosismi da dj in fregola divistica, anzi ne sono la negazione stessa, stanno allo scratching da gare di velocità esattamente come il punk stava al prog, stanno ai tanti piccoli DJ Shadow che hanno infestato il djing nell’ultimo decennio esattamente come i Germs stavano ai Genesis. Non è una questione di palatabilità o commerciabilità del risultato finale (ognuno solletica le proprie orecchie come preferisce), è una questione di atteggiamento, di sensibilità, di stile di vita e persino di politica della musica. Questa è l’arte del giradischi ‘punk’ e Tétreault e Yoshihide sono i suoi profeti liberatori. Fate vostro il cofanetto e tenetelo a futura memoria.
Recenze
More texts
- Alan Freeman, Audion, no. 52, June 1, 2006
Blog
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Friday, December 16, 2005 / In concert
Martin Tétreault truly had a hyperactive year, releasing 8 new albums on 5 different labels! Come celebrate with Martin and his collegues on December 20, 2005 at the Cheval blanc (Montréal) Here is the CDs that Martin released this year: … More