Released via the long-standing Canadian label that is Ambiances Magnetiques as their cat.no. 284 on December 5th, 2k25 is hORs TempS, an — albeit rather unusual — collaborational album effort created by Geraldine Eguiluz and Michael F Cote which is based on a collection of early 90s cassette recordings by Eguiluz newly re-arranged into collages by herself before being further fragmented, enhanced, twisted, overdubbed, complimented and re-splintered by Cote to end up in a final form — this album. With a total of sixteen pieces rolled out over the course of roughly 42 minutes hORs TempS caters a highly fascinating and highly complex amalgamation of almost ritualistic Field Recordings with a Tribal attitude (Territoires Perdus #1), ethereal Freak Folk backed by eerie reverse tape loops (La Montana Y El Agua), glitches, cut-ups and Musique Concrete references, ghostly inner city Jazz (La Montana Y El Viento), dark and deeply nocturnal pieces with score’esque qualities like the ominous Les Grands Departs with its slightly dusty vintage feel and slightly off-kilter minor piano tones, echoes of Industrial, FoundSound and even bits of a chanson’esque attitude to be found in Despedida whereas cuts like La Montana Dorada open with a captivating melodic grandeur before defragmenting into a million Free Improv x Free Jazz informed details just to name a few. Highly interesting and defo an album to reveal a plethora of hidden layers over the course of many a listening session to come. And probably one speaking to all those who still remember the ’Ekkehard Ehlers Plays… ’ -series released via the Staubgold label in the early noughties which catered a similarly intimate and collage’esque overall feel at the time. Recommended.
