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 n^o 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.

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.

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 n^o 4 / Le Vauban 22.04.03, il malinconico rimuginare di Genève n^o 5 / Cave 12 30.04.03, i satanici grugniti di Nijmegen n^o 3 / Extrapool 25.04.03, le distorsioni hendrixiane a dir poco di Lyon n^o 4 / Kafe Mysik 28.04.03, le improvvisazioni di Genève n^o 2 / Cave 12 30.04.03 o i rimbombi minacciosi di Grenoble n^o 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.

Martin Tétreault a été hyper-actif cette année en lançant pour notre plus grand bonheur, 8 nouveaux disques sur 5 étiquettes différentes! Venez célébrer avec Martin et ses collègues le 20 décembre 2005 au Cheval blanc (Montréal) Voici les disques qui ont tenu Martin occupé cette année: 2. Tok, Labo MTL, 3. Ahhh, Trace Cuts, Dur Noyau Dur (live en France), Lunch in Nishinomiya, 4. Hmmm et le coffret de 4 CDs Grrr Tok Ahhh Hmmm.