Bhob Rainey/Ralf Wehowsky
I Don't Think I Can See You Tonight
Sedimental 2006

01. Awaken Elsewhere, Unforeseen
02. I Don't Think I Can See You Tonight
03. Re: Hi!

Extremely long-in-the-making (five years!) collaboration between two titans of the avant garde finally arriving with high expectations that are summarily met. Rather than something academic and difficult, it is instead a captivating and visceral work. To avoid getting too deeply into the realm of art interpretation, it would seem that Wehowsky and Rainey were heavily inspired by the nature of personal communication. Perhaps a given from the nature of their interactions: this entire collaboration was performed via postal mail, the track titles are relative to communication, as well as recurring motifs through the tracks, such as disembodied voices, fragments of phone calls, etc.

Music that is focused on found and abstract sound, then treated with processing such as this can often just come across as a mish-mash of recordings that don't go anywhere, but Bhob and Ralf rise above this pitfall. Both show an excellent ear for composition, and it is obvious in this first track, allowing the collages of sound build and build in depth and volume until it becomes massive, then the tension dissipates, letting everything fall away to rebuild again. -Brainwashed

>> mfire / fsend (73mb) (d-_-b)
>> love it, buy it (Mimaroglu)

Building and rebuilding is indeed what Ralf Wehowsky's whole work since the 80's seems to be about. Cutting, editing, processing, transforming chaos into order. Making maze-like compositions that speak most to my ears these days. Abstract, elusive, yet there's something there, something substantial: objects, thought images, forms and sub-forms. Untangible as in a dream, but so genuine. Latently waiting, with ferocious vitality. Take a deep breath or two, to clear your channels, so to speak, before you join in. It's probably wise to lurk a while, at first.