It is probably no coincidence that the creation of los has been a process of exploration also. Paddling my bike during the warm days of summer 2011 while listening to the work in progress, the surroundings in sight and sound always seeping through the headphones.
City, forest and ocean provided a background layer as they partnered with the music. For niemandsland adding ambient environment recordings was an essential step to carry the ideas that inspired it. For los their absence helped create a landscape that was no longer inspired by memory or impression, but could instead exist on its own merit.
Listening to it now, one final time before release, I realize that in my attempt to describe los, I am only putting words to my experience. The more interesting story is your own and I hope you enjoy it.
released March 3, 2011
release info
I enjoy the time and effort it takes to get things right, a luxury I can afford in my personal work. Story (music) and abstraction (sound design) are once again illusive partners defining a landscape of cloud, colour and the passing of time surrounded by wall and structure.
ambientblog
Matthew Florianz is one of the dutch artists I have been following for a lot of years now - together with fellow experimenters like Rutger 'Machinefabriek' Zuydervelt, the 'Piiptsjilling' (Kleefstra) brothers and Michel Banabila. It's funny mentioning them together, because their music is quite different. But all have their own definite 'brand' that identifies their music, all work tirelessly on their music, and - finally - all get international recognition for their works' quality.
From these artists, Matthew Florianz (who started recording as 'Liquid Morphine' around 1995) may be the one whose music remains most close to the origins of ambient music as defined by Brian Eno. In musical style, I mean, not regarding the 'generative' compositional aspect of much of Eno's music. Florianz carefully constructs his music, paying attention to the placement of every little detail.
Working as a sound designer for various games (listen to the Spellborn mixes for an example of one of these games soundtrack), Matthew Florianz is a master in creating atmospheric surroundings.
The opening track Zucht (or 'Sigh'- all track titles are dutch words) sets the atmosphere: wide, dark, deep rumbling lows like some distant thunder rolling in - is threatening and comforting at the same time. This immensely wide atmosphere is kept throughout the album, gradually lightening up in the middle with the introduction of some bright piano sounds in Snijd.
Though this is 100% electronic music, Matthew Florianz's music always has a close relation to nature, conjuring landscapes that could be real as well as one from your dreams. Look at the cover and you might have an idea what this music sounds like. Unlike most of his previous recordings, however, Los does not contain any environmental recording at all.
In this day and age, it is quite difficult to get any album heard and find the right audience for it. If you have heard any of Florianz's music before I don't doubt you'll find (and enjoy) this one too. But if his name is new to you, please give it a listen - it definitely deserves to be heard!
bert strollenberg
sonic immersion
As Mr Florianz explains in some notes to los, story and abstraction were and always will be reoccurring themes in his music: not in their pure sense, but more complementing each other in the composers sonic quest of investigating new ideas and possibilities.
And while various ambient environment recordings were essential for the creation of the album niemandsland, los doesn't feature any of these. This offered Matthew the opportunity to help break down the walls and structure while sculpting another sonic experience.
Well, the eight-track/43-minute outcome is intense environmental textural ambient with occasional sustained piano evoking a profound flowing and lush feel. The free form soundscapes build a spacious context while it slowly transforms in altered states, smoothly lingering in worlds of shadow and light. Especially the fifth piece ader appeals to me, due to its gently morphing subterranean soundscaping.
The minimal-ambient architecture of los makes up a world of silent contemplation in which a sense of wonder and introspection shimmers through.
celiar structures
Los es el título del nuevo álbum de Matthew Florianz, un trabajo que publicó justo el primer día de este 2012 entrante y que ya está disponible para descargar desde su website en formato mp3 a 128kbps y en formato flac para los más exigentes.
Este nuevo trabajo nos ofrece 8 estupendos temas repartidos entre 43 minutos, muy en su habitual línea atmosférica e intimista, plagada de delicadas texturas y pasajes subyarados con piano, como sucede con Trap y Snijd, que por momentos recuerda al mejor Brian Eno. Tampoco podían faltar sus drones oscuros, como en Ader, ni sus pads épicos y expansivos que sobresalen de vez en cuando en temas como el homónimo los o la pista que cierra el disco, Vliert, de una belleza glaciar que me resulta espectacular. Sospecho que, al igual que en sus anteriores trabajos, Los habrá sido también creado de forma íntegra con su querido Korg X5d y grabaciones de campo.
Florianz acompaña el lanzamiento de este su nuevo trabajo con el vídeo de su tema Trap, uno de los más inquietantes a la par que conmovedores.
trap
watch on you tube
fluister
watch on you tube
trap
watch on you tube
tak
watch on you tube
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