The Polish organisation New Forms Salvia organizes a yearly festival for experimental electronic music called Alt+F4 in Warsaw. Now they released a compilation with the same name, featuring the artists that played May 15-18 last year. Eight artists have been presented here, all offering their version of noise. They can be devided in two groups, artists from Poland and artists from Austria. However, musically, the musicians can not be devided in certain groups. The Polish duo Viön and Mem open this CD rather harsh. Both former EA members generate a layered stream of white noise larded with metallic noises. It's like a factory soundscape. Mego-star Fennesz offers something completely different, incorporating pop elements and guitar strings with noisy episodes. Mem and Wolfram produce a carpet of microscopic soundparticles. Whereas noise master Zbigniew Karkowski comes up with a long and cold high-pitched sound, before some white noise gets introduced. Mego Records co-owner Pita contributed a slow and warm blanket of electronics that slowly ebb away. Something darker comes from ambient mind Spear, who presents dark, mysterious bass modulations which go together with metallic electronics. Things get hectic when Austrian trio Laleloo show what they are capable of. Due to a combination of cut-ups and repetitive structures with high-pitched synth screams. The last piece is by Viön and improviser Piotrowicz and Staniszewski (aka Facial Index). The noise they produce keeps changing like a fucked-up computer game. Alt+F4 must have been an interesting and diversified festival. This excellent compilation makes you curious when the next edition will be. Phosphor Magazine | September 2004

A live chronicle of the second Alt+F4 contemporary arts festival in Warsaw over three days in 2003, this disc, whilst predominantly featuring Polish artists improvising in various experimental combinations, it also takes in the work of some high profile Austrians including Fennesz, Laleloo and Pita. Fennesz in particular offers a live version of the gorgeous chateau rouge, which is remarkable in its staticy melodic degradation, evolving into an unrestrained noise piece. And much of the work presented here follows this lead, suggesting a noisy festival of static and digital refuse manipulation. Though interestingly Polish act Spear whilst utilizing large menacing sounds diffuse the structure, provides somewhat of a counterpoint to the mayhem offering plenty of space in a dark though no less menacing cinematic style. The work here is challenging, often violent, though frequently arresting both in terms of the complexity of the sounds and approaches to structure. This is new music done loud. Bob Baker Fish | Cyclic Defrost | Issue #011 (May 2005)

składanki / compilations

SCHOWAJ / HIDE