We Move Through Negative Spaces reviewed by Both Bars On
First review is in for the new album by Kontakte.
We all know that labelling music hinders as much as it helps: although the practice of pigeon-holing orientates it also gives opportunity to dismiss mostly due to the perpetually shifting status of ‘fashionable’ genres. If you disagree, simply visit your local hipster bar (metropolitan areas only), pronounce that you are “really digging chillwave”, and observe as the beards and boat-shoes turn to mock your anachronistic credentials (a number of options are then open to you, but we cannot be seen to condone violence here).
One tag that would no doubt have the humourless beards cruelly smirking into their mojitos is post-rock (I recently witnessed a tweeter stating that self-identifying as post-rock is the equivalent of admitting to Nazi tendencies). And despite the fact that none of press blurb that comes with Kontakte’s We Move Through Negative Spaces mentions this apparently contemptible tag, the chances are the stupid will ignore what is a lovingly composed and emotionally complex set of soundtracks as soon as said label is mentioned.
We Move Through Negative Spaces is an album that begs a vista to stare out on as you listen, one preferably shimmering in frost and piercing light. Yet even the most drab, grinding and visually confined of days can be transformed by the guitars (both delicately picked and fortified as a gleaming wall of fuzz), the rhythms (electronically glitched and sharpened to IDM shapes) and the peaks and troughs of cinematic mood. Occasionally you get a sense that there is nothing desperately new here and that it illustrates a genre that has given all it can, but if you can jettison such ridiculous hang-ups you realise again that beautiful music like this is something to value in and of itself irrespective of what others tell you is trending.
EtherReal reviews regen:tropfen
Review of regen:tropfen by EtherReal:
zazie von einem anderen stern est le projet musical de Maike Zazie Matern, jeune allemande baignant dans la musique depuis son plus jeune âge. Un père jouant du piano dans le salon, une collection de vinyles parmi lesquels se trouvaient Keith Jarrett et Miles Davis, à 10 ans des études de piano côtoyant Satie et Chopin pour s’ouvrir à l’adolescence à l’univers plus pop de Tori Amos, Björk ou Múm, et plus récemment aux musiques néo-classiques d’Arvo Pärt et Peter Broderick. Regen:Tropfen est son tout premier album qui sort grâce à Drifting Falling, une structure qui nous a déjà valu des productions de Kontakte et When The Clouds.
Maike Zazie Matern vit à Berlin, et c’est là que Regen:Tropfen a en partie été composé, entre son petit appartement et le Durtonstudio de Nils Frahm avec qui la jeune femme partage quelques points communs. Si l’on devine parfois l’ambiance de la ville, en particulier via les field recordings de métro sur Nacht, la musique de la jeune femme invite plutôt au calme de la campagne et de la nature. Il s’agit certainement de l’influence d’un séjour dans la campagne suédoise qui déteint ici, que se soit par l’ambiance générale, apaisée, ou l’utilisation d’enregistrements sonores, bruissement des feuillages, clapotis de l’eau (Regentropfen), piaillements d’oiseaux (Morgen) ou encore le bruit régulier de la mer sur Ölandsvisa. Des éléments certes classiques, du déjà vu qui permet de mettre des images sur les mélodies de piano et glockenspiel de la jeune femme.
C’est bien le piano qui domine ici, dans un style très néo-classique, aidé d’éléments électroniques en guise de frétillements rythmiques, petits claquements sur Zwischen Meinen Händen et Raum Ohne Zeit ou fins bruitages concrets qui s’accumulent sur Im Juli.
Mais là où bien souvent les artistes qui produisent ce type de musique restent dans le champ de l’instrumental, Maike Zazie Matern a décidé d’intégrer pleinement ses influences pop et utilise la voix de multiples manières. Elle peut être samplée, nous donnant l’impression d’être témoin d’une tranche de vie de famille sur le cinématographique Raum Ohne Zeit, chantée en allemand elle nous fera penser à Barbara Morgenstern sur Regentropfen, elle passera sans cesse du chant au spoken word sur Ölandsvisa, nous donnant l’impression de mettre en musique un conte qu’elle nous récite, tandis que sur Zwischen Meinen Händenles mots sont limités à l’état de ponctuation. Et parfois, alors que le chant a disparu, on devine encore une structure couplet/refrain (Klavierregen).Un bel album qui convaincra sans peine les amateurs de productions néo-classiques ou d’explorations autour de chansons ambient.
regen:tropfen reviewed by Der Impuls
Im Intro sind zu Anfangs nur Schritte zu hören. Was mag da kommen, fragt sich der Hörer. Und dann, ganz leise, erklingen tröpfchenweise Töne bis alles Verstummt. Erst jetzt fängt Regen:Tropfen an. Neun schöne Lieder, die am Klavier von Nils Frahm entstanden. Dahinter steckt Maike Zazie Matern , die sich als Künstlerin den langen Namen Zazie von einem anderen Stern gab.
Ihre Einflüsse sind leicht rauszuhören. Viele Stilmittel isländischer Interpreten wie Amiina oder Ólafur Arnalds sind vorhanden. Und doch geht Matern ihren eigenen Weg. Sie lässt Tonspuren in die Musik einfließen, die rissige Filmbilder vor dem geistigen Auge projizieren.
Ihr Debüt ist wie gemacht für die Abendstunden. Erst dann, wenn es dunkel ist, entfalten sich die Songs. Ihr Gesang ist zurückhalten, flüsternd und zart. Die Texte sind eine Mischung aus Deutsch und Schwedisch. Das ganze Album ist sehr verspielt, melancholisch künstlerisch – so wie Träume sein sollen.
Matern sagt selbst: “Jeder Klang, jedes Geräusch, selbst die Stille… All das, was meine Ohren aufnehmen können, hat eine Melodie.” Kein Wunder, dass im Hintergrund oft Regentropfen, Vögel oder jemand atmen zu hören ist. Manchmal ist unsere Umwelt mehr Melodie als wir es uns vorstellen.
Regen:Tropfen erschien am 5. Oktober 2010 über Drifting Falling.
regen:tropfen featured in Mass Transfer’s Weekly Wrap
If you’re finding life is moving too fast, or you’ve been told to slow down, you’re probably in the market for Zazie von Einem Anderen Stern (zazie from another star). Her debut “regen:tropen”, on Drifting Falling, consists of a collection of unconventional, fragmented piano compositions, mingled with found nature sounds. This is the soundrack to meditation – just close your eyes and get lost in the notes.
regen:tropfen reviewed by External Storage Unit
ドイツ人女性Maike Zazie Matern（1983年生）によるソロ・プロジェクトのデビュー作
公式
::: : : zazie von einem anderen stern * ::: :: : : soundscapes by maike zazie matern ::: :ジャケットも良いですね
2008年にRalph Etterによって行われたフォトセッションからの一枚のようです
ちなみに、Ralph EtterはNils FrahmのUnterのPVも担当した人でしたNilsそしてPeter Broderickとはドイツ人同士ですし交流が盛んなようですね
さて、レーベルでの紹介にもあるように（＊）、
彼女は音楽一家に生まれ、Keith Jarrett, Miles Davis, Satie, Chopin, Tori Amos, Björk, Múm, Amiina, Arvo Pärt, Peter BroderickやYann Tiersenと影響を受けつつ、クラシックピアノを学んで育ったようです本作はメインにピアノをおき、ヴォイス、チェロ、グロッケンシュピール、フィールドレコーディング、エレクトロニカ…が用いられています
Shannon Wright & Yann Tiersenの一枚を思い出させる、ささやくようなヴォーカル曲もあります静かで爽々と、ふわりと優雅な、少女の面影が残る
Review of Kontakte show with Port Royal & Winterlight
[photo courtesy close to 94]
I hadn’t come across Kontakte (pictured above) before this performance. They wear their Germanic inspiration lightly (being named after a seminal Stockhausen piece and all), focusing instead on a universal, propulsive, often noisy – though always accessible – wall of electric guitar and synthetic textures and rhythm. Very effective it was too, and entirely sympathetic to port-royal’s set to come (watch one of the songs they performed here). I will definitely be looking up their new album, We Move Through Negative Spaces, when it arrives early next year.
regen:tropfen review at pennyblackmusic.co.uk
Maike Zazie Matern currently lives in a garden apartment in Berlin. Childhood days were spent thumbing through her parents’ eclectic collection of Keith Jarrett and Miles Davis recordings. She received a thorough grounding, too, in the German children song collection ‘Das Liedmobil’. In the 90s, her serious classical piano studies drew her to Eric Satie and Chopin, but at twelve she found that miraculously, classical and pop piano, can be soul mates. That enticing marriage of evocative piano and voice that artist Tori Amos pioneered, proved to be a particularly deep inspiration. Bjork, Yann Tiersen and Peter Broderick also became part of her steady canon. Zazie’s solo project, ‘Zazie Von Einem Anderen Stern’ began in 2006.
That title means, “zazie from another star.” Her debut, ‘Regen:Tropfen’ is a hybrid which might mostly appeal to acoustic piano fans and those who appreciate experimental soundscapes. The listener will not be force-fed. This is not a, “just add water”, commercially solvent type of album. It’s clearly inspired by the sensitive artistry of Amos, but Zazie’s voice is not an overriding force> It is simply one of the elements.
She sings, and sometimes half-speaks in German and Swedish. That said, will non-English speakers feel distracted by her choice of language? Does the language or the music itself matter more? I think the fact that she has chosen to record in her native language shows that she’s committed to being fully engaged in the musical process. It makes the album unique. Translation would certainly interrupt the natural flow. Besides, Zazie remains cognitive of this: “All sound and tone, also silence…All that my ears are able to absorb, has a melody.”
The CD employs a variety of textures. In ‘Morgen’ birds twitter and Chopinesque chords sound. The lone peal of a single note; a breath, a passage, a step-wise interlude builds and it flows wistfully and bitter sweetly, reaching a breathtaking end.
‘Raum Ohne Zeit’ features the creaking of an opening door, hushed fragments of conversation, while a repetitive background piano struggles to be heard against ambient distractors. Finally, it triumphs and bright, tempestuous arpeggios end. A toddler squeals and daily sounds of universal life juxtapose the more subdued cadence points.
‘Regentropfen’ is a lovely jewelry box melody. It supports Zazie’s fragile voice; electronic sounds glisten and fade. Gurgling waves of water, discordant instrumental jabs, half-spoken utterances make up ‘Olandsvisa.’ When Zazie’s voice meets up with the instrumental line, it’s “pay dirt.”
‘Im Juli’ is probably the most modern. At the onset, a stalwart progression backs her young voice in a predictable manner. A delicate thrush of glockenspiel fades in and out. The most cinematic is ‘Klavierregen’ which, with its embracing motion, exhibits a keen love for the essence of melody.
After hearing ‘Zwischen Meinen Handen,’ I’ll admit that my mind did drift. The goal becomes a tad murky at this point. But, then, ‘Nachtschwarmen’ presents a fairy-land of distinct sounds and the halting melody is truly captivating. ‘Nacht’ is mesmerizing; the random street sounds imbue loneliness, and the crisp, steps of the “everyman” pedestrian, brings to mind urban isolation. The humorous and abbreviated finale was a great touch.
The Silent Ballet review regen:tropfen
Zazie von einem anderen Stern’s Regen:Trophen is aimed at those with an interest in piano and experimental music, but it will likely appeal more to the former than the latter. Although such a combination has become increasingly commonplace, Zazie’s music strikes a reasonable balance between musical accessibility and experimentation. The piano, electronica beats, and vocals evoke a nostalgic atmosphere; the diverse sources of sound and noise create a quiet yet melodic experience.
The beauty of Zazie’s compositions seems to arise from brevity as well as diversity. Songs like “Raum ohne Zeit” show Zazie at her most experimental due to the inclusion of various voice recordings. The experimentation continues with “Ölandsvisa,” whose vocals almost sound like speak-singing. Although speak-singing can be considered inaccessible to some people, the piano—whether in the foreground or the background of the song— makes them palatable.
A refreshing fusion of piano and electronica can be heard in songs like “Zwischen meinen Bänden” and “Nachtschwärmen.” Even though electronica-tinged noises may be uncommon in piano-driven music, their presence works well here because they extend the music’s sparse yet optimistic sentiment. Even though the piano is at the fore, it seldom overtakes the ancillary, experimental flourishes. To this end, the music here oscillates between sounds, and is better for its restlessness.
The sounds that accompany the piano always seem to find their place in the progression of these songs, as if following a latent template. On Regen:Trophen, the classical and the experimental locate this template and work together symbiotically, procuring poignant noises from the other’s genre for the listener’s delight. Even though each person’s experience with the album may be different, Zazie’s music has the unifying potential to becalm and entertain. Piano and experimental fans alike can be grateful to her for creating such sparse, beautiful art.
Review of regen:tropfen by Cyclic Defrost
There’s something incredibly warm and inviting about Regen:Tropfen, like trailing your hands in a stream on a warm day. It’s the product of Maike Zazie Matern recording as Zazie Von Einem Anderen Stern, who mostly plays piano but brings in decorative glockenspiel, glitch, field recording, voice and cello flourishes. Pieces tend to be short and scruffy, based around slowly unfurled minimalist arpeggios, close to the scores of Yann Tiersen but looser, more folksy, almost as if Alva Noto and Sakamoto recorded for Fonal.
At first glance it threatens to be incredibly twee, yet another naïve and cutesy piano and electronics collection, but Matern’s limber arrangements somehow makes it all work, and sound surprisingly fresh. Glockenspiel plinks remain subdued, recordings of birds and water fit snugly alongside spare instrumental passages, and her approach to vocals is original: her pleasant German-Swede warble weaves gently through a few songs, while the crowded speech scattered over ‘Raum Ohne Zeit’ is distinctly odd. On ‘Zwischen Meinen Handen’ Pole-like pops and grit act as scatty percussion, while ‘Nachtschwarmen’ is filled with lengthy pauses, like See Through by The Necks. The cover art and CD image, a close up of Matern’s knitted dress pattern, adds to the homespun charm. This is graceful, effortless music, the perfect soundtrack for sunny afternoon tea and cake.
FocusSound review regen:tropfen
Short but very flattering review from FocusSound:
心地よいピアノやストリングスのサウンドにエレクトロニカのサウンドが絶妙にマッチした作品。様々な楽器が個々に輝きを放っている名作。声や現実音などとのバランスも素晴らしい。
Auto-translation:
Exquisite piece that matches the sound of soothing electronica piano and strings sounds. Classic shine to a variety of individual instruments. Such great balance between voices and real sound.