sul - dedicated to chris marker
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_sirr006


The concept most at work here is that of "the zone", according to the 
sleevenotes "a space outside any dimensions of time, anchored therefore in a 
pure and eternal present from which any recollection tends to be gradually 
eradictaded." Like his friend and mentor Andrei Tarkovski and his literary 
counterpart JG Ballard, Marker sets out to explore this space in and through 
his work. Each of the works on Sul explore this space as well. The first 
track, Rail, by Atau Tanaka, is 12 minutes of modulated throb, vaguely 
remniscent of Pole both in its form and ability to suggest a spatial sense. 
Eric la Casa follows with a soundspace that sounds like the sighting nervous 
system of an airliner in flight. Marc Behrens minimal rumble suggests the 
purling and interminable space of cell groth. Vitriol's contribution, the 
eerie Suipsim, could be lifted from the sound design of Tarkovski's film 
Stalker, while Pimmon's Shadow, shade, a collection of electro-mechanical 
whines, was possibly sourced from the control rooms of various nuclear 
powerplants. ID's A!,+{88} is the disc's most extreme offering, a 
nerve-jangling barrage of unmediated eletroacoustic noise that makes no 
prisoners, and we fade out on the austerely beautiful Soleil by Oren 
Ambarchi, Sirr's answer to Radiohead's Exit Music (for a film).

in Wire Magazine, october 2002


"Seven sound artists pay tribute to filmmaker and artist Chris Marker (b. 
1921) in this new compilation from the Lisbon based label SIRR.ecords. Being 
familiar with Marker's work only by reputation (among his better known works 
are La Jetée from 1962 and Sans Soleil from 1982), I am left to rely on the 
liner notes enclosed with the disc for insight into his vision. The notes 
discuss "the Zone," an evolving concept that has been running through his 
work over the past twenty years, appearing to be as much about time and 
space as it is about personal history and deterritorialization. This CD 
features contributions from a compelling line-up of artists: Atau Tanaka, 
Eric La Casa, M. Behrens, Vitriol, Pimmon, I.D. and Oren Ambarchi each 
contribute a piece, interpreting or commenting on the concept of "the Zone" 
or otherwise just paying tribute to Marker's work. Atau Tanaka opens the 
disc with a dynamic piece of shifting drones, metallic textures and tones, 
moving from quiet and subtle sections to noisier clamours, keeping the 
listener most attentive for the entire journey. Ideas of space are abound in 
the cinematic pieces by Eric La Casa and Vitriol, who each seem to have 
based their works on environmental sounds (urban or otherwise) and field 
recordings. M. Behrens contributes a stunning piece of quiet and low-end 
drones and rumblings. Pimmon's piece is an especially piercing yet 
captivating piece of sharp electronic textures and fluctuating tones, and 
I.D. follows it with a more extreme approach to electronic noise featuring 
sharp, dizzying feedback textures. Oren Ambarchi completes the compilation 
and returns to more tranquil yet overwhelmingly mysterious territories with 
his piece of bewitching low-end drones and textures (perhaps all these 
sounds derive from the guitar, as in his other recent works?). It's an 
excellent compilation, with or without knowledge of Chris Marker's work. 
Recommended." 

Richard di Santo, Incursion Music


C'est à que s' intéresse Sul, qui est une suite d'homages au cinéaste et
vidéaste français Chris Marker dont l'oeuvre est traversée par le idée de
zone, d'espace delimité. Il faut sans doute étre familier de son ouevre pour
comprendre l'inquietant obscurité qui sourd invariavelment de touts les
contribuitions. Mas chaque une, dans les espaçe (libre) qui lui est accordé,
semble dialoguer avec cette notion qui an appele d'autres (come celles du
temps ou de la memoire). Atau Tanaka construit ainsi une suite des séquences
foundues, des moment sonores spatiaux qui se perpétuent dans une abrasion
angoissant. Eric La Casa photographie sans les transformer des
environnements sonores, Vitriol ou Marc Behrens les radiographient, chacun y
cherchant les résonances intimes qui fondent l'identité d'un espace autant
que ses caractéristiques physiques. D'autres semblent se référer directement
aus ouevres du cinéaste, aux méthodes qu'elles engagent: Pimmon en
multipliant les cmbinaisons et les entrelacs digitaux, créant un espace
intime de métamorphoses possibles. Un peu comme I.D. dont la musique est
néanmoins beuacoup plus tourmentée et urbain. Oren Ambarchi enfin, cherche
dans un lumineux travail des cordes évanescentes la présence fugitive des
émotions fixées par la mémoire. Un hommage magnifié par des musiques dont la
beauté dépasse le prétexte.

J-L. D., Fear Drop Magazine


This compilation is dedicated to the work of Chris Marker, a French director 
(born in 1921), who has also worked with photography, writing, video and 
multimedia. "His constant feature in the last twenty years is the Zone. That 
can be the given space, as well as the more specific meaning of an abandoned 
urban area where the waste products mount up." Seven different composers pay 
hommage to Chris Marker. People like Atau Tanaka (from the Sensorband), Eric 
La Casa, M. Behrens, Vitriol, Pimmon, I.D. and Oren Ambarchi play with 
notions of space, each in their own way. From low end rumblings (Behrens, 
Ambarchi) to wether or not processed environment sounds (La Casa, Vitriol) 
and more noisy outings (Tanaka, I.D.) and one that falls out of these 
categories (Pimmon) - it remains difficult when one is not acquinted with 
the visual work of Marker - and I am one, I must admit. What remains is a 
nice compilation with interesting sound works, by people who usually bring 
interesting work any way. Nice compilation, really, but I sort of miss out 
on the theme. 

FdWaard, vital


Gathered to pay homage to the esoteric French director, several artists at 
Portugal's SIRR.ecords create odd audioacoustique scenes... Travel by "rail" 
(12:12) into atau tanaka's dark surreality of fluttering mechanical 
essences, clanking metallics, intermittent bass-blurts and a drastic final 
crescendo. eric la casa explores an industrial/organic world where oceanic 
rumble-and-spray leads into the entrancingly bleak decay of l'air au fond du 
rouge. m behrens sifts through khabul rubble, unearthing the apparently 
irradiated unknown. Ý Impossible textures and obtuse glares exude in 
unpredictable spasms from "sulipsism" by vitriol. Writhing electrical 
currents and bassy tonal flux surround pimmon's "shadow, shade" with a 
menacing force-field. The abrasive squeals and caustic static of "a!,+{88}" 
by i.d.are guaranteed to keep out the faint-of-ear...

Ambientrance


«Sul» é uma colectânea de homenagem ao cineasta experimental Chris Marker, 
que tantos nomes das novas gerações do experimentalismo sonoro/musical tem 
inspirado por motivos que um dos participantes, o japonês Atau Tanaka, 
aborda ìen passantî nas suas breves notas, desejando que a música, tal como 
os filmes daquele realizador francês, possa também ser uma ìescultura da 
memóriaî. Outros contemplados são Marc Behrens, Pimmon, Vitriol (todos já 
editados pela Sirr), i.d., Oren Ambarchi e Eric La Casa, assinando este a 
peça que só por si vale a aquisição do presente disco, «Líair au fond du 
rouge», uma composição concretista baseada em sons ìde campoî, sejam da 
natureza como de produção humana, na linha que vem desenvolvendo ao longo 
dos anos. Começa também por esta abordagem a intervenção dos portugueses 
Vitriol (Paulo Raposo e Carlos Santos) em «Sulipsism», mas depois evoluem 
para um trabalho de síntese equivalente aos dos demais intervenientes ? 
contribuem eles, também, para a superior qualidade desta edição, ao lado do 
já referido Tanaka, que começa a audição da melhor maneira com o implacável, 
mas estranhamente cativante, «Rail». O resto recomenda-se, mas sem o mesmo 
brilhantismo. 

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