Alexander Hoglund
Substance
scum stats: limited to 150 copies. surprised I even found one
The spiel straight from the artist himself…
SUBSTANCE is a sound work on a 12” LP vinyl record. It includes 11 tracks each with a recording of a dissolving painkiller tablet. The tracks display variation in audio as the tablets dissolve due to the medicines different chemical properties and physical design such as size and thickness. The painkillers have been ordered from E-bay and shipped from around the globe.
Records of non-music fascinate me. Records by “fine” artists fascinate me (and peep this book for some incredible insight into that realm...http://www.
A simple idea, one that seemingly no one else has ever had before, is usually enough to get me off my ass and buy a record. I think this album has merit, I feel like it made me listen closer than I do to most things, I feel like it was worth whatever I paid for it.
The metronomic rhythm of kick off of “Panodil - Paracetamol”, which quickly and unexpectedly amps up in timbre and intensity provides for, I think, the most unique of the performances here. I dug “Treo - Acetylsalicylic Acid and Caffeine” with its almost coordinated bubbly epiphanies. The applause-like crescendo of “Ratiopharm - Paracetamol” was uplifting. The mid-track choreography of “Bamyl - Acetylsalicylic Acid and Caffeine” is arresting. Overall, there’s definitely joy to be pulled from the audio here. You just need to relax a little to cull it.
All THAT being said, I think ASMR is bullshit
It was soothing and relaxing for my mind that I could not turn off. Drifting off it almost made me have to go pee. Ha ha ha!!! Aaahhh!!!?
Finally came back and listened to this and now I’m intensely curious whether this is something you stumbled across or actively searched for. Definitely agree that it’s the sort of thing to make one listen carefully. Could be great for meditation.
dougil – yes! it’s only raining this year because I had a contractor destroy my roof and go out of business (and thus i am leaking like crazy).
Lol AimeeAmanda, I live in San Diego and got the impression from your other posts you’re also a socal gal; not many rainy nights, last few months aside. But I agree…
dougil- glad you found it! for sleep ambiance, nothing beats an open window on a rainy night. ☺️
Okay AimeeAmanda, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Definitely more like the Hans Zimmer I was talking about.
Haven’t had time to listen to this, but I did recently download all of The Soul Surfers catalog from Bandcamp and spent this past weekend grooving to them in the car. Thanks a bunch, Ben, for featuring them previously. Damned good stuff.
Oh my
The things that fascinate you, Blackwell, fascinate me. ASMR-invoking sounds and their respective videos feel like an obvious step in the recording of sound and the social media share-scape we find ourselves in. I lumped it in the same group as white noise—soothing, soft noises that can make your brain literally tingle. For some folks, these dissolving pharmaceuticals might just bring on an ASMR frenzy they can’t contain. Enjoyed these new sounds!
dougil – try looking up “JONSI OF SIGUR ROS PRESENTS THE LIMINAL SOUNDBATH, AN IMMERSIVE AUDIOVISUAL EXPORTAION” …it was a foggy space with ambient sound. We were “bathed” in the sonic experience.