Zbigniew Karkowski – ElectroStatics
POST 006 CD
carriers: detuned short-wave radio signals, scanner, ground signal (static electricity modulated by human mass), direct output of an antenna, direct output of a transformer (static electricity modulated by voltage current), stochastic resonance of white noise.
research and sound sources developed during work on commission from Atelier de Creation Radiophonique at Maison Radio France, Paris (thanks to Philippe Langlois).
composed by Zbigniew Karkowski in Paris & Tokyo, 2002-2003
artwork by Atsuko Nojiri
dedicated to the memory of Raymond Cass...
REVIEWS:
"Developed during a residency at the Atelier de Création Radiophonique at Maison Radio France (Paris) in 2002 and completed in Tokyo a few months later, "ElectroStatics" ranks among Zbigniew Karkowski’s best works (the CD presents this sole piece, 42 minutes long) and his easiest listens. Don’t be fooled, it remains challenging sound art, but one finds a nice balance between abrasive textures and microscopic sounds/silences that makes it easier on the ear than most of his released material. "ElectroStatics" is all about electric signal. Sound sources include a shortwave radio, a scanner, the direct output of an antenna and a transformer, plus ground signal. The piece opens on a Biblical rant typical of those populating the shortwaves, immediately setting the mood for an experience that aims at electrical transcendence yet keeps a satirical point of view. The first two thirds are rather noisy as Karkowski sculpts radio signals into finely detailed shapes that evoke how half the fun about scanning stations on a dial radio is listening to the sounds in-between stations. Morse code transmissions find their way into the mix (or is it that Karkowski shaped the material into dots and dashes?) before the music shifts its focus on electrical hum. A low growl grips us by the stomach for a few minutes, ever-changing its cycles before being harmonized by other buzzes and joined by a few slabs of white noise for the finale. The topic of shortwave radio is not new; in fact, ever since the release of The Conet Project, it has threatened to become a small-scale trend, but Karkowski’s piece makes compelling use of this type of sound sources." ****
— François Couture, All Music Guide
"Massively respected artist displaying some work he has done while in the East and Paris, wild experiments with all manner of radio-based electronics: antennae, scanners, transformers and ground signal, which involves sound waves that shift in accordance with the movement of human mass near the receiver. Wandering through uneasy gardens of slowly swaying sound columns, the shifting mass of buzzings, whispering soundwaves grow and diminish. Radio bleeps shilling in from the side for a moment, the insectile breathing of circumstantial electric vibrations in the background. Overall, the work is darkly ambient, uneasy drift, sometimes clamoring into low-volume rumbling noise. Karkowski leaves much more of the work to the machines than an artist like Tietchens would. Karkowski almost seems to just be watching a conversation between these devices, moderating the debate, angling the wordflow toward constructive, more poetic topics. Never letting the conversants yell, reeling them in and changing their volume at sufficient intervals so as to allow us the listeners to drift for a while, to dream and imagine the space. Think Tietchens, Illusion Of Safety, Arcane Device."
— Vince Harrigan, Manifold Records
"Karkowski's is the sound of electrovibration in most of its forms. Using antenna outputs, static electricity, transformers, white noise and a lot of further materials the author presents a little less than 42 minutes of harsh but hypnotic brain treatment, a music that doesn't look to an aesthetic acceptance but guarantees a gut comprehension: your body and your brain will respond to it, one way or another. In my case, I benefited from a big aural massage that left me extremely satisfied – more, I was missing it when the record ended. We're not too far from old John Duncan/Hafler Trio territories (as a matter of fact, Zbigniew is a less known but equally proficient writer of some of those pages) but I have to say this particular CD is much more refined and better conceived in its overall structure, making a nice step forward in regard to some previous works of his I'd heard."
— Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes
"Karkowski is back, this time without any omputer to play / compose with. Electrostatics is about radiowaves, statics and electricity and was composed/aseembles during a residency at the Atelier Radiophonique of Maison radio France. One 42 minute piece that slowly rumbls through static electricity and shortwaves, to more noise territories but leaves always some space and distance. Karkowski has a great sense of time and the piece is extended and works on its own without many things happening all the time. This is something between postEVP and musique concrete - the name of the label says it all in this case - "EVP" because it is dedicated to Raymond Cass (1921-2003), who was an investigator in EVP (electronic voice phenomena) using radio waves to detect voices from the other side and "concrete" because Karkowski uses the sound composition as such. A fine work."
" Komposition ist's eh immer, sagt uns Karkowski und meint nichts anderes, wenn er composed schreibt. Name und Wort bleiben stur Programm: was ich geschrieben habe, das habe ich geschrieben, so verkündete schon Pilatus und ließ den unglaublichen Titel am Kreuz stehen. Zeuge wird davon niemand mehr. Auch wenn Karkowskis vertunte Kurzwellen mächtig die Vergangenheit aufmischen, hängen sie immer noch im direkten output der Antenne. Stochastic resonance of white noise als Klangerzeuger, was kann da bleiben? Zerkürtelt gibt's leider nicht, aber alles kommt so ähnlich und mit ordentlich Kratz am Haar. Das Ganze entwickelt im Atelier de Création Radiophonique (Radio France) und letztendlich noch dem unvergesslichen Stimmenentwurzler Raymond Cass gewidmet. Leichte Kost für niemand und ebenso kompakt wie imposant." *****
— ed , de:bug magazine (Germany)