Biography
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Review from Bleep.com: https://bleep.com/release/49091-chris-weeks-the-sadmachine-orchestra-conductor
"Chris Weeks is back with another ace sci-fi themed album for Odd John Records. The follow-up to 2013’s spacey ‘The Lost Cosmonaut’, ‘Conductor’ was envisioned by Weeks as a celebration of electronically created noise by-products, each composition built from layers of feedback, buzz, hum and distortion. The result is a cinematic sound that recalls Edward Artemiev’s strange, gripping score for Solaris, bringing to mind barren landscapes and impending dystopian disaster. Stark yet eerily beautiful pieces like ‘Electric Field’, ‘Fuse’ and ‘Strange Oscillations’ are balanced perfectly with more straightforwardly melodic tracks like the symphonic ‘Amber’ and the ghostly piano of closer ‘Lights Out’."
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"ELECTRICITY – PUTTING THE ‘HUM’ IN HUMANITY"
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Due to over-consumption, electricity supplies are running out. Rationing is commonplace, with rolling blackouts being the order of the day. Soon, the equipment we have come to depend upon in the ‘developed world’ will systematically start to fail.
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Chris takes this premonition into consideration, gathering an array of electrical appliances to form an ‘orchestra’ for one last performance; the static-infused swansong of the ‘sad-machines’.
This is the ‘death-rattle’ of the generators, a glimpse of a dystopian future; the last-gasp of the electrical age…
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Embracing the ‘sounds behind the sounds’: Conductor utilises the latent background buzz, drone, feedback, hum and static produced by all electrical equipment. These are the sounds which many go out of their way to completely omit from their recordings; Conductor celebrates them!
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With a characteristic ‘lightness-of-touch’ and meticulous attention to detail, Chris allows the eight pieces found on Conductor to capture and positively radiate ‘found frequencies from failing equipment’. In the wrong hands these sounds may destroy one’s ears, but they are never allowed to fully take control. Harnessing this harsh sonic palette, he puts it centre-stage, balancing it beautifully with kinetic, evolving arrangements and layered washes of plaintive textures.
The result is an experimental, electrically-charged, symphonic-drone opus; an immersive, noise-rich exploration of fading frequencies.
Conductor’s overarching tone is one of darkness and foreboding; enveloping soundscapes are swathed in ominous noise and laced with a threatening timbre, but there is an underlying current of hope, a sense of reverie; a flickering candle burning brightly; a beacon of light amidst the impending black.
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Chris says: “The initial idea for Conductor came about when I heard some lyrics to an old acoustic demo I wrote back in 2011. The song is called ‘Loop’ and the lyrics to one of the verses are”…
Last night my heart woke me up from a dream.
In everything there is a little machine.
Repeating Patterns, I can hear the buzz.
E-lec-tric-i-ty is consuming us.
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Credits
Released 13 March 2014
Music & Art by Chris Weeks
Released by: Odd John Records
Distributed by: The state51 Conspiracy Ltd
CAT No: ODD004
All Music & Artwork © 2014 Odd John Records
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