Viodre is a New York-based American noise project that combines field recordings, found sounds, noise manipulation, harsh feedback, crunching and powerful low end, and occasionally gentle atmospheric ambience. Although the project is composed of a large group of people during live performances, for the purpose of recordings it is for the most part a duo. Any Viodre release is cause for listening and examination, as the projects small number of releases reflects the fact that each one is a highly-organized and personal effort that is created with the utmost care and precise detail. Similar to Ahlzagailzehguh, an aspect of the sound creation is the use of multiple source recordings that are mixed together, at times in a disconcerting and completely disorienting manner. Combined with this are long passages of harsh noise or even calmer sections that allow the listener’s mind to wander away from the inundation of sonic ideas. Although there is a wide variety of experimentation, there is a certain consistency to the structure and choices of sounds that makes for a unique voice that can be identified from simply a few moments of attentive listening. The cut-up and longer form sections seem to be each as important as the other, each retaining some sort of balance and continuity through the seeming chaos of the overall effect.
This tape is part of the “Recycled” series on RRRecords. Each tape in the series stays in print into perpetuity, recorded onto “recycled” tapes by other (usually non-noise) artists. The original theme of the series was that artists would “recycle” some of their own music, providing an exclusive remix (if you will) of their best material that would live on in this series. In some cases, the tapes are rather different from the usual work of the related artist, but this “Recycled” tape by Viodre is at least as good if not better than the recent full-length Hospital Productions Viodre compact disc “Interpol Alchemi.” It contains many of the same elements of that release, but presented in a concise and more focused and less disjointed manner… although that is an awesome release, its length and weightiness require a strong resolve and a fair amount of free time to truly dig into… I know that I have probably at this point actually listened to the Viodre “Recycled” tape more times all the way through than I have “Interpol Alchemi.” This cassette contains all of the visceral thrills to be found on that excellent release on a convenient cassette tape that has turned out to be one of my favorites from the Recycled series in general… a nice half-way between the chaotic live aesthetic of this project and the more intricate studio work.
The first side of the cassette focuses more on the cut-up aspect, with a seemingly infinite amount of moods and atmospheres flying by at an insane speed. Superfans of cut-up noise material should absolutely not pass up this tape simply for the maddening and insanely schizophrenic sound pollution happening here. I am not a huge listener of that style of noise, but Viodre does it with a flair and uniqueness that compares more to avant garde jazz than some kind of scary harsh noise stuff. The open-minded feel and cosmic leanings to the sound reflect a deeply held philosophical search for the transformation of excrement and garbage, harsh reality and the bad things, into something of value or even something magical. The B-side of this is a long-form noise piece comparable to the material toward the end of the “Interpol Alchemi” disc. It has a great, powerful live sound that gives the effect of a massive amount of energy swirling around a room. The music of Viodre seems to reflect souls trapped in an electronic sphere, and an attempted communication through sound with an environment that may or may not be alive. For a variety of reasons, Viodre is one of the most interesting and distinctive artists in the current world of noise, and this cassette tape is a fantastic and easy-to-acquire example of the best that this project has to offer.
Rating: 4.5/5
Written by: Joseph Gates
Label: RRRecords / Recycled Music (US) / Format: CS
Tracklisting:
01. Side A
01. Side B
