Label
wandering - 1st voyage
- In a year when experimental techno continued its foray into the increasingly blurry realms of dub, ambient and good old fashioned retrospective rawness, Sven Weisemann has been hard at work consolidating a reputation as one of the industry's most promising boundary-nudging stalwarts. Using the Mojuba imprint in conjunction with sister labels a.r.t.less and Wandering to mark out separate sonic arenas, the young producer has never been shy about flirting with different manifestations of the sublime. After a.r.t.less' Shove tested his signature warm dub techno formula against moments of alternately cold, stark percussion and beatless murmur back in May, Xine Zero more recently justified Wandering's role as an experimental deep house stable, adding a new richness to his club-friendly offerings on Mojuba. Marrying epic string arrangements and gentle piano with a low-slung pulse and vocal mumble, Xine Zero signalled the young Berliner's next move, reclining in the moments between his hectic DJ schedule to embrace his love for modern classical ambience.
Given the exploratory nature of Weisemann's work, it's not surprising to find his first full-length release catalogued as the label's "first voyage." In contrast to previous singles (filed instead as "journeys"), Xine is, as promised, a far-reaching and ambitious ambient excursion into the soundscaped world of the classical composers he eagerly name-checked to RA as influences. Boldly nailing his colours to the wall by presenting the special edition in an embossed blue notebook that references Max Richter's masterpiece, the finished product is appropriately lush and keeps with Mojuba's insistence that their releases embrace visual art and music synonymously. Here, the presentation supplements his intended imaginary film score, the cover appearing as a sort of stage curtain ready to majestically unveil the drama within the music.
Xine opens to a gentle beat workout accompanied by a nicely padded electronic ambience, a spaciousness which goes on to underlie the rest of the album's narrative. Controlled pressure has long been Weisemann's strength, but the twenty short pieces instead place his piano and cello skills at centre stage, dispersing minimal refrains and immaculately placed exchanges amongst sparse, airy percussion. Weisemann has a great appreciation for subtle melody, adding to the pervasive sense of personalised melancholy that draws the listener deep into an unrelenting reverie. In fact, the changes across the complete soundscape are so slight that it becomes hard to position Xine either as something for focused listening or ambient background material, and in both cases the narrative intention is lost without any clear sense of direction or variety guiding the listener to tangible points of closure. This is a record likely to reward and test your patience in equal measure.
Despite the prevailing sense of flatline melancholy, the story's most obvious drama occurs during "Xine XI - Swan of Desire," whose vocals literally howl at a sense of tragic loss. Elsewhere, "Xine VII"'s minimalist piano swells to a beautifully hopeful climax, and the watery bass tones of "Xine IX" and "XIII" both evoke a sense of pulsating, organic life. Xine is most successful where the electronic framework is a little more invasive and the live instruments rub against its electronic supports, suggesting Wesiemann might have the most to offer the classical world when drawing more directly on his experience in techno. Despite these shortcomings, Xine still stands as a strong, personal statement by one of today's most unflinchingly explorative and versatile producers.
Tracklist 01. Xine
02. Xine II
03. Xine III Aeron
04. Xine IV Lyra
05. Xine V Tearily
06. Xine VI Habor Lights
07. Xine VII Abroad
08. Xine VIII Life Cycle
09. Xine IX Suri
10. Xine X Awake
11. Xine XI The Swan Of Desire
12. Xine XII Ajna
13. Xine XIII Ray
14. Xine XIV Streams Of Living Water
15. Xine XV Suna¹s Flow
16. Xine XVI Avedon
17. Xine XVII Blandish
18. Xine XVIII Love In Vein
19. Xine XIX Swell
20. Xine XX Tyree's Meaningful Look