Thing of the Day
Members of Can and Faust with landscapes of…
April
30th 2011
B.I.L.L. – Spielwiess 2
(Klangbad)
The
background; B.I.L.L. are: Clive Bell – undogmatic world musician,
recognized authority and virtuoso on the shakuhachi, the ney,
and
other flutes and chengs - especially those from Arabian-Asiatic
regions. Hans Joachim Irmler - a krautrock and electronic-music pioneer
(as a founding member of Faust); an audio extremist who
creates
atonally whirring streaks of sound made from landscapes of
organs,
humorous melody and harmonized drones of a physical nature.
Jaki
Liebezeit - internationally recognised drummer of the German krautrock
band, Can. Even today he remains a self-renewing and
innovative
percussionist. Robert Lippok ; Since 1995, has been the guitar
player and in-house expert on electronics for the band To Rococo Rot.
The album, Spielwiess 2,
is a vivid heady flow of Arabic, African and kraut rock flavours all
genteely blended together to move as an ever fluent continually
evolving, travelling set of inviting sound. B.I.L.L actually sound like
something that would have emerged via the underground tape labels and
the free festival scene of the mid/late 80’s from bands like
Ullulators, Oroonies and the early days (better daze) of Ozric
Tentacles. None of those rough edges though, and none of the dub or
indeed the om riffling much employed by those fine free festival
bands. B.I.L.L’s sound is cleaner, less organic, possibly a little more
considered and composed - ok, a lot more considered, carefully
placed and almost orchestral in places... orchestral in an
experimental manner.
Landscapes of organs and harmonised drones is
indeed an apt way of describing the delightfully easy inviting flow of
Spielwiess – which, apparently, means playground (or quite literally,
playing field). Layers of graceful sound, alive with unobtrusive
detail, clean cut synths, sharp percussion, mellow rhythms, subtle
forward movement, an ever evolving tune, a set of seven fine pieces
that flow as one refreshing whole.
Spielwiess 2 is released on May 2nd 2011
