#phauss

The first of these CDs, Audiodrome, is two separate but similar pieces, each about half an hour long, created using recordings from two journeys that Phauss took in 1983 and 1986. During both trips, the duo recorded audio and/or video at a random time every few days, no matter where they were or what was happening at the time. The recordings were then edited using the same approach, resulting in the audio presented here. It’s unclear why, but they’re offered in reverse order, with the later trip coming first. 

“Zürich – Zürich 1986” contains recordings from a trip starting and ending in Zürich via countries including Lebanon, Syria, India, Thailand and the U.S. The voices, street sounds, vehicles, distant announcements and coincidentally-spliced sounds blend into a new hallucinatory journey in which your brain creates connections and imagined places, floating through carnivals, markets and streets. This piece was also used as the soundtrack for a multi-display video installation, the Phauss Videodrome. 

The second piece, “Alger – Lagos 1983”, was constructed from recordings during an earlier trip from Algeria to Nigeria. This one contains more diverse and strident sounds, and by halfway through there’s an increased intensity, with some singing and instrumental strumming competing with background whistles, vehicles and other sounds demanding attention. It’s a stressful atmosphere, albeit offset by the joy communicated by the singing. There’s a period two-thirds in when everything’s overwhelmed by what may be an airplane engine revving up, an unwelcome intrusion by a symbol of industry. 

These are at root field recordings, of course, though edited and overlaid via a chance mechanism. The flow of sound creates audio portraits of places that don’t really exist, as if one could take several locations and place them atop one another to make a composite place. The interview in the book accompanying Nya Sverige mentions the duo’s connection with and debt to Gysin and Burroughs, properly situating these works with their literary and visual cut-up forebears. 

In truth, it’s a bit difficult to feel emotionally attached to these pieces. They’re too abstract, somehow, despite the clear origins in the real world. Listening, one feels like a detached observer, not like someone who’s personally involved in what’s happening. Perhaps that’s due to the way they’re constructed, to the nature of the sounds collected and used, or just from approaching the listening with certain expectations. It doesn’t take away from the intellectual appreciation, but listeners may find it challenging to develop a deeper connection. 

Nya Sverige - Nothing But The Truth by Phauss

The second release is Nya Sverige – Nothing But the Truth, a single hour-long piece both collected and created during Phauss’ 1990 tour of the U.S. Von Hausswolff and Pauser collected sounds in each city during the tour, adding them to the recordings from the previous cities. As a result, the audio became denser and more complex as the tour went on, but due to their processing the output was also increasingly abstract. This album is the final result after what the duo describe as being “messed up,” “re-generated,” and “finalised” in 1991. It’s nearly unrecognizable as something that started from field recordings. Having been fortunate enough to attend the San Francisco date of this tour, I really enjoyed the updated re-presentation here, both similar to yet different from my memories of the event. 

While Audiodrome left the original recordings untreated, though edited and mixed, Nya Sverige profoundly alters them, processing everything into a swirling cacophony of oceanic sound. It starts as a windy drone, building from near-silence to a noticeable gale over the first 13 minutes, at which point a sudden metallic clank breaks the drone. As the piece progresses, deep bass rumbles fade as everything goes nearly silent, then drones and noise return with voices dropping in and out, devolving into abstract crunching and scraping sounds. The listener can approach this as either a seemingly electronic music piece divorced from its origins, or as an intriguing puzzle, with elements of the recorded material tantalizingly offered here and there before being subsumed into the depths of sound. 

Both CDs are accompanied by small books that offer valuable background context and insights into the works. Audiodrome’s book is 42 pages of photographs from the journeys, providing a visual partner to the sound collages, while Nya Sverige contains a very informative interview with the band by Room 40 label head Lawrence English. Having both is recommended since the interview touches on both releases, as well as describing the artistic community in Götenborg that inspired and supported Phauss’ activities. As is typical of the label, the design and presentation are top-notch, and the attention to detail is especially appreciated for a project like this that’s bringing notable works from the past to today’s audiences. Those looking for adventurous listening will be rewarded.