Tone 19 – Organum Z’EV “Tinnitus VU”

CD – 4 tracks

Track list:

1. I
2. II
3. III
4. IV


Reviews:

VITAL (Netherlands):

I must admit I like unlikely collaborations, and I could have never believed that Z’ev and Organum would be together in the studio. Being a big fan of Organum and a keen follower of Z’ev (but without liking everything he did). They met in 1999 for the first time and in july 2003 they meet again, just about as Organum was going back into the studio to record new works. Z’ev joins him and here are the four results. We hear the recent piano works by Organum with the addition of thickly layered, highly processed percussive sounds of Z’ev. In the second piece, it seems like a field recording of wood splinters washing ashore. I’d say this music is probably more Organum sounding than Z’ev sounding, but altogether it’s an excellent release with only one problem: it’s way too short. Would have loved to get the double portion. [FdW]

Microview (USA):

Organum (David Jackman) and Z’ev (Stefan Weisser) are two of the most elusive and enigmatic characters in all of the contemporary experimental music circles. Therefore, it is a pleasure to find that they have joined forces of discontent and dissonant folly on Tinnitus Vu. After meeting back in 1999, they harmonized their minds and chords and compositional detritus in 2003. The result is a ghostly ep that runs for a too short, but bliss, fifteen and a half minutes. But when you got it you GOT it! And they have. This moves like a freaking apparition, a translucent drone and sandpapery mist behind which lurk some grueling, wild beasties atop which an occasional piano stroke appears and echoes. This is a sorcerer’s stone cracked open wide to glean the gutted random, peculiar contents. My only complaint is the skimpy length of material – this is a harmonious union of like minds, and I could sit easily for an additional hour taking in the peculiar scapes created by these true artists. By far, one of the most highly effective CD tray cards by Jon Wozencroft yet, the lackluster x-ray of skeletal coils and winter scene are foreign, distant, removed emulating its innards. [TJ Norris]