ROTHKAMM [ ALT ]

 

analog computers & algorithms

 

Ambient Enigmatica... He cultivates enigmas. He leaves no one cold. He could be the next genius the right-thinking avant-garde will be late to discover. He is Rothkamm, but his friends call him Frank Rothkamm. This composer, philosopher, and conceptual artist can turn music (electronic and otherwise) into thought territory, an abstract playground, or even a smoke screen. In fact, Rothkamm is a magician, a prestidigitation theoretician, and a carny all in one. The oeuvre he is building one CD at a time seems to be designed to sidetrack listeners (and better push them onward), deconstruct accepted ideas (and better reinvent them), and elevate contradiction to the rank of art form (so as to better critique it). After all, this is the man behind an electronic trilogy that introduced a new and serious music theory peppered with kitsch elements (the FB series), a record of microtonal pieces for parlor organ (one piece bearing the exquisite title "Kris Kristofferson of the Avant-Garde"), a set of piano variations on the first ten notes from the "Spongebob Squarepants" theme song (Opus Spongebobicum), and a digital cantata masquerading as dance music. So what about ALT? Don't be surprised to be surprised: this particular album features quite accessible ambient electronic music. This work is less microtonal than Rothkamm's previous similar pieces, more immersive, but just as fascinating. Its simple - or even harmless - appearance imbues the approach issue with extra urgency. Rothkamm: "On ALT I have set up iterative procedures on physical machines (as opposed to a linear process in software). Once the process is in motion, no or minimal intervention takes place. Each piece on ALT has the same premise: to create an infinity machine, a deus ex machina, to experience an infinite process in a finite amount of time." On its own, this Rothkamm CD can be appreciated openly, and fans of Scanner and Biosphere will take a shine to it. Taken in the context of the artist's oeuvre, it embodies yet another enigma (amplified by the symbolic and numerological games found in the track titles and durations). For that, ALT makes an excellent introduction to the Rothkammian mystery.


   
Catalog No: karu:15 (LN38)
Title: ALT
Sound Artist: ROTHKAMM
Visual Artist: Casper David Friedrich
Holger Rothkamm
Label: Baskaru
Length: 39:34 (2374s)
Composed: 1989-2002
Location: Vancouver B.C.
San Francisco
New York
Instruments: Yamaha FB01
Yamaha TX81Z
Yamaha TX16W
Arp AXXE
Csound
Iformm
Moog Rogue
Arp AXXE
Kurzweil K2000
ER1
Release Date: 10/31/2009
Edition Size: 1000
Format: Compact Disc
Parts: 4 panel digi-pack(4/4)
Compact Disc
shrink-wraped
Tags: ambient
PDF: 4-Things-For-The-End-Vibrofiles-Furthernoise-ALT-and-TETRALOGY_ROTHKAMM-2009.pdf
4-Things-For-The-End-Vibrofiles-Furthernoise-ALT-and-TETRALOGY_ROTHKAMM-2009.jpg
 
09/2011
You could ask yourself if Herr Rothkamm looks like more the wittiest follower of Wilson’s modus operandi or shares the same metaphysical-logical vision by Leibnitz
Vito Camarretta CHAIN D.L.K.
07/2010
Fantastic effort, brimming with novel ideas and musical dexterity to spare
Tom Sekowski GAZ-ETA
05/2010
Austerely efficient - plainly stunning
Massimo Ricci TOUCHING EXTREMES
04/2010
A timeless album to enroll in the electronic landscape of classics (those that get studied in conservatories)
Maxence, MUSICAREACTION
03/2010
Rothkamm is nuts - an `outsider` of this sort - discs are done well and work
s.i.b. BLOW UP
03/2010
A series of precise, computerized statements, each seemingly complete in and of themselves.
Mike Wood FOXY DIGITALIS
03/2010
A particularly refined record - rooted in the early Kosmische scene
themilkman THEMILKFACTORY
02/2010
Personal and timeless - Excellent new compilation from German sound art legend Rothkamm
Niels Mark EARLABS
02/2010
Extremely prolific - True essence.
Bryon Hayes EXCLAIM!
02/2010
Discover novel fields of perception
Olivier Lehoux SOLéNOPOLE
01/2010
Almost brilliant ... algorithms if they were not born to a computer!
Francesca Odilia Bellino ALL ABOUT JAZZ
01/2010
Made with convincing craftsmanship.
Heinrich Deisl SKUG
01/2010
It is not only abstraction but also trivial pleasure.
Steffen Greiner ECHOES-ONLINE.COM
12/2009
Rothkamm has achieved the ideal: Enabling the listeners to understand and enjoy at the same time.
Fred M. Wheeler TOKAFI
12/2009
A disc whose harmonic component is above any other consideration
Zigor Cavero SPINNER
12/2009
Spare, beautiful and spacious
Guillermo Escudero LOOP
12/2009
If you are a stinking hippy fuck you need this CD
Alexander Dreyhaupt ELECTRIC ECLECTIC
12/2009
Late night listening album. Nice one. Again.
Frans de Waard VITAL WEEKLY
12/2009
un programma di pseudo-filosofia ergonomica
Michele Saran ONDA ROCK
12/2009
Pervaded by a dark force that seeks to emerge
liquid ELECTRONIQUE
12/2009
This wonderful album, claiming to love many listeners.
maeror3 MAEROR3
12/2009
2009 Demanding Music Top 30
Francois Couture CFLX
12/2009
Quite surprising, all over the place, and very good
Susanna Bolle RARE FREQUENCY
12/2009
Wonderfully pleasant exciting, with rich harmonics and filtering processes very beautiful sound synthesizer
multipara DE:BUG
12/2009
Amazingly beautiful and febrile
Fabrice Vanoverberg LE SON DU GRISLI
11/2009
Rothkamm’s most accessible record yet - soft and melodic, very pretty.
Francois Couture CFLX
11/2009
Mysterious philosopher - Sound design environments for our soul - ambient existentialist!
Frederick Spadavecchia FREQUENCIES.IT
11/2009
This album conceptually is quite different to most other `ambient/electronic` albums - based around the beautiful old-fashioned sounds of analog synths
Peter van Cooten AMBIENTBLOG
209 ALBUMs
1100 TRACKs
112 PDFs
1 BIO


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