kvitnu 7

Luna Kafe
Yet another deliciously designed (the cover art, designed by Zavoloka) CD by the Kvitnu label. It's always exciting to get a packet from the Ukraine in the mail box. This time it's a multimedia project by Eugene Vashchenko, and it's actually been some months since this CD by v4w.enko showed up.
Harmonic Ratio is a strict collection of 'music'; programmed tracks, showing minimalist mathematic-techno, or playing with algorithms and frequencies. To quote the release notes: "Constant correlation flow of outer factors and pre-programmed algorithms taking influence on real time process procedures. It's inner life consists of simple particles closely interrelating each other by finding basic principles harmonic variations." Oh, yes... Math was never giving me the best grades in school.
"Science of structure, order, and relation that has evolved from counting, measuring, and describing the shapes of objects." (Encyclopaedia Britannica) I think this is the most extreme Kvitnu release I've checked out. Even though it's a harsh platter (more than 1 hour long), some of the sounds/noises and sound/noise patterns make sense and form rhythms being suggestive. But, here aren't 'songs', or 'melodies'. Only extreme processing and programming, with titles like "Awava_b", "Future__19L19-19L44", "Future__20L13-20L23", "Io_n_l", and "409620483", plus some more normal ones: "Many Birds", "Opus28", "Dot Static", "Biorepeat", or "Interval Induction".
Not for the faint hearted. This is art-core. By man-machine.
(Håvard Oppøyen)

Neural.it
This could be defined as "black and white music": the usual minimal experimental conventions are taken for granted, but then impeccably made consistent in both sound and visual forms. Consistency, in fact, is one of the preponderant virtues that Eugene Vashchenko (a.k.a. v4w.enko) has been endowed with. The aesthetics of minimal signs and sounds have been often misused or abused for their striking contrasts and their intrinsic attention-grabbing effect. But v4w.enko is not just playing with aesthetic sensibility and perception; rather he's pursuing substantial research. The author develops specific algorithms for his graphic animations. They can be enjoyed in the collection of javascript-based scripts coming with this CD as bonus content, where black and white forms and lines, limited to a small part of the screen, are generated in perfect synch with the essential but still "harmonic" sounds. In the live dimension, the author manipulates all of these elements creating a video flow that renders the whole alternation of a binary approach. The lightness and darkness, indeed, are constantly balanced in a manner suggested by the title. The goal, accomplished here, is to maintain harmony through a scientific ratio of black and white video and sound "quantities" that mark this production. It's a dynamic sequence, playing persistently on the retina, with a balance that is alternatively shifting without insisting on a single side, as an abstract slow metronome out of synch that imperceptibly mesmerizes the senses.
(Alessandro Ludovico)

Medienkonverter
Wer v4w.enko hört, der weiß eigentlich schon Bescheid. Und das gilt sogar für diejenigen, die das Projekt gar nicht kennen sondern aufgrund des Namens einfach mal ins Blaue hinein raten; mit dem Hinweis, dass reine Elektronik zum Einsatz kommt. Also wird dem Wissenden sicherlich nur ein Gedanke kommen: die Verbindung zum Experimentellen. Und genauso ist es. Der audio-visuelle Künstler Jevgeni Vaschenko aus Kiew war einigen Herrschaften des Labels Kvitnu 2008 in die Arme gelaufen, die ihn baten, seine Kunst auf ihrem Live-Event vorzustellen. Was danach folgte, war das siebente Release des Labels und für ihn das erste, welches zum Kauf angeboten wurde. Die drei anderen sind weiterhin als freier Download verfügbar.
"Harmonic Ratio" ist quasi das "Best Of" dieses Multimedia-Projektes, wobei trotz der Vielzahl an Tracks (26; manchmal nur Klangfetzen von acht oder ein paar mehr Sekunden Länge) speziell Wert auf die große Reichweite seines Outputs gelegt wurde. Der harmonische Anteil bei v4w.enkos Werk liegt vor allem darin begründet, dass die durch mathematische Anwendungen vorprogrammierten Algorithmen und Muster einfach vor sich hin fließen und durch Echtzeit-Manipulationen harmonisch variieren. Zur vollen Wirkung kommt dieses Prinzip allerdings erst bei der Betrachtung des Video-Teils der CD. Nun wird klar, wie schnell weiße Linien und schwarze Rechtecke rastlos Länge und Größe ändern, was sie nicht in diesem Ausmaß tun würden, wenn kein Eingriff in die mathematisch-akustischen Ergebnisse erfolgen würde.
Dass dadurch eine sterile und streng unterkühlte Atmosphäre entsteht, versteht sich fast von selbst. Alles klingt nach einer bestimmten, genau ausgetüftelten Form, jedes B(l)eep-, Klack und Fietsch-Geräusch hat seine ganz genauen Auftrittsmomente, die zügig aber nicht hektisch in den Kopf einoperiert werden. So resultiert letztendlich alles in optischer Schwarz/Weiß- und akustischer Noise-Simplizität. Ungeachtet typischer Ausprägungen des uneasy Listenings, kann die CD trotzdem als angenehme Geräuschkulisse für fast 70 Minuten im Hintergrund laufen, ohne dass sie dabei nervt (vorausgesetzt, man dreht die Lautstärke etwas herunter). "Opus28", "Io_n_l" und "Awava_d" sind die Anspieltipps, da sie durch die auftretenden langen und tieferen Töne fast schon Ambient-Atmosphäre, besser gesagt Steril-Ambient, verbreiten. So macht Minimalismus fast schon "Spaß", auch wenn er logischerweise wirklich nur für Klangfetischisten konzipiert ist.

EtherREAL
v4w.enko est le projet de Eugene Vashchenko, artiste multimédia ukrainien, et donc assez naturellement signé sur le label Kvitnu. À l’image de Ryoji Ikeda ou Alva Noto, l’Ukrainien mêle étroitement travail sonore et visuel, rendant même les deux pratiques indissociables, en concert bien sûr mais ici également avec une piste CD-Rom reprenant des animations Flash reflétant ces interactions son/image, mais aussi une pochette basée sur des graphismes générés par v4w.enko. À propos de pochette, c’est une fois encore Zavoloka qui est responsable du packaging, et comme toujours chez Kvitnu le résultat est tout simplement magnifique avec un mélange de carton découpé/collé créant un certain relief, et un jeu d’impression mat et brillante.
Et la musique dans tout ça ?
Disons le tout de suite, Harmonic Ratio est un album sans concessions. Premier album d’un artiste hyper productif, le label a décidé de piocher dans l’ensemble des morceaux de v4w.enko afin de montrer ici l’éventail de son champ d’expérimentation. Cela dit, pas de crainte à avoir, l’ensemble étant baigné d’une cohérence sonore sans faille. L’artiste peut passer d’une veine click’n cut à une ambient à base de bruit blanc, mais on ne trouvera rien de choquant à cela. On sera peut-être un peu plus perturbé par le tracklisting dont on essayera de se détacher à l’écoute de l’album, puisqu’il alterne entre brèves expérimentations sonores (des morceaux de moins de 30 secondes) et des développements plus conséquents, avec de très belles pièces de 4-5 minutes. On obtient alors un album d’un peu plus d’une heure avec 26 pistes, pouvant donner par endroit l’impression d’une simple proposition de travail plutôt que d’une œuvre en soi.
L’entrée en matière est assez directe avec Re3 et ses textures de bruit blanc et boucle rythmique frétillante. Les sonorités sont de toute façon généralement arides, et même lorsque l’on se rapproche de l’ambient, on se retrouve avec un mélange de sinusoïde oscillante et d’un souffle dense, comme sur les jolis Awava_a et Awava_b). Ce n’est qu’après un certain nombre d’abstraites expérimentations que l’auditeur sera récompensé avec Opus28, dixième piste de l’album, toute en subtilités, changement de tempo et mélodies discrètes. On retrouvera ce style original, ces constructions aérées, cette alternance de silences et tonalités épurées sur Sm, Rational Repeat+ ou encore 409620481_op qui pourra faire penser à Radian par endroit. Après Biorepeat et ses mélodies flottantes à base de tintements minéraux, v4w.enko aborde des expérimentations sur les drones abstraits mêlés à des nappes et cliquetis sur Is, ou optant pour le versant nasillard et bruitiste avec le trop court Awava_d. Pour clôturer l’album c’est la vague click’n cut avec sifflements stridents qui est abordée (Dot Static, 409620483), se rapprochant alors très clairement de Ryoji Ikeda ou Alva Noto, tout est essayant de se faire un peu moins mathématique, insistant un peu plus sur les cassures.
Il s’agit là d’un premier album, pas exempt de petits défauts, mais qui révèle déjà un artiste de talent et qui laisse présager d’excellentes choses à l’avenir.
(Fabrice Allard)

Connexion Bizarre
Words that spring to mind when assailing your senses with the bizarre conglomerate of sound that is "Harmonic Ratio", a selection of 26 fragments and sonic experiments by Evginey Vaschenko, alias v4w.enko, include, among others, thrilling (in much the same way as surgery without the benefit of anaesthesia is liable to thrill), interesting (in the same manner that the grotesque or hideous manages to hold your attention) and possibly even more appropriately, entertaining. And I don't mean entertaining in the same context as formulaic, weeknight American sitcoms - rather, entertaining in the sense of an institutionalised paranoid schizophrenic that has laid his hands on a fire axe. The entertainment factor tends to drop alarmingly the closer your proximity, and it's much the same with this album: it isn't healthy to connect too closely with the stream-of-consciousness manipulated sonic algorithms that make up the majority of the music.
Whether it's the semi-rhythmic stabs of "Future__20L13-20L23", the ringing feedback loops of "Awava_a" or the alternating drill-like structures and keys of "Io_n_l", there's danger to be encountered round every turn. Nothing about "Harmonic Ratio" suggests any kind of harmony, in a conventional musical sense or otherwise; this is a decidedly uncomfortable, nerve-wracking experience. Combine this with the linear static artwork that typifies the artist's previous releases, or even with any kind of geometric op-art (including standard waveform "visualisations" on most media players) and you have a guaranteed recipe for nausea on your hands.
But then you consider Kvitnu's slogan: "High Blood Pressure Music" and realise it's not meant to be calming. It's designed to set your nerves on edge, to make your hair stand on end, to excite, shock and frighten you; it's uneasy-listening music, and v4w.enko has completed his mandate successfully.
(David vander Merwe)

Gothtronic
The first thing what I noticed when receiving this album in the mailbox, is the very beautiful and abstract packaging. The abstract artwork of the Autechre albums immediately comes to mind. Upon closer inspection of the music itself, the artwork fits perfectly. Though the musical structures can be traced somewhat to the work of Autechre, it’s more like the clinical ambient variation of that illustrious band, since this album has not very much to do with IDM.
The album itself contains 26 tracks; most of them pretty short sound glitch experiments. Though, the album still clocks at around 68 minutes. The release notes on discogs read this:
”Constant correlation flow of outer factors and pre-programmed algorithms taking influence on real time process procedures. It's inner life consists of simple particles closely interrelating each other by finding basic principles harmonic variations.”
This abstract description represents the perfect explanation of the feel of this very abstract album. What we have here is very clinical sound manipulations with surgical precision.
A very interesting, but also difficult album. It’s definitely not digested easily, but it’s not without its qualities. Perhaps if you liked Cyclotimia’s last album ‘Music For Stockmarkets’, you should try this one out also. You should even own this for the artwork alone, but it’s mostly an album for, perhaps, more advanced experimental music listeners.Still a very good release.

Umka
Does not it seem to you that this album has a rather paradoxical name? Paradoxical not to that extent that it became senseless – however, to the degree sufficient to induce that ratio (meaning "reason") to bite its own tail. I mean here that our reason seems to aspire to harmony, but for some reason interprets it as rest – in which it is no longer able to identify itself, and that is why it avoids this state. Therefore, each time, having attained certain rest, some next step is undertaken – to break the equilibrium, provoke motion, in order to discover, to come to know oneself in this motion. In other words, searching for harmony – it constantly escapes it, as it is afraid to get lost, to dissolve. Well, and fear as such is a bad assistant in any business, from a choice of an umbrella to self-discovery. But from time to time the understanding arises from somewhere of that there was nothing to be afraid of, because is fact the issue is not a static state but motion – that is, the constant must be exactly the dynamics or balancing between the intuitional and rational. But dynamics in rest: when the main motion takes place inside, and no superfluous bustle arises outside. This is the approximate map that this album draws for me... However, if one listens to it on another day or if one just interprets the name as "harmonious correlation" – the picture, presumably, will be somewhat different. Though, for the disc it is only a merit – as it proves that it leaves free space for perception. And that this space is not empty – you should not doubt.
(Anton Jozhik Lejba)

Dagheisha
Il mio amore per l'industrial ruvido e metallico mi farà probabilmente giungere a considerazioni sbagliate o almeno imprecise. E' chiaro infatti che il messaggio che Eugene Vashchenko intende trasmettere va oltre la mera catalogazione delle sue tracce e deve essere obbligatoriamente considerato verbalità portante di un manifesto visuale scandito nei suoi pannelli dal rumore come dal silenzio. La stessa Kvitnu ha deciso di inserire in questo disco esempi contemplativi di tutto il range di azione dell'artista multimediale ucraino in modo da presentarlo al meglio ai frequentatori dell'ambizioso festival che quest'anno toccherà la quota della terza edizione. In questo modo si spiega il contrasto sussistente nello scorrere dei frammenti che a lungo andare diventano sempre più esperimenti di laboratorio perdendo in fascino ed efficacia mentre la prima parte dell'album ci regala tre-quattro sussulti post-industriali da brividi. L'unione di algoritmi pre-programmati e fattori esterni rende comunque l'opera di ricerca di Vashchenko ricca di interesse per coloro che amano elettronica di frontiera e installazioni.

Prawo Piesci
Takich używa np. Kvitnu, z którego dostałem ten album. Okładkę zaprojektowała Zavoloka - fajnie (jak często w tej wytwórni urozmaicające pomysły z tłoczeniem w okładce), ale czy nie za bardzo przypomina Test Pattern Ikedy?
A zawartość? Zaczyna się trochę w stylu Mego (Fässler/Roisz, Gert-Jan Prins), dynamicznie, nieco brudno, nie jest źle, potem wpadamy w dziurę o nazwie "electronica" - przyjemnych brzmień, płynnych tonów, to są tracki 12-16, które razem zabierają ponad 25 minut czyli nieco mniej niż 1/3 albumu, pod koniec wędrujemy w okolice Raster-Noton. Okej, na pewno takie dźwięki mają swoich amatorów, ale dla mnie nie jest to pozycja zbyt ciekawa.
(Piotr Tkacz)