the 5th elephant
| Format | CD |
| Country | Germany |
| Recorded | 1997-98 |
| Issued | 2001 |
| Label | ReR Megacorp |
| Cat no. | ReR LG 2 |
| Playing time | - |
| Reviewer | Knut Tore Abrahamsen |
| LUTZ GLANDIEN the 5th elephant |
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The story behind the record "The 5th Elephant" started in the autumn of 1997 when Chris Cutler (drums, electronics and amplified objects), Lutz Glandien (MIDI guitar, sampling and computers) and Michael Vogt (electric tuba, tapes) were to record a set of improvisations. After three days of recording, they came to the conclusion that the project had been unsuccessful, and the tapes were put on the shelf. Where they were gathering dust for a year until Glandien found out he did not want to abolish the project completely. Hen played the improvisations into a computer and started looking for interesting details. In this way, he gathered various drum riffs, individual phrases, tuba motifs, studio atmosphere and electronic sounds from the MIDI guitar and the electronic percussion. This made up the basis for new compositions. Each of the twelve tracks on the album springs from a sample; a drum loop, a tuba motif etc. Further, cuts from the improvisations have been added (around 90%), and the rest is added from Glandien’s own sound archives.
Glandien has previously written both chamber music, music for orchestra, elecro-acoustic pieces and music for films and radio plays. In addition, he has performed with both rock musicians and improvisers. One of his projects is the music on the critically acclaimed "Domestic Stories", a co-operation with Cutler, where also Fred Frith, Dagmar Krause and Alfred Harth contribute. "The 5th Elephant" is a record which unites several of the musical styles Glandien has worked with. It is evident that he has written music for both radio plays and film, for many of the tracks are very atmospheric. In most of them, a distinct groove created by a loop is repeated throughout the track. But track no 3, "Find Original Of Alias" shows more sign of sound collages and atmosphere. Looking at the CD as a whole, it carries a very modern sound, and the music is also described as somewhere between classic electronic music and underground techno. But my opinion is that even if you are not a fan of any of those styles, you may very well enjoy this record immensely, because it has a lot of qualities. Glandien really has succeeded in finding interesting parts from the improvisations and put them together in a tasteful and refined way. It is hard to imagine that these improvisations originate from a futile project. A lot of really magnificent things happen in these songs if only you take the time to listen carefully. And, as mentioned previously, the music is spanning a wide territory.
In the press release following the record, the music is described as a marriage between Nine Inch Nails and The Chemical Brothers on one side and Stravinsky and Stockhausen on the other. Whether or not this is true is up to each listener to judge.
One of the highlights of the record is the track "Independent Grace" which has a lovely theme in xylophone-like timbres, where a backwards guitar joins with another great theme. Throughout this track, a backwards female voice is used, bringing a great atmosphere to the song. We also find this female vocal in a couple of other tracks. As for this track, it is in my opinion worth the piece of the album alone, as it is really extremely good. This may not be the record for those who are not so fond of a modern sound, but for those who enjoy good compositions, a lot of atmosphere, groove, and a synthesis of several musical styles, this is a winner.
© 2002 Tarkus Magazine