Well, sure, austerity in the economic sense might be a bullshit concept, but from a musical standpoint, America in particular could probably benefit from decolorization, whereby radio hosts would supplementally do their track review in a monotone that would make a single sine wave jealous.
Alternatively, it would suffice if we just paid attention to Kangding Ray, who alongside co-founder Alva Noto a.k.a. Carsten Nicolai, is arguably the most reliable musician currently promoting the (recently disavowed) Raster-Noton brand of urban stoicism. The French-born, Berlin-residing David Letellier has released masterfully-produced albums going all the way back to 2006’s Stabil, and almost 10 years subsequent, he has Cory Arcane awaiting conceptual digestion on October 30. Last year’s Solens Arc came with its own underlying ideas, and now it’s time for (something something) possible rebellion against the deep decay caused by a comfortable societal machine.
Feel free to come up with your own interpretation after reading the short story accompanying the announcement of this release (located underneath the vid below). Separately, there are four teasers viewable via YouTube, and I’ve chosen to embed the one that does the squinting for glasses-wearers:
Cory Arcane found her comfort zone in a constant state of crisis, and her liberation through love, sensuality, and high-speed internet access.
As some might recall, she used to struggle with her own decay, navigating an intricate web of bureaucracy, endless social-media scrolling, 24-hour news channel feeds and marketed strategies of seduction.
Her intense and continuous obsession for surf, breakdancing and cat videos might have saved her from a silent decline, but it would be her first attempts at integrating a professional ballet company that provided the initial spark. Her unorthodox dance movements were often considered shocking, transgressive, and barely legal; and even though some recognized her genuine talent, it was clear she would never make it into this structure. This is when she started her slow drift towards the outer limits of society, in search of the way to achieve the conditions for absolute freedom.
Her emancipation was surely marked by different forms of excess: the inappropriate use of fireworks, the consumption of large quantities of alcohol and controlled substances, as well as the occasional blasts of kitchen appliances.
She bypassed the gender war and became an expert in advertising sabotage. Soon Cory would give academic courses on the true liberation of the mind, or, in her own words, the apotheosis of senses.
Lately, she could be seen squatting in the outskirts of different giant metropolises, embracing the mayhem, contemplating the crumbling of a system. The sound of the city, mixed with the music on her headphones, would weave complex rhythms and futuristic textures into a beautifully coloured, pixellated surface.
Looking out onto this fabulous chaos, she smiled.
Cory Arcane tracklisting:
01. Acto
02. Dark Barker
03. Brume
04. These Are My Rivers
05. Safran
06. Burning Bridges
07. Bleu Oscillant
08. When We Were Queens
09. On Sleepless Roads
• Kangding Ray: http://www.kangdingray.com
• Raster-Noton: http://www.raster-noton.net
More about: Kangding Ray
