The dynamics of a musical relationship can be pretty interesting when you consider the potential for creative head-butting, but what happens when the parties in-question have a rapport that doesn’t just involve repeated onomatopoeia behind a 24-track mixing console? Would it be appropriate for Leonardo DiCaprio to acknowledge this overarching platonic or romantic chemistry by appearing unannounced at the pair’s social events and demanding that the artistic collaborators “go deeper” into their already-complex commingling?
Prepare for a mild shunning, Leo: noted experimental composer/musicians Crys Cole and Oren Ambarchi, who’ve seemingly been pretty satisfied by the depth of their relationship up to this point — have a new record coming out September 8 that examines their ongoing tête-à-tête naturally, from a musical standpoint. The new one’s called Hotel Record, and it’ll be released courtesy of Ambarchi’s Black Truffle Records (you know, the one that’s released all of those Keiji Haino collaborations in recent years).
Hotel Record follows up a prior, limited release from the duo, so obviously it’s not the first time that they’ve musically explored the romantic (and otherwise) particles between themselves. But the new one uses four sides across two LPs to make these explorations in what a press release calls a more “subtle fashion” — which apparently involves less of a focus on all that clichéd, passionate stuff and more of an interest in the tangible “forms” that the Cole-Ambarchi couple takes. For example, one such form examined in this way is “as a pair of travelers to exotic locations,” which is conveyed on the track “Pad Phet Gob,” borne out of field recordings in Thailand.
Elsewhere, all the usual deft electroacoustic mastery combined with vocoder murmurs allow for quite a subtle relationship-record indeed. If you’re curious — or a little into voyeurism — you can pre-order your copy right here. You can also peek in on the duo in performative-action with via amateur YouTube vid below.
Hotel Record tracklisting:
01. Call Myself
02. Francis Debacle (Uno)
03. Burrata
04. Pad Phet Gob
More about: Crys Cole, Oren Ambarchi
