It is not clear yet how many hours it will take to listen to the new de portables album/project in its entirety, because the “Silver Series” expands on 12 cassettes of which only 7 have already been released by Gazer Tapes
“Like A version” begins with an excerpt in which synths dominate.
The track, “Synth Maria” is contained in full later or maybe not, it is still an extract. I’m confused.
“Ronny and Karina” aren’t those the names of Wio’s parents? Maybe not. I met them during my first trip to Belgium. Years have passed.
The atmosphere is the same you can breathe in “The Killing Horizon” but much more diluted as if this first tape is a long introduction, the opening song, an overture or a presentation of the whole project.
Grooves coming into being, taking shape, transforming, modulating, grooves like clouds gathering over our heads.
I wouldn’t be surprised one day to hear “Like A Version” playing in the background in a waiting room, at the airport,
in the dressing room of a clothing store, in a large supermarket, or in the latest addition to Marc Augé’s map of non-places: an intensive care room.
“Stereo Speedwagon” is perhaps the track that comes closest to the idea of a complete song, although it appears and sounds widely incomplete.
“The Spring Summer Turned Into Winter” is without a doubt the sketch of one of those pieces that make you fall in love with de portables.
You can listen to ”Like A Version” here.
“Version Killer” is the second cassette of the series and starts exatcly where we left off, with a second version of “The Spring Summer Turned Into Winter”, more solid, the confirmation that the clouds on the horizon were not fleeting at all, now they threaten rain.
Ronny changed his name to Tony, the song is upset at least in the beginning but the song seems to take more and more shape. Yes I am sure Wio’s father name is Ronny.
This second tape is an alternative to Brian Eno’s “Ambient 1: Music for Airports”, continues on the same trajectory drawn by the first tape.
I haven’t read much about this project and what little I read was written in Dutch and those few words I know can be found written on the labels of a Belgian beer and I’m not reviewing de struisse’s latest beer.
First raindrops at the end of “Tony And Carina” but it is a passing cloud.
“The Spring Summer Turned Into Winter” again, I have a feeling that it will stick in my head. It creeps more and more convincing.
“Dubby Decker And Marimba”, an addition to the program, has just begun as my head tried to remember which Bauhaus 12″ in my record collection contained a dub version of a famous piece of theirs. “She is In Parties” of course!
There is something in this track that closes “Version Killer” that reminds me of another de portables song, I will have a clearer idea when I have listened to all twelve tapes. It must be that new piece that I listened to in full lockdown that had a futuristic video.
You can listen to ”Version Killer” here.
“Version Suicides” is on now. How many of you have listened to a whole album or song by David Hasselhoff? if you say you don’t know one you are lying. The first song is “Synth Maria (not feat. David Hasselhoff)” which is a very strange title, I don’t recognize Synth Maria, maybe a single listening to this project won’t be enough, but I understand why this collection is called “Version Suicides. Air and The Virgin Suicides soundtrack come to mind, but also a Pappi Corsicato movie called “Chimera” that for one reason or another always ends up on the list of recent Italian movies that I recommend.
“Even In The Remote Distance” and “Even In The Social Distance” follow. That futuristic video of de deportables that I saw in full lockdown had them playing in separate places together, social distancing in distant places, but the warmth of the music made them feel close to me, as if they were playing live in my room, there was a strong contrast between the images and the music, I hope to hear that piece in one of the tapes. The two songs are ethereal, we are still waiting in a room for something to happen. The voices appear, clearly audible and not in the background and the atmosphere becomes dreamy now.
Come on, tell me you’ve never heard The Baywatch Theme Song, no that’s not by David Hasselhoff, according to wikipedia the knight rider’s most famous song, a hit in Germany, is “Looking For Freedom” and in the meantime “Synth Maria” continues to transform, it has not yet completed her metamorphosis, how many stages can a song have?
The “Silver Series” project is increasingly convincing.
You can listen to ”Version Suicides” here.
“Vestal Versions” starts with a song that features David Hasselhoff, or at least that makes his specter become real, a sound reminiscent of the background theme of many Knight Rider episodes, yet another version of “Synth Maria”, the darkest version, my favorite.
You can listen to ”Vestal Versions” here.
To Be continued…
