Label: Smeerlappen

ベルギーの大ベテランTimo Van Luijkが2011年に配給した[Heavy Metal Drones]で注目を集め、2019年には2枚の10インチ盤 + 40ページブックによる豪快装丁のセット作を発表した謎多きミステリアス集団Ellende。プライベートレーベルSmeerlappenより出版した2年振りの新作。2020年5月から8月に掛けメンバーそれぞれの拠点であるケープタウン、ヨハネスブルグ、東京、ロンドンにて録音された音源であり、複数のヴィンテージ・シンセサイザーとフランス映画のテキストを主軸とした白昼夢なアンビエントを創造。全ての音源を一度テープに録音し半分の速度で再生~録音する事で意図的にストレンジな質感を生み出しているとの事。今回もパッケージデザインが素晴らしく、外袋にアートワークを直貼り、更に12ページの小冊子が付属します。





Unintentional Consequences
For this release Ellende was a core of three original members plus a guest musician. The album was recorded between May to August 2020 in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tokyo, and London. The release contains a twelve page booklet with artwork by Richard Hart. The autobiographical text in English and Afrikaans is of a trip taken to Cape Town in the mid 1970’s where two teenage cousins are confronted with the consequences of their shared family history.

The music can be described as ambient; the sounds are multilayered, often a bit dusty and slow moving. Some of the tracks sound like they have been recorded on old tapes giving the whole album a nostalgic atmosphere. Often a piano acts as the leitmotif, there is plenty of droning and throughout the tracks bits of texts from old French movies float in and out. Most of the music is made with vintage analogue synthesisers such as the Arp Solina, Prophet 5, ARP Solus, Juno 6. Most of the piano’s, Rhodes and Wurlizters are from the late 70’s as well.

All the tracks have been recorded on tape, often played back on half speed. Mastering again was done by Rafael Irissari, whose own ambient work we greatly admire.

Unintentional Consequences is the second part of a trilogy of which Ellende’s previous release the double 10” album Odyssey, A Sentimental Journey from 2019 was part one.