Soundmatters
(23five) CD $12.00
The compositions of this French-Canadian sound artist have rarely emerged beyond of the context of international electro-acoustic competitions and festivals. His only widely distributed piece has been Mantra, which Metamkine released in 1997 through their Cinéma Pour L’oreille series. This exceptional work of acoustic minimalism drew considerable notoriety thanks in part to a public misidentification that Laporte sourced the composition on the resonant frequencies of a Zamboni. This anthology includes the aforementioned 25-minute masterpiece, plus four accompanying compositions that share Mantra’s unique sensibility; it’s a series of visceral compositions that build upon the traditions of minimalism, graphical composition, and phonography. Given the numerous parallels to Xenakis’ smoldering electro-acoustics and Tony Conrad’s delirious harmonics, Laporte’s work demands the attention from devotees of avant-garde composition.