Agnostic Diaries
(Black Rose) Used CD $14.00
Consisting of raw materials from 2005, reworked and processed between 2016 and 2017, Agnostic Diaries centers around voice recording collaborations that, for one reason or another, fell through or never saw the light of day. From the fragmented communications on ‘Le Ballet’ (from George Antheil’s Ballet Mecanique) to the processed speeches and deep breathing of “For Gerald,” to the less treated dialogues of “Caute!” Ralf Wehowsky uses these voices, processed or otherwise, as he would any other sound source, do not constitute vocal pieces per se. Digital sounds processed into low fidelity bitrates is also common to many tracks here. On the aforementioned ‘Le Ballet,’ they form a framework onto which computer blips and shrill, painful electronics are grafted. ‘July 2006’ feels like a continuation, albeit one with erratic reverbs, cricket-like chirps and what could even be a Geiger counter. Anla Courtis’s squalling electric guitar shines through ‘For Gerald’ clearly, alongside spacy electronics and what almost resembles a spate of kick drums, or perhaps someone transitioning from walking into running on a hard surface. ‘Monotype #6’ is another notable standout with its multi-layered fragmented voice (courtesy of Dylan Nyoukis) and stabbing horror strings, creating a complex, yet menacing end to the record.