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Home » Stop Press: Unheard at time of writing » THE REMOTE VIEWERS: Let the City Sleep

THE REMOTE VIEWERS: Let the City Sleep
THE REMOTE VIEWERS: Let the City Sleep
Let the City Sleep is the newest disc from London’s The Remote Viewers (RV), an ensemble of fluctuating saxophones plus other instruments. This time it’s a saxophone quartet of Adrian Northover (soprano), Caroline Kraabel (alto) and David Petts and Sue Lynch (tenors) all of whom have extensive experience with The London Improvisers Orchestra and other UK bands. Expanding his usual role as bassist is John Edwards who uses computer programs and electronic synthesis to mulch and mutilates the reed sound sources, add field recording noise and alter and invert tempos and pitches to create novel and unusual synthesis.
Besides the electro-acoustic showcases, each RV members gets a track to him or herself with Petts, RV’s usual chief composer trilling split tone peeps down to low-pitched honks and vibrating scoops, and Northover’s variation of circular breathed buzzing from deep in the body tube most notable. Meanwhile on “File 3” Edwards’ spiccato twangs echo as the innards and wood resonate and creak alongside a rolling string sweep. With granular synthesis and other manipulations encompassing machine-switched on/off buzzes, backwards running tape flanges and undefined brittle scratches, sonic resemblances to marimba tremors, piano kinetics, paced percussion rap share space with reed tone deconstruction and shaking string intimations are also prominent. Sometimes, as on “Sight-Seeing the Ruins (Part 1)” and the title track, pre-recorded voices are heard. There’s a child’s recitation on the first, mated with piano tinkles; and on “Let the City Sleep”, mumbled vocal textures are contrasted with string frails and ring modulator-like gonging, creating the equivalent of a film noir soundtrack. The final “Porch View” exposes and overdubs many of these textural diversions so that the acoustic and electronic timbres are deflected to their logical conclusions. A response to the pandemic, the CD is not only a RV outlier, but fascinating on its own.

Code: RV17
Price: £5.00