Artist: L/A/B Title: "Psychoacoustics" Catalog #: GF032 Series: II Total Time: 48'09" Release Date: November 1, 2004

L/A/B

Live improvisations on electronics and mechanics treated with scientifically approved methods; together with composed sections interpolated with sounds of science; illustrates the musical sounds of the human psyche.

Along any sensory continuum the adaptation level is the level we are used to. As listeners adapt to greater amounts of L/A/B music, there is a gradual shift along the continuum toward greater pleasure. At one extreme is the beauty that is associated with a sense of lightness and balanced order. It does have a faintly decorative quality to it. At the other extreme we have the much darker form of beauty that we associate with profundity and truth. The distinction between these two extremes of beauty has less to do with the objects under consideration, whether a flower, or a piece of music, than it does with the attitude of the considerer of the object.

The dominating mythology of our time is science. Scientific methods applied to the arts can be used to enhance the receptability of the listener. L/A/B helps the listeners to program their own brains and to develop their own sensitivities.

L/A/B "Psychoacoustics"

§ 1. Kaluli Longhouse Ceremony
§ 2. Voie IV
§ 3. The Stone that Hides the Ant Heap
§ 4. Masking; Loud
§ 5. Telefonbau Normalzeit
§ 6. Noisestudy: Brown - Pink - White
§ 7. Noisestudy: White - Pink - Brown
§ 8. Noisestudy: Brown - White - Pink
§ 9. Noisestudy: Pink - White - Brown
§ 10. 2050 °C
§ 11. Klockan Är Elva
§ 12. Magnetofonowa
§ 13. Alla Gamla
§ 14. Ontological Time
§ 15. Statement

L/A/B Staff:

Laukka, Petri
Aneheim, Jonas D
Björkk, Henrik N

 

reviews

 

Staff Bio:

Petri Laukka (B: 1971)

Hailing from Värmland in Sweden, Petri is a musician/scientist who has been working with music in many shapes. He appears in several constellations as a composer and drummer; for instance in the electronic pop act Rundfunk, the improv collective ODA, and several jazz ensembles. As PIII he's mainly involved with sound art. Petri has toured throughout Europe and has contributed to numerous recordings. His academic interests lie in exploring how music affects people psychologically, and he has published several articles on the psychology of music.

Jonas D Aneheim (B: 1971)

Born and raised in Karlskoga, Jonas D Aneheim started early on to explore the nature of the musical universe. After various musical projects he left Sweden for advanced musical studies at Musicians Institute in Los Angeles CA. Once back in Sweden he teamed team up with Henrik N Björkk and Jouni Ulvtharm and formed the new MZ. 412. During that period he also started exploring the world of electronic ambient music as Sublime Musing (SM). The first and, so far, only SM album, "Symmetrical Sodomy" (1997), is an excellent showcase of his inherent creativity.
In 2002 he teamed up with Uppsala based scientist/artist K. Meizter and formed the duo Beyond Sensory Experience, BSE. With BSE they set out to find all-embracing correlations between numbers, life and music. The first stage of this search was concluded during 2003 with a trilogy series (Tortuna-Urmula-Ratan) released on Old Europa Café. He is also a member of the improv collective ODA where he delivers guitar art and feedback. All in all Jonas have more than 15 albums under his belt

Henrik N Björkk (B: 1971)

Henrik N Björkk has been an active musician ever since the mid-eighties when he was one of the pioneers of the Swedish industrial music scene. He is today probably one of the most prolific artists in his field with more than 50 releases behind him.

Mostly known for his involvement in noisier projects such as MZ. 412 and Folkstorm back in the early nineties, he has in recent years drifted towards the ambient / electronic / research field. Noteworthy is his 8 CD Sleep Therapy project that focuses on altering sleeping patterns and dream imagery, and his ambient albums "On broken wings towards victory" and "Awaken".

Recent releases include a collaboration with Merzbow, "Partikel", and the solo album "I end forever".

REVIEWS

"A cloud of apathy hangs high above me. Why do I bother spending precious time and effort writing up reviews when I could be doing more important and useful things? Like masturbating to the national news. Or sleeping. Which comes just after a wank funnily enough. I know no-one will heed my advice and go and actually buy any of the CDs I highly recommend. Still it’s a cross I have to carry so I’ll keep slogging away until my enthusiasm for the task finally dies.

What keeps me going is hearing something fresh and vibrant that’s away from the norm and L/A/B fits perfectly into this criteria. The boring info bit next. "Psychoacoustics" is the second part of a series released by Ground Fault Recordings. Series 1 is billed as ‘quiet’ and Series 3 as ‘loud’. Here we have series 2 which is ‘medium’. It reminds me of a curry house and their grading for colon busting fare. L/A/B are P Laukka, J D Aneheim and the man for all seasons Mr Folkstorm, MZ412 and countless other projects H N Bjorkk. "Psychoacoustics" is a live improvisation… without an audience it would appear…so live as in one take in the studio and that’s a wrap folks. Possibly. This is pure thinking mans experimental music. No OTT noise histrionics to cause sudden convulsions and nausea. No quiet passages that sound like total silence. What you do get is 15 tracks of…fuck knows how to describe it. Off the wall not of this planet type of electronic cut ups and textured weirdness seems apt enough. But even this doesn’t tell the whole story. Extremely surreal sounds abound before crashing headlong into a rhythmic piece that then explodes into a different musical orbit. Wow!! What separates this from other like minded projects is the quality of the artists involved and the way it all hangs together as a complete whole. Mind blowing in a good gooey way.

It goes without saying that if you want to hear music that challenges but is ultimately rewarding for your perseverance then you should go and buy this. But you probably won’t. So for the first time ever I’m going to make you an offer like that dead cunt who used to sell razors. If you buy this CD and don’t get one iota of enjoyment from it I’ll refund you your money. That’s a big Al promise. Prevaricator that I am." -- Aurual Pressure.com