Chantler, John / Which Way To Leave?
Album: Which Way To Leave?   Collection:General
Artist:Chantler, John   Added:Mar 2017
Label:Room 40  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2017-04-05 Pull Date: 2017-06-07 Charts: Classical/Experimental
Week Ending: Apr 9
Airplays: 1

Recent Airplay
1. Apr 08, 2017: Reckless Burning (The Wasteland)
Beginning Again

Album Review
DJ Aporia
Reviewed 2017-03-25
Dynamic noise/electroacoustic. John Chantler is an Australian sound artist now based in Stockholm. Working mainly with synthesizers and pipe organs, he crafts dense and unpredictable collages of noise. I saw him perform at The Lab recently and it was one of the loudest and greatest sound experiences of my life. This record features Chantler on electronics and two other musicians on cello and electric bass. It puts a fresh spin on musique concrete and 20th century minimalism and was influenced by place following Chantler’s relocation to Sweden after living in London. I like it a lot, though I think it works best as a full album experience—the shorter interludes don’t really hold up on their own.

Related: Ben Frost, Tim Hecker, Matmos ‘Ultimate Care II’

1. (3:38) ** Falling Forward—Jittery noise crushed over muted synth loops.
2. (2:18) Two and Four—Drifting noise with some water sounds. Reminds me a lot of Matmos’ washing machine album.
3. (1:05) Clearing—Soft, whistling electronic tones. Play with the next track.
4. (6:22) *** Fixation Pulse—Electronic tones in first minute lead to billowing, beautiful noise. Bleeps and bloops in second half, long fadeout.
5. (2:27) Lesser Demands—Growling, unsettling noise over a sinister ambient bed.
6. (6:31) All Visible Signs—Squealing arpeggiated synths, thoughtful hums. Dreamlike.
7. (10:28) *** First December—Total white noise. Last two minutes could be straight from Ravedeath.
8. (2:35) ** Second December—Gleaming ambient, like the softer sustain from the previous track.
9. (6:56) ** Beginning Again—Widescreen, aquatic. Pensive keys fade into wavering sustained noise. Sounds amazing live.

Track Listing
1. Falling Forward   5. Lesser Demands
2. Two And Four   6. All Visible Signs
3. Clearing   7. First December
4. Fixation Pulse   8. Second December
  9. Beginning Again