Aphelion Editions is very pleased to present two live recordings from Star Turbine's 2017 UK tour captured in the moment and documented here for posterity as 'The Great Distortion'.
With this project, Sindre and Claus's special brand of improvised lofi noise takes you on an immersive and chaotic sonic voyage littered with vinyl and tape manipulations, quirky samples, vintage toys reappropriated for sound abuse purposes and contact mic'd objects. There's a continuous dialogue going on between the two performers throughout which keeps the tension and intrigue going.
Occasional clouds of luscious ambience contrast with moments of oddball humour and all out weirdness. Even the odd snippet of classic rock riffery might filter through the haze once in a while... A heady trip indeed!
Side A took place at The Old England, Bristol on 28th February 2017 while Side B was captured at Whitespace, Edinburgh on 4th March 2017.
Each performance is quite different, which just serves to illustrate the sheer breadth of sonic possibility happening between these two performers each time they play.
We celebrated the release on the night of the launch (Monday 12th February) with a return show at the Old England, which seems only fitting. Support was provided by a stellar cast of (mostly) local musicians: Calcine Trio (free jazz experimenters) / Brutar Weimaz (avant/free/no-wave guitar improv duo) / Carter (ambient/music concrète/modular systems) and the whole thing was a blast!
More info can be found here:
www.facebook.com/events/2008743692726592/
REVIEWS
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"...The Great Distortion captures the lo-fi idiosyncrats in full flow. At times skirting towards music concrete and sound-art, at others approaching doomy viscera, The Great Distortion is a record that has you craning your head to the monitor so you can better understand the transmission."
NORMAN RECORDS
www.normanrecords.com/records/169691-star-turbine-the-great-distortion
"...Wanted for crimes against the tape recorder... ...Lots of tasty smashing, steel woollen rubs followed, Claus’s effect-soaked cymbal ribboning the frayed ferrics. The odd melodic malaise tinkering the fabric, gradually saturated in clawy chews and fractured dialogue... ...A happened-upon magic their excellent Great Distortion LP documents with precision."
MICHAEL RODHAM-HEAPS, FREQ
freq.org.uk/reviews/star-turbine-calcine-trio-brutar-weimaz-carter-live-at-the-old-england/
"A bit of drones of a monotron, some Dictaphone sounds being leaked on the mix, and we are on a seemingly endless ride down stream. A gentle stream with no big waves but with no stopping either."
FRANS DE WAARD, VITAL WEEKLY 1124
www.vitalweekly.net/1124.html
"In the distance, the radio is playing sounds which feel haunted. This feeling of it being haunted maintains as this just has that horror movie vibe to it. It's more intense, like the way you would feel with some combination of Jason Voorhees and Jigsaw. It's not a straight up slasher: it's more of a "He's in the house!" vibe as I feel like I can even hear footsteps now."
JOSH MACALA, RAISED BY GYPSIES
raisedbygypsies.blogspot.com/2018/04/cassette-review-star-turbine-great.html
released February 12, 2018
APHELION007
Music by STAR TURBINE: Sindre Bjerga + Claus Poulsen
Audio restoration by Thomas J. Bryan
Mastering by Claus Poulsen
The Great Distortion Pt. I [the old england, bristol - 28.02.2017]
The Great Distortion Pt. II [whitespace, edinburgh - 04.03.2017]
Artwork by Claus Poulsen
Design and layout by Liam McConaghy
Contact:
sindrebjerga@)hotmail.com
claus@menneske.dk
aphelioneditions@gmail.com
STOCKISTS
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NORMAN RECORDS (UK)
www.normanrecords.com/records/169691-star-turbine-the-great-distortion
ROUGH TRADE BRISTOL (UK)
3 New Bridewell, Nelson St, Bristol BS1 2QD