2003, Elevator Bath
improvised recordings (May 2001 - July 2001). On 180-gram vinyl with lovely full-color jackets, in an edition of 400 copies.
variations is a selection of works from the duo of turntablist/guitarist James Eck Rippie and sampling minimalist Colin Andrew Sheffield. After a recent cluster of live performances and even a bit of soundtrack work, Sheffield and Rippie have released an intriguing, beautiful debut LP. The textured ambience here is rich and subtle, simple and complex. The three pieces comprising this album were recorded "live" with no additional production or processing and were wholly improvised. Sheffield and Rippie have been performing and recording together for years, though variations is the first document of their ongoing collaboration.
variations is a selection of works from the duo of turntablist/guitarist James Eck Rippie and sampling minimalist Colin Andrew Sheffield. After a recent cluster of live performances and even a bit of soundtrack work, Sheffield and Rippie have released an intriguing, beautiful debut LP. The textured ambience here is rich and subtle, simple and complex. The three pieces comprising this album were recorded "live" with no additional production or processing and were wholly improvised. Sheffield and Rippie have been performing and recording together for years, though variations is the first document of their ongoing collaboration.
Customer Reviews
1 reviews
Francois CoutureRecorded in mid-2001 and released before the end of the year, Variations is a beautiful set of ambient electro-acoustic improv. The level of understanding between sampler artist Colin Andrew Sheffield and turntablist/guitarist James Eck Rippie commands respect. The LP (a limited edition of 400 copies on Elevator Bath) is comprised of three pieces, each one using samples from a specific instrument. The oddest and most striking, "Variations for Harp," occupies all of side one. The angelic notes sound surprisingly within the context of the evolving glitch loop, which provides the foundation. Soft transformations keep the piece from remaining static, but it does get a bit overlong at 17 minutes. Nevertheless, the sound of the harp, which sometimes twangs like a koto (is it naturally occurring or the result of electronic manipulation?), takes the listener into another dimension. One thinks of Fennesz's early live material, but also of stylists like Ekkehard Ehlers, Hazard, or even Oren Ambarchi. "Variations for Guitar" is more sparse and haunted by Rippie's backward notes. "Variations for Flute (Excerpt)" hovers on the threshold of perception. This is by far Sheffield's most convincing statement to date. Recommended.