Radio 1940 by WILT

Originally released on 2xCD in 2002 by Ad Noiseam Records (Berlin).

REVIEWS

"It is not a modest release, this “Radio 1940”, the fourth album by Wilt. A double cd with 122 minutes of music. Packaged in a luxuriously looking digipack, with great graphics by Ben Didier. And furthermore a distinct concept: “Radio 1940” strives to recreate a feeling of the 1940’s. Sources of inspiration for mastermind James Keeler were the literature, architecture, design and history of that period. The end result is not a political or cultural statement. It’s more like a ‘dusty photo album of this period’, which is also reflected in the artwork. Of course there are more acts out there that try to recreate the feeling of that period. Les Joyaux de la Princesse for example. But this project uses recognizable speeches, chansons and other sound sources of that period. Wilt though follows a more abstract path, using modern electronics and acoustic experiments to evoke a certain mood, a sonic collage.

The number of used materials by James P. Keeler is enormous. To name but a few: ‘AM radio noise, feather, metal objects, glass, bed springs, rock, handheld cassette recorder, broken records’. But these are not sounds for the sake of just creating as many sounds as possible. They are forced into an organic collage. Electronic and acoustic sounds are mixed, as well as ambient and noisy pieces. Parts of it can be described as ‘musique concrete’, with found sounds distorted to create music.

‘Radio tower’ sets the mood with a lot of radio noise. ‘Depression modern’ has a great atmosphere, with deep drones. ‘Pale Skin memoirs’ is another highlight on disc 1, with an almost serene mood. Of course the mood is often grim and bleak. There is a war going on! But variation is a keyword here, in sound and mood. I find it really hard to describe individual tracks. They form a worthwhile collage, a fascinating trip. Perhaps I would not directly think of the 1940’s when I listened to these discs without foreknowledge. But with help of the artwork and by reading a novel of that time, I would get in the right mood. Wilt and Ad Noiseam can be proud of this ambitious release!". - Funprox

"L'américain James P. Keeler est connu pour ses expérimentations basées sur de nombreuses sources toutes plus diverses les unes que les autres. Entre electronica, minimalisme industriel et ambient feutrée la musique de Wilt semble muter à chaque nouvelle oeuvre tout en conservant ces composantes typiques. Seconde livraison pour le label Ad Noiseam, "Radio 1940" est un exercice ambitieux de par sa durée (plus de 2h) mais aussi et surtout en raison de la multiplicité des sources sonores utilisées ici. A lire la liste des éléments il est clair que le résultat ne peut être que surprenant. En choisissant l'année 1940 Keeler semble vouloir arrêter le temps sur une époque mouvementée (la guerre en Europe essentiellement) et évoquer par un environnement sonore protéiforme une dégénéresence (Wilt ou le flétrissement d'une fleur ou d'une plante), la fin d'une époque et le début d'une autre, marquant ainsi un tournant historique. Les structures des 19 compositions de "Radio 1940" sont souvent aux frontières de la drone-ambient sans la prééminence des infra-basses, les nappes formant des volutes parfois mélodieuses ou a contrario bruitistes. Les thèmes sont régulièrement déconstruits par l'apport de sons qui s'entrechoquent dans un contraste qui éradique toute vacuité sonore. Cet amalgame electro minimaliste, noise et ambient n'est jamais agressif gratuitement mais répond à la seule logique d'engourdir la raison et d'affiner l'acuité auditive et l'imaginaire. Un trip plutôt long mais subtil et très hétérogène." - Guts of Darkness

"Radio 1940" is Wilt's fourth album, and his most ambitious work to date. If the first three were experiments with a certain array of sounds and certain instruments, "Radio 1940" focuses on an atmosphere and a mood, all the possible sounds and means being use to recreate a precise concept. The 19 tracks of this double CD were created as individual piece, under the influence of literature, architecture, design and history of the 1940's. Neither a political statement nor a cultural manifesto, this album is a dusty photo album of this period, transferred into sounds by one of today's masters of sonic experimentation. This album will come in a 4 splendid 4 panel digipack designed by Ben Didier.” - Drone Records

Earthen Textures x Depression Ambient x Scarecrow Electronics

Wilt extol the invisible corners of a thirsty earth with an exaltation of decay and reclamation. Best described as Noise Ambient, Wilt is an aural quagmire of dusky vapors and ivy draped relics, grating erosions and the thorny shadows that rise and fall across dying landscapes. - Scott Candey {Crionic Mind}

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