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I Have Fought!

by Giles Jacobs & Wolfgang Merx

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Caleb Pepera
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P è n i n s o l a r
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1.
I Have Fought! (featuring Antonio de Braga) 03:18
info
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2.
The Same Clouds Everywhere 07:17
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3.
Jailbirds In The Summer Dust 03:27
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4.
Target 05:18
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5.
This Is An Island, Here You Will Die 03:23
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6.
I Have Fought! (Jump On The Beat Remix) 03:21
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7.
Target (Reprise) 05:17
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about

"For which I am prepared to die…"

Music recalling Nelson Mandela's fortitude while incarcerated on Robben Island, where partial solitude and afternoons spent breaking rocks would fail to dim his inspirational even-handedness.


Having joined forces briefly on Placement's Pieces From A Life Album, Giles & Wolfgang wanted to explore the possibility of working 'together in separate studios' - but without lots of multi-track files. Meaning that once a recording was handed from one to the other, it could only be altered as a whole (for example by adding more sounds or manipulating everything at once,) but not re-worked in bits. So in other words, these recordings are a true overlay, rather than ‘all mixed up’!

"We like the immediacy of this approach and by extension, we’ve not tinkered with the results by removing any recording faults or clicks, or otherwise interfering with Antonio de Braga’s delicious drumming! Similarly our inspiration for the music was direct and uncomplicated, with the sad passing of Mr Nelson Mandela coinciding with the project’s outset, we found our reflections settled very readily on his compassion and fortitude." /Giles



I Have Fought is reviewed by 'Make Your Own Taste'
Much thanks to the author.

"Merx and Jacobs are two very experienced ambient/electronic musicians. For this album they came up with an interesting concept, and god knows electronic music sometimes needs that so it’s not just a soundalike bunch of synthy things sounding pretty (I am as guilty of making such music as anyone). The premise is: “reflecting Nelson Mandela’s fortitude while incarcerated on Robben Island, where partial solitude and afternoons spent breaking rocks would fail to dim his inspirational even-handedness.” Hence, a speech from Mandela himself is featured on the title track. I have to admit that I usually HATE vocal samples paired with electronic music, which has damaged my pleasure in listening to a couple of Biosphere albums. However, the somewhat hypnotic tones of Mandela’s voice, of course coupled with his inspirational words, do give this opening title track a solemn energy, driven by drums provided by Antonio de Braga.
Which brings me to the music; this isn’t “ambient” electronic, it’s more electroacoustic soundscaping married with an avant-garde sensibility. “The Same Clouds Everywhere” is pretty ambient, however, an abstract selection of woozy guitar tones and percussive tones that do indeed capture what a prisoner must feel looking out through the narrow bars of his cell at a tiny sliver of sky. “Jail Birds in the Summer Dust” is based on a fingerpicked, fuzzy guitar part for a sort of avant-shoegaze experience.
The ominous “Target” uses Rhodes-type piano tones and distant beats, along with environmental sounds to create another gauzy but tense listen, and the very ominous closer, with its scratchy manipulated guitar, “This is An Island, Here You Will Die” conjures an emotional atmosphere of dignified despair. Two remixes complete the recording.
For some reason, as I listened and tried to draw parallels, few modern comparisons came to mind for this work, except maybe for the aforementioned Biosphere; in fact, I was reminded more strongly of Franco Battiato’s highly distinctive Italian version of Krautrock on classic 1970s albums like Fetus and Pollution; a sort of free-wheeling experimentation that led to the development of modern experimental music and ambient.
This album is both a very successful electronic collection and a fitting tribute to the late inspirational leader."

credits

released July 31, 2015

All tracks by Giles Jacobs and Wolfgang Merx except:

(1) Features the drums of Antonio de Braga, plus the Freesound.org sample ’some young girls and women washing dishes..' by felix.blume and the voice of Nelson Mandela which was recorded from an unidentified radio news program.*
(2) Contains the Freesound.org samples, ‘windy day.mp3’ by Soundmary, ‘doing them cobblestones.wav’ by Inchadney and ‘stones sound.wav’ by uzbazur 345. It also includes crowd singing recorded from an unidentified radio news program.*
(6) Features the Freesound.org sample ‘some young girls and women washing dishes..' by felix.blume, plus separate recordings of township violence and the voice of Nelson Mandela both recorded from an unidentified radio news program.*
*These recordings were made whilst listening to a cafe radio on the day of Mr Mandela’s passing. It is hoped none will object to their inclusion.

Giles Jacobs and Wolfgang Merx 2014/2015
Giles Jacobs appears courtesy of The Lime Green Yellow Recording Company

Further music via:

wolfgangmerx.bandcamp.com
placement.bandcamp.com
weareallghosts.bandcamp.com

LGY 023 CD

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Placement Aylesbury, UK

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Placement's 'Landscape Music' combines found sounds, fieldtrack and an array of instruments both electronic and otherwise, with tape effects, prepared systems and improvised playing

Our albums are often themed geographically to evoke a particular area or feature and the tracks themselves can vary from large scale impressionistic pieces to more focused and intimate studies.. ... more

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