A couple months back, we reviewed Celer & Machinefabriek‘s Maastunnel / Mt. Mitake 7″. Since then, the two have toured together, released a postcard and download document (Greetings from Celer & Machinefabriek) and bookended the tour with this second 7″ offering, which continues in the vein of tender, processed ambience. Included in the package is a download of two impressionistic videos from Marco Douma, which can be previewed via the release page.
The collaboration seems to have benefited both artists. As two of the scene’s most prolific producers, their output has at times seemed overwhelming; the presence of a counterpart allows each to stretch boundaries and consider previously unimagined sonic twists. As previously reported, Celer has developed a slightly more abrasive edge, evident in Bliksem‘s final minutes and apparent here at the 2:18 mark of “Numa”. The rising drone and crunchy electronics enrich the short composition – a distillation of a longer work – by providing welcome contrast and an element of danger. Like the cover art, this piece is a collage, and its strongest part is its promontory. As the piece returns to its ambient base, the listener remembers where it has wandered. The footstep hints of the fourth minute fall like mud dragged from the song’s center. ”Penarie” introduces the interruption earlier at approximately 1:23, dissolving into near-silence before floating down the river like the couple on the cover. A very slight ticking climax (beginning at 4:00) yields to soft electronic ripples and brings the timbre back to where it began: a cycle completed in only ten minutes.
Numa / Penarie is described as the second part of a series, which means that more should be on the way; both artists are on the right track, and after three more 7″s, we should have a very nice album.