Mark Kirschenmann – Return to Sender
Ann Arbor, Michigan-based composer Mark Kirschenmann’s Return to Sender pushes feedback into uncharted territory by treating a sneakily-patched No-Input Mixer as an unpredictable generator of analog chaos. The album captures improvised, one-take exchanges between processed trumpet lines and shifting electronics, creating a fragile, gritty sonic landscape where the mixing desk acts as a responsive partner with a mercurial mind of its own. The opening title track sets a tense tone with Oval-esque skipping sounds, piping hot high-pitched feedback, and a “Good Vibrations”-style spooky theremin that actually turns out to be the aforementioned trumpet. Tracks like “Closed Circuits” and “Send to Returner” drive the record’s kinetic energy through squeaky washing machine rhythms, heavy hammering, and distorted horn lines, proving how Kirschenmann shapes volatile pulses into surprisingly structured noise.
As the album progresses, Kirschenmann successfully navigates the storm, balancing dense experimental textures with moments of striking clarity. “Circuit Breaker” anchors low-pitched drones beneath funky flittings and a raspy fly of sound that eventually blooms into a rich melodic line, while “Touch Sensitive” offers a lighter shimmer of high-pitched tones. The record moves toward pure electronic abstraction on “Round Trip” and “Wayward,” peppering the listener with electronic fiddly winks and myriad layers of chaotic sound, before resolving in the more sparse, space-conscious landscape of “Crosstalk.” Grounded by his background performing the music of Miles Davis and collaborating with creative luminaries like Wadada Leo Smith, Kirschenmann ultimately grounds this volatile studio experiment in human emotion, capping the album with a melodic trumpet ender that highlights the beautiful tension between man and machine.
Label: Neuma Catalog Number: Neuma 250 Format: CD Packaging: Mini-LP gatefold Tracks: 8 Total Time: 40:22 Country: United States Released: 2026 More: Bandcamp, Official
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