Grauton – Zwischen
July 30th, 2013
As the old saying goes, a rose by any other name is still a rose.* So it goes with Karen Geyer, who is also known as Grauton. A musician hailing from Zurich, Switzerland, Grauton grabs everyday objects like bicycles, fans, kettles and stools, prepares them with wood, wire, rubber, cord and masking tape, and sets them into gentle motion with small electrical motors. The Zwischen LP collects two side-long pieces of such matter. The first side is primarily comprised of the mechanical tapping of what sounds like detuned guitar strings spritzed with occasional layers of scraping, clattery ambience via the rattling of bicycle wheels, electric fans, etc. Side two is dominated by what sounds like someone hitting a pick against guitar strings, supported by more rhythmic chatter. The overall sound bears a striking resemblance to the work of Fluxus artist Joe Jones, especially his Solar Music and Back and Forth Exhibition Sound CDs. Fans of mellow, meandering, mechanical ambience should enjoy the oddly relaxing Zwischen. It’s a gallery edition if I’ve ever seen one, complete with a full-color insert containing a photo of a table set up with all of Karen’s gear.
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