The fourth instalment in Peter Kutin’s and Florian Kindlinger’s Decomposition series landed at the beginning of March. Decomposition IV: Variations on Bulletproof Glass is very much as advertised. The duo abused a 400-kilogram slab of bulletproof glass measuring two by three metres and recorded the whole thing for posterity. At one point, a wrecking ball was employed.
According to the duo’s website, the glass underwent “major physical impacts that forced a structural destruction inside the glass, but didn’t break it entirely.”
Microphones originally designed to record automobile crash tests were placed around the glass during the process. The recordings served as the basis for the eight pieces on this double LP.
“These tools, with superior capabilities in comparison to standard microphones, detected a myriad of unique textures within the infra- and the ultrasonic field, frequencies that reside beyond the range of the human aural perception,” according to the album’s notes.
The result is darkly powerful and surprisingly musical. It’s easy to set aside the origin of the sounds and just enjoy the work as a meticulous, gripping electronic composition. The fact that these sounds have been produced via such an extraordinary process only adds to the recording’s appeal.
Two highlights. “I Throne” features an in-your-face vocal by Elvin Brandhi that will grab you by the scruff of your neck. “HYPNAGOGUM” is another favourite. After 37 minutes of heavy electronics, it sounds like an electro-pop track.
The award-winning duo premiered this new work in October at the 2017 Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival in Switzerland. Additional live presentations of the Decomposition series are planned this year.