SubtractiveLAD - No Man's Land

audiversity

But to hear the future, sometimes it's better to work backwards. Canadian IDM wizard Stephen Hummel knows this all too well: "No Man's Land" is his third full-length in three years, but its progression is a logical one if you've been following along at home since '05's "Giving Up the Ghost" and last year's "Suture." XLR8R favorites n5MD (aka "No Fives, MiniDiscs," inspired by their release style when they opened for business in 2000 and not long before Sony decided the MiniDisc market was getting a little too pear-shaped for their taste) picked up on this and declared subtractiveLAD the posterboy icon for their "emotional experiments in music." Maybe the pressure was on for Hummel to deliver again, but he must've shrugged it off back at the ranch in Vancouver: This third LP doesn't miss any steps in showing off the label's faith in him. "The Shell" is the opening track and most obvious highlight, orbiting all Gagarin-like around the steady beat and guitar lines as muted synths and keys twinkle like Venus on a good night... Then falling back to earth in the final two minutes awash in a helicopter recovery unit of guitar fuzz only Over the Atlantic have bested in the past year... But "No Man's Land" isn't all about hitting the exosphere only to plummet downward again. No, this is a thoughtful and thought-out album noting ambient pioneers (so I guess that means Eno and, him failing, simple country folk like Boards of Canada) and anyone who's ever heard gamelan played effectively (The "Solaris" soundtrack doesn't count), awake right from the moment it pops out of its - I promised I wouldn't end on this - shell. Just don't call it emo.

Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep

To the untrained ear there may be nothing particularly new about SubtractiveLAD's compositions. But for those with a keen sense of musicianship and good knowledge of recording techniques and equipment in the electronica field, it is a different matter. It is interesting to note that n5md, head honcho, Mike Cadoo, upon hearing SubtractiveLAD's music for the first time, instantly noted his completely unique sounds and recording techniques.

For the Vancouver-based musician, also known as Stephen Hummel, develops his own instruments and software, accumulating over 20 self-made devices over the years. Throughout "No Man's Land", his 3rd release on n5md, devices such as home-made synths and patches, drum-boxes, effects units and feedback noise generators are used and combined with analogue instrumentation, on some occasions to breathtaking effect.

Look no further than standout, and title track, "No Man's Land". A 12 minute epic centre-piece that starts off so very calmly, but an undercurrent of distorted guitar work is apparent almost from the outset. As this track weaves between blissful ambience and towering waves of distortion, you find yourself totally immersed in SubtractiveLAD's world. It is one of numerous heartfelt and intensely emotional moments on this release.

Although a number of tracks incorporate subdued, but inventive programming, it is on the more reflective ambient passages where the album truly shines. "Of Sand and Seas" takes its cues from German pioneers Tangerine Dream, but adds layers upon layers of synths and hazy guitars. There's a real earthly element to his compositions, which is surely a product of his home-made synths (or possibly the subtle field recordings throughout). "Of Sand and Seas" conjures images of dormant volcanos in my mind.

That being said, the compelling IDM rythmns on "The Shell" and "The Sun In Your Eyes" show SubtractiveLAD in a different light. The former is a spectacular album opener using compressed beats, driving guitars and celestial synths, bridging the gap between the post-rock and electronica worlds. The latter is a multi-textured piano-led piece, that transports the listener to the ocean front, with its field recordings and calming tones, before rousing you with a series of playful, under-stated programming.

The music contained throughout "No Man's Land" shows a staggering attention to detail. Gentle piano lines, lulling synths, drifting vocals (especially on the gorgeous album closer "The Lucky Ones") combine gracefully with ascending waves of guitar distortion and captivating field recordings. It is rare for an album, with so many ambient moments, to pack such an emotional punch. But then have we come to expect anything less from a n5md artist?.

de:bug

Sind's die Bären, oder warum huldigt man in Vancouver noch der klassischen, instrumentalen Elektronika? Stephen Hummel, so ist zu lesen, kommt eigentlich vom Jazz und Industrial und hat sich bei der Entwicklung von Audiosoftware in Elektronika verliebt und legt mit "No Man's Land" bereits sein drittes Album auf n5MD vor. Was Hummel will, ist Weite, so viel steht fest. Auf einigen Stücken gelingt ihm das auch sehr gut, da beeindrucken Melodien und Akzente so dermaßen, dass man sich um Aufbau und Höhepunkt des Tracks gar keine Gedanken machen muss. Man sitzt dann mitten drin im Stück und will da auch bleiben. Bei anderen Tracks wiederum ist alles ein bisschen unentschieden und man fragt sich, ob man hier nicht eher in einem Rohbau sitzt, der noch kein funktionierendes Dach hat. Dennoch: Hummel kann was, und das solltet ihr euch anhören.

textura

All released on the same day, this latest trio of n5MD releases reveals the breadth of the label's offerings, from the arctic drones of Tobias Lilja to the emotive electronic compositions of subtractiveLAD. The opening pieces on Vancouverite Stephen Hummel's third subtractiveLAD release suggest that No Man's Land won't depart too dramatically from his first two outings, 2005's Giving Up The Ghost and 2006's Suture. But, from the fifth piece onwards, that impression changes, especially when transcendent tracks like “All Ways” and “Meditation 17” appear. Though Hummel broadens out the subtractiveLAD sound with well-timed insertions of guitar, vocal texture, and field elements, it's not the expanded sonic resources that account for the album's impact but its emotive explorations of vulnerability and introspection. The drums stumble rather convulsively in “Synthetism” but, aside from that, Hummel's material unfurls gracefully and, with one piece flowing into the next, the album becomes a warm travelogue of shifting moods and colours. On the one hand, there's undulating swirls of silken shimmer and incandescent guitar peals (“Bring to Light”) and, on the other, epics that grow from prayerful calm to shoegaze intensity (“The Shell,” “No Man's Land”). On the whole, though, Hummel emphasizes elegant quietude, whether it's a slow-moving outro of placidity (“The Lucky Ones”) or a rare, unadorned spotlight for piano during the intro of “The Sun in Your Eyes.”

cyclic defrost

Vancouver-based IDM / leftfield electronic producer Stephen Hummel (aka SubtractiveLAD) originally came from a jazz-improv background before his growing fondness for analogue synths apparently encouraged him to shift his focus towards a purely electronic sound. This latest album No Man’s Land sees Hummel accomplishing the feat of releasing three SubtractiveLAD releases in as many years through the respected n5MD label, though in truth, it represents a considerably different listening proposition to its predecessor, last year’s Suture. While that previous album saw the sharp electronic edges of Hummel’s productions brought to the forefront amidst complex rhythmic programming and contorted digital processing, No Man’s Land sees the electronic trickery retreating to a greater level of subtlety, the focus here falling more on poignant and slowburning sonic landscapes.

It’s also a record that feels considerably more ‘soft focus’ than anything Hummel has previously released as SubtractiveLAD, the fuzzy wall of guitar drone that powers beneath ‘Of Sand And Stars’ yawning ambience calling to mind the epic shoegazer glide of My Bloody Valentine and the 4AD label more closely than anything else. To a large extent, this increased overall feeling of warmth is a result of the increased incorporation of ‘actual’ instruments into his digital sound-palette, the delicate strokes of guitar that surface throughout ‘Bring To Light’ and ‘All Ways’ taking proceedings far closer to the slowburning swell of post-rock than Hummel’s ever previously veered. It’s consequently a SubtractiveLAD album that feels more palpably human than either of its predecessor, with the overriding sense being that on No Man’s Land Hummel is revealing far more of himself with his most personal, contemplative and gentle collection yet.

evilsponge

Of all the artists rostered onto the impressive n5MD, SubtractiveLAD makes a strong case for flagship status. I can't think of another act that more embodies the labels core ethos of emotional experimentation. No Mans Land is Stephen Hummel's (aka SubLAD) third album for the Californian label, and further showcases his refining compositional process. Rather than embarking with a desired result in mind, Hummel prefers to inhabit a piece, developing and varying until it almost takes on life of its own. The creative outcome is like turning on a tap to Hummel's subconscious and allowing his inner feelings to flow into the music.

What might be less apparent, whilst enjoying this album, is the fact that SubLAD created or at least designed many of his own instruments. After training within Jazz, Hummel became something of an analogue keyboard connoisseur. The long story short - the sounds that we are hearing have never been near any other recording we might deem 'ambient', 'electronica' or 'experimental'. They're his alone - bespoke analogue keys, mainly, plus guitars and the ubiquitous processed percussion. In this tag-obsessed world then, when discussing SubLAD, IDM simply is not an option.

Though it may seem odd to say so, given its electronic origins, I find the music on No Mans Land to be pleasantly naturalistic in style. The rain-splashy key arrangement of opening track The Shell conjures memories of Tubular Bells, though thankfully dispensing with the need of any Exorcist. Next up, Life in a Day imagines a harsh, alien landscape complete with crunching beats and swathes of portent synth. Yet again n5MD deliver an album that works holistically. It's a lovingly sequenced record for which we need never reach for the remote control to skip filler. That aside, there are certainly highlights. The imposing title track is a perfect example of Hummel's 'repeat and refine' style. If forced at gunpoint to pick one favourite, I might have to select Synthetism, a futuristic urban vista simply oozing with confidence. Similar cinematic themes are played out elsewhere. There are touches of Eno (Meditation 17) and Moby (Sun in your Eyes) before the majestic closing track, The Lucky Ones, which is pure Vangelis. I love the way this track begins as a Tyrell Corporation fly-by before disappearing into a Lanterna sunset. Sublime.

Plenty for the chin-strokers to analyze then - the personalized instrumentation, the constant chord restructuring, and the twin techniques of twiddling with amplification and stretching sound. The joy of this record for me is that I hardly consider any of those things. Instead, I'm transported for an hour into the subconscious of a remarkable musician, an experience I find intensely human.

"'More human than human' is our motto."
(Tyrell, Blade Runner)

papercuts

SubtractiveLAD continue son petit bonhomme de chemin et nous présente son nouvel opus ‘No Man’s Land’ suite au … ‘Suture’. Dès le morceau d’ouverture, on ressent instantanement que quelque chose a changé… Il faut dire que ‘The Shell’ paraît extraordinairement organique. De la guitare, du piano… Tout cela ferait presque vite oublier les expérimentations sonores habituelles chez SubtractiveLAD. L’album se veut également plus posé, plus tendre, peut-être même plus amoureux…

‘Life In Day’ berce tout en nappes et légères saturations. SubtractiveLAD qui avait l’habitude de remuer les tympans dans leur moindre retranchements semble avoir cherché cette fois-ci à les caresser et à les bercer.

Ceci comme souvent dans les productions du label n5MD, on frôle l’ambient ‘Of Sand And Stars’ en est un excellent exemple avec ses cinq minutes de nappes atmosphériques. ‘Synthetism’ est le morceau où le reconnaitra le plus la patte de SubtractiveLAD, notamment avec ses boucles de batteries syncopées.

Si SubtractiveLAD nous avait habitué à des albums dédaliens, ‘No Man’s Land’ se veut plus épuré - peut-être même plus accessible – et montre au grand jour le travail d’un artiste qui cherche à se renouveller perpétuellement.

sideline

California’s critically acclaimed n5MD label introduces the 3rd album in as many years from Canadian artist Stephen Hummel, otherwise known as subtractiveLAD. “No Man’s Land” follows 2006’s “Suture”, also on n5MD, and marks a further progression in his sound. Hummel’s love of analogue synthesisers and his ability to build his own virtual synths gives his sound a unique quality that sets it apart from other releases. Often permeated in layers of synth texture, “No Man’s Land” creates warm emotive feelings of an intensely personal nature, switching from the melodic determination of opener “The Shell” through the reflective “Life in a Day” or “All Ways” and on to the introspective “The Sun in Your Eyes”. Often exploring the emotions we feel as we continue our journey through life, Hummel translates his own moods and feelings into music for us all to hear and relate to. Each track can be loaded with any emotion you wish to associate with it and each accurately defines a mood, feeling or situation. “Of Sand and Stars” for example depicts a building sense of angered determination while “Synthetism” is more uplifting and energetic with warm analogue tones coursing throughout. By utilising swathes of fluid electronic layers, precise beats and intricate melodies, Hummel creates a warm yet very personal album laden with poignant atmosphere.

angryape

To the untrained ear there may be nothing particularly new about SubtractiveLAD compositions. But for those with a keen sense of musicianship and good knowledge of recording techniques and equipment in the electronica field, it is a different matter. It is interesting to note that n5MD, head honcho, Mike Cadoo, upon hearing SubtractiveLAD's music for the first time, instantly noted his completely unique sounds and recording techniques.

For the Vancouver-based musician, also known as Stephen Hummel, develops his own instruments and software, accumulating over 20 self-made devices over the years. Throughout "No Man's Land" , his 3rd release on n5md, devices such as home-made synths and patches, drum-boxes, effects units and feedback noise generators are used and combined with analogue instrumentation, on some occasions to breathtaking effect.

Look no further than standout, and title track, "No Man's Land". A 12 minute epic centre-piece that starts off so very calmly, but an undercurrent of distorted guitar work is apparent almost from the outset. As this track weaves between blissful ambience and towering waves of distortion, you find yourself totally immersed in SubtractiveLAD's world. It is one of numerous heartfelt and intensely emotional moments on this release.

Although a number of tracks incorporate subdued, but inventive programming, it is on the more reflective ambient passages where the album truly shines. "Of Sand and Seas" takes its cues from German pioneers Tangerine Dream, but adds layers upon layers of synths and hazy guitars. There's a real earthly element to his compositions, which is surely a product of his home-made synths (or possibly the subtle field recordings throughout). "Of Sand and Seas" conjures images of dormant volcanoes in my mind.

That being said, the compelling IDM rhythms on "The Shell" and "The Sun in Your Eyes" show SubtractiveLAD in a different light. The former is a spectacular album opener using compressed beats, driving guitars and celestial synths, bridging the gap between the post-rock and electronica worlds. The latter is a multi-textured piano-led piece that transports the listener to the ocean front, with its field recordings and calming tones, before rousing you with a series of playful, under-stated programming.

The music contained throughout "No Man's Land" shows a staggering attention to detail. Gentle piano lines, lulling synths, drifting vocals (especially on the gorgeous album closer "The Lucky Ones") combine gracefully with ascending waves of guitar distortion and captivating field recordings. It is rare for an album, with so many ambient moments, to pack such an emotional punch. But then have we come to expect anything less from an n5MD artist?