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01.
Audrey
02. Business Park
03. Germ
05. Dreckapotheke
06. Names Worn
07. Radio China
08. Warmduscher
09. Half Load
10. Marla
11. Gabbafour! |
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11 tracks by Herv written between 1999 and 2002: some taken from previous releases, many available here for the first time. Introduction To Synthesisers blends rolling melodic electronica, gameboy primitivism, washing machine and firework samples, baby krautrock and rumbling gabber.
The disc also includes a video by Dublin based animation collective Polygon Farmer (www.polygonfarmer.com) for the Herv track "Lost Me", taken from 2004's acclaimed "Snap Hands" album on Risc Records (www.riscrecords.com).
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Review #1
As a self-confessed
cobbled together and lo-fi compilation in the name of trying to
"declutter hard drive space," Introduction to Synthesizers surprises
from the off. Half-expecting it to be nothing more than a few standouts
and a stop gap until the next album proper, instead we get some
of Herv's most accessible work to date.
Its electronica
fragments are drenched in a subtle warmth. Ranging from the uptempo
Bonobo-meets-Kraftwerk sensibilities of Germ, the stammering Mellotron
Track, the slow burning complexity of Names Worn and the fantastically
Mum-esque Warmduscher, Introduction to Synthesizers expresses
electronica more eloquently than many others. Meanwhile the low
key drawl of Dreckapotheke, the chugging Marla and Business Park's
emotive glacial soundscape punctuate the album superbly.
At six euro
for the CDR release, it's a must-have for fans of Snap Hands.
Yet even for those not particularly taken with Herv up until now
(shame on you!) it's certainly worth the price of a pint, being
a slightly more immediate record and a little less hard work for
the faint of heart. Certainly a good augery for Herv's next opus
in the autumn.
Review written
by Michelle Dalton
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Review #2
HERV - INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHESIZERS (CDR by Go Away Recordings)
If the copy I have looks at what is for sale, then I'd say it's
a pretty lousy job: very undesigned, with no track list, although
the press blurb do give us track titles. The guy named Herv is
one Ewan Hennelly, who has gained much attention in the last three
years in Ireland, but who has been active some longer period.
The material on this CDR release stem from the period 1999-2002.
Herv plays synthesizers, but those that work on a laptop really,
along with two Gameboy machines. The music is up tempo electronic
stuff, warm and brittle. The material is sometimes similar to
that released by the likes of Highpoint Lowlife, Morr Music or
Expanding Records, but Herv is much more naive, a bit more crude
and raw in his music, thus leaving out the melancholical side
of things, which is actually something I like. Much more upfront
this is, breaking away from the common ground and that is quite
a relief. Very pleasant and refreshing this is. Shame on the cover
though. (FdW)
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Review #3
Herv (unfortunately
rhymes with perv...) have a CD out on Go Away recordings of Ireland
called Introduction to Synthesizers. This is a comp of early material
from 98-2002 which wasn't included on their rather lovely 'Snap
Hands' album. And it's 11 tracks of stripped down twinkly electronica
covering some old school Rephlex to some early U-Ziq, bits of
ISAN, EU etc.... rather lovely indeed!
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Review #4
It would seem that Herv likes to keep his cards close to his chest.
There is little in the way of information on the sleeve of this
album; “1 -11 by Herv 99-2002” is about as candid as it gets.
With no track names to speak of, all I can say is tracks 1, 6
and 10 particularly stand out. Synthesisers, drum loops, pulsing
electronic sounds, low key beats, string and vocal samples all
combine to make this an excellent record. While track 11 finishes
things off with a fine, up-tempo flourish.
80% Ryan
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Review #5
We kijken alweer richting Ierland, immer verscholen achter de
Britse eilandsobstructie. Go Away Recordings is deze zomer opgericht
door Herv (Ewan Hennelly) als een alternatieve uitlaatklep voor
kleinere elektronicaproducers om oud en nieuw werk te kunnen presenteren.
Nog een elektronica label uit Dublin dus, al zijn labels als deze
daar slechts op één hand te tellen. Een extra uitlaatklep is hoe
dan ook een kostbaar goed. Het Herv album is in feite een collectie
oudere composities daterend uit 1999-2002, de tijd dat meneer
bescheiden zijn weg in de elektronica rangen begon te vinden dankzij
lofuitingen van zijn achterban. Voor het vasteland zullen deze
composities geheel nieuw zijn, terwijl in Ierland een deel van
deze nummers al op compilaties verschenen was. Vergeleken met
het nieuwere materiaal van het 'Snap Hands' album uit 2003, klinkt
het hier meer analoog en losser geproduceerd. De stijlen wisselen
elkaar af: van melancholische synthersizer elektronica tot gebroken
nanoloop beats en breakcore beginselen. De synthesizer en Gameboy
kijken elkaar lief in de ogen en voelen elkaar goed aan. Op de
achtergrond dirigeren instrumentele samples het thema voor deze
electro-musette soundtrack. Vluchtige geuren van Ilkae en vroege
Plaid duiken even op.
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