Drone Records

ZYLO, ARVO - UPHEAVAL

Format: CD-R

Label & Cat.Number: NO PART OF IT

Release Year: 2019

Note: some years ago ARVO ZYLO constructed a drone piece out of "layered samples from pop divas holding sustained notes", and made 100 different versions out of it; this CD-R contains versions # 93 to # 99, interestingly shaped drone noise loops.. " At various times these transformations are taken to the extreme, enter Zylo's love for noise, with loops and sounds from the conveyor belts of an industry in decay, but also decay of a more subtle origin can be spotted.." [FdW/Vital Weekly]

Price (incl. 19% VAT): €9.00

More Info

In 2005, Arvo Zylo constructed a drone piece out of several layered samples from pop divas holding sustained notes. It was submitted to a compilation with this information ahead of time, and rejected out of fear of copyright retribution. Thinking that since no single sample therein is easily recognizable in the slightest, "Upheaval" was reworked in a total of 100 different versions, the final version being four hours long ("The torture has been transcended" - WIRE Magazine).

This release, which has been released in a cassette edition at Czech label Nova Alternativa, is now available on pro CDR in the states. More than just drone material, it traverses several different approaches, from soundtracky ambient "vistas" to abrasive industrial repetition.

https://nopartofit.bandcamp.com/album/upheaval-2

"It has been a while since I last heard some new music from Arvo Zylo, following quite a bit of his work on LP, CDR and cassette. Much of his work is about noise, but not exclusively, which he proofs on 'Upheaval'. In 2005 he "constructed a drone piece out of several layered samples from pop divas holding sustained notes", and submitted to a compilation, who refused out of being sued by said (sad?) pop divas. That piece was worked over by Zylo for 100 times and on this CDR we get 'Upheaval Version 93' to 'Upheaval 99". It was previously available as a cassette by Nova Alternativa, and now as a great looking CDR. As is to expected you couldn't recognize any pop diva in here and let it be known I could not name many pop divas, old or new, but the nature of Zylo's processing means that is surely not the case to recognize any of it. As his tools, Zylo uses, so I believe, a combination of digital and analogue tools. The digital ones to pitch the material up and down and to get a loop going, while analogue stompboxes are used to further colour the material. At various times these transformations are taken to the extreme, enter Zylo's love for noise, with loops and sounds from the conveyor belts of an industry in decay, but also decay of a more subtle origin can be spotted in not so ambient but also not so noisy excursions such as 'Upheaval 96', which reminded me of Vivenza. I prefer that more 'subtle but not too subtle' approach by Zylo, perhaps more than the blunt noise of 'Upheaval 99'. It is, however, the variety of approaches here that makes this a most enjoyable release, even when the noise pieces could have been shorter." [FdW/Vital Weekly]