RUDOLF EB.ER & WILL GUTHRIE – ‘Hilt’ LP
Based in Osaka and Nantes respectively, Rudolf Eb.er and Will Guthrie have both forged unique and quite different paths in numerous disciplines of experimental music over the past decades and created extensive bodies of work, both as soloists and in collaboration with other artists from around the world. Austrian-born Eb.er (aka Runzelstirn & Gurgelstøck) might be best known as the initiator and head of the Swiss artist collective Schimpfluch-Gruppe, which has constantly been pushing the boundaries of extreme music and performance art since its foundation in 1987. Among his many audio releases, »Hilt« is his third work for Fragment Factory, following »Nigredo« (as Schimpfluch-Gruppe, 2013) and »Wellenfeld« (with Joke Lanz, GX Jupitter-Larsen and Mike Dando, 2014). Australian-born Guthrie, on the other hand, has become synonym for breaking new grounds in drumming and percussion, delivering the missing link between radical and forward-thinking jazz, traditional musics and experimental/improvised electronic music. Rather recent collaborators include the likes of Jean-Luc Guionnet (note: »Stones, Air, Axioms / Delme« w/ Thomas Tilly, Fragment Factory, 2015), Mark Fell and Oren Ambarchi. »Hilt« is the first collaboration of two artists who, based on their previous musical work, seem very different at first glance. However, it quickly becomes apparent, that the distinct approaches to composition and sound complement each other perfectly and make this album a very special and exciting affair. The closer you listen, the more you will be drawn into it and realize that the rhythmic drumming, the careful arrangements of hiss, crackle and eerie muttering paired with fragmented bits of percussive noises make »Hilt« a very coherent whole. A very organic and ritual-like album I would say, captivating and a little daunting at the same time. Fragment Factory is thrilled to present »Hilt« in its final revelation, pressed in an edition of 300 copies on black vinyl with smashing artwork by Alice Kemp, long-time friend and co-conspirator of the label and Herrn Eb.er.