Modelbau is the latest solo project from Frans De Waard. Frans has been creating and releasing his own noises since 1984 with the formation of Kapotte Muziek and the label Korm Plastics. I remember first hearing Kapotte Muziek on the 1986 tape compilation "Wolfsangel" and I've been a keen listener of all things De Waard since. Over the years Frans has been apart of and behind such projects as THU20, Beequeen, Shifts, The Tobacconists, Goes, Freiband and WaSm. (There are many more but these are the ones that come straight to mind .. and are "favourites"). And now and for the past three years ... Modelbau.
Frans began Modelbau to work with lo-fi sound sources such as old tape machines (dictaphones / Walkmans), shortwave radios and small / toy synthesisers. Over the years it has developed in to also utilising laptops and old school sampling devices. The Modelbau "style" is non-aggressive noise, drones and glitches, exploring and stretching frequencies. At times the releases are like sketchbooks as there is very little editing / mastering involved. It is (More or less) presented as is.
There's about a dozen Modelbau tapes and CD's out now, the latest being the C30 cassette "Typewriter" on the Italian Dokuro label.
"Typewriter" is built of four pieces.
"Through Out" is a pleasantly layered static, a grey affair with haunted organ drones and glitches.
"Turn Over" is interfering with interference. An alien transmission. A bass hum adds a sense of melancholia.
"Take-Off" is a lo-fi hum drifting patternless. There's some attempt at rhythm but it never takes off.
"Touch-Up" is a hypnotic soundwave that flowers and bubbles on the peripheries.
Four pieces of well orchestrated space and tones, colours and textures. It has been one of those cassettes that has stayed in the tape machine over the past week or so, getting daily spins. Highly enjoyable. Recommended.
Copies are available vis Dokuro: http://www.dokuro.it
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