La mecanique des ruptures

Gilles Gobeil - La mecanique des ruptures

* originally posted on February 21, 2007

Comprised of eight compositions dating from 1985 through to 1993, La mécanique des ruptures (The Mechanics of Cleavage) was released in 1994. Gobeil describes his compositional technique as being similar to that of medieval stone-cutters, 'who would strike rock, making it 'ring' in order to judge its worth for construction'. He further describes that his sound material 'is subjected to restraint, to enormous pressure, until it finally sunders, shatters, transforms -- brought to its breaking point'.Fitting words indeed; each of these compositions carries with it feelings of intensity, tension, and urgency. The sounds are reaching critical mass, and seem like they're going to break at any moment and explode right in our faces.

The first piece, 'Le vertige inconnu' (The Mysterious Vertigo), takes as its theme 'the essense of solitude', but on the contrary doesn't feel very solitary. Bursts of concentrated sound alternate with quieter moments of field recordings and incidental noises.

'Voix Blance' (White Voice), featuring Suzanne Binet-Audet on the ondes Martenot, is an extremely dramatic piece with a stunning sound dynamic. Abstract tones and concrete sounds fill a three-dimensional space that shifts in rapid motions, presenting first one scene, then another, creating a work of immense drama and movement.

The third piece features the dynamic improvisational talents of René Lussier on electric guitar. The piece, explains Gobeil, 'consists of a succession of very dense and expressive scenes, a suitable foil for the guitar's vibrant, playful gestures'. As good a description of this piece as any.

The fourth piece, probably the most ambitious and unique among this grouping, incorporates a text and scenario by Lyette Limoges, an intriguing and complex radio-play, full of mystery and compelling imagery: 'The sun was setting. I saw an angel and it took flight, while all around lions tried to hold it back but... and then it became dark.' I was really drawn into this piece, which runs just short of fifteen minutes, and yet still manages to occupy a substantial psychological space in the listener.Further into the disc we find the tightly arranged piece 'Rivage' (Shore), which utilizes 'untouched sounds' from an urban environment. The ondes Martenot makes another appearance in the seventh piece, and 'Traces' closes the disc off with further bursts of intense sounds and sharp movements.

Intense, noisy and complex, La mécanique des ruptures presents a series of very compelling and challenging works. Essential electro-acoustic music that is sure to keep you from sitting still for even a moment while listening. (Richard di Santo, Incursion.org)

Tracklisting:

1. Le vertige inconnu {8:30}

2. Voix blanche {13:02}

3. Associations libres {3:07}

4. La ville machine {14:52}

5. Rivage {8:47}

6. Nous sommes heureux de... {1:03}

7. La ou vont les nuages {11:22}

8. Traces {6:31}

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