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Fessenden

Fessenden Radio

General Info

  • Genre: Electroacoustic / Experimental / Minimalist

    Location Chicago/New York, Illinois, US

    Profile Views: 31797

    Last Login: 9/21/2010

    Member Since 8/15/2005

    Website www.other-electricities.com

    Record Label Other Electricities

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Joshua Convey and Stephen Fiehn have been performing as Fessenden since 2004. This Chicago/New York-based electro-acoustic duo/trio* create distinct, atmospheric and progressive sound collages, at times weaving quietly subtle textures against harsh moments of volume, low hums and buzzes against crisp percussion, while drones interplay with staccato chords... *Steven Hess (drums/electronics) was a member from 2004-2009.. .. Fessenden's approach to recording and releasing sound has varied, yet consistently remained apropos of the project's subtle movement. Bleu:resultat (Chat Blanc), was a 111-numbered, limited 3"reinterpretation/collaboration with UK drone artist Keith Berry. Capture/Create (Entr'acte Records) comprised of two improvised pieces, and Preview EP (Stasisfield), comprised of three tracks from a series of improvisations, were both recorded direct to minidisk, documenting the space and tension of their live performances. "Contemplative music that combines the best of improvised music, real instruments and yet manages to sound so micro-sound," is how Vital Weekly referred to Inside the Ice Factory (Utech Records)... .. .. discography:.. .. Preview EP mp3/download (Stassisfield) 2004.. Capture/Create CD (Entr'acte) - 2005.. Inside The Ice Factory CD (Utech Records) - 2006.. Keith Berry vs. Fessenden - Blue: 3" CD (Chat Blanc Records) - 2007.. v/a - "Getting Rid Of The Glue" LP (Pendu Sound Recordings) - 2008.. v1.1 CD (Other Electricities) - 2008.. .. .. .. You can purchase Fessenden v1.1 (other electricities) through iTunes or emusic by clicking one of these .. .. .. ..........Purchase "Inside the Ice Factory" HERE.... CD's are $10 (free shipping for US orders).... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..For overseas orders add $5 for the first item and $1.00 for each additional item using the menu below..... .. .. .. .. .. .. ..$5.00.. ..$6.00.. ..$7.00.. ..$8.00.. ..$9.00.. ..$10.00.. ..$11.00.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...... .. .. .. I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4

  • Members

  • Influences

    .. .. ..Review in Vital Weekly - 661.. Fessenden - v1.1 (other electricities) .. .. This trio of Joshua Convey (bass, electronics), Stephen Fiehn (guitar, electronics) and Steven Hess (drums, percussion, vibraphone, electronics) do something different than Baja and Dot Tape Dot. Improvisation is at the core of their music, but not at the end of the road. They record everything they do and play around with the recordings before we hear them. Composed from improvisation. So far they had a couple of releases on Entr'acte, Chat Blanc (which they recorded with Keith Berry) and Stasisfield, but 'v1.1' is their first full length CD release. Overall, their music is highly atmospheric, even when there are outbursts in sound, such as in 'Peak V/Z*sin', the final track of the CD, but that is a rarity. Usually their sound is more like a continuos stream, in which things rise up, take shape and move away, like watching the sea. On the whole it looks the same, but close by it has all sorts of different looks. In a piece like 'Mid-Swing' they give new meaning to the world minimal techno, in a slow but moving shaker of a piece. Fessenden has succeeded in making a great debut album with their original blend of improvisation, composition, musique concrete and rock music. Very nice one. (FdW) Address: http://www.other-electricities.com .. .. ..Review from Bagatellen.. v1.1 (other electricities) .. .. You say you’re pining for some hard-driving, thick textured, good ol’ fashioned improv, something bright ‘n’ shiny enough to make your kid brother sit up and take notice? Well, here ya go. Fessenden has released a few discs before this one, but “v1.1” is my first exposure to the trio, having only previously encountered Steven Hess (drums, percussion, vibraphone, electronics) in other ensembles. Rounded out by Joshua Convey (bass, electronics) and Stephen Fiehn (guitar, electronics), Fessenden creates enormously compelling works, music that surges atop small rhythms and large throbs in a manner that recalls both Gunter Muller as well as younger bands like Trapist and Radian. The opening track, “not sleeping, just resting”, is a brief encapsulation of their approach: iterated sound elements including ratcheting rhythms and what sounds like a distant child’s cry, kneaded into each other and layered into a thick rope, but moving steadily forward. New sounds are added all the time right up to some gentle feedback at the conclusion, others recede and evaporate. “mid-swing” opens with quick, Martin Brandlmayr-esque cymbal work, the pulse maintained throughout, augmented by ringing guitar and a hive full of other noise. Something of the same pattern is followed on the ensuing piece, “diode”, albeit with a touch of synth-like, abrasive washes and you get a wee sense that there might be more surface than substance here. It’s a fine balance to hold though if a suspicion lingers, it’s largely outweighed by the pure aural fun to be had. The last two works play subtle variations on the already established themes, keeping the crisp rhythmic feel but varying the kinds of sounds flying about it. In fact, an aviary wouldn’t be the least apropos visual image to accommodate much of this music. They switch things up for the final piece, something of a skronkfest although, as always, a damned propulsive one. Enjoy. .. other electricities .. Posted by Brian Olewnick .. .. .. ..Review in Touching Extremes.. ..KEITH BERRY vs FESSENDEN - Bleu:résultat (Chat Blanc ..)....Joshua Convey, Stephen Fiehn and Steven Hess' sounds -appearing as "pt1/1 original w/mix" in the final track of this 3-inch CD, a hypnotic Tortoise-meet-Can interlacement featuring chugging non-rhythms spiced with jangling strings and moaning opacities - were reworked by Keith Berry in the remaining two tracks of the set. "Floating weeds (for Yasujiro Ozu)" starts with a few treated sources (apparently, rain and slowed down crickets but I'm not really sure: Keith is a master of the unlikely transformation) that immediately get embraced by a warm super lunar drone bringing us right back to the beginning of our atavic doubts. The best is yet to come, though: "The other shore" is a marvel of a piece, in the same vein of the recent "58° North" DVD's soundtrack released by Berry with Iain Stewart. The resignation to a still unknown fate is wrapped by an engrossing mantle of synthetic emanations moving in the low regions of the audio spectrum; upon this cloud of grief a barely perceptible, inherent embryonic melody characterizes this poignant combination, which I'd gladly enjoy for hours. "Bleu: résultat" comes in a limited edition of 111 copies; those who love the involved artists' work should not miss this microgem... .. .. .. ..Reviews in Vital Weekly.. ..FESSENDEN - INSIDE THE ICE FACTORY (CDR by Utech Records).. ..FESSENDEN & KEITH BERRY - BLEU: RÉSULTAT (3"CDR by Chat Blanc Records).. ..A while ago, in Vital Weekly 509, we reviewed 'Capture/Create' by the Chicago trio Fessenden (being Joshua Convey on bass, Stephen Fiehn on CD players, guitar and Ipod and Steven Hess on drums and vibraphone), which had some great music that balanced improvised music, minimal music, field recordings and quietness. The band didn't keep quiet and here are two new releases. I'm not sure if 'Inside The ice Factory' was recorded in an ice factory (don't think so), but stylistically it contains 'Capture/Create', but it seems to be even more quiet and still. The release is just one piece that very slowly develops, half way through it finds it's peak and then slowly falls apart in some small particles. The drums and bass create somewhere a vague notion of rhythm, which works well. Contemplative music that combines the best of improvised music, real instruments and yet manages to sound so micro-sound. That may seem like an odd combination, but it works really well... ..For 'Bleu: Résultat' they work together with british drone meister Keith Berry. He has two tracks here, one being a pure solo piece, then he does he rework of Fessenden stuff, and then there is Fessenden playing their music, using Berry's previous work of the CDR. That is: if I understand all of this well. In Berry's two pieces field recordings and feedback seem to be the main protagonists to develop into a nice piece of dark drones, along the lines of Paul Bradley. The second one is more present and louder, but also more single minded developping around one sound. Strangely enough but of the Berry tracks have a similar length. The Fessenden piece is twice as long and here the Berry drones sink away in slowly strummed guitar and scraping percussion. Repeating elements give even the idea of a 'song', but I'm sure that is not the intention. Both releases are great! .. ..Review in Vital Weekly.. ..FESSENDEN - CAPTURE/CREATE (CDR by Entracte).. ..This is my first encounter with Fessenden, a trio of Joshua Convey on bass, Stephen Fiehn on CD players, guitar and Ipod and Steven Hess on drums and vibraphone. They are from Chicago and the two pieces on this release where recorded during rehearsals, direct on minidisc. Their music has an improvised character, but also seems to be working along 'fixed' lines. A strong love of minimal music is present, with small sounds being repeated, and slowly hiss fading in, but all of the sounds seem to be played with a sense of non-importance: no sound, no instrument seems to want to take the lead, jumps out of it, but each one seems to be equally important. It's hard to avoid such terms as microsound or onkyo improvisation here, but Fessenden certainly play two nice pieces of their own version of this kind of music and do a more than excellent job. It could have been easily released on the Object series by Locust Music, which carried similar music. Quite nice indeed. (FdW)"..

  • Sounds Like

    ..Click here to download our free ep "Preview", from stasisfield.com.. .. .... .. .. .. ......

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