TIM MOTZER
ENRICO MARANI
URSULA RUCKER
RICH MEDINA
ELLIOTT LEVIN
BENEDICTE DE DORLODOT
KALAF ANGELO
ADRIANO ENGLEBRECHT
JEREMY CARLSTEDT
BARRY MEEHAN
GLORIA JUSTEN
STEFANO RICCI
BENJAMIN LANGSFELD
JEFF CHESTEK
PETE HUMPHREYS
JOAO 'LIL JOHN' BARBOSA
Influences
secret voices/no time for silence/1k recordings
Secret Voices is a project by Tim Motzer along with Italian electronics guru Enrico Marani. Together, they meddle through an hour long journey and create a cinematic work of enigmatic proportions. The four longish pieces [each clocking in around the 15 minute mark] extend ensemble's technique and push the boundaries just a bit further into "out-there" regions of ambient-instrumental territory. Each one features snippets of conversation and read poetry courtesy of various individuals. Ursula Rucker recites a lovely "I Am a Little Girl Again" on the sultry "What Can They Do?", while Elliot Levin recites some free-wheeling word dabbles on "To Be Perfectly?.Frank". If only to prove this is no pure ambient record, the band is heavy on the saxophones [played by Levin]. When he starts going, it's a free-for-all fest that features outstanding duo head-to-head with percussionist Jeremy Carlstedt. Though much of this music is calming, the words and flurry of instrumentation make things all too interesting to label this "sleep-inducing" music. Motzer's guitar loops reap intricate paths of wonder while stillness is rare when they're around. . Like a soundtrack to a film that's yet to be made, "No Time For Silence" evokes strong imagery that's rich in purpose and defining in mission.
- Tom Sekowski (Gazeta)
secret voices/no time for silence/1k recordings
Secret Voices truly is the voice for hidden entities, mysterious sources of creative energy. How else to explain the audio unleashing of "No Time for Silence," which, ironically, is a sort of audio darkness that expands out of silence. In void, there is meaning. This is true with aural force on "No Time for Silence," sort of an experimental journey into the realm of space music (though by no means can you limit the definition of Secret Voices to space music - it's merely that there is much in common with trad space music ... atmospherics arise and consume!). Eddies of electronic music weave with the guitar sounds for which Tim Motzer (one of the minds behidn Secret Voices, alongside Enrico Marani) has become known. Ambience ensconces you as the audio unfolds in unexpected and mesmerizing ways. This is meditation music for the transcendent. Four stars djfix.com
secret voices/no time for silence/1k recordings
a hypnotizing, intriguing listen, No Time For Silence is long stretches of electronica and avant-jazz supporting poem readings. But it's not entirely a beat coffeehouse type of affair. It often feels more like a David Lynch film, with Angelo Badalamenti-esque tones and timing. Plus electronic drums and feedback, that is.
If that sounds terribly abrasive, it's not. Most of the rough edges are meant to serve the poetry, which is well-read, but also in a few different languages (Italian, Portuguese and English at least), which makes the timbre more charming than the words for the average monolingual listener. Each of the readers (Ursula Rucker, Rich Medina, Elliott Levin, Kalaf Angelo, Adriano Engelbrecht) is uniquely suited to the task.
Clocking in at over an hour, there's an awful lot to take in, with poems varying in seriousness and tone. But if there's one issue with No Time For Silence, it's the lack of the poems themselves in the liner notes, which would seem a logical inclusion.
A rewarding experience.
In a fake Genre: post-post Grade: A --by Patrick Slevin the Aquarian
secret voices/no time for silence/1k recordings 5 out of 5 stars transporting, inspired, hauntingly creative music
textures upon textures of all things sonic. there's a lot going on in this music - elements of western classical, electronic, various ethnic traditions, pop, ambient, spoken words of absurd and sacred truths... amazingly it all exists and grows together in a beautifully clear sonic path. such imaginative music. I'm inspired by it and expect it to stay in my rotation for a long time.
Reviewer: matt davis
SECRET VOICES - NO TIME FOR SILENCE (1k) 2006 ---OUT NOW!
Epic compositions and improvisations from a world collective of poets and musicians--conceived by producers tim motzer and enrico marani (reggio emilia)--colliding ambient, dub, classical, free jazz, and electronics laced with guitar feedback and loops along with the eclectic and sublime poetry of ursula rucker, rich medina, elliott levin (philadelphia), kalaf angelo (lisbon), and adriano englebrecht (rome) with mesmerizing results. musicians elliott levin, tim motzer, enrico marani, barry meehan, jeremy carlstedt, and gloria justen all contribute tremendous musical expression to this momentous dark cinematic vision.
cover paintings by stefano ricci (hamburg). produced and arranged by tim motzer for 1k recordings with enrico marani for movingbox. mix translation by jeff chestek with tim motzer. design by benjamin langsfeld at eneone.com executive producer: tim motzer
TRACK LISTING: THE CHAIN CHANT 13:27 featuring ADRIANO ENGLEBRECHT
INTERPOLATING TRISTAN FRAGMENT, AND FINALLY WITHOUT CHAINS
ADRIANO ENGLEBRECHT-VOICE, POEM, VIOLA, VIOLINO
ENRICO MARANI-ELECTRONICS, BEAT PROGRAMMING
TIM MOTZER-ELECTRIC & SLIDE GUITAR
BARRY MEEHAN-BASS
ELLIOTT LEVIN-FLUTE
TO BE PERFECTLY...FRANK 18:58 featuring ELLIOTT LEVIN
INTERPOLATING DEJA VU DUED ALL OVER AGAIN AND DISPLACED BY THE BLINK OF A THIRD EYE
ELLIOTT LEVIN-VOICE, POEM, SAXOPHONES
TIM MOTZER-GUITAR LOOPS, FREQUENCY GUITAR
ENRICO MARANI-ELECTRONICS, STRINGS, PIANO SAMPLES
BARRY MEEHAN-BASS LOOPS
JEREMY CARLSTEDT-DRUMS AND MALLETS
A SILENCE INVADES ME 14:27 featuring KALAF ANGELO
KALAF ANGELO-VOICE, POEM -'LISBON CONFERENCE'
BENEDICTE DE DORLODOT-VOICE, CROSS CULTURAL ECHO
TIM MOTZER-ELECTRIC GUITARS, LOOPS, BEAT PROGRAMMING
ENRICO MARANI-ELECTRONICS
BARRY MEEHAN-BASS
WHAT CAN THEY DO? 15:05 featuring RICH MEDINA and URSULA RUCKER
RICH MEDINA-VOICE, POEM -'UNTITLED POEM'
URSULA RUCKER-VOICE, POEM -'I AM THAT LITTLE GIRL AGAIN'
TIM MOTZER-FEEDBACK GUITARS, GUITAR LOOPS
ENRICO MARANI-ELECTRONICS
BARRY MEEHAN-BASS, BASS LOOPS
JEREMY CARLSTEDT-DRUMS
GLORIA JUSTEN-VIOLINS
SECRET VOICES - NO TIME FOR SILENCE is
available in Philadelphia exclusively at:
AKA MUSIC
27 N 2ND St
Philadelphia, PA 19106-2214
(215) 922-3855
"April is the cruellest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain."
"Aprile è il più crudele dei mesi, genera Lillà da terra morta, confondendo Memoria e desiderio, risvegliando Le radici sopite con la pioggia della primavera. ".
Greetings from Germany working with my new band Little Rock Nine (myspace.com/lr9band). Amsterdam next week, then back to NYC. Europe again in December, January with LR9.
