Logan Vostok- Circuit bent analoque
(Private Release)
From Aural Innovations #38 (Jan 2008)
A rather fascinating DIY project, Circuit Bent Analogue is the brainchild of
Paul Oppenheim who records under the pseudonym Logan Vostok. The pieces on Circuit
Bent Analogue use primarily circuit bent technology, a process whereby the printed
circuit boards of sundry electronic instruments are deliberately altered or
tampered with. The result is an exploration of the farthest limits of electronic
technology. Circuit Bent Analogue is firmly rooted in the space cadet ethos
of early Klaus Schulze (particularly Irrlicht and Cyborg): long, undulating
waves of pure electronic sound awash in an ocean of filter sweeps, strange oscillations,
and swells of white noise. The effect is truly cosmic and otherworldly, as if
one were trapped in the heart of a computer hurtling through leagues of black
space. The opening track “Re-entry at Nimbus Point” is especially
evocative of this man/machine/space interface. The massive filter-swept drones
of “Phobos Strain and the Elixir” are virtually earth-shattering,
creating a sub-aqueous flow that sweeps the listener to Jupiter and beyond.
“LEM” is perhaps even more sublimely cosmic, its eerie modulations
and slowly evolving twitters of sound montage literally buzzing all across the
stereo field. For lovers of early Schulze, Zeit-era Tangerine Dream and Morton
Subotnick, Circuit Bent Analogue comes close to being a must listen.
Check out the band web site at: http://www.geocities.com/loganvostok2
Reviewed by Charles Van de Kree