LP – Kohlhaas

The two tracks presented here by Giovanni Lami are the result of multiple field recordings captured during a residency held in Cotignola in the Ravenna province in Italy. Monumento Fiume adds to the already impressive catalogue of the Kohlhaas label, run by Marco Segabinazzi, spanning a wide range of styles including radical improvisation, electroacoustics, sound poetry and contemporary composition. The name of the label takes us back to the novel of the same name by Heinrich von Kleist, and also to the derivative monologue which marked the birth of Italian narrative theater at the end of the 1980s. Monumento Fiume itself is an elegant textual construction, an oxymoron that shows both the static and dynamic character of the two compositions, which possess a vibrant emotional flow and are characterised by the use of multiple recording techniques. A diverse range of sounds from both natural and anthropic environments are captured by microphones with an emphasis on acute sounds in an effort to convey the complexity of the landscape. The compositions, originally installations in the Church of Pio Suffragio, are fluent and detailed. Lami is informed by the conceptualisation of sound as a social practice and as a means of communication, his intention is to create a sound map to serve as an archive for posterity and future generations. Giuseppe Lelasi, another sound designer and electroacoustics composer, collaborated with Lami in the mastering of the recordings. His involvement adds further balance and overall coherence to the already powerful and distinct sounds, which are juxtaposed with great care and a desire to reveal their origins. The sounds do not give the impression of being completely raw, but we cannot know for sure. They meander like minimalist arias, sometimes rhythmically, other times with more of a melodic feel, resulting in a masterful collection of evocation aural passages.

 

Giovanni Lami – Monumento Fiume