CD – Spoken Matter

This work consists of striking repetitions of isolated words, twenty-four loops, twelve for each side of the vinyl. They have been selected for their ambiguity and sonic quality, vocalised and recorded by the poet Ian Hatcher, who developed a specific prosodic approach – which studies the rhythm, stress, and intonation of everyday language – to interpret these words in the most appropriate way. Andreas Bülhoff and Marc Matter are not new to projects of this kind. On ɅV / A Sonic Writing Tool, released by the Berlin label Research and Waves in 2021, they explored the condensation of meaning through short sound fragments, hoping that complex words could generate effects of sense and perception. In micro poems, this concept is taken to the extreme thanks to the use of the closed fixed grooves of vinyl, which permit endless and precise repetition that is impossible on other media. Each loop thus becomes a sonic microcosm, where the ambiguity of the words and their ceaseless repetition create a space between loss of meaning and interpretive potentiality. Updating a poetic approach to spoken language, Bülhoff and Matter on one side of the release present a single word per loop, while on the other two words per loop are used. This structure allows the listener to immerse themselves in a listening experience that is at once meditative and friendly. Incessant repetition fosters a deep perception of the sound, timbre and intonation of words, turning listening into a careful investigation of linguistic nuances. In this sense, micro poems approaches practices of sound poetry and vocal experimentation, where the word becomes matter and rhythm rather than merely a vehicle of meaning. The absence of a defined narrative or syntactic context leaves room for individual interpretation – the same word, repeated without interruption, can generate different images, associations and sensations depending on the attention and mood of the listener. At some points, the words seem to empty themselves of meaning, becoming pure sound; in others, suggestions of meaning emerge, a play between presence and absence, between clarity and ambiguity. Micro poems invites active listening, where meaning is not delivered, but continuously constructed by the listener themselves. Repetition then becomes a tool of exploration, and language perception evolves slowly, almost imitating cognitive processes related to memory and association. The end effect is tension between order and chaos, between immediacy and expectation, an effect that keeps our attention engaged even with its apparent simplicity.

 

Andreas Bülhoff and Marc Matter – micro poems