Disquiet

Nishi means “west” in Japanese, and it’s also the name of a record label run by K.M. Krebs, the musician responsible for yesterday’s Downstream file (here). On October 24, Nishi released its two latest recordings, one of which, Lament for Lost Beats (here), is a 20-minute set said to have been recorded live at the Open Circuits festival in 2002. Such is the nature of live electronic recordings that there’s no evidence of an audience; most live electronic concerts are recorded direct from the soundboard — or, all the more hermetically, direct to the hard drive of the performer’s laptop. In any case, Lament for Lost Beats is a lovely lull, built — no, “built” has too hard a consonant to it; it’s sewn from bell tones and a gently rocking rhythm. Rocking in the sense of a chair, not a garage band. The Nishi site describes it as a “shimmering spiral of tones and ever-so-subtle clicks.” The shifting sounds confuse foreground and background, with deep-toned vibrations that are almost Caribbean and higher-pitched data that fuzzes and grates, but lightly — just enough to keep the listener grounded. At almost exactly 10 minutes in, an identifiable bell resounds, as if to mark the midpoint. The performance is by Murphy Luzod (born Tom Reimer), a Vancouver-based musician. More music by Luzod/Reimer is available on the Luzod iuma.com page (here). Since 2002, Nishi, a subsidiary of No Type Records, has released 31 free online MP3 EPs, of which Lament for Lost Beats is its 30th. Check out the Nishi site, notype.com/nishi.

By Marc Weidenbaum