[R-N 94 ] Kangding Ray - Automne Fold

Raster - Norton music label corporation are set to re-release their German hit winning album ‘Automne Fold’ written and created by artist Kangding Ray, former known as David Letellier which was originally released in 2008.

The re-release are to include a change in the Raster - Nortons group branding, including new corporate logo design and new art work for the album. The tracks have a mixed variety of styles which include Glitch, Abstract and Minimal but with the music genre still being an electronic/synthetic style of listening.

In this album the pulsating rhythm beats become lost within the background-saturated strings, words are spoken over bowed acoustic guitars, and analogue synthesisers which run into each other with a more techno/IDM field recordings. Vocals are a central theme throughout the record. Treated as raw material, like any other sound, the voice operates several styles of beats, melodies or sets themes.

In some moments, it feels like listening of a modern and traditional song structure, but also manages radical abstract textures, when tracks morph in closed forms of static sounds. Automne Fold is an instrumental record, an album of 14 "folded" tracks.
Having listened to the album the first track ‘Konstruktiv’ which lasts for a merely 1 minute 44 seconds has a high tempo based pulse that as a beat throughout the track with a distinct instrumental and tranquil background sympathy.

‘Automne Fold’ continues on from ‘Konstruktiv’ and sound like a Computer or electronic synthesiser has been used and creates a static disturbance throughout with the same pulse repeating over and over again. The techno, futuristic rhythm/vibe in this makes it more mechanical or an atmosphere in a metal/steel manufacturers workshop.
Both ‘Downshifters’ and ‘The Distance’ have a Piano [Detuned] being played in several instances of the tracks by Vincent Feuillet. The feeling of someone running in the wilderness away from something at a high rate of speed then suddenly stopping to either finds that they have escaped or have been captured.

Automne Fold is largely introspective (although not melancholic) in mood, despite its musical genre. This is due to the various artists’ sombre melodies and choice of organic instruments, such as the sonorous bowed guitars, double bass and violins being used.

With Vocals being introduced in ‘A Protest Song’ and ‘Quarante’ to the highly anticipated electronic styles of music that are accompanied by a spoken word selection written and spoken by author Andrew Cannon. With the sound and shape of soft sounding words and their rhythmic combination moves generously from these pieces. While a more dark, creepy lyricism is characteristic of all of the works on display here, it is, perhaps naturally enough, most apparent on these tracks.