HZ

Dan Burke and Thomas Dimuzio

Sonoris
1999
CD

PLAY TRACK

TRACKS

Charas: Aware
Rota
Odium
Dross
Stricture
Charas: Rigor
Control
Outflow
Aswirl
Gutbucket
Purge
Dropforge
Charas: Suffix

REVIEWS

“One hour's worth of some of the most dark and disturbing sounds to issue forth from my hi-fi in recent months.” — Incursion

“A very good example of improvised live electronics that won't disappoint lovers of these two brilliant musicians.” — Forced Exposure

“The listen deepens as it progresses, with varied layers of styles developing and fading.” — Manifold

Incursion

Released in 1999, Hz documents a series of live performances which took place in October 1997. The always adventurous and engaging Dan Burke, aka Illusion of Safety, here teams up with Thomas Dimuzio, an electronic sound artist probably best known for his releases on RRRecords (Sonicism) and Odd Size Records (Louden). Both artists have reputations for creating dark, nightmarish post-industrial sound environments, and this is exactly the sort of thing we're given here in ample doses. One hour's worth of some of the most dark and disturbing sounds to issue forth from my hi-fi in recent months, Burke and Dimuzio have assembled a collection of imposing sound environments. Burke performs on electric guitar, processors, tape, radio and objects, while Dimuzio handles sampler, processors, loops and feedback. These free-flowing pieces range in sound from low-end rumbles and deep industrial noises (the loud hum of large machines) to walls of feedback and noise loops. Brief glimpses of hard industrial beats flash before your ears on two short occasions, but are soon quashed by the enveloping drones of noise. Once you reach track 10, with its imposing and unrelenting wall of dense static, you can pretty much say there's no turning back.

The disc ends abruptly and in mid-stream; you're left hanging over the edge of a vast precipice, abandoned to the once-familiar silence of your home you thought you knew so well. The truth is, you found something incomprehensibly comforting in these sounds, this noise, this audible darkness. It occupies the space and fills your lungs, so in such a short time you grew accustomed to this nightmare, probably just in time for Burke and Dimuzio to sever the umbilical cord so suddenly, leaving you helpless and in silence. —Richard di Santo

Forced Exposure

Dan Burke is the leader of Illusion of Safety, the 'group' that succeeded perfectly the marriage between industrial and electroacoustic musics. Thomas Dimuzio has created since his first releases an unusual music made of electronics and electroacoustics with many energies. Bot have already released many records separately. Hz is made of extracts of live collaboration during perforamances in SF bay area in 1998. They use sampler and electronics with. A very good example of improvised live electronics that won't disappoint lovers of these two brilliant musicians. —Eric Benoit

Manifold

Dan Burke has called this one of his favorite works he's put out. Dimuzio is the guy behind Gench Studios, the place where so many experimental labels get their stuff mastered. HZ is a refined, driving, eclectic nightmare of beats, darkhop and odd sound tones and soundscapes. The listen deepens as it progresses, with varied layers of styles developing and fading. Very nice little digipack item.