Amish Rec.
P.G.Six : music from The Sherman Box Series and other works (2006)***°
The Sherman Box series is an artwork exhibition from Christine Krol at the Abaton gallery in NY, collages constructed in cigarette boxes and small paintings. 7 pieces were arranged for the exhibition, provoking the artist, and are composed for folk harps : wire-strung and Bray harps, solo or combined with echo, tremolo pedal, flanged reverb or played with slide. The recording is played very directly. On the first track I hear also something like electric piano, following close in sound to the harp and as extra echo to it with its own independence. The third track with Bray harp sound in between a koto, harp and sitar. This harp with a beautiful sound has a resonating buzzing tone and was commonly used in medieval and Renaissance times. The fifth track has a piece with two of such a harp. On the 6th track the resonating sounds of the harp are produced by plucking the theme, but also by using some slide with the melody. Last track adds more effects in echo to the already rich bray harp sounds, with a danger to blur it all up, but still controlling the organic sound waves. A very special recording which holds the middle between old and new, while reviving old sounds and adding new experiments, in the direct inspiration and exploration.
To complete the CD format, first of all a piece from 1994 is added, called “The book of Ragguns for 6 electric guitars”. It is PG Six's first solo recording, previously released on a 7-inch single (Superlux Records), a piece that grew out of composition lessons with composer Dary John Mizelle, and it is played by Tom Keller. It is even more an experimental composition of sonic string sound exploration. The piece evolves to long stretched sounds mixed with tremolo and shorter vibrations. Last track is a contemporary 12-tone ? piano piece mixed with electronic sounds. It fits less with the first series of explorations, and it is a distraction from the time perspective richness of the harp instrument exploration, gives an idea of a young, new music interest.
"Medieval and Renaissance harps which use "bray pins", adjusted to lightly touch each string to create a loud buzzing tone. Bray pins are usually L-shaped, can be moved away from the string for a "regular" tone, and have the additional function of attaching the string to the soundboard."
