John Hudak - Helene Marie: Reinterpretations

I'm better off leaving this to the label's original press release:

"When John Hudak recorded the "Don't Worry About Anything; I'll Talk To You Tomorrow" compact disk for Alluvial in early 1998, through a series of events, we ended up in possession of an extra piece. We had always intended to release it in some format but remained unsure how to use it. We approached John with the idea of presenting the piece to other composers, many of whom we had in mind prior to raising the idea with John. Upon receiving John's OK, we set about sending it to the composers we chose and a couple of John's choosing. The project ended up taking a lot longer than anticipated. It was well worth the wait. The original track, the source material, is the first track heard. This is followed by Jason Lescalleet. Jason created a shifting, moving tapestry of sounds with beautiful ebb and flow. Marc Behrens uses his signature, understated approach to create a piece full of layers with focus on the nuances of tiny sounds. Sukora's contribution uses small sounds that are almost imperceptible with periods of near silence. Peter Duimelinks explores the extremes of the original by focusing on the highest frequencies and lowest, bassy rumbles. These are blended with a gentle rhythmic pulse that is easier felt than heard. John himself created yet another rich soundscape that is hard to imagine having been coaxed from the original. Francisco López approaches his track with a violent furor that culminates with stark silence. Eric Lanzillotta pays homage to an earlier phase of John's work from his days using the analogue tape. His piece rumbles steadily along and crushes the original beyond recognition. Frans de Waard presents a piece varied with buzzes and whirling sounds compacted into so many layers. The final statement is from Leif Elggren. It sounds as though he ran the original backwards in layers. It is accented with loud, piercing blasts of static interference. The variety over the two compact disks is exactly what one would hope for from a project of this scope. It is varied, confrontational and cohesive. This is a beautiful statement that compliments what John does best - single-minded, gentle soundscapes that are deeply personal and peaceful. John's compositions set a calm, serene mood for the listener. Fans of his style will not be disappointed."

Great double CD set released on Alluvial Recordings in 2002.

disc 1
disc 2