Bleak Bliss

Jérôme Noetinger - Gloire A...

For the third entry in his Cinema Pour L'Orielle series in 1992, Metamkine's own Jerome Noetinger released a rare studio composition of his own.

Jérôme Noetinger - Gloire A...

Zbigniew Karkowski - Consciously Unconscious Unconsciously Conscious

This will do whatever you want it to do. One of my favourite pieces by Mr K.

Perfectly titled 3" CD released on Metamkine in 2002.

Consciousness

Jim O'Rourke - Rules of Reduction

If you have but a passing interest in musique concrete, then American shapeshifter Jim O'Rourke's entry in the Cinema Pour L'Orielle series might be simply an entertaining little EP. If, however, you've heard and absorbed the work of Luc Ferrari, Pierre Schaffer and the other heavyweights, then "Rules of Reduction" is a laugh-out-loud, respectful homage to the cliches and techniques of French tape music. See how many you can spot. The more you listen, the more you'll hear. It's more than a mere succession of audio jokes, of course; think of it as if Edgar Wright treated electroacoustic music the way he did zombie movies in "Shaun of the Dead". It works on its own, while layers exist for those who can pick them out.

Jim O'Rourke - Rules Of Reduction

Jean-François Laporte - Mantra

Inspired electronics that points firmly towards creators not of this earth.

3" CD released on Metamkine in 2000.

Mantra

Michel Chion - Credo Mambo

Composed and released in 1992 as a 3"CD by Metamkine's Cinema Pour L'Orielle imprint.

Michel Chion - Credo Mambo

Philippe Mion - Confidence

If Richard David James made musique concrète it would go a little something like this ...

3" CD released on Metamkine in 1995.

Confidence

Michel Chion - Dix-Sept Minutes

Recorded at INA-GRM in 2000, released by Metamkine in 2002.

Michel Chion - Dix-Sept Minutes

Michèle Bokanowski - L'Étoile Absinthe

A genuinely haunting and pleasantly disturbing piece of work that would compliment any of Guillermo del Toro's earlier films ... the horror pornographers could learn a lot about tension just by listening to this.

3" CD released on Metamkine in 2002.

L'Étoile Absinthe

Michèle Bokanowski - Tabou

Released in 1992, this first 3"CD to be released on Metamkine's Cinema Pour L'Orielle series was a 1984 piece by classical electro-acoustic composer Michèle Bokanowski.

Michèle Bokanowski - Tabou

Dominique Petitgand - 10 Petites Compositions Familiales

When this finishes, I always wish there was more ... feel free to paint your own pictures.

3" CD released on Metamkine in 1996.

10 Petites Compositions Familiales

Michel Chion - Gloria

Metamkine's curator and publisher Jerome Noetinger must be a big fan of Michel Chion. He released three different titles by Chion on his Cinema Pour L'Orielle imprint, more than any other composer in the series, and would compose two massive (double CD!) collaborative pieces with both him and Lionel Marchetti in 2004 and 2016. "Gloria" was composed in 1994 at the legendary INA-GRM studios and released as a 3"CD in 1995.

Michel Chion - Gloria

Jean-Marc Duchenne - Feuillets D'Album

I reckon that Rudolf Eb.er would doff his proverbial schimpfluchian concrète chapeau in this direction. Yeah, on here, that counts as a recommendation.

3" CD released on Metamkine in 1995.

Feuillets D'Album

Patrick Ascione - Métamorphose D'Un Jaune Citron

Another historical piece of tape music, this one ("Metamorphosis of a Yellow Lemon"?) from 1979 is by French acousmatic composer Patrick Ascione. Released by Metamkine in 1995.

Patrick Ascione - Métamorphose D'Un Jaune Citron

Les Kristoff K. Roll et Le Compañeros Band - Des Travailleurs De La Nuit, À L'Amie Des Objets

Dialogue driven black and white concrète protestation.

3" CD released on Metamkine in 1997.

Des Travailleurs De La Nuit...

Ralf Wehowsky - Nameless Victims

Composed in 1994 and 1995 and released by Metamkine in 1996 as part of their ten-year, 30-title Cinema Pour L'Orielle series, "Nameless Victims" is a very modern descendant of Walter Ruttmann's "Weekend". Severe, austere, and uncompromising sound by Ralf Wehowsky, who you may know as RLW or from his work with the seminal group P16.D4 and the Selektion label.

Ralf Wehowsky - Nameless Victims

Betrand Dubedout - Aux Lampions

Reversed mouth organ and accordion accompanying a one legged tap dancer practicing his art before he falls down a flight of stairs ... and that's only the start.

3" CD released on Metamkine in 1994.

Aux Lampions

Walter Ruttmann - Weekend

While most of the titles in Metamkine's Cinema Pour L'Orielle series feature contemporary tape music, this little 3"CD is of historical significance. It was commissioned by Berlin Radio in 1928 (yes, you read that year correctly) and completed in 1930 by the experimental and documentary film director Walter Ruttman, who conceived it as, literally, a movie without images. Ruttman's documentary work would lead to his production of German newsreels (aka Nazi propaganda films) during World War II, even working on "Triumph of the Will" with Leni Reifenstahl. But don't let that unsavory association prevent you from enjoying "Weekend" on its own merits as a landmark in electro-acoustic music and audio art.

Walter Ruttmann - Weekend