FRAKTURE by Margaret Noble is a collection of text-sound pieces...or what I would call sound poetry. There are recorded texts played throughout the recordings piece's, but they serve as a jumping off point for the musical/rhythmic wonderment that makes up the other parts of the album. There is a text that accompanies the download that touches on analogies to George Orwell's book, 1984 and his view of society controlled by things "outside" of us. The pieces on the album don't make up a chronological story, but utilize what sounds like historical recordings and recorded texts that prepare the listener for what is to come in each piece, acting as something like a preface. The songs are like gems placed within a setting of these story-like surroundings. I would have preferred to have the option of hearing the songs by themselves, but having to wait only builds anticipation. The song, The Object of Power is Power gets my vote for what all music might sound like in the future. I look forward to hearing more of her work.

I kept trying to remember what I had heard in the past that Noble's work reminded me of, and I finally recalled the work of Philip Perkins' album King of the World. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any samples of his work online, and it is only available on lp (still available from Fun Music). Perkin's work is, as I remember it, melodic, containing elements of field recordings, but acting also like little stories, without the accompanying text. The other person I wanted to compare her work to is Joe Frank's, although Frank's work is more about the stories than the music that accompanies them.

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Margaret Noble started her sound arts career working as a Chicago house music DJ. From 2002 to 2004, she played to dance floors across the U.S.A. and in Mexico. In 2005 , she branched out from dance floor DJing into more experimental interests and completed an MFA in sound art at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. She now performs and records using analogue synthesizers, experimental instruments, field recordings and turntables. Her compositions range from soundscapes to musique concrete and she often works in Multi-channel set ups for her performances.

Her collaborative works include sound for film, theater, dance and installation. Her projects have screened in a variety of festivals nationally and internationally. She now focuses her time producing and performing new sound works. She also teaches sound and digital art to teenagers at High Tech High.

Margaret Noble's website

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The album sueca made in japan by earzumba explores the vast areas of the mind with music that reflects the daily lives of different people in various environments. Collaged layers of sound reflect the confusion of modern life with natural sounds juxtaposed against more formal, intense, and emotional instrumental sounds, dialogue and filmic sound effects. The only problem is that this can stack up so much that at times the sound can become over-saturated. It is an interesting album that probes into your brain and makes you think about yourself, others, nature, and the purpose and experience of human life. In a number of cases throughout the album, I couldn't help but think that I would appreciate the melodic elements more without the addition of the environmental sounds...the sparser moments remain for me the most successful.

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Biographical Information: earzumba (a.k.a. Christian Dergarabedian) was born in Buenos Aires and has been composing noise,collage/sampladelia,improvisation, tricky pop and electroacoustic music since 1991 in differents groups: first with the noise duo Nuegado De Serpientes along with Alan Courtis; later, along with Conlazo he formed Reynols, and has been a part of that project for 2 years. Most recently, he has focused on his solo career under different alias' : C.D., Lens Cleaner Trio, and lately earzumba.

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Links: homepage / myspace