Acoustic proportions defined by complex logarithms: The Difference Engine derives its name from the first
mechanical calculating machine proposed by Charles Babbage
in 1822, which can be considered the first computer created by men. Kurt Nimmo, the person behind Fosel, hints at the
fact that the music on his latest release is computer-generated, stressing the man versus machine idiom. A monstrous
machinery dominates the barely lit, dusty hall with its metallic wheels, columns and sector gears. Tabs tripping the
carry lever as it passes from nine to zero, whilst spiral arms grasp at the shiny wheels to increment their position
by one. Almost unnoticed, towards the humid stone walls, unfold the sound waves and extend to the vertical barriers
that limit the building's capacity.
Focusing on the music, The Difference Engine is characterised by a descriptive approach. That is, rather than
developing a string of consecutive events, Fosel shows a single impression - the frozen still - from all angles in
order to unveil the last detail. This shifts the action from perception to reflection, from the actual tone sequence
to its internal resonance and reverberation. There is a strong suggestive quality within those slowly shifting aurora
figures. Carefully crafted, they still offer enough variety to prevent dull monotony, without giving away the colours
of the night. For how long would The Difference Engine continue calculating converging polynomials and spinning
its single-high teeth? This question seems to fade as time slows down to a grinding halt and gives way to eternal
gloom.
Olliver Wichmann
Preview audio:
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The release is available as both single mp3 download and entire package including artwork. Some browsers may automatically play the file rather than offering a dialogue what to do with the latter, so in this case downloads may not be that straight forward. In case your favourite browser happens to exhibit exactly that behaviour, simply right click the link, and then a context menu should appear that offers something like "Save as" or "Save location as".
| 1. | Abiogenesis | 10 min 17 sec | 24'134 KByte | mp3, 320 kbps CBR |
| 2. | Hydrophobe | 11 min 56 sec | 27'998 KByte | mp3, 320 kbps CBR |
| 3. | Order of Nine Angles | 7 min 53 sec | 18'484 KByte | mp3, 320 kbps CBR |
| 4. | Karman Line | 17 min 12 sec | 40'316 KByte | mp3, 320 kbps CBR |
| Artwork | Cover art for prints | 894 KByte | 12x12 cm at 300 dpi | |
| Everything | Entire release plus artwork | 103.9 MByte | zip archive |
Music © 2009 Fosel and the Petcord netlabel.
Cover art © 2009 Synflict and the Petcord netlabel.