Not unlike the 2022 reissue of Nibbas, Al-Azif is a long-ignored tape from Italian sound artist Capricorni Pneumatici. Here, the recordings were made in an underground assembly of cement tanks that serve not merely as a backdrop but as an integral component of the sound. The tanks varied in size and were equipped with openings above and below ground level. This architectural peculiarity provides the album with an unusual resonant palette.
In generating the auditory landscape, Capricorni Pneumatici applied a mix of implements including sheets of metal, hammers, PVC pipes, air compressors, and corrugated tubes. The natural acoustics of the space produced the end result without the aid of post-production enhancements or overdubbing. In other words, the space itself was a hidden yet important instrument in developing the overall sound.
The fruit of this effort includes booming and echoing percussion with rattling and scraping subtexts. The resonance of the space allowed these sounds to reflect and build upon themselves and one another in constructive and destructive patterns. The space also served as a natural delay with previous “notes” spreading into white noise that accompanies newer ones. Characteristic sounds include the rubbery twangs of the PVC pipes, repeating motifs that resemble the output of a didgeridoo, and drones with indeterminate sources.
The “playing” of resonant spaces has recently had a resurgence, with musicians using conventional instruments in tunnels and water tanks, for example. Al-Azif is a much earlier document of this general approach albeit with a set of tools and construction materials used as found-object instruments. Nonetheless, the album sounds surprisingly modern despite being recorded over 35 years ago.
Avant Music News 