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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nPHILL NIBLOCK \u2013 LOOKING FOR DANIEL<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\nIn January 2024, Phill Niblock<\/a><\/em><\/strong> passed away. The influence of this \u2018master of minimalism\u2019 <\/em>can hardly be overstated. \u2018Known for his thick, loud drones of music, Niblock<\/strong>\u2019s signature sound is filled with microtones of instrumental timbres that generate many other tones in the performance space\u2019<\/em>.
His music is often stretched out until time is no longer relevant, but at the same time it can be quite intense: as Lawrence English<\/em> quotes in his obituary<\/a>, Phill<\/em><\/strong> once wrote \u201cYou should play the music very loud. If the neighbours don\u2019t complain, it\u2019s probably not loud enough.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nTwo beautiful examples of his encompassing drone compositions are presented on Looking For Daniel<\/em><\/strong>, an album that was completed in collaboration with Niblock <\/em><\/strong>shortly before he died.
The first is Biliana<\/em>, composed in 2023 and performed by Biliana Voutchkova<\/a><\/em><\/strong> \u2013 the violinist it was written for. \u201cHer violin phrases and vocalizations carve out a deep sonorous space full of fluctuating overtones.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nExploratory, Rhine Version, Looking for Daniel<\/em><\/strong>, is created from three different performance recordings by Ensemble Modelo62<\/a><\/em><\/strong> and Scordatura Ensemble<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.<\/em>
This composition is dedicated to the co-director of Ensemble Phoenix<\/em> in Basel, \u201cwhich the Rhine river flows through. He disappeared one night and was found along the river after a few weeks. Evidently, he dropped off a bridge. No one thinks it was a deliberate suicide. He is missed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\nBoth compositions feature long extended string chords; it\u2019s interesting to experience the fluctuations in sound, the movement of the waves. Biliana<\/em> <\/strong>feels like a steady drone, with subtle and hardly noticeable changes in the overtones. Exploratory, Rhine Version, Looking for Daniel<\/em><\/strong>, on the other hand, is a drone that is constantly changing its underlying structure: \u2018a work comprising of 20 parts, where lines seem to emerge and
disappear out of a landscape of harmonies and sonic spectra\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\nPhill Niblock<\/em><\/strong>\u2018s<\/em> legacy is a large body of work that deserves to be explored. But I guess the could hardly be a better way to end his career than with these two compositions, which encapsulate everything his music stood for.<\/p>\n
His music is often stretched out until time is no longer relevant, but at the same time it can be quite intense: as Lawrence English<\/em> quotes in his obituary<\/a>, Phill<\/em><\/strong> once wrote \u201cYou should play the music very loud. If the neighbours don\u2019t complain, it\u2019s probably not loud enough.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
Two beautiful examples of his encompassing drone compositions are presented on Looking For Daniel<\/em><\/strong>, an album that was completed in collaboration with Niblock <\/em><\/strong>shortly before he died. Exploratory, Rhine Version, Looking for Daniel<\/em><\/strong>, is created from three different performance recordings by Ensemble Modelo62<\/a><\/em><\/strong> and Scordatura Ensemble<\/a><\/em><\/strong>.<\/em> Both compositions feature long extended string chords; it\u2019s interesting to experience the fluctuations in sound, the movement of the waves. Biliana<\/em> <\/strong>feels like a steady drone, with subtle and hardly noticeable changes in the overtones. Exploratory, Rhine Version, Looking for Daniel<\/em><\/strong>, on the other hand, is a drone that is constantly changing its underlying structure: \u2018a work comprising of 20 parts, where lines seem to emerge and Phill Niblock<\/em><\/strong>\u2018s<\/em> legacy is a large body of work that deserves to be explored. But I guess the could hardly be a better way to end his career than with these two compositions, which encapsulate everything his music stood for.<\/p>\n
The first is Biliana<\/em>, composed in 2023 and performed by Biliana Voutchkova<\/a><\/em><\/strong> \u2013 the violinist it was written for. \u201cHer violin phrases and vocalizations carve out a deep sonorous space full of fluctuating overtones.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
This composition is dedicated to the co-director of Ensemble Phoenix<\/em> in Basel, \u201cwhich the Rhine river flows through. He disappeared one night and was found along the river after a few weeks. Evidently, he dropped off a bridge. No one thinks it was a deliberate suicide. He is missed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
disappear out of a landscape of harmonies and sonic spectra\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n