Review Heathen Harvest

Thank God for the avant-garde experimentalists. Without them the world would be a very dull place. By my reckoning that’s 99% of you who’ve now left this review after reading that short introduction. Good. Don’t need you. Don’t want you. As I was saying. Ever since music has been created there have been provocateurs who have pushed the boundaries of acceptability. These artists have had a vision so out of touch with the norm that it’s heartening to be privy to their imaginations. Every decade throws another bunch of such artists or groups into the limelight and under the critical spotlight. Today I’m featuring and celebrating the tortured genius that is Mirko Uhlig. Perhaps tortured isn’t the correct word, he probably isn’t, but it has a poetic ring to it that fits.

There is nothing comparable to a bit of abstract German weirdness. This has more to do with the language more than anything else. Read a song title in English like ‘the trout walks backwards with a cigar in its mouth’ and it may raise a bewildered smile. Read that same title in German though and it takes on a hidden dark meaning. More so if you don’t speak German. Which I don’t. And that title isn’t here by the way. Or at least I think its not. Unknown language with indescribable music makes for a great combination.

Mirko Uhlig has been releasing music since 2004. ‘Ich habe nur noch 12 Seepferdchen in meinem Tempel’, which roughly translates as ‘There are only 12 seahorses left in my temple’, is the third release by him and his various assistants. In this occasion he was joined by Diana Prasser, Jörg Eger, Lars Detert, Björn Detert and Pia Uhlig. He’s released a few more since which may be of interest to you. Now comes the hard bit. How do I get across, without making you suicidal through boredom, how incredibly mystifying and delirious this recording is. The first few seconds of the first track set the scene. A clockwork toy is wound up then plays. A sound is heard in the background that is slowly drawn out. Then the voices begin. A man child at play. Dark murmurings. Strange ominous sounds. These continue straight into the second track. As the brain struggles to accept these voices nothing seems to be happening. Then a piece of clarity clears the dense fog and an out of tune guitar starts strumming before being immediately replaced with more exotic sounds and manipulated voices. This in turn mutates into black ambience and then replaced with frantic neo-folk styled guitar strumming. Track three changes tone once more and begins with a collage of voices and electronics, followed by more guitar playing, then ending in another montage of voices and fuck knows what sounds. Track four is a piece of underwater minimalist electronic ambience that lives up to its title, ‘ something…I did mention knowing no German… Aquarium’, and more. Following on…well I’ve started describing them so its pointless not finishing the task…track five heads off into a 12 minute piece that comprises all of the aural elements found on the first four…and then some. Track six…nearly at the end so hang in there…is a noise induced piece of melody that has been tampered and battered all over the shop. The final piece to this elusive mind expanding puzzle is laid by sound manipulation moving swiftly into dark electronic ambience and a last splurge of vocal madness.

I might have been rash by saying that only 1% of you reading this would get into this type of recording. I’ll be generous and up that to 10%. It should be more but I know how fickle and unadventurous most people are. This release then isn’t for them. They wouldn’t be able to grasp the aural pictures that a more perceptive mind could grasp. ‘Ich habe nur noch 12 Seepferdchen in meinem Tempel’ has a warmth and glow of discovery about it. Unlike many experimental pieces there is nothing to fear here. The exact opposite in fact. Sure it’s unpredictable and totally surreal…but in a good way. Out of the three Einzeleinheit recordings I’ve reviewed for this update ‘Ich habe nur noch 12 Seepferdchen in meinem Tempel’ just edged Compest out as my favourite release. Which was no mean feat. Genius. Pure German madcap genius at its best.

By Alan Milne