Green House Music - Reviews: Saul Stokes

Saul Stokes - Abstraction

GHM.01.02
Released 2001

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AmbiEntrance - David Opdyke (c) 2002

While his previous works may have been somewhat more "musical" ( it's not like he was belting out showtunes), saul stokes' newest delves further into abstraction by way of enigmatically hovering gaseousness and energized forces.

Laced with sheening hisses and glares, layers of steamy soundwaves drone into the twin worlds of abstraction where vague energies writhe and disappear in alien-organic (de)formations. Sci-fi shimmers spew from fireworks (3:20) into smoother streams as deeper convolutions murmur below. Hoots and rumbles occur deep within the wash-and-waver of we resolve (18:30); an overriding pattern of rippling clunks texturize the lazy rivulets and, occasionally, distant electrowails add an intriguing, mournful presence.

All seeps into radiantly thrumming gaskill, which (in several phases) grows considerably and increasingly LOUDER (making for a strange "the- mothership-is-landing" awakening if you're using it as a sleep disc, let me tell you...).The seventh and final piece passes through ageless agate, as descending twitters pass upward chords. Gritty grumbles and electrified strands converge in its interior.

Build-your-own synthesist saul stokes strides into never-before-heard territories; filling its namesake with actively evolving entities, the electron-swamp soundscenes of abstraction make for edgily experimental listening. These pieces kept me more wary than lulled, though moments of beauty and peace were savored when uncovered amid the otherwise alienating atmospheres. B.

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Sonic Curiosity - Matt Howarth (c) 2002

This 2001 release features 71 minutes of Stokes' unique electronic music, crafted with machinery designed and constructed by Stokes himself. The material on this CD was culled from live performances from 1997 through 2000, with multitrack modification conducted by Stokes in his home studio.

Because of the unconventional nature of the equipment played by Stokes, the "sound" of this music displays an elusive quality, making codification awkward in standard terminology--while devoid of tempo, the compositions are lush with a melodic quality. The general mode of the music is ambient, but there exists a grittier edge than found in most atmospheric soundscapes. Harmonic in overtone, the melodics are deceptively unstructured. Patterns are present, but craftily immersed in a flowing textural sense.

Washes of languid tonalities sparkle, descending from an abstract sky. These sonic vapors become home to a variety of briefly existent sounds of noticeably unearthly distinction. Shrill pitches (wholly sedated into pleasing aural punctuations) mix with calmly growling vibrations bordering on subsonic qualities. These opposites blend with the atmospheric foundation, elevation the "abstraction" into a gentle interplay that is richly evocative and alive with thought-provoking electronic elation.

All of which frustratingly evades any accurate description of Stokes' lovely music. These pieces may lack recognizable keyboard patterns or discernible beats, but the music is nonetheless vibrant and engaging, far more so than what one might imagine from the term "ambient" or "atmospheric." While exhibiting those tendencies, this music also possesses more substance than conventional soundscapes. That substantiality manifests as music that induces more than basic meditation, these tracks are intended to stimulate the intellect of the listener and inspire unprecedented notions of invigorating caliber.

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The Instrumental Weekly (c) 2001

With its homemade instrumentation, Abstraction from Saul Stokes is a collection of live recordings made between 1997 and 2000. The result is a surprisingly cohesive and darkly ambient album that fans of the genre will be delighted to listen to. Throughout this album, all sorts of electronically produced sounds are present, from the soft hiss of white noise to laser-like shots that jump across the left and right channels. Many elements are subtle and persistent, while others are immediate and intense, only to fade away into nothingness. This is a mind trip you'll want to take again and again.

As Saul himself puts it, it is difficult to capture compositions such as these outside of a live environment. After listening to this album several times, it is easy to understand why a live audience is truly the best venue for creations of this sort. There is so much spontaneity involved here that it almost makes the mind reel to think that the same piece can never be performed the same way twice. The tracks found here are singularities in the world of Stokes, and are a perfect testament to his vision and voice as an electronic composer.

Like many darker ambient releases, Abstraction opens quietly yet purposefully. "The Twin Worlds of Abstraction" opens the album, and presents a rather eerie array of sounds. There are several sections in this track that feature a sound like an almost burned-out lightbulb that has suddenly had its wattage increased for a few seconds, and then turned down again. For some reason, the opening credit sequence to the David Fincher film Se7en kept coming to mind. "Fireworks" is next on the album, and it too features soundworks that verge on the edge of foreboding, if not subversive.

I think my favorite track is the lengthy and dramatic "We Resolve", that alternates between moments of quiet and reflection, and moments of mystery and shadow. It also has long stretches of anticipation, as if something wicked this way comes, and it's just around the corner. What I appreciate is the way Stokes keeps what's hiding in the shadows at arms length, making the overall experience all that much more curious and eerie.

The electronica found on Abstraction is heady stuff to be sure. There are times where patience is an absolute must as Saul prepares to reveal the next pathway on the journey. You can picture him setting up a piece of equipment, making patchcord connections, getting ready for the next surprise, while the whole time we hear the droning sound of an unnamed source as it continues to steadily hum in the background. This is a real treasure in the ambient world, one that shouldn't be missed.

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Star's End - Chuck van Zyl (c) 2001

Electrical appliances today are taken for granted by our culture, but not by Saul Stokes. Dubbed everything from Sonic Innovator to (in jest) Popular Science's Electronic Musician of the Year, Stokes stands out in his field by having designed and built his own array of museum quality electronic instruments. This achievement enables Stokes with precise control over his original sounds and textures from the AC plug all the way to the PA speakers. But this is about more than just wires and solder. While Stokes demonstrates unprecedented real-time control over the output of his gear, inspiration for his music comes from an outlet on a more human scale. The intimacy of the concert stage is where Stokes transforms his craft into art. The immediacy of the moment, the consistent pattern of change and the spark of inspiration all act upon Stokes as he produces continuous currents of sound for a spellbound audience. At these rare and wonderful events, harmony takes a backseat to timbre as determiner of the emotional content of a piece. Constantly adjusting the tonal qualities of the composition by ear, the direction of a piece can change at will as the schematic of the performance is updated and changed by Stokes moment to moment. Although faded from his consciousness, the audience plays an important role in his music too. According to Stokes, these compositions cannot be realized outside the intimacy of the live environment. The new album ABSTRACTION, compiles highlights from several such occasions. Each track is born out of vision, craft and spontaneity and strung together one after the other to form a virtual concert. The album flows smoothly through a contoured electric landscape of distinctive pads, drifting pitches and atonal synthesizer effects. ABSTRACTION is a cerebral album that seductively draws the listener in, leaving you to find your own way out.

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Ambient Visions - Jim Brenholts (c) 2001

Saul Stokes is a class act. After several brilliant releases on the Hypnos label, including their first, he has released "Abstraction" on Green House Music. In the liner notes, he thanks Hypnos and Mike Griffin. This deep atmospheric set is a mix of live recordings from Saul's concerts between 1997 and 2000, inclusively. (Saul's gratitude to Chuck van Zyl and Jeff Towne and the acknowledgement of Art Cohen's live engineering indicate that some of the recordings are from Saul's Gathering shows.) Listeners familiar with Saul's work will recall that he designs and builds his own instruments. That skill and devotion are two of the elements that contribute to this unique sound. The music is definite minimalism, absolutely ambient and totally atmospheric. And it has an edge! It is not necessarily dark minimalism but it is eerie, even subversive. The CD is full of mixed messages and cross-referenced emotions. It is difficult to define the emotions. They are there but they are not centered. The title says it all. The feelings are abstract.

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All Music Guide - Matt Borghi (c) 2001

With Saul Stokes "Abstraction", it’s exactly that, the abstract that comes to mind. This is more of an experimental recording than one would expect from the folks at Green House Music, but just the same it’s an interesting and provocative recording that borders on a fine-line between contemplative electronic music and Ambient. One of the truly unique things about the work of Saul Stokes’ is that he makes all of his music on homemade patch-cord based synthesizers, which is both good and bad. It’s really good because this recording makes for very interesting listening, but at the same time there’s a lot of white-noise and equipment hiss in the foreground of this recording. Nevertheless though, Saul Stokes and Green House Music have released a very fresh, and very bittersweet recording in "Abstraction"; think Pierre Schaeffer and John Cage’s “Imaginary Landscapes” fused with 21st century, state-of-the-art recording technology and you’ll get a really good idea of the kind of work that Stokes has crafted here. If you enjoy electronic music a little more than electronic Ambient music then this will certainly be the recording for you. "Abstraction" is a very distinct and original recording that truly breaks new ground.

(musicians note - I feel compelled to touch on Matt Borghi's note about noise in this recording. My thoughts are that in some instances, my instruments do produce scattered noise which can at times include radio signals and even wireless phone conversations. For the most part it's very simple to dial out these "annoyances" if I feel compelled to do so. I feel that certain types of noise may actually add harmonics or certian unknowns into a recording and thus become musically interesting. When this is the case, I prefer to leave it in rather than take it out.)

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SMD Magazine - Phil Derby (c) 2001

Stokes is known for a cutting edge, one-of-a-kind ambient sound, created almost exclusively through homemade gear. By virtue of his signature sound, this release will have a familiar ring to fans of his other works such as 'Outfolding' and 'Zo Pilots.' Those discs featured a combination of both formless textures and punchy, rhythmic pieces. This time around, the emphasis is on floating. It is still unmistakably Stokes, but in perhaps a little mellower mode than he's been in before. The result is highly satisfying, and thoroughly electronic. Though a mostly ambient work, it grabs attention, a far cry from sonic wallpaper. 'The Twin Worlds Of Abstraction' has long, wavering tones, with a smattering of quirky, fun bleeps and warbles. I can picture myself in a scene from a vintage science fiction film. 'Fireworks' is thickly layered electronic pulses and drifting, with a gritty edge that is irresistible. It's the edgy quality permeating Stokes' work that sets it apart, fascinating to hear as the layers unfold. 'Million Mile Gong' very slowly swirls, fading in and out and back in again, with an appealing rawness to it. As always, Stokes' music lives and breathes, despite its very synthetic origins. Though rhythm is largely absent, there is a percolating undercurrent to 'We Resolve,' the longest track on the CD. Images of deep space abound. It's a total mind trip. 'Gaskill' is louder, with an abrasive edge that gives it life and character. The coarseness then softens a bit, but there is an almost playful manner in which the music keeps things just a bit off-balance. 'Where We Are' slowly builds abstract layers of sound, eventually fading into light static and deep space pulses. It just reeks cool. 'Ageless Agate' buzzes and floats, part music, part radio emissions. It's amazing how he takes all the different subtle elements and weaves them together. 'Abstraction' is another very successful sonic outing for Stokes.

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