press /reviews // (not chronological)
Read an interview here from 2063music.de
The second release from drone-artists phoenelai on 2063music. Phoenelai did releases on octagone, retinascan, 2063 and fidgetstone. This ep is more like going some step behind to get more ahead. Very minimal patterns meet reverbs and drones to develop a deep ambient. An ambient that you probably know from Aphex Twin 'selected work'. A work from this ep was also part in 'wireless digital music' compilation 63music050. The three cover-artworks are explorations from 020200 into rebuilding structures, where pixelnoise meets complex strange-attractors mathematics and pseudorandom-function.
"Tiny Arc " on Retinascan.de
After 3 years of playing with the possibilities of the internet, several free releases and a collaboration with the other american designer of precarious sound on Retinascan, Instruction Shuttle, Phoenelai is showing in again and sent us another 4 tracks showing his mastership and incompatibility with any category you may want to file him in. Close to dark ambient, but avoiding all the pads and spheres that guarantuee the usual greasiness of the genre, field recordings taped in other universes or maybe even noise, but never that noisy kind of noise one may think of when making up about the genre. Simply a class of its own.
"Phoensnd" on Retinascan.de (modern-klangkunst.de) translate
Die deutsche elektronische Musik (wie z.B. sein Favorit „Mouse on Mars“) empfand Pizo Meyer aus Houston gegenüber dem Rest der Welt immer als einen Schritt voraus. Trotzdem scheute er sich nicht, selbst zu probieren, was er mit elektronischen Mitteln für Stimmungen erzeugen kann. Heute ist die Musik für ihn die Möglichkeit, vor der realen Welt zu fliehen. Die Welt, die er mit „Phoensnd“ beschreitet, ist geheimnisvoll und traumähnlich. Er setzt, wie er es ausdrückt, auf „drones“, „field recordings“, „scapes“ und „wave washes“. Statische Bewegung will Meyer mit dieser CD dem geneigten Zuhörer näher bringen. In der Tat machen die einzelnen elektronischen Geräuschwände während ihres Verlaufs nur minimale Veränderungen durch. Vier Stücke und drei Remixes beinhaltet diese Veröffentlichung, welche einen allesamt beklemmen und bedrücken und aufgrund ihrer Statik wahnsinnig machen können. Wenn man allerdings eine innere Ruhe gefunden hat und sich beim Hören fallen lässt, kann man vielleicht Pizo Meyer auf seiner Flucht begleiten und die laute, schrille und hektische Welt hinter sich lassen.
"Tribute THX1138 " on 2063music.de
This is a tribute to the exellent movie "THX1138" from George Lucas. The movie was re-released in 2004 on DVD as a directors cut. A totalitarian state is controlling humans. They got drugs to work and function and all has been cared for the people. They live in incredible white and minimal cityscapes. The characters THX1138 and LUH3417 try a escape.Phoenelais intentioan was to give the movie a more positive soundtrack. This is the first time he worked with loops and the soundscapes are brilliant pieces of droney, electronic listening music. Note the incredible break in the track thx.1. Also go and buy a copy of the movie. It is a must have seen for every 2063music fan.
"MiTwilite" EKO Compilation "Summer Lights 1" (EKO)
The third track is Mi twilite by texan artist Phoenelai, notable for his tribute record for George Lucas's film THX1138 published by great german label 2063 music (Darren McClure's Zonal sounds). Mi twilite is probably my fav Phoenelai work to date, it's warmer that his previous material but still presents the complexity and twistedness character that made his music so special. Mi twilite has a very granular and clean texture and its structure is delightfully repetitive and minimal, one track that really stands out.~David Velez
phoensnd.info