Makarov/Belorukov.Kostyrko reviewed

Frans de Waard reviewed Makarov/Belorukov.Kostyrko split tape

On this split cassette, we find three Russian musicians, two of them working together. On side A we have Oleg Makarov with two pieces. He uses DIY synthesizers, sound objects and a laptop with Max/MSP. I had not heard of him before. His improvisations, however, are at the extreme end of modular synthesizers. No careful exploration of sounds, but crude blocks of sounds, raw oscillations and a noisy treatment of field recordings. His ‘Track 2’ is more delicate in approach than ‘Track 1’, with metallic sounds being manipulated and motors being started. It’s good without being great.

On the other side, we find one long piece by Ilia Belorukov (modular synthesizer) and Sergey Kostyrko (on ‘modular’ says the cover; don’t know what the difference is). I know Belorukov from his mostly more careful approaches to the flute and laptop processing thereof, and Kostyrko for a more rough end approach to improvisation as shown on his Spina Records cassette label. I would think duties are divided here, left and right channel, one for each player, which means that the listener has the option to do a little DIY mixing (I always wonder who actually does). If Makarov was rough than this duo does noise; it’s vicious and it’s loud, without being just a silly wall of noise – well most of the times that is. Both sides are exactly what the medium of the cassette is for; the quick documentation of a single action that one wants to hear for some time and then most likely forgets about. Also, this side was good but not great. So it goes.

Frans de Waard reviewed Makarov/Belorukov.Kostyrko split tape for VitalWeekly no 1170