release date: 24.05.2024 on Hubro Records
Hibernation may be unsettling but Randall Dunn’s mastery of intimate space and dynamics provides moments of heart-stopping beauty – 9/10 – UNCUT
synths and electronica infiltrate their customary sparse drama, and they still possess the knack of creating what’s best described as uplifting melancholy – PROG
The seventh album from Splashgirl, “More Human” is made in collaboration with singer/sound artist Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, and producer Randall Dunn. The album title, “More Human,” explores the role of humanity in a society increasingly reliant on technology, where artists face direct competition from artificial intelligence. What is the difference between what humans create and what machines create as technology becomes more sophisticated? And how can we preserve the genuinely human in music produced by live musicians coming together to create music?
As everything was set for recording at Ocean Sound Recordings in the fall of 2021, Americans Lowe and Dunn were denied entry to Norway under the prevailing COVID restrictions. Plans were quickly revised, and Splashgirl planned to record at Ocean Sound Recordings on Giske, Western Norway, while Lowe and Dunn recorded at Circular Ruin in New York. An important aspect to make this more than just a file exchange across the Atlantic was that the recording took place within the same limited time frame – both teams went into the studio on Monday, November 29, 2021, and worked until December 5. The process, in broad strokes, unfolded as follows: Team A recorded a piece of music, which was then sent westward for processing and overdubs by Team B. The order was reversed every other day. Some tracks were improvised based on instructions about tempo, mood, mode, or key from producer Dunn, while others were composed in advance by Myhre and Lowe.
The second track on the album is a cover of “Taphead,” a song from Talk Talk’s “Laughing Stock.” That bands “Spirit of Eden” album served as a guiding star throughout the project, and the suggestion to cover this specific song came from producer Dunn midway through the studio session. The fifth track on the album, initially titled “Dear Rob” during the studio sessions, was composed with the idea that Lowe would sing his own lyrics over it. The result is the song “Afterlife Like,” composed by Jo Berger Myhre, with lyrics by Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe.
Collaborating with Lowe has infused the music with a touch of mysticism, mostly due to his vocal approach. The idea for the project originally came from Randall Dunn – he has worked with Splashgirl and Lowe separately for years and saw an opportunity for a fruitful exchange of musical ideas, and a chance to create a unique album where both voices are prominently featured.
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SPLASHGIRL + Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe: More Human
formats: LP / CD / DL
label: HUBRO
release date: 24th May 2024
cat. no: HUBROLP3660 / HUBROCD2660
Tracklist:
1. Leaner (3:29)
2. Taphead (5:08)
3. Landfiller (11:43)
4. More Human (5:37)
5. Afterlife Like (4:12)
6. Enthropist (7:16)
Line up:
Jo Berger Myhre: double bass, Simmons SDS8, electronics
Andreas Vold Løwe: grand piano, Hammond A100, UDO Super 6, Sequential Prophet 5, electronics
Andreas Lønmo Knudsrød: drums, percussion, Moog DFAM, Korg Volca Beats, electronics
with
Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe: voice, modular synthesizer