M. Ostermeier – Chance Reconstruction

M. Ostermeier has had a busy year; we’re only 8 months in and he’s already released two records and is about to release his third, Chance Reconstruction…

His first two releases Percolate and Lakefront released on Parvo Art and Hibernate respectively had a definite style and feel that portrayed itself clearly throughout. However, Chance Reconstruction immediately feels more ripened than its predecessors and also feels like an album in which Ostermeier wanted to push the boundaries of what he had learnt making the first two records. This results in something which is non-definable by such a word as ambient or classical or any combination of the two.

Chance Reconstruction is an atmospheric affair; bathing the listener in brooding textures and wavering piano motifs. As is the general style of Ostermeier his compositions are laden with carefully placed field recordings that tie the melodic motifs to something more tangible (is that the clanging of a radiator I hear?).

What Ostermeier is always best at though, even if it is not immediately noticeable, is his sense of texture and rhythm. His first release Percolate was full of glitches and sputters from more traditional percussion techniques, however, when he moved on from these elements the sense of rhythm still remained, and that is in part due to Ostermeier’s ability to utilise granular field recordings that add a definite movement which, of course, was the role that the percussion played in previous releases.

The opening track, Last, is a departure from the downbeat theme that runs through Ostermeier’s previous endeavours and starts the record off with somewhat of an optimistic feel. This is something that is seldom heard again as the mood on the second – the title track – is anything but. Things swiftly turn dark as the brooding textures that I mention truly work their magic. Each swell fighting to be heard and perhaps the attention of the piano riff that happens to be walking amongst them. The influence of Akira Yamaoka can certainly be heard from somewhere deep within.

In Beacon Adrift, M. shows off the fine skills he honed in Percolate by effortlessly giving every sound its own place within the sparse and grainy sound world which helps to clarify rather than complicate. This sparse atmosphere remains true until Deepr arrives and gives the album the backbone it was needing. This is where Ostermeier really shows what he’s made of and is perhaps one of his finest compositions to date. The moody atmosphere of the album is thankfully still present and is underpinned by the luscious scratchy drone that finds itself wandering throughout.

The album rounds off with the wonderfully serene No. 14 but this track as well as a few others could benefit from having the time to develop and breath for slightly longer particularly in the final seconds. It sometimes seems as if things are over too quickly. However, this doesn’t remove much from the fact that this is a carefully orchestrated album that does well from repeated listens and giving it the attention it deserves. Overall it’s an album that certainly flows confidently and thankfully never feels static. Stand out tracks include Chance Reconstruction, Deepr and Hedge Game. – Review by Simon James French for Fluid Radio

Chance Reconstruction can be ordered now from the Tench website.

www.words-on-music.com/mostermeier
www.tenchrec.com
www.consumptive.org