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Sten Hanson (1936-2013)


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Text-Sound Gems & Trinkets (Firework Edition Records/2002)

  1. Dance Figure (for EP)
  2. Coucher et souffler
  3. Che
  4. La destruction de votre code génétique par drogues, toxins et irradiation
  5. How are you
  6. Don't hesitate do it, do it right now
  7. Railroad Poem or Kaffe i Hackäs
  8. Revolution
  9. Tête à Tête
  10. Au 197.0
  11. Subfaces
  12. Hermetic Back Poem
  13. For Fylax with Love
  14. The New York Lament
  15. Bestiary
  16. Am strengsten verboten
  17. After John
  18. Skärp dig för fan
  19. That Jackson is my favourite poet
  20. Variations on a Theme by Laaban
  21. Pronto, pronto
  22. Snake Jerroth
  23. Oscar idkar
  24. O Altitudo
  25. Finale


A compilation spanning nearly 40 years of sten hanson’s text-sound oeuvres. included in it are 25 tracks, some of which have previously appeared on lps, such as his lp on alga marghen, on compilation cds (such as the “pioneers” on phono suecia) or elsewhere. a documentation which I believe gives an amazing profile to a newcomer of hanson’s work, whose being one of the key & leading figures of the what so called “text-sound composition” which emerged from sweden in this form thanks to luminaries such as sten hanson, ake hodell, bengt-emil johnson to name but only a few, the importance & most of all in my mind, influence, of which is best perceived today. have to admit that still each time I listen back to 60’s/70’s sound poetry/text-sound (or call it whatever) recordings am always amazed from the techniques they discovered & practiced with in order to record their tracks, especially not only of their use of their times techniques & technology but something really important too, the intensity & experimentation they breathe. so you can guess the trip that this compilation is! though I must admit that some of the more recent recordings that are included as well, didn’t make the same impact to me as did the early ones, this doesn’t mean that isn’t an essential purchase as gives the listener a profound view on hanson’s work. knowing also his work’s influence on leif elggren as well, I won’t be surprised to see a “sequel” coming sometime sooner or later, even a book on his work wouldn’t be bad at all! -http://www.anet.gr/absurd/rev6.htm

""...Keeping in mind that some of this stuff dates back to the dawn of recording technology, this is a highly interesting work of voice and electronics. At times simple tapeloops and other tape-technology which is now lost knowledge in the world of computers, but also at times synthesizers and other such apparatus. Sometimes the pieces are down to earth, such as 'how are you', a sort of introduction, to more politically inspired work as 'Che', about Che Guevara. Of both historical and artistic interest is also the piece 'Tete A Tete', which was recorded with Henri Chopin (and some other pieces were published in Chopin's 'Revue Ou'). An unique voice, in every sense of the word." (FdW)