UbuWeb Sound - Momus and Anne Laplantine: Summerisle Horspiel

Momus (Nick Currie) (b. 1960)

1. Summerisle Horspiel, 24:41, (2003)

In April 2004 British label Cherry Red / Analog Baroque releases 'Summerisle' (ANALOG 010) an album by Momus and Anne Laplantine, two recording artists based in Berlin, Germany. 'Summerisle' is a collection of folk songs featuring the voice of Momus and guitar by Anne Laplantine, who also manipulated the material on her computer. Reference points for Momus (who is Scottish) were the cult horror film 'The Wicker Man' (and the soundtrack by Paul Giovanni) as well as ethnographic field recordings of old Japanese people, and the ethnomusicology of Alan Lomax. References for Anne Laplantine (who is French) are Fennesz, Jim O'Rourke and Goodiepal.

'Summerisle is a short album, less than forty minutes long. A lot of material from the early exploratory recording sessions in spring and early summer of 2003 was abandoned. On returning from tours of Japan and America, and inspired by his growing interest in 'neue horspiel', the German post-war tradition of art radio, Momus used this abandoned material as a sort of sound quarry for the 'Summerisle Horspiel'. Nothing heard in the horspiel appears on the 'Summerisle' album. The album's instrumental music is all by Anne, whereas in the horspiel the music is by both Anne and Momus. The more songlike pieces are by Anne, the more abstract soundscapes by Momus. There are also spoken texts throughout the horspiel, whereas the album contains only songs. Momus wrote an essay called 'Disorienteering' about his intentions while making this piece: