Marcus Schmickler - Altars Of Science

from Vital Weekly #596:

One of the things I like about Marcus Schmickler is his sheer variety in music styles. Wether it's rock with Pluramon, serious composing for a choir, improvisation or pure electronic works, he can do all seemingly without too much trouble. The luck of being classical trained probably.
This new CD is actually a DVD: there is a portion that can be played on any audio CD player and on the DVD part the same piece for multi-channel set-up. That I don't have, so I have to do with the stereo version.
Apparently it's his first electronic work since 1998, when he released 'Sator Rotas', and 'Altars Of Science' is a serious computer music work.
Schmickler takes the form of 'old' serious electronic music, but then no longer analogue synthesizers or oscillators, but computerized sounds. Things pop up, take shape, disappear.
Most of the times in a somewhat loud and noise based territory. We should not forget that Schmickler is also a member of Mimeo, so a bit of noise is well-spend on him. Sometimes buzzing like insects, but usually totally abstract.
A strong work I think, taking this kind of music away from the acousmatic counterparts that is part of the serious work, and as such a work that truly stands out from the rest. Powerfull, at times even noise like, but moving about without staying in static territory.
An example of how these things should sound for noise heads, serious composers and improvisers. Listen and learn.

(Frans de Waard)

Label: Editions Mego
Cat. #: eMEGO 082
Format: CD (DVD)
Release date: 2007

Tracklisting:
01 - Altars Of Science 1 (05:55)
02 - Altars Of Science 2 (05:03)
03 - Altars Of Science 3 (05:11)
04 - Altars Of Science 4 (05:00)
05 - Altars Of Science 5 (05:10)
06 - Altars Of Science 6 (04:38)
07 - Altars Of Science 7 (04:31)
08 - Altars Of Science 8 (03:17)

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Discography:

• Nach Schweiz (1988, Entenpfuhl, EMM 002) (w/ Frank Dommert)
• Onea Gako (1993, Odd Size, CD OS 11)
• Christian / Daniel (1998, Max, max.2)
  
• BART (2000, Erstwhile Records, erstwhile 012) (w/ Thomas Lehn)
• Corvette (2000, Max Ernst, max.E.10) (w/ Thomas Brinkmann)
• Param (2001, A-Musik, a20)
• Rabbit Run (2003, Erstwhile Records, erstwhile 027) (w/ Keith Rowe, Thomas Lehn)
• Variety (2005, A-Musik, a29) (w/John Tilbury)
  
• Demos (For Choir, Chamber Quintet And Electronic Music) (2006, A-Musik, a32)
• Solo And Accompaniment (For Claudio B.) (2006, aulos, AUL 66154) (w/ Hayden Chisholm)
  
• Amazing Daze (2007, Häpna, H.32) (w/ Hayden Chisholm)
• Altars Of Science (2007, Editions Mego, eMEGO 082)
• Kölner Kranz (2008, A-Musik, a31) (w/ Thomas Lehn)
• Navigation Im Hypertext (2008, A-Musik, a34) (w/ Thomas Lehn)
• Deployment (2010, Leo Records, CD LR 565) (w/ Frank Gratkowski, Simon Nabatov)
  
• Palace Of Marvels (Queered Pitch) (2010, Editions Mego, eMEGO 113)
• Bari Workshop (2011, Presto!?, P!?017)
• Live Double Séance [Antaa Kalojen Uida] (2011, Editions Mego, eMEGO 121) (w/ Thomas Lehn)
• Rule Of Inference (2011, A-Musik, a37)
• Politiken Der Frequenz (2014, Editions Mego, eMEGO 191) (w/ Julian Rohrhuber)
• Timekeepers (2015, A-Musik, a38) (w/John Tilbury) 
• Neue Bilder (2017, Mikroton Recordings, mikroton cd 60) (w/ Thomas Lehn)

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Appears on:

• MIMEO - Wigry (2011, Monotype Records, monoLP006)

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Tracks appear on:

• VV.AA. - Ohren Des Kaiser Hirohito (1992, Dom, DOM CD 77-14/15) track: Katzo
• VV.AA. - Schwamm: Gefriem Tonträger (1994, Gefriem, GEFRIEM 003) track: Lupo
• VV.AA. - RRR 500 (1998, RRRecords, RRR 500) track: Untitled
• VV.AA. - 2:3 -- Oswald Wiener Zum 65. Geburtstag (2000, Supposé, 3-932513-18-5) track: Zwei Zu Drei (w/ Thomas Brinkmann)
• VV.AA. - Impakt 2000 (2000, Impakt, IMP 01) track: Pol XII.98 (w/ Thomas Lehn)
• VV.AA. - Prix Ars Electronica CyberArts 2000 (2000, Ars Electronica Center, ARS 00) track: Sator Rotas 5
• VV.AA. - Mgrs Rmxs (2001, --, Roli 0023) track: Physical Migros Modeler
• VV.AA. - Mothership - Mix Series 01 (2001, --, MIX SER1) track: Chevrolet Corvette (w/ Thomas Brinkmann)
• VV.AA. - Transmissions 003 (2001, Transmissions, TRANS003) track: Untitled
• VV.AA. - Communication Problems (2002, Vibragun, VIN 003) track: 2/3 (w/ Thomas Brinkmann)
• VV.AA. - Live Sets At Ego 1998-2000 (2002, Ego Recordings, EFA 04561) track: Param
• VV.AA. - AMPLIFY 2002: Balance (2003, Erstwhile Records, erstwhile 033-040) tracks: Untitled (w/ Keith Rowe , Thomas Lehn), Untitled (w/ Thomas Lehn), Untitled (w/ Keith Rowe , Thomas Lehn), This Duo We're Doing, Untitled (w/ Thomas Lehn), If You Don't Have Any Music, 5.1 Surround Sound Mix (w/ Keith Rowe , Thomas Lehn)
• VV.AA. - Frequencies [Hz] (2003, Raster-Noton, ltd008) track: Im Gebiet Des Grahls, Ein Schloss
• VV.AA. - Soundcultures (2003, Mille Plateaux, MP 100 CD) track: Rekursi
• VV.AA. - Tanks A Lot - A Free Urus Martan Mix (2003, Max Ernst, max.E.-CD12) track: Corvette
• VV.AA. - Time Is On My Side (2008, Nur/Nicht/Nur, BERSLTON 108 02 21) track: Excerpt 1 (Ausschnitt) (w/ Chad Popple)
• VV.AA. - Noise Of Cologne 1 (2010, Mark e.V., NOC-1) track: Überschreitungen Des Pragmatismus (Exzerpt) (w/ Thomas Lehn)

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Videos:

• Ueber Elektronische Musik. (2007, Institut Fuer Musik Und Medien, --)
  

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As Wabi Sabi:

• Wabi Sabi (1996, A-Musik, a03)

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As Sator Rotas:

• Sator Rotas (1999, A-Musik, a16)

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As R/S (w/ Peter Rehberg):

• One (Snow Mud Rain) (2007, Erstwhile Records, erstwhile051)
• USA (2011, Pan, PAN 18)
  

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Links:
Marcus Schmickler
Editions Mego