MK-CT (Chris Dreier & Tim Löhde)
MK-CT
SWEDEN FANGBOMB RECORDS FB031 L.P. (2023)
Concealed behind the tiny two-letter pseudonyms of ‘MK’ and ‘CT’ are avant-conceptualist and Berlin resident Chris Dreier and Tim Löhde, a visual/sound artist hailing from Düsseldorf. Keen students of k-rock’s second phase will remember the former name as she was an integral part of “ingenious dilletantes” Die Tödliche Doris from 1980 to 1987. Now here was a trio that immersed itself in unorthodoxy. So much so that their activities could’ve made the eccentricities of Germany’s first wave seem a little wanting in comparison. Their “Unser Debut” (1985) and its follow-up “Sechs” for example, were actually composed/calibrated to be played simultaneously (!). This ghost recording (now made flesh) was then even accorded its own catalogue number (!!). Then there’s “Chöre & Soli”, a nattily packaged box set which took the proverbial custard cream. It comprised of eight two-inch singles that could only be played on a mechanism transplanted, presumably, from a child’s talking doll. And no, I didn’t dream that last bit…
In terms of general off-the-wall weirdness ‘MK-CT’ couldn’t compete with Doris’s wild years (what could?), but this ‘field recording +’ manages to rise above the dime-a-dozen recorderists out there, purely by dint of location/event. Timing is everything. Chris took full advantage of the rare freezing over of Berlin’s river Spree by recording the various sounds generated by the ice as changes in temperature occurred. These sound files were then ping-ponged between Chris and Tim on numerous occasions, each time tweaking the compositions with additional synthetics and drawing room piano. Surprisingly, this release isn’t the only recorded study in ice, as Peter Cusack’s “Baikal Ice” (ReR c.d./2003), trod a similar path down Siberia way, but also included stray human interventions and other noises off. By comparison, MK-CT’s venture is a far more single-minded pursuit. From the melancholic and cavernous “Eisbrecher” to the closing “Ruminating” – the sounds captured defy my puny attempts at onomatopoeia; crackle, creak and snap falling well wide of the mark.
Sidestepping the misleading ‘observatories in orbit’ sleeve design – cozmik it certainly ain’t! – the duo have assembled a reassuringly alien listening experience. Excellently recorded and mastered (kudos to Martin Bowes), this intriguing album comes highly recommended, especially for fans of the outer edge of 21st century k-rock.