Latest item from the American composer Philip Perkins is Thirteen Feet Nine Inches (ARTIFACT RECORDINGS ART 3024). He describes this set as “live in the studio, more or less”, and indeed the general impression from these enjoyable recordings is a lot more hands-on, physical, and “present” than some of his more recent recordings, where he may have been trying for a polished electro-acoustic statement with layers of field recordings. This one was made with pre-recorded sounds, but it’s possible he’s playing around with them in the studio, while also picking up a cheap synth and strumming an electric guitar too. They’re very open-ended experiments, and he doesn’t feel the need to direct the flow in any specific direction. Intrigue, semi-narrative moments and almost-cinema soundtracks slowly emerge. The computer does have a part to play in realising these “electrosonic works”, but in places this inventive set reminds us of Perkins’ DIY / cassette 1980s roots, when the music was more analogue and a bit rougher. (01/04/2025)
