Ignaz Schick & Oliver Steidle — Ilog2
Ilog2 is a decidedly manic and darting record that blends together elements improv, turntabling, layered/ dense percussive work-outs, and slurred-yet-glitched electro-acoustic texturing. The release comes in the form of a twelve-track CD on Berlin’s Zarek.
The CD comes presented in a rather nice fold-out card sleeve, which takes in a neon pink backdrop topped with interlocking blue texts. Not sure how many of these were made, but I’m guessing it wasn’t a huge edition.
Seemingly Ignaz Schick and Oliver Steidle started collaborating under the Ilog banner around 2013/2014, with live shows occurring in Berlin experimental underground, and a self-titled debut appearing in 2015 on Boomslang Records. Not sure how this album compares to their debut, but after hearing Ilog2 I’ll most certainly be seeing if I can check it out.
For this album, the set up was thus- Ignaz Schick – turntables, voltage-controlled sampler, looper/pitch shifter. And Oliver Steidle – drums, percussion, sampler, kaosspad. And amazingly it was all carried out in real-time, with zero overdubs. The release has a total runtime of fifty-two minutes- with each of the tracks having runtimes between just shy of the two-minute mark, and over the eight-minute mark.
The album moves from jerking dense cut-ups meets hip-hop beats and shredding electro texturing of “There is no escaping”. Onto nervy-yet- simmering drone scapes and glitching electronics of “Using The Secret”. Through to the manic percussive and quirky fills of “This Is Not A Love Song”. Onto wound down and melted piano Muzak meets ethno rhythmic percussion of “Flying Sauce”. It really is a great, great ride of an album- where you don’t quite what to expect next; though with that said it never feels thrown together or ill-conceived, with the whole record riding like a wonderful sonic rollercoaster.
I must say the first time I heard Ilog2 it really blew the cobwebs off, and has since stood well up to repeated plays. So if you are after a nicely unpredictable, yet skilfully created record that really takes you on an often manic, but entertaining ride Ilog2 is for you. To buy direct head here.