Roel Meelkop / Mecha/Orga — Rotterdam 54:21

Monochrome Vision presents Rotterdam 54:21, the first collaborative work from international sound-sculptors: Roel Meelkop and Mecha/Orga. Released in 2012, this full-length CD offers 3 tracks of manipulated field recordings mixed with analogue synthesizers. For those unfamiliar, Roel Meelkop is a Netherlands-based multi-media artist who started creating music in the early 80’s with the band THU20. Since then, he has created an extensive body of work including many releases, sound art installations, and performance pieces. Mecha/Orga, the moniker of Yiorgis Sakellariou, primarily works with manipulation of field recordings and as a PhD student at Coventry University is exploring electroacoustic music and sound in rituals. Apparently, he also only performs in darkness to create deeply subversive sonic experiences.

As the title implies, Rotterdam 54:21 runs just north of 21 minutes and features 1 long collaborative track and 2 shorter solo pieces. Remarkably the all tracks stick to a unified sound that, without the liner notes, would difficult to discern which tracks are solo and which is the duet. The first track, “Duet (April 2012)” features both artists incorporating elements of electroacoustic music, synthesizers, and ambient sound. An alarm ringing starts off the piece, but quickly gets displaced by metal being shifted, banged, and clanged. The whole piece sounds like it was recorded in a factory or work site. Synths hum in repetition while pipes twists, levers are pulled, and debris is shifted. What’s interesting is that several sections of this opening tracks quiet down to near silence. Even cranking up my stereo full volume, several sections were barely audible; only the vaguest sounds of metal manipulation in the far off distance or some empty room ambience can be heard by a focused ear. It reminds me of a painting that uses negative space to speak to the viewer as much as the colors and lines on the canvas.

The 2 solo tracks continue in similar fashion. Roel Meelkop’s “Solo (April 2010)” makes great use of some billowing dense drone that sounds like thick exhaust fumes blowing through pipes. It sounds like it could’ve been recorded in a cave or an abandoned factory with only the slight sounds of rustling metal detritus echoing in the background. Mecha/Orga’s solo offering, again sounds quite similar to the previous tracks, only with a bit more activity going on.

Rotterdam 54:21 is a solid entry in the field recording and electroacoustic realm. The fact that 2 people sound like 1 is no small feat. Another winner from Monochrome Vision.