Tokoro Wohnen — Bing Industries

The bing, at its most basic, is a big heap of something. The term belongs to a particular place, both etymologically and historically. In the Central Belt between Edinburgh and Glasgow, there are massive bings, composed of the detritus of a now-extinct (at least in this area) oil industry in which the energy resource was extracted through shale mining. Today, the landscape is populated by these dregs of yesteryear, which have since become indistinguishable from the surrounding topography, bearing a fresh covering of grass and earth, effectively camouflaging the industrial genesis of these beasts.

These behemoths and their complicated status as both sediments of waste and new, fertile ground informs the four long compositions that comprise Bing Industries by Tokoro Wohnen, a collaboration between Beth Robertson and Martyn Riley. Field recordings and general inspiration were taken from said bings, to which additional layers of acoustic material, including voice, were added to the mix. In keeping with the site, there is a meandering, windswept feel to the pieces, which are mostly sparse without ever being clinical. Robertson’s burr is a nice touch, though the spoken word sections are minimal and don’t appear on every track. Given the industrial ties,I had expected more of an aggressive edge, at least occasionally, but Ambience with a big “A” rules the roost.

Fans of either performer or chilled-out field recording work, will love the expansiveness and roominess of Bing Industries. Others who sink into the droney spaces of Liz Harris et al. should feel right at home with the bing, too.