Nicole Lizée
BY Chris Bilton
October 29, 2008 10:10
Hardly a side project from Besnard Lakes multi-instrumentalist Nicole Lizée, This Will Not Be Televised collects her classical electroacoustic music, including her master’s thesis piece for turntable and chamber ensemble and a trio of works for a modern jazz combo. “RPM” probes the compositional possibilities of vinyl samples by interjecting mangled sound snippets into a caterwauling string ensemble, while the 19-minute title track mashes manipulated test signals into delicately plucked violins amidst Paolo Kapunan (a.k.a. P-Love)’s record scratching and David Lee Roth samples. The jazz quintet pieces provide an exceptional contrast to the fragmented long-form compositions, as Lizée overlaps rhythms and melting melodies — particularly on the creepy “Carpal Tunnels” — at odd angles where orchestrated musical interaction is fresh enough to sound improvised. Rounding out the disc is the double-percussion exposition of “Télévision” — a definite must-hear for headphone enthusiasts. Judging by her solo work, giving Lizée free reign on the next Besnard Lakes album may be one of the few ways to improve upon that band’s already exquisite sound.
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