Ilya Monosov: Architectures on Air and Other Works
Elevator Bath

Sound artist Ilya Monosov presents a diverse though not entirely successful range of experimental approaches in six pieces (three solo works, three collaborations) on his first full-length Architectures on Air and Other Works. The opener “Music for Electronics and Hurdy Gurdy (2)” layers violent string bowings and scrapings onto high-pitched electronic tones but, regardless of how interesting the idea might sound, the results aren't terribly musical or pleasant. The rather static “Composition A,” performed by Monosov on music box and 'three toothpicks' and Civyiu KKliu on turntable and objects, amounts to, well, eight minutes of Monosov playing a music box accompanied by quiet rustling sounds; “Performance 1,” an aural construction created from initially-recorded city noises plus sounds generated by a pulled toy train-xylophone (with a black megaphone reintroducing the city noises back into the environment) and a microphone dragged along the pavement next to the train, sounds just like what one might expect.

Comparatively more engaging is “Autonomous Guitar Music for Marc Schulz,” twelve minutes of brittle, steely dronal shimmer. By positioning a motor in direct contact with the wooden portion of the guitar, it at times resembles a tambura while the instrument's strings generate 'small catastrophes' that resemble anguished metallic wails. The album ends in equally unusual manner. Monosov created “Architectures on Air” to explore a new approach to sound therapy for those suffering from stroke-induced speech degradation. Using four harmonicas, the participants were encouraged to improvise and vocalize (Monosov's idea being that using a harmonica to separate language from its conventional functions may prove therapeutic), with eight minutes of simple harmonica wheezing and voice babble the result.

Though Monosov's works sound fascinating on paper, they're not always as engaging musically, suggesting that his work is best appreciated in performance where aural and visual components help reinforce their collective impact. This enhanced CD includes QuickTime movie files (about 18 minutes of material) of two performances. There's an almost shamanistic quality to “Silent Movie” with its dim lighting and ritualized gestures while “Sounding Record Performance” presents sounds created from a combination of wind chimes and turntable.

June 2005