: foundry indices : reviews : sounds : : : news : pictures : words : : : the foundry : hypnos REVIEWS Various Artists "Bibimbap" (The Foundry, 2004) 8 tracks, 51.41 mins written by Phil Derby Posted in Electroambient Space ezine 1/2005 Bibimbap is a Korean meal, and this intriguing title was chosen for two reasons. One, the musicians met over this meal often, and two, the meal involves a mixing process, putting a little of this and a little of that into a bowl mixed with rice. In this case, the bed of rice is an ambient foundation, and the blend of ingredients are whatever the individual artists had at their disposal - their synthesizers and samplers, their moods, but most of all their ideas. In an added twist, the musicians took each other's musical scraps and threw them into the stone pot. Ben Swire starts with "Amalgam," a tasty treat of crisp percussion and beats, with atmospheric tinges of darkness to offset the energetic rhythm. Imagine an amped-up Biosphere and you wouldn't be far off. Saul Stokes' "Cyclops Afternoon" pauses to take a breath and kick back a little. Although Saul's characteristic bleeps and other unique sounds are there, this is a surprisingly mellow melodic composition. Ideal for a compilation, it's a touch different than his other material but much too good to be left on a hard drive of unpublished material. Forrest Fang offers "Filling the Bowl," and you can almost visualize it - the emptiness of the bowl with only rice in it, waiting for more; the music brightening as a medley of fresh ingredients gets poured in; the flavors blending together into an invigorating mix. Like the dish, the ingredients used here are fresh and varied. My favorite title has to be M. Bentley/eM's "The Twilight Pageant of the Bibimbots." Sparse resonant bass is fused with a unique subtle rhythmic element at first, giving way to a more steady beat with a light melodic component for a very pleasant effect. Earwicker's "Entrée" is the musical equivalent of the mix being complete - settled, calm, ready to eat. The music evolves as the guests around the table dive in to the meal. The quirkiest morsel is Chris De Giere's "Kimchi Tastes of Summer," a smattering of unsettled rhythms jumping about restlessly. As the meal winds down and things become more social, Thermal's "Muse of Expiration" conjures images of relaxed banter and the buzzing undercurrent of side conversations, both at the table and by neighboring patrons. The final contribution, by Dean Santomieri, is shorter than its title, a brief burst of static, buzzes, and general experimentation. Sounds a bit like post-meal indigestion to me. The rest of Bibimbap is a perfect evening of ambient listening.