BITS, BOTS, & SIGNS

A Young Person's Guide to Antoine Beuger (2008)

Posted on 9/10/2020 at 9:20 PM by Vivian B.

If you’ve spent a long time on Rate Your Music, you might know that this album is considered by many to be not very good. At the time of writing, the average score is 3.10, which isn’t the best, but far from abysmal. Out of the 7 reviews, only one of them is what would be considered positive. However, the reviews seemed to be written by people who already don't like the genre at hand (a similar fate to Good Morning Good Night, another album that RYM loves to hate), so I wasn't sure what to expect while listening. However, I did not expect this to be one of my favorite albums I've heard all year.

The first half of the album is called Tanzaku, a piece for eight bowed string instruments. The first thing I noticed about Tanzaku is how quiet and calm it is. It almost immediately made me think of Winter. I can imagine sitting in a warm house while there's a raging snowstorm outside the front door. Like I was resting in a warm bed, protected from the outside world. It made me feel safe, which might be a shock to some. I wouldn't call the strings dissonant, but I'm not so sure most people would call them beautiful, at least not in the traditional sense. If you don't listen to a lot of Modern Classical music, I think you might find the strings unnerving, or even scary. I find them extremely beautiful, although that's just a matter of taste.

One thing that stuck out to me about Tanzaku (and the whole album) was how short it felt. Tanzaku takes up most of the runtime at around thirty minutes, but it felt significantly shorter to me, maybe fifteen minutes at the very most. I love Reductionism, but pieces of that style can feel like they stretch on forever. However, this was able to draw me in and keep my attention the entire runtime. Not many albums of this genre can do that to me.

The second half of this album is called Sekundenklänge (Some Sounds, Just Seconds) - For an Instrument With Decaying Sounds. I wouldn't be surprised if this piece is why so many people dislike this project. It's one instrument sound, playing different notes with different decay times, with long stretches of silence in between each note. Although that sounds a bit boring, I loved it. Just like the last piece, I found it serene and beautiful. I got very similar imagery as Tanzaku, but this time, the snow is falling lighter. Maybe it's Christmas morning. I get the same peaceful feeling but in a different form. I like this one a lot, although I prefer Tanzaku a little bit more.

Overall, I loved this. This was more relaxing than any ambient record I've heard all year. It was beautiful, charming, and didn't overstay its welcome. If you're not a fan of Lowercase or Reductionism, this album isn't going to change your mind. However, if you do, please don't be afraid to check this out. Who knows? You might like it. I know I did.

Highly recommended.

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