Thanks to Frans de Waard for reviewing Mugress in Vital Weekly 1445:
KRAUSEN YPSMAEL – MUGRESS (cassette by Steep Gloss)
Steep Gloss is a label that only releases collaborations. Behind Krausen Ypsmael, we find Stefan Krausen, a drummer active since the 1980s with groups such as Deux Balaines Blanches, Pfad der Tugend and I-Burnettes and who worked with Stefan Schneider of Kreidler and To Rococo Rot. Ypsmael is the musician NM, and I am sure that isn’t helpful either. His work is mainly in the field of live electronics and acoustic manipulations. Ypsmaek and Krausen met in 2013, and their work is recorded in concert, even when they don’t play much. At first, they used drums and bass/guitar+electronics, but these days, it’s more open when it comes to instruments. It’s not easy to recognise, and much of it is electronic. Despite being active for some time, this cassette is the debut release. I understand this release is a bit special, as it sees Krausen doing a painting and the sounds he uses are processed by Ypsmael on the spot, using “audio artefacts, electromagnetic and feedback devices, amplified objects, Pepsi, slide whistle, voice, fx pedals and field recordings. I have no references to their other music, so I am listening here for the first time. The music is a beautiful collage of acoustic sounds, none of which I saw any relation to painting. The music is the kind of electro-acoustic affair I heard in previous releases by Ypsmael. Slightly brutal attacks combined with more introspective sounding and gentle scratching of surfaces result in a great mix of various approaches and techniques. It has that somewhat more improvised feeling of musique concrète approaches but lacks the refinement to make it that kind of thing. Which is something I enjoy very much. I prefer the rough ‘n tumble of this over, as things can’t always be all too refined. Very lovely, and perhaps something more can be released? (FdW)
