Fraufraulein:
Country At The River Of Friendship

August 2007 • Test Tube netlabel

http://www.monocromatica.com/netlabel/releases/tube093.htm

Four selected improvisations from myself and Anne Guthrie. There is definitely a focus on electronic/amplified instruments and computer processing guiding our performance, creating a unified sound, the exception being the final, laptop-less track, with Anne unamplified on french horn and myself on electric bass guitar.

Anne & I continue to perform, record, and expand our language as Fraufraulein, with more lovely, mysterious sound to come.

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«Today, test tube very proudly presents Country at the River of Friendship, an album by Fraufraulein. For me, this was one of the most anticipated releases of this year. Before presenting the duo that makes Fraufraulein what it is, I’ll tell you how I came to know their music: Months ago, at the beginning of 2007, we accepted a submission by this new yorker guy named Billy Gomberg. When Billy gave me the url to his page at Fraufraulein’s website I got curious, and became interested in knowing what Fraufraulein was all about. Right after listening to one of the pieces hosted there – actually, during listening – I became amazed and overwhelmed by the dramatic density that Fraufraulein’s improvisations carry with them. I just felt and knew that more people had to get into this, so, I immediately contacted Billy and asked him if he wanted to do a Fraufraulein’s release. I even made a pre-selection with a couple of pieces for a possible release. Billy liked the idea and went to contact Anne Guthrie – the second member of Fraufraulein’s duo – to get her approval. Along with the pieces I chose, Anne and Billy threw in a couple more and remastered the set. The result of this is Country at the River of Friendship.
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So, then… what should we expect from a Fraufraulein’s release? Short answer: Improvised Modern Contemporary Music. But there’s more, of course. Anne and Billy – besides playing French Horn and Synthesizers, respectively their main instruments of choice – use dozens of instruments and various objects and sound sources which they gently manipulate and layer in blissfully resonant improvisations. Some of this instruments include: Harmonicas, Melodica, Knabe Upright Piano, Circuitbent Speak & Read, Electrix WarpFactory, Thumb Piano, Fluorescent Light, Electric Organ, Recorder, Flute, Snare Drum, Glass, Thread, Toy Piano, Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar and various microphones. That’s a lot of different sounds to play with! Without further due, I’ll let Fraufraulein’s music speak for herself. Download this, pick yourself a good set of closed-casket headphones and enjoy.» – Pedro Leitão

reviews:

«Il existe des albums, comme ça, qui, à la première écoute, entrent directement au rayon des incontournables. Country at the River of Friendship en est! Le mélange d’électronique lancinante et d’improvisation jazzy m’a pris à la gorge direct ! C’est dans les veines que ça se passe… À découvrir férocement, je dis! L’oeuvre de Billy Gomberg est limpide. Je ne vois rien d’autre à dire.»
– LaFresto / January 12, 2008