Noion is a brand new record label founded by Paul Haslinger (Tangerine Dream, Lightwave) and Christian Wittman (Lightwave). The label aims to redefine ‘listening with atmospheric minimalism, sound exploration, and genre-defying music – from ambient to contemporary classical and drone.’
To put that statement into practice, they’re releasing two albums with their own music. The albums are inspired by two influential writers from the 19th and 20th centuries: Stéphane Mallarmé and Jorge Luis Borges.
PAUL HASLINGER & CHRISTIAN WITTMAN – BORGES
“One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Jorge Luis Borges was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. Renowned for his profound and poetic explorations of reality, time, and the nature of language, his works often delve into philosophical puzzles, blending fiction with metaphysical inquiries, and have had a major influence on the magical realist movement in 20th century Latin American literature.”
I must admit I am not familiar with Borges’ work. Perhaps I should be … and the music on the album definitely is a great invitation to do so.
The six tracks – ranging from 5 to 9 minutes, explore Borges’ ‘themes of illusion, memory, fiction, and the infinite […] The music ‘mirrors the complexity of his literary universe.With its subliminal lines and expansive atmospheric textures, the music unfolds like a labyrinth – layered, intricate, and filled with subtle events.
The music on this album is – indeed – genre-defying. It is ambient, cinematic, electro-acoustic, but it also has contemporary-classical influences. It is not strictly ‘electronic’ also ‘acoustic’ music.
PAUL HASLINGER & CHRISTIAN WITTMAN – MALLARMÉ
From the liner notes I learn that Stéphane Mallarmé’s 1897 poem ‘Un coup de dés jamais n’abolira le hasard’ (A throw of the dice will never abolish chance) was radical in its use of free verse and unusual typographic layout.
Haslinger and Wittman ‘capture the random, abstract essence of his text through an immersive, unhurried pace, where sounds and motifs reverberate in recurring patterns. We embraced a minimalist simplicity to better isolate sonic and harmonic elements – much like Mallarmé visually separates words or clusters of words, treating them as distinct sonic, visual, and semantic entities.’
A noticeable difference to the music on Borges is the length of the tracks. The tracks are much longer, from 17 to 20 minutes, and the instrumentation is somewhat more abstract.
“Interweaving minimalism and experimentation, impressionism and abstraction, the work invites the listener into a realm of tonal poetry.”
Illiterate as I am, I must admit (again! Shame on me!!) that I don’t know the work of the French poet Stéphane Mallarmé. So I cannot judge the way the music represents the spirit of the work of there writers like someone who is familiar with their work.
It probably helps to extra appreciate these albums. But I myself am living proof that it is nót necessary to know their work to thoroughly enjoy this music.
Borges and Mallermé are two very impressive albums to start a new label with. As a label, Noion wants to ‘evolve into a platform for like-minded musicians, creating a space to explore new creative territories at the intersection of contemporary music, minimalism, ambient, and classical traditions.’
Based on this label kickoff, I’m sure that this will not be the last time releases from this label will be recommended here on Ambientblog.
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