xenis emputae __________ (cdr from white star riser)
the unofficial name of this release is 'star synthesis', and it's not just a simple title. as detailed here, this is sound is generated by a program that generates certain tones based on the positions of astrological constellations in the sky. i think it would be safe to say that this falls under the "conceptual releases" umbrella, and i have the same problem i usually do with concept recordings: taken by themselves, they are usually not too exciting. the sounds generated are usually pure tones or combinations of tones with long periods of silence or inaudibility between (during the track). a square wave will fade in and play for a while, halfway through being joined by a sine wave or something, and after a bit they'll fade out again. i can listen to it for a couple constellations, but over the course of thirteen it drags, especially taking into consideration the silence between sounds which makes it seem like quite a few tracks. however, credit must be given for even doing this at all, and when i listen to it i can picture someone listening to this (perhaps with the aid of an oscilloscope) and being able to decipher the location of virgo or aries. also, it would have benefitted from having the information in a booklet with the cd, since it seems to be kind of essential to the experience and understanding what's going on (come to think of it, it might make an interesting art exhibit/installation). soundwise i would only recommend this if you're into ryoji furui-esque hyperminimalism, it is not kind to the short attention span.