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CD Feature/ rlw: "i.k.k. - purpur"

  Tobias

Way back in the early 90s, there was a compilation-series by the name of “A different kind of Christmas”. On these CDs, artists from the world of Pop and Rock would interprete those good old carols in a contemporary way, indulging in lush R n B and strummed guitars reminiscent of “The Lady in Black” and other firm camp fire favourites. The formula was later applied to other genres as well, treating the world to Industrial and Metal visions of traditional holy songs, with decidly mixed results. Still, even those latter releases pale in the radicality of their nature, when compared to “i.k.k. – purpur”.

On this album, Ralf Wehowsky (who, as you will have guessed, hides behind the rlw moniker) has asked some of his “ex-, non-, anti- and reborn christian” friends to rework the material of a piece he recorded in 2003 and which features passages of his daughter singing “Silent Night”, as well as a version of “Ihr Kinderlein Kommet”, probably the archetypal German christmas traditional. With the project still in progress, “i.k.k. – purpur”, besides featuring Wehowsky’s original,  offers a first glimpse into the results of a collaborative effort which spans the entire globe and presents a colourful alliance of artists. Six of them have delivered on their promise and each and every track on this disc brims with originality and inventiveness. A remix project, therefore, of sorts – but one which extends well beyond the boundaries of cheap and unform dance collections. The fact that the different acts treat the source material with varying degrees of “respect” only goes to deepen the listening experience. Stephen Vitiello’s approach, for example, could almost be classified as a kind od Classical interpretation, leaving most of the themes and motives intact, with well-dosed effects providing the transformational process. On the other hand, some of the other compositions allow rhythms to trickle in and either highlight other aspects of the sound material or combine them with music of their own – Dan Warburton adds treated violin noises, creaking like the doors of a haunted house and Chris Halliwell teams up with Laura Evans, extending the instrumentation with an obe, tubular bells and a synth. Microtonal shifts make for an eary and slightly uncomfortable ambiance, which regularly drops back into a soothing calmness, however.

The long-term nature of the project has certainly paid off. All tracks are either the result of inspired composing or equally inspired live improvisation and conjure up a whole world of networked associations and ideas – which means the reworking continues in the mind of the active listener. Admittedly, all of this has nothing to do with Christmas, not even of a different kind. But then you don’t have to wait until December to enjoy it.

By Tobias Fischer

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