PATCHWORK is the concentration of many ideas in a small space. No dilation and the rejection of horizontal sound. The project originates from LAMIEE. but it takes shape around the idea of the imaginary collective Hystrix Kitsch, an extremely changeable and constantly mutating ensemble. A liquid form without gravity, but extremely dense.
Stones are the first rhythmic tool used by humans, beaten in caves to start a fire, open a nut or play paleo-techno, who knows. Solid, mysterious, chaotic masses of minerals and raw mater, each with a unique uncryptable shape. The stone used for the artwork came from Cima delle Saline in Ellero valley, noth-west Italy, grabbed in August 2022.
LAMIEE. is Nicholas Remondino, who you may also know as half of the electro-acoustic duo ŌTONN >
escrec.bandcamp.com/album/two-crumbling-shapes
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Review by Frans de Waard in Vital Weekly:
"While I would think that Esc.rec. shops around in the same world of musicians covered by Vital Weekly, they always come up with names that are new to me. Take, for instance, this latest bunch. Length-wise, the shortest release is by Lamiee (or rather LAMIEE.), and 'the imaginary collective Hystrix Kitsch, an extremely changeable and constantly mutating ensemble'. Behind Lamiee is Nicholas Remondino, who we know (a bit) as one-half of ŌTONN (what is this love for capitals?). 'Patchwork' is one track, nearly seventeen minutes, but divided into shorter, independent sections. I didn't understand the description of the music, something to do with stones, the rhythmic tools of humans 'to open a nut or play paleo-techno'. As far as I judge such matters, Remondino samples drums, voices, and synthesizers, and the blender cooks a heavy meal for you. Some friends (or are they the imaginary ensemble?) provide bass, voice, and tenor saxophone. You must be in for a wild ride. Cut-up techno meets pop, plunderphonics, drones, and a lot of processing is going on. There is very little to hold on to. As soon you think, 'oh, this could be a song', for instance, in the opening minutes, it is effectively ruined in the next minute or so. Much of this deals with glitches, which reminded me of DAT Politics and that kind of music that was popular some twenty years ago. It is not to say that Lamiee is an all-attack on the senses. Just as easily, he slips into something quieter, as a transition from one bit to the next. I thought this was very wacky music, perhaps a parody of pop music and electro-acoustic music simultaneously. Ultimately it was also very tiring music, so in the end, the briefness of the music wasn't too bad."
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Review by Peter Hollo for Utility Fog on FBi Radio:
"We finish with a number of selections from Italian artists Nicholas Remondino, whose LAMIEE. project has barely existed for two years, but has already racked up 10 releases of various lengths. I discovered him in the latest batch of releases - all excellent, short cassettes - from Dutch label Esc.rec. - and it turns out that I'd already heard Remondino in his duo ŌTONN with experimental musician Andrea Silvia Giordano, on Esc.rec.'s Two Crumbling Shapes last year. That excellent album combines contemporary classical composition & improvisation from collaborators on various wind & string instruments with very contemporary electronic editing & processing. I have since discovered Ōtonn's previous release, Tawny, released in 2020 on Viennese label small forms, featuring a similar mix of experimental noise and acoustic instrumentation (tonight's track also features spoken word from Graham Rix). Remondino's solo work is even more wide-ranging. Locè has a blissfully distorted shoegaze sensibility, leaning into the psychedelic noise aspect; INN, which we excerpted tonight, is two long tracks of synth patterns and overdriven percussion, and there's lots more (just search the very distinctive name on Bandcamp!) - but PATCHWORK, the single-track 16-minute work which prompted me to explore his catalogue, is a tour de force collaging everything including the kitchen sink, in collaboration with the "almost imaginary ensemble" hystrix kitsch (Remondino on drums, voice, synth and sampler, plus friends on voice, bass, tenor sax and artwork (it's very cool artwork)). Even in the first 5 or so minutes that I played, there's digital processing, some kind of trap-meets-cabaret, glitching noise-techno, electro-acoustic ambient with field recordings, and if you check out the rest you'll hear chugging indie/shoegaze, frenetic folktronica, some kind of distorted free jazz drumming and more(?) - it may not be hyperpop, but it's certainly hyper. I recommend you take the same deep dive I did this week and enjoy the spoils."
released November 22, 2022
Composed and produced by Nicholas Remondino
Hystrix Kitsch (an almost imaginary ensemble):
Nicholas Remondino: drums, voice, synth, sampler
Andrea Dellapiana: voice
Edoardo Vogrig: bass
Francesco Panconesi: tenor sax
Giacomo Mondino: artwork
Recorded from March 2020
Thanks to Harco Rutgers, Andrea Dellapiana, Edoardo Vogrig and Francesco Panconesi
