SONOLOGYST - 'Shortwave Spectrum'

CSR332CD (24 November 2023)
2CD in gatefold ecopak
Barcode: 0641871746194





The new Sonologyst "sonic documentary" delves into the secretive realm of shortwave transmissions; a chronicle of clandestine shortwave transmissions culled from a span of nearly four decades (1982-2021). These mysterious transmissions - repetitive voices, signals, sound pulses, short pieces of music - were collated and edited to compose the tracks of the main album.

Immersed in an isolating fog of dark ambient, deep drone music and cinematic sound art, it provides an auditory exploration of the ongoing Cold War. Originating from covert radio stations engaged in military and espionage endeavours, the tracks unveil a hidden sonic landscape of strategic communication.

The second disc, in its extensive presentation, provides a deeper immersion into these enigmatic broadcasts. Each recording remains unaltered, accompanied only by a ghostly drone. It offers an unfiltered glimpse into the world of clandestine communication, where words are transmitted beneath the radar and in the shadowy confines of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Double CD in a matt-finish gatefold ecopak with graphic design by Abby Helasdottir.

NUMBER STATIONS:

The so-called Number Stations are short-wave radio transmissions, broadcast at various hours of the day, and with variable durations, available on many frequencies and observed and studied for decades by radio amateurs from all over the world. These mysterious transmissions, consisting of voices reading groups of numbers or letters in the international phonetic alphabet, or of Morse code signals or sound pulses, are often preceded by transmission start "alerts" consisting of short pieces of music, sequences of letters or scales of notes, cyclically repeated at set times.

Several studies, conducted by telecommunications experts, have concluded that these transmissions were, and still are, used by numerous secret services to transmit short text messages to their undercover agents, operating in other countries. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, these transmissions suffered a significant decrease, but in recent years other broadcasts have followed the raising of respective new global geopolitical players, and Chinese, Korean and Indian Numbers Stations have been picked up.

Shortwave is cheap, reliable, and, unlike web communications, cannot be intercepted or blocked except in the event of a nuclear explosion. The ideal secret communication system in times of a new cold war.

Track listing:

CD1:

1. Sleeper Agent (4:46)
2. Numbers Station (4:35)
3. NNN German (7:45)
4. Enigma G03 (4:31)
5. Encoded (14:05)
6. Spektrvm (13:47)

CD2:

1. Shortwaves (41:51)





REVIEWS:

"The musical aspects are highly oscillatory yet low-key, often providing a hazy and mysterious atmosphere. Sculpted static, loops, and effects accompany subtle synth drones. The emphasis here is on the manipulation of sounds rather than the sounds themselves, giving these pieces a dark acousmatic nature... monolithic slabs of noise [with] notable fluctuations and changes throughout in addition to the radio-based chirps and clicks... Deep listening recommended" (Avant Music News)