RUTGER ZUYDERVELT & BRUNO DUPLANT – L’INCERTITUDE 
It’s a funny need to want to introduce an artist in every blog-post but by now I can safely assume that Rutger ‘Machinefabriek‘ Zuydervelt needs no further introduction. And, with over 60 albums released since 2009, Bruno Duplant should need no introduction either – although I must confess his name is not very familiar to me. Shame on me, it seems!
Their first collaboration album, created from ‘field recordings, instruments and processing’ is released on the Crónica label. The two (+- 22 minute) tracks ‘of pure sound exploration’ were created without ‘long discussions or conceptual heavy-handedness’ – so they may be viewed as ‘improvised’ somehow, even though they were created by swapping sound files.
The fact that each artist’s contribution is indistinguishable shows that they are well-matched. This is not a ‘first you – then me’ mix: both tracks feel like a complete composition.
The French titles reflect the current times, even though the sounds were recorded in 2019: L’Incertitude means Uncertainty. The first track Le Doute (doubt) is full of haunting suspense; the second is called L’espoir (hope) and is indeed more peaceful even though some incertitude remains lurking underneath.
MVK – MEMOIRS FROM A PARALLEL SUBURBIA
Matthijs ‘MVK’ Kouw’s (the ‘V’ stands for Vincent) Memoirs From A Parallel Suburbia is released as a limited (40) edition cassette as well as a download, on his own Clinamen label.
The two 15-minute (minus 1 second) dronescapes inspired by J.G. Ballard’s Millenium People:
“Prosperous suburbia was one of the end-states of history. Once achieved, only plague, flood, or nuclear war could threaten its grip.”
Well – it may be hard to find a more fitting theme for an album released in March 2020.
The two tracks, Fabric of Absolute Normality and Eternal Present of Fictional Overlays are divided into separate parts, which remain unnamed. Both have a fascinating, albeit rather dark, atmosphere that would fit a suspenseful Sci-Fi movie. As well as it fits our current time.