No Type → Magali Babin → Chemin de fer

A few words about Chemin de fer

Iron road…

Multiples, plurishapes, ductiles.

Alkalis and cleavages.

A rather small electrical object: touching, rubbing, nearly eroding another one from daily life.

Wherever there’s a cavity and a game, something is generated. Wiredrawn, enameled voices are born. Rustling, hissing, shining, screeching, tinting, trembling, growling alloys…

A guitar pick-up; a paella; or a rope, or an aluminum cone,
or…                 or…

One might say: chisel and mineral.

The rest, i.e. the studio work, recording, mixing, only serves as cage, hammer, anvil and foundry; and then as a pedestal, or a frame where to place these carved shapes, in order to see them in a new light…

Metallurgy? Scupture?

Yes, in a sense.

But not strictly, because despite the presence of matter and mineral, they “have more than one way to them. Out of inertia they yield but appearances and false testimonies…”

So there’s a road; but one with many lanes.

(…)

“All that is infinite between sounds and ideas (…)”

Quotes: Daniel Oster, Dans l’intervalle, P.O.L 1987. First quote used freely and from memory; p.33 for the second one.

Mario Gauthier, Radio Executive Producer [iv-02]

Credits and thanks

Most of the sounds and noises (from the subtlest to the most gruesome) which you will hear on this recording have been made from metallic instruments and objects, which have been made, recycled or reinvented by Magali.

All pieces have been improvised by Magali Babin, except Jogging dans la maison hantée which has been crafted in joyous collaboration with Alain Chénier and Mario Gauthier, and Pluie de homards which has been mixed with the piece Rain from the CD Warm Coursing Blood by Ian Nagoski. The mixing work is the result of a close collaboration between Mario Gauthier and Magali Babin.

Thanks to Mario Gauthier and to... Alain Chénier, Éric Létourneau, Ian Nagoski, James Schidlowsky, Alexandre St-Onge, John Berndt, Hélène Prévost, Jenya, Michel F Côté, No Type, David Turgeon, Aimé Dontigny and Jean-François Denis.

To Nico, Ugo and little Romy. xxx

Cheers to all handywomen and handymen, musicians or not, who fiddle with noises, sounds, sonic objects or organs (and sometimes even musical instruments), thanks to all those who ensure that sound experimentation is forever alive.

Chemin de fer was recorded and produced at Studio 12 of Société Radio-Canada for L’espace du son radio program. Executive Producer: Mario Gauthier. Recording (October 2000) and mixing (November 2000): Alain Chénier. Mastering (May 2001): Denis Frenette, Studio 30. (p) 2001, Chaîne culturelle de Radio-Canada.

Magali Babin [iv-02]