专辑简介

Martin Bisi, the producer/engineer of much essential music of the last 30 years -Sonic Youth, Swans, Herbie Hancock’s Rockit, The Dresden Dolls- releases his own, Ex Nihilo (LP) on La Société Expéditionnaire records: A journey through time and the solar system, with operatic mermaids, and chanting animist practitioners. A crash course in post-punk sound anarchy, avant gardist doom and freak lucid dreaming Ex Nihilo is Latin for “out of Nothing” or “from nothing”; a reference to the creative process, whether by the individual, society, or evolutionary/divine forces. Martin Bisi, a New York indie rock performer and record producer has been at a crossroads of indie, punk, avant garde, noire/cabaret rock, and electronic music since the early 80's in New York City. At a recording studio he started in 1981 with the help of Brian Eno, Martin Bisi has realized albums by Sonic Youth, Swans, Material/Bill Laswell, Boredoms, Dresden Dolls, Cop Shoot Cop, John Zorn, Africa Bambaataa, Herbie Hancock's Rockit, White Zombie, Foetus, Helmet, Unsane, Serena Maneesh, US Maple, Jon Spencer's Boss Hog, and countless other indie, experimental and post-punk records. A darker tone dominates the record compared to his last couple releases, with an exploration of the psyche and catharsis. The ritualistic sensibility (reminiscent of his 1988 album Creole Mass) is conveyed with a shift to more repetitive drumming, and repetitive chant-like vocals. The chaos of sound and group vocals is inspired in part by the upheavals of the financial crisis, including street protests in the sonically impressive glass canyons of lower Manhattan, and the drama of the times and New York City in general - the brass on “Sin-Love-Hate” was inspired by the sound of marching bands on the streets of Manhattan. Ex Nihilo also captures Bisi's production style of sonic excess and dense layering. Bisi plays all the instruments, except for the drumming of Billy Atwell (who also played on Bisi's previous Sirens Of The Apocalypse). The exception is "Fine Line” which has Brian Viglione of Dresden Dolls drumming. Opera singer and theater personality Amanda White contributes the dramatic female vocals on several songs. There are also sampled cameos from current Bisi productions of White Hills, and Woman, on the album opener, "Nihil Holy”, and of The Stumblebum Brass band on “Sin-Love-Hate”