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Apnoeic

by Duke of Zuke

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  • Limited Edition Deluxe Cassette
    Cassette + Digital Album

    New Packaging Design! Cassette comes house in a double sized case. All tapes a pro dubbed on Red Coral shells, the 2 panel inlay has been printed on 300gsm recycled paper. The album has been duplicated on both sides. Only 50 copies for the world!

    Includes unlimited streaming of Apnoeic via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.
Polynomial 03:18
2.
Jupiter 04:46
3.
4.
1981 03:28
5.
Centrifuge 03:02

about

Apnoeic is the second EP from London-based composer and cineaste Clint Trofa. Whereas Trofa’s previous work had focused much more on a diverse pollination of sounds and instrumentation, ‘Apnoeic’ see a vast reduction in compositional tools; strictly using the electric guitar and a handful of effects pedals to create an eerie, cinematic tapestry of mood and atmosphere that is far more mature, direct and clear in its songwriting and characterised by a bruise-blue melancholy. The compositions that make up the record each originate from simple loops, flowering in a layering effect in which each note is perfectly placed to accentuate the mise-en-scene of the albums filmic character. Album centre-piece ‘The Trick Is To Breathe’ is exemplary of this, washing the listener with sparse arpeggios that slowly ascend into redemptive bowed strings. It should come as no surprise then that three of the tracks recently featured in the documentary 'The Pedway: Elevating London' which was screened to a sold out Barbican as part of the Architecture Film Season. Of all the recent works on the Tombed Visions label to centre their voice on the guitar, Trofa’s work is the most unashamedly honorific of the instrument, refusing to disguise or bury its qualities under mountains of effects. Instead, Trofa has opted to craft 5 individual scenes that flow together like an imaginary and hallucinatory short film, chiaroscuro in shade and most importantly narrated by his delicate ‘moonlight’ playing style which owes a debt as much to Ry Cooder as it does Loren Mazzacane Connors. The result is an album that is feels far more emotionally inclusive of the listener and utterly refreshing in its directness.

"Duke Of Zuke is the nom de plume of London based composer, guitarist and cineaste Clint Trofa, and ‘Aponeic’ is his second release under this guise. The EP, released by London art experimental cassette label Tombed Visions, is a five track exploration of loops, mood and audio tapestry that stem from a basic brief; to generate compositional mood from a simple guitar setup, with minimal effects usage.
We can only assume the experiment was a success, as the material is engaging. The deliberate approach of using mostly unprocessed guitar means that no new ground is broken in presentation, but the execution is vibrant, melodic and gritty. The description that accompanies the EP on Bandcamp makes much mention of the cinematic quality of the various pieces, and the widescreen aspect is extremely noticeable.
In abandoning some of his previous production and compositional techniques, Trofa appears to have landed on a very effective and direct way of putting his ideas across but it may be that some subtlety has been lost along the way. Bravery, though, will always trump subtlety, and Trofa should be congratulated for the approach. Bruised-blue melancholy may not be to the taste of some; but no one can argue a lack of strength in the methodology."
- Charles Sage, Fluid Radio

"This is the work of Clint Trofa, performing as Duke of Zuke – an improv artist producing the cinematic score to an imaginary film with just an electric guitar through layers of drone and loops, exercising extreme control to keep over-production and use of effects down to only a handful of pedals.
The result is Apnoeic: an instrumental album that is raw as it is minimal, an emotional journey through a yet to be realized fictional character, destined to a melancholic end. (After writing this, I discover that 3 of the tracks from this release have been used in the architecture documentary The Pedway: Elevating London, so in this case, the imaginary film does now exist!)
The limited edition tape version of Apnoeic is still available via Tombed Vision Records, an imprint that combines graphic design, photography and typography with package design that it lovingly applies to its catalog – a diverse selection of some of the best sound art and ambient music for the discerning listener."
- Bad Fotography

credits

released December 9, 2014

All sounds created with electric guitar, written and performed by Clint Trofa.

Recorded by 'The Engineer' Harry Taylor at Ashby's Yard.

license

all rights reserved

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about

Tombed Visions Records Manchester, UK

Tombed Visions is a Manchester based cassette label specialising in improvisation, ambient music, experimental electronics and noir aesthetics and aims to showcase the fringes of contemporary independent music. All releases are limited edition and packaged with care, combining a love of graphic design, photography, typography with the wondrous sounds released. ... more

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