Pierre Berthet: Extended Loudspeakers

For Extended Loudspeakers, Pierre Berthet suspended tin cans, linked them by wires, put a loudspeaker in one can, and caught the sounds made from the vibration of the wires. The album has the air of a science project to it as much as a musical work. Knowing what he did to get these sounds may help you appreciate and think about it, though one might prefer listening without prior knowledge. Either way, one might have trouble connecting to Extended Loudspeakers on a level beyond an appreciation of its mechanics.

At first, It sounds like interplay among clanging noises, like a metallic conversation listeners can’t participate in. Repeated listens reveal how the repetition becomes a scene in itself, as more atmosphere comes to life. Part five (of seven) has just a whirring sound. It’s such a break from the previous sounds it feels like a death or a new start. The clanging begins again on the next track, but the feeling is different, or are we the ones who have changed?