Reviews:

Press Release (Gracia Territori Sonor)

What can we say about RAPOON, except that every release includes a world of its own...This is the complete and unretouched concert that Robin Storey a.k.a. RAPOON performed for the LEM Festival june 1999 in Barcelona, covering pieces from his more than 15 CD releases, after leaving the :zoviet*france: project. Experimental but also intimate sounds from the earth and the ether, this is no trivial electronica but a magical trip through mental stereoscopic labyrinths.

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:D-LEM: is a two day festival in Spain and this CD represents Storey's live set. Comprised of one 54-minute track, this is a bit darker and leans more towards a post-industrial flavor than do his most recent works. In fact this CD will prove a revelation for those waiting for a new :zoviet*france: recording as this may be Storey's closest release yet to sound somewhat similar to the more recent :z*f: recordings, "Just an Illusion" or "Mort Aux Vaches". :z*f: are a favorite around these parts and the consensuses are that they have few peers in this particular New Music category. The new Rapoon, however, holds it's own when played against comparable works produced by ANY artists working in this musical genre today. Storey releases only 'finished' works that sound as if he really puts in much thought, time, and effort before calling it a day. Recently many recordings sound as if the patches used were standard 'stock' sounds recorded spontaneously in one take - not so with Rapoon. Sound sources, even for Electronic aficionados - will be nearly impossible to presume. Using a backdrop of static, spiralling patches amidst loops of unidentifiable echoing 'percussion', Rapoon then adds traditional Mid-Eastern instrumentation such as horns, hand percussion, and voice. This is only a guess as Storey morphs all instruments beyond recognition, leaving the listener up to their own imagination as to what was originally employed, allowing disparity in listener interpretation. Storey really has a great ear so that putting words such as eloquent, beautiful, and delicate to this type of music is deemed appropriate enough. What other artists working in this field of Electronica may this be said? Not many that we know of. Each moment holds a new thrill for the listener, and, aside from certain similarities to :z*f:, the only recording that came to mind for comparison or allusion was Lard Free's "Spiral Malox" - a swirling cacophony of ever shifting, remarkable sounds that we used for those 'extra special' listening sessions in the old days. The king is dead; long live the King! Oddly enough, this newest Rapoon had the disquieting effect on listeners by way of presenting itself differently with each play - a bonus (IMHO) for sure. We have listened to :D-LEM: on three of the Sanctuary's systems - each wildly diverse in both make-up and cost - while each resulted in disparate feelings associated with this recording. Anyone interested in true state-of-the-art music that pushes boundaries must own this recording. If only we could have been in attendance at this concert.

review by Glenn Hammett
The Raging Consciousness
copyright 2000