THIELEMANS, ERIC - A Snare Is A Bell

"This is the first in a series of solo percussion LPs on Ultra Eczema titled STS. A meditative psychedelic experience is what I would like to call this, though I realize I make it sound like a silly zen blowout, and thats not what it feels like at all! When I first saw it live in a giant church in Mechelen, Belgium, I was yelling this is the best show of the year. I thought there wouldnt be an end to it and didnt even feel a build-up to a more tense sound or a drone. There was a difference in resonating sound and it definitely changed, but as with more constructive minimalists such as Steve Reich or maybe even Terry Riley, you cant tell when things change. That experience got enlarged as well by the scenography he played in, a splendid eye-torturing construction, built especially for this piece by Antwerp-based sculptor Filip Metten. On record it feels different of course, as you can skip the needle up and down to the end and back, you can hear an enormous tension and sound difference. Though this piece is written for only a snare drum and a tiny bit of vocals (resonating with the snare drum) it sounds like either 20 people on a snaredrum, like if Glen Branca would invite 567 people playing the exact same snare roll, or like a choir, and by the end definitely like the sound of a Whitehouse LP; building up strongly to the point of absolute silence, which feels like a relief! This piece is based on a snare roll which changes 3 times. Live, this piece can go up to an hour or longer, on this record, it is one full side. The B-side is a psychedelic etch! Eric Thielemans is based in Antwerp, Belgium and has made percussive pieces for theatre, has played psychedelic guitar music with Mauro Pawlowski, spaced free music with Sickboy and Cassisini Division and a ton load of great free jazz with Andre Goudbeek and Peter Jacquemyn. This record is limited to 500 copies, has an insert and comes in a duo colored psychic design by Dennis Tyfus". -Ultra Eczema.