anticipate recordings
mutek
percussion lab
A New York City native, and founder/label manager for the Anticipate and Microcosm labels, Ezekiel Honig concentrates on his idiosyncratic brand of emotively warm electronic-acoustic music. Using the loop as more of a tool than a rule, Honig paints outside the lines, nestling into a comfortable, shared space between muted techno, melodic, event-driven ambient and slowmotion house - using them as reference points from which to stray, rather than as steadfast frameworks. Drawing on the rich history of musique concrete, Honig looks to incorporate a material nature into his music by imbuing it with a host of field recording/found-sound sources in the search for a balance between digital software innovation and the physicality of the world around us. His music is one of contrast and contradiction, combining minimal, abstract tendencies with a core of timeless harmonics - pairing inviting, fuzzy chords with clunky and dirty "mishaps."
Through a number of critically acclaimed releases, Honig's work has been featured in publications such as The Wire (UK), XLR8R (USA), The Village Voice (USA), De:Bug (Germany), Textura (Canada), Resident Advisor (USA), Flavorpill/Earplug (USA), Spex (Germany), TRAX (France) and many others worldwide, being variously described as, "stately," "evocative and impressionistic," "strangely solemn narratives," "ornate," "takes aim for the heart as much as the head," and "an anthill symphony." Taken as a whole these various descriptors give a fuller picture of a sound which has remained consistent while developing along a continuum. Honig's personal musical movement has also directed the development of his Anticipate and Microcosm labels. Spending as much time on curatorial activities and label management as he does on his own music production has afforded him a unique viewpoint from which to work and informs his activities throughout the musical process, as well as offering him the chance to collaborate with other artists on multiple levels.
In addition to his studio releases and label work, Honig performs live consistently, and, in this setting, strives to push beyond the boundaries of the recorded material. His improvisational approach combines loops and elements from various songs with on-the-fly arrangements, editing and effects. Viewing the recorded material as a constantly shifting body of work leaves space for serendipitous moments and leads to each set being an individualized rework, referencing and reprocessing itself as well as the song forms from which the parts emerged. As a result of this flexibility to tailor sets to the environment, Honig's performances have been known to take the form of deep after-hours techno, rhythmic near-ambient or heartbeat-driven installation.
58 min | 320 kbps | 134 mb
ezekiel honig . live pa . mutek . 28.05.09
enjoy!
