A RATIONAL WORLD weaves field recordings, improvised music and climate activist statements into a fierce, joyful and poetic call to arms in times of ecological collapse. The music was created during the making of the experimental short film ANSAGE ENDE (vimeo.com/314525630) and was recorded inside an old barn on the farm of Gjalt Tjeerdsma in Beetsterzwaag, Friesland (NL). Both the film and this release dwell on the question how to live and fight in an ever more rapidly warming world.

“The seas are rising and so are we!”

This release features exclusive art work by artist Che Go Eun. The Limited Edition Cassette has its own exclusive design by the artist and was riso printed at Afreux (afreux.be).


REVIEWS

A CLOSER LISTEN
by Maya Merberg
acloserlisten.com/2022/08/22/verena-barie-gerri-jager-sjoerd-leijten-malu-peeters-stijn-verhoeff-a-rational-world/

A father and son plod through a wet, barren landscape. All that can be made out is a hazy object far in the distance— perhaps some kind of ship. This is the opening scene of “Ansage Ende” (end of announcement), the short film through and for which the album A Rational World was created. This stark image screams dystopia— à la “The Road.” It’s one of the only fictional scenes in the film, which blends invented storyline and documentary.

In the title track, a speaker discusses how a rational society would halt usage of nonrenewable energy. In contrast, the increasing investment in fossil fuels is “so pathological that it’s hard to find any words for it.” Luckily, we have music. Electronic frequencies pick up as the speech meanders into a possible solution. Percussion becomes more frantic and booming, reflecting the sort of chaotic uprising that the speaker deems necessary. The soundscape disarrays, but then thins. Eventually a low flute holds a steady drone.

High pitched electronic and mechanical sounds comprise “Joyful Militancy.” Haphazard drums bang in the background with no regard for the rhythm of the squeals and oinks peppering the track. A flute fades in and out menacingly. This piece, like the rest of the album, is composed of field recordings and music the group recorded in a barn. Much of the field recording comes from a protest at a coal mine in The Netherlands. The manifestation is captured in the film; in the second scene, protestors camp out in trees in an attempt to halt deforestation, while a police force (joyful militants) stands by to allow the demolition. This scene seems more dystopian than the last.

The most lighthearted track is “Gerri’s Animal Interlude,” staying true to interlude form. Glitchy farm animal sounds are tactfully mixed with the beat, like a DJ expertly turntabling a noisy children’s toy. At one point, a voice (likely Gerri’s) gleefully imitates a record scratch. This entertaining respite from the intensity is welcome, though one gets the impression that its inclusion is ironic– as if to illustrate the peril of distraction. Either way, “Gerri’s Animal Interlude” has a catchy rhythm that might get one bopping one’s head to the beat— but only momentarily, until the sobering journey continues. “A Daunting Thing” features a pontification on how harrowing it is to face the truth of the climate crisis. This is precisely what the album implores its listeners to do– confront the facts of our global disaster, and recognize that dystopias aren’t necessarily fictional.

“A Rational World” is a masterpiece of a wakeup call. Haunting and riotous, it demands the listener’s attention. And though it elucidates the severity of our crisis, it is not without hope. At one point a spirited mob chants, “The seas are rising and so are we!” For all the chilling impartiality that exists, passion prevails.


VITAL WEEKLY 1339
by Frans de Waard

That's a lot of names, and I assume a one-off project. During the recording of a short film, 'Ansage Ende', this group got together on a farm in the Dutch part of Friesland and recorded the ten pieces. Music and film are connected, even when the music is not necessarily the soundtrack (judging by the content, on vimeo.com/314525630. Both deal with "the question of how to live and fight in an ever more rapidly warming world". The duties are divided like this; Verena Barié (recorders), Gerri Jäger (Drums and synths), Sjoerd Leijten (electronics), and Malu Peeters (recording engineer). Field recordings are supplied by Leijten, Verhoef (both are also responsible for the film), and Peeters. The context is very political, with spoken words and sounds made at protests and personal testimonies. In terms of improvised music, this is quite the odd affair. The recorder and drums play a relatively small
part, and synths and electronics are all the bigger. Voices and sound are sampled and arrive back in the mix, stuttering and bouncing, while field recordings are used in a longer form. There is an exciting balance here between 'pure' music and a documentary form (in Dutch mainly). You could think of this as a radio play had the issue not been genuine. Yet this message doesn't stand in the way of the music; there is much to enjoy there. I enjoyed this oddball mix of loopy electronics, picking up voices, drums, and recorders, set against the real thing. Sometimes on the verge of breaking down, traditionally improvised and the next moment scratching and peeping in true electro-acoustic music fashion. Altogether a fascinating and robust statement! (FdW)