Radu Malfatti/Keith Rowe-Φ (Erstwhile 060-3)

[P. Wretch]

(And, at some stage, it would be of interest to know who suggested it, and why)

One likely reason is that 'phi' is the mathematical symbol for the golden ratio.

[Dan Warburton]

Fie upon me, I should have known that

[jon abbey]

not having a Greek to brush up on

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=%CE%A6

[leroysghost]

Phi has a bunch of different meanings, that's why it's such a nice title.

i like to think of it as a response to David Keenan:

In Lacanian algebra, Φ stands for the imaginary phallus and also represents phallic signification.

(kinda like how imaoto can mean "now sound" but might also be "masculine living room")

i'm still trying to nail down the definition of "nariyamu" (despite letting people google it for me). it seems to mean either "[the] sound stops" or "[the] ringing stops".

so far i've mostly only had time to listen to this one while i'm sleeping so i can't say much about the music yet except that it made for a beautiful walk on the first day of spring (accompanied by birdsong and melting snow).

[jon abbey]

i'm still trying to nail down the definition of "nariyamu" (despite letting people google it for me). it seems to mean either "[the] sound stops" or "[the] ringing stops".

yes, Yuko says either of these is correct, maybe the latter is a bit closer. Radu's Japanese (as far as it goes) is pretty good, but of course he could mean either.

[Vincent Kargatis]

Fie upon me, I should have known that

Being anal about such things, I'll clarify that the Greek pronunciation of the letter is 'fee'. I don't know what the official Erstwhile pronunciation is, but I'll be sticking with the original in any case.

[jon abbey]

yeah, that's the Greek pronunciation, but it seems as if the English pronunciation rhymes with pie (as in 'phi beta kappa', for instance), which is how I've been saying it. here is an explanation:

http://goldennumber.net/pronounce.htm

do you pronounce π as pee also, Vince?

[_duif]

Fie upon me, I should have known that

Being anal about such things, I'll clarify that the Greek pronunciation of the letter is 'fee'. I don't know what the official Erstwhile pronunciation is, but I'll be sticking with the original in any case.

actually in classical Greek, it really is ph, with an aspirated p, the fricative pronunciation developed centuries later (the earliest Latin words borrowed from Greek transcribe aspirates as plain voiceless stops, not fricatives). and since the golden ratio dates back to Pythagoras, if you want to be truly anal about it... pʰee it is
as for nariyamu, if it is indeed 鳴り止む, it means '(x) stop(s) (re)sounding/ringing/echoing'... where (x) can be any subject (or no subject at all). but would it also be possible to read it as 成り止む, '(x) stop(s) becoming'?

[jon abbey]

as for nariyamu, if it is indeed 鳴り止む, it means '(x) stop(s) (re)sounding/ringing/echoing'... where (x) can be any subject (or no subject at all). but would it also be possible to read it as 成り止む, '(x) stop(s) becoming'?

no, just the former, Yuko says no one uses the latter phrase.

[billygomberg]

dammit I still haven't had time for this!

[leroysghost]

yesterday i finally got to listen to this in toto a few times as well as some of the individual pieces by themselves. i am rather smitten as well. superb sequencing as always, jon.

listening to the two new Gravity Wave discs right now and enjoying them as well.

[jon abbey]

superb sequencing as always, jon.

thanks, although this time the plan was made beforehand, and the pieces are in the same order they were performed.

[presquepartout]

i read the erstwords post when it originally went up, and very much so enjoyed it, but now, having listened to $\phi$, certain passages carry additional meaning--definitely an essential companion.

[patois]

superb sequencing as always, jon.

thanks, although this time the plan was made beforehand, and the pieces are in the same order they were performed.

I thought i got a sense of this whilst listening... a logical building-up of density over the course of the discs. And having reached the end, found the sparsity of the opener just gives me chills and smiles. Loving also the tonality evident in Nariyamu... RM picking out beautiful intervals against KR's the ground-loop pedal tone..

T'was right they were recorded over three days, and not all in one sitting, yes..?

[leroysghost]

superb sequencing as always, jon.

thanks, although this time the plan was made beforehand, and the pieces are in the same order they were performed.

I thought i got a sense of this whilst listening... a logical building-up of density over the course of the discs. And having reached the end, found the sparsity of the opener just gives me chills and smiles. Loving also the tonality evident in Nariyamu... RM picking out beautiful intervals against KR's the ground-loop pedal tone..

totally. you can really feel the build up. the fact that it was recorded in order makes it all the more impressive.

[Dan Warburton]

yesterday i finally got to listen to this in toto a few times

What, all three CDs a few times? Your name Richard Pinnell or something?

[leroysghost]

it was a rare day where i was not required to leave the house .

[jon abbey]

T'was right they were recorded over three days, and not all in one sitting, yes..?

correct.

[Adrian]

I thought the title was 'divided circle'
Anyway, really pleased this is coming out. I have nearly finished digesting a lot of new, 'challenging' music these past weeks, and next week should see some light(er) music hitting the mat, which I then will have just enough time for before this keeps me busy for a few weeks at least - judging from the comments so far.
Jon, no news good news re delivery from the factory?

[jon abbey]

still on track for delivery here next Thursday or Friday, last I was told.