Semuin - Circles and Elephants

2009 sophomore album from Jochen Briesen (Semuin). The sounds on the album reach from very real sounding midi-instruments (midi-wind instruments, drum-sets, vibraphone, etc.) to more trashy sounding elements, like a midi-choir or a midi-electric-guitar-solo. This tension and the mixture with natural sounds of field recordings, hand claps, human voice or whistling creates an intense and unusual sound experience. Some instruments sound impersonal and digitalized others sound natural at first sight but after a while, you realize that you do hear a clarinet but you never hear anybody breathe. And as soon as you realized that, you are confronted with field recordings of kids and animals.