anamnesis| cs004

Cover layout may have industrial ressemblances and some of the sounds Pedro Chambel’s guitar produces may have, to certain extent, conotations with the so called "industrial music" but the actual cultural pot where this work is to be placed at is quite a different one, namely "Silent Improvisation" the way Sealed Knot or IST produces it. These two feature Rhodri Davies and Mark Wastell like in electric and electronic version if one may say so. And that's what is so appealing about this first work by Pedro Chambel: References are from Acoustic music (even knowing this one's own may be electronic) not from other guitar practices meaning Abstraction or Experimentalism - familiarity with Burkhard Stangl or Kevin Drumm is not perceivable here. The level of loudness kept by this musician is minute yet that fact makes him loose no density or intensity. Short eruptions along the fraile assembled structures sound as if something else/more is about to happen but it all turns back to the very same condition of static crepitation which necessarily leads the listener to increased concentration. At times spaces of silence turn this one into musical matter, meeting John Cage's. "Small is beautifull" aesthetics has indeed reached Portugal.  Rui Eduardo Paes (JL)

Using his guitar as the only source, Pedro Chambel debuts in the foreground section of the six- stringed avantgarde phalanx with a very mature work. "Anamnesis" is mostly based on low humming, possibly coming from enhanced earth loop noise, over which a lot of amplified and treated waves (some overdriven hissing flange/chorus here and there) and a nice collection of disturbing frequencies create a "storm-peace-storm" atmosphere that permeates the whole CD. The above mentioned humming constitutes the link for everything you hear; all sounds are carefully placed and set to receive the right dose of attention by the listener, without any strain. Massimo Ricci (Touching Extremes)

Anamnesis is Pedro Chambel’s first solo album. A Portuguese guitarist unknown outside his home country, Pedro Chambel comes forth with an artistic proposition that parallels those of Keith Rowe, Martin Siewert and the likes. His music relies on silence, the electrical drone of a "naked" amplifier and the use of unusual guitar playing techniques to squeeze delicate noise textures out of the instrument. Severely reductionist in its means, this music requires from the listener a leap of faith: ignore your first impressions of sonic poverty and stillness and just listen as Pedro Chambel unfolds the mysteries he has encountered. The guitar as instrument doesn't hold any importance anymore—these crackles, drones, and indescribable noises could have a number of origins. That is particularly true of "Anamnesis IV" where what sounds like basic white noise is sampled and processed in real time. On the other hand "Anamnesis I" starts with a few distinguishable guitar notes, all very quiet and moving into even quieter realms. Whether the music works for you or not depends mostly on your state of mind. Granted, Pedro Chambel doesn’t make it easy for the listener and truth be told his music lacks a bit of soul (even when compared to Keith Rowe or Burkhard Stangl, or even Taku Sugimoto). Nevertheless, «Anamnesis» makes for an intriguing listen electro-acoustic improv enthusiasts will want to check out. François Couture (AMG)

Si pensamos en guitarristas, jazz e improvisación una mayoría pensarán en Metheny, alguno en Scofield, los menos en Abercrombie y muy pocos en francotiradores como Derek Bailey. También existen modeladores de sonidos como Keith Rowe (guitarrista del grupo AMM). Más cercano a éste último grupo que a su guitarrista muestra un trabajo centrado en la improvisación eléctrica (¿podría así ser llamada por ser eléctrica su guitarra?) en directo (nada de grabaciones y efectos de estudio) en un recorrido por el sonido, la levedad, el minimalismo y el silencio que nos puede llevar a pensar en 4'33" de John Cage. Muy interesante. José Francisco Tapiz (TomaJazz)

Creative Sources is a new portuguese label run by Ernesto Rodrigues (who plays the viola, sax, violin) and who has so far issued 5 amazing CD’s. Usually in nearly all CD’s, with the exception of  Pedro Chambel’s which is a solo one, we find a core of nearly the same people exploring various realms of the what so called “improvised music”. But is improvisation which is not done in the sake of improvisation or in a funny like mood or whatsoever. On the contrary here we have a team of people who improvise upon certain ideas or out of certain needs.[...] Finally is the «Anamnesis» CD by Pedro Chambel who provides us 4 guitar improvisations at times sounding hissing (as happens in the final track), others more lo-fi noisy oriented, scratching, crackling, droning (in a really lo-fi mood no kidding at all) that makes this recording sounding too original and enjoyable! Nicolas (Absurd)

Chambel performs on solo guitar on «Anamnesis», but do not expect to hear anything approaching traditional guitar. It is an electronic milieu where static, distortion, hum and electric sparks are just as much a part of the music as the simulated semblance of notes are. Chambel plays tabletop guitar and spices the performance with live electronics. It takes great perseverance to connect with the artist. The tones often are close to inaudible, the nuances and subtleties are stock in trade, and the concept of flow is a forgotten memory, in contradiction to the recording’s title. Chambel passes through four real-time titles using purity of sound and impure sounds in equal doses. He extracts squeaky, abrupt tones from the strings and further distorts them with his electronic doctoring. There is a motorized haze covering the performance, simulating a droning mechanism around which Chambel creates his atonal intensity.
In the field of creative expression, there is room for all forms of artistic interpretation. Chambel has taken the notion to the extreme by exercising his right to free speech outside the boundaries of what is customarily described as music. He has configured silence with noise and articulates on these two extremes in a very personal, introverted manner. What he hears and what is communicated to the listener can be worlds apart. Forget the ambition of reaching the masses; this material must have an audience that is microscopic in comparison to Jazz’s limited appeal. Frank Rubolino (Cadence)

[...] L’enregistrement de Chambel contient beaucoup de bruit et de fureur dans les limites d’un minimalisme beaucoup plus rigoureux. Musique objective, elle se découvre jusqu’à l’os, comme un malade à qui la fièvre fait perdre tout ce qui le constitue en des temps habituels. L’auditeur ressent pourtant à l’écoute un poids idéologique et conceptuel considérable. Chambel semble travailler à partir d’un scénario, appliquer un programme: dans cette musique le passé écrase le présent, le réduit, à proprement parler, au silence. On peut difficilement s’empêcher de penser au passé, legs écrasant d'une grande puissance à un petit pays. Noël Tachet (Improjazz)

Primer y único trabajo conocido del guitarrista portugués Pedro chambel que tiene en este trabajo de directrices y elementos sónicos provenientes de campos donde la experimentación, la música contemporánea y la electrónica en vivo una brillante credencial. Con acercamientos a posiciones estéticas de Keith Rowe, en sus lecturas manipuladas y búsquedas sonoras, no esconde un intencionado gesto en el silencio, como reafirmación sonora. Su trabajo «Anamnesis» está bien surtido de respuestas y razones más que suficientes para que encontremos desde la lectura de la música industrial o las texturas del pensamiento y lenguaje del mundo contemporáneo. Chema Chacón (Oro Molido)

Um dos mais recentes guitarristas a emergir no contexto da música improvisada portuguesa, onde se têm destacado neste instrumento nomes como Manuel Mota e Nuno Rebelo, é o de Pedro Chambel. Em “Anamnesis”, seu primeiro trabalho, constatamos da adopção de uma postura estética semelhante à de um Keith Rowe, figura mítica da nova música improvisada, em que se apresenta menos como guitarrista do que como manipulador de sons. Ao longo desta liturgia solitária, o ouvinte é confrontado com fluxos contínuos e descontínuos de elementos sonoros que se propagam no espaço sem direcção definida, numa irregularidade regular. Não obstante um certo atavismo de carácter estritamente musical subjacente a esta obra, é de salientar a prospecção e domínio técnico de Chambel orientados na criação, síntese e encadeamento de uma multiplicidade de organismos sonoros que, na sua totalidade, constituem as micro estruturas básicas deste trabalho. Como consideração final, acrescente-se da disponibilidade intelectual exigida ao ouvinte para a audição de “Anamnesis”, embora o que acabe por sobressair desta manifestação artística seja o marasmático individualismo do guitarrista, [...]. João Aleluia (All Jazz)

A set of four very beautiful, very spare pieces for guitar done in 2001 wherein a fine balance is achieved between recognizable guitar sounds and mists of hum and grit. Though differently sourced, I hear a good bit akin to what Toshi Nakamura and Sachiko M were doing around the same time. There's a bit of resonance in the room, making for a fine sense of concentrated isolation; one has the sense of a sharply lit area in a pool of darkness, dust motes aswirl in the air. Chambel is both patient and active, keeping the volume low, allowing for spatial ellipses. The last cut is an especially lovely series of cloud-like bursts, all haze and soot, a softly sputtering engine filling a field with ash. A very well conceived recording, a hidden gem in the Creative Sources catalog (# 4 in their lengthy series) that shouldn't have been overlooked. Bryan Olewnick (Just Outside)