daylies music: Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Cyclic Defrost Magazine

Ursula Bogner – Recordings (1969-1988) (fatiche)

Posted: 15 Jan 2009 07:13 PM CST

ursula
Immediately this recording strikes one as of an ilk, overlooked musical genius, and surely to the musical enthusiast there is as many as there is overlooked painters and poets. They just seethe out of the woodwork when you look close to the grain. In particular the recent 'rediscovery' of Delia Derbyshire and the release of many of her works following her death in 2001 are akin to this model of thinking and artistic posthumous curatorial activity.

There are differences with Ursula Bogner, who was never prominent in the public ear, nor was the music ever released, until now. So the claim of 'rediscovery' which often has implicit in it a form of necrophilic opportunism may not easily be assigned to this unearthing by Jan Jelinek. Bogner passed away in 1994. Jelinik has 'rediscovered' Bogner through a chance encounter with her son Sebastian Bogner on a flight and this CD/LP are taken straight from the reel to reel's with only three track's as 'reworkings' in that they are mixed by Jalinek.

Ursula Bogner's electronic obsession is now commonplace as is her obsession with new age esotericism. The music as such does not sound unlike a good deal of abstract ambient electronicia of the last decade and is akin to ambient minimal schools albeit with a playful and lighthearted sensibility. It is noodleish, kooky and playful. Her interest in Musique Concrete is quite easily discernable and the lack of pragmatic form reveals Bogner's work as a task of personal joy rather than utilitarian purpose. This is enough of an encouragement for keen listener's ear to be peaked akin to the enthusiasm of Jalinek.