"At the heart of Clinton Green’s latest is the humbly bewitching sound of several broken Walkmans looping over themselves and each other in a jittery, microscopic dance. According to the Shame File star himself, “Loose internal speakers from the Walkmans are positioned between the spindle and play-head. The parts cling together magnetically, yet are agitated by the turning spindle, creating not-quite-regular rhythms punctuated by magnetic/electronic interference.” It’s an approach that has a lot of potential despite its minimalism, a potential that is explored in depth throughout. But in a surprising turn of events (literally; beware the jump scare), the textures and twitches of the miniature motorized network are just one element of A Conduit, especially in eclectic opener “Allegations of Ventriloquism.” I already thought it was a great title, but the lengthy track—described as “a psychodrama; an opera”—delves into said allegations in a much more concrete manner than I expected, introducing a paranoid narrative via beamed-in speech scraps (provided by Michael McNab, Allan Stewart, Michael Zulicki, and Green himself), slurred tape delirium, and abstract turntable tactility. This last element acts as a kind of structural glue for the loose-strung collage, harmonizing with the miniscule rattle of the Walkmans as the skips and clunks respond to the bass and color of the sampled bits. The much briefer “Emucounter” is stripped down but no less mysterious, bringing the unmistakable buzz of an electromagnetic swarm to the foreground while guitars and reeds cavort upstage. And “Stopcock (Alleged)” is an almost scientific meditation, examining the effects of different placement configurations in a patient lead-up to a twist ending. I would be interested to hear a release that focused on the Walkmans on their own, but they also work so well here as both vital organ and connective tissue." - Noise Not Music
credits
released February 25, 2024
Clinton Green: Walkmans, turntables, cassettes, percussion, voice, text.
Other voices on track 1: Michael McNab, Allanah Stewart, Michael Zulicki.
Recorded/edited Jun-Sep 2023
Mixed Dec 2023-Jan 2024
“Stopcock (alleged)” recorded live at Long Play,Naarm/Melbourne, 10 Aug 2023
Mastered by James A. Dean, Jan 2024
Thank you: Jenny Green, Ernie Althoff, Carolyn Connors, David Palliser, Ben Speth, the other voices
Made on the lands of the Bunurong and Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation (Naarm) and of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk Nations (Wartook)
A collection of tracks from the singer and multi-disciplinary artist's 111 collaboration series, featuring KMRU, Laraaji, and others. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 25, 2024
