Originally released 1995 on CD by Ash International / Touch
Bernd Friedmann reveals his true nature as an experimentalist, forsaking his more melodic work, for a 77 minute soundscape. Leisure Zones offers an alternative to the state many people find themselves in; as passive consumers of leisure. But the increasing inviability of this option due to environmental destruction will force us to modify this existence. The West is overloaded with used and unsold hardware; the very pile is threatening to topple over and crush us all. But the intimate world of auditory pleasure (including silence) presents an alternative to this miasma.
tracklisting
1 Leisure Zones
Recommended listening times:
i) shortly before or during sleep
ii) Whilst breakfasting on a balcony or terrace
Recommended listening volume:
approximating the throb of traffic
“To call this ‘music’ is pushing it somewhat; it’s more of an environment, another world even, to let yourself wind down in. Except that after 14 minutes of low volume urban noise (sounds boring but it’s actually blissfully relaxing), the sound of a rapidly approaching electric arc weld is succeeded by a popping explosion, which caught yours truly completely off guard and basically scared the shit out of me. You too, hopefully, when you hear it. It’s staggeringly how much is conjured up by what appears to be so little over the 77 minutes of this one-track sound installation. Excellent.” Andy McCall Smith in Magic Feet (UK)