'Multistability' is, in many ways, the perfect companion to 'UL8', also released December 2010. Released two weeks before 'UL8,' 'Multistability' marks the experimental progression that led him to produce its immediate successor, on which electronica is reduced to its absolute minimum.
Constructed using a limited range of sounds at its foundation, 'Multistability' demonstrates just how far those sounds can be manipulated to produce a remarkable sonic spectrum. Similarly, if 'UL8' can be defined by an obsessively-focused concern with manipulations in frequency and pitch, then 'Multistability' prefaces this narrowing with the inclusion of time and speed within the range of variables.
What makes Fell's line of sonic experimentation interesting is that he approaches his work with an almost scientific precision, and operates within predetermined limits. Within these strict parameters, Fell can be seen - or rather heard - to push the sounds to their absolute limit in every direction. The track titles - numerical, with A, AA, B suffixes to differentiate alternate or inverted versions of the same piece - further highlights Fell's methodical approach to the creative process. Yes, it is cold and clinical, but it’s also fascinating and makes for a very unusual listening experience. 'Multistability' is quite probably the last word in minimalist electronica.
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Mark Fell Online
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