Mem1: +1

In 2007 the debut album Alexipharmaca by Los Angeles (US) based electro-acoustic duo Mem1 was released on the label Interval Recordings. On this album the duo searches for a modern combination of electronic and classical music. Now with their second album +1 they explore this sometimes thin line further with the help from befriended guest musicians.

Collaborations with musicians like Jan Jelinek, Frank Bretschneider and Steven Roden (to name the more well known musicians) recorded on several places like a painter's studio, near a lake or through the internet. The influences from the several guest musicians do ring through in some of the pieces, while others clearly show Mem1 as being the main ingredient.

While on Alexipharmaca the electro-acoustic compositions had a major melodic and rhythmic element, here most pieces find their way into minimalism and drones. The warm tones of the cello find their way into computers and effects to develop long sustaining tones, while in the background soft digital glitches crackle and plop along. Only in the pieces with Frank Bretschneider and Steve Roden a twist is brought to the sound. Bretschneider pushes his pulsating beats in, exactly those as we know from his own work. And Steve Roden surprises us with some unexpected broken beats, turning the whole piece upside down... -Sietse van Erve

– Earlabs (2009)