Mem1: +1

Mem1 is Los Angeles based duo Mark & Laura Cetilia. They utilize custom hardware and software, electronics and cello in an electroacoustic improvisation environment. What I find always draws me to the electroacoustic stuff when it’s done well is the joining of dissonance between the acoustic instruments, in this case, the scraping of cello, with the warmth and bed of sounds you get in synthesizers.

On "+1", we get that rich sound from Mem1, but with an additional guest on each track, some collaborations done live, others produced through the magic of the internet. Opening track "+ Jan Jelinek" was an instant grabber, playing off the cello with the electronics in a highly enjoyable manner. Following that "+Ido Govrin" goes for straight Cluster sustain that leaves you dizzy waiting for the note to stop, but that good kind of feeling at the top of your head when you let the cosmic take over.

There are other trips with other collaborators, featuring field recordings, some that stick more to acoustic instruments than synths, but mostly there is a very solid balance. There is hardly any trace of "Oh, here’s where that guy came in." Although you can tell where some people are stronger in their approach to a song than others, this seems to rely on the group. -Andrew Murdock Livingston


Foxy Digitalis (2009)