Today we celebrate the official release of Joni Void’s second Constellation LP Mise En Abyme, a deeply personal and sonically riveting exploration of plunderphonic electronics.
Today we celebrate the official release of Joni Void’s second Constellation LP Mise En Abyme, a deeply personal and sonically riveting exploration of plunderphonic electronics. Joni Void is the creative moniker of Montréal-based artist Jean Cousin, and with Mise En Abyme he’s solidified his position as one of the most compelling and innovative figures in contemporary electronic music. Blending the digital and organic in a truly singular manner, Cousin’s deft audio collages are essential listening for fans of experimental electronics and groundbreaking new sound.
Today we celebrate the official release of Joni Void’s second Constellation LP Mise En Abyme, a deeply personal and sonically riveting exploration of plunderphonic electronics.
"If 'Mise En Abyme' places Cousin in the void, he's using his time there to register his own humanity and strengthen his resolve, making sense of the world through selective erasure and curation." – Exclaim
"Cousin is one of those electronic musicians capable of writing unexpected emotion out of his sounds. His source material frequently comes from the captured voices of his friends, whether that be snippets of conversation, readings of texts or harmonic, wordless singing, all of which are then processed and placed sensitively amid a supporting infrastructure of electronic rhythms, glitches and snatches of non-melodies." – Electronic Sound
"'Selfless' sounded like it was gnashing its teeth, a fantasyland of tension and bruxism. 'Mise En Abyme' subsumes that anxiety into a series of songs that court despair and wonder with equal fervor... Vocals abound on the album's first side, giving the ear something to grip even when they add more texture than narrative. "Dysfunctional Helper" layers a wordless melody sung by Ayuko Goto (also known as Noah, who appeared on Selfless) over a squeaking industrial beat, emphasizing the sanctuary that the voice and the act of singing, even idly, can create in the mind. The percussion suggests urban chaos, while the voice induces calm. "Lov-Ender" braids samples of Montreal musician Catherine Debard's voice into psychedelic polyrhythms. Both songs find their beat over time, rather than being led by it. Human noise directs the machine sound, instead of the other way around... If the record's first half concerns vocal communication, side B stages its breakdown. On "No Reply," Joni Void samples answering machine messages, dial-up modems, and the unmistakable glitchy static old cell phones used to cast across nearby speakers just before receiving a call or text. These are obsolete sounds of anticipation and disappointment, sounds heard playing phone tag on a landline or picking up the receiver while someone else in the house tried to connect to the internet. Maybe they sound like alien noise to someone who's only known one millennium, but Joni Void doesn't aim for nostalgia here; "No Reply" doesn't fetishize these sounds, but attempts to locate the self within their milieu, pinging old memories and tracing them forward to the present. What bodily response does a busy tone prompt? What old tension or melancholy does it dredge up in the nervous system?" – Pitchfork
Hear the first advance track "Scanner" and preorder the album on Deluxe 180gLP, CD, or digital ahead of its official release on 21 May.
read moreConstellation's first-ever digital series. 16 artists with new longplaying singles and accompanying experimental film/video, commissioned as part of our pandemic/post-capitalist response for label-affiliated musicians under current conditions. Tracks are exclusive to Bandcamp and PWYC for the week of release, along with sale pricing on artist’s related Constellation digital discography. 100% of revenue from all digital sales goes to the artist. Winter 2021 Corona Borealis tracks drop on Thursdays throughout January/February. Revisit our Fall 2020 entries here.
read moreThe Fall 2020 chapter of Constellation's first-ever digital series. 8 artists present longplaying singles and accompanying experimental film/video, commissioned as part of our pandemic/post-capitalist response for label-affiliated musicians under current conditions. Tracks are exclusive to Bandcamp. 100% of revenue from all digital sales goes to the artist. See our Winter 2021 post for details on the latest Corona Borealis chapter.
read morePurchase four or more titles from our webshop and automatically save 25%. All formats and titles are eligible for the sale, and you can mix & match formats in your order to qualify for the discount. For vinyl lovers, 4 LPs is the sweet spot for mail-order (weight-based shipping rates being what they are) and by far your best value – another reason we're offering the discount at this quantity. This offer runs until 18 December but we do recommend you place your order ASAP and no later than 11 December if you're looking to receive your order before the holidays.
read moreAs first announced back in March, Constellation has been passing 100% of digital download revenue from our website and Bandcamp directly to artists as part of our pandemic policy. We kicked off this initiative when lockdown took hold, and after renewing it every month since we've made the decision to extend the policy until the end of 2020. Read on for more details about our pandemic response.
read morePick up Third Album by Markus Floats and Therapy With Colour by T. Gowdy on Deluxe 180gLP or CD from your favourite record shop. Don't delay, though – the Deluxe vinyl editions are limited to 300 copies each at indie shops.
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