• Track Listing

Berlin-based Robert Henke is best known for his work as Monolake, and as the software technology developer for the pioneering Ableton music software. This is his fourth full-length solo release for his own label, Imbalance Computer Music. The new ambient work Layering Buddha is a dark, shimmering, epic journey, solely created with sounds taken from the famous FM3 Buddha Machine. By transforming, filtering and massively layering the thin buzzing audio sound from this device he has achieved intrusive and dense soundscapes with strong cinematic associations, slowly travelling into deeper and deeper sonic layers, opening spaces where the perception of time is extended, where microscopic details become visible, and where slight changes in color and timbre create sensations of giant structures moving slowly in the distance. The sound of the original Buddha Machine player was captured using state of the art recording equipment, capable of collecting artifacts far beyond the frequency response of the human ear. This made it possible to reveal hidden and usually inaudible aspects of the material during the processing, leading to sonically rich results full of incredible, almost organic detail. During the project, long permutating sequences were set up, using numerous independent layers of processed sound, all oscillating with their own frequency and breath. In a later production step, these long sequences were rearranged and cut down to obtain more closed works of different color. Finally, the most fascinating structures were chosen and assembled to form the Layering Buddha CD and limited edition vinyl. The CD has been compiled to work best as one long audio piece where the order of the tracks, and the way they interleave, guides the listener through different moods and places. Part of the fascination of the original FM3 Buddha Machine comes from the fact that it is a toy-like tool where one can experience each built-in loop as a solitary thing. But it's also a source of experimentation - turning on more than one player at a time is highly satisfying. The limited edition vinyl box is a reference to this. Each work on the five record set can be played at any speed but, just like the original Buddha Machines, playing back two or more records simultaneously allows the creation of an infinite number of variations. The artwork for the CD and the limited vinyl edition is based on a work by Australian photographer Justine Lera.