ANBB is a collaborative project started in 2007 by German artist Alva Noto and Blixa Bargeld, member of the groups Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The two artists have long admired one another’s work, and together they developed a musical concept based on the combination of improvisation and abstraction. Working on their own experimental material that gains its strength from the spontaneity of the live performance of Bargeld’s voice as well as rethinking traditional songs in their own special manner, they delivered an outstanding and inspiring musical blend. The collaboration first staged in September 2007 when they united for a special appearance in San Francisco to perform at Recombinant Media Labs studios. Since then they have recorded several tracks, five of which were initially released the preliminary EP, Ret Marut Handshake (r-n 120) in 2010. A full-length album with 10 tracks (r-n 121) was released during the same year, followed by a live tour at various festivals and concert halls in Europe in June/September 2010.

Ret Marut Handshake is the first official output by the duo, merging the impulsive live performance of Blixa Bargeld and the elaborated beat structures and sound landscapes of Alva Noto. In this five-track 12″ Bargeld gives a commandingly expressive vocal performance that functions perfectly in counterpoint to the clinical precision of the pinpoint backdrop.

Further readings:

• Review by Brainwashed
• Review by Boomkat

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• N-035 Mimikry ANBB (Alva Noto + Blixa Bargeld) Format: Digital, CD