"Thrill" by Ludger Brummer Mulitimedia Review of DVD Audio/Video/ROM

[Mark Heide]

This is the latest release from the ZKM Institute for Music and Acoustics. This DVD includes 5 electronic audio compositions which two of them have videos. This is a unique DVD because it presents the media in several different formats. In DVD Video you can listen to it in Dolby Surround, DTS, or Dolby Stereo. The DVD audio has the option of listening to the pieces in 24 bit resolution. The DVD ROM portion of the disc includes an eight channel version of "Inferno der Stille" with a link to the composers website. The eight channel version is partitioned as individual AIFF-files which can be opened with a hard disk recording program. Of course, you will have to have 8 speakers for playback.

There are five compositions. Phrenos, Lizard Point, de la nuit, Thrill, and Inferno der Stille, with Video for Lizard Point and Thrill. The following is a quote from the composer and video artists:

"The aim in the collaborative process of creating the video was to investigate the moment of tension between real and digitally produced realities and movement qualities and to present them according to media-specific aspects. The video Lizard Point represents an intermedial investigation, an attempt at comparing musical, choreographic and filmic parameters. Body language, movement and dance thus have a key function. They are contrasted both with the visual features of the animation created with physical modeling in the computer as well as with the gestural, acoustic characteristics of the musical structures. The organic material quality of the visual and acoustic animation makes it possible for a connection to be made between, body, movement, gesture, space, sound and time and for these to grow together into a perceptible sensory experience."

Ludger Brummer and Silke Braemer.

If you like to take the plunge and experience the latest in experimental electronic music and video, plus give your surround system a workout, you will be highly pleased with the music and video. Sound quality is excellent! This DVD is available from www.wergo.de or you can find it at Tower Records.

Mark