Call it Electro-Acoustic Improvisation or German Reductionism, “II” is Berlin septet Phosphor’s second CD release. Though the semi-interesting debate on what to properly call this type of musical expression will surely continue, on this recording the usual EAI signifiers are evident-texture, space, silence, liminal tiptoe, etc. In addition to standards like trumpet, tuba, and guitar Burkhard Beins, Axel Dorner, Robin Hayward, Annette Krebs, Andrea Neumann, Michael Renkel, and Ignaz Schick play electronics, objects, mixing board, and “prepared acoustic nylon string guitar via computer.”

For the number of performers and instruments involved there’s still plenty of space and silence to enjoy. Due to electronic treatment, matching specific instruments to the unfolding sounds is a bit like researching what brand of paint Rothko used. It’s surely difficult and seems almost unnecessary. The sound is what’s important. At the foundation is a low rumbling. In the midrange are string swipes that catch and tug like fishhooks. At the top of the spectrum are tendrils of ridiculously high pitched feedback; dog whistle at the tip of Everest kind of stuff. Fortunately the tones don’t split your head, being more like the momentary pinch/warm numbness of a bee sting.

The most interesting characteristic of “II” is how volume-dependent it is. Turn it up and an innocent hum reveals subtle bleeping and auditory textures that sputter and uncoil. Data mining the volume alters the sound so profoundly that you quickly go from listener to participant. Like most EAI this is patient, cerebral sound art that demands attention and patience from the listener. This leads to a mild complaint: at over an hour in length, only a stoic few will be able to actively close-listen from start to finish. But in spite of (or maybe thanks to) its demands, “II” offers many lessons on how auditory space, interplay, pacing, and textures are shaped and perceived. 7/10 -- Mike Pursley (7 October, 2009)