Marvin Ayres - Profile
by Maarten Schiethart
published: 7 / 1 / 2007
intro
Maarten Schiethart profiles the career of minimalist and experimental film film composer Marvin Ayres
Marvin Ayers is a graduate from Trinity College and plays the cello, violin and piano. Ayers collaborated with popular acts in the 1980's before releasing his debut on Frankfurt's now defunkt Mille Plateaux's offshoot, the Ritornel label. The 1999 album 'Cellosphere' was recorded from cello pieces that got stretched and extrapolated to become a minimalistic and compelling soundscape. 'Cellosphere' is now available again from Norwich's Burning Shed on CD with an excellent bonus track. Ayers' later recordings have always stood in the shadow of this debut. He has since then concentrated on scores for experimental films and performances such as 'Cycle' and 'Scape' which were theories of sound, set to music. Marvin Ayers broke some new ground on his score for Pete Gomes' film 'Scape'. Ironically ~Scape is a Berlin-based music company run by one 'Pole' - as in the magnetic point and not someone from Poland - and this label's characteristics, of using a multiplication of sketchy sounds, are aptly caught by Marvin Ayers, who was most probably unaware of the fact, on this album. Using both the same idiom as well as the same patterns, the accidental comparative fails to further prove a point as Ayers plays the cello on it. Ayers does not catch up with the evolution of digital composing, though and, instead, finds himself a nice bubble bath of semi-exotic soundscapes. Lacking the sense of mystery and suspension, the recordings, however, need visuals to compensate for the slightly obligatory compositions. For its premiere at the ICA in London, Marvin Ayers composed, based on the twisted loops from manipulated piano recordings, a score for 'Cycle' which showed the rhythm of flora. Most recently he formed a duo with singer Sonja Kristina, the initials of their names to form the name of the duo MASK, and he landed on the wrong side of new age muzak with the CD/DVD dual disc 'Heavy Petal'. Flirting with oriental imagery and sound, it's a soothing, easy listening travel guide which one would sooner expect to come from a tourist agency. One track received a remix treatment and managed to scrape the bottom of the dance charts but that's as far as fame for 'Heavy Petal' would go. The development from 'Cellosphere' to now leads to worry, and even to despair.
profiles |
Orphans (2007) |
Jon Rogers profiles Tom Waits' new three CD box set, 'Orphans' |
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
previous editions
Microdisney - The Clock Comes Down the StairsWorld Party - Interview
Michael Lindsay Hogg - Interview
Heavenly - P.U.N.K. Girl EP
Ain't That Always The Way - Alan Horne After The Sound of Young Scotland 2
World Party - Interview with Karl Wallinger
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Steve Harley - Interview
Dwina Gibb - Interview
Prisoners - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart