»Study of a Ladybug on a Rope LP« by Affective Disorder Vs. UndaCova

An album which wants to get explored and listened to with headphones only. The fifth Autoplate release sees a soundtrack by belgians duo infernale UndaCova vs Affective Disorder. It turned out as a cooperation in constructing decent experimental ambient. Behind the album are the belgian masterminds Jan Robbe and David. I talked to Jan aka UndaCova about the inspiration and intention of this album.

“Here I projected my feelings/ideas into sound and I think the same goes for David Deschuyteneer(Affective Disorder). Most of the time I try to create a not too repetitive sound (just like when i use beats), because it allows me to do anything i can think of in a tune, and that’s more or less what experimental producing means to me. To me, my music is kind of like a soundtrack (to my life)… so that means linear, not repetitive. When i make “Ambient” (or whatever people want to call it), the structure may not make much sense, but that’s not what’s important to me, it’s more the nature of the sounds (the weirder the better/more mysterious), the atmosfear/emotions (angelic voice pads or anything like them give me such a feeling of satisfaction), the unlogical/”bad timed”/contradicting/out of tone stuff and the structure changes (if any) that interest me. Hope, fear, sadness, depression and pessimism are the main themes here. They’re the main theme in most of my music.”

d o u b l e p a s s:

• Affective Disorder - “Study Of A Ladybug On A Rope (UndaCova Remix)” Jan: “First tune made, inspired by Affective’s artwork which is also an example of contradicting elements/emotions.” Sebastian: “I like the laidback pianochord. Courageously to put it there, but then again it sounds like if your latter grants struck.”

• Affective Disorder - “Ses Audio Thread 4” Jan: “An older tune that stands out because of its trademark soundfx… I personally can’t get enough of that sound. The seemingly endless pad is like a crossover of an angelic choir and ghosts - i wonder how he created it. Making it both frightening and hope-giving at the same time. I think the title has no special meaning.”

• UndaCova - “Hou Toch Op Aarde” Jan: “This tune is about emotions like false hope, promises and lies… Hou toch op, Aarde (translated: Give it a rest, Earth) is like something you find out after all those years. It’s free for personal interpretation.” Sebastian: “The scratches and synths make this tune sound very filmic. The melodies have a slight dramatic touch and reflect a drawn life. You didnt have had it easy.”

• Affective Disorder - “Star Data” Jan: “I’ve heard this tune so many times - Pure emotion, piano’s, strange crackling soundeffects… This tune has sadness, maybe lonelyness/despair written all over it.” Sebastian: “Experimental ambient. Cloudy, spacey, fall into it.”

• “UndaCova - Save The Scarabs” Jan: “Random arpeggiators on a beepmap formed that strange sound… emotions = same story. Title = made up.” Sebastian: “Very impressive song both in samples and structure - Clinical whitenoise and mysterious yellow sinus excursions. Very frightening - dont listen to it while eyes closed. The drills are massive.”

• “Affective Disorder - Pakkzak Doeken” Jan: “Seemingly incorrectly looped beat and sad atmosfear… perfect. “Pak Zakdoeken” is dutch for “Pack of hankerchiefs”. This slightly spoils the fun because we like to make up titles in dutch to leave all non-dutch speaking listeners with a question mark.” Sebastian: “Mellow and melancholic. 8-bit beats for a string which might have its origin from a hidden first-tunes-with-ft2 tape. Unbelievable the use of the flute! This song is somehow filmic, either woods or a sad end of a relationship between humans.”

• “UndaCova - I Am Legion For We Are Many” Jan: “Quote from the Holy Bible (where Jesus excorsises Legion, a demon). Just wanted to create a similar atmosfear… not the same.” Sebastian: “Forks and spoons on the tiles. Pretty sterile sound. Soundtrack to a bad dream of having messed up in the kitchen.”

• “Affective Disorder - Study Of A Ladybug On A Rope” Jan: “Live affectiveness… don’t ask me how he made that out of tune nr.1, i have no clue.” Sebastian: “Ethernal atmosphere, i like the hipass cycles in the background. Takes a while to get the synth melody but once you fall into it, it reveals a bittersweet passion.”

• “UndaCova - Hou Toch Op Tijd” Jan: “Same story as Hou toch op Aarde - only tijd means time.” Sebastian: “Japanese percussion elements to aquatic filterwork below the pervasively synths.”

• “Affective Disorder - Infinite Surfaces” Jan: “Typical sombient atmosfear… sombient is like ambient, but more trippy.” Sebastian: “Mysterious bucketpercussion sounds, impressive rain of strings. Vast paradise - Amazonas apocalypse. Maybe too short, this song could be epic.”

• UndaCova - “Forbidden Fruit” Jan: “I had to squeeze some weird beats out of NI Absynth - so i did and this is the sult. “Forbidden Fruit” may also have something to do with the Bible, but I’m not sure.” Sebastian: “You might mean the forbidden apples of Garden Eden. This songs atmosphere is delightful and not as threating as many other tunes. No despair in here, more a beginning of a new day. Later on fresh air.”

• Affective Disorder - “Lonely Clown” Jan: “This track relies on heavily but subtle dsp’d random synth bleeps when a sad/illusional/hypnotic atmosfear takes over. We’re talking a sad, sad, lonely, hammered clown here…. but i think there’s still a sparkle of hope left in him.” Sebastian: “Poor him, i hope this massive Eno-ish pad will help him exploring the moon and to understand.”

• UndaCova - “Hypnodroid” Jan: ““An older tune of which i thought it would fit this album perfectly. Spacey fx add to the mysterious soundtrack-like atmosfear.” Sebastian: “UndaCova in squeezing mood. If a bassy trashbeat would be used more consequent over the surface you could gain the rudeness of Panacea.”

• Affective Disorder - “Horribly Cold Eye” Sebastian: “Piano is what i like. Satieesque sparse use of chords create a intense feeling. The cuts in the later part are distinctively great skilled. Very structured and painted use of layers.”

• UndaCova - “Kieka” Jan: “Kieka puts you on a dark cemetary, where everything’s normal except you’re paranoid and it’s killing you.” Sebastian: “Distant claiming for mines plus 4 bit violence.”

• “Affective Disorder - “Horizontal Freefall” Jan: “Very nice audiotrip to fall asleep to …” Sebastian: “… If you can. I may fail, this closing song is spooky again and makes you beware of everything around. Pale Thomas Köner synths in the finishing part along those weird lonely spots.”

Over and out - A sweeping album full of eternity, faith, devotion which mostly turns into the unknown. Many surprising elements here and there which make you want to listen to more of this duo soon. If you’re from Belgium, dont miss their Liveact at the ZapLap venue on the MS StuBniz in Bruxelles to be played end of August (http://users.pandora.be/zaplap/)!