Von Hausswolff, C.M. “Operations of Spirit Communication” [Die Stadt] (33 RPM)

Carl Michael von Hausswolff is vitally important to Stockholm, Sweden’s stunning visual art, minimal sound art & electronic music culture. Initially, his efforts entailed electronic music composition with Oscid. Here he relays operative spirit communications channeled through machines & tape recorders using constant drone oscillation, subtle feedback fluctuation, minimal electronic variants, and extremely faint feed interruptions of sparse netherworld voices & static white noise. It’s a cadaverous companion to the Ghost Orchid’s introduction to Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) recorded by Raymond Cass. Not surprising since fellow music collaborator Leif Elggren has contributed to both Von Hausswolff’s and Cass’s phantom projects. Could incorporeal entities actually make contact through radio transmitter and recording technology? That’s debatable but the concept is fascinating. Von Hausswolff was so taken by that notion he dedicated this and several other LP’s to exploring the phenomenon and developed deemphasized & droning electrical communication methods believed to summon & capture spirit dialogue. These aren’t exactly frightful concrete sounds. Its elongated presentation hovers in somewhat of a lull, but exercise patience and your curiosity will see you through to the other side.