The compositions presented on these CDs are based on the octave principle, that formal in wich structures of nature (from astronomy to nuclear physics) find their response. They represent different takes on the diversity and joy of nature and on scientific discovery of the laws of the universe.

This music could expand your consciousness. Please be aware of it.

special thanx to: Hans Cousto, Robin Pleil, Larry Porter, Ilona Kowalschek, Hans Kayser, J. Kepler, R. Haase, J.E. Behrendt, A.F. von Thimus, Pythagoras

mastered by B. Olke (GL Audio) und T. Wölke (Diamond Tune) Berlin

artwork by Ilona Kowalschek

Klangwirkstoff Records 2007   KW002   LC: 16011

There is hardly a culture on earth which has not in some way dealt with the subject of cosmic sound or celestial harmony. Yet large reference books like the Brockhaus Encyclopedia usually offer only a few lines under the heading 'harmony of the spheres' or 'music of the spheres'. Even in music specialty books, the concept of astral music or a sonorous universe is only mentioned marginally as something of a curiosity. Nonetheless it is one of the fundamental ideas of our cultural heritage. Through the use of the octave principle as the universal standard, it is possible to make these harmonies of the spheres, as well as those of molecules and atoms, audible. This is realised through octave transposition, the halving or doubling of frequencies.

The octave is the interval with the least energetic resistance (with the exception of the unison) and of all the intervals is most prominent in the tonic keynote itself. Thus the octave holds a unique position in the realm of intervals. This is relevant not only to music but in a general way, because the principles of music can be applied to other areas of nature. It appears that these principles pertain not only to the frequency range of the human ear, but indeed have a more universal character.

The planet tones on this CDs are acoustical exponents from our natural cosmic surroundings and our focus on them brings us into harmony with the way of things.

Music tuned to molecules, like planetary music, is composed in accordance with strict harmonical rules and is based on existing harmonic structures and the natural laws which govern the 'cosmic octave'. The compositional elements of music tuned to molecules (tempo, rhythm, pitch, intervals) derive from the physically measurable resonance of molecules in both the ultraviolet and infrared range.

The resulting measurements are then transposed into rhythms and frequencies in the audible range and thus form the basis of the entire musical composition.

The sound of the psychotropic molecule (psychoactive substance) is particularly significant, because the vibrational structure of the molecule can be experienced by way of music without having to obtain, possess, or consume the substance.

According to initial observations, music attuned to the vibrational structure of psychotropic substances can lead to a reduction in consumption of the substance by the listener. Furthermore it appears this type of music is suitable as a substitute for such substances, eliciting a similar sensory experience.

Of particular scientific interest are the harmonical structures inherent in the frequencies and sonic makeup of hydrogen (element no. 1). Since each frequency is determined by specific quantum leaps of electrons and their corresponding energy levels, the sonic structure of hydrogen can reveal to the listener essential elements of quantum physics - purely through acoustics and sound. Far more than half the atoms in the universe are hydrogen atoms. Therefore the frequencies of the hydrogen spectra belong to the most significant harmonical structures in the universe.

In 1946 Hermann Hesse received the Nobel prize in literature for his book: The Glass Bead Game. The principles of the Glass Bead Game are: "... a new language, a sign and formula of which mathematics and music equally partake, enabling one to combine astronomical and musical formulas, acommon denominator for mathematics and music. The law of the octave is this principle where mathematics and music equally partake. This law makes it possible to combine astronomical and musical formulas."

Text: Hans Cousto
Translated by Larry Porter

Beginning of new era

'Active Agent Of Sound' is a masterpiece of ambient music. Responsible for that is German label named Klangwirkstoff Records. ...
...but I know, and I can yell out this, that just 'Active Agent Of Sound' is a title extremely interesting, marvelous. This impression was born in my soul just after the first listening to this compilation. Is still with me. I feel, will be for ever.

Art as tone and overtone

The most beautiful aspect of music contained on these two CDs is a presentation of absolutely every colour of the Cosmos. ...

Mental materia

But this, that interpretations we have, no matter what is only a complement to the main picture ensuing after just first contact: beautiful, beautiful, beautiful pads in the sophisticated arrangements, harmoniously conducted so much, that more than once it'll be a bigger pleasure to spend a time with them, than in the real world. ....
On the disc number one celestial experiences you can find on the fourth track - 'Solardrifting' by Brain Entertainment Laboratory. In the first half of this composition appear a melancholy chorus, which background emanate with solitude and feeling, that the whole world bow before us. I miss so big - as these sounds - words for descrpition a way of how the track's arrangement evolve, how the sounds come into each other and becomes new one, they are born. While on the second CD totally futuristic experiences I found a number of times on the track also fourth - 'Chronos' by Morphon. The last of its phaze is a pad (chorus-like) vision of industrial, dark world, where the sun's brightness stop in the atmosphere, and just small part of that light creates an alientaed, hazy gleam over the three-kilometres architecture. These two ecstasies are just a part of this compilation's live - every chapter of sounds (rather like this we should detail sectors of this music, not as particular tracks of the CD) have something rare in it. ...

...

rating 5/5

RB, March 2008   psybient.net

  ⇒  Darkroom Magazine   (italian)

Subaudible Experiences:

Compilation of the Year 2007: (99)Klangwirkstoff 002 : active agent of sound (ambient)

maxmarlow untergrund.net

Tales from the Cosmic Octave:
Perfect for reading, working attentively or to lock yourself in a dark and empty room with.

I know it has become a pretty unpopular dogma of lately, but music and science do belong together: Stradivari made use of it to build his violins and the synthesizer revolution of the 20th century was initiated at Universities by students and professors. So there is nothing obscure about it, when a label like Klangwirkstoff wants to be perceived as a 'catalyst in music theory', researching the influence of musical structures on the human neural physiology and psychology.

On the other hand, you do not need to go back to school to enjoy this double-CD. Stephen Hawking once claimed that each formula in a book would drastically reduce its economic potential and Klangwirkstoff have therefore opted to reduce their entire theoretical cosmos to a single equation: (1:a) x 2 n = f. This is 'the formula to calculate any cyclic occurrences in octave-analogue tones and rhythms', as their website points out and the immediate advantages purportedly lie in being able to use resonances outside of our immediate sensory awareness.

There are several good reasons to believe this postulation is much more than just esoteric fluff. For one, the tone 'om' in eastern meditation practises is a several-octave transposition of the earth's rotational sound, implying there is a link between the human body and the physically inaudible oscillation around us. And then several composers and projects have repeatedly brought this idea to the surface again, two of whom are included on 'Active Agent of Sound'.

One of them is Alex Patterson, who enjoyed a short stint at the top of the British charts in the early 90s and whose collaboration with Steve Hillage's latest project 'Mirror System' is a cloudy breath reminiscent of his own work with and as The Orb and an early highlight of this compilation.

The second proponent is enigmatic duo Coil, whose Time Machines alter ego constututes a similar experiment to simulate the effect and resonance of halucinatory substances with music. Thirteen minute-long '7-Methoxy-ß-Carboline' is built around a stretching and deflating bass pattern, repeatedly superseded by droney films of flanged and filtered tones.

Scientifically sound or not, this is imposing and positively surreal music and the fact that the Klangwirkstoff crew have resisted the temptation of using the two 'star-tracks' as bait to lure in customers by placing them upfront on the first disc already implies that the other material is of an equal quality and eschews typical clichees:

'Solardrifting' by Brain Entertainment Laboratory, a semi-epic track full of rhythmic changes, whispering echoes and haunting chord progressions, feels mysteriously spontaneous and almost like a piece of live electronics. Motom's 'Aum', meanwhile, at first surrenders to the dictum of slowmotion funk, before flowing into a spacey microtonal soundscape on a one-way ticket to Venus.

CD1 is driven by warm, dreamy percussion and intelligent, meandering arrangements which have more in common with the galactic eccentricity of the electronic branch of Krautrock than your stereotypical chillout, downtempo and even ambient imitations. The second disc leaps from ethno-influenced shamanism to the abovementioned minimal hypnosis of Coil and back to more raw and earthly sounds again. Both are rendered special by devotedly careful seguing and sequencing, which awards this sampler the air of an extremely well-conceived DJ set and of two cohesive collages with many different moods.

It is music which lends itself perfectly to play while reading, working attentively or to lock yourself in a dark and empty room with. I really couldn't tell whether it is the consequential following of the theory of the cosmic octave which has yielded this result or the intuitive musical skills of the artists involved. But on a market saturated with electronic compilations of an all but identical nature, any of the two is fine with me.

By Tobias Fischer, published 2008-02-04

tokafi.com

The best entry to Klangwirkstoff's sound and ideas. Includes experimental ambient, post-rave organic music, weird ethnic blends & scientific conceptual works.

soleilnoir