GRUTH
On “Noemata” Gruth returns with his fourth solo album, featuring a pair of extended noise drone pieces written and recorded in 2020 in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Built from layers of field recordings from the shores of Bahia, processed vocals, long-form guitar improvisations, subtle electronics and a guest appearance by Alberto Iannuzzi, who added an underlining soprano saxophone improvisation to one of the tracks.
With “Noemata” Gruth evolves his sound cosmos, stepping away from the dark aesthetics of his previous works into brighter endlessly growing drone sound walls.
The album draws its name and inspiration from the phenomenological concept of the “noema”, used by Edmund Husserl to describe the object of thought as it appears in consciousness. Gruth treats the idea as a starting point for a kind of sonic introspection: music as a study of attention and perception. Noemata has also been presented to a sleeping audience in a pitch-black basement at Desterro, Lisbon, illustrating its immersive potential.
Away from all the conceptual background, “Noemata” is a massive drone album that needs to be played loud to unfold its complete impact.
“Noemata” comes as a tape release, limited to 50 copies. Housed in a maltese cross folded sleeve on rough cardboard. Printed on both sides. The recycled tape shell comes in a very unique creamy colourway that looks different on every tape. Also featuring a full body print on both sides.
01. Noema I (25:35)
02. Noema II (feat. Alberto Iannuzzi) (25:04)
