Dimitri Fergadis, founder of the Los Angeles-based electronic/noise label Phthalo and mastermind behind Phthalocyanine, was the first American artist to be represented on the stellar German experimental label, A-Musik. His first single was released on Plug Research, the one American label whose output will soon rival sultan-of-the scene, Warp. The microtonal glitch stable, Mille Plateaux, called Fergadis in for remix work on Crank's * Wanton Phenomena * and Richie Hawtin's buddy Vapourspace (aka Mark Gage) did the same for his "Steam" single. After Planet \xB5 founder Mike Paradinas called Fergadis "a genius," that label released Phthalocyanine's * 25 Tracks Fer 1 Track * album.
When Fergadis isn't screening his phone calls, he runs his Phthalo imprint, which appears to operate with the same aesthetic and disdain for convention as lo-fi maverick Mike Newell's cassette-only Man at the Off-License label. Quite a few of Phthalo's releases are CDR-only, and the packaging is unequivocally rudimentary. But who gives a gnat's nut when the music is as fucking amazing as this?
A clear testament to the quality of the Phthalo label lies with its esteemed roster: Finnish techno maestro Vladislav Delay released material under his Sistol alias; former Strictly Ballroom-er Jimmy Tamborello offered his first Dntel albums, * Early Works for Me If It Works for You * and * Something Always Goes Wrong * ; glitch maven Kit Clayton used the imprint as an outlet for his most extreme noise terror joint, * Shortwave Live * .
But Fergadis' own releases are far more subdued. Though listeners may initially be distracted, and possibly even phased, by the Merzbow-like distortion Fergadis applies to most of his frantic drum patterns, the four untitled tracks that comprise * Zacks * eventually reveal themselves to be profoundly relaxing. Relaxing, how? I find Fergadis' combining of semi-melodious primitive synths (on the second track, they sound especially close to the sounds Aphex used on * Selected Ambient Works 85-92 * ) and the Elvin Jones-style splatter-percussion to be truthful. Truthful? To me most ambient music refuses to grapple with the ambience of existence. Fluffy excursions into pan-flutes can never acknowledge that our everyday lives are surrounded by dangers-- whether they be car accidents, a sudden myocardial infarction, or inhaling terrorist-deployed biotoxins.
For me, Fergadis depicts this reality, but not as a cold reportage. In its own way, his music represents daily hazards, just as Muslimgauze musically engaged in the debate over the future of the Palestinian people. He may not have such an edgy subject, but it's a universal one. The crescendo and decrescendos of * Zacks * ' third track, to me, stand for the successes and failures of existence. Even amidst the most shredding of percussion attacks (most of track four), a precious bent-jazz beauty shines through.
If you're not prepared to head straight into such a gyre of contrasts, but are interested in investigating Phthalocyanine, I recommend starting with the expanded * Viridian * EP. It's vintage * Tri-Repetae++ * -era Autechre dissolved in the hazy ambience of Seefeel's * Polyfusia * mini-LP. But regardless of which release you choose, you're guaranteed to catch the first wave of an artist destined for greatness.
