Dok

A collaborative experiment between Oval's Markus Popp (he of Berlin) and academic sound-seeker Christophe Charles (he of Tokyo), Dok examines the relationship between space and structure at its most fundamental crux. On previous releases Oval proved themselves the Christian Marclay of the digital age; manually "treating" compact discs with scratches and cuts, then documenting and manipulating the naturally occurring results. On Dok Popp puts this modus operandi to a polarizing test. Rather than using linear, rhythmically constructed music as his sound source, he draws on a series of Charles's field recordings of bell sounds--almost entirely devoid of structure or rhythm--from around the world. Popp's intention here is to present the Oval aesthetic as a fluid, adaptable means to a consistently musical end. The result, while less melodic than previous Oval offerings, maintains the sublime appeal of an underwater dream. Dok ambitiously asks us to reassess the parameters of music itself, but theory and practice rarely find such gorgeous intersection. --Matt Hanks