Work on Escape Mechanism's debut album began in Chicago in 1993. Though I've worked with sound collage since the late-80's, the first official release was completed in 1998. Most of the tracks were produced within the summer of 1996, concluding finally in the summer of '98. Perhaps only those who have agonized for hours over the juxtapositions of sounds which account for just seconds of one track can fully appreciate the near madness which this project had the tendency to inspire over the course of those last two years.
Most of the tracks are quite musical, in their own right, as I am now forced to concede. Initially described to critics as "weird experimental sound collage," the reviews I received about the debut CD were that it actually lulled some to sleep while causing others to listen anxiously and be ultimately disappointed; all because they were expecting an obnoxious, noisy experimental assault.
I have sampled noise, but there is little noise here. I have sampled genius, but there is little of that here. I have sampled great music, but there is very little of this here either. What is here is a hodge podge (yes, a collage) of many different audio art techniques. I believe the work rises above simple demonstrations of these techniques, occasionally exposing a narrative which survives in conjunction with the listening pleasure of these types of audio manipulation.
Check out the rest of the Escape Mechanism site. When you're done, be sure to go to: www.PostConsumerProductions.com and check out the variety of other collage projects I've been working on.
- Jon Nelson (1998)