Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The User: Symphony #2 For Dot Matrix Printers

The User: Symphony #2 For Dot Matrix Printers

By Glenn Astarita
November 1, 2002
View read count

The User: Symphony #2 For Dot Matrix Printers

This Canadian aggregation’s previous effort had something to do with converting a Montreal grain silo into “an instrument of sound.” Hence, the band has purportedly qualified itself as a hi-tech entity. With this release, the artists have sampled the sounds of ancient dot-matrix printers via midi technologies, software engineering, sampling, and so forth. In addition, the press has announced that this venture will also be issued on 45 RPM 12” format in Europe only. Perhaps the gist behind this move would be to provide turntablists with another sound sculpting mechanism? In any event, the group’s invention offers a rhythmic perspective to the sounds of fourteen dot matrix printers. This recording is constructed upon a rather monolithic approach, yet the results are strikingly interesting. More like a work of abstract art that might be occasionally revisited, this production causes one to reflect on incidental sound-based attributes that often go unnoticed. Especially when appropriated from a consortium of inventive minds at work. As they state in the liners: “It’s really all just printer music.” For additional insight and information, visit The User online.

Asphodel

Track Listing

Symphony #2 For Dot Matrix Printers

Personnel

The User

A collective founded by composer Emmanuel Madan & architect Thomas McIntosh

Album information

Title: Symphony #2 For Dot Matrix Printers | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Asphodel

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Dog Eat Dog
< Previous

Fluid Motion
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.