Oval - Markus Popp

[Dragon]

Just continuing from the Oval discussion in my other thread.

 

Do you like Oval? He's done some amazing work. After being recommended by Joseph, right here, I've tracked down his albums and found some real gems:

 

 

 

 

It's mainly glitch, ambient, noise etc. This man can create amazing moods and soundscapes with the techniques he's developed over the last 20 years. I've actually been moved to tears by the first track on Ovalcommers.

 

As long as I'm here, I'd like to discuss the theory that he has Bipolar (Manic Depression).

 

For a start, he is a very talented and successful musician, who obviously has a creative spark. If you look at his discography, you'll see a nine-year gap (2001-2010) during which he released nothing. It's natural for people with bipolar to take breaks or lapses in their creative work, possibly from a lack of energy or motivation.

 

His track titles give some insight into the way he thinks. Titles like "Brahms Mania" seem to express a conflict between the states of energy and relaxation. There are other titles; "Vegas Top", "Cry", "Rainyday" and "Happyend" which clearly have an emotional charge.

 

But, most of all, his music just seems to scream Bipolar. Some of the moods he has expressed in his work are extremely powerful. Ovalcommers track 1, for example, is easily the most euphoric, most psychotically happy piece of music I have ever heard! Not only is it ecstatic, it actually feels like one must disregard reality to experience its mood. More subtly, the tenth track on Ovalprocess is reminiscent of psychological dissociation, of feeling disconnected and unreal. There's also "Eigentlichen 2.0" from OvalDNA, which is manic in a more sarcastic way, and "Heroic", which has a deep, serious demeanour of anguish and turmoil.

 

This is just an idea I had (we tend to come up with lots of new ideas), but I thought it would be interesting. Anyway, let us discuss Oval and the wonders of Ovalprocess software.

[Guest]

I like some of his earlier works but stopped listening actually. Maybe it depends on his using of the skip technology which make his project pretty easy to recognize but also a bit staying on the same place soundwise.

 

Markus seems to be a bit difficult to handle since I remember that he removes the band people from Oval without telling them- not a very nice move.

[perunamuusi]

I love oval. 1st heard some when Richard James was interviewed on Radio 3's Mixing It circa 95 (whenever HAB was originally released) Richard's selection of tracks (from memory) included an Oval piece (I think the politics of digital audio) , some spaceheads (evacuate the planet?) , Children Talking and some other stuff. Still have it on tape somewhere. Also Markus Popp's contribution elevates this album by the already amazing supergroup Gastr Del Sol (O'rourke/Grubbs/Mcentire/Brown) http://www.discogs.c...release/1088426

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NerhUR8GE6w&feature=related

[mcbpete]

I'm not a huge fan, though I do bloody love this one:

 

[vimeo]26858902[/vimeo]

[perunamuusi]

Systemisch and 94 Diskont / Do While are my two favourite Oval releases

[Redruth]

systemisch, however i also enjoy the ovalprocess and 94diskont. oh' and the re:systemisch has good sounds and init ding is quite soothing

[joseph]

Here's a video that I found earlier this year. It's a video by Masaka Tanako, part of an ongoing "visual representation of Oval's early 2000s period". It's quite good

http://vimeo.com/44186288

 

Also I want to post another of my favorite Oval tracks that often is overlooked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lH6OSakkzq0

 

It's mainly glitch, ambient, noise etc. This man can create amazing moods and soundscapes with the techniques he's developed over the last 20 years. I've actually been moved to tears by the first track on Ovalcommers.

 

As long as I'm here, I'd like to discuss the theory that he has Bipolar (Manic Depression).

 

For a start, he is a very talented and successful musician, who obviously has a creative spark. If you look at his discography, you'll see a nine-year gap (2001-2010) during which he released nothing. It's natural for people with bipolar to take breaks or lapses in their creative work, possibly from a lack of energy or motivation.

 

His track titles give some insight into the way he thinks. Titles like "Brahms Mania" seem to express a conflict between the states of energy and relaxation. There are other titles; "Vegas Top", "Cry", "Rainyday" and "Happyend" which clearly have an emotional charge.

 

But, most of all, his music just seems to scream Bipolar. Some of the moods he has expressed in his work are extremely powerful. Ovalcommers track 1, for example, is easily the most euphoric, most psychotically happy piece of music I have ever heard! Not only is it ecstatic, it actually feels like one must disregard reality to experience its mood. More subtly, the tenth track on Ovalprocess is reminiscent of psychological dissociation, of feeling disconnected and unreal. There's also "Eigentlichen 2.0" from OvalDNA, which is manic in a more sarcastic way, and "Heroic", which has a deep, serious demeanour of anguish and turmoil.

 

This is just an idea I had (we tend to come up with lots of new ideas), but I thought it would be interesting. Anyway, let us discuss Oval and the wonders of Ovalprocess software.

 

I love how energetic and forceful the intro to ovalcommers is. you can't ignore it, you can't let it become background music. I agree with you that Oval's music is among the most purely "happy" I have ever heard. I don't know much about bipolar/manic depression but I think you are probably right. he really harnesses it to make compelling music.

 

Speaking of oval-related software, I still haven't downloaded the damn OvalDNA software from Shitkatapult because of the bizarre way you have to do it. It's supposed to get an open-source release eventually so I guess i'll just wait. looks fun though.

Edited August 28, 2012 by Joseph

[awepittance]

I think 'So' is one of the best things he's done. It was a sort of one off in the sense that he's never really done anything else like it since. ITs probably most similar to Ovalcommers but it's using vocals and guitar as the only source material. It's probably the most ideal execution of 'noise rock' i've ever heard. Extremely under appreciated album. Not a single cd skipping sound to be found in it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4Y7B_ItAWs

 

his music captures a vibe that very few if any musicians capture for me. Sort of a beautiful melodic orgasm buried under what would sound like noise to most normal folks

 

 

his process seems like it could be elegantly simple (something other people could do fairly easily technically speaking) and also highly complex. His 2 newest works 'Oh' and 'oval DNA' are the only releases that have a very easily identifiable process behind them since he went solo. Maybe this is part of the point. Although there is a sleight of hand attempt to create a false idea of how it was created, namely the birds sitting on top of the guitar album art. There is not a single 'real' guitar on either album, it is clearly some kind of acoustic/physically modeled synthesis. Most reviews i've seen of his recent work refer to it as 'processed' guitar instead of what it is, a very convincing purely synthesized fake guitar sound being heavily manipulated with automation (not processing effects)

Edited August 28, 2012 by Awepittance

[mcbpete]

it is clearly some kind of acoustic/physically modeled synthesis

Absolutely, I've never heard such an obvious 'plucked string' type synth generator - I mean I'm not saying that's bad at all it just it seems a little silly pretending it's something that it's not.

[awepittance]

if it could trick the 'authorities' of experimental music, The Wire then i give to him for keeping his usage of tools still somewhat of a mystery. The Wire seems very with it when it comes to old school music making techniques, but they just dont know shit about new software technology (or old, since karplus strong synthesis has been around since the early 80s)

[kaini]

the birds sitting on top of the guitar album art.

 

part of me wonders if it's a nod to this, considering popp is such a big fan of stochastic kinda stuff

probably not, but i love that particular installation

[perunamuusi]

I was so excited about that installation when it was upcoming at the Barbican that I forgot all about it until it was over.

 

FML

[awepittance]

the birds sitting on top of the guitar album art.

 

part of me wonders if it's a nod to this, considering popp is such a big fan of stochastic kinda stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZQ4VmicDeM

probably not, but i love that particular installation

 

oh im sure it is, maybe he was already working on the project when he saw this and thought it was a good fit (After all he uses what seems like a still photo of that installation for the album cover)

 

my only complaint about his new stuff is the drums, i'm just not feeling them at all and they detract from otherwise very solid tracks

Edited August 28, 2012 by Awepittance

[kaini]

i once ripped multiple tracks of the boursier-mougenot installation from youtube and multitracked them in audacity, and it was indistinguishable from a lot of the cookie-cutter electric guitar free improv stuff that the wire reviews and seems to be fond of.

Edited August 28, 2012 by kaini

[kichiguy]

If Oval has a 'mainstream hit' its probably this, but it shouldn't detract from just how great and important this track was/is

 

[khov]

I'm a huge oval fan. The hiatus was not that long (So, album in 2003 & live show in 2006 i think). Beside my absolute love for the ovalprocess/commers thing, i think its great he went into something else (those funny fakes mini guitar solos, i have like hundred of those on my ipod). You can get all of his rare records from Oval HQ (including japanese releases, with bonus tracks.) :

http://ovalavka.goodsie.com/

i'm a bit disapointed with the software given with Ovaldna since (at the moment, as some updates are waited) its only 12 second loops.. crossing fingers that they'll sort it out.

[o00o]

I have seen him live at berghain. Great show. much better than expected

[Guest]

I'm a huge oval fan. The hiatus was not that long (So, album in 2003 & live show in 2006 i think). Beside my absolute love for the ovalprocess/commers thing, i think its great he went into something else (those funny fakes mini guitar solos, i have like hundred of those on my ipod). You can get all of his rare records from Oval HQ (including japanese releases, with bonus tracks.) :

http://ovalavka.goodsie.com/

i'm a bit disapointed with the software given with Ovaldna since (at the moment, as some updates are waited) its only 12 second loops.. crossing fingers that they'll sort it out.

 

 

thanks for the shop info! Great things and all directly from Popp himself?

I would love to get the diskont k7, looks great. I'm really into tapes again.

[joseph]

oh my god, ovalcommers is so incredible...

[soundwave]

 

it is clearly some kind of acoustic/physically modeled synthesis

Absolutely, I've never heard such an obvious 'plucked string' type synth generator - I mean I'm not saying that's bad at all it just it seems a little silly pretending it's something that it's not.

 

 

 

if it could trick the 'authorities' of experimental music, The Wire then i give to him for keeping his usage of tools still somewhat of a mystery. The Wire seems very with it when it comes to old school music making techniques, but they just dont know shit about new software technology (or old, since karplus strong synthesis has been around since the early 80s)

 

I caught him in Manchester a couple of years ago in fact I think it was his first gig in a while, I didn't realise until he played that he was the peculiar chap with a funny accent sat right across from us chatting up some hipster chick before the gig. After the show we all kinda went over to shake hands and let him know we enjoyed the gig but the moment I started talking shop he scuttled away his collection of pedals and FX very quickly. Even tho he had a mac on stage it was mainly for loops and backing tracks and his sound seemed more like a creative shoegaze type noise tweaking rather than complex digital processing.

 

Not sure about the bi-polar stuff but he appeared to be the romantic arty type rather than an introverted nerd but maybe that's what he wanted that hipster chick to think eh?

[joseph]

I'm just now hearing Dok, it's really good. Not sure why it's taken me so long.

[exitonly]

4 hours ago, joseph said:

I'm just now hearing Dok, it's really good. Not sure why it's taken me so long.

if you havent heard systemisch, drop whatever you're doing and go listen to it

[hello spiral]

Dok is my all time favourite Oval

[joseph]

15 hours ago, nikisoko said:

if you havent heard systemisch, drop whatever you're doing and go listen to it

Listening now (I've heard it before but it's been a long time)!

 

It's nice but I think I do prefer the later stuff like Dok and Szenariodisk. 

 

This track was linked in the OP but I am reposting:

 

Edited March 15, 2021 by joseph

[cern]

Markus seems like a strange dude but I love his work.

Former member of Oval:

Frank Metzger, one of the Oval founding members, on the project's split in 95:
"Strictly speaking, neither Sebastian nor I actually 'left' oval. In the summer of 95, it became clear that Markus had very different goals for oval than I did. Increasingly, he wanted to professionalize oval.
For him, it was no longer so much about the music and the fun that went along with it, than it was about strategical considerations and marketing. I wrote a letter to Markus regarding this, which he has not answered to this day.
With Sebastian, the situation was similar. He saw on television that he was no longer an oval member. In a piece on the Japanese tour of mouse on mars/microstoria/oval that was broadcasted by the German music television station VIVA, there was a subtitle in a video clip of one of the oval pieces, which read: "This video was generated on the computer by Markus Popp and ex-oval member Sebastian Oschatz." It’s pretty likely that Markus was responsible for this subtitle. And Sebastian also no longer has any kind of contact with Markus."