Open Reel Ensemble Composes Ethereal 'Magnetic Folklore' Using Reel-to-Reel Recorders

20 hours ago7 min read1 comments

In an era where digital audio workstations and AI-generated soundscapes dominate, the Japanese trio Open Reel Ensemble is crafting a radical, tactile form of music that feels like a whispered secret from the past. They aren't using synthesizers or laptops; their primary instruments are vintage reel-to-reel tape recorders from the 1970s and 1980s, machines once relegated to dusty archives and nostalgic collectors.Their latest work, an ethereal collection they call 'Magnetic Folklore,' is a profound exploration of analog sound, where the physicality of magnetic tape becomes the soul of the composition. The process is as much a performance as it is a recording session.They manipulate the tape by hand, stretching it, looping it, and altering its speed in real-time, creating a symphony of warbles, warm hisses, and unexpected textures that digital perfection can never replicate. It’s a chaotic, beautiful ballet of spinning reels and electronic circuits, a direct conversation with the ghost in the machine.This isn't just lo-fi for the sake of aesthetic; it's a deliberate artistic choice that connects to a deeper, almost folkloric tradition of music-making, where the medium's imperfections and inherent character are embraced as essential collaborators. Think of it as the audio equivalent of a photographer choosing film over digital—each performance is unique, each piece of tape has its own history and sonic fingerprint, and the final piece is a one-of-a-kind artifact.The ensemble’s work resonates deeply within a growing global movement of musicians and sound artists, from the tape loop experiments of William Basinski to the hardware-centric ethos of underground electronic scenes in Berlin and London, who are rejecting the sterile, infinite possibilities of the digital realm in search of something more human, more fragile, and ultimately, more memorable. They are archivists and alchemists, transforming the forgotten technology of yesterday into the haunting, beautiful soundscapes of tomorrow, proving that the most futuristic music might just be found by pressing rewind.

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#Open Reel Ensemble

#experimental music

#analog music

#reel-to-reel recorders

#Japanese trio

#Magnetic Folklore