PULSE FIELD Playlist
Title: Strange Waves
Date: Monday February 10, 2003
Description: Sounds from outer space, the magnetosphere,
Shortwave radio and beyond
***please use
linked websites for further details of recordings.
10:00
·
The Conet Project Disc One,
‘Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations
1950-1980’(73:00)
The Conet
Project is an encyclopedic document of the anomalous and uncanny broadcasts
from numbers stations. A number station anonymously transmits synthesized voices
reading sets of phonetic letters and / or numbers. While there is no
organization that has yet claimed responsibility for these transmissions, it is
assumed that the CIA, MI6 (British Secret Intelligence Service), MOSSAD
(Israeli Intelligence Service), and the renamed KGB are among those who operate
the numbers stations. It is also assumed that these transmissions are encoded
with a "one time pad" cryptosystem which uses a string of random
numbers for both encryption and decryption. Assumption and innuendo surround
these transmissions, but the conspiracy theories alone do not do justice to the
aural terror that these transmissions invoke. The lo-fi shortwave radio hiss,
the calculated recital of German numbers by a Swedish girl, the music box which
punctuates the beginnings and ends of these transmission, and the
incomprehensibility of "the Buzzer" (a mechanized pulse which buzzes
24 hours a day shifting in frequency at the top of every hour) have all of the
makings for a Throbbing Gristle track, yet it is precisely the lack of intent
in creating aural terror that gives these recordings substance. The breadth of
this anthology provides the alternate listening experience of the texture, as
the incessant rhythms of these voices in conjunction with the monochromatic
shortwave radio hiss combines for a beautiful yet abject drone that may work
within Brian Eno's late 70's definition of ambient (albeit a subliminally
suggestive one). Warning! This record is certainly not for everybody.
Finally! The
rumors proved true: the Conet Project has now been re-pressed and is back in
stock! One of the all-time faves of AQ staffers (who ALL have bought copies,
multiple copies in fact) and customers alike. We sold 120 of these when we had
them before, and would have sold a lot more had it not gone out of print so
quickly! So, if you missed it before, now's your chance. For those who haven't
already heard about it from us before (or encountered the stories on NPR),
here's a brief description: basically, the Conet Project is a four-cd
compilation of recordings of mysterious shortwave radio broadcasts, known as
"numbers stations". These numbers stations are generally believed to
be encrypted spy transmissions, but no concrete evidence has ever surfaced
proving that supposition. However, no credible *alternate* explanation has ever
been demonstrated, either. For years (ever since the start of the Cold War),
amateur radio enthusiasts have come across these sinister signals, and they
continue to this day, broadcast in many languages all over the world (the
theory is that some are CIA, some are KGB, some are Mossad, etc). In general,
the transmissions consist of a deadpan voice (sometimes an old man, sometimes a
young woman, etc.) reading a seemingly random, meaningless series of numbers
over and over. Sometimes the broadcasts are preceded by a musical cue (the
"Swedish Rhapsody" music box one being a favorite of ours), and
sometimes the numbers are not conveyed by voice but by even more cryptic
electronics (as with "The Buzzer", and other noisy, abstract stuff
found mainly on disc four). Needless to say, hearing these collected on these
four cds is an unnerving experience. Not only does knowledge of the supposed
purpose of these transmissions imbue them with a disturbing quality, but the
repetition of the numbers combined with the background of shortwave radio
static makes for a aurally hypnotic experience. If merely regarded as a piece
of experimental ambient sound sculpture, the Conet Project would be a brilliant
and affecting piece of work, yet with the added context of international
intelligence and conspiracy theory, it becomes even more intriguing and creepy.
The four cds come with a large book (housed in its own jewel box) that provides
a great deal of description of, and speculation about, the many recordings.
Very well done.
11:15
·
Auroral Chorus II: Music of the Magnetosphere, A
Collection of Earth’s Mysterious Natural VLF Radio Phenomenon by Stephen P.
McGreevy 1996,1998 (52:00)
http://www.auroralchorus.com/ac3audio.htm
12:10
·
The Conet Project Disc Two,
‘Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations
1950-1980’(75:00)
***see Above
1:20
·
Alan Lamb, ‘Primal Image’ Recordings from natural frequencies emitted
by telephone wires 1981-1988 (46:30)
http://www.anu.edu.au/ITA/CSA/photomedia/students/s9530165/PrimalImage.html
2:05
·
The Conet Project Disc
Three, ‘Recordings of Shortwave Numbers
Stations 1950-1980’(77:00)
***see Above
3:15
·
The Ghost Orchid Examples Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP)
produced from copies of original cassettes recorded over 35 years ago 1999
(75:00)
Essentially, The
Conet Project From Beyond The Grave!!
Huh? Peter
Becker, who used to work for Asphodel (R.I.P.), has presented an interesting
theory that The Conet Project (the awesome 4 cd documentation of shortwave
radio "numbers stations") was nothing more than an elaborate hoax.
While we think that he's mistaken and that plenty of evidence points to the
validity of The Conet Project, here is a far more questionable recording,
because you've got to believe in ghosts rather than a more corporeal
conspiracy...
The Ghost Orchid documents
instances of something called "Electronic Voice Phenomenon", the
paranormal appearance of strange voices (which at times sing and speak in
multiple languages) on magnetic tape when there shouldn't be any voices there
at all... Respected parapsychologists have postulated that these voices are
those of dead people (i.e. ghosts) or possibly of extraterrestrial origin!
Unlike The Conet Project, which cross referenced the audio tracks with written
information, The Ghost Orchid presents these recordings with the audio
commentary of one of several researchers (Nadia
Fowler, Raymond
Cass, and Lief Elggren - the Swedish performance/audio artist and a part time
collaborator with the Hafler Trio), explaining the findings. These recordings
are the findings of a number of parapsychologists including Dr. Konstantine
Raudive, Friedrich Jurgenson, and Raymond Cass.
While there is
something wholly terrifying about these recordings, there is an absurd question
about these ghostly voices that we have to ask...Why are the majority of these
recordings in Latvian? Our resident Latvian, Byram, is unable to answer this
question...but perhaps we will hear from him in the afterlife...at any rate,
The Ghost Orchid manages to be both spooky and silly, and is definitely a
fascinating listen from a pure sound perspective regardless of how disturbing
and/or amusing you might find the alleged sound source itself...you might laugh
at the voice of "Winston Churchill", for instance, spouting nonsense
from the netherworld, but it's still a gripping, dark sound document.
4:30
·
The Conet Project Disc Four,
‘Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations
1950-1980’(73:00)
***see Above
6:00
Video: