WORLD WITHOUT WORDS

While never gaining an official release as such, Quiet Earth Orchestra's "World without words" is now available to download free (donations encouraged) at John Ludi's website. The album consists of material recorded by Ludi in 1993, prior to his sole official album under the QEO moniker.

An entirely instrumental work, Ludi's own commentary that it "Originally it was going to be a big vocal concept album about the endless cycle of warfare that humanity seems to be so wedded to (but in the context of an alien civilization)" offers a useful background to the music. A short synopsis of the original concept can be found in a text file which accompanies the download, and on Ludi's website.

Apart from some more recent post production, the recordings here are essentially as they were recorded by Ludi on what would now be considered primitive equipment. Given such a restriction, the recordings are actually perfectly listenable.

The album consists of 13 tracks which represent the main concept, plus a further three bonus recordings. The music moves between repetitive rhythm based tracks, and more ambient experimental pieces. The emphasis is as much on sounds as it is on melodies, Ludi being at pains to emphasise that all the instruments are actually played, Midi's, tape loops, etc. being completely absent (apart from an old drum machine!).

John himself recommends that this be listened to as "background music", and that is probably the best way to approach the album. Comparisons will inevitably be made with other one man home recordings ranging from Oldfield to Eno and calling at all stations in- between. Such comparisons are fair for a general indication of what is on offer here, ambience and experimentation be the keywords. Along the way, we have drones and other unstructured sounds often associated with Krautrock and the sub-genres with which it entwines.

The first two of the bonus tracks are from even further back than these recordings, when Ludi was in a band called Pliny the Elder. They are little more than four guys indulging themselves in a bit of fun. The third of these tracks and the final track on the album is "Voluntary Simplicity", a solo recording made by Ludi in 1986.

Overall, not an album to be taken too seriously, and certainly not one John Ludi intends to be listed as an official release. Nevertheless, those who enjoy the more avant-garde side of our genre may well find some of the content here to be of interest.

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