KALI
[RADIO-SCRIPT]
[ALL CHEMIX RADIO SERIES: “…Radiophonic gothic drama that will transport you if you dare to
listen with headphones. The gruesome goddess, feared by young patriarchs gives birth to pleasant
tumours between those phones. It is up to you. A play in percepto-vision by FNT-CORA…”]
According to the New American Radio presentation, the 1989 Kaliradioplay was “an
unusual sonic meditation. Kali invokes the Hindu goddess associated with death,
destruction, and disease. Though often represented as a terrifying monster,
garlanded with skulls and bearing a bloody sword in one of her many arms, Kali is
also worshipped by many as Mata, the Divine Mother.” This live radio session is
credited to FNT-CORA on the cover, also known as FNTC (see previous post with
same line-up except McKenzie replaced by… Jon Rose!). Kali is an obscure mystical
ceremony recorded from a remote dark cave – well, you know, the reverb effect
actually. Priests and worshippers are uttering undecipherable chantings and
interjections. Sonic events creep in your mind like worms in a rotten fruit in a part
Lovecraftian nightmare, part psychoanalysis gone wrong. People involved were
obviously having fun here – and you’re necessarily having fun when using a whistling
hose (near the 10mns mark). Other sounds include unidentified percussion and
noises, metal objects, male falsetto voice chanting an hymn around 22:50. The last
15mns is an industrial-ambient soundscape without vocals build from beautiful
musique concrète sounds, synth and sound effects. I guess the gorgeous synth is
played by Hessel Veldman while the great noise-scape is the work of Andrew
McKenzie, both masters in their respective field. It’s an impressive conclusion to a
remarkable All Chemix Radio episode.
ALL CHEMIX RADIO SERIES (
Circa 1989 “Kali”
PERSONNEL: Willem de Ridder (electronics), Andrew McKenzie (objects,
noises and synth), Ben Uijtjens (sound mixer), Hessel Veleman (synth).
CAST: Willem de Ridder, Cora Emens, Nicole Veldman.