In Opposition to Our Acceleration

by François Couture Released in November 2001 by the German label Die Stadt in an edition of 1000 copies, In Opposition to Our Acceleration stylistically arches back to the 1997 album Of & The. It mostly consists of soft, atmospheric sound art pieces, as usual fusing electronics, computer treatments, and improvisation on amplified objects. The characteristic mood swings of Illusion of Safety are nowhere to be found on this CD. Things develop slowly, softly, luring the listener into a catatonic state, an "illusion of safety" that endures throughout the disc's 74 minutes. The album has been put together from various live recordings ranging from quartet performances (with Dan Burke, Mark Klein, Thymme Jones and Kurt Griesch) on a radio station in Illinois to single-manned European appearances by Burke's outfit. "Stillpoint," the only track with a real title, is a studio composition that was included on The Wire Tapper, Vol. 7, one of the British magazine The Wire's samplers. The quartet tracks follow a free-flowing direction very similar to that of Morphogenesis and the Bohman Brothers. The solo pieces tend to be more atmospheric and constructed. Illusion of Safety had pioneered the experimental ambient style as early as the mid-'80s (although the group's music could not be ascribed to a well-defined category). In Opposition to Our Acceleration proves that, among the herds of followers, Burke can still impress with his wizardry and artistic sense. The CD is packaged in a wallet sleeve with beautiful photography artwork on postcards by Burke.