Created, assembled and produced by Dave Clarkson at Orange Laboratory and Airtight Studio, Manchester, Jan 2005 - Jan 2006, using voice, guitar, electronics, keyboards, scratched discs, field recordings and software.
'Slip Disc Disorientations' recorded live at Intergration 4, Preston, 30 Apr 2005.
'Elixir of Pink Frost' recorded on location in Nara and Kyoto, Japan, April 2005 - suikinkutsu sample used with kind permission of N's corporation.
'Phrenology' produced and engineered by si-cut.db (Douglas Benford) at Brenford Central, 2005.
Album mastered by Tom Knott at Airtight Studio, Manchester, 2005.
Thanks to Gaz Bibby, Ade Ball, Richard Carman, Colin Potter, Douglas Benford and Tom Knott. Lotta Continua 2007
Vital Weekly:
Lotta Continua Recordings took some time to release their third and fourth work, and perhaps out of economical reasons they switched to CDRs. However, you can only tell when you look at the discs surface. The rest of the release looks quite professional - good print on the CD and a nice cover. Perhaps the format of CDRs enables to make more releases. On both releases we find the work of Dave Clarkson, also known as Illuminati. One solo and one in collaboration with King Dice. On his solo release 'Meta Medica' he cites Dutch poet Willem Bilderdijk (1756-1831), whose name I think is hardly known by the majority in this country, let alone outside, who wrote in his letters a lot on his physical and mental condition, thus serving 'as 'meta-medical' reflections by which he enhanced his self-understanding and 'constructed' his own self'. For Clarkson his music are 'themes for personal survival in an an age of moving medical ethics'. Illuminati plays electronic music, that is partly based on instruments, partly on field recordings and partly on unusual techniques such as scratching CDRs. The latter is used with some of the bass sounds and adds a harsher texture to some of the music. Some of the music, since this album is quite a varied bunch of music, from soft melodic pieces to harsher, effect laden pieces. A bit of rhythm, melancholy and agony, it's all there and makes 'Meta Medica' quite a nice album (FdW)
Side Line magazine:
With Meta Medica, Illuminati released another cool experience in the ambient style. This album sounds a bit more electronic-like featuring cool loops. A few cuts from this album were recorded during live performances, but the global feeling I get is to walk through a kind of imaginary sonic landscape featuring fields-recordings and other sonic manipulations. Illuminati delivers an enlightening ambient release
(DP:6/7)DP
RADIO PLAY:
'Byrd Flu' - BBC Radio 3 Late Junction / Verity Sharp - 27 Nov 2007
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This is as good as the officially released WRNTDP titles on CIS. Very pleased to pick it up, where the pieces here are longer than most on the records they benefit from the slow unwinding they are afforded. The 18 minute live set excerpt is particularly immersive. Wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to release this on vinyl as a companion to the inevitable repressing of This Nation's Most Central Location. Great stuff. Oh and you get a cool magazine to read as well. Awesome. shaun rogan
I'm so happy someone is doing this. Beautifully designed zine. Fascinating articles and writing. CD is all bangers. I look forward to the next issue. Scott Sugiuchi
With all proceeds going to benefit Ukraine, the latest from Angela Winter is a beautifully haunting work that centers the human voice. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 16, 2022
Originally written to accompany a juggling performance, “CM_30” stands on its own as a collection of beautiful electronic compositions. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 22, 2021
Recorded inside a nuclear cooling tower, this 25-minute album is distinguished by innovative sound design and musical ingenuity. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 18, 2020