Jan St. Werner of Mouse On Mars Miscontinuum

Miscontinuum Album documents an impressive new work by seminal electronic musician Jan St. Werner, whose innovations with Mouse on Mars, Lithops, Von Südenfed (with Mark E. Smith) and Microstoria are well documented. Over a period of approximately four years Miscontinuum has been developed and refined as an operatic live performance in Munich, as well as a radio play. This recorded incarnation of the work is the newest entry in Werner’s lauded Fiepblatter series, and features contributions by friends Dylan Carlson (Earth), Markus Popp (Oval), Kathy Alberici, and Taigen Kawabe (Bo Ningen).

The central concept of Miscontinuum explores misconceptions of time and memory, inspired by unique acoustic phenomena derived digital phasing and musical time stretching techniques. There is aura of doom that pervades the work. Much of the album’s evocative nature comes from the interplay of Werner’s electronics with Alberici and Kawabe’s voices and the contrast between those organic and inorganic elements. Popp, a longtime collaborator with Werner in Mictrostoria, wrote the libretti, which is presented in five distinct scenes and recited redolently by Carlson. The surreal plot involves a progressive distinction of time as a force rather than a structuring system, and an individual who can shift consciously between states within that force. The high concepts and unusual creative partners combine for an album that is uncommonly emotionally resonant.

Miscontinuum was first performed as a part of Werner’s Asymmetric Studio series in Munich on 18th June 2013, and featured video by Werner and Karl Kliem and stage design by Christina del Yelmo & Sonia Gomez Villar (it was broadcast by Bayerischer Rundfunk public radio ten days later). The striking visual elements, flowing dresses and impressionistic masses of colour, make appearances on the album’s art design.