Lineality by Truus de Groot

This full, extra length, album was created by Truus de Groot featuring analog synthesizers only. Many of these are her very own synths, co-designed by Bosko Hrnjak and built by Dr. Moonstien. The album features 6 songs of 11 minutes each, clocking a total of 66 minutes. This brain stimulating music is from another dimension, it is ideal to create art by, cook, write, meditate, go about your business or excellent driving music to make the world just a little more interesting.

Cover Art: Truus de Groot

Review
Vital Weekly by Frans de Waard

Following her collaborative work with Intigue Taluure (see Vital Weekly 1111), here is something new by Truus de Groot. I believe she divides her work between her own name and Plus Instruments when it comes to doing something more ‘pop’ like (for the lack of a better word) and something more ’sound scape’ like (again for the lack of a better word). For the latter she uses her own name, and Plus Instruments when employing sequencers, drum machines and synthesizers. I quite enjoy the work of the latter, and of the first I think I simply didn’t hear a lot. The thing that springs to mind is the work she did with Bosko Hrnjak, ’Salton Sink Vol.1: Salton Sea’ (see Vital Weekly 814), which was more field recordings, voice and making up a fine radio play and her ’Surrealist Ball’ (see Vital Weekly), which for all I know could have been as Plus Instruments, but which was a bit gentler, I guess. On ‘Lineality’ she placed all her electronic gear as listed on the cover (Sonus Inflecto, Triomne, Boka Box, Drone Box, Crackle Synthesizer, EMS VCS Putney, Moog Opus 3 and Korg MS 20 mini) on a table and started to fiddle around with. Some of these machines you know, and some you don’t, as they “co-designed by Bosko Hrnjak and built by Dr. Moonstien”. She recorded six pieces, which, give or take a few seconds, last eleven minutes. On her website Truus describes what her intention is with this: “This brain stimulating music is from another dimension, it is ideal to create art by, cook, write, meditate, go about your business or excellent driving music to make the world just a little more interesting.” Of course the reviewer has to cook and write but perhaps also concentrate a bit on the music, but sometimes I decide to sit back and continue to read today’s newspaper. De Groot chooses her title well, I think. Her pieces move in a strict linear fashion. She works with a bunch of sounds, at the same time and they keep playing, while she changes very minimally some parameters and volume of some while others continue, before it’s their time to change. Sometimes a bit drone like, obviously I would think, but it also has more bubbling, oscillations, sine and square forms, and above all a bit more noise and grittiness than you would have on an average drone record. De Groot isn’t too careful with the volume and with the ears of the listener, which made me think that playing this in the kitchen with some volume is perhaps not something that would go with everybody helping you out. It seems to me something that is enjoyed in solitude, so that you as a listener could decide on the volume for optimum pleasure, be it very loud or moderate and you’ll find it out it works wonderfully well and is engaging to do some other activity without paying very close attention. This is an excellent release and good to hear De Groot diversifying
from her usual music. (FdW)

Tracklist

1.	Lineality 1 - Primam Aciem	11:00

2.	Lineality 2 - II Recta	10:59

3.	Lineality 3 - Tertiam	10:59

4.	Lineality 4 - Quarta Acie	11:04

5.	Lineality 5 - Linea Quinque	11:02

6.	Lineality 6 - Tandem Lineam	10:58

Credits

License