Lou Reed – Metal Machine Music

The ability of Ulrich Krieger to notate Reed's Jackson-Pollack-of-sound action-painted-sonic mess, is an exalted degree of musicianship that I solemnly and humbly salute. To have the cultural TASTE AND wherewithal to foist this production, that is, be of an intrepid mind receptive to Reed's (best) album AND have the PERFECT PITCH necessary to accurately reincarnate the sounds (which are borderline unnotate-able) requires a personality and soul of exquisite reach.
In this world there are unearplugg'd head-against-the-amp autistic harsh noise fans and there are conservatory know-it-alls who can assay a written score like a road sign, but ne'er so rare is it as those two types combine as they seem to with the directors and personnel of this ensemble.
The latter of the two types can, like Brahms used to do on his park bench, read a written score as if they're really listening --let me improve on that statement; they ARE really listening because the audio cortex is alight with vibration, but it is a psychic sort of synaesthesiological listening that is fed thru the eyes' own touch on the lines and dots.
The versatility of the profoundly contrasted procedure employed by the artists in this group, the translation --the transubstantiation(!)-- of such a loosely-made (with little or no criterion) piece of electric amplification qualified by electronic-treatments in a maverick configuration being misused by the semi-present opiated Reed...
...into a briskly precise and starkly defined ACOUSTIC report of such complexity and erudtion, is very impressive; squint-eyed ducklings so ugly never reappear as mighty Swans of this wingspan.
My focus has always been String Quartets, so my knowledge of larger modern classical ensembles like Zeitkratzer is lacking.
However I might suggest that this band is the best of its kind currently in existence, rivaled, but not necessarily sured, by Bornstein's heroic ST-X ensemble.
Olympic-level cerebral virtuosity and unyielding skill most excellent, herein yields exalted results.
This release should be an academic example of athletic transcription.