Gas (musician)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Gas


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Birth_name = Wolfgang Voigt
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Genre = Ambient, techno, experimental music
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Years_active = 1995–2000
Label = Mille Plateaux, Kompakt
Associated_acts = All, Auftrieb, Gelb, Love Inc., M:I:5, Mike Ink, Mint
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Gas was a short-lived project of Cologne, Germany-based electronic musician Wolfgang Voigt.

Gas is the most abstract of Voigt's many projects, with each album consisting of several long tracks of dense, hypnotic, atmospheric sound. Usually there is a repetitive 4/4 bass drum pulse underneath the multiple layers of music, but occasionally a song will just drift on its own ambience. Voigt has commented that he builds his tracks using samples, which are manipulated beyond recognition to create what can better be described as textural environments than songs. Indeed, most of the time there is no clear horizontal trajectory in a Gas track, as Voigt seems to be more interested in exploring depth of the stereo field, utilizing subtle shifts in sound. Because music under the Gas alias lacks any trace of orthodox melody or chord change, many would not describe it as musical. However, the sources of Voigt's samples often seem to be of musical origin, such as orchestral strings–most notably Wagnerian in nature–and therefore lend the tracks some sense of musicality.

Critics have described experiencing Gas music as similar to hearing a band playing very far away, under water, or from behind walls. His music does not, however, suffer from the distinct "underwater" sound of a simple bypass filter.

In 2008, Voigt's own label Kompakt re-released all four of his Gas albums, albeit with subtle changes made to the tracks, as a four-CD box set entitled "Nah und Fern". A limited double vinyl version of the set was also released, with one track from each album per side.

Discography

Albums

*"Gas" (1996) - Mille Plateaux
*"Zauberberg" (1997) - Mille Plateaux
*"Königsforst" (1999) - Mille Plateaux
*"Pop" (2000) - Mille Plateaux

EPs

*"Modern" (1995) - Profan
*"Oktember" (1999) - Mille Plateaux

Compilations

*"Nah und Fern" (2008) - Kompakt