www.touchmusic.org.uk
Perhaps better known for audio works on his own imprint, Room 40, and a series of live excursions which took in a good portion of Europe last year, Lawrence English makes his debut on Touch in the form of a drone piece, Kiri No Oto, which loosely translates as “the sound of fog.”
Perhaps “drone piece” is far too limited a description, as English’s tonal assemblages are complex, dense, stratified affairs, consisting of various forms of instrumentation, particularly organ- based drones, juxtaposing pointillist cascades of tonalism against a fabric of overtones and amorphous harmonics. These aural texturologies present us with no surprises, no hidden spectra, no glitch or fuss, just sheer minimalist bliss, ebbing and flowing in irridescent waves and crescendos.
Some of the sounds are infused with an edgy patina, the almost industrial overtones entering into White Spray come to mind, but these are quickly dissipated, filtered, and numbed, creating a fascinating dynamics of harsh and soft tones. These shifting, sedimentary layerings create areas rich in colour and texture that shine through on occasion, glimmers of sunlight filtered through the fog of texture, intriguing and beguiling at one and the same time. Figure’s Lone Static emerges as my track of choice, moving from soft pastel renderings, panning across the soundscape, that gradually swells and envelops the listener in a fully immersive and gritty tonal assault – wonderful stuff.
Touch have chosen well here, as Kiri No Oto acts in symbiosis with their organ based Spire releases of late, and also the work of label mate, Rosy Parlane could be a spiritual benefactor. Intelligent drones from an established and now highly influential figure on the minimalist scene..essential. BGN
About whiteline1
WHITE_LINE was set up three years ago, in order to play and promote the work of artists and musicians working under the banner of "minimalism", in all its many guises. This has led to a regular and highly successful mix slot on the Garden of Earthly Delights radio show in the UK, and guest appearances on Resonance FM (frequenzen show). We now aim to extend the remit of the mix slots by reviewing (as often as possible) material that encapsulates and crystallises the minimalist ethic, and hopefully we'll be leading artists and audiences alike towards a deeper appreciation of this and other marginalised genres. I welcome your comments, and criticisms, and would love to hear from labels and artists who would like their work showcased on the show, or reviewed here. We regret that due to time constraints, we cannot review everything that is sent to us, but will endeavour to give exceptional work an "honourable mention" at the very least, and links to quality sites that we think worthy of mentioning.
I am trying to support labels and artists as much as possible by promoting their work, not least because I am a stereotypical "struggling artist" myself, but also because there are so few younger artists entering this particular scene, and there is a danger of it becoming the sole domain of a handful of forty somethings who really ought to be doing something better with their time!
Having worked for most of the more reputable underground magazines in the early 90's, I was never afforded the luxury of taking time and care over reviews, as deadlines and column space were always hanging like the sword of Damocles over me. With WHITE_LINE, I have the luxury of being able to review when I have time, and I am receptive to a particular mood, and hopefully this will reflect in the quality and length of some of the reviews. If you like what you see, please link to me to encourage more traffic through the site, and cross promote whatever is happening out there.
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