|
Just when coast / range / arc (54'26") seems quite the cooler compared to previous works by loscil, its ambiguous atmospherics give way to a beautiful breathing machine music. For this release Scott Morgan has developed a monumentally scaled ambient style devoid of the recognizable moving parts and mechanically intricate rhythmic cycles heard on many of his earlier albums. Clouds of drones seem to drift in and out of the soundfield, while desolate timbres sigh into existence then recede. Some of the six churning soundworlds on coast / range / arc lead the listener to a lost lower frozen world - complete with snowy static, boreal climate and whistling white noise effects. A few of the others seem mostly pure helium - striking in their austerity. The remaining pieces possess a remarkable and welcome fragility and light. Possibly of a manner more becoming to Minimalists, these compositions build vaguely on consonant harmonies and color amidst a recurring motif. Here the listener may find haven beneath the sonic solace of less forlorn realizations. The music of loscil is meant to interact with the world. Once enough of us have heard this music, and are stimulated by the thoughts arising from its provocations, its current will be felt running throughout modern thought.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 29 December 2011 |
