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The more interesting electronic artists find inspiration in things outside of music. While we may hear the influence of contemporaneous album releases, discovering that significant thing in the musician's life which moved them to create their work almost always remains a mystery to the listener. However, with musician Sam Rosenthal we can readily identify his Spacemusic project, called As Lonely As Dave Bowman, as having something to do with concepts dealt with in the epic science fiction film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The name of Rosenthal's musical persona refers to the movie character Dr. David Bowman, and his particularly amazing ordeal, most of which was endured in complete seclusion. Isolation is a common theme found throughout much of Rosenthal's creative output, and his ALADB CD Monolith (72'59") offers four minimal sonic portrayals that somehow relate to this condition. Although Monolith presents music meant to conjure feelings of desolation, mystery and uncertainty, the listening experience does endeavor to move us amidst a slow progression of significant ambient states. Synthesizer drones sustain as gray metallic modulations rise, expand and retract within the depths of vast soundscapes. More than just an interesting collection of spacey sounds, Monolith produces its building tensions and hopeful reprieves through intelligent pacing, fragile advances and thoughtful stillness. Whether it is existing at the periphery of our attention, or confronting us with a tonal tensile unity, Monolith surrounds us in an atmosphere of solitude - forced (like Bowman's) or otherwise.
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 26 November 2015 |
