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It has been said that we never fall into the same abyss twice, but we always fall in the same way. The San Francisco based Electronic Musician Christopher MacDonald may recall this maxim each time he sits down to produce an album. Recording under the name Telomere his CD Supergaint (57'21") is that rare treasure of a work - something that, upon our absorbing it, seems to deepen the mystery of the human condition. Unapologetically still reveling in the aftermath of his first having listened to Planetary Unfolding - Michael Stearn's 1981 classic of Spacemusic soundscapes - working as Telomere, across several substantial releases, MacDonald conveys to us his fascination of the swirling blend of electronic tones and ethereal harmonies realized using a Serge modular system. Less a convocation of synthesizers Supergiant is contoured more by wonderment than by technology. Crafted to heal, we will find it quite easy to listen to the seven tracks - and imagine wandering through a stranger's dream. From the timorous and moody to the bright and ecstatic, the composed sonic landscapes move as easily out through the cosmos as they do to the deepest recesses of human thought. Oscillators take their turn advancing, stacking and receding, all the while harmonies lighten and darken in delightfully shifting timbre. The meticulous sound designs of Supergiant are breathtaking productions - hoping to portray our contemplation of The Universe. Presenting a range of themes and styles meant to connect the furthest object across the ocean of space with your next breath, we find that, "it is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind, that determines which way we will go".
- Chuck van Zyl/STAR'S END 31 January 2019 |
