On The Absence of Being (52:22)Chloe Harris reveals herself in a matter of just a few notes. Realizing work under the name Raica she expresses an electronic inheritance as fluent in the cosmic register as it is in the cerebral realm. Across seven dreamy, beamy tracks drowsing synthesizers extend surprising moments of self-reflection beneath a pervading sense of warmth. Discrete themes emerge, then break down into flickering episodes veering from floating fantasies to pure sonic invention. Perhaps not quite of this world low shuddering chords audibly darken, as pulsing patterns gently uncoil in the listening space. In these emotional shifts we experience a portion of life unfolding in music. With no shortage of personal moments this release is agile and approachable from every perspective. Not an ending statement, The Absence of Being should be thought of as more a condition without end. Many albums of Electronic Music challenge you to listen. It is quite rare for one to ask you to feel.
Please tune in to the 09.21.25 broadcast of STAR'S END for music from The Absence of Being the new release by Raica, and much more...
Recording and performing under the name Ótal works by Icelandic Electronic Musician Óskar Arngrímsson feel more measured than most modular synth realizations. Blurring the borders between collage, sculpture, abstraction and tonal representation he searches for a hidden realm. Original, restlessly charged and changing sounds float free of context or lineage - with meaning pointing in multiple possible directions. While rising sonic forms enthrall in a slowly revealing timbral bloom, oscillators take their turn advancing, stacking and receding. As enigmatic as the realm it is trying to depict Arngrímsson's realizations do not merely hang in the air, inert. They sparkle, shine and gleam - moving as easily out through the cosmos as they do inward to the recesses of the human spirit.
Following his 11 October 2025 performance at The Gatherings Concert Series in Philadelphia, Ótal plays live on the 10.12.25 broadcast of STAR'S END. Please tune in for details and/or stream live on Youtube.
Beginning with the 10.07.18 edition, an archived stream of each broadcast of STAR'S END will be available through the WXPN website. To listen anytime, please access: www.xpn.org/program/stars-end
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The Listening List - Recent Album Reviews From STAR'S END
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August 2025 Top 30 STAR'S END Releases - Alphabetical
Artist - Album (label)
Xan Alexander - Ambi-Tronic Soundscapes II (self-released)
Fred Thomas - Critical Violets, Dream Erosion Pt. VII (mystery circles)
Loula Yorke - Time is a Succession of Such Shapes (truxalis)
Various Artists - Desert Music Collection (aural films)
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Recording and performing under the name Ótal works by Icelandic Electronic Musician 
Have you ever been looking for something on this website only to become bogged down by the massive size and enormous content? Now you can find what you are seeking somewhat easier. Searching the STAR'S END Website has become much easier. Look for info on artists, albums, track names, labels, etc. via a Google "site search" - now part of the STAR'S END Website.
