Chris Weeks :: Trip (Odd John) / The Cloud (Self-Released)

Weeks has pursued a predilection for exploration of the floating and psychic vibrations of space-scapes, tranches of droning chord continua and brooding bass frequencies dwelt on, when not taken on minimalism-fuelled detours, prey to particulate play, subject to unreadable communications and electronic interference.

The back catalog* of UK soundsmith Chris Weeks is voluminous for one whose artistic footprint has been meagre. Far from any qualitative shortcomings, on the evidence of Trip, and recently igloo-‘viewed Black Hole, to say nothing–or at least very little–of just-appeared The Cloud, it’s more indicative of a profile as low as some of the depths sounded on this ‘expansive, multi-instrumental, psychedelic, dynamic-drone odyssey, which evolves & shape-shifts episodically.’

Active since 2005 with a raft of releases as Kingbastard and Myheadisaballoon as well as given name, Weeks has pursued a predilection for exploration of the floating and psychic vibrations of space-scapes, tranches of droning chord continua and brooding bass frequencies dwelt on, when not taken on minimalism-fuelled detours, prey to particulate play, subject to unreadable communications and electronic interference. Trip sets out somewhere between space music (cf. Steve Roach) and Kosmische (cf. early TD), before proceeding to take in all manner of sub-genre mini-shows along the way, from post-modern minimalism (cf. Alvin Lucier) to hypnotic electro-acoustic (cf. Tod Dockstader’s Aerial), to name but two. Less ambitious in scope, but in some ways even better, especially for its cleaving to more single-minded timbral exploration is The Cloud, a long-form piece just appeared via Weeks web–a fabulously involving guitar drone teeming with a constant metamorphic harmonic microcosmos that taps into a heady vein of meditative ecstasis.