Just in is news of continuation of a new chapter on Nettwerk with the release of Ash, rounding off his EP trilogy, initiated with Eev (igloo-’viewed) and Aer, with its conceptual theme of a ‘life arc’ from exciting new beginnings to the darkness of dealing with life’s challenges.
The tensions of life
No trumpeting is necessary or appropriate to announce Taylor Deupree and accompany notice of his latest accomplishment—a skim through his decades-spanning career in the Ambient and Microsound World would suffice. From founding the seminal 12k label, through collaborations with kindred spirit luminaries like Ryuichi Sakamoto and Christopher Willits, to an extensive solo discography, he has spent 25+ years charting a compelling course in his field.
Just in is news of continuation of a new chapter on Nettwerk with the release of Ash, rounding off his EP trilogy, initiated with Eev (igloo-’viewed) and Aer, with its conceptual theme of a ‘life arc’ from exciting new beginnings to the darkness of dealing with life’s challenges. The harshest of the three, Ash represents the tensions of life, from “Flashfire”’s crackles through “Looming Brittle”’s sullen murmurations to “(We Share The) Dust Garden”’s dissonant fuzz. It continues a legacy of challenging listeners, tapping into emotional depths, finding ways to reflect those emotions through innovative sounds and techniques, while serving as a perfect intro to Deupree’s deft touch and impeccable ear for sonic texture.
With this series Deupree had felt less like trying to push himself as is his wont, more like doing something a little comfier with a feel of an intro to his work; which would account for many tracks set aside from 2021 being re-found—fuel for something new. In fact, a trilogy wasn’t initially projected, rather a unifying thread emerged in the process of crafting the three EPs. Related is his drawing of inspiration from a single word, often becoming a work’s title, hence the keynote mood set for the listener and for working on the music.
While Eev‘s quiet radiance represented dawn’s fresh light as ‘something new was ahead in my artistic career […] an exciting time. I didn’t know what was going to be on the other side,’ and Aer a ‘rising up—a feeling of relief […] getting through that unknown stage of not knowing what’s coming. […] rising out of that, floating up and feeling a little more positive,’ Deupree relates, Ash was prevalently pessimistic, in view of the difficulty of navigating a world currently with ‘everything [is] turning to dust and going to hell—everything […] held dear before.’
In sum, the EPs form ‘an arc from entering into something unknown and coming out the other side feeling good, to rising out of this darkness and everything crashing down around you.’ But completion of existing arcs brings new beginnings: ‘I’ve been really focused on the future recently—what I’m going to do next,’ he says, ‘it’s scary to try new things, but you want to challenge yourself as well, and I think I’m going to be taking a bit of a left-turn next.’ And the completed trilogy is eloquent testament to the fruitfulness of Deupree’s partnership with Nettwerk, even in its infancy.
Ash is available on Nettwerk. [Bandcamp]
