The listening journey is one that carves its own pathway towards an otherworld of expansive elevation, shrouded in an ever-building sense of mystery and an irresistible stream of feeling offering imminent liberation.
Silk like textures and distinct percussive fibers weave through soft colored hazes
Raven’s Cottage is the latest release from 4T Thieves, out on Rednetic. With eleven tracks, this powerful, yet equally tranquil release is as surreal as it is quietly contemplating, with a hypnotic sense of lo-fi. The listening journey is one that carves its own pathway towards an otherworld of expansive elevation, shrouded in an ever-building sense of mystery and an irresistible stream of feeling offering imminent liberation.
The selective beats blend intricately alongside the sense of musical purity that the album portrays and gives way to that unique sense of lightly percussive personality. The soundscapes themselves drive a gentle sense of drifting among fresh experimental synthesis.
The title track sits midway and points to slowed up early 1980’s sound experiments—hints of nostalgia, but also a searching, fresh intricacy—not only evident with this track, but also threading through the complete playlist to reveal its infinite melodic directions. Sound developments are cyclic and ever expansive, with silk like textures and distinct percussive fibers that weave through soft colored hazes—on occasion, with a sparkle and vibrancy of a stained-glass window.
There’s that sense of vintage crackle with “506627 (feat. Pandacetamol),” creating a low hum of calm, accentuated by the overlay of a restful wind-type arrangement. It’s contrasted on occasion, with the more modernistic approach—particularly with “Ghosts.” Then, there is the post avalanche “Eye of the Storm,” with its heavy sweeping movements. It blends with yet more nostalgic progressions of synthesized layers, that drive towards a crescendo, creating a bright sense of uplifting spirit, before snapping back into to a darker shadow, like a gracious farewell. It’s perhaps one of the most experimental tracks on this record and definitely one of multiple flavor. “Open Windows” gives a sense of the distant explosive, a perfect demonstration of just how much contrast there is on this album, while also succeeding in retaining a distinct theme that flows considerably well. All eleven tracks on Raven’s Cottage combine to sculpt a satisfying body of sound.
Raven’s Cottage is available on Rednetic. [Bandcamp]
