All motifs, tone colors and sinuous textures are beautifully sculpted and progressively transport the listener in deep mental spaces submerged by a delicate and tasteful melancholic gloom.
An elegiac tone and engulfing atmospheric somberness
For those who are into sonic contemporary ambiences and slowly moving electronic soundscapes, the name of Aidan Baker is familiar. He can be considered as on of the brightest (and notorious) figures in modern day minimal ambient next to other giants such as Tim Hecker, Jacob Kirkegaard, Rafael Anton Irisarri et al. His efforts for the abrasive and fuzzed-out drone project Nadja is also worth of interest.
Needless to develop furthermore high points of his career, let’s have a few words about this new effort—to be released this early March—welcomed by key indie publisher Glacial Movements (headed by ambient music specialist and sound artist Alessandro Tedeschi). For those not aware of the existence of this label, it is now a mythical one for minimal ambient isolationism (with a harrowing melodic heart) celebrating big names such Murcof, Bvdub, Scanner, and lesser known but still intricate projects in this musical field. If I’m not wrong, it is the second full length release published by Aidan Baker for Glacial Movements, the first was Aneira back in 2013.
This new album provides two sprawling and blooming sonic journeys for long electronic strings and dense layers of sounds. All motifs, tone colors and sinuous textures are beautifully sculpted and progressively transport the listener in deep mental spaces submerged by a delicate and tasteful melancholic gloom. The magnificent dramatic aura of the album is even more perceptible in the second track that will leave you in a throbbing introspective trip. The soundscapes are efficiently blurry, languid and cloudy with a visceral, cerebral and vigorous psycho-acoustic impact. Soaked and epic reverbed ambient sequences which need certain mental disposals and feeling ready to let go.
Pithovirii operates a successful balance between emotional harshness and deeply meditative comfort. As usual with Glacial Movements, the empowering isolationist quality is phenomenal thanks to a substantial sensitive column, drone experimentations and movingly ecstatic moments of tense dramatic beauty. I needed several listening experiences to fully appreciate all nuances this album provides when you go beyond the apparent monolithic sounding surface. Soundscapes with an elegiac tone and engulfing atmospheric somberness.
Pithovirii is available Glacial Movements. [Bandcamp | Site]
