There has been careful attention made to the landscape, incorporating natural elements and zero gravity and the acoustic ambient experience, explosive and at times powdery, the science of landscape music, a form of minimalism. You can sometimes feel the time stretch.
The science of landscape music
This is a tribute to electronic music, with long acoustic samples, long loops, minimal composition and silence, simple and sparse, with curious extra sound effects woven in. This is designed to play in natural environments. There has been careful attention made to the landscape, incorporating natural elements and zero gravity and the acoustic ambient experience, explosive and at times powdery, the science of landscape music, a form of minimalism. You can sometimes feel the time stretch.
A single note, played on a classical guitar, various rhythmic events, all at a slow pace for the most part, with uneven electronic sounds woven into the mix. Slowly the story emerges.
This was recorded in France, focused on nature in an unexpected way, within the realm of the mountains known as Pyrenees, which is the mountain range bordering France and Spain.
“I dreamed of an electronic music set that could play anywhere out of usual concert places, something I could install and play anywhere, especially in the middle of nowhere, in the countryside, in the mountains.” He says that this is music for silent outdoor spaces, to hear in a landscape. This is a sound for lost hikers. He continues, “So I wrote electronic music in my studio and spent many days in the fields near my house with big battery loudspeakers. I wanted something to hear lying on the grass with a splendid view.”
I can see the wilderness, with speakers hidden, this sounds like that. I hear a saxophone, up close. Electronics. Other things.
“After quite some time laying on the ground, I wondered if the ground wouldn’t start to lay on me…
“So I called this Skinscape.”
It is not very crowded and it is certainly in no hurry. This is time well spent, just listening. I could tell you that the sound is odd and hard to compare with anything, and what would that mean? Try the first track, “Skinscape” (5:00), this is the one with a repeated guitar note holding, slowly the reverberation builds. I think the heat starts slowly. Then all of the sudden, out of the blue there is a playful whistle, a signal? I like the layers of sparse, a bit more engaging, always very sparse, looped rhythms building and releasing and building. The intro makes this some kind of a one note blues.
Sand creatures are captured on beaches in Holland ::
Here is the saxophone, “High Spot” (6:23). I hear a saxophone in a large chamber, the feeling is easy and minimal, sparse notes repeating while listening to the chamber reverberation. Reed instruments have a special sound. Change happens, there are pauses. Sand creatures are captured on beaches in Holland. We all slow down, the pace accommodates some new modules who join the beat. This is a conversation put to cinematic forms, like a jazz number.
The next track’s title is “Dear” (3:24) and what I hear is a voice repeating “gear” or “jear” now there are two voices. Clicks build. The voices join and harmonize, always keeping an intimate feeling, and the click builds. Then a whistle brings change and more electronics. I am not going to give away the ending. “Isolignes” (4:39) has a challenging name to investigate, as I do not speak French, I am guessing, perhaps the title has to do with isoline contour lines on a map? But the sound, I hear a bell or a gong, which makes a new rhythm with almost a decorated ticking clock beat. The vocals are minimal but make a big difference in the mix. It is an actual ticking clock beat, as it turns out. Yes, the whistle comes by again. This next track is a blue trumpet shaped flower, from a large tribe called Gentianeae, which has something like 400 species. “Gentiana” (4:40) leans towards slightly more conventional sound materials, with a particular interest in the piano. I hear a piano and Martian crickets. Remember, as you pass over, flying off to peace. Remember acoustic ambient electronic landscape music all minimalism; the time stretches, and from France. Followed quickly by “Vertical Drop” (4:16), I hear a drop of water again, and it forms a rhythm. The vocals fit in perfectly with open and groaning microtones, forming a deep synth buzz cycle. The sound is odd of course, there is a slow easy variation on the concept of rhythm right now. Things change. “Grezzo” (6:58) is a journey alone. But I feel a lighter relief, a loop based melody that is long in form and simple in pattern. Now add drums and build increasing complexity in phases, it works. “Ciel Ouvert” (3:22) means something like open sky, finding a slower way out, a piano, with an electronica jam, a gasp which repeats every few moments. There are noodling melodies that are always sounding like they are asking questions, and the piano has the final word.
Skinscape is available on Bandcamp.
