Always one to intersperse emotional tones and frequencies of subtle piano movements, the flickering of digitized crackling and windy harmonies, Zack Mitchell takes a step into more heartfelt terrain. Infusing delicate rhythms, symphonies of melody and melancholic moods, each of the half-dozen dampened tracks are filled to the brim with streams of expressive beauty.
Atra Aeterna returns from 2011’s Machinations to cast new ambient shadows with Of Fractures And Light, a self-released extended player from this proficient Canadian producer. Always one to intersperse emotional tones and frequencies of subtle piano movements, the flickering of digitized crackling and windy harmonies, Zack Mitchell takes a step into more heartfelt terrain. Infusing delicate rhythms, symphonies of melody and melancholic moods, each of the half-dozen dampened tracks are filled to the brim with streams of expressive beauty. Snippets of Kattoo and Deru are spread throughout—orchestrated as loose strands meshed against articulated percussion crawling into smokey corridors. Each piece perfectly designed to unfold within two to four minutes, Atra Aeterna manages to thread each morsel with visual and aural appeal. The title track and “Powder Burns” reflect on minimized beatwork—lightly spiced to inhabit a tranquil space of experimental glitch. And with the abundance of link-minded musicians vying to create a fraction of Atra Aeterna’s atmospheric tapestry, Of Fractures And Light is a welcomed retreat.
Of Fractures And Light is available on atraaeterna.com. Buy at atraaeterna.com or iTunes.
