Hypnotic, evocative and dynamic sonic minimalism designed for nocturnal listening. Porras manages to generate tension and provocatively restrained drama that pass through the listener’s veins like a quiet storm.
Jon Porras‘ latest for the Chicago-based imprint flows in my bloodstream as some sort of powerful substance that operates as an opiate and a stimulator simultaneously. It relaxes my body, but pleasantly stirs my mind. Light Divide is a thirty-one minute long affair of hypnotic, evocative and dynamic sonic minimalism designed for nocturnal listening. Every night during the past week, whenever everybody was asleep, and only the crickets, the stars and the moon were outside, I popped Light Divide into my CD player, put the headphones on, sat on my listening couch and closed my eyes. It was a nice week, and those intimate listening sessions during the wee hours were a lovely and igniting finish to each day. Porras returns with yet another effective creation.
One of the signature features in Porras’ work (both solo and with Evan Caminiti as Barn Owl) is powerful, guitar-driven, drone, ambient, post-rock infused sound, but Light Divide shows a different side of Porras. It is the rich outcome of an entirely electronic concoction, both analog and digital. No guitars this time. One might think that a Porras work that lacks the use of guitars would have less edge and drive, but Light Divide proves otherwise all the way through. Porras clearly feels at home around synthesizers and electronics, and manages to generate tension and provocatively restrained drama that pass through the listener’s veins like a quiet storm.
Like every good album, Light Divide reveals more subtleties and charms with time. The picture gets wider and deeper with every listening session. It’s highly addictive, and in fact, I usually consume it twice in a row. It is made out of the same rare and unique material albums like Marconi Union’s A Lost Connection and The Sight Below’s Glider are. Porras always pays a lot of care and attention to texture and movement, and this hasn’t changed. He just used different tools for this job. Light Divide is mysteriously luminous and as delicate and fragile as it is powerful and firm. Less is definitely more in this case.
Light Divide is available on Thrill Jockey.
