(08.10.05) Matt Borghi’s stimulating new CD Images is his first solo disc in nearly 3 years, and it is a fine example of ambient music to be slowly absorbed, not mere “incidental” music for casual listening.
Made up of 11 minimalist-inspired stereoscopic visualizations brimming with presence and texture that create an original listening experience upon each repeated random/shuffle mode play, as the CD cover instructs to do so, time melts languidly away and isn’t concerned with running out in this tranquil world of subtle beats and calming space. Borghi expertly manipulates these elements with competent ease on tracks like “Triptych,” “Canver” and “August,” each with their own set of lush, slow-motion glances into imagined
mindscapes that are as addictive as caffeinated mints on a graveyard shift. Following suit are “Sunday Morning Family House,” “Shards” and “Thunder,” all with individual designs on the blueprints of emotions felt during periods of profound reflection. On “Afternoon,” a resilient, meditative drone resides with looped and spliced found sounds as if it is a soundtrack to faded 8mm
childhood memories, complete with the warmth and security that usually accompanies them. The multi-layered background hiss experiment on “Vandal” gives the din of everyday life a breathing effect that had gone unnoticed until Borghi uncovered it. And while “Morning Rendered” focuses its attention on a soft, azure pulsing tone that repeats hypnotically against a thick backdrop of deep spacious chords, “Friday” lets the tones fade into oblivion, leaving a pure, unadulterated floating space that has the aroma of
a Steve Roach piece, but a flavor that is distinctively Borghi.
The first run of Images is a charmingly packaged handmade numbered limited edition, with a standard edition to follow once the supply is gone – either of these will suffice as we wait for another brilliant solo project from this accomplished artist.
Images is out now on SloBor Media.
