Corollary to Inner Ocean’s re-release of Porya Hatami’s Land (originally only 250 copies on Somehow Recordings) comes an addendum of remixes.
A genuine sense not only of season or climate but place permeates Land. For me, Land takes a sanguine view of the “cold” time of year. After a long, hot, working summer, Land is a gentle evocation of the fallow times, the seasons when the earth pulls its blanket up to its nose and settles in for a rest. Toy glitches, mellow vibraphonics and frothy synths color the music like the frost colors the leaves. Waves of pleasure come from the soil itself, not having to serve as mankind´s breadbasket for a few months. An artist renders line and shading according to observation, memory and imagination. Hatami renders it archeological and mystical, slightly veiled, heard through the sonic equivalent of a Turneresque brume.
On Land Remixes, the strong cast of contributors have largely chosen to use Hatami’s original as a kind of base primer on which to render their own memory and imagination. They have chosen five of the eight album tracks, beginning with Waves on Canvas’ little pop watercolour “Autumn” and followed by Ruhe’s blue and choppy “Sea.” The New Honey Shades´s ten-minute version of the same track is far more inclement, almost a martime memorial for those who have been lost at sea. A beautiful and solemn piece. Maps and Diagrams puts the shudder into “Winter” and as masterer of the original album, OfftheSky certainly earned the privilege to produce the longest track, and it is a widescreen epic of a cold night on the High Sierra with crystals shining in the air. Speaking of which, Pleq’s and Sima Kim’s “Snow” each hew close to the original “featurelessness,” while adding an extra chill of outdoorness. Darren Harper’s “Snow” catches the most minute twinkle off each dendrite of the falling powder. Land Remixes plays like a compendium of commentary on the perfect clarity of ambiguity.
Land & Land Remixes is available on Inner Ocean.
