Yagya’s previous album Will I Dream During the Process? was possessed of a strong theme, a palpable and inescapable tranquility – in short, a world all of its own. What had originally seemed almost close to suffocating later became intoxicating and incredibly addictive. The news that a new work from Yagya was due was a revelation. Would Yagya move away from these newfound, humid and heady atmospheres – so different to those on his Rhythm of Snow album – to explore yet another avenue of ambiance and Basic-Channel fueled paradise?
Since the release of Will I Dream During the Process? back in 2006, other artists have somewhat upped the ante when it comes to the dub-techno genre. You would be hard pressed, for example, to find finer examples than “Tswana Dub” or “Intrusion Dub” in its many forms. But nothing is getting past Yagya. The dub-techno genre has been deeply absorbed into the pores of this new music; because on Rigning we are treated to works of greater depth than ever before, and with a much more pronounced dub vibe. Yagya’s music may not share the delicately flawed analogue sounds of Intrusion or Deepchord, but instead incorporates a more atmospheric, environmental and field-recording driven sound that becomes just as, if not more moody and emotional.
“Rigning,” in case the gorgeous case and inlay artwork doesn’t stress the point enough, is Icelandic for “rain,” and this album is an ode to rain in all its forms. Taking this as its theme, its excellent to see that Yagya’s sense of timing and appreciation of the flow of an album has been further heightened on Rigning. Most of the tracks here follow the same basic blueprint: the sounds of rain fall are joined by Yagya’s trademark, teasingly slow fade-in and fade back out of the music itself. So how has Aoalsteinn Guomundsson managed to keep the album so thoroughly engaging, in spite of this similarity of structure and theme that templates every track on Rigning? The answer is simple: a gift for melody, texture, atmosphere and shifting mood.
The uneasy, shuffling dub rhythms and cadences of “Rigning Einn” that propel warbled pads through soft rainfall are quite different to the more determined, groove-driven “Rigning Tvo.” The hazy exhalations and soft, pulsing tones that ripple serenely from the core of “Rigning Fimm” are quite unlike the undulating and animated bass lines and sandy percussion that follow an almost booming introduction in “Rigning Sex.” “Rigning brju” perhaps shares more with Yagya’s previous work than this, those dreamlike and almost mythological textures and waves returning amidst a much softer, finer downfall.
“Rigning Sjo” is a thrillingly epic and unashamedly Vangelis moment. The opening passages of the piece are pure Blade Runner, swooping high-pitched synths that dive out of a much more turbulent and ravaged sky, escaping unexpected crashes and deep rumbles of thunder that frequently cleave the haunting, funnel-blown horns, soft bass pulses and spatial drones. This is an atmospheric tour-de-force and reason alone for owning this work.
“Rigning Niu” carries with it a great deal more forward momentum than the other languid, drifting pieces on Rigning. Like a train tracking through a storm, while the chatter and cries of crowds of people can be heard amidst the dub echoes and driving bass. If the melody of album closing “Rigning Tiu” weren’t so shrouded in roil and spray it might verge on the sentimental, but it is nevertheless a beautiful piece with which to herald the finale of Rigning. We depart to the sound of fallen rain sluicing through streets, cascading down rocks or racing down streams, back out to sea.
Rigning is an irresistible ebb and flow; a cascade and inundation; a spray and surge. It is seductive and unquenchable; hypnotic and intoxicating; a pure force of nature. Step into the rain.
Rigning is out now on Sending Orbs.
