Initially conceived as an installation work to accompany Kathryn Thomas’
Darkspace project, sound artist Simon Whetham’s latest offering
Meditations on Light marks a step away from his previous work, towards
more musical treatments of found sounds. Spread over two CDs, first up
is Lightyears, a stereo mix of the original installation piece before
moving on to Reconstructions which provides several reworkings of the
source material.
Lightyears consists of two tracks, each taking on very differing forms. ‘Lightspace’ inhabits a peaceful space as gently shifting tones come and go, soft static hisses and glitches appear briefly before disappearing into the distance, and somewhere a fragment of piano melody lingers. Through almost imperceptible changes, Whetham creates a sprawling, drawn out soundscape that gently shifts from the almost inaudible to overwhelming tones. ‘Darkerspace’ immediately takes on a much more menacing tone as harsh glitches and aggressive static obscure the previous calm. Even a brief respite from the otherwise overpowering harsh noise is underpinned by a jittery electronic tone, never allowing the soundscape to settle. Highly fragmented in nature, ‘Darkerspace’ is a bold piece in what could otherwise be considered a purely ambient release.
Having invited a selection of artists to compose their own works using the same source material as Lightyears, sees Whetham and friends straying beyond the confines of the installation brief. From purely sound based works such as opening track ‘Early Sight’ to the warped orchestration of ‘De Biscanti’, these reworkings each put a new and very distinct perspective on the limited source material. The disjointed beauty of ‘Light Brutal’, its pure tones interrupted by occasional bleeps, clicks and fragments of violin, and the reflective sparseness of ‘Souvenir’, suddenly switching to propulsive beats before a calming finish show the true versatility of the artists involved.
Overall this is a fascinating and beautifully considered work showing what can be done with a limited sound palette when placed in the right hands.
Lightyears consists of two tracks, each taking on very differing forms. ‘Lightspace’ inhabits a peaceful space as gently shifting tones come and go, soft static hisses and glitches appear briefly before disappearing into the distance, and somewhere a fragment of piano melody lingers. Through almost imperceptible changes, Whetham creates a sprawling, drawn out soundscape that gently shifts from the almost inaudible to overwhelming tones. ‘Darkerspace’ immediately takes on a much more menacing tone as harsh glitches and aggressive static obscure the previous calm. Even a brief respite from the otherwise overpowering harsh noise is underpinned by a jittery electronic tone, never allowing the soundscape to settle. Highly fragmented in nature, ‘Darkerspace’ is a bold piece in what could otherwise be considered a purely ambient release.
Having invited a selection of artists to compose their own works using the same source material as Lightyears, sees Whetham and friends straying beyond the confines of the installation brief. From purely sound based works such as opening track ‘Early Sight’ to the warped orchestration of ‘De Biscanti’, these reworkings each put a new and very distinct perspective on the limited source material. The disjointed beauty of ‘Light Brutal’, its pure tones interrupted by occasional bleeps, clicks and fragments of violin, and the reflective sparseness of ‘Souvenir’, suddenly switching to propulsive beats before a calming finish show the true versatility of the artists involved.
Overall this is a fascinating and beautifully considered work showing what can be done with a limited sound palette when placed in the right hands.
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Must have. Please share!
ОтветитьУдалитьpt. 1 & pt. 2. Enjoy!
УдалитьThank you for the nice review!
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