Single Reviews: 17 November 2024: missing scenes, Charlotte Reinhardt, Phantom Fruit, Michael William Gilbert, V_on
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| Photo by szm 4 |
missing scenes - dream or memory?
ambient
"dream or memory?" is an enticing new single from ambient producer missing scenes, the moniker of Portland, Orgeon-based artist R. Hunter. Originally conceived for a live performance at Portland's Megalith venue, "dream or memory" not only features calming birdsong and heavenly atmospherics but also some restrained percussion from collaborator Steve Lyman. This cymbal-heavy percussive track gives extended space to Hunter's wandering ways, and the expansive nature of this piece inspires thoughtfulness in the listener, who can delight in the escapism offered by the artists. Philosophically charged, the piece examines the bifurcated mysteries of nature, memories, and dreams without alienating the audience. Instead, the gentle tones and alluring arrangement draw the audience in, settling them into a meditative state where the answers to life's questions seem irrelevant.
Charlotte Reinhardt - Sable
neoclassical
There's a haunting quality to "Sable", a recently released solo piano piece from Charlotte Reinhardt. This quality is achieved through pensive playing, with Reinhardt brooding over a lucid piano line with passionate feelings and intoxicating key changes. Spending time between France and Spain, Reinhardt has developed a unique voice, something especially challenging to do in the solo piano field. She uses this voice to muse on deep topics with her music, with "Sable" capturing "the fleeting beauty of the movement of sand grains, between calm and delicacy." This gifts the listener with an experience that, in just two and a half minutes, is as transformative as it is metaphorically relatable.
Phantom Fruit - Sér de Sér
instrumental
Fresnonian outfit Phantom Fruit inject some gnarly electric guitars into their otherwise pleasantly sedative lounge music on "Sér de Sér", an ascending and unassuming cut from their recently released EP Diamonded, Bloodied, Jesus. Phantom Fruit has been operating for 20 years, albeit under various monikers including Everything All the Time. Composed of guitarist J.A. Pelayo, drummer Freddy Ochoa, keyboardist Beto Ochoa, and bassist Gilbert Flores, they're described as "a mix of family and chosen family". There's unity in the dichotomous elements on display, like siblings playfully fighting or best friends arguing for kicks, a collaborative spirit despite the incongruous vibes of proceedings. The easy-listening nature of the backbone of this song belies the obvious thought put into its formation. According to the group, the song serves "as a sonic reflection of both ancestral pain and spiritual rebirth." While that description may not be overly implicit in this instrumental music, it's apparent when taking in the drastic shift in mood and the emphasised, not to mention effective, quiet/loud dynamic.
Michael William Gilbert - Dancing in the Lighthouse
electronic
Electronic musician and composer Michael William Gilbert has a storied past. After studying electrical engineering at MIT and electronic music at the Boston School of Electronic Music, Gilbert went on to release work that aimed at "humanizing electronic music" including 1978's Moving Pictures. It seems Gilbert hasn't slowed down. His recent release, "Dancing in the Lighthouse", is a whimsical and otherworldly piece. As the title suggests, it seems to dance across the stereo field with binaural finesse, delivering various moments of joy or intrigue. Though this is undeniably the type of fare that could've soundtracked a late 80s fantasy-themed video game, it's also fit for genuine moments of musical escapism, its overarching plea to elation diffusing vivre.
V_on - Asgebe
experimental electronic
Joseph Warner and Markus Mehr are the two producers who make up the German experimental duo V_on. Their music is highly esoteric and exciting and pushes the boundaries of where art and music collide. Their recent single, "Asgebe", is a dark and ruminative piece that delivers a feeling akin to being lost in an abandoned factory—machinistic pulses of percussion clatter alongside anxious double bass lines. Warner is known in avant-garde circles for his double-bass work, and here Mehr mutilates his acoustic instrumentation, turning it into something frightfully unholy but highly impressionistic. Taken from the upcoming album Hole In The Sea, "Asgebe" is an auditory journey for those who appreciate a thrill.