Jon Porras – Light Divide (Thrill Jockey)
LP/CD/DL
24 March 2014
Barn
Owl member, Jon Porras releases his second album of polymorphic drone.
I
for one was once very critical of drone, I found it, and can understand why
other find it, boring. Now, the secret
to me to enjoying it is really quite simple – just listen. Completely immerse yourself in it, relax and
create yourself a little head space.
Using
both analogue and digital systems, Porras has created a wonderful album in
Light Divide. Simple enduring tones
which also employ distant sounds of rain, thunder, tides and echoes. Each track invites you in to experience and
enjoy. It’s easy to imagine post
apocalyptical landscapes, dust blowing across a baron wasteland, mists floating
and sinking around you.
Porras
offers something quite different to conventional drone. It isn’t, as many imagine just continuous
tones playing out for fifteen minutes and not really going anywhere. It’s much more than that. The journey that is contained in each track
is expansive, yet limited to five or six minutes apiece and each one of the
five tracks is different enough to be compelling and completely enjoyable.
The
subtle detail in each track is to be admired.
Opener Apeiron floats straight into view with far off crashes, almost
like you’re standing on the edge of a mountain pit hearing workers below the
surface hitting rock and ore and building some fantastical underground
city. Single tones glide in and out and
the track throbs like a subtle heartbeat.
The
sense of atmosphere is wonderful. New
Monument is simplicity in itself.
Walking through an underground tunnel at water occasionally drips around
you. Clicks and ticks as creatures
scurry and run away from your footsteps with the overhead sound of the outside
begging you to return.
It is said that Porras created Light Divide by firstly taking base foundations then adding ‘walls’ and ‘support beams’ as an architect would construct a building. It’s easy to imagine the metaphor and the result is successful.
It is said that Porras created Light Divide by firstly taking base foundations then adding ‘walls’ and ‘support beams’ as an architect would construct a building. It’s easy to imagine the metaphor and the result is successful.
Light
Divide is unique in its sound, colour and texture. A quite lovely piece of work.
8/10
Links
No comments:
Post a Comment