Canadian Mark Templeton’s Standing On A Hummingbird is a stunning debut for Ezekiel Honig’s new Anticpate label. Although reference points of Fennesz and fellow Canadians Tim Hecker and Mitchell Akiyama on Templeton’s sound are evident, Templeton’s tight digital editing and acoustic guitar processing is quite unique. Integrating field recordings into his processed sound adding texture and location to these works that oscillate between ambient solace and discomfort. The sound of mechanical gears on brooding and funereal ‘Roots Growing’ brings a tension and haste to the melodic drones, whilst on ‘Pattern For A Pillow’ processed feedback growls beneath guitar and cello. In amongst the digital clicks and processing haze on other tracks there is a distinctly human feel to much of the sound with the digital being humanised by other instrumentation and room recordings – the short snatch of accordion that emerges from the tail end of ‘Pigeon Hurt’ resolves the glitch it ripples through. Highly recommended.
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