A collection of instrumental works ranging from the delicately subtle to the emotionally raw, Let The Darkness At You gathers the musical thoughts and musings of Adelaide composer Jason Sweeney in solo form. Whilst Sweeney’s collaborations with groups such as Pretty Boy Crossover and Mist and Sea undoubtedly shine through, there is also a further exploration of shimmering drones, brooding atmospherics and melancholic instrumentation. The nineteen pieces on Let The Darkness At You are generally brief, with succinct ideas created within each track to create a masterfully cohesive whole. Although conceived for several different projects between 1998 and 2008 in locations including Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Wagga Wagga and Glasgow, Let The Darkness At You has been constructed and edited in a way that it comes across as a meticulously singular body of work.
June, July opens the collection with undulating swirls of synthesised sound, crafted through a combination of melancholic atmospherics and rising waves of electronica. It Rains Today (for Tanja Liedtke) showcases Sweeney’s careful use of piano melodies and ability to construct emotionally resonating works without falling victim to mawkishly sentimental melodies through a parallel minimalist use of divergent electronics. Bobby, Mark and Carter play Twenty and we sit silent is based on a bedding of gently flowing sine waves, it’s minimal digital processing bringing to mind Keith Fullerton Whitman’s Playthroughs opus. As a collection Let The Darkness At You succeeds due to it’s emotional connection, hinting at darker urges than previous works whilst proving a strong touch at modern composition and usage of electronic instrumentation.
Andrew Tuttle
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