Minimalism. I’m not sure how you could really encapture such a word into a descriptive statement. It’s best heard. Should any examples be necessary, you couldn’t look for too much further than this release an an exhibition of expertly composed minimal sound. Here, Rale creates a perfect blend of stasis and drone mixed with momentum and tension: a perfect combination combined with excellent compositional skill.
Beginning with slow building swells of synth tones, minimalism is certainly the topic of the day here. Each instance moves like an unbreaking wave in slow motion, each time it emerges from the silence a few more layers are added. Around the third time this occurs we’re left with what sounds to be a motorised bell of some sort, whirring away on it’s own, carving out its own isolation. Gently, the cloud of tones return, gathering momentum, swirling and spinning, before again retreating. Again we’re left with residual tones and drones, sounding like an air conditioner underwater. This repeats, over and over, for the duration of the side. Each time it’s a little different, more layers are added, few are removed. This carefully considered approach to minimalist composition really makes this easy to enjoy, as it almost turns to a meditative experience. A gently surreal sensation takes over, and you almost become one with the sound.
This is essentially one piece split over two sides, and I eagerly flipped the record, not wanting to lose the mood Rale has so carefully created here. Pops and clicks sprinkle lulls in tone like gentle interference. Slowly the wave builds again, you can feel it coming from miles away. The anticipation builds with it as well: will it crash over this time? Will it truly hit its crescendo? Surely it must? Finally, after restraining for a majority of the side, the peak comes quickly, from nowhere, before completely retreating to silence, taking all it’s pops and clicks with it. And just when you think it’s over, it rises again, higher than ever, and holds, bathing the listener in a sheer ocean of sound, a glorious crescendo, before fading to black.
Well crafted minimalism like this is truly a beauty to behold. Fans of Jim O’Rourke, BeeMask, Keith Fullerton-Whitman et al. will be well at home here. Rale’s masterful approach to sound and composition is truly a joy to listen to. Limited to 300 copies enclosed in fluorescent blue jackets with silver foil-stamped artwork, it’s well advised that you hunt this down quickly. Great stuff.
Nick Giles
