The quiet modern-classical ambient oeuvre of Harold Budd has many admirers, but rarely inspires cover albums. However, don’t let the format discourage you, this album contains a sprinkling of pre-eminent names in the contemporary ambient scene: Mokira, Taylor Deupree, Deaf Center, Christopher Willits, Biosphere, Porn Sword Tobacco and Bvdub. The resulting efforts bear little resemblance to carefully constructed replicas, but rather, stretch the source material into the areas of specific artists’ concerns. The album also extends the label of Marsen Jules, – Oktaf – beyond a vehicle for his own releases into a wider schedule of his musical interests. Budd himself has been critical of the term “ambient”, although perhaps not the inclination towards a calm practiced beauty. His releases have flowed consistently since the early 1970s, and there have been numerous releases in 2011, as well as some slated for early this year.
Lost in the Humming Air starts with Deaf Center’s ‘Plateaux’ taking its references from the classic 1980 collaboration with Brian Eno, ‘The Plateaux of the Mirror’. Martin Fuhs weighs in with ‘untitled eleven’ elevating into sharp drones with textured harmonic variance. Biosphere provides a deft pondering melancholy to ‘Det Var Kulmørkt Hjem’ maintaining the samples of piano throwing them off into the distance with an underpinning bass and rumble at times. Xela’s take on ‘The Only Rose’ makes a more concerted difference to the original, playing melodic phrasing off against a delicate static sonic hum. There’s also various effects rattling around decorously as the track develops, and enhancements are made pulling together a sound art cascade. Mokira’s ‘Harold Dubb’ strays far from the referential aspects of the compilation, creating basically a contemporary dub-techno, slow decayed version of late basic channel style aesthetics, with the hint of squealing guitar and drum. Christopher Willits’ ‘Olancha Hello’ displays a remarkable control over extracting tonal forms and variations, clarifying a movement whilst keeping discrete wavering patterns in the bright tones as if adding a sense of shimmer to the scape. Taylor Deupree adds ‘Sleepover’ and glockenspiel-like ponderings. Rafael Anton Irisarri’s ‘Gloaming’, with distinct field recordings, scratching ponderous utterings surrounding the piano and resonant touches of the Budd original adds a dank, earthly feel. The album closes with Brock van Wey and his mother Criss Van Wey on ‘My Father, My Friend’. It’s a dense symphonic wall of sharp chords, vocal samples and a harpsichord meandering, before breaking into quiet moments and going through some movements of deeply effected walls of treated vocals, moving towards a quieter, more minimal ending.
It is quite a collection, even if it were not a tribute to the prolific Harold Budd. The practitioners are well selected representatives at the height of their creativity. This is well worth a listen, and a fitting tribute to Budd.
Innerversitysound
