Unfinished Studies feels like a process driven opportunity to set up various sonic experiments. Yet that that’s not really being fair to Melbourne composer Robert McDougall, as it suggests an absence of authorship, which is not really true either. There’ definitely a commonality in tone on his first album, with most of the piece feeling relatively subdued, particularly early. There’ also a relative sparseness of ingredients and a late introduction of more musical elements alongside the more textural experimental sound art material.
The opening piece for example, the 11 minute plus Platter Study slowly unravels. It’s a tune that is lacking fingerprints, evolving with its own trajectory in mind, the zen like sounding of bells and repetitious multi faceted organic yet electronic textural ingredients. Whilst certain elements are highlighted over the course of the piece, everything comes and goes slowly which offers up a certain almost spiritual peacefulness, like the ingredients themselves, rather than an external composer are in control. In this sense it feels like chance based composition, composition by way of setting up a series of audio experiments with the tools at hand, given the title possibly on a prepared turtable.
Untitled #4 begins with field recordings and low mixed searching whistles, the odd strum of guitar and some kind of awkward noisy movement, perhaps mechanical in nature. It feels somehow distracted like we’re only half listening, the disparate elements playing out some kind of beautiful unfocussed junkyard symphony that we’re unable to totally focus on and only makes sense in a way we can’ yet grasp. What’s really interesting about this piece is midway everything dips away aside from the guitar and a looped harmonica drone, and it’s relaxing like taking a deep long breath. It’s possibly the most overtly musical gesture on the disc, as strumming fills up more and more space.
Unfinished Studies demonstrates an accomplished use of sound, whether its field recordings, electronics or more musical elements McDougall never calls attention to himself, never engaging in the cult of the composer. It’s all about the music. Angklung Study (after Anne Boyd) #3 in particular is some of the sparsest most restrained and beautiful experimental music you could ever hope to hear, based on a solo piano performance from Australian composer Anne Boyd, though extended by McDougall.
Ultimately despite its title Unfinished Studies feels complete, and is a really beguiling and experimental approach to ambient sounds. With four long pieces both the structures and the approach differ dramatically, though McDougall seems quite partial to a drone here and there, which serves to create a lazy feeling of stasis across the album.
With Unfinished Studies McDougall demonstrates that you don’ need bluster or difficult sounds to make really compelling experimental music, you don’ need your fingerprints all over it or structures that demonstrate how clever you are. You just need patience and a faith in the inherent beauty in your sounds. And it doesn’ hurt being on thick heavy 180gram vinyl either.
Bob Baker Fish
