Kyle Landstra - The Illusion of Becoming (Field Studies 15)

Hubba Bubba!!  Peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Upon hearing that Kyle Landstra would release a tape on Field Studies, I was filled with joy. For me, its an apt coupling of artist and label. The tapes on field studies comprise some of the best experimental music being released: Floating Gardens, Lunar Miasma, Bil Vermette, Panabrite, Alan Gesso, Brett Naucke. With 19 high quality releases in the discography, Field Studies does not disappoint with its latest batch. Kyle released one of my favorite tapes of the year, Sage, on Cosmic Winnetou. In The Illusion of Becoming, the listener is treated to over thirty minutes of improvised and meditative hymns. Kyle follows Sage with a fine exhibition of ambient and new age synthesizer music. Prodigious and reflective synthesizer drones are prominent, and especially on the flipside, The Illusion of Becoming modulates mysteriously.  The sounds in the track to which I refer, ' Stream Entrant', are played on repeat in the house.

It really is a special feeling to surf this sonic wave, as the light gently walks one into day. Above the clouds, where the sky is blue and omnipresent, you will hear this paean. Powerful enough to part the clouds, it's a gift from one soul to another. The scenery is majestic. Nascent objects exude particles of tranquility that culminate to form rapturous waves of benevolent light - streams of sound that extend to the end of the breath. Copious sounds merge, and a buoyant moment is realized. Near the end, whirling echos beam us to the flipside. The second track on the flip, 'Stream Entrant' is true head music. Enthralling drones commence the flipside, leading to the aforementioned. Voluminous, pendulum-like tones swell from the speakers in a torpid manner, abutting an acute drone. The passing seconds are almost tangible. As another layer slightly modulates, a pastoral passage of synthesizer joins the mix. Though barely perceptible, one senses a change.  From the periphery, the energy surges clandestinely prior to manifesting as a resonant wall of sound. Later, a solemn drone is occasionally interspersed with droplets of serenity - a lovely juxtaposition.  

Produced in an edition of 60 and pro-dubbed, The Illusion of Becoming is already sold out at Kyle's Bandcamp page. For those interested in obtaining a copy, send Field Studies an e-mail before it is OOP.

peace and love, friends :)