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meditations on sound. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)
Floatsam, from Bridgetown's summer batch, is music that mesmerizes the head. Widesky is the musical project of musician and multimedia artist, Seth Chrisman. Disparate elements such as processed instruments, field recordings, found sound and radio static coalesce into enthralling drones; minimal passages of reverberating noise; and expansive, opaque passages of modulating warmth. Sometimes the music takes on a turbulent or blustery character as one is bandied about in the sonic breeze. At other times, it churns and ascends hazily as the sound perpetually shifts. Rooted in a sense of place, I find these compositions to be experiential. Closing one's eyes, the unremitting waves eviscerate the levy/filter in your head, showering one in radiant aural light.
As the cassette begins, the listener is submerged in undulating waves of various intensity and solemn drones that move tortuously. Of particular delight is the emphasis on exploring texture. The transition from 'Floatsam part 1' to part 2 is lovely. Nascent tranquility manifests prior to being consumed by a noisy vortex. In 'Jetsam', a deluge of hiss-covered drones refract as they contact the water to produce hazy and luminous vibrations. 'Coriolis' opens the flipside. Elegiac and introspective drones reverberate as we peer down at the rotating earth. This track provides a nice contrast to some of the more intense, yet just as beautiful, moments on side A. Moving more proximate to the water, the last track, 'Gyres', ensconces the listener in grainy noise and colossal, animated waves of great magnitude.
A lovely tape, and just the type of thing one expects from Bridgetown. A first edition of 50 cassettes sold out quickly. Fortunately for us, a second edition of 50 cream colored tapes has been released. Featuring full-color labels and double-sided printing on heavyweight gloss stock, Floatsam may be purchased directly from Bridgetown.
peace and love, friends :)