Knit Prism - Pace (ST17)

Jane Doe gets her kicks from Knit Prism. peace and love to my friends at Humboldt Relief :)

Pace, from Knit Prism, is the result of a marriage made in experimental music heaven. The artwork - attributed to Scissor Tail Records head honcho, Dylan Aycock (Talk West) - immediately brings to mind something from the vaults of Worn Habit. While the art of Talk West and Knit Prism manifests differently, the place from which it blossoms is similar. At the cross section, both create music that embraces and magnifies the moment - opaque, hazy recordings with a gentle aura that illuminates the soul. More so, each artist is adept at using space in their recordings - The Hired Hand reissue on Scissor Tail is another touchstone. For those not familiar, Knit Prism is the long running project of Michael Pouw, thee man at Worn Habit and House of Sun. Pace was recorded at the same time as the Avant Archive release, Growing.

Over two sides of tape, dusty processed ambient sounds loop, modulate, pulsate, and contort to the point of establishing a radiant haven for the listener. It is very easy to lose oneself in this music. Lumbering, resonant tones touch down on fields of hazy ambient noise, its energy diffuses over the denizens. An amalgamation of airy tones swirl torpidly in the distance. Tendrils of gentle sound grasp the listener, spiraling around its body. Electronic droplets permeate eerie passages. Through a welter of clouds, one can hear faint whistles, tones with soft edges and conspicuous crackle and hiss. Splintered sounds wrestle next to metallic noise, progressively becoming more intense. Meanwhile the latter part of the flipside contains some of the most menacing noise heard yet from this project. It certainly is a departure from the languid, dreamy state established heretofore. As the flip commences gentle currents, drone and tranquil guitar wrap one in a gauzy filament. Bleary sounds rise and fall with the breath. Concomitantly halcyon vibes and drone abut the trembling soul. Listening to these sounds is the best i've felt the entire day. Later on side B, one can barely perceive anything, save for the benevolent ambient sound that lifts one from their malaise. Even when the listener senses the sound as being distant, Knit Prism could never be more proximate. Toward the end, ominous noise temporarily dislocates the listener until they float back to earth in the slipstream. Admirers of Hototogisu; the Evans' Courtly Illusion Limited and Coyote-related projects; and Josh Mason should not spare a minute in procuring a copy directly.  

Pace has that top shelf vibe which makes Jane's trichomes sparkle like splintered sunlight. Released in a limited edition of 25 cassettes with a letterhead insert, only a few remain. Pace may be purchased directly from Scissor Tail. 

peace and love, friends :)