Grant Evans - Dragging Alabaster (House of Sun)

when one dips a toe into the water, they quickly become immersed in raging sea of alluring noise and weathered, delicate tones.  peace and love to my friends at Canni Corner :)

As daybreak approaches, the nascent energy of the day slowly becoming, it multiplies like plumes of haze which engross those within reach.  This is the ultimate cup of coffee, a 40 minute meditation with two beautiful minimal passages of ambient sound and noise from Grant Evans.  Dragging Alabaster, on House of Sun, is comprised of fragments of guitar, field recordings and reel to reel tape loops.  The most apt description of Grant's recent work of late is that which accompanies the tape, on the House of Sun website, "Grant lays down some of the most gripping noise over melody being produced right now."  Sounds are birthed, subtly change, then disappear in the haze - only to reappear later.  There is an element of the beginning that appears in the denouement, which I find lovely.

Dragging Alabaster commences with a whirling loop of potent energy, over which delicate guitar swims contemplatively, engulfed by the haze - a wonderful juxtaposition.  The noise manifests in different ways, and then one can hear faint signs of the beginning, like a smudged memory obscured by time.  A shrouded, warped loop radiates serenity at the end.  The blissful haze that engulf one on side A is succeeded by distorted, sinuous tape loops on the flip.  As elements are slowly introduced, a foreboding tone periodically appears like a blinking light on a dark, windy evening.  This is one of my favorite parts of the tape.  Soon, it goes nearly silent, when serene tones dance gingerly in the chugging noise.  As the noise accelerates in intensity, the initial tape loops reappear.
 
With each listen, something new is revealed.  I guess that is not unique when listening to Grant's alluring passages of sound.  He creates works of great depth.  Dragging Alabaster comes with the highest recommendation.  While it is sold out at the source, Tomentosa will likely be the last place to find a copy.  However, that should not keep one from purchasing the digital download.

peace and love, friends :)