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from Ampersand Etcetera 2001-16 (9.26.2001) written by Jeremy Keens
http://ampersandetc.virtualave.net/ampersand.html & jeremy@pretentious.net
eM - All the Stars Burning Bright [Fou.13] The Foundry/Hypnos
And so to eM - surprisingly Michael Bentley's only musical appearance in these four disks, somewhat different to his ubiquity on Foundry releases till now. And like each of his other eM releases, this one charts a new course, away from glitchy laptops and into the stars. Constructed from field and astrophysical recordings amongst others, the album drifts through the distant stars in a strange amalgam of the vacuum and a fluid stratum. 'A dream of summer stars' is the entry point to the journey, and it shifts through various stages almost as an overture (though they are not all reflected in the whole): a blippy searching uncertainty opens the piece as we find our feet through the rising tones; fade then rumble, wind and a wistful tone melody, settling into the melody featuring a range of textured tones; rumbling, high tones, crackling interference; buzzing and woodwind blowing, dense into a shimmering end. The scene is set for tonal drifts, radiobleeps and melody.
'Parsecs' mixes a buzzing whisper and echoey pulse with radiotelescope bleebles which alternate with deep rumblings (throughout the depths of space make their presence felt), occasional little thunders and solar winds, and then the pulsing grumble returns. 'Starswarm' is almost organic as a breathing tone is surrounded by crickets and frogs, over the surface echoed fragments of a delicate melody flutter and light tones pass through. Are we really in space? Then 'Suspensions' which is like a subaquatic soundscape of lightly pulsing drones, submerged distant melodies into which short sqrly shimmers erupt, and an animallike chattering grows through the second half. Taken up and reflected in 'Burning bright' where deep mournful tones weave in and out with high layers of percussive pulsing and high animalcries, the tones forming dark clouds with tuvan-ish voices hiding in.
Blowing woodwind tones again in 'Between' with a space wind blowing behind, plied over by tones which at times sound very guitarish, at others voiced, creating a long slow wistful mood. The drift into outer space is strong in 'Others' as high tones with sporadic banging, chitters, long waves drifting in towards a melodic deepspace message, becoming more strident into a wooshing conclusion. And the perfect end that is 'Beyond the shoals of stars' where low minimal drones are layed against each other, higher tones ply over some pulse, some wahwahs and chitters, softly out.
Balanced between the abstract and the natural, this album charts an unusual course to the sky: neither space rock nor tonal drift, it sits calmly and confidently between the Seofon and Mollusk releases which accompany it. Warm tones dancing with SETI messages, it offers an excellent soundtrack to many moods. And continues eMıs exploration of sound creation from the internal constructs of the laptop, through the moods of motors, and into space: many and varied origins, but always creating fascinating conclusions. Again, from all music lovers, thanks to Hypnos for helping to keep The Foundry and its founder going.
[see also Jeremy's comments on our first releases here, on our chapbooks here, on Seofon's Zero Point here, on Dean Santomieri's The Boy Beneath the Sea here, on Mollusk's Accretions here]