Australian born Ross Healy presents his second release under his Cray outfit. An active member of the Melbourne scene, Healy has been involved in releases with Eden, Amnesia, 56k and This Digital Ocean, before offering his first record as Cray, Comment, on Irish label Fallt. Undo is his first album.
Influenced by the likes of Pierre Henry and Tod Dockstader, Healy also takes much of his inspiration from more contemporary digital technology, obliterating in most part of his compositions any relationship with melody, to concentrate on developing complex sounds and drones and positioning them into the soundscapes. Working from field recordings, recorded with a mini disc and microphone, these samples are then redesigned on his PC, and arranged in random fashion. The notion of mistake doesn’t exist in Healy’s world. The man considers that, if an accident happens, it was meant to be. As he puts it himself, “there is no right and wrong in sound”. This is the driving force behind the Cray project. It is a way for Healy to bring a natural factor in an otherwise terribly dry and mechanical environment.
Undo is not a contemplative record as such, but has a lot of connection with the work released on labels such as Mille Plateaux. The ambiences created here are complex and intriguing. The captivating structures provide an abstract backdrop for imaginary films, as irregular blocks of noises and intricate drones slide in and out of the soundscape. There is no beat patterns or obvious sounds to hang on to. The forensic approach to sound adopted by Healy is in turn fascinating or disturbing. To the neophyte ear, Undo might sound just like a series of noises, with no structure. Healy however offers here a truly brilliant record, and, despite the hermetic musical settlements on which he evolves, creates a much evocative soundtrack.
Although based mostly on found sounds, Healy’s compositions have very little to do with the outside world. If crowd noises can briefly be picked up on Rahos, or sound of water running on Mar562001, it is always through distorted treatment, making them almost unrecognizable. Everything here is detached from reality. Healy not only alleviates notions of melody and recurring patterns, but also seems to erase concept of time from his environment.
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