If integrating acoustic and electronic instrumentation
might nowadays seem as much a natural process in leftfield
electronica as any other, when Greg Davis published
his first album, Arbor,
over two years ago, he was a true precursor. Perhaps
unaware that he was ahead of his time, Davis had been
producing such music for a while, feeding on an extremely
colourful musical journey that took him from hip-hop
to free improvisation, jazz to experimental composition,
via classical and jazz guitar studies at the Depaul
University in Chicago and a master's degree in composition
from Boston's New England Conservatory of Music.
In 1997, Davis set up his own record label, Autumn Records,
to promote not only his work, but also that of friends,
by distributing music on CDRs. In 2001, the label released
its first proper CD album with the Autumnature
compilation, which featured the likes of Lexaunculpt,
Cex, Hrvatski
or Asterisk, another of Davis’s musical projects.
By that time, Davis had already released numerous 7"
singles on a variety of labels, while his tracks were
also regularly getting picked up for inclusion on compilations.
The next step was to release an album, and New York-based
Carpark Records published Arbor
in early 2002. Last year, Davis contributed to Dutch
label Staalplaat's Mort Aux Vaches series with
a live album.
With his second full-length record, Curling Pond
Woods, Greg Davis continues to integrate acoustic
elements and electronic instrumentation, yet he extends
his sonic realm by presenting a more varied collection
of sounds, incorporating more prominent field recordings,
a more diverse pallet of instruments and occasional
vocals into more structured songs. Curling Pond
Woods appears more pastoral and organic than its
predecessor, while equally revealing a more experimental
approach. The emotional canvas of Curling Pond Woods
is particularly strong, yet the mood remains firmly
into melancholic, rather than sombre, territories as
Davis layers slow-moving, yet rich, sonic elements together.
The symbiosis between electronics and acoustic elements
achieved on Arbor
is even more palpable here, with structures remaining
delicate and softly textured all the way through, while
melodies are kept simple and to the point, refined again
and again to finally deliver the superb title track,
a pure gem that almost sums up this album in the way
all its elements come together at the end.
As his original blend of music has become more common,
Greg Davis continues to unleash new musical grounds.
Curling Pond Woods doesn’t instantly
appear all that different from its predecessor, but
with subtle touches and alterations, Davis crafts one
again something totally unique and personal, only teasing
others to try and catch up with him. Surely, he is already
somewhere else…
4.7/5 |
