The gaseous shimmers and low grumbling drones of this
second full-length endeavor from Glim are fine-spun,
yet intricately organized like the specks of light that
pepper the nights sky. While the previous outing from
this artist - who also participates in the astral post-rock
musings of Mimi Secue - consisted of open-ended electronically
generated and processed environments, these aural documents,
while retaining a certain predilection towards howling
sobs and clattering particles of sound dust, are also
concerned with melody and, to a somewhat lesser extent,
rhythm. One finds long, oozing drones and miniscule
rustles and chirps that make small, yet significant
shifts, ascend to zeniths and tumble back down to their
original positions, and all the while clouds of guitar
offer up minor key harmonics and slow-blooming, soapy
melodies. Takeoff is particularly lovely, as
a glowering drone floats over and under brittle, fluctuating
tones, deepening or thinning the beaming sound. Similarly,
a wide-open, nocturnal, profoundly poetic melancholy
seeps from the poignant waltz of chimes that flit through
the deep, sonorous pulse of Glaze Box while
the sub-bass hum, delicate skeins of feedback, and sullen
piano melody of Christoph’s Box is delightfully
gentle and affecting. There is not anything here that
grips the listener overtly, but during a night dappled
with a Werther-like feeling or two, it more than meets
you halfway.
Quietude is a similarly becalmed sonic vista
of placid sine-waves, nervous clicks and lithe atmospheric
details. Here, however, the ebb and flow of Takuma Itoi’s
sustained, pulsating textures are so regular that the
proceedings soothe more than stimulate. The five minute
Glow On is a clear standout - desolate echoes
and fluttering, caustic tones shift together, split
apart and bring about a certain electricity that ignites
a gust of winsome noise not unlike some of the work
by Tim Hecker. Still, although the calm, considerate,
and neatly organized manner of Quietude is
not without a certain allure, it also means that this
effort is a trifle unassuming.
Max Schaefer
Arial View Of Model 3.5/5 / Quietude 3/5 |
