Crowhurst and Gavin Bryars present "Incoherent American Narrative" (Dangerous Minds). Crowhurst (a.k.a. Jay Gambit) diverges from his usual densely textured rumbles to explore more ethereal planes with veteran Brit composer Gavin Bryars. Repurposing segments of Bryars' sounds, Crowhurst wafts us into a state of mind where transcendent peacefulness meets the cold beauty of an indifferent universe. We breathe the emptiness and, from a great distance, smile at our fears. High art.
Fatima al Qadiri, "Atlantics" original soundtrack (Milan). One of the privileges of this year's Palm Springs Film Festival was exposure to Cannes Grand Prix winner "Atlantics." Mati Diop's Senegalese story about love and the persistent power of the betrayed dead hit home with its spooky symbolism. And Fatima al Qadiri's music, interspersed with the sounds of beckoning sea depths, quietly reinforced the dark moods. Emphasizing both the modern underpinnings of the struggle and its African flavor, the primal clonks of the wooden balafon xylophone echoed against simple synthesizer melodies to complete a zombie apocalypse of the soul.
Abstruse, "Submerge: Ritual." Multi-instrumentalist Substant recommends headphones for full immersion in his death/rebirth suite, modeled after ancient Pan rites. Sounds bounce off sounds, often at slow tempos, within a general rock aesthetic but avoiding strong rhythms and reminiscent of nothing I've heard. A despairing low voice wonders, "Do you feel anti-dimension?," and after a disorienting Abstruse journey, that feels like a good question. Listen here.