Glissandro 70, Alaskan Tapes & Blu Miles, Khôra & Mas Aya, and Buildings and Food
Glissandro 70 - G70 2: Bones Of Dundasa
Twenty years removed from Craig Dunsmuir and Sandro Perri’s one and only album as Glissandro 70, the two prolific musicians once again deliver a masterclass in experimentation and genre-fluid composition. The story behind G70 2: Bones Of Dundasa is one of lost and found recordings on forgotten hard drives and how time can change one’s perspective on creative endeavours. The album delivers imaginative soundscapes that come and go like fleeting thoughts as the track lengths are shorter than expected. An easy-breezy Arthur Russell cover kicks things off before the focus shifts into wilder territory. Intriguing electronic tapestries meet jazz tangents as Dunsmuir and Perri (with the help of some stellar players) deliver a sonic journey unlike any other.
Alaskan Tapes & Blu Miles - Blank Slate, Open Space
Toronto ambient artist Alaskan Tapes teamed up with Blu Miles to craft a soft and soothing record that has felt appropriate for my lack of summer. As I sit inside, rained out from work while Edmonton breaks rainfall records, Blank Slate, Open Space has been a friend. Piano and saxophone gently work together as if living in symbiosis and as you get lost in this intimate excursion from reality, you'll feel as though one couldn’t exist without the other. As rain pelts my window and adds to the mix, I’m washed away in meditative, minimalistic beauty.
Khôra & Mas Aya - Primordial Mind
Continuing with this week’s theme of contemplative works that I’ve been playing during Edmonton’s wettest summer ever, we have a collaborative release from Khôra & Mas Aya. Primordial Mind sees the duo interlacing a multitude of instruments of which I’m unfamiliar to create trance-inducing, ritualistic vibes. Largely percussive, the albums bounces and chimes with tones and sounds that ignite my neurons into a frenzied kaleidoscope of synapses. Synths and samples craft a backdrop of rich textures to further highlight the range of percussion instruments. Take some time to get lost in this album, your Primordial Mind will thank you.
Buildings and Food - Yutori
Kankyō Ongaku is a Japanese term for environmental music, as in, music designed to augment the environment in which it exists. The newest release from Jen K. Wilson’s project, Buildings and Food, was made in this spirit. Inspired by her Japanese Canadian ancestry, Yutori consists of eight reflective pieces made with synths, a sequencer and various field recordings. The songs are titled after the time, place, thing, or activity they capture. It’s a lovely electronic ambient record that is designed to force the listener to savour the world around them.
