Montreal-based electronic composer Hecker is a veteran sound artist who dabbles in a variety of styles and installation/commission pieces, but his recordings under his own name are his primary focus, and thankfully so. 'An Imaginary Country' is a lovely and ambient set of sounds that pulse and shift like ethereal spirits engaging in colorful flights around the Earth's polar regions. This is ambient, but it's not audio wallpaper in the least. Hecker's immersive atmospheres are warm and human, with little slivers of melody evident. 'Sea Of Pulses' brings in some dubby bass undercurrents to accent the shimmering drones, grounding the piece nicely, and bringing a warmer side to the fore. Very effective. 'The Inner Shore' follows seamlessly, functioning as a kind of cooldown/chillout point to it's predecessor. 'Pond Life' ushers in some more dissonant, static noise elements, whereas 'Borderlands' could almost be seen as deep-sea classical music, featuring some digitally effected piano sounds - all blurry and funhouse-like. 'Currents Of Electrostasy' is more placid and even contemplative. Overall, 'An Imaginary Country' paints a timeless and captivating picture of nature as seen through a cracked digital eye. (Kranky)
Tim Hecker's website
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