Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Greg Davis - "Mutually Arising" CD


His first Kranky release in (gasp) almost 5 years? Davis has evolved much in his "absence". Indeed, "Mutually Arising" is a set of 2 extended tracks, both with similar trajectories, but altogether different endpoints. "Cosmic Mudra" is nearly 29 minutes of buzzing, carefully-layered drone. To an untrained, or impatient ear, this could be construed as single-note nonsense, but upon closer "deep listening", this drone is a combination of sounds that gently twist and envelop itself again, like an ouroboros circle. The drones become intense at around the 18 minute mark, and it's really quite an overwhelming experience. "Hall Of Pure Bliss" runs at 22 minutes, and it's a more spacious, lilting, almost ambient journey, It really doesn't get much more minimalist than this, thank you John Cage. But Davis' ear is on a spiritual angle here, as evidenced by his titles. Is this meditational music? You betcha. Imagine opium dens and alternate planes of consciousness, then imagine the soundtrack. This is that. (Kranky)

Greg Davisplace

Autumn Records (Greg's personal label site)

No comments: