Country : Canada Label : Constellation Genres and styles : Electronic / Post-Minimalist Year : 2020

A Separation of Being

· by Steve Naud

The mastermind of the JOYFULTALK project, Jay Crocker, is definitely a do-it-yourselfer. He does plumbing, repairs cars, builds musical instruments, maintains his home in a village in southern Nova Scotia, and designs contemporary art installations. One of his most recent creations is the huge colourful mural on the cover of JOYFULTALK’s third album, A Separation of Being. This pictorial work measuring five feet by ten is actually the score of the music on the record.

Far from being coldly conceptual, the resulting three-part musical suite is as limpid as it is luminous. From the very first moments of the album, a motif played on what seems to be a marimba (unless it’s an instrument invented by Crocker) underlines the minimalist bias of the work. The influence of Steve Reich and Japanese ambient of the ’80s – Midori Takada and Hiroshi Yoshimura came to mind – is palpable. Crocker’s analogue synths then bring the composition into electro territory.

It’s when the strings come into play that things really take off. Played by the violinist Jesse Zubot, they act like an electric current flowing through the conduits of the circular maze created by the keyboards. It feels like they’re constantly spinning around, but the path they take is never quite the same. We advise those allergic to repetitive music to refrain. Others will have a lot of fun in these cleverly designed mazes.

Latest 360 Content

A party with post-punk Brooklynites TVOD

A party with post-punk Brooklynites TVOD

FIRE! Orchestra at FIMAV: Power Trio Meets Canadian Community of Avant-Garde Players

FIRE! Orchestra at FIMAV: Power Trio Meets Canadian Community of Avant-Garde Players

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

LMNL – Rainbow

LMNL – Rainbow

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Galan Trio – Embrace

Galan Trio – Embrace

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Subscribe to our newsletter