Unrealistic Spaces is an album of electro-acoustic music with a blend of pastoral, science fiction, dreamlike, jazz, and ambient elements. What at first glance seemed to be an experimental, avant-garde approach is, in truth, a soothing tableau imbued with a zen spirit. This is the case with the first tracks of the album, “Welcome Home,” “Rainbow Bird Rendezvous,” “Soundcastle/Praeambulum.”
The clarinet is the most prominent acoustic instrument, and it often soars over a placid panorama, made up of delicate electronic colours, samples of nature sounds (rain, wind, distant thunder, birds) and studio matrixing through other digital lutherie techniques. Electronic wind instruments, whistles, drums, timpani, electric guitar, are added to draw intriguing yet captivating scenes, somewhere between Tron and the Group of Seven.
It grooves a bit more starting from “Thunderbreath,” which kicks in around halftime thanks to a rather free drum improvisation. Then, undulating cascades, post-minimalist, evoke a floral bloom, or something else like that, in “Eclosion,” while “Naked Communication” resembles a smoky jazz ballad, cushioned by discreet electro loops.
“Honda x Honda” moves forward on a mechanistic groove, while the last piece of the program, “Event Horizon,” brings back to the forefront the zen-like quality of the beginning, in a sound portrait that is frankly dreamlike and meditative, tinged with a subtle but undeniable unease, like Angelo Badalamenti in Twin Peaks (welcome to the Black Lodge?).
An album from which I expected nothing in particular, but which gave me very beautiful listening moments. Try it and experience it for yourself..
Sam Davidson: Clarinet, Whistles, Akai EWI 4000s, Electronics
Yujin Honda: Drums, Timpani
Will Howie: Electronics, Spatial Sound Design, Bass
