I absolutely adore this album, the provenance of which is relatively unknown to me. Bandcamp says:
“Montreal-based electronic musician Moon Apple offers to you a series of sound ceremonies, inspired by the Four Pillars of Destiny.
Come join our sonic séances, where astrological animals are summoned to explore the paradox of fatalism vs. agency:
~ How dare these arbitrary arbiters of fate cement the human condition? ~
In parallel with creative circuitry, ancient instruments were recorded, resampled, refracted and reimagined to produce raw, ritualistic rhythms and tribal soundscapes for a modern era - all in an effort to partly lash out and partly let go.”
I am marginally less florid than the above, so I will just say that this album’s combination of dreamlike layering and intense rhythmicality strikes me as both singular and intoxicating, ritualistic and mysterious and arcane. Reference points that occur to me: the second Bel Canto album, the first Glasser album, Julia Holter at her prettiest and most expansive.
But I think most telling is the list of instruments played in the album credits:
“Acoustic Instruments: ajaeng, cajon, dizi, drums, erhu, felt piano, haegeum, hulusi, janggu, kendang, moktak, tatuk, reyong, saron, violin, viola, wind gong, yangqin
Electronic Instruments: Akai Force, Arturia Polybrute, Elektron Octatrack MK II, Moog Matriarch, Moog Minitaur, Roland SPD SX, Allen & Heath Xone 96, Yamaha Motif XS8
Field Samples: Cicadas in Hongdae (2), Water at Fushimi Inari Shrine (2), Children in Ubud (3), Shattering of glass in Montreal (4), Pansori in Seoul (6)”
― Tim F, Tuesday, 18 March 2025 10:06 (three months ago)
one month passes...