
Now this is something rather novel and entirely delightful. Whitney Johnson gives us two long tracks (eighteen minutes apiece). Although mostly strings, these take in drone, folk-ish fiddling (with the occasional digression into folk rock — a guitar and a flute sneak in at the end), and sawing classical minimalism, and are supplemented by other forms of drone, electronic and (barely-audibly) vocal. These elements weave in and out of each other in the most natural-sounding way. Where there is a melody, it often seems half-forgotten in the background. I suppose could call out references to Eliane Radigue, Steve Reich, Richard Skelton, and The Caretaker, if references are your bag. But there is a peculiar alchemy which seems all her own. By turns gentle and enveloping, this is one of those records that contains new surprises each time I listen to it. It’s utterly charming and I love it.
I bought this from Boomkat. They call it Electronic.
One reply on “Matchess: Sonescent (digital, Drag City, February 2022)”
[…] Matchess’s Sonescent. This combines elements of folk, drone, classical minimalism, and hauntology, and what I called at the time “a peculiar alchemy which seems all her own”. The way the melodies float in and out of the miasma is utterly bewitching. […]
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