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Tracks: 1. Exedra The Fourth Way is a collection of rich electronic works that explore subtle variation in spectral counterpoint, silence, movement, and rhythm. Lush, pushing and precise linear hypnotic ambience ventures into territories where gripping data textures and air-tight moog tones push and pull with streaming fountains of electronic elegance. /////// Selection from The Fourth Way |
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Reviews: Mapsadaisical, Scott McMillan
The Fourth Way has been painstakingly constructed from Fender Rhodes and Moog, but these source materials have been ring-modulated and processed to the moon and back. Listening to the opening track “Exedra“, the most obvious reference point I can come up with is Alva Noto: think about the lush, rain-dappled textures of Xerrox Vol. 1, and then add to that the violent raw data stabs of his latest, Unitxt. A succession of cinematic backdrops are pinned up, admired briefly, then gleefully slashed and shredded until they are but jagged mis-shapes. After the relatively blissful build of “In Search Of A Miracul” comes another standout: “All Suns” starts off with some pure, ringing tones and burbling water, but these quickly mutate to become Machinefabriek-like drone and white noise, before it ends with some deep skull-tickling bass vibrations. With this excellent release, Cory Allen and Quiet Design have comfortably esconsced themseves in the cupboard I call “things I need to keep a close eye on”. From time to time I’ll put the strange old whistling man who lives across the road in there to keep them company. And my rabidly rightwing dentist, who I’m pretty sure is fomenting all of London’s hate crime. I’ve never trusted him. And I’m sure my fillings aren’t
What Cory Allen has in common with those artists is the fact that he is capable of creating very warm, emotional music using mostly digital means. The last track seems the most restful, but the ongoing high pitched tone makes sure you never get too comfortable. With it's seven tracks in 40 minutes this CD has a compact length, which makes you want to press 'replay'. And again. And again. I must admit that this isn't the most original album, but within it's genre it's a gem! Beautiful.
Allen sets out his stall right from the outset, with a series of static bursts, Exedra swamps the senses, then blisters and bursts into rangy tonalism that flickers around the central theme. A similar approach continues on Telepathic Solve, where an almost church-like quadra-tonal organ refrain pushes through the static, granular surfaces, lending the whole piece a surreal, slightly disconnected atmosphere, drifting like smoke from a raging furnace. This series of pieces instantly remind me of the techniques deployed by Alva Noto on his recent Xerrox release, where a harsh textural backdrop becomes the mainstay of each piece, with exquisitely rendered tonalism layered over the top, to create sonic edifices that are challenging, but still highly listenable. Allen experiments with pure granular digital surfaces in the two Chordata Analysis pieces, perhaps time stretching and reforming them into short form pieces that are sketch-like examinations that may evolve and merge elsewhere. As the CD continues, each piece gradually departs from the glitchier elements, and becomes pure experimental tonalism, occasionally perforated with organic or digital sequences to maintain interest. High point of the collection for me is All Suns – here, Allen utilises old style ambience, with expansive chord sequences, deliciously warm and glowing swells of pure sound, layered between a fabric of gristly digitalism, that barely impinges on the ear, yet becomes an essential component within the whole, a perfect reference point for the whole collection. Not having heard Allen’s solo work on various other small labels, this collection is a worthy entry point to his work. Add to this some nicely executed packaging, and production by Taylor Deupree, and this is a recipe for a very fine release that would be a worthy investment.
La plupart de ses travaux se situent dans un registre ambient dans lequel les expérimentations viennent subtilement prendre place, field recordings traités ou ici abondance de glitchs et explosions bruitistes. Tout l’intérêt de The Fourth Way réside d’ailleurs dans ce fragile équilibre entre douceur et âpreté. D’une part des composants purement ambient, nappes aux variations infinies, ondulations, oscillations, vibrations, jouant le chaud et le froid avec une base généralement grave sur laquelle diverses strates minérales viennent se superposer. Dans les moments les plus apaisés, Cory Allen semble arrêter le temps, nous laisser en apesanteur (Exedra, Telepathic Solve absolument envoûtant), ou alors créer une sorte de mouvement perpétuel, comme un pendule sur le bien nommé We Have lots of Time. Même si ces éléments ambient sont parfaitement maîtrisés, bien amenés et dosés, s’il n’y avait que cela la musique de Cory Allen serait un peu simplistes et certainement fade. C’est là qu’interviennent toutes les perturbations sonores, les habituels glitchs sous forme de grésillements et crépitements dont les variations de densité permettent de passer de la fine mise en relief à l’épaisse texture bruitiste. Exedra qui ouvre l’album est aussi le titre le plus dérangé, le plus soumis aux fractures et déchirements bruitistes. Par ailleurs ces élements créent surtout une impression de relief, de profondeur, en particulier quand les notes et nappes se font plus lumineuses (In Search of Miracul), voire éclatantes, étincelantes sur All Suns. Là encore c’est l’aspect minéral de l’album qui ressort, le verre, le cristal pour les nappes mélodiques, la roche brute, la rocaille pour les textures granuleuses. Pourtant très abstrait, l’album évoque parfois des éléments concrets, quand l’électronique semble imiter un feu d’artifice ou une rivière qui coule. Poésie digitale. Album absolument magnifique, qui s’écoute avec un plaisir certain, mais aussi incitation à la procrastination tellement l’envie est grande de tout abandonner, fermer les yeux et de se laisser porter. On pourra reprocher un manque de nouveauté, une impression de déjà entendu, mais bon... Pour finir, et pour les amateurs de références, le mastering a été réalisé par Taylor Deupree avec qui Cory Allen partage quelques affinités.
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