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Though it’s not the denotative meaning of the word, for me, “gloaming” connotes ambiguity, a tension between the waning day and encroaching night, a feeling that is beautiful yet tinged with some regret or trepidation—there’s more complexity and mystery to it than a simple synonym to “twilight”. And that beautiful tension is the feeling I’ve tried to create here, as well as a concept that informed the methodology behind the mix (more on that later). ‘Gloaming’ is the second mix I made seeking to create quasi-binaural “field recordings,” to create an immersive journey through an almost physical space constituted of (mostly) musical sound. (For convenience, I’m calling such mixes the “Sensory Replication Series,” an idea explored in somewhat greater detail here). You probably already know most of the artists featured in this mix—Tangerine Dream, Tony Conrad, Mozart, Xenakis, Keith Jarrett, Reich, Cage, Bjork, Eno, Low, 23 Skidoo, Holger Czukay, Vivaldi, Cluster—but I hope that the combinations, contextualisation and sum total make something you haven’t quite heard before. (I’d also like to make special mention of the track “Heathering Blues” by “unknown” Matt Anders, definitely the most emotionally satisfying thing I’ve ever known to originate with Fruity Loops)
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This is my favorite short mix I’ve made so far, and despite its brevity (less than twenty-eight minutes) it feels like a full journey. It’s more or less the opposite of the spastic flailing of the ‘Miniatures : Post-Punk’ mixes, in that each section leads very much to the next, and there is a careful and unhurried sense of direction at all times. But like those mixes, it’s a good way to get a lot of listening done in a short amount of time—though this is “headphone listening” to be sure, not so suited for cruising down the highway or running errands. While I’ll tag it “avant-garde,” if you were to try any mix such tagged as a way in, it would be this one. A little more rambling, the tracklist, and full download after the “more…” link. If you do find you like this one, then check out the first posted ‘Sensory Replication’ mix posted here.
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Whereas more recent mixes I’ve attempted in this vein have involved sometimes upward of five simultaneous tracks coalescing around a central track of emphasis, beat-oriented tracks combined with ambient tones and sound effects, remixes, dub versions, etc.—this mix was an intentionally simpler affair. The emphasis is on tone, melody, texture, and rhythm is subtle. Most of the sections of the mix are comprised of duets or trios, often with each element equally featured on the sound stage, as in the case of Bjork’s instrumental “Ambergris March” and Vivaldi’s “Double Concerto, Largo G Minor,” which pull together and spin apart. At other times, languid, liquid melodicism is countered with abrasion—for example, the sweet simplicity of an organ-based rendition of Bach’s “Air” with the percussive rancor of an Einsturzende Neubauten track far off to the right, its low, steady heartbeat-like bass elements adding a bit of menace. On the whole, the sound tends toward the beautiful—this is not difficult listening. But as with a sunset viewed alone, far from anyone else, even as one admires the brilliant color and light, one knows there is darkness not far off.
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Various – ‘Gloaming’ (1731-2005)
Sensory Replication Series #2[00:00 – 03:50]
01 Tangerine Dream – “Sequent C” (1974)
02 Tony Conrad & Faust – “The Pyre of Angus Was in Kathmandu” (1971)[03:30 – 05:35]
03 Wolfgang Mozart – “Adagio for Glass Harmonica” (1791)
04 Artist Unkown – Arabic Chants {modified} (Unknown)
[05:20 – 07:40]
05 Chicago Underground Trio – “O Sino” (1999)
06 Matt Anders – “Heathering Blues” (2004)[07:30 – 10:20]
07 Iannis Xenakis – “Akrata” (1965)
08 Keith Jarrett – “I’m Through With Love” {modified} (1999)[10:15 – 14:20]
09 Penguin Cafe Orchestra – “Harmonic Necklace” {modified} (1981)
10 Cluster – “Fur Die Katz” (1971)
11 Steve Reich – “Nagoya Marimbas” (1994)[14:00 – 15:00]
12 Alan R. Splet – “Space Travel with Changing Choral Textures” (1983)
13 Sylvie Courvoisier – “Tourine” (2003)[14:55 – 18:20]
14 John Cage – “Prepared Piano Concerto, Part III” (1951)
15 Bjork – “Ambergris March” (2005)
16 Antonio Vivaldi – “Double Concerto, Largo G Minor” (1780s)[18:10 – 19:30]
17 Brian Eno – “Lizard Point” (1982)
18 Low – “Untitled No. 2” (2001)[18:55 – 22:20]
19 Matthew Herbert – “About This Time Each Day” (2001)
20 Holger Czukay – “Boat-Woman Song” (1969)[22:15 – 27:34]
21 23 Skidoo – “Shrine” (1982)
22 Einsturzende Neubauten – “U-Haft Muzak” (1983)
23 Johann Sebastian Bach – “Air (For Organ), BWV 1068” (1731)[Total Time = 27:34]
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Minor note: this mix was made in 2006, and I’ve long since lost the original multitrack files and hence the precise durations for each track in the mix, so start and end times are rough estimates.
