Im Mittelpunkt steht, so heißt es treffend beim Label, die Spannung zwischen komponierten Strukturen, freier Improvisation und visuellen Konzepten. Riffbetonte Passagen mit hoher Energie treffen auf offene Formverläufe, getragen von Orgel, Saxophonen und Flöte, Kontrabass und Schlagzeug. Anklänge an spirituellen Free Jazz und weitere Einflüsse sind evident. Eine zentrale Rolle spielen grafische Partituren in Form von Linolschnitten, die zugleich visuelle Arbeiten und Ausgangspunkte für die Improvisation sind. Das Album erscheint als 2LP, CD und zum Download.

“The duo decamped to Iceland and traveled around the southwest region of the country, visiting many churches before settling on the warm, resonant acoustics of Skáholt Cathedral. In the end they decided to create music spontaneously, embracing the immediacy and unmediated rapport they’d developed over the years. The performances are meditative and pensive and the phenomenal church organ at Skáholt allows Downes to produce a kaleidoscopic range of colors and tones, manipulating an instrument often dubbed the original synthesiser to produce sounds clearly related to much of Railton’s work with spatialisation, uncommon tunings, and electronics. It’s often hard to believe that the only post-production on Subaerial comes on the final track, “Of Becoming and Dying”, where the music seems to evaporate into the ether. In fact, the seven pieces were culled from the three-hour session with only edits breaking up bigger chunks of improvisation. The music flirts with drone and free improv, but it remains gloriously slippery, eschewing any single practice in favor of a more holistic conception of sonic exploration.” (SN Variations)

@ SN Variations