william basinski

Variations : A Movement In Chrome Primitive

Back in stock. Having sat through two full cd’s of some of the most sublime, drifting piano based variations I’ve ever heard im not quite sure how to go about putting the experience into words. Whilst 'archival' may bring to mind dusty stacks in library basements, there's a slew of old material being reissued by labels at the moment that might just serve to extinguish this semantic connection. Latest to enjoy a digital reappraisal is American composer William Basinksi (of 'Disintegration Loops' fame), whose extensive 'Variations: A Movement In Chrome Primitive' is now being put out on a 2CD, lavish little digisleeved release. As a peer of Ryuichi Sakamoto and with a sound that has gone on to influence the likes of Mark Evan Burden, Basinski deals in miasma draped compositions that unfurl like an unhurried cat. Mixing waves of ambient detritus with glimpses of more concrete structures, Basinski snags the ear through ethereal webs of sound that straddle the line between dream-flecked soundscapes and timeless piano, then makes sure you don't want to leave. Aural balm; utterly immersing and totally lovely.