yagya - Will I Dream During The Process?
With a cover straight out of Athena's 1980 'fantasy-art' section, Yagya's 'Will I Dream During The Process?' is the follow-up to 2002's 'Rhythm Of Snow' - with the Icelandic producer further indulging his love of all things Basic Channel. Carved from a deep and minimal place, 'Will I Dream During The Process?' displays a much richer emotional element than Yagya's (aka Aalsteinn Gumundsson) earlier work - opening proceedings with the brooding synth waterfall of 'Wind and Thunder', wherein a caliginous soundscapes strains at the seams as it rubs up against a fragile web of spectral beats. From here, we're straight into the path of 'Choose', with it soon becoming apparent that Yaga is aiming for big-beast status as yet another wave of grandstanding machine-music soars skywards with wild abandon - a situation that is brought to a more muted level of exuberance on the fantastic 'We Lose Ourselves'. Covered in broad watercolour strokes, 'We Lose Ourselves' is a series of micro-emissions writ large, as the fathom deep backing highlights the skeletal rhythms being made to hold court up front - a sound reprised on 'When They Stood They Let Down Their Wings' and 'As It Is'. Layered like a an OAP in midwinter, 'Will I Dream During The Process?' is chilly without becoming austere and manages to just about divert your attention away from that awful cover... Yagya Yagya Yagya!
