Manual - Confluence

Confluence is Danish producer Jonas Munk's third installment in his series of ambient albums, following the much loved The North Shore from 2003 and Bajamar from 2006. Unlike Munk's better known work, which centers around electronica and shoegazing aesthetics as well as a love of 1980s production techniques, these ambient works are completely without beats, or even time signatures, and are delicately constructed out of slowly evolving streams of guitar that has been processed into oblivion and back. But even compared to the standard set by the two aforementioned albums, Confluence is surprisingly dark and minimalist. These eight new compositions move slowly and seamlessly, like the ebb and flow of the changing tide, with subtle layering and filtering providing the essential means of movement. In spite of all the pieces having been created out of endless digital processing and manipulation of guitars, the result is warm, organic and timeless. Occasional piano is basically the only other element present amongst the haunting cascades of guitar drones. Opener "Blue Stone" is a simple composition that evokes the feeling of modern classical minimalism, with highly evocative chord combinations replacing one another like cloud formations in the sky; the title track, "Confluence", visits a musical territory similar to that on Brian Eno and Harold Budd's collaborative efforts, with its broad soundscapes and vulnerable piano playing; "Oracle Night" could be an Angelo Badalamenti piece if he was to score a David Lynch movie set on a tropical island. This is music without any clear character traits though. It can change its character depending on the conscious state of the listener. A confluence of light and air; past and present; dream and reality; day and night. Haunting, oceanic ambient music, perfect for the approaching fall months. TRACKS: 01 Blue Stone (9:45) 02 Cirrus (2:04) 03 Confluence (13:17) 04 Leirosa (10:00) 05 After the Rain (1:16) 06 Oracle Night (13:22) 07 Sanctuary (8:14) 08 Last Light (7:16)

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