Tom James Scott

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4...according to our Mike on Mon 30 Jan, 2012.

Well, this one's lovely! Tom James Scott has here put together three lengthy pieces of experimental minimal type goodness that falls very much in the soothing and therapeutic camp. Opener 'Skire' has a repeated chiming guitar refrain with heavy reverb over high, glassy drones and field recordings of waves crashing onto a beach, while its counterpoint on the first side, 'Lown', has swelling processed and synthesised chords over gently lapping water, giving a stiller and calmer sensation than the opener. Flip it and we've got the side-long title track, which layers undulating mid- and low-end drones for an ethereal, gradually shifting tone experience as the relationships between the notes gradually reveal points of resonance and dischord, unity and chaos. Melodies emerge out of the shifting waves of sound only to be lost again. This whole LP is a really well thought out and relaxing exercise in cerebral minimalism. Totally worth a go if you like your records soothing and repetitive.

Crystal is the third release and first vinyl LP outing by composer Tom James Scott. Sonically, the pieces presented on Crystal contrast as structures of space and density, dividing and inhabiting the space of the format. While Scott’s previous releases used acoustic instrumentation to explore aspects of melodic form and song structure, ‘Crystal’ sees a shift towards a more electronic means of sound production.

'Skire’ - the opening track - employs a repeating musical phrase which rests upon and mimics the rhythms of the sea sounds captured along the shores surrounding Scott’s childhood home on Walney Island. Through the sweeping saccharine phrases and looming dissonance of 'Lown', the two tracks together play the alchemist in inventing and reviving lost thoughts.

The counter point is the singular track, Crystal. Akin to the title, it is a dense and transparent form in which elevating tones and cyclical melody strengthen and fragment throughout its course, creating swathes of luminous texture that shift the focus to new and imagined harmonic patterns.

Although the paced, progressive build in Tom's work is apparent - the remarkable engine of the music is how the strands separate and unravel with duration, inviting the listener to engage and deconstruct their form rather than to simply observe them being built. The result of which is a record of candid disorientation and ecstatic effect.

CAR004. 350 copies pressed on clear vinyl.

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