Marcus Fischer + The OO-ray - Tesselations (Vinyl LP)

It’s been a rotten morning so far, my robot legs are damp from trudging to the office from my recharging station in the rain, so it’s a relief to my overloaded circuits that the first plastic disc of human audio mush I must describe today is of the restorative variety. Electro acoustic multi-instrumentalists Marcus Fischer and Ted Laderas (The OO-Ray) have collaborated to make a sensuous LP, limited to 250 in screenprinted sleeves, of light chamber drone with layered washes of bowed strings carving out slowly developing melodies with all sorts of delicate, subtle textures and ornamentations from various instruments for a relaxing therapeutic odyssey full of neoclambient peace vibes, but with an undercurrent of sweeping cinematic drama.

Apparently these pieces began life as long-form improvisations by the pair before being shaped into the studio pieces you hear on the record, which feature cello, lap harp, tuning forks, synthesizers, guitar, percussion and analog and digital processing, all blended together in a drifty milkshake of warm, sensuous tones with a blurry, shimmering nostalgic cherry on top to make a sound-beverage fit for a robot.

The improvised nature of the source material means it meanders from concordant free-droning ambience that’s reminding me of the beautiful recent Pleq & Hakobune collaboration to more neoclassical chamber-minimal lushness, such as the closing title track that’s almost like Rachel’s at their most brittle and restrained, but these delicate melodic drones are detailed and soothing and I’m happy to report that my circuits are now cooled. Many thanks for that, human men M-Fish and T-Lad.