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Oxia Palace — Kalendis
(Bandcamp Geophonic Records no#, 2024, CD / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2024-09-22

Kalendis Cover art

Oxia Palace is a collaboration between Norwegian sound artist Jan Roos (aka Super Fata) and American sound sculptor Brian McWilliams (aka Aperus) exploring lesser celestial bodies within our solar system, composed and inspired by the grainy images taken by the Cassini mission that catalogued the moons and rings of Saturn. The creative process began with each of the artists taking turns beginning a piece by selecting an image that evoked an emotional and musical response as a starting point; the duo would then create a sound palette based on the images, textures, and mission recordings, building sounds up using synthesizers, guitars, percussion, software instruments, radio static, found sounds, and field recordings that captured the emotion and vision of the mission at that point. The sounds were then passed back and forth between Roos and McWilliams as both added their ideas to each piece through overdubbing and splicing elements until a resulting recording took shape that neither might have imagined at the beginning. This lengthy process repeated itself for each of the album’s eight tracks, taking well over five years to complete. For a full listing of all the synthesizers, electronics, software and other instruments the duo used, I would refer you to the  Oxia Palace Bandcamp page, Opener “S-2009 S1” (a tiny moonlet embedded in Saturn’s B ring) begins with a curious echoing sound almost like a sonar, from there building up with powerful textural electronics, while mysterious sounds and voices weave in and out of the mix as it proceeds onward to its eight minute conclusion. While a bit more cosmic sounding, “Nyx” builds up from what seems like processed higher pitch percussives (cymbals, gongs, bells, waterphone) pitted against varied sounds of lower frequency rumbling, creating one of the album’s most interesting pieces. A more cyclical low-end periodic soundscape is featured on “Enceladus,” while higher frequency sonic events of mysterious origin fill the middle and upper stratum of the piece. Every moment of each piece features interesting sonic textures that are constantly morphing in a stirring cauldron of dark mayhem. In a word, beautiful. Should appeal to fans of Dirk Serries, and of course, the solo work of the two protagonists. The CD package includes the Cassini photos that triggered the development of each piece.

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Aperus, Oxia Palace

More info
http://oxiapalace.bandcamp.com/album/kalendis

 

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