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The Adelaidean — Sounds Like Rain
(Projekt no#, 2021, DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2021-11-20

Sounds Like Rain Cover art

A Pluviophile: one who finds joy and peace of mind when it rains. That could apply to most of us at various points in time, or even all the time for that matter. How easy is it to fall asleep when it’s raining? That could certainly apply to Australian sound sculptor Sean Williams a.k.a. TheAdelaidean, and particularly on his latest solo release Sounds Like Rain, where he enshrines the idea. This is a floating ambient journey of six tracks of varying length that could easily fill two CDs if it were released in that format, but at the moment at least it’s only available as a download. With each piece, the composer focuses on some conceptual aspects of water, beginning with the opener, “Slow Autimnal Sunrise,” through solar showers, rain, storms, and such, right out to the 70-minute closer “Witching Hour Weather,” clearly the granddaddy of them all as far as something a listener can completely immerse themselves within. Throughout, Williams applies his powerful palette of electronics, studio effects, sampled sounds, and loops to create shimmering dreamlike worlds of exquisite subtlety, though mostly in textural monochrome shades that convey a delicate beauty that completely absorbs the listener. In addition to the disc-length closer, several of the cuts expand out to the length of a full album side, evolving slowly as they proceed, evoking a sense of calm and serenity, with occasional mysterious found sounds and field recordings applied to the warm blanket of tranquility that permeates all. Like much of the material in the Robert Rich or Steve Roach catalogs, Sounds Like Rain taken as a whole promotes a relaxed state ideal for meditation or even slumber.

Filed under: New releases, 2021 releases

Related artist(s): The Adelaidean (Sean Williams)

More info
http://projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-like-rain

 

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