It doesn’t feel like five years since Jace Lasek and Stephen Ramsay‘s Light Conductor released their second sequence, but I am pleased to say that the third and final instalment is ready for lift off.
This time, the duo, with vocal assistance from The Besnard Lakes‘ Olga Goreas, draw things just a little bit closer to home, the sense of space spread across five tracks being tempered by the addition of vocals. It still has that feeling of insulation from the everyday, as if this were a musical overcoat that could protect you from the ravages that the world has to offer.
The shivering, shimmering drift is something we welcome with open arms; it is so peaceful and lulling, with angelic sounds in the background that could be voices or could equally be some celestial synth. The circular sweep and the sedate pace of opener “She Glitters The Dust” draws you in from day-to-day troubles and sets you adrift. The pure solitude continues into “Omenize”, where Olga’s delightful voice adds harmony and fresh perspective to the familiar dronescape, with a percussive element that is just about in hearing range adding to the thin atmosphere.
The use of a synth bass adds an ’80s soundtrack vibe to “Ghost City Radio” and somehow they make this perfect isolation a really appealing thing. Found voices lend further mystery and they know just when to add some further texture to keep the listener engaged. There is a real yearning in the high synth wash that drifts further into the distance, its residual flutter leaving things unresolved. Although initially the album feels more earthbound, as things progress so the shackles lift and the the only connection to what we have known up until now is this distorted voice crackling through over the airwaves.
After the spiritual ascendence of the synth steps in “High In The Orange Air”, whose subtle insistence is irresistible, the final piece “Supercontinent”‘s sense of rootlessness is tempered by the sound of what might be birds; but it feels as though our memory is playing tricks. Are these really birds or are they a synthesised figment of our imagination? As the piece progresses, so there is an unexpected sense of oppression, with a nagging beat that lurks at the base of the spine; the sound of somebody trapped, struggling against the swell of machines and the beguiling textural drift. It is quite a brave way to go out and bring this journey to a conclusion, but it is the best way, leaving us questioning what has gone before.
It feels a shame for this to be the conclusion of Light Conductor’s tour, but to go out leaving a perfect trio of albums is something few bands manage. This is an essential part of the legacy and well recommended.
-Mr Olivetti-
