As well as running KrysaliSound for the last ten years, Francis Gri has been recording soundscape art, producing thought-provoking and atmospheric pieces that, while they tend to head in an ambient direction, have far more depth. Here, due to personal experience, he has tried to capture through a suite of four soundscapes the loss of memory and how one interacts with the world around them when this is happening.
The faint crackle and slow ululating that opens Boke does have the feeling of a looseness of moorings, a sleepless drift that is elemental, but the warming balm of a keyboard motif settles things down. Elements are added slowly and shooting stars pass overhead through clear, blue skies. A gradual transition into something more vital that lifts things, and it feels as though we are passing imperceptibly over new lands, picking up transmissions which become busier as we pass over more populous areas. Those dark maps, suffused with light in busy regions pass below us; the guitar here is soothing, a balloon journey that is slow with an ebb and flow of breeze, the occasional sparkle of something resting on the surface.
It is an immersive experience and is constantly evolving, sometimes with just the slightest whispers of sound, but always on the move, regardless of volume or force. When the distant dolphin guitar breaks through in “Lost”, it takes centre stage of an evolving collage, like being transported down a lonely river, laying on your back, staring up at clouds, trees, birds, marvelling at nature and impressing those precious images into your mind. It almost feels as though Francis is attempting to provoke new memories, both for us and for his loved one. There is a gentle beat on the third piece, “Void”, which adds a touch of vibrancy, its little cyclical pattern around which everything else hinges is lovely and the chiming guitar figures give the idea of action and decision that abates once again with the spare and tranquil closer. Its string-laden piano droplets feel like leaves rustling in the breeze, leaving a tranquil and treasured feeling in the listener.-Mr Olivetti-
