Light Conductor – Sequence Two

Constellation

When the first Light Conductor album was released, I remember considering that it would be a suitable one-off experiment and that an attempt by Jace Lasek and Stephen Ramsay to follow it might be folly; but I am really pleased to say on the strength of Sequence Two, it was a wise decision as there is much more ground for them to cover.

This time, spread over just four tracks, the duo have managed to change the focus of the previous release, drawing it closer to earth but somehow magnifying the effect so that the impressive drone that opens the album, emanating from some unknown source, appears omnipotent, its scattered electronics weaving a familiar yet unfathomable rhythm.

Again, I am reminded of the extraordinary widescreen adventures of Physics, but pushed to their logical conclusion, earthbound, travelling vast distances and bouncing off unseen satellites. There is an intense sense of propulsion which adds a touch of humanity, and suddenly it is all alive with the systems and circuits at a critical point. When the voice arrives unexpectedly over the fierce electronics and blistering motion, it is a dizzying revelation, descending into hopeless hypnosis.

The hiss of distance and the hopping electronic repetition is filled with chatter and more sublime waves, vacuum sighs that echo space station airlocks and a long drift into the infinite. The overwhelming depth of the synths here give a huge gravitational pull and a paradox of inertia and momentum. Wordless voices over the incessant circular clutter draw you much further in. These long tracks allow the players to streeeeetch themselves out, but not so that you become lost. There is always a way back; just follow that abandoned alarm, ringing unrelentingly through cavernous hallways that still feel oppressive.

It is hard to avoid the overwhelming sonic force and this is where the sounds have moved on from the first album. The constant wavering electronics are like being subjected to an unnervingly harsh and unforgiving white light that drops you suddenly into a reprise of an earlier slow-feeling revolution. The duo is able to disorientate you seemingly at will and this is part of the progression, such that you can almost taste the compressed oxygen.

As the album draws to a close, things become a little more contemplative with just the hint of inner light, that feeling that this journey has been in the mind but with the sort of intensity that makes you feel that you have been wearing a VR headset, full frequencies oscillating around your head as you venture deeper. Sequence Two is an impressive second outing and one that is different enough or progressive enough to make it well worth exploring. Where next?

-Mr Olivetti-