The idea of music based on the elements immediately makes one think of mimetic, programmatic music. Air, water and fire have real-life sounds we can expect to hear reflected, but should the music try to imitate them? And what does earth sound like?
Albums based on the elements by artists as various as Joe Henderson and Atheist answer the questions of how to capture elemental essences without sounding anything like each other, or what one might imagine, suggesting it might be best to listen without preconceived notions.
And so we have this EP by electronic veteran Richard Norris. A far cry from the danceable sounds of acid house, this album is spare in its means but it doesn’t quite cross over into the stark stasis of ambient music. Instead, we have five tracks that pare down a certain conception of their titular elements into economical but expansive compositions. Track lengths range from around eight minutes to around five, but nothing feels drawn out or, conversely, perfunctory.
“Earth” is one of the darker pieces here, pitting a fairy lively repeated figure against drones that conjure gravity and depth of field. “Water” begins and ends with slightly exotic female voices in wordless melody, and evokes calm drifts rather than tides and currents. “Fire” is built around a repeating melodic figure, as on “Earth”, but the dance of these flames is serene, even hypnotic. “Air” is darker, with static drones and a melody that weaves through slow changes, suggesting a region where air is all there is, and it is not subject to the vagaries of weather. Finally, “Space”. Sounding almost like a call to embark, but are we summoned to outer space or simply to an expansive, spacious realm? The track disperses into shimmering hints of distant stars. Never outstaying its welcome, this is a pleasurable listening experience with just enough surface detail to draw one in, and enough room to relax. It’s a balanced, integrated EP that speaks of the depth of experience of its creator. Some of Norris’s ongoing projects speak of a wish to create a safe musical space for listeners during uncertain times, and Elements fits in well with this imperative. Safety in music can translate to tameness, but in this case the result is beguiling without being lazy or hackneyed. I suspect the picture disc edition of this EP, with the mandala-like art, will be an especially immersive way to enjoy this music.-Jayaprakash Satyamurthy-
