Lofty concept albums are generally a bit of red flag to me, the musical reality rarely seems to live up to the creatively underdelivering theory, so I’m glad to report that Grand River aka Aimée Portioli’s new album delivers admirably on all fronts.
Initially created as an installation piece (I know - don’t worry though), Portioli recorded various types of wind and then reworked them through layering and pitch adjustment until the wind itself became a prepared instrument. At times the wind was tuned to 440Hz whilst at other times the instruments were tuned to the sound of the wind.
Technicalities aside the result is a rare symbiosis of woman, nature, machines and instruments, where boundaries are blurred and the idea of creativity as just a human quality challenged; you’ll never not contemplate a gust of wind against your cheeks again.
The recording itself is an epic thirty six minute soundscape that starts as a gentle summer breeze and gradually explores the power, and at the mid-way mark the brutality, of this natural force, before a calmer, kosmische second half takes you safely home. It’s a beautifully realised concept and a genuine sonic journey.
Playlist Companion
For more adventures in machine music head over to the Slowtronic Playlist.
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