Freiband "Flying" 3" CD
[Scarcelight]
Another intriguing release from this Dutch project of Frans de Waard (Kapotte Muziek, etc.), here taking The Beatles' instrumental "Flying" and creating eight succinct experimental pieces (simply titled "Part 1" though "Part 8") - opening with a very faint track consisting of fleeting clicks and glitchy textures over cascading ambient hums in the distance, while "Part 2" is a little more subtly melodic in its ambience. "Part 4" has a crisper foreground over a midrange lull and some sweeping low-end sounds, creating an oddly organic atmosphere that's kind of interesting. Topping three minutes, "Part 6" is the longest selection, curiously meshing both the ethereal melodies and the crunchy glitches of the other material - coming across as somehow electronic and natural all at once. The pieces are of course somewhat similar to one another in certain regards, but that doesn't bother me at all. Everything tends to be rather restrained and quiet, using minimal layering and movement for effectively repetitious and stripped down compositions that don't feel plain or redundant at all. In fact, the final two parts are among the most minimal of the set, closing on a simpler note that makes for a quaint end. The sound quality is very resonant and clear, and I really enjoy the overall aesthetic of this EP. It's a consistent listen and the source material has been thoroughly manipulated to the point where you'd never place the roots of the work were it not revealed to you outright. The CD (That's right: Professionally pressed, not a CD-R!) is beautifully packaged in a vellum cover that uses dark black and faint blue/gray printing that overlays the fluorescent pink and yellow coloring of the disc face for a really crisp and attractive little presentation that I really enjoy. A quality release, definitely among the finer looking/sounding 3" discs I've encountered. Very nice. (7/10)
Running time - 19:54, Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: Part 2, Part 6, Part 8]
Scarcelight Recordings - http://www.scarcelight.org

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