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thesunlounge · 4 years

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Reviews 361: R_R_ (Reinis Ramans)

Very few things in music make me happier than when Growing Bin goes ambient, and the newest exploration of horizontal stylings released on the label–the Train of Thought LP by R_R_–is truly something special. R_R_, short for Reinis Ramans, is an alias of Reinis Semēvics, a multi-faceted artist, composer, and lecturer based in Riga, Latvia and working in music, soundtrack, and radio. As described by Patrick Ryder in the press note for the LP, and as suggested by the soothing liquid visage on the front cover, Train of Thought is “inspired by the rhythmic movement of water and how its rippled reflections bend our perception”–and the album sees a wide range of field recordings, samples, acoustic instruments, and synthesizers combining for a sonic experience that is as meditative as it is beguiling. Water, as a thematic centerpiece, is heard in many forms...sometimes cleansing and pure, other times corrosive and blended with noxious chemicals…and birds and insects sing while the sounds of seaside cities filter into the stereo field. Synthesizers, orchestral samples, and otherworldly electronics morph and mutate between billowing clouds of subsonic smoke, spaceage cascades of radiant tropicalia, progressive electronic and new age sequencer studies, and droning choral incantations while pianos and digitized mallet instruments alight on polychromatic dream explorations. Elsewhere, bouncing basslines, IDM drum fx, and hand percussions coalesce to sweep the body towards alien island paradises and at certain crucial moments, four-four kick drums emerge to lead muted and vaporous expanses of oceanic deep house. As well, the entire album is artfully arranged and segued, with the individual compositions seamlessly flowing into and out of one another, creating the effect of a delirium hallucination.

R_R_ - Train of Thought (Growing Bin Records, 2020) Synthesized dream sonics descend over effected wave crashes at the start of “Entering,” with the sonics evoking mirage-like visions of leaves falling from trees. The melodic temperament of the track soon changes however, as the feathery pad descents are replaced by pooling clouds of black smoke and boat engine drones, with a vibe not unlike the murky ambiance of II by Wilson & Tanner. The immersive and softly caustic waves of sound grow ever denser as smoldering bass currents swirl slowly…their sounds evoking the mutated arias of an extra-terrestrial druid choir while scraped metals and abstracted clacks fill the air. As the track progresses, the mind wanders along desolate beaches adjacent to abandoned industrial factories, as sea-horns blow from unseen sources and air brakes releasing at nearby bustops. The inky hazes of unsettled ambiance hovering above the horizon eventually fade away and at some point, all sense of melody or tonality disappears, leaving behind the sounds of a decaying seaside city and a thick, soul-swallowing buzz. And as the track ends, post-classical angel breaths are carried on fluttering echowaves, crickets sing their chirping serenades, and the field recordings of lapping water return, only this time free of fx, with a sound clean and pure. The heavenly organ-esque tones of “Opposite” are birthed from this liquid soundworld. Chiming pads intertwine with sleepy-eyed keyboard phrases to bring atmospheres of a cosmic lullaby and hypnagogic bass pulsations float the body and spirit while treble frequencies shimmer at the edges of the mix...like myriad insect wings vibrating in anticipation. Dreamscape synth leads mimic the refractions of sunlight on a rippling ocean surface and after a sudden fade to silence, phased and flanged reveries of post-classical romance swim around each other, resulting in a glorious sunrise ritual blurred by layers of alien filtering, wherein shadowy formations reference previously heard progressions.

Field recordings of water and insects are slowly brought into focus at the end of “Opposite,” from which emerge the lulling arps of “Luminosity”…like fantasy sequences of kankyō-ongaku-inspired innocence. Cymbals tap out breezy rhythms and FM-synth star clusters descend from the night sky as gently physical tom tom rhythms give the horizontal groove a soft tribal pulse. Bleary synth arpeggiations continue their sleep-inducing dance and at some point, the rhythms cut away, leaving bass notes to pound like currents of heavy air. Wailing streaks of muted brass synthesis work into the mix alongside vaporous rhythmic accents and as further melodic cascades fall onto the mix, they bring with them drunken dream energies and whooshing celestial winds. The barely-there rhythms are given further hypnotic momentum by soft shaker murmurations and certain drum hits fly out through liquid dub fx chains. Phase-shifting wisps of fragile keyboard magic blow in from the edge of the mix, chill-out tracers and minimalist synth cycles dance joyously overhead, and galactic chimes swim through star oceans as rimshots work against the rhythmic flow, though the effect is brief and the track eventually breaks apart. Segueing into “Opening Up (Improv Take),” echo fx comprised of either birdsong or drum detritus move backwards in time, with manic repetitions obscuring Ramans’ REM-cycle piano explorations. Eventually, the clicking delay tracers recede, leaving glowing piano incantations to work through clouds of sustain pedal resonance, which overlap to create slowly moving vortices of ivory ambiance. And increasingly these tales of piano sustain and decay are caught through delay and reverb machines, which morph the sounds towards aquaeous fogbanks and deep sea cloudforms even as the playing grows ever more intense and accelerated, with runs of joyous abandon struggling to be heard within a droning maelstrom.

A fade to near silence introduces “Deleting Doubts,” wherein the pianos of the preceding track briefly re-emerge, with clustered notes generating clouds of deep sea ambiance. A Berlin school sequence diffuses in while asymmetrical delay fx move in counterpoint, resulting in a dance of psychoacoustic splendor. A four-four kick enters alongside emotional bass slides and the whole thing evokes into a sort of hyperventilating slice of Yume Bitsu-style post rock, with dub fx ricocheting across the mix and further sequential synth patterns entering to harmonize with the percolating kosmische electronics. Gentle hisses and glitches intermingle with birdsong and isolated three note piano melodies beam in from an entirely different song while woodblocks and rimshots bounce around the mix. And as sequences fade through echo chambers while sonars ping across the sky, huge roaring swells wash the mix clean, until all the remains is birdsong. “Melodic Harmony” begins the B-side, with further birdsong samples being quickly disturbed by unsettling liquid gurgles and extra-terrestrial laser whistles. White noise atmospheres flow over emotional basslines while IDM electronics flash cross the mind and as the track progresses, the vibe grows increasingly tropical even as it pushes towards alien landscapes, with a sound not unlike the work of X.Y.R, especially on Big Chill. At some point, equatorial chords drop, bringing with them soothing balearic vibrations and a sense of seaside warmth, which is only enhanced as metalloid taps form into a hypnotizing horizontal groove…the effect like watching a cinematic sunset on some faraway exo-planet, where the horizon explodes in colors never before imagined. During an ambient breakdown, birds sing again over hovering solar wavefronts and braindance cymbal FX, out of which emerges a completely transcendent passage, wherein instruments evoking a marimbas made of human breath executes minimalist fairy dream dances in the style of The Swan and The Lake. And effortlessly, the strangely swaying island life groove resumes around the angelic idiophones and now features muted brass fanfares reaching towards a sunburst sky.

In “New Wind,” a choir sitting at the center of existence blows out waves of blackened radiance, through which swim psychotropic laser clusters. Angelic hazes diffuse through the darkness, bird chirps echo, and cooing brass synths bring rays of warming light as a four-four beat and bassline pulse through the shadows. Further beings from celestial skies breath wordless melodies and echoing toms beat in tribal anticipation while hi-hats shimmer before resolving into focus, with everything coming together like the lunar ocean new age and rainforest club experiments of Sign Libra. Imagine a dance party on the seafloor, only as if heard thousands of feet away on the water’s surface, with throbbing and blurry rhythms causing the heady and body to fully zone out. We move from open water to the seashore in “Step by Step,” as effected waves crash and crystalline keyboards dance in a spirit of tropical effervescence. Blurred piano chords land like gemstones as they anchor a developing groove, which is constructed from the ritualist pitter patter of hand drums and tom toms. Leads awash in vibes of new age and coastal jazz sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight, alternately descending down infinite scales or alighting on understated solo explorations. Melodic bubble cascades glow in hues of ruby, sapphire, and emerald and are given further shape by a smacked snare, which imbues the track with a sort of dubwise riddim flow, one bringing evocations of Gaussian Curve’s balearic bliss outs and the Growing Bin classic Overworld by A.r.t. Wilson. Synthesized FM sequences join the island sway as the melodic and rhythmic begin to blur, with additional ceremonial drum layers joining in and seagulls crying overhead. And the track seems to space out as it proceeds, growing airier and landing increasingly like a dream…like a tropical paradise only remembered, with the mental visage blurring around the edges as the mind flits between scenes both real and imagined. As for “Outro,” whooshing waves and descending dream energies are joined by swells of ethereal string synthesis…as if an eternal orchestra of ocean and sky is bidding the listen farewell.

(images from my personal copy)

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