billy gomberg: slight at that contact

Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist Billy Gomberg's past work has released by labels such as and/OAR, Digitalis and Sunshine Ltd. In addition to his solo output, he operates in a variety of collaborative settings (including Fraufraulein, a duo with fellow label alum Anne Guthrie) and, over the course of the last five years, has carved out a niche for himself at the crossroads of electro-acoustic improvisation, ambient, and minimalist music. The beguiling Slight At That Contact brings to mind both the bucolic electronica of Microstoria and the expansive arrangements of Mirages-era Tim Hecker. 'Medial' opens the record with a sea of vaporous, blooming tones set against an array of delicately percussive clicks and cuts. 'Acute' further develops this, conjuring the cinematic atmosphere of a train station in a ruined, futuristic metropolis. Over the course of eight understated but nuanced compositions, Gomberg cultivates an intoxicating aural topography, a deep, expressive collection that offers considerable rewards to the attentive listener.