gareth davis & scanner: footfalls

The two collaborators Gareth Davis and Scanner, known separately for contemporary electronic music and free clarinet experimentations, team up to create the delirious trip, Footfalls. Two scenes are presented here, seemingly taken from different sides of the same desolated seaside setting, loosely inspired by poet and novelist T.S Elliot and Samuel Beckett. In "Towards The Door", Gareth Davis's bass clarinet breathes slow, wave-like tones that merge with the oft-rhythmic electronic textures from his counterpart. A third of the way in, Robin Rimbaud's synth erupts into a Blade Runner-esque epic harmonic section that disappears as suddenly as it arrives -- leaving ripples of oscillation in its wake, slowly unfolding into the sound of waves, as it arrives back where it begun: as a full circle, drawn in echoes of sound. "Smokefall" begins with the words "Invisible Choirs", subtly spoken by a woman's voice among a blurred distant conversation, as textural sound effects creep forwards to the point where a slow progressing but steady LFO rhythm enters. Water, metal, and smoke are absorbed into a creeping tribal passage, accompanied by long clarinet tones. The piece expands further and further into a state of ecstatic harmonic noise that fulfills all parts of your body -- if played loud. Both artists from here on move into full on crushing electronics, all while Rimbaud's Kilpatrick Phenol synth drives the background with its pulses and repetitive bassline. The piece has an ellipse like rotation that makes one feel a sort of blissful vertigo that reverberates in your mind after the piece has ended. Footfalls is a euphoric trip from two artists that -- although prolific -- manage to arrive at the perfect meeting point to deliver two hard to shake pieces of dizzying electro-acoustic perfection. Metallic pantone spot color artwork. Orange vinyl; includes download code; edition of 300.