Octagonal Polyphony

Dreamy, ceremonial, algorithmic ambient music from experimental heavyweights who form this Deep Listening trio. Headed by academic avant-garde accordionist Pauline Oliveros, this was released to celebrate her 80th birthday, and sadly commemorates one of David Gamper’s final performances with the group (see also “Great Howl At Town Haul”, released simultaneously with this). Oliveros and Gamper, along with trombone virtuoso Stuart Dempster, improvise complex yet soothing loops of sound from various instruments, layering everything in 3D space with cutting-edge technology that would make CCRMA look like Antiques Roadshow. Highly recommended for fans of Terry Riley, Arvo Part, Duane Pitre, John Cage

1. (20:29) twittering, chirping loops of bells, windchimes, accordion drones and trombone toots. Incredibly beautiful.
2. (22:27) haunting, breathtaking, but less accessible; more dissonant droning, less bright and cheery modulation than the previous track. Drift through a droning didgeridoo cave, and at about 8 minutes in you’ll see the light glistening through an opening, but you can never shake the distinct feeling that there’s something lurking just beneath you…