A Turn Of Breath

Ian William Craig
A Turn of Breath
Recital Records

Twelve works for voice and 1/4" tape by a classically trained opera singer. "Voice appears as the Sun’s light through a vast storm; still obscured by tape malfunctions and manipulations. A system of reel to reels is employed, which yields a lovely sort of morphing repetition. Each iteration crumbles as more harmony is placed on top, residual tones spilling off the sides into nothingness."
Strange, beautiful, haunting works. FCC free


*1. (3:12) Really stuttered and staccato noises over an eerie voice sounding like a ringing meditation bowl. Other high voices join in to form an ethereal choir. cuts off into a fuzz outro
**2. (6:00) Really haunting, echoing vocals. Fuzz bombs in the distance, ringing feedback. dynamic
**3. (3:18) Slow to get started but intensely longing singing over a quiet resonating choir, seems to end as soon as it gets going
4. (2:06) Light guitar work, a melodic song with words, wistful
5. (4:19) Intense fluttering humming, a lament. Then a clear vocal melody comes through, long quiet outro
*6. (3:25) Stuttery scratchy background rhythm, with ethereal wandering voices, then long repetitive scratchy outdo
**7. (5:10) Very quiet layers of warped voices, a distorted warped vocal line kind of rises to the top but stays pretty far off, then another layer of treated vocals, vocal waterfalls
8. (1:32) Simple staticky voice going in and out then holding steady
**9. (2:44) Crackly static, simple single lovely voice with so many echoes it sounds like a choir, a strong clear lead comes in, beautiful uplifting chorus that gets quite distorted, -:17 fuzz outro
**10. (5:27) soft warm washes of vocals, one high distorted ethereal voice, becomes one solid slow wooing refrain
***11. (4:48) Beautiful solo voice followed by echoes and other voices, accordion?/harmonium, becomes triumphant
**12. (1:56) Beautiful untreated solo vocal melody with subtle strumming guitar