Aftertouches

ONE OF THE BEST AMBIENT ALBUMS I’VE HEARD IN MONTHS.

Amazing amazing experimental music from this Montreal-based artist. Great little academic description on her bandcamp: “Aftertouches playfully exploits the systemic nature of a post-sacred and post-instrument world, continuing Kara-Lis Coverdale’s exploration of coded realism and virtual transfiguration. Through an optimistic lens, Aftertouches explores and celebrates the multiple voices of the machine. Synthetic instruments sourced from VSTs, sound banks, and personal archives are arranged into holograms of dreams once inspired by physical origin.”

Others: Oneohtrix Point Never, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Julianna Barwick, Tim Hecker, Katie Gately

Favorites: All, but particularly 3, 1, 4, 2, 9, 5, 8. No FCCs

1. (4:27) *** IMGS /R - Symphonic, woozy, chorus-effected synthesizer. Really gorgeous wordless vocals. Becomes darker and more rhythmic, almost veering to glitch. Incredible.
2. (3:30) ** TOUCH ME & DIE - Fluttering butterfly flutes. Japanese feel. Staring up at the sky in a lush garden. Time moves in slow motion.
3. (3:32) **** SPLASH 144 - Massive chords—shimmering and epic. Crunchy noise flickers in and out. Repeated thumping phrase. Super cool track.
4. (5:20) *** X4EWI - Urgent, busy, textured opening. Descends into soothing ambient waves. Choral middle section.
5. (4:30) ** AD_RENALINE - Chipper keyboard work. Julia Holter style wordless chamber pop.
6. (3:53) ICON /C - Deep, majestic organ music.
7. (5:23) ARCANE - Angry, Colin Stetson-esque saxophone. Transitions into plinky, voice and chimes. I wish she had just stayed with the feel of the intro :(. Takes another interesting harpsichordy turn. Strange, beguiling track.
8. (4:56) ** NU_CHANIC - Insistent, immersive MIDI-choir. Clanging, delayed percussion. Evangelical music for the internet age. A whirring breeze then teems under fragile piano. Really creative track. Ends cold.
9. (4:32) *** SAP/H - Entrancing intro with tape rewind feel. Clip-clop backdrop. Just the kind of hazy, perplexing ambient music I long for.