(Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality
General
| Aug 2023
Reviews
DJ Away
Reviewed 2023-08-20
Reviewed 2023-08-20
Neoclassical music with orchestra, synths, piano, and ambient textures. Portland composer Matthew Cooper, who's been working under this name for twenty years, is moving away from his earlier mysterious dronescapes toward something more compositionally refined but still dramatic. As on his noisy and maximal 2016 record False Readings On, technology-driven anxiety and discord inspired the music here. But this music is pretty and melody-driven throughout, even when the layers get dense. RIYL Philip Glass (and Koyaanisqatsi), Nils Frahm, Max Richter, Ólafur Arnalds, A Winged Victory for the Sullen. Favorites: 3, 4, 7, 10. Almost entirely instrumental, no FCCs detected.
1. (1:37)—Mechanical clock sounds, slow anticipatory string swells.
2. (2:37)—Staccato high strings, punchy piano. Nice drone textures.
3. *(8:01)—Soft bubbling synths, slow deep strings. Faster, pointillistic strings build tension.
4. *(3:34)—Heavily processed sounds of distant voices. Solo bass clarinet with string accompaniment.
5. (5:55)—Medium-fast Philip Glass-esque arpeggios, big sci-fi synths. Long disintegrating ending.
6. (2:30)—Organ/harmonium drone, soft sawing violin. Deep piano, a flash of spoken word.
7. *(4:11)—Heavily manipulated voice, swelling strings, soprano. Intense.
8. (2:16)—Fragile solo piano, reprise of track 5.
9. (3:43)—Medium-fast, with high strings and a subtle chugging bass rhythm. Noise builds then cuts out suddenly.
10. *(3:04)—Slow, melancholy piano chords. High drones. Remains soft throughout.
11. (3:46)—Mid-tempo, lockstep piano and strings, dense synths and (near the end) percussion. Gentle ending.
1. (1:37)—Mechanical clock sounds, slow anticipatory string swells.
2. (2:37)—Staccato high strings, punchy piano. Nice drone textures.
3. *(8:01)—Soft bubbling synths, slow deep strings. Faster, pointillistic strings build tension.
4. *(3:34)—Heavily processed sounds of distant voices. Solo bass clarinet with string accompaniment.
5. (5:55)—Medium-fast Philip Glass-esque arpeggios, big sci-fi synths. Long disintegrating ending.
6. (2:30)—Organ/harmonium drone, soft sawing violin. Deep piano, a flash of spoken word.
7. *(4:11)—Heavily manipulated voice, swelling strings, soprano. Intense.
8. (2:16)—Fragile solo piano, reprise of track 5.
9. (3:43)—Medium-fast, with high strings and a subtle chugging bass rhythm. Noise builds then cuts out suddenly.
10. *(3:04)—Slow, melancholy piano chords. High drones. Remains soft throughout.
11. (3:46)—Mid-tempo, lockstep piano and strings, dense synths and (near the end) percussion. Gentle ending.
Recent airplay
Vibration Consensus Reality (For Spectral Multiband Resonator)
Music Casserole — Mar 16, 2024
Scatterbrains
Music Casserole — Mar 02, 2024
Void Manifest
Buford J. Sharkley Presents: As Told to Hervey Okkles — Feb 17, 2024
Void Manifest, A Floating World of Demons
Music Casserole — Feb 17, 2024
Phantasia Telephonics, Swift Automatons
Buford J. Sharkley Presents: As Told to Hervey Okkles — Jan 20, 2024
Vibration Consensus Reality (For Spectral Multiband Resonator)
Sound Wheels — Jan 09, 2024
Charting
2023-12-10 — 2024-02-11
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Jan 21 | 1 |
| Jan 14 | 1 |
| Dec 31 | 1 |
| Dec 24 | 1 |
| Dec 17 | 3 |
Track listing
| 1. | Escapement | ||
| 2. | Swift Automatons | ||
| 3. | Vibration Consensus Reality (For Spectral Multiband Resonator) | ||
| 4. | Scatterbrains | ||
| 5. | Phantasia Telephonics | ||
| 6. | The Violet Light | ||
| 7. | Void Manifest | ||
| 8. | Clockwork Fables | ||
| 9. | Mass Lossless Interbeing | ||
| 10. | A Floating World of Demons | ||
| 11. | Endless Flower |
