Keith Berry - Simulacra. Infraction, 2016.

 

My only familiarity thus far with Keith Berry’s oeuvre, is this recent purchase - a gentling album spanning two discs.

Disc A is a beautifully unfolding, gentle trip. While electronic, there’s a human touch to this music which references a bunch of otherwhere heard artists. Y’know, oh wow glints of recognition that appear within and part of Keith’s sound, despite the reminding. Speaking of human touch, it is quite pronounced … say, foregrounded - 07, 11 12 particularly. It lends a real quality to the work.

I used it as an accompaniment until 8, and then sat to listen more closely.

And then, sitting back to listen again in it’s entirety. Each piece an island unto itself. It’s really textural and rewards dedicated, deep listening. I hear more power, tidal build.


Disc B is three long-form pieces.

1 is a gently undulating multi layered drone piece, with gentle rainfall suffusing the work throughout. Its also peppered with static crackle.

2 sounds like gongs treated and edited in a kind of call and response fashion. Its undergirded by cyclic sounds which remind me of film reel burning up, sonic bloom add another layer to this shadowed world. Again, static crackle peppering the mix. Stopping & starting tape whirr. Rain. Such beautiful layering. Bell-piano meld sonar.

3 opens in a gentle, daybreaking manner. Kinda like getting with a jellyfish swarm while sunstreams stretch down. Yeah, floating. Bathometric. Submerged.

There you have it - maybe you too will get to spend some time with this worthwhile ambient music.

 Cloud drone. Glass bells. Serial like. Floating. Mirroring. Hypnotising pulse. Stillness/quietness enhancing.