LIGHT CONDUCTOR - Sequence Two

Jace Lasek (Besnard Lakes) and Stephen Ramsay (Young Galaxy) return to the scene of the crime with the second chapter of their ambient project, Light Conductor.

“Sequence Two” is a further attempt by the duo to explore the endless variables of a hypnotic, meditative blend of psychedelia, kraut-rock, shoegaze and space-music, a flow of chromatic shades that holds together thanks to the two musicians' distinctive qualities. Like the five parts of “Sequence One”, the new four compositions are marked by enveloping, opalescent atmospheres, lavish just enough not to blunt their emotional force.

The two longest tracks dominate the scene, even as they contrast in how they build up and tear down their ambient structures. “Splitting Light” glows with buzzing pop, disco and psychedelic allusions, a track in perpetual creative expansion, unfolding over electronic patterns that simulate a monolithic rhythm à la Tangerine Dream, a sonic progression with the allure of abstract art and light design, an epic blend of harmony and ambient-psych that reaches its apotheosis where floating synths, shoegaze guitars and a Pink Floyd-like choir of voices meet.

Conversely, “Pyramids In Slow Rotation” plays with darkness and rigor, its sound heavy and murky, with no way out, like the calm after the storm. The analog nature of the sound prevails once again, despite the predominant use of synths.

What remains, though, is the sense that, beyond the remarkable intuition of “Splitting Light”, the two musicians can't quite break free of ambient music's descriptive clichés. The dramatic intensity fades and the dynamics blur within the kaleidoscopic folds of “The Rooms Are Turning Inside Out” and the kinetic modulations of “Life Under A Double Sun”, which nonetheless remain interesting and contextually relevant, thanks to the pleasing intersection of Jake and Stephen's two different artistic worlds.

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11/12/2021