Kyle Bobby Dunn- Ways of Meaning (Desire Path- 2011)
~by Geoff Webb
90______________________
Kyle Bobby Dunn is a NYC based sound artist specializing in ambient drone compositions. He released his critically acclaimed double album A Young Person’s Guide to Kyle Bobby Dunn in 2010 and returns this year with the shorter, (40 minute) but no less powerful Ways of Meaning. He primarily uses treated guitar, organ and synthesizer on his new album to a stunning effect. I don't like to make comparisons between different artists work, but if I had to pick a reference point for those unfamiliar with his work I would say Brian Eno or Stars of the Lid would come to mind. He specializes in the type of subtly shifting soundscapes that demands the listener’s full attention to hear the multiple layers of sound that combine to create the whole of his recordings. Minimalist is a word that is often used to describe the music of Kyle Bobby Dunn, but that doesn't really do his compositions justice as these tracks are full of life, rich and lush and thick. The devil is in the details and it's the slight melody under the surface or the low end hum under the shimmering guitar that make the difference between a fully realized composition or just a lifeless ambient drone album.
The opening tracks, ‘Dropping Sandwiches in Chester Lake’, ‘Statuit’, and ‘Canyon Meadows’ form a sort of suite, each building on the other using shimmering, treated guitar to majestic effect. The sound builds over each track, growing slightly bigger and more full of life as the pieces play out and leaves the listener getting caught in the swell. It's a peaceful feeling, almost childlike in its innocence, but equally as powerful in its positivity.
On the fourth track, ‘New Pures’ the tone gets slightly more dissonant, but it's a subtle shift in the form of a low end sustained drone and treated feedback. The mood feels darker and more contemplative as the piece moves on and fades out with just a single disappearing guitar drone. This makes way for ‘Movement for the Completely Fucked’ which is the only track on the album to break the ten minute mark. For me this is the centerpiece of the album, taking the listener on a ride from the darker place of ‘New Pures’ building up over the course of almost fifteen minutes to the highest heights on the album. As the album ends with ‘Touhy's Theme’, the music fades into the distance. It's quiet and almost sad, a perfect ending to this album.
It's a spiritual place this music comes from and it's a spiritual place that the listener is transported to. The individual reaction is personal for the listener; maybe it evokes the reliable comfortable feeling of peace one might get watching the sun rise in the morning when no one else is around or the nostalgic feeling of a different time when all was right with the world. Maybe it takes you to a place of questioning or change and gives you the strength to take the first step. Whatever is it for you, Ways of Meaning can get you there if you choose to take the ride.
The opening tracks, ‘Dropping Sandwiches in Chester Lake’, ‘Statuit’, and ‘Canyon Meadows’ form a sort of suite, each building on the other using shimmering, treated guitar to majestic effect. The sound builds over each track, growing slightly bigger and more full of life as the pieces play out and leaves the listener getting caught in the swell. It's a peaceful feeling, almost childlike in its innocence, but equally as powerful in its positivity.
On the fourth track, ‘New Pures’ the tone gets slightly more dissonant, but it's a subtle shift in the form of a low end sustained drone and treated feedback. The mood feels darker and more contemplative as the piece moves on and fades out with just a single disappearing guitar drone. This makes way for ‘Movement for the Completely Fucked’ which is the only track on the album to break the ten minute mark. For me this is the centerpiece of the album, taking the listener on a ride from the darker place of ‘New Pures’ building up over the course of almost fifteen minutes to the highest heights on the album. As the album ends with ‘Touhy's Theme’, the music fades into the distance. It's quiet and almost sad, a perfect ending to this album.
It's a spiritual place this music comes from and it's a spiritual place that the listener is transported to. The individual reaction is personal for the listener; maybe it evokes the reliable comfortable feeling of peace one might get watching the sun rise in the morning when no one else is around or the nostalgic feeling of a different time when all was right with the world. Maybe it takes you to a place of questioning or change and gives you the strength to take the first step. Whatever is it for you, Ways of Meaning can get you there if you choose to take the ride.
For Fans of: Stars of the Lid, earth
(Please note that the video is of a non-album track)
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