2011 will surely go down in history as the Year of the Split. These past nine months have seen an unprecedented amount of dream-team collaborations--literally too many to name. I personally live for the split: and the digital age has spoiled me so, as it is now easier than ever to shoot files back and forth between people who would otherwise never cross paths in real life.Such is the case with one of the more recent releases on Tranquility Tapes--the group effort of longtime KZSU faves Tidal and Motion Sickness of Time Travel, (AKA Rachel Evans of Hooker Vision) whose solo project has become one of the quintessential ambient offerings of the past few years.
MSOTT's side is chilly and refreshing. All the colorful electronic elements and gorgeous breathy crooning that we have come to expect in her recordings, but with a plethora of new and exciting textures. Naturally gifted vocalists are an uncommon occurrence (even more so in a genre dominated by sonic manipulations) and each of her four tracks showcase her far-reaching set of pipes quite well.
Tidal's side opens up in a slow drift--"Shadow Cast" teases the listener with gently ringing shimmers of synth and flutters of static. As the tape rolls on into "Dissolver," this polished surface slowly crumbles away at the hands of the same icy waves of overdrive that we loved so much in 2010's Fractal Empire. It is harsh and unforgiving, but still retains the strong underlying peaceful aesthetics that makes it such a good fit for Tranquility.
A wonderful split between two greats that once again proves that DIY is even better with a friend.
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