microphones in the trees: beru / adam beckley

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

beru / adam beckley


Fledgling label Armed Within Movement modestly launches with this split of ethereal drone. Jessica Collins’ Beru project haunts the first side of this tape with disembodied vocals, spaced out textures, and lighter-than-air harp loops. Collins opens the 10-minute suite with her isolated voice calling directly for angels to sing over her. After only a brief minute, atmospheric tones are picked out of nowhere and channel through her soft harp playing. Melodies reverberate without gravity, much like Noah Lennox and Scott Mou’s defunct Jane project. It’s a hypnotic lull that rushes by all too quickly.

Adam Beckley’s “The Day You Heal” oddly compliments Beru’s otherworldly transcendence with barely any vocals and without any immediately recognizable instrumentation. It’s pure, oceanic drone that doesn’t confuse the issue with unnecessary frill or distractions. The piece builds at a slow and headstrong pace with only the most necessary washes of noise and power. As the cloud of noise recedes to let in Beckley’s vocals, a melancholic dirge similar to Growing’s sublime “Freedom Towards Death.” You succumb to the fate. Beckley doesn’t seem to have much out yet so far, so hopefully he keeps this up." foxy digitalis

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