Area C
traffics and discoveries
Another fantastic CD on Last Visible Dog Records by an artist you've never heard
of before. Area C's music is constructed mostly from guitar loops +
effects, but this only hints at the final sound. While the process is in
some way reminiscent of the old Frippertronics, the results here are far from
cold, producing atmospheric tracks that ultimately sound more like the beautiful
washes of Stephano Pilia than the 'one man with a guitar + effects' might
suggest. Ultimately, 'traffics and discoveries' is a warm and immediately
accessible album that I found myself listening to time and time again. I
suppose in that respect I might compare it to Labradford's Mi media naranja,
which in LVD-speak translates to: A great album which doesn't forget amidst the
experimentation how to make simple, gorgeous music.
"If you picked up
Last Visible Dog’s recent six-disc “Invisible Pyramid: Elegy Box,” you were
treated to a 19-minute exercise in drone poetics, courtesy of Providence, R.I.’s
Area C. His track, “Chain Bridge,” led off the final disc of the set and proved
that this relatively new voice in the drone scene was definitely worthy to sit
alongside the likes of Ben Reynolds, Ashtray Navigations and My Cat is an Alien.
As great as Eric Carlson’s contribution was to the compilation, it was just a
tease, preparing us for this, his debut full-length.
The fact that “Traffics + Discoveries” was crafted primarily with guitar loops
and effects pedals does not mean that you know what to expect from it before you
even listen. The sounds that Carlson achieves with this palette are definitely
not monochrome – a broad spectrum of sound washes over you during the entirety
of the album. There is never a dull moment, as each track takes on a separate
dynamic realm and the songs themselves change shape, eliciting a stimulating
listening experience.
Most of the songs are relatively short compared to “Chain Bridge” with the
exception of “Dark Radio / Light Waves,” which is actually two pieces joined
together. The ‘dark’ half features a sample from A.M. radio over a miasmic drone
and gurgle, while the ‘light’ half sends us East with a chant heard at a temple
in Taipei. It’s a very delicate track, where the sound is sometimes reduced to a
murmur.
It’s very exciting to hear someone taking the ‘one man with a guitar and pedals’
aesthetic and taking up a couple of notches, making a sound that’s all their
own. I’m definitely looking forward to Area C’s next endeavour in the swirly,
whirring world of drones."- Bryon Hayes