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Ancient Machines

by Forrest Fang

supported by
Richard Gürtler
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Richard Gürtler Exceptionally transporting sonic wizardry in carving abundantly blossoming and intriguingly enigmatic earmarks persistently permeated by infinitely delightful and peculiarly scented perfumes. Luxuriantly colored palette, where Middle and Far East ambrosial signatures constantly juxtapose with Western imbued and warmly embracing panoptic quietudes. As much dazzlingly indigenous and spellbindingly spirited as sonorously contemplative and euphoniously halcyon Multi-instrumental bravura!!!
rikm
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rikm I've always felt that Forrest Fang's music is a transformative experience, building sound worlds and sonic architecture around me as his work unfolds.

His music is tremendously evocative, and I've always been grateful to him for the musical bliss that he creates.

"Ancient Machines" is another great example of Fang's fantastic talents, a collection of pieces that inspire and delight.

Highly recommended...
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1.
Ancient Machines 05:46
2.
The Celestial Diver (I. Winds of Betelgeuse) 06:38
3.
The Celestial Diver (II. Shooting Star) 06:22
4.
The Celestial Diver (III. Traceries) 05:45
5.
In Air, It Seems 05:04
6.
Firefly Run 07:48
7.
Smoke Rings 04:47
8.
A Recursive Tale 05:45
9.
The Other Earth 09:59
10.
Zone One 08:09
11.
Night Swans 06:54

about

The ambient music of Ancient Machines — the eighteenth album from veteran Bay Area electronic musician and multi-instrumentalist Forrest Fang — embraces an arc of mysteriously complex moods and emotions. Fang’s latest work reflects both his Western influences as a classical violinist and his Eastern influences as a player of Javanese gamelan and other Asian instruments. The pieces are imaginary narratives that gradually reveal themselves, incorporating the sounds of both electronic and acoustic instruments.

On his latest Projekt release, Fang found inspiration reflecting on one of his early influences — minimalist classical composers. “During the early 80s,” notes Fang, “I was fascinated with the trance-like effect of pieces like Philip Glass’ Einstein on the Beach and Terry Riley’s improvisational Persian Surgery Dervishes. For this album, I use the repetition of minimalism as a point of departure. However, what follows in the pieces is a hybrid ambient style that invites interaction between Western and non-Western instruments that are not ordinarily used together in a way that I hope conveys my love of sound in its many manifestations and permutations.”

When asked, Fang purposely leaves the “ancient machines” referenced in the title open to the listener’s interpretation. However, he may well be referring to the internal “machines” of all sentient and nonsentient life on this planet that evolve and mutate as part of the symphony of change.

The sonic atmospheres on Ancient Machines are diverse. The album begins with the title track — a short exploration of gentle elongated rhythms and floating electronic textures. The energetic minimalist suite, “The Celestial Diver,” follows with three pieces dedicated to the late Italian minimalist composer, Piero Milesi. The juxtaposition of spacey textures and overlapping polyrhythms in the pieces, including the occasional sounds of a harpsichord, introduce a new dimension to Fang’s stylistic voice.

The album continues with “In Air, It Seems,” a delicate and pensive piece for piano, violins and quiet background ambiences that provides a calm resting point midway through the album. This is followed by “Firefly Run,” a dreamlike soundscape of luminous figures and vivid movements suggestive of flight, and “Smoke Rings,” a short interlude featuring processed balafon and gamelan that bring the listener back to terra firma.

Next, the piano-based fractal piece, “A Recursive Tale,” provides the transition to the last three pieces forming the closing arc of the album — “The Other Earth,” “Zone One” and “Night Swans.” “The Other Earth,” a melancholy and contemplative piece is reminiscent of classic electronic space music but with occasional hints of minimalism at its quiet core. The mood is lifted with “Zone One,” which combines a slowly evolving melodic rhythm with shifting orchestral clouds which hint at promises of the future. “Night Swans” closes the album with the quiet sound of an electric piano against an ambient background of electronic night spirits.

credits

released December 2, 2019

⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪

FORREST’S FULL PROJEKT CATALOG:
Some Brighter Stars— projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/some-brighter-stars
Gongland — projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gongland
Phantoms— projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/phantoms
San Serif: Unbound— projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sans-serif-unbound
Animism— projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/animism
The Wolf At The Ruins (2CD) — projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-wolf-at-the-ruins-migration-reissue
Forrest Fang— Letters To The Farthest Star projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/letters-to-the-farthest-star
the Sleepwalker's Ocean (2CD) — projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-sleepwalker-s-ocean
Following the Ether Sun — projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/following-the-ether-sun
Scenes from a Ghost Train — projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/scenes-from-a-ghost-train
The Fata Morgana Dream — projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-fata-morgana-dream
Ancient Machines — projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ancient-machines
The Book of Wanderers — projektrecords.bandcamp.com/album/forrest-fang-the-book-of-wanderers

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Projekt Records Portland, Oregon

Projekt is America's premier independent label specializing in passionately intense introspective music in the ambient, electronic, ethereal & darkwave genres.

39-year-old Projekt is home to Steve Roach, Erik Wøllo, Michael Stearns, Black Tape For A Blue Girl, Aurelio Voltaire and many others. The label continues to nurture the careers of its select roster of artists. ... more

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