Joe Talia

Tint

★★★★

I guess this became a once a month sort of deal. Wish I spent my time more wisely, or just had more of it. It's been a while since I've really delved into recently released music and I figured why not just go with one of the more obscure and less talked about albums. I've never heard of Joe Talia but he's worked with Oren Ambarchi, Jim O'Rourke, and many others from the electroacoustic scene. This is a pretty simple record, with minimal design and a very low-key release that didn't try to whip itself into the ears of potential listeners. It is a big release for Talia though as he hasn't released anything in over a decade, and this album has only been recorded over the past two years. He's been busy helping others but this album gives you reason to pay a little more attention to what Talia has to offer. It's just two tracks, originally released on vinyl, on the blossoming Black Truffle record label. He's usually worked on percussion or the mastering of other albums but on Tint he takes a different approach. Using only a modular synth and tape recorder, Talia aptly utilizes his experience in the studio to create a fundamentally immersive record. This requires a certain kind of talent and mindset which only someone with the background of Talia could attain. In many ways I see each piece as a different side of the same coin, and Talia makes sure to emphasize his influences as well as his own technique. You can tell it's a personal record, but the lack of concrete context makes that personality all the more powerful, and more mysterious. 

"Clouded Night Pt 1 " is what I would consider the lighter side of this album. That doesn't mean it stays clear and collected; in fact this entire track feels like exploring a dense rain forest in the middle of the night. You hear whispers and noises that are simply unexplained. The tension builds until about thirteen minutes in when it breaks. Thank god too, I was about to go through a cold sweat. Until that breaking point I noticed a repeating sound that came in and out frequently. It could've been a whale or the wind, either way it gave me chills. Talia doesn't mess around with the percussion either, his knowledge comes through with the castanet-like instrument. It sounds as dark and grim as possible, acting as a predator stalking its prey. The second part of the track after the break leads to even more uncertainty. It acts more like a glitchy bug-ridden organ drone than any sort of organic sounds that are heard earlier. Even though it lacks in its aural diversity, the mood stays just as confrontational. Then a metallic ringing sound bites through the drone, and it feels out of place and very unnatural. Alien-like and circular in its motion, the sound vanishes after a few minutes. The remaining drone increases in distortion then suddenly dissipates into the barren air in which it originated. 

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, "Clouded Night Pt 2" is a reincarnation of the previous piece, yet it sounds more vivid and all of its atmospheric characteristics seem much more amplified. In a Graham Lambkin way, you can hear some field recordings of what sounds like someone in a basement messing around, leaking pipes surrounding them. This buzzing that resembles an exaggerated wing flutter or helicopter continues to fade in and out. It eventually melds with a cascading synth paired with bird chirps. As it transforms itself into a growing organism, the life is suddenly pulled from it. Then it really begins to get on my nerves; flies buzzing around my ears and I feel my body change into an alert and perceptive state. A fast heartbeat and sounds of the jungle continue in the background, waiting for you to make your next move in the dark. You're then turned into a completely different environment; creaking metal and high frequency waves assault you. It feels like you're in the middle of a collapsing nuclear reactor with no way out. The intensity at this point frees itself from any prior boundaries, perhaps a nod to the free jazz that Talia enjoys. A burgeoning growl instantly ends that chaos, leading to an uneasy but final state. It's finished, the heat death of the universe came as expected.

I've listened to this about ten times by now and I can really say that each listen has been more rewarding than the last. I really have enjoyed sound experimentation that has originated from the hands of a true master. A mix of experience and inspirations led to a project that is simply unique to Talia, and I'm thoroughly pleased it has reached my ears. A necessity accessory for this music is a pair of headphones, I did listen to it once without any and I felt cheated. The micro auditory effects seemed to be absent or melded in with the foreground, leading to a noisy mess. It's clear to me that Talia took his time with this album, adding or removing little things until he got finely tuned tracks that are organic and alive. While it may be well manicured, it never seems forced or contrived. I'd love to see someone put a visual aspect to this music, I think I would be undoubtedly overwhelmed by the combination and perhaps anxious. Even more paranoia inducing would be to listen to this in a crowded public place; just watching your environment. I don't know what environment Talia would prefer for this album, but I really believe that this album wriggled its way inside of me and reached parts that directly responded in curiosity, fear, and excitement. It's effortless and a great example of music that can reach you on the most primal level.

Favorite Song: Clouded Night Pt 2