Carl Stone

Electronic Music from the Eighties and Nineties

★★★★

A release from this year; I really underestimate the quality of releases that come out every year that goes by and in return I seem to be missing out on a lot of exciting listens. To be fair this isn't really new music, although most of it is hitting the audience's ears for the first time. And not to really get ahead of myself, but all of the music here could've easily been created in this day and age without seeming out of place. Comparing this to the previous archival release, I think the music presented here goes beyond most of which Electronic Music from the Seventies and Eighties could provide. While some elements are homologous and constants in both releases, I think the experience and work that went into these two periods of Stone's creative output led to great improvements in the latter. The invariable themes throughout these two releases are regarding the use of Baroque orchestral elements and vocal sampling that has been distorted beyond any sort of recognition. I think those techniques have really elevated the musical environment in both projects, but it just appears so effortless and graceful on this release. At this point in his career he's truly mastered the art of sound environments and takes on the new task of perfecting every detail; creating his own narrative. I entered his world and turned out to be disarmed and taken control of while he had his fun with the music. It's another shift that's taken place from his previous album; this just exudes a comfortable looseness that really shows the enjoyment Stone is receiving from even creating this music. It's not necessarily music to dance to, but more fun in the context of putting on your headphones and laying in the sun. Absorbing the heat and sounds coming directly through your ears in the purest form possible. The music comes together organically and even with the twenty minute pieces here Stone is able to manufacture a sort of minimalism that morphs and evolves. 

"Banteay Srey" is the opener and already a song that I am well aware of. I believe this song and a modified version of "Woo Lae Oak" are the only returning pieces, the other two are newly released. "Banteay Srey" acts like a whale song from the depths of the unexplored ocean. A reshaped vocal sample becomes as alien and natural as those whale field recordings and adds a warmth that is closely tied with our human experience. This song is one that was, until recently, bound to a feeling of rejection and absolute exhaustion. It would be like that on loop for days on end and I'm happy that now my feelings have changed. It's warmer and tied into my feelings of belonging and acceptance; the complete opposite. "Banteay Srey" is like a welcome hug from the Earth and those you take for granted but shouldn't. The background synths aren't in your face but more subdued and serve as a contouring feature along the rolling vocal waves. The music is telling you everything will be ok and it soothes you into a state of absolute euphoria and bliss. It's rare for me to experience such a sudden shift in what events I associate with music but I'm happy I've traveled to a more positive and enduring state of min within "Banteay Srey". The piece right after, "Sonali", is about as poppy as Stone has ever gotten. The beginning synth sounds imitate that of glass droplets falling all around you as the opera style vocal sample hones in. It's manipulated to almost sound like a laugh and strings are added soon after. And at around three minutes in the music stops; just in time for a sexy and invigorating breakdown that trumps the music that preceded it. A glitched horn section adds a real novel feel to the whole song as sweeter syrupy notes become introduced along with an even more vivacious string section. Near the end a real blocky glitch introduces itself that makes me feel like the ground below me is moving up and down in these scaled blocks of earth. It perfectly represents the fun Stone has with his modern take on Baroque elements. Even with all the rigorous dizzying modifications to the vocals and strings they still serve their perspective functions as if unchanged.

"Woo Lae Oak" returns here in the form of a twenty three minute edit. The magic of "Woo Lae Oak" lies within the materials that were used to construct it. A short string tremolo and bottle top being blown like a flute are the two elements that make up this entire song. It's the most simple and stripped down piece on this release but Stone works his magic to create something captivating and touching. It takes on a prehistoric form, like expressing the earliest musicians of some long lost village in the cornucopia of where civilization began. Stone channels in expressions of wind and the organic music found in nature, with stunning results. Near the end of the piece more emphasis is put into the solitary tremolo string playing as longer "bottle flute" notes are drawn out, spelling out the end of the music and leading to a transition into a darker, silent night. "Mae Yao" is the last song on this album and serves its closing position very well. A mix of mystery sounds and Gamelan music made its way to me with the glitched repetition previously used in "Sonali". Maybe it's a bit cheap to relate this to some music that Oneohtrix Point Never would've made in his earlier days. But I'm sure he and many others took great inspiration from Stone and those in the early electronic and tape manipulation school. Once the ambiguous sample is introduced the entire mood and pace of the piece changes immensely. A clear vocal form and creaking is added in as the song smooths itself into inexplicable beauty. Along with "Woo Lae Oak", these two songs in the latter half make for a more organic and raw representation of  Stone's Music. The beauty in this is unrefined, and complete with its own imperfections. The sweet female vocals towards the end are like the spoonful of honey a parent would feed you as a child. It's so personal and satisfying even though it's overwhelming in sweetness. 

Stone left me dumbfounded after this release, which is not what I expected coming in from the last release. While "Electronic Music from the Seventies and Eighties" was great and enjoyable, I found myself returning to only one track off of that album, but I think it'll be a different case for this release. This is all material that was created later and I think the experience he gained is clearly shown. All the themes and ideas that transfer here are seamlessly natural and more mature. The Baroque touches are not flashy or cheesy but integrated well into the music in a way that completely redefines what most people consider "Baroque". While Stone takes influence and direct samples from this music he doesn't disregard current technology. He uses it to his advantage in order to create these long, churning songs that take on their own narrative. Each song feels unique and contains a sort of mystery along with its story; one that my conscious creates. Though you can understand a lot of his influences and ideas, it's commendable to see and hear how much Stone doesn't give away to the listener. A lot of sounds have little to no context; you can make your best guess but in the end it won't be clear if that's really what Stone meant to do. The way I see it, Stone is enthusiastically showing how any sound can be manipulated or formatted in a way that produces mystifying beauty. It can put me in a state of wonder while also making me feel right at home.

Favorite Song: Sonali