Hailing from Norway, Alexander Rishaug has released his third set of compositions. This particular collection, Shadow of Events was compiled over five years. They prove to be a reliable artifact of his creative genius and attention to detail. He obviously cares about only sharing his best as these tracks are a manifest display of sumptuous minimalism, delightful melancholia, and glistening dreariness. If it sounds like I’m pressing many oxymorons then you’d be right, for Rishaug himself rewires us to think differently about our experiences. He is able to create a very lush spectacle out of his simple blurry molds with rounded corners and fuzzy edges. Restructuring everyday concepts that we take for granted he is able to draw out a particular beauty out of these despairing notes, tones, and atmospheres. And somehow in the midst of the grayness that hangs like a veil in the overall ambiance he is able to emanate some kind of organic light from within the beating heart of each track. There is such substantial subtlety and inspiring grace to these six total compositions. If you like drone when it’s taken to a higher art form then this is for you. Rishaug tells us, “Most of the tracks are developed from field recordings, instrument improvisation or live sampling. Then processed and edited with the computer as the main tool. I’ve used sounds hailing from a dusty rhodes, a lovely guitar, a nervous radio and a lonely piano.” Those are truly the tools of his trade and the vessels that serve his imagination. The gorgeous globular art with a soft stippled palette on the outer cover is a very nice addition to the magnificent music. Encounter the finer art side of drone.
