Andrew Ostler — The Blind Sublime

Andrew Ostler practices what he preaches. At least, he does when it comes to music. As the man behind top Eurorack modular synths, Expert Sleepers, not only does Ostler make a point of using the equipment that he builds when creating his own sounds, but he also supports other artists who do too - courtesy of his label of the same name. In fact, it is this very label that is behind the release of Ostler’s latest orchestrally driven The Blind Sublime.

Ostler is to all intents and purposes a musician and a musical engineer. Beavering away creating equipment for electronic artists, he started launching plugins way back when, slowly entering the world of the modular in 2009 and then finally releasing his first piece of kit, the ES-1, back in 2013. All the while, however, and in fact for some time before, Ostler had been dipping his toe into music-making both under his own steam and since 1998 as part of duo Darkroom. Formed with guitarist Michael Bearpark, Darkroom’s sonic approach is based around improvisation as their respective instruments – synth and guitar - are pushed and pulled across musical boundaries, but ultimately subsumed in an ambient totality - transcendent and abrasive in equal measure. Unsurprisingly then, as a solo artist, Ostler has adopted a similar aesthetic releasing four albums over the last three years on Expert Sleepers, the latest of which The Blind Sublime sees Ostler shifting focus from synth to orchestral and processed sax - the beginnings of which were evident on last year’s Dots on a Disk of Snow and 2022’s Four Drones for Saxophone and Modular Synthesizer respectively.

Essentially, it is an album of two halves – with a very clear dividing line, but what makes this record so enticingly unique is the inclusion of the choir. The first three tracks are heavily orchestral in nature as the choir takes centre stage but flip over the record and we go deep into the ambient at its most stark and pure - driven by drone and accompanied by the orchestra this time rather than dominated by it.

‘Part 1 – Affirmation’ starts with a choral fanfare before conceding to shimmering electronics. But soon the choir re-enters in the most transcendent fashion escorted by soaring violins which build for the duration before coming down the other side. ‘Part 2 – Confession’ is equally emotive, but this time more undulating in its intensity as the chorus and electronics take turns, before resting on a crescendo. ‘Part 3 - Adoration’ returns to a more simple and rather beautiful choral experience and then it’s time for the genre gear change.

Just under twenty minutes long, ‘Meditation’ is pure ambience, building magnificently as the drone takes charge until almost the halfway mark. The subtle reintroduction of the chorus adds a welcome dynamic shift to what is already otherworldly, providing a lift – as we find ourselves travelling from the technical to the spiritual. Hovering for the remainder, the synths slowly die away before the climax as Ostler brings The Blind Sublime back to the beginning. Sublime indeed. This is a piece of music to be cherished. Listen here.