Arkhonia — Trails/Traces

This release is a bit of a mystery.  I tried to Google who was behind this project but to no avail.  The only thing I know is the artist once collaborated with someone called J. S. Zeiter (who appears on one track.)  And in the liner notes a couple of musicians are credited for their help, including (of course) Danny Saul, whom I've written about on this site before.

What this is, then, is mostly a very conceptual musical collection spanning the past decade.  This includes a very rare piece called "DDRhodes" which was later used for a Pet Shop Boys remix.  That's not to say that any of these tracks are what you'd call pop music -- it's too minimal and experimental for it, not too mention very stark and barren.  The attached press-release I got cites LaMonte Young, Brian Eno, Andrew Chalk, Thomas Koner and Alva Noto as inspirations.

Indeed most of these tracks don't seem like very much, but they do have an aura of mystery to them.  It's very much like a strange art exhibit, and one that is a bit creepy to boot.  And of course with the cover art there's images of planes leaving what looks like the 'chemtrails' that lately inspires much fear in those obsessed with conspiracy-theories and weird phenomena...

I know this recording probably won't mean much to most people, as low key as it is.  But it's not a bad way to waste an hour when you're not in the mood for something too distracting...