Jana Irmert — Flood
Opening far off in the distance, "Flood Pt. 1 (Standing on Breaking Ice)" slowly moves toward the listener, shimmering with oscillation and teasing with some light, fuzzy static. Making the most of its 22:28 run time, "Pt. 1" strafes and glides across varied parts of the sonic spectrum, all the while building and adding to the contemplative tone. Shifting the focus between layers, and continuously moving forward, each section of this track is a part all its own. This goes for the following two parts as well, but is introduced first on the opener. Jana's subtle and gradual build makes each part feel more organic, and this naturalness furthers the depth and gravity of the sounds on display. Shimmering and a bit more liquid, "Flood Pt. 2 (Silence on a String)" follows a similar pattern of organic change and growth. "Pt. 2" serves as a bridge between the start and end movements on flood, and it's buzzing, almost robotic feel could be construed as a travel mechanism. Thick, active, and fairly rough, "Flood Pt. 3 (The Sound of the Universe Spinning)" is an accurately sub-titled composition. Hypnotic at times, crispy at others, "Pt. 3" seems to capture the sounds of all manner of distant, astronomical bodies and bring them together in one engaging mix. Beyond what the human ear can discern, the spinning universe is a vast array of movements and collisions, all ready to be interpreted for mankind's enjoyment.
Flood is an intriguing, contemplative, and atmospheric bit of experimental electronic music. With each part playing as its own whole, but still working in conjunction with the other parts to create something more, Jana Irmert has composed a very wonderful piece of sound art. With this being her sophomore effort, one can only see a bright future for this artist, and releases will be very welcome in the coming years.