Jason Crumer — Thin Ice

Thin Ice is the twelfth solo album from respected and creative California noise maker Jason Crumer. It’s a ten-track affair, available as either a CD or c68 cassette, and it finds Mr Crumer utilizing the sonic polar opposite of noise and ambience in such an inspired, skilful, and at points highly memorable/ affecting manner.

The release is a collaborative release between Breathing Problem Productions, and Crumer's own label Low Rent. I’m reviewing the CD version of the album- the disc comes presented in a clear jewel case- this features on its front cover a head in hands boy floating on driftwood, with what looks like a torso in front of him. The CD comes with an eight-page inlay booklet- featuring a grey/ pink colour scheme, with a gatefold line drawing, coffee cup stain, and track listings. I'm not sure about the numbers on the CD and tape- but as of writing, both are still available. 
 
The tracks here have runtimes between four and twelve minutes a piece- and really each is perfectly sculpted, in both their on-point/ creative sound use and atmospheric presence. We open with “Back on My Feet”- here we find a nostalgic, lightly warming, and wavering drone blend- which mixes a piping simmer, with moody bass hover. At the round the mid-way point, we get the addition of more layers of floating/ wavering harmonics appearing- which creates this sort of sun-hazed quality- which felt akin to a slightly more buoyant take Stars of The Lid around the Tired Sounds Of.. album. We have the high-pitched noise tone glide meets golden ambient glow of “Automation Fables”, which later adds in dreamy textural slices, accelerates, and electro drips. There’s the plaintive high pitch piano pulse meet grating-to-snapping junk tone detail of “Chased/Marlboro Mile”, which later on adds low bounding piano moodiness to the dense yet felt ambient noise mix.

Moving into the latter half of the album- we have the ambient hover ‘n’ simmer meets low key looping tone simmer of “Echo Halls of Power” which later on adds in hauntingly whistling bays, wavering pitch drift, and more pronounced harmonically moody swells. With the album playing out with dense piano key mass of “Anna Carita” which blends both cascading flow, bounding clunk, and later more formal harmonic notation coming from the heart of the track.

Thin Ice is truly a wonderful crossbreed album that effortless shifts, merges, and blends noise and ambience. Most definitely one of 2022 highlights, which will most certainly be appearing in my best of the year list!.