Jim O'Rourke & Jos Smolders — Albumin

Following up 2021's Additive Inverse, Jim O'Rourke & Jos Smolders come together again for more sonic experimentation and procedural processing with Albumin. Their second on Moving Furniture, these two tracks showcase Jim's Kyma System generating the basis of the album before both he and Jos altered them separately in their studios. The result is a shimmering and ambulating collection of textures that flows, drifts, and pulls the listener into its midst to carry them forth through the duo's process. Working very well together, the pair combine sounds to form an enigmatic sonic stew, unpredictable and enjoyable, collected and concentrated.

Albumin's two pieces, "(HP)-(HP)" and "r(OP-OP)" are interesting in that they're a mix of disquiet and comfort, but somehow at the same time. This may be due to the way they curl and flow, feeling very organic despite their very synthetic genesis. Each texture and tone encapsulates the duality that exists in us that we cannot avoid putting forth in all that we encounter. We have our own Jim and Jos deciphering the output of the real Jim and Jos, and each playthrough affects the listener differently. Albumin plays like a soundscape, but not in the traditional sense. To me, it's like flowing down traces on a circuit board taking everything in; the green of the board replaces the grasslands and the copper traces become glowing rivers. To me, the sounds look like Tron meets Lion King. The highs and feedbacking pieces effectively pierce through the drones from time to time, catching the listener off guard, adding to that sense of disquiet. Albumin isn't harsh by any means, but the fiery stabs serve to remind the listener that even the safest environs carry some inherent danger. As stated above, each playthrough of Albumin affects the listener differently. Mood, volume changes, atmospheres, whatever changes give the play a life of its own. I think this is due to the varying strengths of the sounds in the mix, some being obscured by a distant hum behind you, let's say, leading to a more jarring listen, or getting the full range with headphones and eyes closed. It's definitely an intriguing album; the output is very cared for and it shows.

Jim O'Rourke & Jos Smolders show how two artists half a world apart can truly collaborate with their second release, Albumin. Stimulating, intriguing, and constantly moving, the album flows and changes, each piece part of a greater whole while still having its own voice. Coherent and collected, this bit of experimentation shows the duo's focus and drive to create pieces that are complete but still allowing the edges to be seen. Growing and changing with each spin, Albumin is a cool album that will get many plays.