Much like Gandalf, "[art] is never late, nor is [it] early, [it] arrives precisely when [it] means to." Nine years since 2016's Branches, Scottish sound artist and musician o[rlawren] returns to Dronarivm with The Intimate Overlap. With some help from another Dutch label Fonodroom, this opus is presented in a 6-panel digisleeve with soft-touch finish, in an edition limited to 150 copies.
Much like the previous Branches, The Intimate Overlap focuses on sounds and textures "holding onto their roots, folding, seeking nutrients, learning and unlearning." This organic approach to synthesis matched with field recordings needed its time to take shape, and o[rlawren] made sure that everything arrived precisely when it meant to. As one wouldn't expect a full grown tree to manifest before it had time to grow, the same can be said for The Intimate Overlap and its two suites, "A Structure In Naming" and "A Nearness to the World."
As stated above, The Intimate Overlap spreads like a tree, the album split into two suites, and each suite branching into two tracks. All told, the seventy-three minutes of well thought out, carefully crafted, delicate sounds weave, linger, shift, and dance slowly and deliberately, creating a light and effulgent atmosphere. The pacing also keeps the album from feeling rushed and also manages to keep the long runtime from feeling bloated or repetitive. One can tell that each element was carefully chosen, by either o[rlawren] or the work itself, and this organic synthesis unfolds into a blanket of sound that is welcoming and engaging. The Intimate Overlap's construction melds its elements skillfully, such that field recordings are indistinguishable from acousmatic or modular synthesis, blending the natural world with the artificial. Along with what feels like birds and bugs, one can almost see bubbles of respiration as photosynthesis' byproduct, a cellular view of how The Intimate Overlap breathes and grows. For the suites, "A Structure In Naming," comprising "Rhizomatic Choreography (Primitivistic Touch)" and "Senses As Limbs (An Agreement of Footsteps)" is softer and brighter, giving a cherubic and youthful feeling to the pieces contained. The second suite, "A Nearness to the World," uses "The Rhythm of the Dividing Pair (Tender Aspect)" and "Each to Mine Each (Folding, Every Meaningful)" to further the journey of the first suite's protagonist, so to speak. Featuring a few more traditionally musical elements, the second suite brings together the hopes, dreams, and drives of the prior piece and helps to round off the story. Subtle but still very vibrant, The Intimate Overlap is open to interpretation upon interpretation, revealing new parts of its construction with each subsequent listen.
The Intimate Overlap is a well nurtured and loved being whose growth and life we're allowed to experience again and again. Whether one sticks to the horticultural bent while listening, or explores one of the myriad other vibes and essences that effervesce from within, o[rlawren]'s latest is a dynamite piece of expression. Sitting on the good side of the nine year composition and recording period. one can use this hindsight to say, "good things come to those who wait." While I'm sure fans were chomping at the bit for Branches' follow up, this sonic seedling is nine years of love and care.
![o[rlawren]](/images/migrated/25/25618.jpg)